technology

Eco-Connoisseurs: Go Mobile with the Samsung Reclaim

thegreenconnoisseur — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:45:36 -0400

Eco-conscious individuals will have an excellent choice for communications on August 16th, when the Samsung Reclaim is available for purchase. This brand new cell phone, brought to you by Sprint and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), features an eco-friendly design and will be available for less than $50! Follow the blog link at http://thegreenconnoisseur.com/ to see the full story

Parking the Bicycles: Who Knew all the Possibilities?

Julia — Thu, 22 May 2008 21:04:47 -0400

More and more people are riding bicycles these days. How many people feel restricted from riding bikes because of issues with theft, or with not knowing where to lock up the bike? My guess would be a lot of people. Fortunately, companies are coming out with all sorts of nifty ways to park and lock bicycles.

The first is BikeLid Systems. These are polyethylene shells attached to a steel bike frame that is cemented into the concrete. They look like little, individual igloos to protect and enclose the bike. Even better, the shells are also made from 90 percent industrial plastic waste materials and recycled steel. You simply lift the unit up and place your bike underneath, and seal it all up with a padlock.

Another option is the Bike Tree. It looks exactly how it sounds; it is a vertically long bike stand and multiple bikes can hang from it at one time. There is a control panel attached to the stand, with finger print sensors. The control panel allows you to lock and unlock your bike. You press the button and the bike correlating with that fingerprint is lowered. It conserves lots of space! How cool is that?!

SLIM, but Modular is an interesting design for parking bikes. It consists of a slanting steel rod that almost looks like the bottom of a ski. It is faced upward and you can park the bike in place, hands-free! It is the wheels and the bike that gets locked in, making it kind of impossible to steal. It’s still in the design phase, but something to get excited about!

Lastly, there are Cyclepods. This looks like a lamp, lampshade included (See Picture!) There are eight spaces on it, and the bikes are placed upward. Like SLIM, the cyclepods can lock the wheels into place. The lampshade type structure protects the bike from ugly weather conditions. They, ALSO, are made from 95 percent recycled aluminum.

Wow. Technology never ceases to amaze me.

Sounds like it’s time dig your bikes out of the garage and get them all spiffed up for the warm weather!

The Prince of Wales Sends Himself Through the Air – No, Really

adevito — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Help me, Prince of Wales, you’re my only hope!

When you think of cutting-edge, futuristic green technology, one thing immediately comes to mind: the British Royal Family.

Okay, maybe not, but Prince Charles might just change all that. Recently he addressed the Abu Dhabi World Future energy summit. To reduce his carbon footprint, he appeared as a 3D HOLOGRAM, gave a short speech, then vanished into thin air.

Royal holograms have now replaced the Beatles and James Bond as Britain’s coolest export ever.

Top 10 Green Jobs

Julia — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:00:00 -0400

The following list comes from E Magazine’s article called “Ten Great Green Opportunities”, where they came up with a list of professions that are ready and waiting to be all greened up. Something catches your eye? Well jump right in and start creating new policies for the field!

1. Travel and Hospitality- Tourism is the largest business sector in the world economy. Ecotourism is growing at three times the rate of the tourism sector itself, and demanding more knowledgeable workers committed to sustainability.

2. Planning and Land Use- Local governments are increasingly interested in how they can reduce their communities’ carbon footprint, and turning to city planning professionals for direction.

3. Health and Medicine- According to a survey conducted in 2002 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), 36 percent of U.S. adults use some form of alternative care.

4. Energy and Renewables- Renewable energy careers have the potential to re-establish America’s lost middle class. Renewable energy requires more manpower than fossil fuel—wind power creates 2.77 jobs for every megawatt produced, solar PV creates 7.24 jobs per megawatt.

5. Legal Careers- When a power plant is polluting more than its fair share, or an imperiled mammal needs recognition under the Endangered Species Act, environmental law groups go to court and fight the good fight.

6. Information Technology- In the nonprofit sector, IT work may not require extensive training. For global organizations like the Internet is a valuable tool. Be open to starting with little to no pay. It will give you the experience you need to be able to be hired by those few organizations and businesses that can afford to provide the salary that you want.

7. Green Learning- Over the past few years, sustainability coordinators—a job position that didn’t even exist a few years ago—have been joining the ranks of educational institutions looking to “go green.” Though there aren’t many schools offering degrees in sustainability, that’s beginning to change.

8. Design and Construction- Green builders already have a competitive advantage over traditional builders, according to Ashley Katz, communications coordinator for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). And that advantage will continue to grow as sustainable, energy-efficient building practices become the norm.

9. Corporate Social Responsibility- With companies working to establish guidelines for social responsibility, the word “corporation” could sill take on new meaning in the 21st century. To make corporations more responsive to environmental, human rights and health issues, corporate responsibility advocates start from business’ bottom line and work their way up.

10. Food and Farming- According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, land used for organic crops increased from 48,000 acres in 1997 to 122,000 acres in 2005. That increase has opened doors, especially for students seeking a hands-on experience on a working farm. Some manage organic farms without actually owning the land, leasing it through a land trust. And the market for organic food has opened channels well beyond the local farm stands.