Lots of companies like to say they’ve made a “green” product. This ridiculous cardboard PC case comes to mind. But few actually do — usually it’s a matter of making their manuals and packaging a little smaller, using recycled plastic for this and that, but leaving all the toxic components and such in place. This Sprout watch from Armitron seems to be an actual green product, humble as it is. It’s not just a pretty face. To be honest, the face isn’t even pretty. → Read More
President Obama wanted his motorcade to be as environmentally friendly as possible. To that end, he requested his presidential limo be a hybrid. That’s nice of him. Unfortunately, the Secret Service said, “Um, no. That’s not going to happen, sorry.” → Read More
This, according to Nissan, is the future of urban transportation. It’s called the Land Glider (sounds a bit like a Land Rover knock-off, no?), and it’s designed to city-dwellers of all ages. The idea is to make a small, energy efficient vehicle that’s capable of easily navigating a city’s tight spaces. → Read More
Good on FedEx, for doing this. The USPS has been talking about going electric for their fleet, and it makes sense. After all, they put massive amounts of miles on their vehicles, and that’s got to make for a pretty serious carbon foot print. → Read More
Well, I hate to be the one to break this news to y’all, but here we are. You know the “green” movement, where companies try to say things like, “Oh, our products are more safe for the environment than our competitors’ products”? I don’t want to say it’s complete nonsense, but the scientist who devised the Gaia theory—our planet is an organism, and we should do our best to ensure its survival—has just said that there’s no chance in hell that we’re going to save the planet. His advice? “Enjoy life while you can.” So, so amazing. → Read More
65,000 tons of mobile phone e-waste are generated every year. The bad news is, only 1% of consumers choose to recycle their headsets when they upgrade. eRecyclingCorps is working with carriers to integrate the recycling process into the POS sale system at the retail store. → Read More
Last year, I wrote that Bill had this (let’s be honest) evil-genius style plan to weaken hurricanes before they make landfall. Sounded a bit fantastical at the time, but as it turns out, there are real scientists ready to rock and roll with these things. They’re so serious they even put together a video. → Read More
You guys, I’m freaking out about how cool these things could be. A recent skyscraper concept competition yielded some really interesting designs, among them this utterly amazing concept, which they inexplicably call a “water-scraper” instead of the decidedly more euphonious “seascraper,” as I have dubbed it. Think of it: a partially self-contained structure floating in calm seas, growing food, harvesting wave energy, and providing a home for… well, not that many people, but more than a few. → Read More
Greenpeacenow officially hates Samsung. The environmental organization has taken issue with Samsung’s inability to remove Brominated Flame Retardants, or BFRs, from its products. BFRs have been linked to environmental damage, and specific types have been banned from Europe altogether because of the potential for human harm. → Read More
In the future, when overpopulation has forced us all to live in 6×6-foot pods, flat pack furniture will be indispensable. You’ll wake up, collapse your bed, and pop open a chair and coffee table for your morning bowl of nutrient gel. The hidden Illuminati of the world are already planning for this and hoarding them, which explains why you can’t order anything from Ecolok’s site, a company which produces tasteful and practical flat-pack stuff. → Read More
Being eco-friendly should definitely be high on the priorities list for electronics manufacturers and service providers, so I’m pretty happy to see that Sprint is doing its part to make our planet a nicer place for future generations. Just in case you’re the apathetic type when it comes to the three Rs (recycle, reuse, reduce!), Sprint has put some incentives into place for you. → Read More
Most artist’s statements are pretentious garbage — much like their art. But this deconstructed Hummer project makes a statement that’s as straightforward as it is true: “Keep it up and you’ll be driving one of these.” → Read More
Are you a huge nerd? No? Sorry, I guess that solar backpack you’re wearing kind of threw me off. Looks like Playskool meets Transmetropolitan. Not exactly a babe magnet. I’m going to let you in on a secret, big guy: check out these Soular Power bags from Neon Green. If you absolutely must wear a solar panel backpack, it might as well be the coolest one out there, right?
That’s a bit like being the thinnest kid at fat camp, but… what? No, I’m not implying anything. Yeah, well, I’ll keep my good advice to myself from now on! Nyah! Get outta here! → Read More
A Japanese company called Sanwa Newtec has developed a printer that works without toners, ink or (copy) paper. ThePrePeat RP-3100 is rather based on a line thermal head and special paper that’s made of PET plastic and can be reused over and over again.
In other words, if you have a sheet that you don’t need any longer you can insert it back into the printer (where it gets “cleaned”) and immediately print out a new document in one go. Each of those special sheets can be used 1,000 times, saving not only the costs for 1,000 sheets of copy paper but also 5.7kg of CO2 for the environment. → Read More
A bill has been proposed that might help spread solar power for homes, which is still mighty expensive if you want it to do anything but run a lamp or two.
The bill, proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, would cover up to half the cost of up to ten million solar power system installations.
Whether they’d actually hit that 10 million limit is something of a question, of course, considering solar still isn’t a bargain at half off. I mean, it’s a bargain for Mother Nature, but not for a poor blogger. → Read More
What a wrongheaded, quixotic, and yet opportunistic and callous idea. A cardboard PC. Now, they’re launching a product I was careful to denounce several months ago, and all my objections still apply. Take a moment to read why a cardboard PC is just the epitome of foolishness, or just glance over these handy bullet points… → Read More
I’ve inexplicably become CrunchGear’s go-to green writer. If there’s a “green” tech story out there, I’m on the scene. Why, I don’t know, especially because my attitude toward the environment is, “Meh, I’m lucky if I hit 70 years old, what do I care?” Don’t tell that to Greenpeace though. The activists made famous by that Seinfeld episode will be at next month’s CES (as will all of your friendly neighborhood CrunchGear writers) to give the lowdown on what companies are green and what companies are a bunch of jerks. → Read More
Hello and welcome to Cribs: The Eastern Seaboard! Today we’re checking out the self-sufficient home of Dean Kamen, whom you know as the inventor of the Segway, but has also created numerous other devices which are much cooler and actually benefit mankind. His pad is actually a private island off the coast of Connecticut, and may or may not be its own country. Let’s check it out! → Read More
Hybrid commercial vehicles are the answer to the environmental crisis, not passenger vehicles. Sure, your Prius is greener than, say, a Suburban, but even the large GM SUV has a lot smaller carbon footprint than full-size commercial vehicles. But slowly hybrid powertrains are being tested for commercial applications. NYC is currently testing a garbage truck that uses a 120-kilowatt electric motor and a 500-pound lithium ion battery to supplement a six-cylinder diesel engine. The application is perfect if you think about it. → Read More
San Francisco, CA
