Environment

"Underwater Baited Hook" Is World Wildlife Federation's Smart Gear Winner

by Myra Per-Lee

At the moment an albatross swoops down to the sea for a bit of fish bait, it can go from being one of the most graceful soaring and swooping birds to being "bycatch," the term for an unintended victim of a fishery net that few birds escape. The winner of this year's World Wildlife Federation's (WWF) Smart Gear competition has tackled the problem of bird bycatch with its invention, for now called quite simply the "underwater baited hook."

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Brightly Colored Solar Panels With Less Silicon Harness Indirect Sunlight

by Gloria Campos

If you love solar power and solar products, but fear the impact shade from cloudy or dark days may have on your panels, your fears conquered soon. GreenSun Energy Ltd. has found a colorful and innovative new way to harness indirect sunlight.

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Ford Unveils Smallest and Most Efficient EcoBoost Engine Yet

by George Delozier

In keeping with their plan to rely heavily on the EcoBoost engine line up, Ford has introduced another variant of the potent powerplant. This time, the turbocharged engine displaces a total of 1.6 liters, making it the smallest and possibly the most widely used for the upcoming model years.

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USB Mosquito Repellant Great for Backcountry Nerds

by Chris Weiss

You already use all sorts of USB devices. Why not repel mosquitoes with one?

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New Gasoline-Diesel Mixture to Raise Efficiency and Lower Emissions without Breaking the Bank

by George Delozier

Both gasoline engines and diesel engines have their advantages over the other when it comes to certain applications. However, they both also suffer from drawbacks that some people find too difficult to live with. This may all change though, as a new gasoline-diesel mixture is being researched and tested that promises to bring the best of both worlds into the hands of the consumer.

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Modern Day Eco-Friendly Skinny Dipping

by Gloria Campos

If you have ever been brave enough to skinny dip into a body of water or showered in your birthday suit underneath a waterfall, you may just like this eco-friendly concept. It brings water, nature and you into your shower. It's eco-clean.

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A Little Bit Of Paradise In Business: Japan’s Indoor Beach

by Beth Hodgson

We've all heard that we should stay out of the sun's rays, but that makes it difficult when we want to enjoy a day at the beach. A business in Japan offers a great alternative to fun in the sun outdoors, and is also suitable for all seasons.

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12 Revolutionary Innovations Win 2009 Wall Street Journal Technology Awards

by Myra Per-Lee

The technology winners of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) awards do not disappoint. They impact the world on a global scale or at least very significant parts of it. Their arrival instigates change; they are watersheds, game changers... The WSJ winners are all that through their efficiency, their flexibility, and their economy of energy, of expenditures, of time, of personnel, and of materials. The inventor in all of us should find these 12 winners very inspiring.

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Recycled Fire Hose Shoulder Bags are Hot, Wet & Green!

by Steve Levenstein

Where do old Japanese fire hoses go to die? The answer is Patina Japan, a green company dedicated to remaking and remodeling vintage fire hoses into slick eco-friendly shoulder bags.

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Volkswagen Teams Up with Lichtblick to Provide Clean and Affordable Energy

by George Delozier

Lichtblick, a German based Energy Company specializing in environmentally friendly systems, has been working on a new in-house energy system that could very well replace large nuclear or coal burning power plants. Even more interesting, is that Volkswagen is now on-board with the business plan and providing funding to get the project moving.

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Cough Please: Japan Tobacco's 'Smoking Manners for Adults' Ads, Part 7

by Steve Levenstein

The success of Japan Tobacco's Smoking Manners for Adults campaign is debatable, though the Tokyo Subway authority's series of monthly Subway Manners posters proves imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. For JT, however, everything must come to an end - much like lit cigarettes - so let's enjoy ads 61 through 73!

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Turbine Powered Bus to Clean Up New York

by George Delozier

Anyone who has ever been to New York City knows how heavy the traffic can get at pretty much any time of the day. To combat this, the city began developing different forms of mass transit that they hoped would eventually replace personal vehicles inside the crowded city. Among these, was the diesel burning kneeling bus, which has undergone very few changes until just recently when a new turbine powered unit was developed.

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Solar Power From Space by 2030 Possible?

by Gloria Campos

What would it take to harness solar power from space then beam it down to earth? Money? Years? Super long cables? Solar panel maker Mitsubishi Electric Corp and IHI Corp would like to find out.

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Joe Bike Cash For Clunkers: Trade Your Old Car For 2-Wheeled Transportation!

by Beth Hodgson

The cash for clunkers program was extremely popular when it launched in the US, and while it encouraged drivers to trade in an old inefficient vehicle for one a little more environmentally friendly, there's a new company on our radar that takes the concept to the next level.

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Ethanol Production to Get a Boost From Watermelons

by George Delozier

Scaling up the amount of ethanol produced every year is no easy task. Aside from the huge amount of corn needed to produce a decent amount of fuel, the process also requires an almost constant flow of water. While many people are working to solve the issues, others are looking for alternative methods to produce the cleaner fuel. Interestingly enough, that alternative method may end up being watermelons.

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'The Good Web' Uses Social Media To Advance Causes

by Ron Callari

Something is afoot when people begin to distinguish something that is familiar as 'good.' Not inferring that everything that went before it was 'bad,' "The Good Web" looks at the Internet and Social Media with new eyes and places value on using the tools of the Digital Age to create a groundswell of activation for causes.

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Human Hair in Solar Panels Make Solhair Power

by Gloria Campos

Another reuse for human hair has been discovered thanks to a young bright man from Nepal. Using human hair, the young man and his friends, invented a method to power more affordable solar panels for their village and hopefully the rest of the world. Is it Solhair Power?

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Recycled Roof Tile Birdhouses Not Just For Clay Pigeons

by Steve Levenstein

Japanese designer Tomoko Azumi has found a use for previously non-recyclable ceramic roof tiles: each tile becomes the roof of a birdhouse.

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Full Hybrid Auris Concept Ready for Market...Could be Priced Lower then Prius

by George Delozier

Since introducing the Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system on the Prius, Toyota has been promising to expand the technology to other platforms. The first vehicle in the sights for the next generation HSD powerplant is the upcoming Auris.

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Solar Roads Project Could End US Dependence on Power Plants for Electricity

by George Delozier

Solar energy has been at the top of many people's list when it comes to renewable energy sources. While some companies have designed vehicles to run on solar energy, others are still focusing on the lack of a power grid able to handle a significant load increase. A new concept funded by the Department of Energy may be able to offer a solution to this problem.

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