Green Machines

The CBC has a feature on how technology and the environment interrelate. The feature emphasizes on how you can purchase technology that has a limited impact on the environment.

While it can be difficult to track down truly “green gear,” Radu’s interest in consumer electronics doesn’t necessarily have to run contrary to the way she chooses to live her everyday life. Products designed to have less impact on the environment – both from a manufacturing perspective and during day-to-day use – are reaching the market in greater numbers as producers pay attention to the growing ranks of eco-conscious consumers. Companies are also paying more attention to “greening” their public image.

Webby Connect

Today I’m be heading to the Webby Connect conference. TakingITGlobal is sending me to represent The Digital Divide Network, two very good things I must say (but of course I’m bias). I’m going there to learn and meet some pretty smart people so I’m very very excited!

I’ll try to cross-post my blogging of Webby Connect here, but you can follow all of it at my blog at the Digital Divide Network.

I’ll try to keep all the good news coming, so if you have some good news you want to share feel free to email me or (if you know wordpress) signup and write an entry yourself.

My email is my first name @ThingsAreGood.com

50 Tips on Living Green

This is exactly what you think it is: 50 Green Tips for Earth Day and Beyond

A nice reminder of all the things you can do on a daily basis to make the world a little better.

Some samples from the list:
14. Go to your local library instead of buying new books.
18. If you use plastic grocery bags, recycle them for doggie poop bags or for small trashcan liners.
21. Consider organic cleaning products like vinegar, borax, and baking soda.
33. Limit the length of your showers. Even better, take a “navy shower,” shutting off the water while soaping up and shampooing.
46. Good to the last drop. Switch to fair trade coffee.

Public Transit Best Way to Cut Carbon Output

Taking public transit is a fast and easy way to reduce the amount of carbon that you release into the air every year. According to the American Public Transportation Association taking public transit instead of driving is the best thing one can do to cut their CO2 emissions.

That personal carbon reduction deserves a closer look. Twenty pounds a day works out to more than 4,800 pounds a year, assuming a 240-day work week. That impact is much greater than many other changes people are frequently encouraged to make, including weatherizing the home and adjusting the thermostat (about 2,800 pounds a year); replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents (about 90 pounds per bulb a year); and replacing an old refrigerator with a high-efficiency one (about 335 pounds a year).

Algae is Gooey Power

I’m always impressed by what algae can do. It can be used to generate electricity, make us healthier, it can function as a biofuel, and can be used to clean the air. Algae can almost solve all the worlds problems!

Some enterprising researchers have found out that algae can also be tweaked to create a lot of hydrogen. Hydrogen produced by algae can then be used as a power source elsewhere.

Melis has created mutant algae that make better use of sunlight than their natural cousins do. This could increase the hydrogen that the algae produce by a factor of three. It would also boost the algae’s production of oil for biofuels.

The new finding will be important in maximizing the production of hydrogen in large-scale, commercial bioreactors. In a laboratory, Melis says, “[we make] low-density cultures and have thin bottles so that light penetrates from all sides.” Because of this, the cells use all the light falling on them. But in a commercial bioreactor, where dense algae cultures would be spread out in open ponds under the sun, the top layers of algae absorb all the sunlight but can only use a fraction of it.