EU eyes shift from labour to green taxation
by: Euractive, 2010-12-20 06:23:07 UTC

Meeting in Brussels today (20 December), EU environment ministers are due to call for easing labour taxation and shift the burden on consumption instead – be it energy or other natural resources.

10 Most Popular Stories of 2010
by: Eco Geek Latest, 2010-12-31 16:02:44 UTC

It's New Year's Eve and it's time to look back at the year in clean technology.  This year held some incredible innovations and big renewable energy news.  The stories you clicked on the most ranged from an energy-harvesting rubber material to a zero-energy fridge and, of course, the big Bloom Energy reveal.  Ecogeeks, here are your top ten:

10. Google Develops New Solar Thermal Mirror Prototype Google made a lot of headlines this year, but you were most interested in its new solar thermal mirror prototype.  Using new materials on the reflective surface, Google believes it can halve the cost of building a solar thermal plant and bring electricity costs way down.

9.   Save Your Battery: Unplug Your Laptop We all want to preserve the battery life in our laptops.  As it turns out, it could be as simple as pulling the plug as soon as your laptop is fully charged.

8.   Rubber Material Harvests Energy from Small Movements A new material harvests energy from simple movements like walking or even breathing.  It could be implanted in shoes to power gadgets or even next to the lungs to power pacemakers.

7.   High-Efficiency Hydraulic Hybrid Car Could Get 170 MPG Hydraulic power in a hybrid car allows for significant weight reduction and greatly increases the power recovered with regenerative braking.

6.   Solar Aero's Bladeless Wind Turbine The lack of blades in this new wind technology makes it cheaper, quieter and reduces the threat to birds and bats.

5.   Europe Will Be Powered By Saharan Sun in Five Years A huge scheme of solar projects in the Saharan Desert will be up and running sooner than first planned.  The enormous Desertec project will initially have a capacity in the hundreds of megawatts increasing to hundreds of gigawatts over the next two to four decades.

4.   Printable Lithium Batteries Coming Soon The latest in the printable technology craze, we'll soon see lithium batteries rolling hot off the presses.

3.   Zero-Energy Fridge Uses Gel to Preserve Food Easily one of the weirdest stories of the year, this fridge concept takes off the door and uses a gel-like substance to hold and preserve food.

2.   Bloom Energy: Should you Believe the Hype? We cut through the hype of one of the biggest clean tech stories of the year:  the Bloom Energy fuel cell box.

1.   Sponge-Like Glass Cleans Contaminated Water The most popular story was about an amazing glass material that can absorb gasoline and other pollutants containing volatile organic compounds out of water.  The Gulf oil spill had us all wishing that this material was ready to be deployed on a large scale.

CA Green Chemistry Initiative Backers Cry Foul At Last-Minute Changes
by: Chemistry, 2010-12-27 13:00:00 UTC

 Opposition to the latest proposed green chemistry regulations in California has come from the most unlikely places.

China Will Cut Rare Earths Exports by 10% in 2011
by: TreeHugger Science, 2010-12-29 21:12:59 UTC
Map: NASA, public domain. Good Thing "Rare Earths" Aren't That Rare... They say that in life, timing is everything. It's now starting to look like the re-opening of the Mountain Pass rare earths mine in California has excellent timing. During the past decade, China has dominated the market as a supplier of rare earth elements, which are minerals necessary to make all kinds of high-tech things, ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

All European Cell Phones to Have USB Chargers By 2012
by: Inhabitat , 2010-12-30 18:15:31 UTC

This week the European Commission saw every major producer of mobile phones agree to a memorandum of understanding, that calls for all data-enabled mobile phones to come with standard micro-USB connectors for common charging compatibility. This is a major step for EU standardization when it comes to electronic production, and it is impressive that so many phone manufacturers have embraced the policy. Apple, Nokia, Qualcomm, RIM, LG, Motorola, and Samsung are all on board, and they have said they will all start selling the same basic micro-USB chargers starting next year.

Read the rest of All European Cell Phones to Have USB Chargers By 2012http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

---

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: cell phone common charger, cellphone charger, CellphoneCharger, CEN-CENELEC, charger, ETSI, eu commission, Europe, european, European Commission, european union, EuropeanCommission, EuropeanUnion, micro usb, MicroUsb, mobile phone common charger, mobile phone USB charger, phone charger, PhoneCharger, standard, standards

Top 6 Green Products of 2010 – Vote for Your Favorite!
by: Inhabitat , 2010-12-30 23:07:30 UTC

We’ve already showcased our most eye-catching architecture and talked about technology stories of 2010 (if you haven’t already, don’t forget to vote for your favorites!), but we can’t forget to give a shoutout to the most popular green product stories of the year. The products that we use every day significantly impact our lives, so we’re excited that this year saw so many big name manufacturers and smaller artisans turning to more eco-friendly materials and processes! From gorgeous moss tables that add greenery to your living room to Ikea’s new line of solar lighting to the world’s smallest portable printer, check out which product stories were the most talked about of 2010 – and vote for your fave!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

---

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: best of 2010, eco design, eco products, green design, green products, sustainable design, top 6 green product posts, top 6 green products, top posts of 2010

Hybrid glass-ceramic cooktop saves time and energy
by: The Design blog, 2010-12-28 08:58:46 UTC

Made in glass-ceramic mold, the “Cooking Plane” by Italian designer Dario Schiavon is an induction cooktop that uses 30% less electricity than an average electric cooktop to add sustainability to your everyday cooking. Presenting a deep, easy and adaptable user-friendly interface, the energy-efficient cooktop only takes half the time for heating to save your precious time as well as energy. Developed as a cross between an induction and glass-ceramic plane, the hybrid cooktop supports responsible energy spending to ensure a sustainable lifestyle.

Via: Opencontainer

Ceramic Sound speaker grows plants to decorate your living room
by: The Design blog, 2010-12-28 10:51:36 UTC

Converting a ceramic pot into a high-end gadget, Irish designer Niall Diggins has come up with a multifunctional speaker named the “Ceramic Sound” that other than providing surround sound also works as a standard pot to store water or grow plants to decorate your living room. Locating the speaker at the base to produce high quality sound and the pot at the top for regular use, the waterproof device can also be purchased without the speaker and simply used as a piece of art. Moreover, the user can change the color of the pot to match the interior of the room.

[Cheers Niall]

15 green mega-structures soaring into the blue sky
by: The Design blog, 2010-12-28 12:51:34 UTC

Given the pace with which the urban population is growing worldwide, we need some multi-use mega-structures to accommodate the people flocking to cities in search of work and a better lifestyle. Check out some of the most amazing mega structures that not only provide better place to live and work in, but also allow a sustainable lifestyle to the residents.

Sustainable Vertical City

Visualized by British architecture collective Desitecture, the 180-story building will improve the living standards of people residing in slums and also maintain the self-contained micro communities. Read more

Wind powered futuristic city

Australian architects David John McMorrow and Mario Celik, have planned a self-sustainable futuristic city in the middle of the ocean with an aim to house a fraction of our booming billions by 2050. Read more

Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center

The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center designed by Renzo Piano is an interesting architectural manifestation of both traditional and modern building techniques. Built in veneration to Kanak leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou, the cultural center’s design is a dedication to Kanak people’s rich cultural heritage. Located near the capital city of New Caledonia, Noumé aalong a narrow strip of land, the center is surrounded by ocean and lush greenery. Read more

Green Urbanism

Integrating the modern architecture with latest technology, Graham Thompson, a graduate from the Bartlett School of Architecture in Britain, has developed a new kind of green urbanism that gives an altogether new dimension to urban density, personal spaces and communal areas. Based on synthetic hyper-structures, the new urbanity includes a number of urban farming zones in multiple levels that feature their own watering and nutrient monitoring systems. Read more

Urban Tree

Created by Geotectura, an architectural studio based in Israel, the “Urban Tree” is a sustainable structure that features greenhouse platforms on floating cubes to reduce the carbon footprints of the residents. Enclosed by the cube, each unit varies in size and function and allows natural ventilation while presenting a panoramic view of the surroundings. Read more

Skyscraper to clean up a local river

A team of architectural students from the Universidad de Chile have designed a modern skyscraper that will do much more than just provide space for residential and commercial uses. The sustainable development, proposed for Chile, will purify the water of the Mapocho River, which flows directly through Santiago. Read more

Wind-powered skyscraper

This skyscraper by Makeka Design Laboratory responds to the relationship between social fabric, cultural framework and sustainable technologies. Exhibiting architectural excellence, the high-rise building includes everything from an internal wind farm to stock exchange to science laboratory to greenhouse. Read more

Sustainable vertical structure

With a decrease in land available for farming and housing, New York-based architect Ju-Hyun Kim is envisioning the future of theme parks, which according to him is in the sky. Borrowing the idea from Disneyland to create different worlds, the architect has come up with a theme park for a future metropolis. Read more

The Acupuncture Tower

The Acupuncture Tower by designer Kulthida Songkittipakdee, Jen Hung, Tien Wu and Cheng Pan, graduate students at the I.A. Lab of Taiwan University, has been proposed to be developed in the port of Kaohsiung in Taiwan. Read more

Energy efficient mixed-use building

Foster + Partners have started work on a 300,000-square-meter, mixed-use development in Vietnam, which is their first project in the country. Dubbed as the VietinBank Business Centre, the building, which will locate itself between central Hanoi and the airport, will utilize a mix of green technologies to do away with the area’s high levels of humidity and maintain a high level of energy-efficiency. Read more

Space-Skyscraper

The Space-Skyscraper is the brainchild of designer Mohamed Abdel-Aziz, who is aiming to green the Maadi neighborhood located in the southern part of Cairo, Egypt. The proposal features three twisting towers that are interconnected by a geo-sphere on the top floors. Read more

Reflections

Daniel Libeskind Studio has completed the first tower of the “Reflections” development that is being constructed on Singapore’s waterfront. The development, according to the designers, will redefine Singapore’s southern coast. Read more

Green Energy Theme Park

H Associates has proposed a stunning building for Korea Electric Power Corporation’s (KEPCO) new headquarters to be built in a city near Naju in South Korea. Providing a space of nearly 120,000sqm, the new complex will host several technologies that enable electricity generation and conservation. Read more

The Spiral Tower

The Spiral Tower is a proposal for a sustainable residential tower for Berlin. The eco tower features apartments stacked in opposite directions in a criss-cross pattern that leaves ample open spaces for garden terraces. The design allows each apartment to have its own private garden terrace as well. Read more

Sustainable cruise center

The cruise center has a fluid design draped in metallic panels embedded with photovoltaic film to generate solar energy. It also features a heating exchange system that uses seawater for heating and cooling the building. This helps preserve the extraordinary landscape and natural biodiversity that distinguishes the island of Taiwan. Read more

12 gadgets that make life easy for the visually impaired
by: The Design blog, 2010-12-29 12:35:58 UTC

Latest innovations in technology may have changed the life of normal users, but there are very few or no gadgets to assist or entertain special users. Usually special users, especially visually impaired, feel estranged as they hardly get a chance to interact with others in their day-to-day lives. Have a look at some of the most unique gadgets that promise to add some flavor to the bleak, isolated lives of the visually impaired.

na:vi GPS navigating system

Developed by a group of designers, including Pia Weitgasser, Kristina Chudikova, Joe Müller, the “na:vi” is a GPS navigating system that allows the visually impaired to move freely without any help or assistance from others. Featuring guiding gyroscopes, the navigation system also integrates laser range finder, together with the GPS navigation with 3D user interface to ensure a safe and accurate direction finding. Read more

Aicomobile

Intended towards the visually impaired, the “Aicomobile” by Russian designer Lord Leon is an innovative cellphone that not just allows the special user to make or receive a call, but also gives the possibility of sending SMS. Resembling a Rubik’s Cube, the mobile handset features Braille fonts and numbers that the blind can identify and dial to make a call (using earphones) or even an SMS with minimum fuss. Read more

Thimble finger glove

Designer Erik Hedberg teaming up with Zack Bennet has developed an innovative finger glove that apart from working as a magic wand also allows multimedia access to the visually impaired. Hailed as “Thimble,” the concept device embeds an optical scanner capable of translating paper text into Braille messages on the fingertip of the glove. Read more

Touch & Go navigator

Conceived by Russian designer Natalia Ponomareva, the “Touch & Go” is a navigation system for the visually impaired, which navigates them in the outside world and makes them autonomous even beyond the four walls of their homes. Combining a hand gadget with earpiece, the device can be worn around the hand like a fashionable accessory. Featuring a tactile display that shows the directions as a relief map, the wearable navigator uses 1:1000 scale and plum in the center depicts the position of the user. Read more

Readot

The “Readot” by designer Suhyun Kim is an innovative device or aid that allows special users an opportunity to be an integral part of the mainstream. Employing the latest technology, the radical device allows users to take, reload and scan photos or any other content and convert it into Braille within no time, so they could keep themselves update with the happenings going on around the world. Read more

Stick Talk

Korean designer Sungjun Cha has come up with an innovative device called the “Stick Talk” that when talking to a deaf person displays your spoken words on a screen to ensure easy communication. While on the other hand, the hearing impaired can express his/her thoughts by writing sentences on the palm with the stick, which senses the text to either display it on the screen or verbalize it for the listener. Read more

Visual Hearing Aid

Entitled the “Visual Hearing Aid,” the device concept as depicted by its name combines the function of both the visual and hearing aid to display what other people are saying via two projectors to the user. Capturing the sound through two microphones to filter the speech, the device uses speech to text translation software on embedded controllers to display the speech as text via two projectors. Read more

plan.b digital map

German designer Rob has come up with a digital street map named the “plan.b” that provides a tactile representation of surroundings to the visually impaired, navigating them safely in puzzling lanes. The digital map not only let the user feel the surface to sense the information of the surroundings, but offers additional audio information by pressing the displayed structures as well. Read more

SimpleSee mobile phone

Making life easy for special users, British designer Emma Caddick has created a mobile phone concept that presents simple functions to make and receive phone calls without the help of others. Hailed as “SimpleSee,” the new phone also features large, easy to read graphics and a high contrast casing with an easy to grip edging, ensuring complete safety and ease of use. Read more

WuFu glasses

The “WuFu” is an open hardware and open source aid that makes use of ultrasonic distance measurement, employed by the bat to fly without colliding with other bats in the dark. Drawing its name from the Chinese phrase “five bats” representing a symbol of luck and a long life, the visual aid carries the ultrasonic waves to sensors on opaque glasses and translates them, using two motors attached to the wrists of the wearer, into vibrations. Read more

ANPLE rice cooker

Intended toward the visually impaired, the “ANPLE” by Chinese designer SJia Law is an innovative rice cooker that helps the blind users prepare their meals without any assistance. Featuring three buttons on the burning tank to set the water and heating level, the blind rice cooker also includes a speaker to prompt existing settings to reduce the difficulty of measurement for the blind cook. Featuring a simple yet stylish design, the new appliance presents an ergonomic handle to open the cover in a more convenient way. Read more

Braille Block

To make the sign language easy for beginners, Taiwanese designer Fanson Meng has developed a palmtop gadget dubbed the “Braille Block” that works like a handheld game to motivate the learner. Based on the six dots of Braille, the buttons of the device are easy to use that encourages the learning skills in a playful manner. Read more