more goodness from treehugger on improvements solar panel technology & efficiency. prism solar technology of new york has developed a solar module that uses 25% to 85% less silicon than a crystalline silicon solar panel of comparable wattage. the technology uses holograms to increase efficiency and concentrate light. this also brings the cost down of solar panel as less photovoltaic material is needed to gather energy.
Tag Archive for 'treehugger'
interesting post on treehugger around the hype & subject of who killed the electric car. the article covers a recent post to a usenet group detailing problems with the electric car, indicating it’s death was maybe a mercy killing. the usenet poster allegedly worked for GM while the EV1 was in production and lists the numerous customer complaints and problems with the electric car. some of the issues …
The range of 130 miles is bogus. None of them ever achieved that under normal driving conditions. Running the air conditioning or heater could halve that range. Even running the headlights reduced it by 10%.
Lessees were complaining that their electric bills had increased to the point that they’d rather be using gasoline.
Home electrical systems simply couldn’t handle the necessary current draw for “fast” charging.
ouch. seems to take issue with a lot of the points brought up in the movie Who Killed The Electric Car? still, technology moves forward. taking into account the ability to set up a home solar charging station, better NiMH battery systems and options available, and the cost of gas, i’d very much prefer that ride over my gas car any day. one month after GM bought the Hummer from AM General, they discontinued building the EV1s. i just can’t respect that.
… now with grass! check out this grass lined wheel design project (also via spacing) done by four architecture students of the dalhousie school of architecture in halifax, nova scotia. the project wanted to comment on access to green spaces in an urban environment and the north american obsession with manicured lawns. to me this is a great take on our over emphasis on efficiency as applied to being outdoors (sort of like those popular indoor wave surf parks - experience the outdoors with all the safety of being indoors & none of the hassle of actually going outdoors). very cool. via treehugger.
from the environmental association of nova scotia comes this helpful website: a guide to less toxic products. this guide helps to find & identify products which are least toxic then other brands and items available, ranging from cleaning supplies, mattresses, personal care, and more. link found via treehugger.
check out this amazing and disturbing photo essay by brendan corr called End of the Line. it deals with the dangerous and hazardous work of ship breaking, the piece by piece dismanteling of those gigantic cargo ships, naval vessels, and cruise liners. now almost all of this highly toxic and hazardous work takes place asian countries, mostly in India, Bangladesh, Turkey, China, and Pakistan. workers are often exposed to high levels of asbestos, heavy metals, and other contaminants. greenpeace has been involved in effective activism and campaigns to stop western nations from exporting ‘end of life’ toxic ships to poorer countries. greenpeace has even spotlighted 50 toxic ships, including the Pacific Princess - a.k.a. the love boat, in their campaign.
wow. from treehugger, a great post on a stylish little diesel powered car that get 157 miles per gallon. hello! the car is called the Loremo AG. it weighs less than a thousand pounds, seats 4, diesel fuel powered (no hybrid technology), aerodynamic, has a modest 2-cylinder, 20 hp turbo engine, a top speed of 100 mph, and does 0-60 mph in ten seconds. no, it’s not a sports car. but who the fuck cares? did i mention it gets 157 miles per gallon? oh, and is anticipated to cost around $13,000? i’m sold. it hits the european market (wah!) in 2009. so cool!
found this on Treehugger.com: Eco-Cement! sustainable cement products made by TecEco. according to the folks at TecEco, the secret formula (and addition of magnesium oxide) means their eco-cement & bricks take less energy to produce. and, it reduces landfill by turning “virtually any solid waste†into concrete. but there’s more: for up to a year, eco-Cement absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. all around, eco-cement is easier to recycle, uses less energy, reduced CO2, and reduces landfill. i hope this process really takes off!