Category Archives: Other Stuff
The major cause of atmospheric degradation is construction – be it building or roads. In those, the building section takes a stronger hand. Apparently, the construction field uses an annual production of 2.5 billion tons of cement. Now what if this is in turn used to gobble up the carbon presence in the air? New company Novacem has invented a cement that can ‘eat up carbon as it hardens’. This cement, a creation of the Imperial College of London, is based on magnesium oxide and special mineral additives to remove heavy CO2 producing bases such as limestone and calcium carbonate.
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Intel, PepsiCo and Whole Foods Market ranked Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s list of top green power purchasers among the Fortune 500. This was released in the report last month. The report is on companies, colleges and government agencies that purchase or generate the greatest amount of renewable energy in the country and also participate in the Green Power Partnership program. The annual purchases by the 50 top buyers total almost 12.3 billion kilowatt-hours and represent more than 70 percent of all the clean power commitments made by participants in the Green Power Partnership program.
[Reuters]
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Engineers at Leeds are trying to develop a way to capture the kinetic energy that is produced when soldiers march so that it can be used to power their equipment. This new system when developed will help the troops reduce their weight by at least 10 kilos. Hi-tech ceramics and crystals will be used as piezoelectric transducers in order to convert mechanical stress into electrical energy. This project has been designed keeping in mind the troops that are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Heavy packs severely limit the soldier’s mobility and also long term health problems. The typical weight of a back pack carried by a trooper is around 75 kilos because it will have a torch, radio, the Bowman communications system, electronic counter measures, and batteries weighing 10 kilos and water and ammunition.
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Justin Timberlake is doing his bit for the environment and has opened the world’s first eco-friendly golf course in Memphis, Tennessee. This golf course was originally called the Woodstock Hills and this is where the singer learned to hit his first golf ball. When he heard that the place is up for auction, he decided to buy and develop it to become the greenest and most eco-friendly golf course in America. This heroic act of saving the cost the singer a whopping $16 million in total and was then renamed as Mirimichi Golf Course. It is the first golf course to receive the Audubon International’s Classic Sanctuary certification and features native landscaping, solar powered golf carts and special irrigation system to maximize the use of rain water. This course is also the first Platinum LEED certified green course in
the US.
[Earth911]
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Pluggage is a prototype for a carry-on suitcase which features a built-in batter or inverter and also a solar panel. This means you can charge the suitcase when it moves and also in the sun. This bag was created by a student of ITP who spent 3 months by tricking out a Burton Wheelie Flight Deck rolling suitcase with a Duracell PowerSource Mobile 100 external battery pack, a stepper motor, multimeter to display battery life and a Burton SolarRolls panel that can generate 4.5 watts. The battery can be charged in about 2 hours of walk time assuming an average walking speed of 2 to 5 kilometers per hour. A full charge is capable of charging a laptop for 1.5 hours. But sadly the big companies like Samsonite is reluctant to even look at his creation. So now he is turning towards smaller luggage companies. Well if this does become a hit Samsonite will look like a loser.
[Boingboing]
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I don’t know, it might be the recession that is making Starbucks open fewer stores than before but the ones that they open, have to be environmentally friendly and also it should be made from locally available materials and should also the reflect the looks of the neighborhood they are in. The firs that was opened was in March across the street from the Pike Place Market in Seattle which had a more rustic look and included scrap leather from shoe and automobile factories, a long community table from a restaurant and cabinet made from fallen trees. This month, the second concept was unveiled at its Paris Design Village store where some materials came from reclaimed Champagne racks and recycled mobile phone parts. This is a pretty unique way of recycling and reusing waste materials. Starbucks will be seeking the LEED certification, which is an indication of environmental friendliness for all the new company-owned stores beginning next year.
[Ethiopianreview]
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Who wants to take a look at trash bags that are usually black and grey? But Novelty Goldfish Trash Bags are here to change the way people look at them. These eco-friendly trash bags are made of oxo-biodegradable plastic and are 100% biodegradable. This means that it will not add on to the landfill misery and rot there forever. These earth-friendly trash bags do not compromise on appearance too. I was lured by (my favorite pet) gold fishes featured on them at first. For $16, you can dump your garbage in this fishy bag and do good for your environment too.
Via – [Gizmodiva]
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Air horns are an absolute favorite when you are watching the game and want to cheer for your favorite team. And not to forget those fishing trips where you have to constantly keep warning other boats to avoid collision. Air horns are a perfect combination of utility and fun, as they can be used to signal for help or just to annoy your neighbors. Most of these air horns use aerosol and have to be disposed when the aerosol runs out. The Ecoblaster is the first refillable and eco-friendly air horn, that you’ll never have to dispose. Firstly, this air horn doesn’t use harmful aerosol, instead it uses normal air filled in using the included pump or any bicycle or car tire pump. One recharge will give you up to 70 horn blasts with an adjustable volume of 115 dB. This air horn also meets Coast Guard regulations. You just have to refill it when the air runs out. This product will do nature a lot of good, as it will reduce the use of aerosol and the junk created due to the disposed cans.
Via – [Newlaunches]
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TrickleStar is a company that helps you save money, electricity and earth by intelligently shutting down the standby power that TV accessories or PC peripherals consume when they are turned off. The TV TrickleSaver and PC TrickleSaver feature an inbuilt current sensing circuitry that senses when a TV is on or off. It is also easy to install and provides simple automation to reduce wasteful standby energy consumption. The PC TrickleSaver is compatible for both PC and Mac. Standby power has been estimated as contributing as much as 12% of consumer’s electricity bills and so this one is a good alternative. Prices are $34.94 for the TV and $24.94 for the PC. We must however thank Jennifer Baybrook for this bit of info.
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Though we have been using the term carbon footprint every day, there are many out there who are still unaware of the meaning of this vital word belonging to our green world. Hence Merriam-Webster Inc. has added it along with more than 100 entries to the latest edition of its Collegiate Dictionary. Carbon footprint: the negative impact that something (as a person or business) has on the environment; specifically: the amount of carbon emitted by something during a given period. Also watch out for another green entrant – Green-collar: of, relating to, or involving actions for protecting the natural environment. jobs. Now we can be assured that all the folks who consider the Merriam-Webster as the bible of English language will be acquainted with our green terms too.
[Autobloggreen]
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