Thank you Gunnar
Plastic Conversion to Oil VIDEO with Sub-titles
Seems to solve the problem of plastic trash, however, I wonder about the energy economics.
We have vast storehouses of plastic, aka landfills – — pay the cost of transportation or should we be converting?
What do you think?
Now that I have your attention, Hugh shared this video.
Or, you can pull the plug or switch off the Power Strip.
Are you helping save the planet and your hard earned $?
This cool! Check out the article and watch the video that brings to light a tool that helps us understand where our products and their components come from and their ecological impacts are.
From the article, “MIT’s Media Lab has designed a way to help you understand the economic and ecological implications behind different products you buy–it’s an interactive map that displays where each component came from.
Specifically designed to be a “collective tool for transparency and sustainability,” SourceMap’s intended to demonstrate how important supply chains are, and what the consequences of each part of the chain work out to be.”
SourceMap — Where does my iPod come from?
What do you think?
I read with interest an article — Waxman-Markey Flunks Math where we learn that most of our electricity comes from coal, hopefully clean coal, but more importantly, the amount of energy that comes from “green” sources, and how the “math” (logic) shows how difficult it will to be “green”. BTW, the article points out that 1.1% comes from petroleum. We are going to get real about the technology we put into solar, wind, water, and biomass as we move forward — based on these numbers. When we get real about the technology investment, and strategy about technology development because our real lelectric energy needs are going to surpass our dreams of having green energy real quick. From the article, “Well, what about electricity for the other 295 million of us? You can’t get there from here with Waxman-Markey. At best, solar, wind, batteries, geothermal and cellulosic ethanol combined will meet 20% of our needs by 2025.”
So, what should be our technology strategy, where should we be making our investments (or the behaviour modification penalties) for our future energy needs? As we invest, or create public policy, we need to take into account REAL NEEDS. What do you think?
A FAST COMPANY blog posting talks about a recent patent by APPLE that could undermine their sustainability movement positioning, however, there is another interesting concept and this is “active packaging”.
From the post ” According to Apple’s patent, such packaging could receive power “provided by a direct power connection to an external power supply or by one or more wireless power techniques. A data signal may be provided by one or more direct data lines to the electronic media device within the packaging, or the electronic media device may enable an integrated wireless network interface to receive a data stream while housed in the packaging.” Traditional plastic polymer backings present in Apple packaging could be printed with wire traces to supply power, ground, and data to the enclosed device.”
While this does add more packaing, especially electronics and other items most people are reducing due to their sustainability efforts, this technology may provide a competitive advantage through better promotion.
What do you think? Competitive advantage or are they damaging their own “green” positioning?
Well, you guessed it, I am catching up on posting my thoughts from BusinessWeek articles. I read with interest, the article called “Green Grow The Ballparks“. As many of you know, I am a bit of a “greeny” and you may also know that I am a baseball (and fastpitch softball) fan. So I found it comforting that a number of MLB Ballparks (30 according to the article) are getting a bit eco-friendly.
I sure hope they recycle a ALL the plastic beer bottles that are emptied at the Brewer games (not just those placed in recycle containers). Shirts made from recycled plastic, waterless urnials, energy-efficient bulbs, and green concession stands are a great start.
What else can they do? What do you think of this — responsible, cost-effective, or publicity stunt?
On April 3, our congressman, Hon. James Sensenbrenner published a column in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Technology is the answer to Climate Change“ The column concludes with the statement “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions isn’t about massive federal spending and transfers of wealth to the developing nations. It’s about developing cost-effective technologies that reduce emissions. Federal policy should focus on encouraging these technologies, not meeting demands for additional foreign aid.”
For what it is worth, I lean to this answer, and hope that Wisconsin companies can help lead the way.
Product developers, lets get to work. What do you think?
Speaking of Electric Cars, product development, and performance, Check out this video “Plasma Boy“. Also, “think different”. Thanks to Dave Winter for the “management lesson” of fast electric vehicles. Change Management
So those of you who think that electric cars must be compared to golf carts, has this changed your mind?
Perhaps we should not assume that our future needs to be boring and slow.
Comments?
A blog post at Harvard ”The Real Story of the Electric Vehicle” talks about the importance of the development of components such as batteries etc.. Perhaps the real value is not in the development of the systems but in the development of components and their protocol (the definition of the value and benefits they deliver) becomes the key to great products, or perhaps it always has been. Nonetheless, it does have us question where we add value.
Is the key to an electric vehicle the components? Is our “green” future dependent upon parts of the value chain? Or, is it about both components and system integration? Is a manufacturer’s role changing? Should assembly be in the hands (and minds) of the components, integrators, assemblers?
What do you think?
Green Ideas’s are our planet’s most precious resource
Innovation
Interactive Website
Community
I read an add that directed me to www.toyota.com/whynotinnovate I started exploring and really enjoyed reading the ideas for Green Innovation as well as other ideas to make the world a better place.
What do you think of this site? Can this type of interactivity do some good?
I was going through a stack of magazines (before I recycled them) and re-read an article entitled “Inconvienient Truths: Get Ready to Rethink What it Means to be Green” the cover was a bright orange and encouraged readers to “Keep our SUVs and Abandon Organics“ and cutting carbon is where it is at. And then, I hear on the radio this morning that doing two GOOGLE searches produces more carbon than boiling a tea kettle. Wow, lots to think about.
Be sure to click on the “heresies” listed for further information.
I was shocked to read a few of the ideas it had presented. I consider myself to be “green” but practical, having given my first large group presentation on the first Earth Day (April 22, 1970) regarding water pollution, however, some of these ideas really get me thinking.
Looks like some fertile ground for innovation!
What do you think?
Speaking of GREEN……
MSOE has a project I find interesting and environmentally satisfying. It is a 29.54kW solar power array on the roof of its downtown student center. You can find out how much power is being produced from the Sunny Portal. You can also see the solar array in action (OK, so there is no real action) looking at the rooftop WebCam . Regarding the action, my understanding is that you can catch some seagull action up there once in a while.
Press Release regarding the project
JS Online Article on Project From the article “The 144 solar panels sit on the roof of the school’s student union building and are visible to office workers in nearby downtown buildings. That’s by design, said Chris Damm, associate professor of mechanical engineering at MSOE.
“It’s a statement to show that MSOE is leading the way in terms of sustainability and engineering, to attract students who are interested in emerging energy technologies and sustainable engineering,” he said.
But the project is more than just a showcase for the university. It’s part of a training ground for students to engage in research in the growing fields of renewable energy and more efficient energy use.”
What do you think? GREEN is Good?
