The Volkswagen Bus has been re-born as an electric vehicle that will run for about 186 miles on a single charge. It is supposed to fully charge in one hour at an electric charging station.
A top speed of 87 mph is electronically controlled.
It also boasts an iPad integration system that fastens to the dashboard of the car.
The ‘VW Bulli’ was introduced at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show.
Villa Welpeloo in Enschede, the Netherlands, was designed by
Architects Jan Jongert and Jeroen Bergsma. It doesn’t look like a recycled building. The architects reversed the typical order of the design process (first home, then materials) and began scouting the local area for items to recycle. “Reused materials account for 60% of the structure” says Jongert. “And that goes up to as much as 90% when it comes to the interior.”
They created a ‘Harvest Map’ for an inventory of possible materials to use within a 9 mile radius. They even used Google Earth seeking abandoned buildings for telltale signs of defunct industry and possible scrap materials.
Amazon is starting a program to help curb shipping material waste.
There will be a ‘ship free with Amazon tote’ button. The tote is a reusable, weatherproof bag that you return to Amazon after delivery.
Amazon has worked out a zip code schedule according to geographical areas.
Particular areas with certain zip codes have a specific day of the week as their tote day. Items sold directly by Amazon and under 50 pounds are eligible, and will have the “ship free with Amazon tote” button on the page. Most regular items should fall under this category. You just need to time it so that it arrives on your next ‘tote day’. There are no minimum delivery sizes, subscriptions or fees attached. You may keep adding items to your order until 10am 2 days before your ‘tote day’. They say you may the leave the tote bag on your doorstep to be picked up the next week on the scheduled delivery day.
Sounds like a great idea to me. I hate the waste of the packing materials that I recycle.
Ford focus has introduced their new electric version of this popular car. They say it will launch in late 2011. Total range hasn’t been disclosed yet, but an estimate of 100 mile range is suggested.
There are two charging options: 120v standard charging will take up to 20 hours for a full charge. 240v optional charging station will do a complete charge in 3-4 hours, and will be sold and installed by ‘Best Buy’ at an estimated cost of $1,499.
They are using a 23 kwh lithium-ion battery.
A lack of public charging stations is a concern for some. Others say it may force larger cities to make more charging stations available.
Top speed is expected to be about 84 mph (136 kph).
Ford and Microsoft have partnered to bring electric drivers a smart phone app called “My Ford Mobile,” which helps owners plug in remotely, advise drivers when utility rates are lowest and search MapQuest for charging stations.
I know that this is a totally lame posting, but in an effort to push something out in a very busy week, I’m posting a YouTube video about Geothermal Heat Pumps.
I will post more on this subject after I’ve had a chance to research this more.
It looks awesome, and I have heard of this in the past. It looks like it could be rather costly, but may have come down in price over the years and there may be tax incentives available!
“EcoSmart Fireplaces are environmentally friendly vent free open fireplaces that produce a wonderfully warm dancing flame.”
This line of fireplaces is visually creative and seems quite exciting.
They are clean burning, fuelled by liquid bio-ethanol which is renewable because it comes from sources such as: sugar cane, potato and corn.
Easy to use and maintain, they bring warmth and energy into a room. They do not produce ash or soot, so there’s no mess to clean up.
The fact that they do not require a flue or chimney means that they don’t really require installation (in some cases) and are easily moved. Apartment and Condo dwellers can add a fireplace, and take it with them when they move.
They manufacture a variety of fireplace grates, inserts and freestanding models as well as outdoor models.
Fuel cells are starting to pop up all over California. A wide variety of businesses such as breweries, food processing, waste water treatment plants, grocery stores, hotels, a casino and even a jail.
Each unit can be the size of a large SUV, saving large amounts of money and reducing the carbon footprint.
These units take oxygen from the air and combine it with fuel such as natural gas in an electrochemical process that produces electricity without using combustion.
They are expensive, but their costs can be recouped in roughly 10 years, and are much more environmentally friendly than anything we are currently using. Buyers are eligible for tens of thousands of dollars in government rebates and available tax incentives.
There are more than 40 cities in California that are producing about 35 megawatts of power. That’s enough electricity to light up about 35,000 average homes.
Some of the high profile installations include Google Inc. in the Bay area and eBay Inc. in San Jose.
High tech 3D vending machines have been introduced in Japan by the Coca Cola Company in 2009. This eco friendly equipment uses mini solar panels along with energy-saving LED lighting. Instead of using Freon, non-CFC refrigerants are used as well as heat pumps. This sustainable refrigeration program is designed in partnership with BMW Group’s DesignworksUSA.
Coca Cola’s new climate protection initiative is likely to boost the Japanese green movement. The company has set a goal to improve the energy efficiency of cooling equipment by 40 to 50% by 2010. The company announced that it would install about 1,500 solar machines around the country in 2010, which are powered almost entirely by solar energy.
The new design cuts overhead costs, allowing the company to offer products at lower prices. Coca Cola will install 75,000 new machines in 2011. The company has plans to replace all existing Coca Cola vending machines in Japan with 3D units by 2020.
It has been said that carbon emission reduction will exceed 52.5 million metric tons over the life of the vending machine with the implementation of the program.
The phase out of the inefficient incandescent light bulbs is expected to be starting in 2012. The bulbs most relevant to consumers are the 40w, 60w, 75w and 100w standard incandescent light bulbs.
The EISA (Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) is providing a three year phase out that will start with the inefficient 100w bulbs the first year (2012). The second year will be the 75w bulbs and the third year the 60w and 40w bulbs will become unavailable.
Currently there are three options for replacing the incandescent light bulbs: Halogen, Compact Fluorescents (CFL’s) and solid state (LED). The Halogen lights will look the most like the incandescents. CFL’s and LED use a lot less energy. They both have drawbacks of their own. CFL’s have a small amount of mercury and need to be disposed of or recycled appropriately. LED’s have no mercury, but are currently considered considerably more expensive limiting their use to commercial and business applications for now.
This is an interesting planter that is self watering as well as attractive. It is good for those of us that don’t have green thumbs!
The water reservoir can last up to 2 months.
It is ideal to monitor the planter to see how the water usage is for each plant in the beginning.
There is a visible indicator that shows where the water level is, so it is easy to monitor.
They come in 4 colors: Green, White, Light Blue and Light Grey.
They cost about $42 usd.
