Archive for July, 2011

In late July in Switzerland, three would-be ecoterrorists were sentenced to three years in prison each for conspiring to destroy the IBM center in Rüschlikon, near Zurich, while it was under construction. Read the rest of this entry »

Move over Vespas! The electric motorcycle is gaining strength and power with a new agreement between Ener1 and Lighting Motorcycles for supply and distribution of batteries. Ener1, Inc., a maker of lithium-ion energy storage solutions, will be supplying Lightning Motorcycles with its automotive-grade, lithium-ion battery cells — designed for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles — for use in its Lightning SuperBike.  Ener1 will also supply cells for Lightning’s commuter motorcycle and scooter, which will be developed over the next few years. Read the rest of this entry »

Elemental LED, a San Francisco Bay Area-based LED lighting company, was recently acknowledged in an article on Examiner.com as being “at the forefront of philanthropy when it comes to donating LED lights and promoting energy conservation.” This independently-owned company, founded in 2008, has launched their Reduce Energy and Contribute to Humanity (REACH) program to promote sustainability and give back to the community. Read the rest of this entry »

Innovative green building designs and materials are becoming more commonplace. While these advancements should be held in high regard and adopted where it makes sense, there’s also a small caveat attached with regards to insurance and inspection codes. Will this risk diminish outside the box thinking? Read the rest of this entry »

To help address what has been dubbed “range anxiety,” AAA announced that they are deploying North America’s first roadside assistance trucks with the capability to charge electric vehicles. A pilot program will be launched in 6 cities, including Portland, Seattle, the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Knoxville, and the Tampa Bay area in a phased rollout that will begin later this summer. The roadside assistance trucks will be capable of providing Level 3 (DC Fast Charging) and Level 2 (AC Quick Charging) to electric vehicles.

AAA’s Mobile Electric Vehicle Charging program will work the same as the current service for motorists with conventional vehicles who run out of fuel – a limited amount of fuel will be supplied, enough to drive safely to a location where they can further fuel their vehicle. Ten to fifteen minutes of charge time will enable the electric vehicle to drive three to fifteen miles to a charging station where the motorist can “fill up” with an additional charge.

AAA plans to utilize vehicles equipped with different charging technologies, which will allow them to evaluate multiple technologies in different environments around the country. Some will feature a removable lithium-ion battery pack while others will be equipped with generators powered by alternative fuels and other power sources. The trucks will also provide traditional services including battery testing, jump starts and replacements, tire changes, and lockout service.

Ask any primary school child about recycling, and chances are, they’ll be confident that it’s a twenty-first century initiative. As humans become more aware of things like “carbon footprints,” zero-emissions and the virtues of composting, recycling for personal responsibility has become more commonplace. While the kids may have a point about recycling’s modernity: the first national recycling plant was built by a company called Waste Techniques in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania in 1972, and it wasn’t until the 1970s that large-scale recycling of glass and aluminum began. The 1980s saw the debut of household recycling in the ubiquitous blue bins: Woodbury, New Jersey was the first city in the country to begin a household recycling program that involved weekly curbside collection. Read the rest of this entry »

Walgreens has announced a plan to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at 800 or so locations across the country. Walgreens would then become the nation’s largest retail host of charging stations. Read the rest of this entry »

The Canadian city of Vancouver, B.C., is making a bid to become the world’s “greenest city” by 2020. On July 14, 2011, the Vancouver City Council voted to approve a Greenest City Action Plan that aspires to make Vancouver “a source of inspiration, optimism, and hope,” to demonstrate to the world “that concerted efforts can turn back the tide of ecological damage that humans have inflicted on the natural world,” and to do all that in a way “that capitalizes on the tremendous economic opportunities presented by the global shift to a cleaner, leaner economy.” (All photos and images in this story courtesy of the City of Vancouver.) Read the rest of this entry »

The U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE have announced the first products recognized as the most energy-efficient in their categories among those that have earned the Energy Star label. The ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2011 designation identifies products in several categories as being on the leading edge of energy efficiency. Aimed at providing manufacturers with an incentive for greater product energy efficiency, the designation also provides consumers with new information about the products that make up the top tier in their categories. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes green politics, activism and technology is a bit crazy. Read the rest of this entry »