Bill Reinert hates the plug-in electric car. He hates ethanol too. And what Bill Reinert hates matters to every car-buying American: he's Toyota's national sales manager and in-house energy sage, and he knows his stuff. But is he too ...READ»
It's one thing to watch pollutants billow out from smokestacks, but it's quite another to know exactly how much carbon dioxide is being injected into the atmosphere. Realtime Carbon, a website developed by Demand Logic, ...READ»
Tokyo-based shipping company NYK Line has done a lot to boost its green credentials: The company docked its first solar-powered cargo ship in Los Angeles this month, recently released a concept design for a ship juiced up with fuel ...READ»
Circuits are usually made out of toxic chemical-filled silicon, but Professors David Thiel and MadhusudanRao Neeli at Australia's Griffith University think that plastic circuits could be cleaner and greener. The pair's Circuits ...READ»
Wind power in the U.S. appears to have taken a turn for the worse this week with T. Boone Pickens' announcement that he is scrapping plans to build the world's biggest wind farm in Texas. But according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the wind situation isn't too dire--yet. te9ju5mi2aREAD»
Military bases are often in isolated or disaster-ridden locations, which makes them ideal candidates for microgrids, or self-contained power grids. GE is capitalizing on the military's need for reliable power in all circumstances with ...READ»
The Pentagon's DARPA arm is known for its attempts to reduce devices to microchip size. Projects have included multi-purpose sensors, cryogenic coolers, video cameras, and apparently, "Chip-Scale High Energy Atomic ...READ»
All sunlight is not created equal--as any avid outdoorsman knows, some locations are much more effective at creating harsh sunburns than others. So why should solar cells be the same everywhere? They shouldn't, according to UK ...READ»
Why small-scale, local power -- the microgrid -- could be the answer to our energy crisis. And why the big utilities are fighting it with all they've got.READ»
For times when solar or grid power just won't do, consider this bug-powered LCD clock from U.K.-based designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau. The prototype clock contains a flypaper-equipped roller with a scraper at its base ...READ»
Via NPR's Planet Money blog, a savvy reader puts together his own personal stimulus package by becoming part of the microgrid:
Clay from Maryland writes:
I think did everything right. (and I'm pretty lucky) I ...READ»
The tallest building in the U.S. is about to get a $350 million green makeover as part of a plan to cut electricity use by 80% and save 24 million gallons of water each year. The goal of the project, according to developers, is to ...READ»
Every renewable energy source has its downside--nuclear power uses radioactive material, wind turbines generate noise complaints, solar production can leach chemicals into water supplies, and geothermal projects...cause earthquakes?READ»
Downsizing to a shed may seem like a drastic step to take in a resource and financially-strained climate, but U.K-based FKDA Architects is hoping you'll do just that. According to FKDA, the prefab shed idea came as a response ...READ»
The world's first solar hybrid power plant is set to open on June 24 at Kibbutz Samar outside Eilat in southern Israel. When operating at full capacity, the flower-like AORA plant will supply 100 kilowatts of electric ...READ»
As global warming ramps up and creates new weather patterns, droughts will inevitably become more common. Enter the Water Building Resort concept, a structure designed by architect Orlando de Urrutia that could become the ...READ»
Husqvarna, the world's largest producer of lawn mowers, has developed a concept mower with a minimal environmental impact--minimal once you overlook the whole mowing down of your home's natural environment bit, at least. ...READ»
Solar-powered cell phone prototypes and rumors abound, but Nokia has a battery-less alternative power source for our cell phones lined up: radio waves. The company told MIT's Technology Review that it is working on technology ...READ»
Qualcomm's "mirasol" cell phone screens, which are due in the States later this year, reflect ambient light and use very little power--but can still display video.READ»
For times when a bike doesn't have enough storage space but a car is overkill, consider the Lorax Motor Works Hauler, a recumbent tricycle tricked out with a solar panel that powers an onboard electric assist motor. The ...READ»
The former Vice President, clean-shaven in a dark suit and black cowboy boots, pauses. "Junkies find veins in their toes, when the veins in their arms and legs collapse," he says to Charlie Rose. The audience suffers an ...READ»
European biodiesel company Solarix has created what may be a sustainable powerhouse for rural areas: the Sustainer, a "power box" in a 20-foot container frame that converts oil-bearing crops and seeds into edible oil ...READ»
The IT industry is known for its electricity-sucking tendencies and carbon emissions, which is why Dell's announcement that it now sources 26% of its electricity from renewable sources--up from 20% in 2008--is so admirable. The ...READ»
Geothermal power plants are the ugly ducklings of the energy world; they're not as big or flashy as wind and solar plants, and most of their energy-producing magic happens underground. But a new $25 million geothermal plant being ...READ»
Lünen, Germany is about to get a whole lot smellier now that it's set to become the world's first town to be powered by animal waste. The town will use biogas from cow and horse manure to power a biogas plant, that will produce ...READ»
