From rugs to dinnerware, it seems that almost anything can be made from bamboo. A Chinese company is making bamboo computer keyboards! According to Sustainablog:
Jiangqiao, which began manufacturing the green keyboards last October, has already received orders for 40,000 finished units, and is China's sole producer of bamboo keyboards. The company says the product is as strong as its plastic equivalent...Jiangqiao faced the same difficulties typical for adapting bamboo for industrial use, including keeping the bamboo keyboard frame from cracking, preventing the bamboo bottom plate from distorting and firmly fashioning the buttons with the main board.
On one of my many posts about how much I hate plastic because of its negative effects on our environment and health, a commenter pointed out that I was typing on a plastic keyboard. Thanks to the Chinese, I now have a greener option; however, there is no reason to replace my perfectly good keyboard with a new one. That would not follow the adage "reduce, reuse, recycle."
Solar and Hand Cranked Radio Perfect for Camping and Emergencies
This little alternative energy radio is only about 3 x 2.2 x 3.2 inches! Powered by either a solar panel or hand cranking a dynamo, you don't have to go without tunes when the power goes out or you are off in the woods camping with the Kikkerland Dynamo Solar and Crank Emergency Radio. When cranking the dynamo when solar energy is not available, this radio is quite efficient with one minute of human power producing half an hour of tunes. Also, it also won't break the bank at a price of about $30.
Most people, including myself, don't consider the carbon footprint of the internet. According to NewScientist:
One estimate suggests it takes a whopping 152 billion kilowatt-hours per year just to power the data centres that keep the net running. Add to that the energy used by all the computers and peripherals linked to it and the whole thing could be responsible for as much as 2 per cent of all human-made CO2 emissions, putting it on a par with the aviation industry.
Just one internet search on Google creates 200 milligrams of CO2. This may not sound like much, but think about how many internet searches are done each day across the world.
Solar Panels in the Sahara Desert Could Power ALL of Europe
All of Europe's energy needs could be provided by a very large solar array in the Sahara Desert, according to researchers. Dr. Anthony Patt, a research scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, explains:
It [North Africa] could supply Europe with all the energy it needs. The Sun is very strong there, and it is very reliable. There is starting to be a growing number of cost estimates of both wind and concentrated solar power for north Africa... that start to compare favorably with alternative technologies. The cost of moving [electricity] long distances has really come down.
How large a solar array would be needed to provide Europe's energy needs? Dr. Patt estimates the array would be the size of a small country (a fraction of the size of the Sahara Desert) and it would cost approximately $70 billion.
12-Year-Old Boy Builds Recycled Shelter for Homeless
12-year-old Max Wallack has created a "Home Dome" from plastic, wire, and packing peanuts. The Home Dome is designed as a homeless shelter and was created for the show Design Squad's Trash to Treasure contest. Max won $10,000 and a Dell laptop for his invention. Max explained his inspiration:
When I was six. I won an invention contest that included a trip to Chicago. While there, I saw homeless people living on streets, and beneath highways and underpasses. I felt very sorry for these people, and ever since then, felt that my goal and obligation was to find a way to help them. My invention improves the living conditions for homeless people, refugees, or disaster victims by giving them easy-to-assemble shelter.
Sony has developed a TV that can withstand the severe weather conditions of climate change. For $20,000, you can have a 65-inch LCD television that will survive torrential rain and freezing temperatures.
LED Bulb Fits Standard Incandescent Sockets and Lasts 50,000 Hours!
It's amazing what technology has done for lighting. This LED bulb made by Chinavasion will last for 50,000 hours! That's 2,083 days if left on 24 hours a day!
The design and manufacture of these LED lights is beyond compare - from the all metal die cast cooling fins to the IC boards that drive the diodes, every part has been manufactured to exceed world performance standards. You simply cannot find a better built 7 watt screw in LED lamp than the G08!
Besides just looking cool, this LED uses only 7 watts of electricity.
Via: Gizmodo
New Satellites to Monitor Carbon Emissions From Outer Space
Last month, the Japanese space agency JAXA launched Ibuki, a satellite dedicated to monitoring carbon dioxide and methane. NASA will launch Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) this month for a similar purpose. According to the Economist:
These new satellites will work as carbon accountants, by keeping a close eye on how the Earth breathes and returning regular audits--which are awaited with trepidation. Ibuki, which means "breath" in Japanese, orbits the Earth approximately every 100 minutes at an average altitude of 667km. It will gather data from 56,000 points around the globe with two detectors.
21-year-old UK resident Owen Louis has devised a way to charge his iPod using an onion! First, Louis makes two holes in the onion, then he soaks it in energy drink. Using a standard USB cable, he connects his iPod to the onion.
According to CleanTechnica, Louis' method is a hoax:
However, according to the Guardian (25 November), it appears that the basic science behind the idea is correct, but that this particular technique is a hoax. The article quotes Jon Edwards of the UK Royal Society of Chemistry (no less), who says "The science behind the idea isn't bad - you can generate an electric current from vegetables - but the video is a hoax." He explains that it can't work because you need two electrodes to provide a reaction and a reason for an electric current to flow.
Ten solar-powered trash cans have been installed in People's Square, Shanghai.
Why would trash cans need solar power? These trash cans talk! The refuse receptacles tell people where the nearest bathrooms are and illuminate a map at night. Eventually, the city plans to install 480 solar-powered talking trash cans.
Japanese Airport to Store Winter Snow for Summer Air Conditioning
New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, Japan plans to start storing winter snow for summer cooling in 2010. The winter snow will provide 30% of the summer cooling needs. EcoGeek explains this clean technology:
The snow will be covered by heat-insulating materials, which should retain about 45% of the snow collected. The remaining snow will then be used to chill the liquid of the building's cooling system. According to Japan Today, the practice could result in a 2,100 ton reduction in CO2 emissions per year.
Hokkaido's annual snowfall is between 20 to 30 feet. Hopefully this innovative technology will catch on in other snowy cities around the world.
Year in Review: Top 5 Really Natural Posts of 2008
Happy New Year! The following is a recap of the top ten posts that were written and received the most traffic on Really Natural in 2008.
Solar Hot Water Heaters Found on 90% of Israel's Rooftops: In the 1950s, Israel experienced a fuel shortage, and residents responded by installing solar hot water heaters on their rooftops. By 1983, 60% of homes had solar hot water heaters, and current law requires their installation. Jerusualem's skyline is beautifully cluttered with 90% of homes' rooftops adorned with solar hot water heaters.
Toyota Adding Solar Panels to Prius to Power Air Conditioning: The Toyota Prius has long been the golden child of the environmental movement for its fuel economy. When the EPA changed the standards for reporting fuel economy on new car stickers to include the use of air conditioning, the hybrid Prius lost a few miles per gallon. That may all change, now that Toyota plans to install solar panels on the roof of high end models to power the AC.
Build a Green Home - No More Power Bills Ever: A New Jersey engineer Mike Strizki has created a green home resulting in no more power bills ever, and not just electric bills. Strizki converts sunshine into electricity using photovoltaic panels - and then uses the electricity to wring hydrogen for fuel out of ordinary tap water.
Your Flat-Screen TV is Worse for the Environment than a Coal Burning Power Plant : Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) has been deemed the "missing greenhouse gas", because it is not covered by the Kyoto Protocol, yet it is 17,000 times stronger than carbon dioxide! NF3 used to be produced in tiny amounts, but the boom in flat-screen TVs has changed that.
Solar Stik Portable Solar Array Cheaper than a Generator to Run: If you ever have the need for green, portable power, Solar Stik is the "new generator". For example, Solar Stiks were sent to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. What is a Solar Stik? It is portable solar system that weighs about 100 pounds and can be set up in about 10 minutes.
On Demand, Tankless, Instantaneous Hot Water Heaters
On demand, tankless hot water heaters have long been the norm in Japan and Europe, where apartments are usually too small for big tank hot water heaters that are commonplace in the United States. I've been using a tankless hot water heater for 12 years. We currently use a Bosch Aquastar Indoor Tankless Water Heater. This hot water heater is capable of heating 7.2 gallons per minute and provides enough hot water for up to 3 appliances or showers at a time, although I recommend using only one at a time for the best results.
A tankless hot water heater qualifies you for a $300 U.S. Federal Tax Credit and can save you up to 50-percent off your annual utility costs. It does take getting used to a tankless hot water heater once you make the switch. When first turning on the hot water tap, it takes a little while for the hot water to reach your faucet, since the water is being heated on demand and not stored hot like in a traditional tank heater. Also, you will want to consider how you use your hot water, as the pressure will drop if you try to use hot water in multiple faucets and/or appliances at a time. Furthermore, a tankless hot water heater works best with a solar hot water heater that can preheat the water. These lifestyle adjustments are minor considering the energy savings and conservation benefits of a tankless hot water heater.
Power Your Portable Gadgets with a Fuel Cell Sticker
Fuel cell technology may one day power all your portable devices with a simple sticker! According to Clean Technica:
FuelCellSticker technology from myFC AB could
offer a new way to power cell phones, Blackberries, iPhones, laptops
and all the other little boxes we carry around every day.
Swedish-based myFC's stated mission is to
create power solutions for mobile electronics, freeing users from power
cords and cumbersome, toxic batteries, while allowing manufacturers and
service providers to create more energy-intensive mobile devices and applications.
How cool would that be to just slap a sticker on a device to power it? Each individual FuelCellSticker provides 0.9 watts and can be used together to provide as much power as you need.
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