Archive for December 2009

New Year's Resolutions for a More Sustainable World in 2010

December 31, 2009 3 Comments Edit

The beginning of the new decade is a good time make a resolution for a more sustainable world. During the holidays we collectively generate mountains of waste. According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board and Recycle Works, the US alone purchases over 2.6 billion holiday cards each...

The Best Eco-Inventions of 2009: Food and Water

December 30, 2009 2 Comments Edit

Vertical Farming: Valcent, a company based in El Paso, Texas, is pioneering a space efficient hydroponic-farming system that grows plants in rotating rows, which expands food supplies without using more land. The rotation gives the plants the precise amount of light and nutrients they need, while the...

The Best Eco-Inventions of 2009: Education

December 30, 2009 Add Comment Edit

Climate Change Video: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has produced a film about the reality of climate change in the Pacific island of Kiribati. The film clearly shows how people’s lives are being affected right now by rising sea waters. This powerful video shows how Climate Change is...

The Best Eco-Inventions of 2009: Miscellaneous Consumer Goods

December 29, 2009 Add Comment Edit

The Environmental Toothbrush: Developed in Australia, this toothbrush uses bamboo and biodegradable polymer bristles rather than plastic. These brushes break down into compost, leaving no residue. Hundreds of millions of non-renewable plastic toothbrushes are discarded annually, adding 1,000 tonnes...

The Best Eco-Inventions of 2009: Transportation

December 29, 2009 Add Comment Edit

The Nissan Leaf: Launched in August, the Leaf is the first fully electric mass production vehicle built for the global market. Nissan has developed a worldwide network of partners focused on building a recharging infrastructure. The car's top speed is more than 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h), and its range is...

The Best Eco-Inventions of 2009: Energy Efficiency

December 28, 2009 Add Comment Edit

The Smart Thermostat: The EnergyHub Dashboard communicates wirelessly with your furnace and your appliances and monitors energy consumption and costs. It can also turn appliances on and off and raise or lower the temperature in your house. The EnergyHub device provides detailed spreadsheets for programming...

The Best Eco-Inventions of 2009: Energy Production

December 28, 2009 Add Comment Edit

The Solar Shingle: The Dow Chemical Co. has developed a new roof shingle that doubles as a solar panel. The new shingle incorporates thin-film solar cells and can be installed alongside regular asphalt shingles. The innovative shingle is expected to cost 10% to 15% less than traditional solar panels...

December 27, 2009 Add Comment Edit

There were a host of greener inventions in 2009 and they include everything from tooth brushes to a planetary nervous system.The term "eco-inventions" is composed of "eco" the short form of ecology, defined as the branch of biology concerned with the relations of organisms to one another and to their...