The Geneva Motor Show saw yet another electric car on its final day. Known as the Eva, this electric concept car by Valmet Automotive will undeniably steal hearts if and when it hits the asphalt. The car uses an advanced aluminum space frame allowing it to adapt to other vehicle types. The car’s drivetrain uses an axial flux induction motor by Axco Motors. This direct drive system can push the car to a sweet and satisfactory 120km/h. It also hooks up to Nokia smartphones through an infotainment system that also throws up vehicle data. The Eva boasts of a navigation system that reads up on terrain types and selects the best possible route for a smooth drive. It also leads you to the nearest charging station when you reach the car’s 160 kilometer range limit.

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The Oak Ridge National Laboratory stumbled upon an astonishing fact in 2005 and estimated that around 0.5% Co2 emissions are caused due to gas flaring. That’s not all; the energy produced during natural gas flaring is wasted. Jeff McDaniel, business development director for Velocys states that natural gas enough to actually power Germany is usually flared. However, companies like The Brazilian state oil company, Petrobras, are working on ways to utilize natural gas generated during offshore drilling. Natural gas unlike oil cannot be easily transported due to which it is flared instead. Compact GTL and Velocys are currently working on chemical reactors that will help turn gas into synthetic liquid fuel.

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London has yet another architectural marvel to brag about. The Strata will be the world’s first skyscraper to have built in wind turbines. Taking the concept of green sustainable architecture to a level above, the Strata tower, nicknamed “the Razor” uses a three wind turbines that will help meet 8% of its total energy needs. Standing 148 meters tall in the London horizon, this building was developed and contracted by Brookfield Europe. The 42 storey structure pops its head above all the other buildings in its vicinity, due to which it can effectively make use of the 35 mph wind speed. Special care was taken in its designing in order to make use of the Venturi effect created by nearby buildings that helps force wind through the turbines at higher speeds.

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Global warming is a serious matter that will change the world in future, however, exaggerating the situation is something the Government isn’t really pleased with. The Advertising Standards Authority claimed that the ad’s based on Jack and Jill and Rub-A-Dub-Dub went beyond scientific predictions of global warming by stating that the world would environmentally change in the near 25 years. The two nursery-rhyme-based adverts made claims below that extreme weather conditions such as flooding, heat waves and storms will become more frequent and intense and life in 25 years could be very different. Scientists have stated that global warming will affect the world and every living being, however, unlike what these advertisements claim, these events will probably take place after a few hundred years. These ads attracted around 939 complaints. Now that sure adds a bad taste to all the efforts put into saving our environment.

[Telegraph]

While soaking up the sun’s energy, solar panels tend to release a whole load of heat energy, which is wasted. The guys at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology had a brainwave and came up with the Technique Solar Module, a device that uses this heat energy to heat water instead of letting it go waste. Combining a solar electricity system and a water heating system, these panels use a series of channels equipped with concentrating acrylic lens and reflective walls that help focus the sun’s rays on solar cell strips. These cells generate electricity while a heat exchanger placed below these cells heats circulating water stored in a tank.

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Make way for the first wireless eBike ever! Known as the Shadow (being lime yellow in color, it should have been called the Lime instead), this bike is the brainchild of Canadian based Daymak Inc. It uses lithium batteries in its belly that keeps the bike in motion with 1000W of power. That’s not all. The bikes batteries can also charge up your portable devices! Here’s what makes this electric bike unique. Unlike others of its type, this bike uses cutting edge technology like a wireless breaking system, a wireless throttle and also a wireless pedal assist system!

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Its white, uses solar power to charge and is also a dynamo charger. The Thanko Hybrid Mobile Charger measuring just 70 × 70 × 29mm in width, height and diagonally respectively, this mobile phone charger sucks energy from the sun to charge up your mobile phone. It is portable and can be whipped out of your bag and put to use on the go! That’s not all. Just incase the sun refuses to shine and the clouds take over, this charger can still efficiently power up your phone using its dynamo charger. All you need to do is slip your finger in the little ring at its side and tug at the 18 cm pull type cable. The Thanko Hybrid Mobile Charger is also equipped with three LED lights on its side.

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Here’s a piece of furniture that looks like a rock and purifies the air around. Air purifying outdoor seating would have remained unheard of if not for Alexandre Moronnoz’s CCC design. This rock-like seating is made out of a material known as Champignon Carbone Capture, which is where it gets it name from. Using TX Active Cement containing a photocatalyzer, these seats accelerate the oxidation process of pollutants found in natural and artificial light. It then transforms it into milder and less harmful compounds like water, nitrates and carbon dioxide.

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We’ve heard of the Novothink Solar Surge solar panel equipped case for the iPod Touch before. This funky case used a lithium-ion polymer 1500mAH battery to soak up the sun. Here’s another similar case of the same type, this time round, it’ll power up the iPhone instead. It is integrated with a lithium-ion polymer 1320mAH battery. The new Novothink Solar Surge takes around two-hours to charge up the phone for a 30 minute talk time. That’s if you use the 3G version. The 2G version just takes an hour of sunbathing. The case also has a free application for your phone that tells you how much more juice the phone needs from the sun to remain powered up through the day.

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We all go “Wow!” when a Bentley tolls past us. There’s something more to admire in this super luxury sedan now. The compatny announced at the Geneva Motor Show that all its Continentals will now be fueled with ethanol. The Bentley’s Continental line-up is the most popular so far, and with the release of the all new 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports, the whole series is set to go green. The cars twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 delivers 621 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, enough to push this huge machine to a speed of 60 mph in 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 202 mph.

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Here’s a device that looks like a tree trunk and does your lungs a favor by purposefully pointing out how dirty the air around you is and does a small bit of cleaning and filtering too! Known as the Eco-Green Ring, this hook-onto-your-wall tree trunk-like device uses a series of lights to indicate the purity of air. Those tiny twinkly lights remind us how much just how much pollution we fill our beloved lungs with. Designed by Park Jun Seok and Kwon Hye Rim, the Green Ring uses a red light to denote that the air is dreadful, and green lights to show that it’s as clean as the top of a Himalayan mountain. That’s not all. This environment loving tree trunk also uses recycled materials like recycled plastic and waterbome paint, pushing the green factor upwards. So what powers up this device? Human power! All you need to do is pull the little branch on the side to rev up power supply.

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We usually use water from kettles to make ourselves that hot refreshing cup of tea. Well here’s an eco-friendly way to boiling water before you pour it into your mug. Known as the Echo Chrome kettle, this appliance is equipped with a reservoir that holds a full capacity of water ready for your disposal. The measuring button enables your preferred quantity of water to be released in a separate chamber for boiling. This prevents the wastage of water allowing you to boil only the required amount. This stylish kettle with its shiny smooth chrome finish also boasts of the celebrated Recommended mark by the Energy Saving Trust. This was the first time the award was given in the EST newly established kettle category.

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Hybrid cars are finding their place in the market and on the roads now with their evergreen and everclean policies. To push this technology further, here’s a new fuel injection system that will help hybrid cars deliver more than the do today. Developed by Transonic Combustion, this system helps increase fuel efficiency by heating and pressurizing gasoline before injecting it into the combustion chamber. This allows for a very fast and clean combustion which decreases the amount of fuel required to power up the vehicle. The system also uses supercritical fluids and does not require a spark to ignite fuel. Heat and pressure helps the fluid combust without the need of a spark.

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Transformer fans have something to smile about and drool at. Here’s an Optimus Prime robot from the Transformer series that has a green touch to it, it’s made out of recycled steel. Standing 2.5 meters tall, this replica is made out of bits and pieces pulled out from TVs, cars and a whole sack-load of industrial byproducts that would find their place in a garbage dump instead. Robosteel, the company that gave birth to this smaller and greener version of the Transformers hero has made sure that this green masterpiece stands through time. A layer of lacquer helps protect the replica from the elements and not the Decepticons who this Transformer has spent his eternity fighting with.

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Toilet systems get smarter and greener with innovations like the NoMix. This system in your bathroom apparatus helps separate urine and solid waste. This helps make the work of municipal waste plants easier and produces more methane to generate electricity. It also helps make the task of extracting phosphorous and nitrogen easier which can be used as fertilizers. Studies and surveys in 7 European countries have shown that around 75−85% of users are well satisfied with the NoMix’s designing, hygiene, smell, seating and comfort. 85% people have considered the use of these fertilizers as a good idea and 70% would purchase such food.

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