MotionPower speed bump installed Burger King

MotionPower speed bump installed at NJ Burger King, McDonald’s and Wendy’s feel slighted. [via Engadget]

This reminds of  the PowerLeap from innate greenie Elizabeth Redmond.  The concept is the same – a person walks on the PowerLeap flooring and the kinetic energy is turned into electricity.  This speed bump from MotionPower is awesome – most people wouldn’t care about a small speed bump in a drive-thru.  You’re already slowed down ordering food to make you fatter – so why not make a little energy to run all of those lights and flame-broilers.

Solar Powered iPhone Skins

Check this out, yo.  It’s a solar powered iPhone skin from NovoThink.  So how much – well now we know. Pre-orders start now for $69.95 – http://www.solararcadia.com/

Hybrid solar charger for iPhone 3G and 3G S

Powerup directly from the sun while carrying your iPhone. This sleek, smartly designed hybrid solar charger is convenient and easy to use.

Back to the Basics – How Solar Panels Work

EU starts stamping out energy guzzling light bulbs | Reuters

As of September 1, the European Union has begun their quest to reduce energy 20% by 2020.

Factories must immediately stop producing frosted incandescent bulbs and the least efficient 100-watt clear bulbs, but shops will be allowed to sell bulbs already in stock.

Traditional bulbs will be progressively replaced until 2012 with efficient alternatives such as halogen bulbs and compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, which consume up to 80 percent less energy.

via EU starts stamping out energy guzzling light bulbs | Reuters.

Google’s Green Mission

I’m always intrigued at what Google is doing on the energy front – and “green” front as a whole. I really don’t care if there is a future ulterior motive – it all seems to be for the good. Like working on PV technology to try to being renewable energy below the cost of coal. Here’s a video from CNN – I hate the way their stuff embeds, but enjoy it none-the-less.

Boston Gets Free Solar WIFI From Toyota Prius

More pics here from Street Attack.

These phat benches have electrical outlets for charging and offer free WIFI.  Not a bad little promotion. Maybe I’ll check it out when it hits Chicago…

Prius Solar Tour.Prius Solar Flowers.
Prius Solar Flowers are touring the U.S.! These large flower sculptures are flanked with solar panels and provide visitors with free Wi-Fi service and charging stations for laptops and cell phones. It’s all powered with help from the sun, like the Solar Roof in the 3rd generation Prius.

Prius Solar Bus Shelters.
3rd generation Prius technology is popping up in bus shelters across the country! Select public bus shelters have been retrofitted with solar panels and fans that circulate air within the shelter. This cooling experience was designed to mirror the Solar Powered Ventilation System found in the 3rd generation Prius. Embedded with available solar panels, the 2010 Prius can use solar power to ventilate the interior when parked in the sun.

Prius Solar Flowers and Bus Shelters will be touring major cities across the U.S. Check out the schedule here:
1. Boston – Prudential Plaza – July 8 – July 19, 2009
2. New York – Broadway Blvd – July 23 – August 2, 2009 (Solar Flowers Only)
3. Chicago – Navy Pier – August 8 – August 22, 2009
4. Seattle – Westlake Park – August 29 – September 7, 2009 (Solar Flowers Only)
5. San Francisco – Yerba Buena Gardens – September 12 – September 27, 2009
6. Los Angeles – The Americana – October 3 – October 18, 2009

Almost Everyone Has a Solar Water Heater In Dezhou, China

Pretty damn impressive.  I’d love to have one., but they’re too expensive here in the States.  Boo.

Zero-Emission Home Being Built in Chicago

I’m singing to myself now “if I had a million dollars…” or maybe “if I had $1.6million dollars…” This house is pretty damn sweet. It’s targeted to be LEED platinum. This is a good example of a home that has it all, but you could easily pick your battles and start implementing the smaller things one at a time.   I hope to do things slowly – I’d love to go hog wild, but the budget just isn’t there – like most folks.

Here are some examples:

• passive solar
• geothermal
• grey water
• solar hot water
• solar panels (photovoltaics)
• rain collection
• thermal mass
• argon, triple pane windows
• no VOC paints/adhesives/etc
• dual-flush toilets

Thanks to my old friend Charles from Kickstarter for the link!

Greasy Rider Book Giveaway

It’s giveaway time again!  This time we’re giving away a copy of Greasy Rider: Two Dudes, One Fast Food Fueled Car, and a Cross-Country Search for a Greener Future  by Greg Melville.  Special thank to Algonquin Books for graciously sending us a copy of this very interesting read.

Synopsis: 

Is it possible to drive coast-to-coast without stopping at a single gas
pump? Journalist Greg Melville is determined to try. With his college buddy Iggy riding shotgun, he sets out on an enlightening road trip. The quest: to be the first people to drive cross-country in a french-fry car. Will they make it from Vermont to California in a beat-up 1985 Mercedes diesel station wagon powered on vegetable oil collected from restaurant grease Dumpsters along the way? Their trip takes them to the solar-powered Google headquarters; the wind turbines of southwestern Minnesota; one of the first houses to receive platinum certification for leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED); and a so-called “eco-friendly” Wal-Mart.

Part adventure and part investigation of what we’re doing (or not doing) to preserve the planet, Greasy Rider is upbeat, funny, and full of surprising information about the many sustainable measures that are within our reach.

 My Review:

I really enjoyed this book.  I read all 250+ pages in one weekend.  I wanted to follow the journey from Vermont to California and the tales along the way.  If you’re looking for a sequel to On The Road, this isn’t it, but it’s still a funny read.  Two grown men, cramped into a small car, travelling across the country in a 1985 diesel Mercedes.  Iggy and Greg arguing, giving each other the silent treatment, staying in random hotels and with long lost friends or friends of friends – all made the trek fun to read and keep you wanting to hear more. 

Somewhere early in the trip, Iggy and Greg made a bet.  Iggy would give Greg errands to do after the trip – one per day – and if Greg completed them, he’d get $50 from Iggy.  Melville does a great job of interjecting the errands into the sections of their journey in the book.  The errands are so interesting in themselves that you want to read every word, but you also want to get back to the journey to see where they end up next (looking in barrels behind restaurants for WVO along the way).  The first errand was to find the greenest house.  Greg thought that would be easy – let’s just go visit Al Gore in Nashville.  This was before Gore was allowed to retrofit his huge 10,000 sq ft house with solar panels, etc.  The thing was lit up like a Christmas tree in Times Square.  Errand fail   Greg came back home with his tail b/t his legs only to find that not far from his house in Vermont there was a newly built ultra-green 2,500 sq ft abode.  Complete with a solar array and turbine. 

So do Iggy and Greg make it to the Bio-Oasis in San Fran? You’ll have to read the book to find out.  If you don’t win, I still recommend this book.  Go get it at the library or buy it on Amazon.





Leave a comment by 11:59PM CST, April 30, 2009 and one random lucky winner will be picked to receive a the Greasy Rider  by Greg Melville from Algonquin Books. We will not share your email with anyone.

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