EcoTazia

InterPark Announces Green Sweepstakes

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:20:48 +0000

In an attempt to encourage the concept of environmental sustainability in Chicago, InterPark has announced that it is launching the 2010 “Green Sweepstakes” contest. The Sweepstakes has exciting prizes to be won – most sought after of which will definitely be a two-year lease on a 2010 Tesla Roadster convertible.

InterPark is a wholly owned subsidiary of GE Capital Real Estate that provides parking management services at over 100 parking facilities across the US.
The company’s operations impact parker satisfaction as well as asset performance including cash control, staffing, security and maintenance.

The sweepstakes is one of the ways that InterPark supports greener driving choices and features environmentally sustainable features in its parking structures. They have other green solutions in parking like having electric car charging stations and energy efficient lighting and landscaping.

The company is well known for its clean and well-lit garages, convenient locations, no-hassle pay stations, and friendly service.

The sweepstakes, which runs till the 31st of October 2010, and the green prizes on offer are seen as strong statement of the company’s commitment to making a positive difference in many small ways.

The sweepstakes are open to legal residents of Illinois who are 21 years and above, who possess a current, valid Illinois driver’s license. Participation is not through a purchase of any kind, it is through a contest game card that can be acquired at one of InterPark’s 12 participating Chicago area locations.

Those interested in joining should visit a garage that is participating or go to www.interparkgreen.com for details.The Grand Prize is the two-year lease on a brand new Tesla Roadster Convertible, First Prize – a Toyota Prius Hybrid car and Second prize, two Trek Bicycles.

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Coast Guard Implementing Net Zero Housing

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:20:48 +0000

The U.S. Coast Guard has set a goal of a net zero carbon footprint for housing at their Southwest Harbor Base in Maine. The base is using solar panels, solar hot water heaters and now a wind turbine for their energy needs. Efficiency-boosting retrofits will also be done, including new electrical systems and better insulation.

The newly-installed wind turbine sits atop a 70-foot tower and provides power to a duplex housing unit located on the base. The upgrades and retrofits will begin in October.

The Coast Guard is looking to install wind power at other bases in Maine and around the country. This push toward renewable energy is part of a bigger program by the Department of Defense to get 25 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2025.

As Capt. James McPherson of the Coast Guard said, “We want to be good stewards of the environment and we want to be careful how we spend tax payer dollars, but we also think the debate is over whether we need to go to alternative energy.” Yes, it is.

via Inhabitat

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Telefunken unveils electric bike prototypes at IFA 2010

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:20:47 +0000

Eco Factor: New electric assist bikes sports great looks.

With the history of producing innovative, high-quality, functional and eco-friendly products for the past 107 years, Telefunken is now letting its imagination run towards developing electric mobility devices. The company has recently unveiled its two new electric bicycle prototypes at the IFA 2010. There hasn’t been much information regarding these green bikes though, but they look remarkable.

The new electric assist two-wheelers feature disc brakes and suspension at both ends, a single-sided swinging arm, an enclosed chain, three gears for the human powered side of things, and high quality running gear. The thick cast aluminum wheels offer a nice sporty look. Telefunken has reasonably placed these super cool bikes at US$1150 and will be available early next year.

Via: Gizmag

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Apple is IDC’s Top Eco-friendly Phone Maker; LG, Nokia and Samsung Follow Suit

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:04:10 +0000

A study report by International Data Corporation [IDC] has revealed that Apple has been rated as the most eco-friendly phone maker. Next on the list are LG, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson in order of eco-friendliness.

Apple has come out topping the list largely due to the fact that the iPhones are made of heavily recyclable materials. Apple also offers recycling in 95 percent of the countries that the iPhone is sold.

In second place, LG’s eco-friendly advantage is the power management of its phones, Nokia’s green point came from recyclable materials, Samsung’s trump card was reduction of toxins, and Sony Ericsson green contribution was eco-friendly green packaging.

A similar study by U.K. carrier O2 showed that Palm Pre Plus and LG Etna are the least eco-friendly phone models at present. Their list had Sony Ericsson on top.

(Via WWW)

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Lithium-Ion Battery Prices Set to Drop

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:04:09 +0000

It looks like supply and demand is working out in the consumers’ favor when it comes to lithium-ion batteries. Production has been ramping up for the batteries as more electric cars go into production and that has led to an oversupply that may just keep piling up. Analysts are predicting a price drop of between 19 and 25 percent by the end of the year — a slash that could also spell cheaper electric cars in the very near future.

Battery makers in Japan and Korea, like Samsung and Panasonic, account for 75 percent of the world’s production, and they’ve been competing to get the largest share of a market that could triple over the next six years. This production and pricing war has created a glut of batteries and, luckily for consumers, a falling price.

Many first generation electric vehicles are going on sale in the coming months. I won’t be surprised if the second generations, much like we’ve seen with later generation hybrids, include a cheaper price tag.

via Treehugger

image via GM

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BAP self-sustaining structure adjusts to its surroundings

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:04:08 +0000

Eco Factor: Sustainable structure harvests renewable solar, wind and hydro energy.

Zero Plus Architects have designed the Backcountry Access Prototype (BAP) as a structure that serves as a building and a recreational outdoor area. The self-sustaining modular structure sits atop centipede-like legs, which also support its articulating sections that allow for a great range of site variability.

The structure includes a polyester-stuffed pneumatic truss that spans a composite deck. Moreover, a set of operable screens, covers and polycarbonate shells adjust according to seasonal variations. The structure includes photovoltaic panels to generate on-site renewable energy. Additional electricity is generated by a set of water and wind turbines.

Architects: Zero Plus

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eBay’s New Green Initiative Comes in the Form Of Eco-Friendly Boxes

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 08:25:47 +0000

In an attempt to making a green contribution to the environment, eBay is currently testing a shipping box that can be reused several numbers of times.

The new durable eco friendly shipping box was designed by a team of eBay employees at Innovation Expo – which is a program that encourages employees to come up with ideas for products tat benefit eBay buyers and sellers.

The exterior of the box has messages like ‘Reuse eBay Box’ and ‘Where to Next?’ and ‘This box is on a mission to make shipping a little greener and the world a little cleaner’.

The inside of the box also carries messages including one that encourages recipients to sell again on eBay. It says “Now that you’ve gotten what you wanted, sell what you don’t and make some extra cash.”

There is also space on the box for recipients to write a personal message to the next person in the chain – and so the history of each box can be tracked through a virtual community where buyers and sellers can connect online.

The eBay Green Team says that if each box is reused at least five times, it can save almost 4,000 trees and2.4 million gallons of water and conserve enough energy to power 49 homes for a year.

The company has launched the boxes in a pilot program – printing 100,000 boxes in three sizes. Participants in the eBay On Location event have been participating in the pilot program.

The feedback will give the company more information on how well the boxes can function and what they can do as their next step to take the idea forward.

(Via eBaygreenteam)

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Color Filter Could Boost LCD Efficiency by 400%

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 08:25:47 +0000

Researchers at the University of Michigan have created a color filter that could boost the efficiency of LCDs, the power hog of all your gadgets, by more than 400 percent, and no, I didn’t add an extra zero there.

The researchers made an optical film that colors and polarizes the light that passes through an LCD, taking the place of the several layers of optical devices that typically serve the same function in an LCD. Those multiple layers give rise to inefficiencies: the best LCDs out today only emit eight percent of the light their backlights produce. The researchers found that the film allowed 36 percent of the light to make it through – a huge increase.

The color filter is made up of three ultra-thin layers — two layers of aluminum enclosing a layer of insulating material — and it only measures 200 nanometers thick. The filter is etched with slits that produce different colors when illuminated by the backlight. The slits are matched in scale to the wavelength of visible light and their length and distance apart determine the color produced.

This grating pattern is where the efficiency boost comes in. In current LCDs, a polarizing filter absorbs half the light (the part with the wrong polarization). The grating on the new filter doesn’t absorb the light with the wrong polarization, it instead reflects it back towards a mirror that flips some of its polarization, letting more light pass through the filter.

Researchers are trying to improve the efficiency further and are coming up with ways to mass produce the filters, like with roll-to-roll printers.

via MIT Tech Review

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DIY Altoids Tin BBQ Grill cooks burgers on a single charcoal briquette

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 08:25:45 +0000

Eco Factor: BBQ grill made from recycled materials.

Firing up the grill means lighting just a single briquette of charcoal for this mini DIY grill that has been made from recycled materials. Created by Instructables user vmspionage, this tiny metal grill has been made from an empty tin on Altoids Sours and can cook a small hamburger or a single hot dog that has been cut down to size.

The requirements for this inexpensive DIY project are just as tiny as the product itself. All you’ll need is an Altoids Sours tin, a few sheet metal screws and nuts and a couple of metal computer fan guards over which you’ll cook. While this tiny BBQ grill is powered by a single charcoal briquette, the designers is already planning to built a propane version.

Via: Gizmodo

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40,000 California Plug-In Hybrids Given HOV Lane Access

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:04:02 +0000

In the state of California, vehicles that meet certain fuel economy and tailpipe emission criteria have been given special access to the high occupancy vehicle lanes, also known as HOV or carpool lane. In cities that are swamped with cars, this is a major advantage to hybrid and other green car owners.

The rumbles of trouble arising in this system have been happening since the number of vehicles that qualify for this access are growing rapidly. Recently, the California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill (SB 535) into law which extends HOV-lane access, starting 2012, to 40,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles that qualify for access.

This could mean that the HOV lane is choked with traffic. Cars like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic hybrid, which qualify for HOV access have has huge numbers coming out – 85,000 to be precise.

The question is – should plug-in hybrids and more electric vehicle be given preference for qualifying for the HOV sticker? Is it not fair that regular hybrids be progressively phased out from the HOV lanes in order to ensure that the most fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles are encouraged?

Even though it not a move that is required with immediate effect, maybe authorities can consider this option to be implemented by 2015, by which time there will be more PHEVs and EVs available.

(Via Treehugger)

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