green technology

Greener DVD Perfect for Business & Direct Mail

jplatt — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:00:00 -0500

Businesses use giveaway DVDs all the time to promote their products and services. But truth be told, everyone knows that a vast majority of these DVDs are going to end up in the garbage. What's a responsible marketer to do?

A company called CD Digital Card has a solution: their new Flex DVD Replication service. Their patent-pending new DVDs use half as much plastic as regular DVDs, and can be "flexed" to a pretty dramatic degree without breaking. The disks have the same data capacity as regular DVDs, but are "designed with an environmentally friendly chemical composition" (although they don't go into many details about what's actually different).

Since the disks weigh less and can be bent, they don't need as much protection, and can be mailed with less packaging, which is always good news for our landfills. It also reduces postage costs, which is good news for companies in tough economic times.

Until all data is digital, it's smart thinking like this that will make a difference.

How Businesses Can Save 25% on Energy Costs: HP Introduces Tech to Cap Power Use of Data Centers

jplatt — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Data centers and servers take up an increasingly large slice of the average company's electricity expenses. But HP has an idea on how to make those data centers more efficient.

Their new technology is called HP Dynamic Power Capping. Essentially, it lets IT managers decide the upper amount of energy specific servers will use, and "cap" that server at a lower energy level than it might otherwise demand.

HP says this more efficient energy management can result in savings of 25%.

Dynamic Power Capping had already been preloaded on many HP servers, but this is the first time that it is available on its own, as an add-on to any existing physical or virtual server. License fees range from $399 to $549 -- not too bad for what could amount to a substantial power savings.

Green Tech on Time Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2008

jplatt — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:31:24 -0400

Okay, there are still two months left to go on 2008, but we've already seen some incredible innovations hit the the market this year. Time Magazine has gone ahead and picked its "50 Best Inventions of 2008," and several green technologies and devices are on the list.

The list includes three different electric and hybrid vehicles. The luxury Tesla Roadster clocks in at number 2, while the forthcoming Chevy Volt ranks at number 7. Much further down the list was another concept vehicle, the Aptera Electric Car, at number 46.

Speaking of green transportation, Montreal's public bike rental system ranked number 19. This solar-powered, high-tech innovation is a great way to inspire local bike-riding and cutting greenhouse gases.It's time for this to take hold in other cities around the world.

Biofuel ranks high at number 11, but it's not the corn-based ethanol you can buy now. Time looked at algae-based biofuel -- currently being tested in labs around the country -- and found it to be good.

Another power source, Nanosolar's thin-film solar panels, came in at number 25. A prototype biomechanical energy harvester (a device you wear that collects the energy from your movements) ranked 33, while a flying wind turbine from Sky Windpower followed at number 35.

Innovative smog-eating cememt, which just hit the market from Italcementi, came in at number 37. A great idea, and I hope we hear more about it in the coming year.

An eco-friendly fridge that Albert Einstein invented in 1930 -- and which Oxford University scientists recreated this year -- hit the list at a not-too-chilly 31. Sadly, this hasn't been commercialized yet.

While not exactly tech you can use, the Global Seed Vault came in at number 6 on Time's list. But it's still an important innovation.

And while not technology at all, the Vatican's new 7 deadly sins -- including polluting -- made the list at number 40. See, pollution is evil!

CherryPal's 'Green' Computer Finally Ships Next Week

jplatt — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:07:48 -0400

Months after it was first announced, I'm sure many people had given up waiting for the CherryPal, a desktop PC with no moving parts that promised to use just 2 watts of power.

Well guess what? The CherryPal SSD C114 ships next week -- at a bargain-basement price of just $249.

It will take some time for reviews to come in, but until then, let's look at the innovations that are expected with this tiny-but-powerful machine:

It uses just 2 watts of power -- 98% less than the 114 watts used by the average desktop computer.
It has no moving parts, so the company says it will last for up to ten years.
It uses 80% fewer parts, so less waste is created in its manufacture.

The CherryPal has a few other features of note. It boots up in just 20 seconds (no more wasted time and energy during the start-up phase). Most of the software isn't located on the hard drive; it's on the Internet, so you have fewer worries about upgrades and downloads (good luck using the PC if your Internet is out, though). It comes with a wide range of open-source programs, so it's ready for use right out of the box. And it doesn't make any sound, which is something I wish could be said of all computers.

Obviously, with a price of just $249, the CherryPal doesn't come with a monitor, and you can't seem to buy one directly from CherryPal, so that's one more item that needs to be packaged and shipped, but if you're buying a green computer, you probably have a green monitor in mind, too.

Worth a look!

Sometimes the Greenest Technology is Elbow Grease

jplatt — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:01:18 -0400

It's fall foliage time here in Maine, and the skyline abounds with brilliant red and yellow leaves in every direction. So does the ground, where the leaves form a crunchy carpet that rustles beneath me with every step.

But unfortunately, the arrival of Autumn signals the arrival of something awful: the dreaded leaf blower.

Two or three times a day now, the roar of gas-powered leaf blowers shatter the silence that makes country living so special. Their operators wield them with abandon, attacking every leaf, pine needle and stray blade of grass as if their very lives depended upon it. More often than not, they end their assault by standing in the same spot for five minutes, futilely trying to force the last two or three leaves into a pile that refuses to stay controlled.

I ask you, what's wrong with a good old-fashioned rake and broom to combat this dreaded detritus? Is it really a time-saver to blow leaves all over the lawn, then hope they end up in a single pile? Is it worth emitting of greenhouse gases the equivalent of a 2,200-mile drive? What's wrong with a little outdoor exercise?

Sadly, the days of the rake seem to have gone by. And with gas prices somewhat lower right now, that might stay the case. But when it comes to getting rid of red, yellow and brown leaves, nothing is greener than the power of your own arms. Give it a try. Your muscles might thank you.

So will the planet.

Meet Europe's Top Cleantech Companies

jplatt — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0400

You may not have heard of companies like Odersun, CamSemi, Atraverda and Pelikon, but chances are you will in the days to come. These four companies and 96 others were named to The Guardian and Library Houses's CleanTech 100, listing the best European companies involved in clean technology.

The firms run the gamut of green technologies. Some are involved in solar, wind or tidal power. Others are developing efficient power systems for a variety of devices. Some are trying to turn waste into energy. And that's just scratching the surface.

About half of these companies' products are either in development or beta testing. The rest are already on the market.

To get on this list, the companies faced a pretty tough selection process. Ranking factors included companies' capital history, positive media stories about them, the size of their management team, and independent analysis to make sure that the technologies the companies were developing was actually credible. (In other words, no vaporware allowed.)

The companies were also asked about their environmental vision, what they saw as the size of the market for their products, and the impact they expected their technology to have on the world.

Give the list and the accompanying articles a read. They give me hope about the technologies we'll be seeing in the next few years.

Make Beautiful Music with Eco-Friendly Audio Systems

jplatt — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:25:22 -0400

Love music? Love the environment? Then let's talk about this year's greenest audio devices.

Like all electronics, audio systems can contain all kinds of toxic materials. They aren't always easily recyclable, and they often come with too much packaging. They also tend to use a lot of power, a critical concern when we're trying to make things more energy efficient.

To help make sure you're choosing the greenest audio components, MetaEfficient has named the Greenest Audio Systems of 2008. Winners include the Pure iPod dock, the Samsung SWA-4000 Wireless Rear Stereo Amplifier, and the Panasonic SC-PT650 home theater system. Several brands of speakers and receivers are also rated.

All of these devices ranked well on energy efficiency, and often use eco-friendly manufacturing processes.

There are other ways you can "green" your music. You can buy any number of solar chargers to keep your MP3 players juiced up. Buying music digitally can also be green, since it doesn't involve any manufacturing or shipping.

Got other ways you keep your tunes eco-friendly? Post 'em here!

Green Your Workspace with New Online Tool

jplatt — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0400

One of my core beliefs is that one person can make a difference. That's true at home, in the community, at play or at work.

Speaking of work, the EPA's ENERGY STAR program has launched a great new website called Energy Star @ Work. It offers any employee, executive, building manager or small business the tools and information they need to make their office and workplace greener and more energy efficient.

Some of the recommendations are nothing new -- use CFL bulbs, for example -- and others are obvious choices for the sponsor of the site -- buy ENERGY STAR qualified monitors. But the site is full of all kinds of other ideas that look at everything from heating and cooling and reducing waste to setting up "green teams" at work.

One of the site's highlights is an interactive tour of the average office, which offers some unexpected ways to save energy.

Check out the Energy Star @ Work site at http://www.energystar.gov/work. It's worth a look, and it could help you make a difference.

Lenovo Introduces Six New Green Computer Monitors

jplatt — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0400

Lenovo this week announced six new energy-efficient computer monitors in its ThinkVision product line.

The LCD monitors, which go on sale soon, have a fairly wide range of environmental innovations. All use various techniques to reduce their power consumption by 30-60%. The monitors are also EPEAT Gold rated and GREENGUARD certified, according to the company, and some are packaged in 65% recycled materials.

On the low end of these new monitors, Lenovo's new L1700p (available next week at $239.99) uses 30% less power and 50% less mercury compared to other models on the market. On the higher end, the L2440x (available soon at $749.99) will actually be made without mercury, a real step forward for LCD screens.

The L2440x news doesn't stop there: it will use LED backlighting to further reduce its energy use, down to just 29 watts. Wow.

Some of these models are already available from Lenovo's web store. Check 'em out.

Greenpeace Ranks Nokia as Most Eco-Friendly Electronics Maker

jplatt — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0400

Greenpeace has once again updated its list of the electronics makers with the best (and worst) records of producing eco-friendly goods.

Greenpeace not only ranks companies by the materials they use in their devices, but also how easy their products are to recycle and how much the company does to encourage recycling. They also look at energy efficiency and other criteria.

This time around, Nokia has topped the list, thanks, Greenpeace says, to the company's "improved take-back practice in India."

Samsung took second place this time around, thanks to the energy-efficiency of its products. Fujitsu Siemens climbed a few places in the list after setting 2010 as its deadline to eliminate toxic PVC plastic and all BFRs from its computers and other products.

The manufacturer with the worst ranking? Once again, Nintendo earned that distinction for its high levels of toxic chemical use and the low recyclability of its products.

You can download the entire Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics here.