Lightdrops: Rain powered umbrella
by David Masters
Lightdrops looks like any ordinary umbrella, but it has a secret in the dark. As raindrops fall on the umbrella, the potential energy caught on the umbrella's membrane is used to generate electricity. This powers LEDs embedded in the umbrella, setting off a blaze of light. Heavier rain makes it light up ever brighter. Designed by Sang-Kyan Park, the Lightdrops umbrella is yet to be released.
Ethical ratings for international brands just a click away
by David MastersIf you've ever wondered just how ethical your favourite companies are, but were too lazy to do the research to find out, help is at hand. A new piece of software called KnowMore tells you the environmental and social impacts of companies, brands and products as you browse their websites on the internet. As you browse a company's website, KnowMore alerts you to any known problems associated with that company, including human ...
Sun, Sea, Radiation and Concrete Beach
by Alan Harten
Surveys around the area of Dalgety Bay, Fife, in Scotland have recently discovered that radiation is present in the form of radioactive radium particles, ranging from the size of a grain of sand to a small stone. SEPA, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has commented that these small particles could cause children to be at risk of a potentially significant dose of radiation, but for adults the risks are believed ...
New York shops recycle plastic bags
by David Masters
Americans across the state of New York will no longer have to walk far to find a place to recycle plastic bags. Shops throughout the state that offer free plastic bags are now legally required to provide recycling facilities. New York is the second state to pass this plastic bag legislation, following in the footsteps of California. This means that the two most populated states on the East and West coasts of the ...
Obama Picks Team To Fight For Environment
by Alan Harten
The president-elect of the United States, Barack Obama, has selected scientist Steven Chu who has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics, as the next US environmental and energy cabinet appointee. Chu will now be in charge of a massive $24 billion budget that will look to cap greenhouse gasses as well as develop renewable energy, and as a side effect create jobs The scientist is the right person to ...
Envac gives Wembley dustmen the sack
by David Masters
Dustbin men (and women) in Wembley have found themselves put out of a job - and it's not because of the credit crunch. It's because rubbish from a new 4,200 home development around Wembley football stadium is not being put into ordinary bins, but into a specially designed hi-tech chute, from which it is collected by a giant vacuum cleaner. The Envac system - designed in Sweden - transports the rubbish through ...
Ireland to debut hybrid-electric double decker
by David Masters
Yet again, Ireland is ahead of the UK in choosing the eco-friendly option. Dubliners travelling on route 16 from next week may find themselves sitting on Ireland's first ever hybrid-electric bus, the likes of which have never been spotted in a UK city. The double decker, built in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, contains a 2.4 litre diesel engine - more than two-thirds smaller than a standard bus engine. The diesel power is ...
Can new electronics ever be green?
by David Masters
America's Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has revealed that 89% of US consumers will consider energy efficiency as a factor when choosing their next TV. The industry group, which represents US-based computer and gadget makers, also found in their survey that less than half of Americans are able to make sense of environmental claims made by electronics manufacturers. CEA's vice president of environmental affairs, Parker Brugge, said consumers are confused about what ...
UK students paid to recycle
by David Masters
Students at a UK agricultural college are being paid to recycle plastic bottles and cans. Sparsholt College, Winchester, is the first British organisation to install a reverse vending machine. The machine issues a voucher worth £0.05 for each item recycled. Vouchers can be used towards snacks and other goodies in the college's shop, restaurant and bar. In its first week of operation, the machine collected 1,000 cans and 2,000 plastic bottles. Tesco is ...
Worldwide recession crunches recycling
by David Masters
The lagging global economy has created a huge problem for recycling firms and local authorities - no one wants to buy rubbish any more. Councils across the UK have reported lower prices and less demand for recycled materials. As industries across the world enter a downturn, the demand for raw materials has declined - knocking down the price of waste resources and scuppering waste management strategies which until now had seemed well ...
Thirty-nine Plane Stupid eco-activisits arrested
by David Masters
Thirty-nine eco-activists have been arrested after protesting at the expansion of London Stansted Airport. Over 50 protesters from anti-airport expansion group Plane Stupid occupied Stansted's runway for three hours this morning, causing five hours of delays and cancellations. Tens of thousands of people found themselves stranded at the airport, and police had to be called in to help organise the huge queues. Budget airline Ryaniar was forced to cancel 52 flights because of ...
CBI: Government must retain climate change focus
by David Masters
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has told the government that the global recession should not be used as an excuse to ignore climate change. Instead, the CBI said the government must up the pace of its climate change action if it plans to meet its 80% greenhouse gas reduction target by 2050. Speaking at the CBI's climate change summit in London this week, CBI director-general Richard Lambert told delegates that the ...
Eco-friendly data centre planned for Inverness
by David Masters
An eco-friendly data centre has been pencilled in for construction in the Scottish Highlands. Scotland's first green data centre will be built by Microsoft partner Alchemy Plus, who will use it to offer electronic information storage to businesses of all sizes. The £20 million facility will be built at Inverness Harbour and will create 400 new jobs in the region. Environmental concerns will be placed at the centre of the project, which will ...
14th UN Climate Change Conference Begins
by David Masters
The UN Climate Change Conference opened in Poznan, Poland this week, where more than 192 nations will continue negotiations over a post-2012 successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Delegates at the conference will be starting where they left off at the last conference in Bali, looking to put together policies for international action on climate change, in preparation for the final agreement talks in Copenhagen next year. Speaking at the opening day of ...
Energy efficiency MOT needed for homes
by David Masters
A government thinktank has proposed that homeowners in the UK should be required to undergo annual MOT-style green building tests. The suggestion by Foresight, the government's science thinktank, was released in a report detailing a number of radical ways for the UK to meet its carbon cutting goals over the next fifty years. Other recommendations included less centralisation and more small scale energy production, and 'intelligent' metering in homes and businesses. Whilst the ...
New O2 phone charger cuts wasted energy
by David Masters
O2 yesterday launched a new eco-friendly mobile phone charger that could save the UK £30 million per year in energy bills. The O2 Universal Charger reduces electricity consumption by up to 70% compared to standard chargers. It does this through an in-built power control system that cuts power usage once the phone is completely charged, or when the phone is unplugged from the charger. Heat loss - a significant source of wasted energy ...