Larry Page Demonstrates his EcoGeekiness
We all know that the Google boys are EcoGeeks. They’ve built themselves a 9 MW solar plant, worked to get plug-in hybrids on the streets and even sponsored a contest to create pedal-powered innovations.
Archive for May, 2008
EcoBlogger Exposes Fake List Global Warming Skeptic Scientists
Kevin Grandia, who we are proud to be well acquainted with through working together in the ecoblogosphere, has just been through a bit of a saga.
Spinning Blimp Wind Turbines Take Test Flight!
Magenn Power Inc. has moved forward and begun testing a prototype of their MARS (Magenn Air Rotor System) inside an old US Navy airship hangar before beginning outdoor trials at a customer’s site in a few weeks. The MARS is a lighter-than-air turbine which is tethered to the ground between 300 and 1000 feet (roughly 90 to 300 meters) with conducting cables that transmit electricity to the ground. It is basically a blimp with its body configured with blades to catch the wind in order to generate power.
Xcel Energy Announces $100 million for ‘Smart Grid’
Xcel Energy, the leading provider of wind energy in the United States has just announced that it plans on building the US’s first fully integrated Smart Grid in Boulder, Colorado. The idea behind a smart grid is to integrate high-speed communication technologies with the electric grid, allowing for real-time, two-way communication between the utility, the consumer, and throughout the distribution grid.
Cheap Electric Bike Saves Cash…But at What Cost
It’s a no-brainer. Bicycling is cheap transportation and good for the environment. But not all bikes are created equal and while they’re all cheap compared to cars…some can seem a bit steep. And then there’s the whole pedaling thing…call me lazy, but I like the idea of my vehicle moving me, instead of me moving my vehicle. It’s certainly a less green alternative, but far greener than a car. Unfortunately electric bikes can cost upwards of a couple of thousand dollars, but an extraordinarily inexpensive option is being produced by California company Currie Technologies.
The Race to Create the First Solar Airplanes is ON!
The last barrier to greener transportation is up in the air and if these newly designed planes can get up there, the future of air travel may look decidedly different. While cars have been going green for decades, airplanes have remained behemoth fuel-gulping modes of transportation. EcoGeek put together a list of ways in which air travel is gretting greener…but there’s a long ways to go.
Toronto Direct Energy Center Showcases Clean Tech.
The Direct Energy Centre in Toronto, an exhibition hall hosting shows of all types announced a while back that they have planned to turn the centre into a model of environmental sustainability, and at just over 800,000 square feet of exhibition space, that’s no small feat. They’ve earmarked $7 million of their sponsorship funding over the next 10 years for environmental initiatives, and have already made great strides in reducing the building’s footprint.
Landfill Gas to be used to Run Garbage Trucks
Turning garbage into gold isn’t going to happen anytime soon, but perhaps all that waste doesn’t need to go…waste. Landfill gas, which comes from the natural decomposition of organic waste, can be purified and liquefied into clean fuel.