Panasonic has developed an electric compost machine for home use that turns your organic trash into fertilizer in just a few hours. The machine will be released at the end of April in Japan and there’s no word as to whether it will be sold in the U.S.

The machine, the MS-N53, uses a platinum-palladium catalyst to break down the garbage and features settings to create wetter or dryer compost. Users can pick their preference and the trash will compost in three to six hours depending on the selection.

The drawbacks to this seemingly nifty gadget are the size and the price. The machine can only compost two kilograms of waste and with a platinum-palladium catalyst, you know it’s going to be expensive. The MS-N53 will sell for the Japanese equivalent of $881.

With the current global mindset of saving instead of spending, I think the MS-N53 will have a hard time finding people to buy it. The idea is a good one. Most people would be keener on the idea of composting if they didn’t have to worry about the time it takes to wait for waste to become fertilizer and especially if they could cut out the smells during that time, but it will take a much cheaper price to truly entice people. If this concept were improved with a lower price and a bigger capacity, I think Panasonic could be onto something.

via GoodCleanTech

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IBM has unveiled a new nanotechnology that can both rid our water supply of toxins and desalinate salt water. IBM calls the filtering membrane a "water superhighway" because it removes toxins like arsenic from contaminated water at a greater rate as the pH level increases.

As water flows through the membrane, salts and toxins are removed so that only pure water remains when it makes it through. The membrane is also resistant to chlorine damage. This technology isn’t new to IBM, just new in this application. The same chemistry and nanotech has been used in their PC semiconductor chips.

Beyond this water-scrubbing membrane, IBM also introduced a whole series of water management services to help in the measurement, monitoring and metering of water levels, contamination and usage for businesses and governments. Water quality and availability is often overlooked as we focus on other environmental issues, but it’s becoming clearer that water issues need to be a priority as well. You can read about the various things IBM is doing to help here.

via GoodCleanTech

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Last week, during a spell of particularly strong wind gusts, Spain set a world record by having 40 percent of their energy requirement generated by wind power. The high winds in the northwest of the country generated a whopping 11,180 MW during the strongest gust.

Spain’s Wind Energy Association said that the turbines were working at 69 percent of their potential during the strong winds, which means even fiercer winds could crush this record.

While the U.S. is still number one in wind power, we only get 1 percent of our energy from the resource. Spain, ranked third in the world, has been incredibly ambitious in their wind plans. They hope to be generating 20,000 MW from wind by 2010 up from the 16,000 MW they’re currently producing. Beyond just wind, Spain hopes to have renewable energy sources making up 30 percent of their energy demand within the next year.

via Cleantechnica

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AT&T has designed a a new suite of services for SmartSynch’s SmartMetering technology. The services will enable utilities and customers to communicate directly with each other over AT&T’s wireless network.

The prospect of a smart grid has been overwhelming for utilities because of the new infrastructure and technology that will have to be implemented, but using an already in place wireless network for communication will probably cut out a lot of headaches. Utilizing AT&T’s national network instead of having to build new networks could ultimately mean a cheaper and faster set up for smart grid communications.

Obviously, much more will have to be done to get a smart grid up and running, but solving how the customers send information to their utility would mean clearing a major hurdle.

SmartSynch and AT&T have already worked together to link commerical and industrial customers with their utilities, but this partnership will expand their work into the residential market. AT&T has apparently realized that smart grids will be the new frontier for communications companies and are jumping in early to stake out their place in the market. If their technology can make a smart grid a reality sooner rather than later, I’m glad to see them involved.

via AT&T

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It was a proud moment indeed when we turned around and realized that the US was leading the world in wind power production. Sadly, though, we can’t say the same thing about PV power production; not only are we not number one, but we’re not even close. Here are some sobering statistics that came out of a recent report on world PV markets by Solarbuzz, a solar research and consulting company:

• The world’s demand for PV power grew about 110% last year. The world now demands just under 6 GW of PV power. Spain’s share of that 6 GW is 2.46 GW. Our share? A measly 0.36 GW.
• In the last year, China and Taiwan’s market share of solar cell production has risen from 35% to 44%. Meanwhile, our own market share – which was about 45% in the mid-90’s – has dropped to about 10%.
• Of the top ten largest PV production plants in the world, guess how many are in the US? Zero, that’s how many.

As the author of Climate Progress notes, we invented PV technology! So why are we lagging behind? Some might claim that sunny countries like Spain have an easier time capitalizing on sunlight. I would have a hard time believing that Spain has that much more sunlight than the entire Southwest, though.

Others would point out that PV just isn’t our weapon of choice when it comes to utility-scale solar electricity production, compared to solar thermal technologies. As long as you have ample land resources and workable land usage laws, solar thermal can deliver lower cost per watt. So maybe we’re just more of a solar thermal country than a solar PV country.

Really, though, it boils down to policy. European countries like Spain, Germany and Italy are no sunnier than the US, but their policies are. They have been pouring funds into subsidies for renewable power generation – that’s why so many GW were installed. And you know what? Now that the fixed costs are taken care of, these countries have energy-producing assets that run on free fuel. What could be a sounder investment in today’s economic climate?

I think we’re getting the message, though. We’re starting to offer serious tax incentives for installing solar, too. And big utilities like PG&E are making plans for large scale PV in addition to solar thermal. Maybe next year we’ll reclaim some of that market share.

Via Climate Progress
Image via Solarbuzz

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The Maldives announced yesterday a plan to go carbon neutral within the next decade. The project will cost $1.1 billion to install renewable energy across the nation’s 250 inhabited islands.

Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed said that the nation would achieve carbon neutrality through 155 1.5-MW wind turbines, a half-square kilometer solar farm and forgoing fossil fuels. Since much of the nation’s economy is based on tourism, greenhouse gases emitted by air travel will have to be offset with EU carbon credits.

The nation is privatizing their electric utility to open up funds for the effort and it will be looking for outside investments as well.

Island nations like The Maldives have been front runners for drastic climate change initiatives because they’re likely to suffer great consequences from sea level changes and harsher tropical storms. The Maldives is the lowest country in the world, averaging 1.5 meters above sea level. Also, their smaller populations and remoteness make them great candidates for renewable energy.

In the U.S., Hawaii has been pushing for much greater renewable energy standards compared to other states, planning to get 70 percent of the state’s electricity from renewables by 2030.

via Earth2Tech

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The Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux are partnering with Boston energy organization Citizens Wind to develop a 120-MW wind farm on their land in South Dakota.

The project will cost $400 million, take three years to build and is expected to provide electricity for 50,000-60,000 homes. Beyond the environmental benefits, the Sioux are hoping the project will bring some much-needed economic relief and jobs to their tribe. If the project is successful, it could be a blueprint for other tribes to follow.

This project is just one of a few wind projects Citizens Wind is planning with Native American groups. They are also working with the Cree Nation of Mistissini in Quebec, the Ojibwe in Ontario and the Navajo Nation.

via Treehugger

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The green jobs debate rages on. Some argue that all the stimulus money being poured into green efforts - like renewable energy and building retrofitting – will create millions of new jobs, and will revitalize the economy. Others are not so sure. The latest opinion to be voiced comes out of the Institute for Energy Research, which just published a study challenging the rosy predictions of people like the Center For American Progress (who predicted that $100 billion worth of green investment would create 2 million jobs).

One criticism is that the term “green job” is ill defined. This is certainly true, although the root of the problem is that “green” is pretty ill defined to begin with. There is no “green” sector – all sectors of our economic infrastructure are part of the problem, and fixing all of those parts will have to be part of the solution. And so, a construction worker weatherizing a house has a green job just as much as a solar energy technician.

And so it is difficult to make predictions in the first place, let alone specific numbers like 2 million. But the IER also points out that for all the new jobs that will be created when we start building wind turbines, we will lose jobs at coal power plants. In fact, the impact will go far beyond just the power sector. People talk about how the economy needs to be “restructured”; to be blunt, “restructuring” means that a lot of industries that people depend on to put food on their table will become discouraged, and eventually useless.

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Germany recently announced a program which gives money to citizens to scrap old polluting cars and buy newer, more fuel efficient ones. The program pays 2,500 euros ($3,500 USD) for each car scrapped.

The result has been an incredible success story. Over 150,000 applications have been received, getting polluting old junkers off the road and boosting auto sales by 21.5 percent in February in Germany – all while sales to foreign markets dropped an incredible 51 percent. In short, by getting people to ditch their old cars Germany may be saving their auto market as well as protecting the environment.

Now another European superpower, the United Kingdom, is considering adopting similar scrap-for-cash incentives to boost its struggling auto sales. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, an industry group, has submitted a plan for a similar scheme to the British government.

The plan could provide a much needed boost for both the UK’s domestic automakers and for U.S. automakers like Ford and GM that sell or own brands in Britain. Apparently, Ford is so confident that the lawmakers will adopt the plan that it has changed its sales figures based on it. Ingvar Sviggum, Ford Europe sales chief, has said he "really expects" the program to go through.

The UK desperately needs something to boost its auto sales. Sales plunged 22 percent in February and are expected to drop even more severely in March. It will likely be hard to argue against a relatively affordable scheme that has the potential to not only save the environment, but the auto industry as well.

via Autoblog Green and Yahoo News

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Few people know it, but the soil is teeming with energy in the form of zinc, copper and iron. Special microbial fuel cells – so-called “Earth batteries” – can transform this energy into electricity.

While solar lawn lamps are great, it is hard to deny the appeal of Dutch designer Marieke Strap’s Soil Lamp. This cool-looking lawn ornament takes a slightly different approach to soil energy. It takes copper and zinc strips, made out of metals naturally extracted from the soil, and uses them to provide a constant charge to a long-lifetime LED bulb – no bacteria required.

There is one catch – the bulb requires a bit of water to keep it going, but most people water their lawns anyways, so this is not a huge issue. The lamp earns high marks both for its chic design and for being among the first to explore the new field of soil-powered gadgets.

For those interested in picking up one of these cool lamps, it is unfortunately not currently available for order in the U.S. However, as many of Marieke Strap’s products are at retailers worldwide, and given the enthusiastic response, there seems little doubt that these lamps may soon be coming to a lawn near you.

via Inhabitat

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Bamboo products have exploded in the market recently. Bamboo is being used in flooring, textiles and all sorts of household items. Its popularity is based on its reputation as a sustainable material. It’s a hardy plant that can thrive without the use of pesticides and in many climates and it grows quickly, so what is cut down can be easily replaced. At least that’s what has been assumed.

It turns out that bamboo’s popularity has led to it being over-harvested and not only is it not being replaced quickly enough with new growth, but many species are on the verge of extinction. Even though it grows quickly, turns out it’s very hard to propagate from seeds. That’s where Booshoot Gardens, a biotechnology company, comes in. They have figured out a way to propagate bamboo species through tissue culture and are cultivating various species in mass amounts in their greenhouses in Washington state.

Booshoots supplies nurseries and agroforesters with bamboo to ensure that the grass continues to be available and thrive. The continuing existence of large quantities of bamboo is to the benefit of the environment. Bamboo absorbs more CO2 than trees and releases more oxygen, so it’s important that bamboo not just be used as a material, but also stay in the ground.

Of course, even with Booshoots propagating bamboo in a sustainable way, there are still many questions left about what processes are used to make bamboo products and what is being cut down in order to make room for bamboo. As it continues to grow in popularity, standards will have to be put in place to truly make it sustainable, but at least there is a company out there like Booshoot that is doing their part to help the plant and the planet.

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When we told you in October about Pininfarina’s planned new electric vehicle, everything sounded great except for the name: the B0. It’s B-Zero, we explained. The Zero stands for “zero emissions”, since the car is electric, you see. No, no, it’s not “BO”, though that is pretty funny.

In other words, when this blogger read that Pininfarina had renamed its darling the “Bluecar”, he was much relieved. Because Pininfarina is making some exciting claims about the new technology; technology which doesn’t deserve to be stuck with a name like B0. Technology like the lithium polymer battery pack, which will boast a range of 150 miles on a full charge, and 20 miles on a several-minute charge. Technology like an ultracapacitor which will relieve the battery of some of its load, and extend its life. Technology like rooftop Solar Panels.

As Shakespeare would say, an EV by any other name would drive as well (and save as much gasoline). Nonetheless, I applaud the newly named Bluecar and eagerly await its market debut.

Via Treehugger

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Lithium-ion batteries (specifically LiFePO4) are currently the great hope of electric cars, laptop computers and cell phones, but they have their drawbacks. They recharge and release energy slowly, and in order to store a lot of energy, they’re heavy. Researchers at MIT think they have found the underlying problem with these batteries and how to fix it - possibly bringing a lighter, faster battery in the next couple of years.

Up until now, scientists have believed that charged lithium atoms were to blame for the battery performance - they moved slowly through the battery material on their way to deliver their charge. But now, researchers say the atoms themselves aren’t to blame, but rather how the ions get into the nano-scale tunnels that deliver them to their destination.

They’ve come up with a lithium phosphate coating that pushes the ions into the tunnels, where they then quickly make their way to the battery terminal. With this modification, a cell phone battery can charge in just 10 seconds. They imagine with this same boost, plug-in hybrids could fully charge in just five minutes.

Also, this new battery material wouldn’t degrade as much through constant recharging, allowing smaller and lighter batteries to take the place of heavier ones. If this theory can be proved, the next step would be to come up with an amped up power supply that could deliver the electricity needed for the quick charging.

Two companies have already licensed the invention and because the material involved isn’t new, this upgraded battery could be commercially available within two to three years.

via AFP

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MIT has discovered an industrial fumigant that has 4,800x the potency of CO2 as a greenhouse gas. Even more interesting is that this fumigant came into widespread use in the campaign against the depletion of the ozone layer.

In the late 1980s when the Montreal Protocol limited chlorofluorocarbon emissions, methyl bromide, a popular compound used for agricultural pest elimination, was targeted for its ozone depleting properties. Over time, sulfuryl fluoride replaced it as the standard in pest fumigation. Now, years later, scientists have discovered that sulfuryl fluoride lasts much longer in the atmosphere than they thought and is far more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2.

The good news is that since the compound was only introduced into the air in recent years, there is just a tiny concentration in the atmosphere. Stopping its use now will prevent any major consequences. But what is scary about this discovery is that the EPA found sulfuryl fluoride to have "virtually no impact on the global atmosphere" when it approved it for use in 2002.

This news really emphasizes the need to constantly evaluate the impact of the chemicals we use and release into the atmosphere. There could easily be many more ’sulfuryl fluorides’ out there that we now consider harmless, but could really do lots of damage.

via WSJ Environmental Capital

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Americans may have come to the point where average consumers frown upon Hummers, but for some reason, we draw the line at toilet paper. We believe so strongly in three-ply and cottony softness that many of us equate recycled toilet paper with cardboard. Toilet paper pushers from Kimberly Clark to Georgia Pacific tout the higher quality of their soft papers and sales for the high end brands like Charmin Ultra and Quilted Northern Ultra have increased by 40% in some markets, according to a recent NY Times article.

Greenpeace and the Natural Resources Defence Council are fighting back with campaigns to get Americans to consider the toll of using luxury toilet paper. Greenpeace last week issued a national guide for consumers ranking the toilet tissue brands on the basis of their environmental impact. The guide is available for downloading here.

So how bad is our toilet paper habit, really? The product that we use for less than three seconds extracts a larger ecological consequence than driving Hummers, according to Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist at the NRDC. More than 98% of all toilet paper sold here comes from virgin wood. The NRDC’s position is that no forest of any kind should be used to make toilet paper and Hershkowitz wants to see toilet paper go the way of incandescent light bulbs – out of the mainstream.

But it may be a hard sell. Americans, who use an average of 23.6 rolls per capita a year - more toilet paper than citizens in other countries—three times more than the average European and 100 times more than the average person in China. Europeans and Latin Americans are also less demanding about the quality of their toilet paper, with up to 40% of toilet paper sold in those markets derived from recycled products.

“I really do think it is overwhelmingly an American phenomenon,” said Hershkowitz. “People just don’t understand that softness equals ecological destruction.”

Slowly the message is getting out. At the Kodak Theater last week during the Oscars, all the bathrooms were equipped with only 100% recycled paper. If it’s good enough for Mickey Rourke’s behind, it should be good enough for yours.

Via Guardian, NRDC
Image Via NY Times

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It’s nice when two environmental issues can be tackled simultaneously. In this case, those issues are implementing solar technology, and saving a threatened bat population.

Bats in the northeastern parts of Canada and the United States are dying in alarming numbers, and researchers believe that a newly discovered fungus is responsible. The fungus, they say, leads to a condition known as white-nose syndrome. Since white-nose syndrome was first detected in 2006 in New York, the fungus has spread across the border to Ontario and six other states. The fungus has killed hundreds of thousands of bats - as much as 80% of the bat population in some areas. This is of particular concern to farmers who rely on bats as a way of controlling the insect population.

But now with the help of solar cells, the bats may have a way to sleep through this deadly disease. White-nose syndrome is thought to kill the bats by waking them up during their winter hibernation. Bats need to sleep through this period because the insects they need to eat to survive aren’t around during the cold season. When they wake up prematurely, they have nothing to eat and subsequently starve.

Researchers at the University of Winnipeg and Indiana State University theorize that if the bats are kept in a warm place, they will remain in hibernation. They therefore propose using solar powered insulated boxes (that would hold about 200 bats each) to keep the mammals warm – and asleep. The boxes would be powered by car batteries linked to solar cells. Their computer-stimulated model shows that using these boxes could drop mortality rates to as low as eight per cent.

Via National Geographic

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We’re used to hearing about plans for large solar projects across large swaths of desert, or statewide initiatives, but projects in urban centers are less common due to the cramped spaces for installations. Joining cities like Los Angeles who are taking a swing at solar energy, New York City may be getting a solar project through utility company Con Edison.

The 12-megawatt pilot project will cost $25 million and take 18 months to get up and running. Con Ed hopes to cover some of the cost with stimulus money, New York state tax incentives and grants from the New York State Energy Research Development Authority.

If approved by the state public services commission, the project would consist of 5 MW of large installations (200 kW +), 5 MW of small installations for residential or small to medium commercial customers and 2MW of installations on Con Ed facilities. The utility will use this project to gauge customer interest and whether larger-scale projects will be successful.

via Cleantechnica

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As has been expected, the EPA has proposed a rule that would require industries to monitor and report their greenhouse gas emissions. Under the rule, the first data will be reported in 2011 after being collected throughout 2010. This proposal is being viewed as an important first step to regulating greenhouse gases in the near future.

The rule was introduced under the Clean Air Act and would cover 85 to 90 percent of emissions in the U.S. The gases required to be reported will include carbon dioxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons and nitrous oxide.

A couple of industries that would be required to report emissions are auto companies, who will have to report the grams of emissions per mile for all vehicles they make and power plants, although a lot of data on power plants is already known.

For now, there is a 60-day public comment period before the rule can be enacted. While this was an expected move from the EPA, it’s still a very welcome and important one. Collecting these numbers from industries and being able to regulate emissions will be necessary if major reforms are to be made.

via Green Inc.

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Yesterday, the three finalists for the World Green Car of the Year were announced. The Honda FCX Clarity, the Mitsubishi iMiEV and the Toyota iQ were picked as the top contenders. The choices show that advancements have been made since last year when the winner was the BMW 118d - a 60 mpg diesel engine car. Here’s a quick synopsis of the finalists.

The first contender, the Honda FCX Clarity, runs on a hydrogen fuel cell and can travel 270 miles per tank of hydrogen. The drawback to the car, of course, is that you’d have to live in one of the few areas that have a hydrogen filling station and stay close to it, but the upside is that the Clarity runs gasoline and emission-free.

The Mitsubishi iMiEV is a subcompact, all-electric vehicle that has been praised for its great handling and quick acceleration. The EV can reach a top speed of around 80 mph and has an 85-mile range on a full charge.

The Toyota iQ is a tiny four-seater with a 1.0 liter engine that has already won its share of accolades, including Japan’s Car of the Year Award. The manual transmission model can get up to 67 mpg.

The winner will be choosen on April 9, 2009.

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I’m typically cynical when it comes to the promises of government reform packages, but it seems like almost everyday there’s another great project that is at least indirectly benefitting from the stimulus bill. Here’s today’s example.

The governors of California, Oregon and Washington are working together to turn Interstate 5 into the nation’s first green freeway. They want to turn the heavily-traveled highway into one that caters to alternative-fuel and electric vehicles with biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen and compressed natural gas filling stations, as well as battery charging and swapping stations conveniently located along the road’s 1,382 miles.

While the plan is facing many rounds of approval before it can become a reality, it does fit into the new administration’s push for green jobs and it would most likely qualify for stimulus money that would get the project going. If the plan does get approved, Washington would start its phase of the project as early as this summer. The state already has plans for alternative fueling stations at park-and-ride lots, a sales-tax exemption for battery charging and swapping stations, and converting the state automobile fleet from gas to electric.

The battery-charging and swapping stations would be the first businesses allowed to operate at rest stops. To encourage companies to participate, the states wouldn’t charge rent at the rest stops until the companies started making a profit. The plan is facing some opposition from truck stop operators who think that putting charging or filling stations at rest stops will take away from their business.

No contracts have been offered yet for the fuel or battery charging stations, but at least one governor has met with Better Place to discuss their involvement.

I think this is a wondeful project. The infrastructure has to be in place for electric cars or alternative fuels to take off and it’s great to see states coming together to make that happen.

via Seattle Times

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