Daily Archives: March 1, 2010
First Ever Plug-in Hybrid Electric Porsche Uveiled: 918 Spyder Gets 78 MPG
Image via Jalopnik
The biggest surprise from Volkswagen’s preview show on the eve of the Geneva Auto show was without a doubt the new plug-in electric hybrid Porsche concept car. Called the 918 Sypder, the stunning ride can allegedly get 78 miles per gallon, can go 16 miles on electric charge alone, and can do 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Southern Company Says No Thanks To Alabama CCS Project
photo via Flickr
Many are skeptical that Carbon Capture and Sequestration is a solution to climate change. The argument goes that coal can never be clean, and the costs and risks of storing carbon pollution deep underground makes CCS a false solution. The skeptics may now be joined by Southern Co., which is pulling out of an almost $700 million dollar CCS project in Alabama. …Read the full story on TreeHugger
China Plans For Ice-Free Arctic Shipping – Would Shorten Trip to European Ports by 4000 Miles
photo: Mad Smith via flickr.
It’s not great secret that one of the consequences of the Arctic ice melting is that at some point in the next decade or two, in all likelihood, a permanent sea route will open up. Nations bordering the region have been arguing/discussing what will be newly important national boundar…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Desert Nesting Bald Eagles Set to Lose Protected Status
Image credit: Carl Chapman/Flickr
48 breeding pairs of bald eagle survive along the rivers of the otherwise hot and dry Sonoran Desert. Currently, this small group of eagles is listed on the federal list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife but, if a new petition from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is approved, they would lose that protection…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Comparing Haiti and Chile: Did Building Codes Save Lives?
Images from The Big Picture
The Libertarian point of view is that building codes are evil and an intrusion. They even say that “Building codes restrict innovation. If we didn’t force everyone to comply with old technological standards in construction, we would likely have developed a system that is both cheaper than current systems and more resistant against natural disasters.” Others say “Strict building codes makes it harder to build buildings. Prices of structures…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Velo-City Global 2010: Cycling Experts From Around the World Will Meet in Copenhagen
Photo: Flickr, CC
“Different Gears – Same Destination”
Cyclists too have conferences. The European Cyclists’ Federation, the City of Frederiksberg, and the City of Copenhagen are inviting us to Velo-City Global 2010 (a wordplay on the French word for bike, “vélo”, and “velocity”) in Copenhagen on June 22-25, 2010. The conference will take place in the heart of Copenhagen and will bring together “cycling experts, city planners, decision makers, NGOs and researchers from all over the world to discuss the potential and challenges of cycling.”…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Recycled Juice Boxes Become Biomorphic Lamp
Images: Loxolop
Inspired by origami and biomorphism, Dutch artist Ebére Groenouwe created the Loxolop hanging lamp. Made of waste paper from a juice-carton factory (which means it’s readily recyclable), the Loxolop ships in a tidy little package, its two pieces assembled by the user on arrival.
We’ve seen other illuminative flatpack artifacts such as the laser-cut 3D lamp from Dror Benshetrit, the <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/the-curly-light-energy-efficient-lam…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Yay! Record High for Rechargeable Battery Recycling Thanks to Big Box Stores
Photo via Ingorrr
Thanks to the efforts of big name retailers, battery recycling is at a record high. Call2Recycle notes that The Home Depot, Apple Computer, RadioShack, Lowe’s, Interstate All Battery Center and RONA together collected 20% more batteries for recycling in 2009 than in 2008….Read the full story on TreeHugger
Flying Around the World Powered by the Sun
Image credit: Good
With the technology available today, powering an airplane with solar power doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But this isn’t keeping people from trying. Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, specifically, are working to build a solar airplane that could circle the planet….Read the full story on TreeHugger
California Legislature to Consider Storage Portfolio Standards
John Petersen The California Energy Storage Alliance just issued a press release that describes new legislation to require utilities to incorporate energy storage in their distribution networks. The rules will mandate storage equal to 2.25% of daytime peak power by…