One million text messages. That’s how residents of China’s port city of Xiamen spread word to protest — and eventually halt — construction of a chemical plant on Thursday. The $1.4 billion facility was meant to produce the petrochemical paraxylene, exposure to which can cause eye, nose or throat irritation, affect the central nervous system and may cause death. Though international standards dictate that such a plant should be 100 km from the nearest city, the short text messages that mobilized Xiamen’s smart mob warned the factory would have been only 16 km away.

While the central government is clearly showing more interest in protecting the environment, local governments, eager to cut corners in the name of economics, are helping block the path to sustainable development. But the Xiamen protests, thousands of people strong, are the latest sign of people power in China, where tens of thousands of protests over tainted land and water are recorded every year, threatening the government’s dream of a "harmonious society" while pointing the way forward for environmental action in a place that seriously needs some.

That local officials in Xiamen reportedly began blocking text messages too in an attempt to stem the protests, and that the protests continued apace, is an indication that, try as it might, China’s authoritarian controls simply can’t keep up with the power of cell phones blogs, bulletin boards, and the smartmobs they might create. (Local governments are getting into the SMS act themselves, using text messages to warn citizens of floods and even stop protests.)

Clearly, stopping protests just isn’t possible the way it used to be. Between increasing countryside unrest (there may be nothing scarier to the government) and deadly pollution (China’s rural cancer rate rose by 23 percent in the past two years, and more than 70 percent of the country’s waterways and 90 percent of its underground water are contaminated ) something’s gotta give.

Since the plant’s not been completely scrapped, residents are still protesting, according to Reuters. And the more word spreads, the more likely it is that protests will continue elsewhere too. An large expansion of a chemical plant in the southeastern city of Quanzhou that produces paraxylene and other chemicals was announced in March, funded by China’s No. 2 oil company, Sinopec, Saudi Aramco, and ExxonMobil Corp. Paraxylene is a key material in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) saturated polyester polymers — the stuff of which the world’s plastic bottles are made.

Via SFGate and Asia Sentinel

Much like the roofs of houses and warehouses, a car roof is just empty space, so why not hook up some solar cells to the latest hybrids? Solar Electrical Vehicles is looking to do just that with a solar roof module for hybrid cars. The cost is about $2000-$4000 for a supplemental battery and solar module rated at 200-300 watts. For the Prius this adds up to 20 miles per day of electric mode driving with higher-capacity batteries adding another 10 miles.

Modules in production work with the Toyota Prius, Highlander and RAV4 EV, Ford Escape Hybrid and Dodge Sprinter Hybrid. In the future they hope to integrate them with Teslas and upgrade to a 320-watt module, up from 212-watts currently.

While not adding a whole lot of economic benefit to hybrid cars, it’s an easy solution for people looking to squeeze more juice out of them. Unlike solar additions in homes, hybrid cars have the technology already built in to benefit from a solar add-on making them a simple installation.

Via: Treehugger

Acumentrics Corporation, a leading developer of solid-oxide fuel cells and uninterruptible power supplies, has won a 2007 New England Innovation Award from SBANE, the Smaller Business Alliance of New England for their novel solid oxide fuel cell.

Acumentrics manufactures 5000-watt solid oxide fuel cell systems (SOFC) for power applications. They are also developing combined-heat-and-power units (which are like boilers that produce electricity) for the home market. In 2000 they acquired a novel fuel cell technology. Since then, they have increased the output of a single fuel cell tube from 1 watt to 60 watts. Today they have over 30 units working in the field, including ones that power visitorÂ’s centers at Exit Glacier National Park in Alaska, and Cuyahoga National Park in Ohio.

One of their key innovations was making ceramic fuel cell technology shatter resistant. It is shatter resistant because of its shape — it is a tube, not a thin sheet as most others have used –with a special composition of layers that prevents them from flaking off. Solid oxide fuel cells must handle temperature swings from 20 to 800ºC. Many other solid oxide fuel cells crack when they are cycled on and off, because of thermal shock.

But what really makes Acumentrics different is that they aren’t waiting around for the mythical hydrogen economy. The fuel cells run on natural gas, propane, ethanol, diesel, biogas, and biodiesel. While using non-hydrogen fuel means that the cell will produce CO2, Acumentrics fuel cells consume half as much fuel as a comparable small-engine generator, per kW. So they produce the same amount of electricity, while consuming half as much fuel, and producing half as much CO2.

Via: Treehugger

Here we have a…uh…vehicle…that is is looking to change the way people think about transportation. I’m not sure I have much faith in its ability to do that, but it’s certainly worth talking about. Myers Motors, the folks who make this three-wheeler call it the MM NMG (No More Gas) but as I’ve researched this story, in my head, I’ve been calling it the EVX WTF. EV for Electric Vehicle, X cause it sounds cool, and I think you know what WTF stands for.

The MM NMG (EVX WTF really is a better name) is officially classified as a motorcycle, but it’s got all the comforts of a car. The top speed is 70 mph and it’s 100% electrically powered. Plus, the entire car is "built for safety" a feature that you won’t see on many motorcycles. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that it can only carry one person and it will only carry that one person 100 miles on a full charge. Then, once you’ve run out of gas, you’ll need six to eight hours to recharge the batteries before you can head out again. You might think that a little car like this, without may components or even much battery life might be somewhat easy on the wallet. It’s not. A new NMG will set you back about $25,000. Admittedly, this is much cheaper than most other EVs on the market. But with only one seat, and a seriously crazy design, we’re not sure who’d go for it

So far, its unique design has only brought it one success…a role in Austin Powers’ Goldmember. Their website ensures prospective buyers that they’ll get more attention in an NMG than in a $100,000 sports car (a Tesla Roadster maybe), and they’re probably right. But it’s going to be a very different kind of attention. If Myers Motors wants to get people to buy into the idea of a small, ultra-efficient, commuter vehicle, I think they’re going to have to do something a little more traditional… and a hell of a lot cheaper.

 

We’ve already heard that the 2008 Toyota Prius might be capable of over 80 miles per gallon, but it looks like Toyota isn’t stopping there. Lithium Technology Corporation has just created a prototype plug-in Prius that demonstrably gets 125+ miles per gallon. The car uses a new kind of large-scale lithium ion battery that uses lithium iron phosphate as the cathode (wikipedia).

These batteries are well suited for cars. First, they don’t explode when punctured and second, they have a very high discharge current. The Prius’ battery stores 7 kWh of electricity in 63 Li-ion cells, and the vehicle relies exclusively on the batteries for the first 60 miles of travel. The prototype is, of course, a plug-in, so the mileage-boosting energy comes from the electric grid. And, no, grid energy isn’t emissions free, but it’s a heck of a lot more efficient than internal combustion.

This is a surprising leap from Lithium Technology Corporation. I’ve been expecting more news about Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries for a while, but to hear that they’ve boosted the mileage of a prototype vehicle so substantially is very exciting. Maybe Toyota will actually have something ready in 2010 to rival GMs ultra-efficient plug-in hybrid Volt.

Full press release after the jump.

Via TreeHugger and Business Week

Using photovoltaics to provide electricity for lighting is a popular solution for saving impoverished populations from dealing with the dangers and expense of oil lamps, candles and other short-term light sources. However, few companies have been looking to market to US consumers at the same time they provide to those in need, but the BoGo Light hopes to change that. The BoGo Light is a rugged outdoor light using a solar panel, 6 LEDs and NiCad or NiMH AA batteries in an ABS plastic shell.

While physically ordinary, what makes the lights unique is that BoGo stands for Buy One Give One meaning that for each light purchased, another one is donated to a charity of the buyer’s choosing. Already, the lights have been distributed worldwide including "500 lights in nine United Nations High Commission for Refugee Camps worldwide – Chad, Dufar, Kenya, Pakistan, Uganda, Colombia, Algeria, Zambia and Ethiopia."

The lights are stated to work for about 20 years with batteries lasting about 750-1000 cycles. At $25 plus shipping, the light is very reasonably priced, especially considering that actually costs them 2 lights plus shipping to an international destination. You can find them at BoGoLight.com.

Inhabitat

Silicon is pretty expensive these days, and traditional solar panels need a lot of it to convert light to energy. But two of the great opportunities for expansion in solar is using less silicon, by concentrating light on smaller panels, and increasing efficiency by tilting panels to follow the sun. These roof-mounted units created by Soliant Energy (Soliant Green Energy?) do both of those things, with no external power equipment necessary.

The innovation here is called the ‘heliotube.’ It’s a tube of glass that concentrates the sun’s rays onto a very thin strip of silicon solar panels at the base of the tube. The tube is then connected to a frame in blocks, and the frame uses the power coming off the panel to tilt the tubes to track the sun. These panels use 88% less photovoltaic material, but are almost as efficient per square foot as traditional solar panels.

While it would be more efficient if the panels could tile vertically as well as horizontally (and thus track the exact path of the sun) the simple design and ease of installation will bring the intial costs of these panels way down. Right now, this initial cost is basically the barrier that keeps solar power from juciing high-sunlight areas of the world.

Unfortunately this design has a few flaws. Currently, the troughs placement causes them to occasionally shade each other, preventing them from capturing the maximum amount of sunlight. However, the next revision hopes to correct the former problem by breaking up the rows into sections so that they can follow the sun in every direction.

They estimate an eventual improvement of energy production by 300% from their current design.

The panels are scheduled to ship this year, with the new model having an estimated 2010 completion date.

Via TechnologyReview

Tidal power systems have been under investigation for many years. The
earliest method to generate power was with ‘barrage’ systems, which
required the construction of dams across inlets and bays. Gates in the
dams allowed the basin to fill during high tide, then the gates would be
closed, and the basin would be allowed to drain out through turbines to
generate power. However, the environmental impacts of these systems,
along with the cost and the relative inefficiency, have kept them from
much further development. There are some ‘barrage’ installations still in
operation in Canada and in France, but no new projects are planned.

Instead, tidal power is being pursued as basically the same way wind power has been developed, turbines. In-line tidal power is
intriguing because it is much more regular and predictable than wind,
which can be intermittent and is much more dependent on local weather.
Water also has a much higher energy density than air does, which makes
tidal systems appealing because a water turbine can be smaller than an air
turbine.

A tidal power
system comprised of six 35-kilowatt turbines has been installed in the East
River near Roosevelt Island, New York. This study system is meant to
determine the best configuration for the equipment, and help develop
easily mass-producible versions of the turbines. A final configuration of
100 turbines is anticipated at this location.

Preliminary site approvals for in-stream turbine farms have already been
given for 25 sites along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the US, and a
further 31 sites are under consideration. Other companies are developing
other forms of tidal turbines, some with as much as 1 megawatt capacity.

Previously on EcoGeek

via: MIT
Technology Review

Well, we’re starting to see OLEDs popping up in strange places. I guess this is how innovation goes. First scientists develop the materials, then crazy designers put the materials into far-out, never-before-imagined applications. And then some corporation buys it and actually makes awesome, efficient and useful products.

So we’re at the crazy-design stage of OLED, and the Archimedes Dream is the proof. Developed by Makoto Tojiki, the Dream is a ribbon of Organig LEDs that literally has no beginning or end. It’s flowing, seemingly random, yet compact form is really pretty cool. It’s just not the kind ofthing I would expect to see on the shelves of Target.

It’s nice to see OLED getting some lighting applications. It doesn’t look like the Dream throws off too much light, but due to the extreme efficiency of OLEDs, that means it hardly consmumes any power.

Via Inhabitat

The ruined remains of Chernobyl have become a source of several environmental mysteries. Rapid adaptation of rodents, the swift return of nature and now extremely happy fungi that seem to be feeding on waste radiation.

According to the research of some folks at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Cryptococcus neoformans is converting radiation into fuel for the fungus. This could mean hat fungus is the solution to two of our greatest environmental problems, lack of fuel and too much radioactive waste.

All we need to do is surround our nuclear waste with this radiation-eating fungus and then harvest it every once in a while to produce some kind of bio-fuel. I doubt we have enough radioactive waste to feed enough fungus to run America’s automobile fleet, but that’s hardly something to complain about.

It looks like melanin (the same melanin found in human skin) plays the roll of chlorophyl in this ‘radiosynthesis.’ After taking in the radio waves, the melanin starts off a reaction that allows the fungus to grow. The scientists speculate that the fungus could be used for bio-fuel farms in high-altitude areas with low-light and high-radiation. Or they could be food for astronauts on long-haul, nuclear-powered missions.

In any case, now we know that life will continue even if the light of the sun disappeared, because fungi in Chernobyl will continue to eat left-over radiation for centuries. And isn’t that just the beginning of a wonderful sci-fi novel.

Via Technology Review

I’ve just finished reading The Lazy Environmentalist by Josh Dorfman. While not every chapter was for me (babies and children?!) the book contains a gigantic amount of information on how to make good, informed, green decisions. Without condescension or guilt trips Dorfman lays down easy to digest information on how to live a cleaner greener life that isn’t a big pain in the ass.

We recently had a chance to talk to Josh about his book, which you can get at Amazon.com

EcoGeek: What is a Lazy Environmentalist?
Josh Dorfman: Lazy Environmentalists are people who want to be environmentally
conscious, and will be, provided the choices are convenient and fit the way they
want to live. Deep inside there’s probably a lazy environmentalist in
just about all of us. After all, we live in the culture of convenience. The
expectation of convenience seems like it has become hardwired into our DNA

EG: What do you say to the "America Can’t
Buy Its Way to Sustainability" argument?
JD: I’d say that I agree. But that doesn’t mean
we ought to disregard all the really cool green solutions presently available
to us to get us moving in a significantly greener direction. To really solve
climate change and other serious environmental challenges we’re going
to need a joint and massive effort from business, government, non-profit organizations,
and consumer-citizens. We are all responsible for our situation, and we all
have a role to play in achieving solutions.

EG: What, if anything, scares your pants off?

JD: The mindset that still thinks Hummers and McMansions are
a good idea. That and snakes.

EG: What
what gives you the energy to do this for a living?
JD: I like operating on the cutting-edge and “green”
is where the action is. “Green” is where the most innovation is
taking place across nearly every industry. “Green” is what’s
going to determine whether the 21st century is peaceful or chaotic. And there’s
no going back. We have to deal with what’s in front of us. That’s
the great challenge for every generation alive. What could be more exciting?

EG: EcoGeek
wasn’t listed in the "Electronics Information" resources section…WTF?

JD: A big mistake that’s being rectified immediately
if not sooner.

Well, we’ve got another solar powered bag, this one seems to be aimed at an upscale market. I suppose that’s good, maybe it means that trendsetters are starting to find solar as sexy as I do.

Unfortunately Dunhill’s Avorities Solar Panel Bag doesn’t tell us very much about the panels. The bag is 38 x 27.5 x 12.5cm and has, y’know, lots of pockets, etc. But we have to guess on the power of the panels. From similar models, I’d say you aren’t going to charge a laptop with those panels, just not enough surface area. But there’s a good chance you could keep your phone, or iPod, or even iPhone permanently charged during daylight hours.

Via Engadget