Kitegen, an Italian company, is planning on making an unconventional use of wind force to generate electricity.
They are able to cut costs and simplify the process of generating renewable energy by using kites that fly at altitudes between 800 and 1,000 meters.
The movements of the kites are controlled by a computer, automatically. The kites are held by cables and anchored to a revolving structure that generates energy every time the wind force pulls and retracts the cables. This structure looks like a high-altitude turbine but here the turbine blades are replaced by kites.
Let’s take a look at some very interesting efficiency data. According to the company, a kite installation that occupies a diameter of 800 meters is able to generate as much energy as 150 wind turbines, which would require an area of 40km2.
The carrousel model holds several kites in the same unit and has an estimated energy generation capacity of 100 MW. Each kilowatt/hour it generates costs less than 0.03 Euros, which is less than the cost offered by fossil fuels today.
In June of 2006, the project was selected for financing by the Italian government, but received a lower priority rating. In 2008, the project was selected by the European Union and is expected to receive 3 million Euros for the installation of several structures.
The first commercial installation of the project is a 3MW generator that is being built near Asti, Italy. Tests started in September and operations should start soon.
Source: Next Big Future, Wikipedia
amp;feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">Check out how to make this ecobag
A little while ago, Lu Freitas published a very enlightening post warning us on the need of reducing and maybe, one day, putting an end to the use of plastic bags because they are really harmful for the environment. One of our main concerns was what to do if we had to make an unexpected purchase and didn’t have a single ecologic bag with us.
In addition to the suggestions given by Lu in her post, one of the solutions, which had already been presented in one of Lucia’s posts and which I consider the greatest insight is those handkerchiefs that are transformed into ecobags. We are talking about the famous Furoshiki, a Japanese wrap that is created from a square of cloth. All we need to do is carry a square handkerchief in our purse and “create” a Furoshiki wherever we are.
Yuriko Koike, Minister of Environment, launched a campaign called Mottainai Furoshiki in Japan in order to bring back and stimulate the use of furoshikis as an ecologic bag and a substitute for plastic bags. Lu also told us about a course in Sao Paulo in which this beautiful art of making magic wrappings was taught.
Here is a video that shows amp;feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">how to make a basic ecobag. And here, the video suggested by Lu (we can never overstress it). Click and learn how to make it and say goodbye to the plastic bags. * With something this practical you only carry a plastic bag if you want to.
So, how about joining the campaign?
What would happen to the world if the level of the oceans went up a few meters?
This is the idea behind the Flood Maps website, which uses Google Maps to simulate an increase in the level of the oceans.
Through the options available, you can display the areas that would be underwater if the level of the oceans increased by up to 14 meters. For instance, my home town, Joinville, State of Santa Catarina, would be almost completely covered by water.
To draw attention to the relationship between humans and the incredible amount of waste we produce every day, the guys from the Salzig Design studio in Holland built this temple using 100 tons of recycled plastic bottles.
The Temple of Trash is a temporary structure, and was built in Rotterdam, Holland for the 2007 Follydock Festival. The Temple is 25 meters long, 10 meters wide and 7 meters tall.
What would researchers of the future say if they came across this temple while conducting their excavations?
via Salzig Design, Core77, Inhabitat
I saw the original version of the Robert Wise movie, “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” when I was a kid, but I was already a fan of science fiction. I loved it.
I hadn’t been able to watch last year’s remake by Scott Derrickson and starring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly until today. I finally understood why it has been so heavily criticized. Perhaps we are now so familiar with special effects that the movie failed to surprise us. I had definitely expected more emotion and technology.
I believe, however, that the major cause of criticism is the fact that the film conveyed the same old and always crappy message: mankind is destroying the Earth and if they don’t change their attitudes, they will be destroyed along with it.
It urges us to become aware of the fact that the environmental degradation brought about by mankind is the cause of our imminent destruction, and states that we are not the owners of the planet, which, in addition to Americans’ tendency to portray themselves as the rulers of humanity, made viewers dislike the remake.
It’s worth a reflection: we don’t need to have an alien reminding us that we do not have the right to destroy the home that provides us shelter. Are we, as one of the characters said, already so close to the edge of the cliff that it’s too late to change? Should we stop caring for a beloved terminally ill patient just because he is condemned to die? Or should we use all of the resources available to try to spare him from greater suffering?
All debates aside, I liked the film. I was disappointed by the lack of action and suspense, even though the new robot was quite frightening. Also, it had more technological resources (I love teleportation, lasers and all that Star-treky paraphernalia).
And, as usual, I cried when I saw the scene with the boy next to his dad’s grave. That was inevitable. It hits my mother-without-a-kid side. In the end, I turned the film into a romantic drama.
It’s an irony of faith. Usually, when you buy a little tree, the roots and the soil around it are held together by a black plastic bag. The seedlings used for reforestation also come “wrapped” in bags. Now, imagine how much plastic is thrown away after they are planted—the bags are not reused to hold new seedlings to avoid contamination.
With this in mind… Scientists from the Federal University of Sao Carlos (UFSCar) together with Corn Products Brasil and BASF have created an “ecologically correct” and rigid plastic that can be used to manufacture tubes for seedlings.
The new material is made with EcobrasTM—a BASF’s biodegradable and compostable plastic that contains a corn-based vegetal polymer—and vegetal fibers such as ground cassava bark and coconut fibers. The material decomposes when in contact with microorganisms present in the soil, generating water, CO2 and biomass.
According to Elias Hage Júnior, professor and coordinator of the project, this partnership between UFSCar and these multinational companies arises from the fact that EcobrasTM is a flexible material and can’t be used to manufacture sufficiently hard molded pieces. He says that the new compost can be used to manufacture any type of molded piece—the cassava bark provides rigidity and the fiber offers mechanical resistance, making the material less likely to rupture—meant to be disposable, such as package trays.
The first step of the project, responsible for adapting the use of the cassava bark and the coconut fiber was complete in the beginning of 2009. From now on, they need to optimize the process and improve the product. Then, it will have to be produced in large scale.
The idea is good. But there is a controversy. Some experts say that biodegradable plastic decomposes quickly because it breaks down into tiny pieces. This could pollute rivers. Others say that because the material “breaks down,” it is easily decomposed and safer for the environment. Oh my, I’m feeling so critical lately.
The ecologic plates, bowls and serving dishes created by VerTerra are made from palm leaves.
But it’s not only the material that is ecologic. The production process is free of chemicals and glues and, according to the company, approximately 80% of the water used in the steaming and pressing process is recycled.
Also, the products are compostable and can be used to make fertilizers at the end of their lifecycle.
To order, simply go to VerTerra’s website. A 12-piece set starts from US$ 25.
VerTerra was founded in 2006 by Michael Dwork. On that same year, they were granted two US$100,000 awards to boost their project.
Yes, we can reduce our daily waste by being creative and economical; in the end, the gain will be ours. Cutting down on consumption and recycling and reusing consumer products and materials should be a natural attitude. Nonetheless, some people see the entire environment issue as nonsense.
Product packages are reusable nowadays. With some creativity, they can be reused in our kitchen, office or children’s room, for example. Cans, boxes, paper, bottles and innumerous other products that come into our homes every day don’t need to end up in the garbage can.
Some people, however, may need to make significant changes to their behavior towards the environmental issue. This would stop them from dumping their garbage on streets, empty lots, or landfills. Unfortunately, such changes don’t usually happen naturally so we need to continue educating people and setting an example.
The truth is that, on the one hand, we have to make it very clear for everybody that we will be facing an environmental tragedy within the next few years; on the other, some people may need more than information to change their behavior. This change may require the establishment of measures of mandatory compliance to address the environmental issue.
As citizens, we have the right to demand that people be held accountable for their actions and also to pressure our government officials to change our laws in order to curb some of the population’s consumption practices like other countries are doing. For example, in some countries, supermarkets charge customers for their plastic bags, a measure that, in a way, forces the population to reduce the consumption of such bags.
“We surely won’t be able to solve our planet’s problems just by ourselves, but we can help the future generations, the generation of our children and grandchildren to live in a better Earth. For the next 50 years, many of us will still have living descendants because many of the people who were born today will still be alive. Therefore, each one of us should do their part in the best possible way. For the sake of our children and our children’s children.”
Picture free digital photos
I saw this chair in a blog called Eco Spirit, written by Portugal-born Maria and Wilma. I liked the chair so much that I had to talk about it here. Purupu, as this children’s chair is named, is made from a new material called DuraPulp.
DuraPulp is a mixture of paper pulp and biodegradable plastic created by a company called Södra PulpLab, which results in a waterproof paper as resistant as wood, steel or hard plastic. The new material boasts the best features offered by paper: it’s cheap, light and organic.
The chair made from this material was introduced during the 2009 Milan Design Week and was designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune, a company founded by three Swedish designers and architects—Marten Claesson, Eero Koivisto and Ola Rune.
These pendants made from plastic utensils by Luis Luna, Mexican designer, catch our eye due to his choice of materials.
In one of the projects, we have an array of white forks, spoons and knives from a children’s party; another one is built with red plastic cups, creating a pendant that can be the highlight of any room.
These are great ways to recycle and create new uses for everyday objects. We will never look at children’s birthday parties in the same way.
The Gluttony suspension lamp (built with forks and knives) was a finalist in the “House Party” competition, held during the 100% Design Tokyo 2008.
Blogroll
About the Project | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
