hippie flavor

“In what could be a major breakthrough, Joule Biotechnologies announced that it has directly produced fuel from the plentiful carbon dioxide in the air around us using highly engineered photosynthetic microbes.

Inside specially designed reactors, Joule’s engineered microbes thrive off of sunlight and CO2. In return, depending on the type of organism, they can produce straight ethanol, diesel or a number of other types of hydrocarbons.” (via Biofuels Breakthrough: Making Fuel From Air With Engineered Microbes : Gas 2.0)

“A Santa Monica, Calif., company called SolarReserve has taken a step toward making that a reality, filing an application with California regulators to build a 150-megawatt solar farm that will store seven hours’ worth of the sun’s energy in the form of molten salt.

Heat from the salt can be released when it’s cloudy or at night to create steam that drives an electricity-generating turbine.

The Rice Solar Energy Project, to be built in the Sonoran Desert east of Palm Springs, will “generate steady and uninterrupted power during hours of peak electricity demand,” according to SolarReserve’s license application.

So-called dispatchable solar farms would in theory allow utilities to avoid spending billions of dollars building fossil fuel power plants that are fired up only a few times a year when electricity demand spikes, like on a hot day.”

“Philadelphia company SRS Energy has developed the Solé Power Tile, a roof tile designed to sustainably convert sunlight into electricity without compromising aesthetics. The dark blue tiles, manufactured by SRS Energy, are jointly branded and distributed by US Tile and specifically designed to be compatible with the clay roof tiles manufactured by US Tile.”

SpringWise.com

via brettjohn

Poo Train Runs on the Weight of Sewage : TreeHugger

“There are often simple, low-tech solutions to difficult problems… Furniculars, those cable trains that were built up the sides of hills and mountains, often ran on water! The two cars were connected by cables, so you added 400 gallons of water to the one at the top, to make it heavy enough to roll down the hill while pulling up the lighter one at the bottom.
In Fribourg, Switzerland, they had a much better idea. One area in town is at the top of a hill, and the other at the bottom, separated by about 375 feet of elevation. And if there is one thing that is always flowing from the top to the bottom, it is sewage. Instead of running in a pipe, they pump some of it into the car at the top; at the bottom, they open it up and let it run into the lower sewer.”

Often the most “green” solutions are simply those that don’t give up and choose an easier, but less efficient, option.

Jargon Watch: “Transportation Energy Intensity” of Buildings : TreeHugger

According to this report, it takes 30% more energy for Americans to get to their offices than those offices use directly!

Until Americans are willing to expend a little more effort and energy into their transportation options, this will change little and pollution & demand for oil will continue to rise.

via landscapearchitecture

100,000 Synthetic Trees Could Help Combat Climate Change | Inhabitat

“A report published last Thursday from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME) suggested that a forest of 100,000 artificial “trees” could be “planted” near depleted oil and gas reserves to trap carbon in a filter and bury it underground. The carbon suckers look more like fly swatters than actual arbors, but researchers say that once fully developed, the “trees” could remove thousands of times more carbon than a real tree.”

[…]

“In addition to artificial trees, the IME report suggests growing algae in tubes on the sides of buildings. The algae, which traps carbon during photosynthesis, could be collected and transformed into charcoal, which could then be buried underground.”

via makdreams

burning fuel » goodmagazine.com

• an average car burns 1125 calories of energy per minute at 60 mph
• an average human burns 4.6 calories per minute at 3 mph

so, should you walk or drive that mile to the store? walking will take 1.5 calories (or 6,280 joules), while driving would take 19 (or 79,549 joules).

that’s over 12x more cash, pollutants, and resources burned into nothing.

Thin Flats Chasing LEED Platinum

“The development is expected to use 60% less energy, 50% less water, and divert 60% of construction waste from landfills.  In addition, rooftop solar thermal provides all the hot water for the units, and the entire place is coiled with efficient radiant floor heating.  Some other green features of Thin Flats include:

• Green roofs and access for top four units
• Rainwater cistern for landscaping use
• FSC certified White Tiger hardwood floors
• Low flow fixtures and Caroma dual-flush toilets
• Low E, double pane, efficient windows
• Concrete with 25% fly ash
• Mostly Energy Star appliances
• Abundant interior natural light
• Heat recovery ventilation system
• Homeowners manual explaining green features

According to GreenSource Magazine, Thin Flats was completed at a cost of $3.4 million.  Prices start at $549,900.  The project is located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia”

Timeless Garden Botanical Clock - Dwell Blog

“Italian designers Francesco Castiglione Morelli & Tommaso Ceschi designed the Timeless Garden concept clock as a demonstration of the way in which a few simple scientific principles can provide you with self-sustaining electricity. The Timeless Garden is a simple, slender plant pot for catgrass or other low-maintenance botanicals, with a faceplate that displays the time. The clock is powered by a chemical reaction between the soil inside the pot and the metal wires connected to the digital display.”

what if…we could produce this on a larger scale? say, roof gardens that could power a ceiling fan. or outdoor planters that would light up the patio/porch lights?

via davereed: preslav: tlow

Ireland Trying Out Water Powered Streetlights » TreeHugger

“The lights will be installed on a bridge in Ballybofey, and will be powered by the moving water of the River Finn below. After the winter water levels drop, a micro hydro-turbine will be installed under the bridge. As water rushes through the 110 watt turbine, energy generated will charge up batteries, which will then power a 30 watt LED mounted above the bridge.

“It can produce enough energy to power up to three lights. However, we will just use one light at first,” [energy development officer Toni] Needham said.

The hydro unit cost €3,000. The council provided €50,000 in 2008 to pilot alternative energy lighting. LH Ecotech Ltd in Co Laois has been contracted by the council to supply and install hydro and solar power lights on the Ballybofey bridge.”

provided that these units are cheap, i can see this being an amazing trend in cities across the world. rivers that freeze up in winter might not be the best candidates, though.