May 4, 2010 - A Slovakian Company named “Carbon Green” claims to have developed an economic way to process used tires through a technology called pyrolisis; something all the major tire manufacturers and countless entrepreneurs have tried to do, but none have been able to accomplish while also turning a profit.

While Volkswagen hasn't been a name we've discussed much when talking about electric vehicles, the company today unveiled its Golf Blue-e-motion concept vehicle in conjunction with an announcement from the German government focusing on electric vehicles.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has launched a "national platform for electric mobility" that plans to have one million electric vehicles on the road in Germany by 2020. With several domestic manufacturers all working in this direction, such a goal does not seem too far fetched. BMW, Mercedes and Audi have all been moving forward with their own electric vehicle plans.

The electric Golf should have a range of 150km (about 90 miles). It is expected to be to market as a production vehicle in 2013. Volkswagen also has forthcoming hybrid versions of its Jetta and Passat, as well as a hybrid version of the Golf which will be launched in the same timeframe.

via: CBC News and Autoguide.com

Imagine being able to pitch solar tents in situations where you need both some protective cover and access to clean energy -- perhaps as a car port for a  plug-in EV or a disaster relief shelter.  A new tensile solar fabric from FTL Solar could be used in variety of ways and, as a bonus, it isn't an eyesore either.

A great example of highly functional design, the PowerMods as they're called bring together super-strong fabric and thin-film PV.  The possible uses for this solar fabric are almost endless:  battery charging stations, medical units, military bases, temporary housing, energy pods for remote villages, solar arrays in city parks, etc.

FTL has four different models of the PowerMod, including smaller-scale lean-tos and large car-park arrays.  You can check out the specs for each model here.  Each of the models' outputs are calculated on five hours of sunlight ranging from 1,068 Wh a day for the smallest model to to 2,040 kWh a day for the largest.

via Michelle Kaufman

April 30, 2010 – Key members of the United States Cotton Industry are coming together under a new plan called “Vision 21” to compile a comprehensive life cycle inventory (LCI). The inventory’s data will serve as the foundation for future cotton life cycle evaluations globally and provide a credible foundation for sustainable textile operations.

April 29, 2010 – Yves Behar, the head of fuseproject and designer who brought us the $100 child laptop, has re-designed children’s eyeglasses and partnered with the Mexican Government to provide them free of charge to school aged children throughout the country through the “See Better to Learn Better” program.

Susan Burns, CEO of Global Footrpint Network, outlines how her company's environmental accounting tool, the "ecological footprint", can help companies assess the impact of their products and business operations through life cycle analysis and how this will bring down our "ecological overshoot".

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has approved the Cape Wind offshore wind farm project!  In additon to giving the go-ahead, Salazar outlined a few tweaks to incorporate the concerns of those who have opposed the project.

1. The project will be reduced in scope from the original 170 turbines planned to 130.
2. Additonal marine surveys will be required before construction to make sure the archaeological heritage of the site can be preserved.
3. Other measures will need be incorporated to minimize the "visual impact" of the wind farm.

It's hard to believe it's been nine years since the first announcement of the project in the Nantucket Sound.  Some residents of the surrounding area, including Wampanoag indian tribes and the late Sen. Kennedy, have opposed the project because they believe it would obstruct their views (and disrupt spriritual rituals and ancient burial sites of the indians).

But environmentalists around the country and five East Coast governors all rallied for its approval, and in the end, the U.S. is finally getting its first offshore wind farm.  The wind farm will have a capacity of 420 MW -- enough to meet 75 percent of Cape Cod and the Islands' electricity needs.

The U.S. leads the world in wind energy capacity, but we've lagged behind other countries, especially in Europe, that have forged ahead with offshore wind.

Why is this a big deal?  Because offshore wind is stronger, more consistent and near coastal population centers, meaning more power generation, less gaps in electricity and no need for huge transmission networks (like those needed to distribute wind energy generated in the middle of the country).

via  Boston Globe

Japan's solar sail-powered "space yacht" is all set to launch on May 18.  Ikaros (Interplanetary Kite-Craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun) will be the first spacecraft of its kind to attempt to reach deep space.

The craft's 46-foot sails, outfitted with ultra-thin solar cells, will be steered by mission control from the ground, tweaking the angles to ensure enough of the sun's rays are hitting the craft to keep it powering on into space.  Other solar-sailed crafts have gone into space, but none have made it beyond orbit.  One reason could be that it's not a cheap mission.  The JAXA space program has already spent $16 million on this project.

Ikaros will be launched into space by a rocket along with Japan's first Venus-bound satellite before they separate and Ikaros goes fuel-free for the rest of its journey.

The Planetary Society also has a solar-powered space flight planned for sometime this year.  It will be interesting to see how the two fair.

via Popular Science

Scientists from the University of South Florida have discovered the water purifying power of the prickly pear cactus.  An extract from the desert-dweller is very effective at removing sediment and bacteria from dirty H2O and, even better, it grows all around the world.

The scientists aren't the first to realize this plant's ability.  Nineteenth-century Mexican communities used the cactus as a water purifier. The thick gum in the cactus that stores water is responsible for the purification.  The scientists extracted the gum and then added it to water that had been dirtied up with sediment and bacteria.

The gum caused the sediment and bacteria to combine and settle to the bottom, filtering 98 percent of the bacteria from the water.  The next phase is to test it on natural water.

The scientists see communities in developing countries using the cactus on daily basis.  They could boil a slice of it to release the gum and then add it to water just like the scientists did.  But there are hurdles to overcome.  What resources would be necessary for widespread growth of the cactus for this purpose and how can people ensure the "treated" water is truly bacteria free?  If these problems can be solved, cheap, clean water could be accessible for millions who are currently without.

via New Scientists

April 27, 2010 – Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developing lithium-air batteries, a technology which could provide stronger and lighter batteries than the current preferred technology lithium-ion, have made a breakthrough which could help bring these batteries to commercial viability.

Indonesia's 17,000 islands are home to hundreds of volcanoes and approximately 40 percent of the earth's geothermal energy potential and the nation's government is ready to harness that hot, clean energy.

The country has set a goal of bringing online 4GW of geothermal capacity by 2014, which will almost quadruple the current capacity of 1,189 MW.  If you think that sounds ambitious, you're right.  It generally takes three to five years just to complete field exploration and then another three years to actually build a geothermal plant.

And then there's the cost of the project -- $12 billion to be exact. The country is looking to the World Bank, private investors and developed countries like Japan and the U.S. for help raising the money.  But once the plants are up and running, they're basically tapping into endless, clean energy with little overhead required.

Plus, this plan will go a long way towards reaching the Indonesian president's goals of cutting emissions to 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and adding 10GW of clean energy capacity by 2014.

via AFP

Presentation on emotional and passionate branding, in which Owen attempts through examples to tie their attributes into sustainability and consumer behaviors, attitudes, and what possibilities may lie before us.

Plans are being considered to turn the famous Dutch dikes into tidal power generators. Although originally built to protect the people and land of the Netherlands, now a committee of various government representatives has issued a recent report including some suggestions to revise the operation of the dikes to create a more pleasant and more natural land behind the dikes, and to provide a source of power. Openings in the series of dikes would provide ideal locations for tidal power plants.

The Netherlands have had protective ocean dikes to guard the coastline since the disaster in 1953 when more than 1800 people were killed and over half a million acres of land was flooded by the North Sea. After this tragedy, the extensive Delta Works were constructed over the next four decades, and the last parts of the project were finally completed in 1997.

Energy, however, is not the primary motivator for this. Instead, it is an interest in restoring the natural condition to estuaries and tidal flats whose character has significantly degraded over the years since the dikes were installed. "Opening water locks would allow the tide to return to now stagnant waters, the report stated. This would be a boon to nature, because certain plants and animals, which have all but disappeared since the estuaries were closed off, can return. Deeper into the delta lies a fresh water basin where smelly algae bloom in the summer. Allowing salt water to reach these outer stretches again could improve conditions for residents and holiday-makers."

In the aftermath of a catastrophe, it is all to easy to focus solely on preventing that tragedy, no matter the cost. 'With all the focus on safety after 1953, [committee director Joost] Schrijnen said, "other aspects were neglected." He now wants to change that. "But without sacrificing safety," he added.' Turning the dikes into a power generating solution, as well as improving environmental quality seems like a solution that will provide multiple benefits, in addition to protecting the land from the sea.

link: nrc handelsblad

via: Slashdot

Australian scientists have discovered that whale poo is not only helping ocean plant life to flourish, but also increasing the ocean's ability to absorb CO2.

Because whales' diets are made up largely of iron-rich krill (small crustaceans), their droppings are a great fertilizer for marine plants, helping them to grow like weeds (or algae).  These plants then do their part by absorbing CO2 as they grow, a process that scientists have tried to amp up (unsuccessfully) in Antarctic waters with iron fertilization.

Researchers say one-third of the world's oceans are low in iron.  On the other hand, whale excrement contains a very high concentration of the mineral -- about 10 million times the concentration in Antarctic seawater.  But how will scientists use this information?  That's not clear yet, but it's a great reminder of how intricately well-tuned nature can be.

via AFP

Solar company Sungevity is offering President Obama a free rooftop solar power system for the White House and to get his attention they've launched the Globama campaign.

Sungevity is offering the 102-panel, 17.85 kW solar system, installation and warranty as a free donation, at no cost to the Obamas, the government or tax payers.  The only costs associated with the panels would be the upkeep and maintenance.  In case the president isn't comfortable with the $107,900 donation, they're also offering a 10-year lease of the equipment at $537/month with maintenance and monitoring included.

To sell the idea and to get us all onboard, Sungevity created a website, SolarOnTheWhiteHouse.com, where the company has laid out a full quote, detailing the financial aspects, utility savings, technical information and environmental benefits of the installation.  Also at the website, you can sign a petition asking the president to accept Sungevity's offer.

According to Sungevity, the solar array would reduce the White House electricity bill by 81 percent, or $1,610/month.

via SolarOnTheWhiteHouse.com

 

Materials Scientist Andrew Dent discusses why intelligent and cost-effective sustainability has become increasingly important, particularly as consumers grow weary of being bombarded with “green” solutions of questionable validity.

April 23, 2010 - Green Mountain College formally opened a new $5.8 million combined heat and power (CHP) biomass plant on Thursday, contributing towards the school’s goal to become the first college in the country to reach carbon neutrality after reducing carbon emissions by more than 50%.

Some interesting Earth Day news comes from Chevy. It's a new Volt, which is being unveiled in China today: "Chevrolet is leveraging Auto China 2010, which starts today in Beijing, to introduce the Volt MPV5 electric concept. The five-passenger multi-purpose crossover concept demonstrates the potential of the Voltec propulsion system by utilizing the same foundation as the Volt, for gas- and tailpipe emissions-free electric driving."

The MPV5 uses the same Voltec propulsion system found in the Volt. "The same T-shaped 16 kwh lithium ion battery and 1.4 L 4 cylinder generator is used, but in this configuration only has an EV range of 32 miles, with an additional 300 miles of gas range on a full tank."

The Volt MPV concept is slightly bigger in all dimensions, as well as being in a crossover configuration. The Volt MPV5 has a slightly longer wheelbase, and is about 7 inches (181 mm) longer, 3 inches (73 mm) wider, and 7 inches (182 mm) taller than the Volt. The Volt MPV5 also offers 62.3 cubic feet (1764 liters) of cargo space with the seats folded and 30.5 cubic feet (863.7 liters) of space with the seats up.

GM obviously believes in the REEV platform they have developed with the Volt. Although there are no production plans for this concept vehicle yet, it is good to see potential alternatives that could leverage GM's work and reach other consumer segments with different versions of the electric car concept.

via: GM-Volt.com

Although we've been sceptical about the financial viability of vertical farming schemes, that doesn't mean we are opposed to bringing more greenery into urban areas in any way, and systems that merge vegetation with buildings can be both beneficial and beautiful. We are definitely fans of green roofs.

Parabienta is a wall garden panel system that provides a growth medium to support plants and allow them to grow along vertical surfaces. Vegetated vertical panels help to reduce solar gain on walls, much the same as green roofs help reduce the heat island effect and lower temperatures on roofs. As an added benefit, Parabienta panels have also been shown to help buffer noise, particularly desirable in an urban environment.  It might not grow tomatoes, but it will add some welcome green to an urban context.

Parabienta was originally developed by the Shimizu Corporation in Japan. But, while they appear to have used it on projects themselves, the company's website has only a single brief mention of the material. Although it has been around for a few years now, it doesn't appear to be readily available as a product for project use, though it was reported that the company was hoping to grow sales of the system (at a cost of about $80 per square foot, including installation and irrigation) to a few million dollars per year.

via: Transmaterial

Seventh Generation's Jeffrey Hollender speaks with SLM's Mario Vellandi about his book, "The Responsibility Revolution". Hear Jeffrey's take on purpose driven versus simply hedgehog-concept focused companies, making employees responsible for sustainability initiatives, and what to do about maintaining a balanced corporate conscience in conglomerate, multi-category enterprises.