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Pick up After your dog and earn Free WiFi

No matter if you’re a dog owner or not you’ve most likely encountered  one or two dog do-do’s that some owner ‘forgot’ to pick up. Perhaps dog owners sometime forget to bring a bag, or the bag they brought broke OR they were just lazy? Well, no matter what, there are still areas in any city/town that have had its share of natural ‘fertilizer’.

A recent campaign, created by DDB, in Mexico makes us think that someone’s had enough. Yes, whoever came up with the latest idea to fight the dog owner came up with something so innovative that the idea is balancing between madness and genius!  So here it is. For every bag of dog pop placed in a special made pet station will provide the surrounding area with free Wi-Fi! That’s right, you can now trade in your dog’s poop in order to get a set amount of time of free Wi-Fi. And who exactly are the geniuses behind this idea?

Terra Poo is a Mexican internet company called Terra, and the campaign is an attempt to provide free Wi-Fi services to public meeting places – while making down owners pick up after their dogs. As already mentioned, the Wi-Fi will be administered in timed increments based on the amount of  dog poop collected. The more poop that is placed in the special pet stations the longer free Wi-Fi time will be available.

Overall, this is a brilliant idea to try keeping public meeting places clean. We think this could be adapted to the US and perhaps even be further developed  to reward people for doing something good while being out and about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6dB7S5ik51A

source: http://inhabitat.com/mexican-parks-trade-dog-poop-for-free-wi-fi-access/

The Seattle Bullitt Center sets a new ‘green’ standard!

A Seattle-based environmental organization named The Bullitt Foundation has announced that the grand opening of their Bullitt Center will be taking place  on Earth Day, April 22, 2013.  Although the building is still under construction, it has already been dubbed the “World’s Greenest Office Building“. Maybe it’s just us but being crowned as the ‘Greenest Office Building’ before even opening the front doors tells you something about it’s ‘alternative features and amenities.  quite the thing. Hence, us digging deeper to see what kind of ‘green’ surprises hide inside of those doors.

The Bullitt Center is a six-story 50,000 square footage building, where a bunch of tenants are scheduled to move in shortly. A report from Triple Pundit,  says about 40 percent of the building was leased out as of mid-January and expect to fill the rest during their grand opening. At the moment, available suite comes in the 2,000 to 8,000 square foot range.

Aside from the Bullitt Foundation headquarters, a couple of confirmed tenants include the University of Washington’s Integrated Design Lab and the Cascadia Green Building Council.

The new Bullitt Center is supposedly such an advanced building that its environmental features that it made the U.S. Green Building Council’s 110-point LEED rating program look too simple. The Bullitt Foundation is therefore aiming for the more prestige Living Building Challenge, sponsored by the International Living Building Institute.

In order to be certified as a Living Building, a structure needs to be self-sufficient for energy and water for no less than 12 continuous months while meeting high standards for green materials and quality of indoor environment, and more.

One of the major ‘green’ attractions of the Bullitt Center is its rainwater collection system on the roof, which will channel Seattle’s enormous amounts of stormwater into an underground system to once again be reused.

Photo credit to: earthtechling.com

The building will also include a lot of huge windows that will create natural light as well as solar arrays covering majority of the roof and will generate as much electricity as the building uses.

A fun little side note about the Bullitt center is that the building has banned the use of any major hazardous materials; PVC, lead, mercury. And last but not least, a solar-powered hydronic heating system will be installed under the floors.

The Bullit Center surely is a fantastic piece of green architecture. Let’s hope this building will get the attention it deserves and inspire more investors to build environmental friendly office/living space.

source:  http://www.earthtechling.com/2013/01/seattles-ultra-green-bullitt-center-to-open-earth-day/

African Teens Create Urine-Powered Energy Generator

Four African teenage girls, Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola, Faleke Oluwatoyin and Bello Eniola, recently impressed visitors of Maker Faire Africa by creating a urin-powered generator. By utilizing one of the most common resources on the planet, urine, the girls developed a generator that is able to produce six hours of power by adding one liter of the  ’yellow fuel’.

Keep in mind, these girls are in their mid teens – 14 to 15 years old – and have already come up with an invention that many college grads can’t even design.  According to inhabitat.com, the girls grew  up in a region with limited natural resources and have therefore always  been motivated and inspired to take on the challenge of creating a type of alternative energy system that can be  discovered and thereafter improved, to solve energy solutions in their community and around the world.

According to inhabitat.com, the average person produces around 2 liters of urine per day. And in this case, “one liter is put into an electrolytic cell, which separates the hydrogen. The hydrogen is then purified with a typical water filter, and extracted into a gas cylinder.  is then squeezed into another cylinder of liquid borax, which removes any excess humidity from the hydrogen. The hydrogen, now pure, can then be used in the generator.”

Despite being able of producing six hours of electricity, this device is not a stand-alone generator. It require electricity to initially power the electrolytic cell inside of the completed prototype. As hydrogen isn’t exactly healty, there are still things in  that needs to be improved in the purification process. Having said that, this is definitely a construction that can be improved by the help of scientists and more advanced equipment.

source: http://inhabitat.com/four-african-teens-create-pee-powered-energy-generator/

Here’s your renewable energy leaders 2013

Have you ever wondered how ‘green’ your country really is? Although, our world evolves around a tiny fragment the very country we live in globalization has made things much easier to keep up with world news and trends. So, when you look at your surroundings to at least determine if the city/town/village has any ‘green’ renewable energy projects completed, you may or may not have an idea of how the rest of the country is doing. Often times, it all comes down to legislation, city funding and overall budgeting and ‘green’ political power. Some of us may be surrounded with plenty of alternative energy solutions, while others have very few renewable energy options. Sometimes it is all about consumer education. Either way, today, we’re happy to share our take on EcoWatch.org‘s article discussing the world’s ‘Renewable Energy Leaders‘. And no, we’re are not one of them – despite numbers showing that renewable energy has increased in the US by more than 300 percent in the past 10 years.

No, in fact, the United States are still far behind Europe and parts of Asia, Indonesia. And as if that wasn’t enough, we’re only baby steps ahead of Mexico.  Speaking of Europe, Germany – the leader of green renewable energy – gets most electricity from renewable energy sources than any other region in the world. The United States, got around 2.7 percent in 2011, which makes us number 7 of all G-20 nations.

Well done Germany! Here in the US, we can only hope that we’ll do what it takes to climb the list so we can one day be on top of the leader board.

Source: http://ecowatch.org/2012/who-are-the-worlds-renewable-energy-leaders/

Enviro Logs - This winter’s ‘green’ money saver

You might be one of many who are trying to figure out how to stay warm this winter, without increasing your heat/electric utility bills. If you are, we might have some good news for you.

As we all know, the long time main source of alternative heat during winter time is the fireplace or wood burning stove - assuming you have one in your home/condo/apartment. Despite being more physically demanding, if you need to chop your own wood, either of the two will most likely end up being a more affordable option during the most freezing season of the year. Something to take in to consideration, before entertaining the idea of a fireplace, is the amount of forest being chopped down just to lower your bill, the time spent starting the fire and the actual time it takes before your home/house heats up. Instead, how about taking a look at the Enviro-Logs!

Compared to the traditional wood log, you are now able to use a product that is made from 100 percent recycled waxed cardboard, the type of cardboard used for transporting vegetables and fruit. Not only will you spare trees but you can also take pride in knowing that it  has a 30-40% lower particle matter emission than firewood WHILE reducing waste that is no longer needed.  You’re basically getting a environmentally better product!

Look at the pros. Here you have a product that is close to odorless, can be used on fireplaces inside and out, spark free (may spark while stirring) a burn time of 3 hours (with a 5 lbs log) and all you need is a match to light it up. And perhaps best of all, you don’t need to chop any wood and yes, you’ll stay warm while saving on your utility bill AND saving the planet. What more can you ask for!

You can find this amazing, energy saving product at any major US retailer.

Stay warm, stay green!

source:http://www.enviro-log.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=58

The Yeti - Go off the grid without losing power

The sustainable gadgets category is growing. An example of why it is growing may be a combination of consumer education and innovative, stylish designs. No matter what, the hottest items are often shown on trade shows and events. And in this case, by the help of our friends at inhabitat.com, we’ve stumbled across the Goal Zero’s Yeti 150 Solar Generator.

The Yeti Generator apparently became the talk of Sin City during last year’s  Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Back then, Goal Zero promised all CES attendees that its Yeti 1250, a solar energy generator is big enough to run a refrigerator while the power is out. Now that was last year, now the company has unveiled its Yeti 150, a portable, plug-and-play solar generator with plenty of power packed in its compact design.

The Yeti 150 is suitable for those who like to go camping, head to the country side or just somewhere, where it is practically impossible to get the electricity you often times need. Aside from being portable, it comes with an outlet so you can plug it in and recharge it. As already mentioned, the yeti 150 is small, 12 lbs small, so don’t count on powering up any homes with this gadget. Having said that, most of your portable essentials, like a light, a phone, and possibly a laptop or GPS will all be powered up with this puppy.

The Yeti Solar panel collects a full charge in between 5 and 10 hours of direct exposure to sunlight. A comparison to what that amount of energy will light a lantern for fifty hours or power a smartphone for fifteen hours, and recharge your laptop twice.

The Yeti 150 is still not available on the market but is scheduled for 2013 with a MSRP landing around $400.

Source: http://inhabitat.com/yeti-150-goal-zero-unveils-a-plug-and-play-solar-generator-for-emergencies-or-off-grid-adventures-at-ces-2013/

&  http://www.goalzero.com/

LG to release the first big screen OLED TV next month

You may have heard about the technology, or seen the type of technology, that makes it possible to have paper-thin smartphone and touch screen device and wondered when you’ll get to experience that thin screen in a larger format? Well, it’s time to stop wondering. According to LG newsroom, that technology will soon be available in television size. Yes, that means you’ll have the option to buy/order a paper thin television and enjoy the latest energy efficient technology straight from your living room, shortly! The first dated release will take place in South Korea in February, 2013.

In case you’re unfamiliar with OLED technology, it stands for organic light emitting diode and will be rocking a 4 millimeter (.16″) screen. The 55 inch television, that’l be sold in 1,400 retail stores in South Korea, will weigh less than 22 lbs. That, for 55 inch show how the OLED tv’s razor thin screen eliminate a lot of weight that exists on the LED TV of same size.  Aside from it’s measurements, uber-thin design, and energy efficiency, the OLEDs pixel illuminates itself and therefore eliminates the need for a backlight, that you can find on certain LCD screen.

According to earthtechling.com, LG, claim that its Color Refiner delivers even greater tonal enhancement, resulting in images that are more vibrant and natural than current technology.

According to AfterDawn.com, the first LG TV to hit the US market will be retailing for a whopping $12,000 and can be find in selected stores starting March of this year.

The Douglas Fir (Christmas Tree) may be used to help sterilize medical devices

As many of us are back at work, the holiday season and possible vacation days have come to an end. Here’s a little green news, especially for those of us that celebrate Christmas. As we all know, Christmas trees are one of the main icons of the  holiday season and now with January being here, they are headed to the landfill/wood chipper. At least that’s usually the case but now it seems like there seems to be an additional need for them. According to inhabitat.com a paper published in the  in the International Journal of Biomedical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology show evidence that the needles of the the Douglas fir, may be able to help sterilize nano devices destined for the human body.

A research team led by chemist Poushpi Dwivedi of MNNIT situated in Allahabad, India are working on a compound derived from the needles of the Douglas fir to help coat nano medical devices and fight infection. One of the biggest problems for biomedical devices is that bacteria can still invade implant sites, prosthetics, and tissues. However, there may be a way to reduce the past problems with the douglas fir. Apparently, its bionanocomposite may be able to cover implants and avoid/protect from microbial growth.

So how did the research team in Allahabad make this discovery? Turns out they were combining extract from the Douglas fir needles with silver nitrate solution, and created something called silver nanoparticles. These silver nanoparticles can be dispersed in a chitosan polymer to make a coating. The extract, which is extracted from the Douglas Fir needle, serves as a natural chemical reducing agent that is able to convert silver ions in the nitrate solution into tiny nanoscopic silver metal particles. Pretty neat, huh? Let’s see the progress and the continued research of the Douglas Fir needle extract and hope it may be the optimal cure for future infections!

source: http://inhabitat.com/christmas-trees-could-be-used-to-help-sterilize-medical-devices/

Happy Green 2013! - Apps to improve your green 2013

Happy new year and happy start of 2013! We hope you all had a lovely holiday with tons of  joyous moments with friends, family and loved ones. Hopefully the fantastic amount of holidays helped you recharge your batteries and you are now ready to take on 2013.

Some of us have made new years resolution  to live a cleaner, greener life this year and our goal is help out! So, to kick off your green 2013, and by the help of earthtechling.com we’ve found  4 mobile apps for a greener living.

App – GroceryHero

Hate to spend money that only ends up in the waste? This app reminds you of expiration dates of groceries in your store while helping you discovery innovative recipes based on the ingredients you buy. Free – Android only

App – Get There By Bike

Here’s an app for all of you folks who are committed to skip using the car and consider bike commuting. Users can find bike friendly directions in traffic, hills and off-street bike paths. You can choose from Google “Bike There” directions or OpenStreetMap bike routes provided by Mapquest. The app also provides full support for bike share programs in Boston, DC, Denver, Miami, Toronto, Montreal and London with map purchase. Free – iPhone and iPad.

App – EnergySaver

EnergySaver educates its app users about the energy consumption and costs of each of their household devices/appliances based actual usage.  The app allows users to input the utility rates and find the appliances that are costing them the most money. $2.99 on both the App Store and Google Play.

App – yerdle

Use this app to post items you are ready to give away and/or request things you would like to add to your household. The key is to share your items and receive others in return, once you find something you like or someone who wants your give-away item. This app is able to integrate with any major social media app. Free – iPhone only.

Source: http://earthtechling.com/2013/01/5-apps-to-help-you-keep-you-live-green-in-2013/

How to convert your calories into energy that can power your home electronics

In case you’re putting on some extra pounds during the holiday season like the rest of us, here’s an interesting, calorie burning prototype. Dutch designer Emmy van Roosmalen, has designed a belt that can turn thos extra pounds, or any extra weight you’d like to get rid of, into pollution-free electricity.

Despite the similar appearance of the old school type of ab stimulator belt, Van Roosmalen’s concept is a completely different story. By the help of nanotechnology, Van Roosmalen claims that her device can convert calories into chemical energy that is thereafter used to power your personal electronics. Van Roosmalen says that the device will remove white fat and and convert it into Adenosine-triphosphate (ATP). Emmy seems quite sure her belt will be the next big thing and claims that you can “Eat what you want at dinner, and give up that gym membership for good. Energy Belt cuts down on electricity costs while you cut down on size,”.

Now, we’ll see what happens with this device but if it actually works, it’ll most likely be something we’ll all consider. After all, who doesn’t want to charge their smartphone while loosing weight?

Source: http://www.earthtechling.com/2012/12/low-on-energy-this-belt-will-suck-it-from-your-gut/