germany

McDonald's Logo Turns Green in Germany

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:18:52 -0500

Germany's Open Air Library Is Made Out of Beer Cartons

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:31:01 -0500

Books and beer are more than just a great late-night combination; they're also both integral to Magdeburg, Germany's new Open Air Library. The pop-up library started with the facade of an old warehouse and ended up as an open-air library constructed out of over 1,000 beer cartons.

Vending Machines Sell Farm-Fresh Produce

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:11:28 -0400

Vending machines famously dispense junk food--candy, chips, soda, prepackaged baked goods. Why shouldn't they be instead make healthy items accessible? That's the thinking behind Peter-und-Paul-Hof's vending machines that sell farm-fresh produce.

The Problem with Germany's Cash for Clunkers: The Clunkers Don't Get Trashed

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:33:18 -0400

It's always important to keep unintended consequences in mind with multi-billion dollar programs like Cash for Clunkers. Take the problem of Germany's Cash for Clunkers program, which debuted in January.

Three Creative Ways to Remake Old Car Plants

Michael Cannell — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:03:06 -0400

Before a new American car industry can rise up, the vestiges of the old one must be buried. The two bankrupt companies, Chrysler and GM, closed assembly lines for much of May and June, and more than a dozen plants will likely be permanently shuttered as they continue to rejigger themselves for the future.

It's Official: World's Largest Solar Pipeline Gets European Backers

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:53:48 -0400

T. Boone Pickens scrapped his massive wind power plan, but that doesn't mean hope is lost for other large-scale renewable energy projects. Enter Desertec, a solar pipeline spanning from North Africa and the Middle East to Europe.

Coming Soon: Waste-Free Breweries

Ariel Schwartz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:01:44 -0400

Beer production is an energy-intensive process--it requires hot water, steam, and electric energy to cool everything down. At the same time, spent grains from breweries have been piling up as farmers who traditionally used the grains for animal feed produce less beef and contend with waste restrictions on their land. The solution? Using spent grains and wastewater to generate energy for brewing.

First Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Powered Plane Takes to the Skies

Ariel Schwartz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:01:38 -0400

The world's first plane powered solely by hydrogen fuel cells took off on its maiden flight Tuesday from Hamburg Airport in Germany. The Antares DLR-H2's 10-minute flight showed off the plane's 105-mph-speed capabilities and quiet electric glide motor. Eventually, the German Aerospace Center-sponsored Antares will be able to hit 300 mph.

Desertec: World's Largest Solar Pipeline Charges Ahead

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:35:14 -0400

The world's largest and most ambitious solar power initiative, dubbed "Desertec", is pushing ahead on July 13 with a meeting of a 20-firm consortium, including companies like Siemens, Deutsche Bank, and E.on. Companies present at the meeting will determine the next step for the German-led project, which will ideally take solar power from North Africa and transmit it to Europe.

World's First Floating Wind Turbine Installed, Ready for Testing

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:53:38 -0400

After months of hype, StatoilHydro and Siemens finally installed the world's first large-scale floating wind turbine off the coast of Karmøy, Norway. The 2.3 MW Hywind, built at a depth of 722 feet, will be tested over the next two years.

A German Town Embraces Manure Energy

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:07:21 -0400

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 6.8 MW of power--enough for 30-40% of Lünen's overall needs. Biogas technology isn't new, but this is the first time it will be used to power a town.

Praise Solar: Vatican to Build Europe's Largest Solar Plant

Ariel Schwartz — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:47:46 -0400

Europe is getting a massive new solar plant, all thanks to Vatican City and the cardinal sin of pollution. Europe's largest solar farm, estimated to cost $660 million, will be built on the same 740 acres in the Vatican where Guglielmo Marconi set up Vatican Radio in 1931. Once complete, the panels will provide 100 megawatts of electricity--enough to supply power for 40,000 homes.

Tesco Lets Shoppers Ditch Excess Product Packaging at Grocery Stores

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:46:20 -0400

Excess food packaging is a pain--what's the point, exactly, of having a plastic wrap inside a plastic tray inside a paper-based container? Tesco, a British grocery store chain, is letting customers ditch packaging right in the store for recycling in an attempt to discover which packaging people can do without.

Four Cellphone Experiments That We Wish Existed Here, and One That We Don't

Kit Eaton — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:14:50 -0500

The cellphone is already a constant companion for most of us. But a few developments around the world are utilizing cellphones in new ways that, if popularized, will make it hard to get by in life with a cellphone in your pocket (and let's hope your battery doesn't run out).

Are On-Call Street Lights More Trouble Than They're Worth?

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:37:07 -0500

A cluster of small towns in Germany is testing out a creative solution to the problem of electricity-sucking streetlights: on-call lamps.

The system, which was first implemented a year and a half ago in the town of Morgenröthe-Rautenkran, allows residents to turn on street lamps at night using their cell phones. After 15 minutes, a timer turns the lights off. Other towns, including Döblitz, Dörentrup and Groß Pankow, have also adopted the scheme.

Where in the World to Find a Job

Saabira Chaudhuri — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:00:00 -0500

The national unemployment rate may be at its worst in over a decade, but there's a world of opportunity out there beyond Wall Street. Some regions are holding up better than others--Montreal is proving to be a hot bed for the video game industry, while the UAE is fertile ground for the airline industry.