Category Archives: Eco products

Bamboo is a bust as a green product

Bamboo IS natural material, different issue is how was it grown?

When nobody knows what is going on, it is in most cases about money. It could be political agenda too. Either way, I have a feeling that there is someone behind this issue.
Claiming that production is not entirely pesticides free sounds like a joke in light of mega-tones of pesticides and herbicides being used by farming industry to produce “healthy and organic” food.
Any way, read the article and have your own opinion.

 
Article published by Star Tribune on 17 February 2011 by JOHN EWOLDT
 
Five years later, the “it” eco-material is hard to find in stores. What changed?

When Matt Joyce of Woodbury tried to find a replacement set of his favorite bamboo/cotton sheets at Target recently, he left empty-handed. Target no longer carried them. Neither did Kohl’s, Macy’s, Wal-Mart or Lands’ End stores.

“I thought bamboo was supposed to be so versatile,” he said. “What happened?”

Once described as the perfect raw material, bamboo has many desirable properties. It’s strong and versatile. It also grows much faster than trees, requires little water and fertilizer, and doesn’t require replanting after harvesting.

By 2006, consumers …


Three reasons wind power could wane

Published by IEEE Spectrum on January 2011 by Peter Fairley
 

Wind turbines wring energy
out of a free-flowing fuel ­supply that may be losing some of its punch. Surface winds appear to be weakening across the Northern Hemisphere, including in the United States, Western Europe, and China—the world’s top three markets for wind power. And climate change threatens to weaken them further during this century as faster warming over northern ­latitudes trims the temperature gradients that energize airflows.

 

China could be the hardest hit, according to modeling by University of Texas–Austin research scientist Diandong Ren in the November issue of the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. He projects a 4 to 12 percent decrease in wind speeds in China for the last three decades of the 21st century (compared to the corresponding decades of the 20th). Since the energy in wind increases with the cube of the wind speed, Ren estimates that the slower winds would trim power from Chinese turbines by at least 14 percent.

There is now little doubt …


2013 Ford Focus Electric Car

Published by EuroTuner
on Tuesday, 11 January 2010
 
Ford Motor Company has unveiled its all-new Focus Electric – the company’s first all-electric passenger car.


The zero-emissions, gasoline-free version of Ford’s popular small car is the flagship of the company’s growing fleet of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles coming to North America and Europe by 2013. The Focus Electric will launch in late 2011 and is designed to offer enough range to cover the majority of daily driving habits of Americans. It will offer a mile-per-gallon equivalent better than Chevrolet Volt and be competitive with other battery electric vehicles. A full recharge is expected to take 3-4 hours at home with the 240-volt charge station – half the time of the Nissan Leaf.

Focus Electric introduces new features and technologies – including a unique version of the MyFord Touch driver connect system for electric vehicles, a new value charging feature powered by Microsoft, and a smartphone app called MyFord Mobile that helps plug-in owners control their vehicle remotely.The stylish five-door hatchback leverages Ford’s global C-car platform shared by the gasoline and diesel-powered Focus models, which debuted at the 2010 North American International Auto Show and were launched at the Paris Motor Show in September.

Both the Focus gasoline and electric …


Eco-friendlier cleaning products marketed

Published by AZ Central
on Thursday, 6 January 2010 by Mary MacVean
LOS ANGELES – Maybe 2011 is the year a clean start means returning to Grandma’s scrubbing ways and getting down on hands knees with simple baking soda and vinegar. Or maybe it means staring down that supermarket aisle of cleaning products and making better choices about the dizzying selection of powders and liquids that claim not only to clean but also to be healthy for people and the planet. Sustainable, Earth-friendly, green, renewable – what do the words tell a shopper? 

“The last 24 months was a real sea change as large traditional brands are introducing greener or green versions of products. I believe that trend will continue,” said Jeffrey Hollender, author of a new book, “Planet Home,” and former chief executive of the cleaning products company Seventh Generation.

“On the industry side, …


Top 10 renewable energy technology breakthroughs in 2010

Published by EcoFriend
on Wednesday, 29 December 2010
 

With our planet in a desperate need of new eco-friendly energy generating systems, researchers over the globe have been working hard to develop systems that can power the world of the future in a sustainable fashion.
The year 2010 saw some great breakthroughs in the field of renewable energy technology, which when fully developed, could help create a better world. Here we have compiled a list of 10 such breakthroughs that are bound to have a significant impact in the future.

MIT’s Concentrated Solar Funnel …


Upcoming Eco Expo Asia

Published by Renewable Energy Magazine
on 11 October 2010
 
The latest innovations in renewable energy, energy efficiency, natural resource protection and eco-friendly products will share center stage at the Eco Expo Asia, 3-6 November, in Hong Kong.

The event, now in its second year, is organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd., and is quickly becoming Asia’s leading environmental protection fair.

In 2009, the inaugural expo played host to over 200 exhibitors and was attended by visitors from over 100 countries.

“Eco Expo Asia brings …


Breakthrough eco-friendly product launched

Published on Indian Weekender NZ
By Dev Nadkarni
 

Auckland construction products manufacturer Cemix has launched a revolutionary new product – blended concrete mix that contains 50% recycled materials without compromising performance.

The product, called Envirocrete, is a first for New Zealand and was launched in Auckland last week. The development of the product is an attempt to reduce the huge volume of 163,000 tonnes of concrete dumped in New Zealand landfills each year.

According to recent Auckland City Council statistics, building and construction waste makes up 17% of the 3.2 million tonnes of refuse dumped in New Zealand landfills annually.

Read more HERE


Eco-friendly boutique online

By Maire McMahon and published on The Post and Courier
Thursday, August 26, 2010

Sara Manucy is an environmental enthusiast and outdoorswoman. When she is not working for Charleston Naturally, the Charleston native can be found biking, sailing or walking her 10-year-old golden retriever mix, Honey.

Manucy met Charleston Naturally founder Sharon Harvey at the Serenity Now yoga studio in Mount Pleasant. After discovering their common love for Charleston, eco-friendly products and the outdoors, the Charleston Naturally team was born. Work on the business started in June 2009, and it began operations in January.
Read more HERE


Very interesting and well designed shop they are running. Well, it is not that simple, it is rather more an exclusive store with eco-friendly products for babes, brides, home/garden and pets as well as for body (I presume women) pampering.

I must admit I found some stuff for men too 🙂

Semiconductor Giant Pushes Millions Into Solar, LED Arena

An interesting approach to conserving environment.
I think the time has come for all of us and businesses to follow. We cannot afford anymore such devastating ignorance eating our planet. Please, pull-up your heads off the sand, look around and make a move.

POSTED BY: Dave Levitan / Wed, August 11, 2010 on IEEE Spectrum Energywise

One of the biggest semiconductor manufacturers in the world, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, is pushing its chips into the middle in another field: solar power and LED manufacturing.

Hsinchu-based TSMC announced that along with plans for new semiconductor foundries, they will spend more than $100 million on a LED manufacturing line and $218 million on a thin film photovoltaic construction facility. This comes a year after the company announced their intentions to move into these green tech fields, and follows on the heels of a number of business moves aimed at centering them in the push for solar and LED fields. …

Continue reading HERE

Eco-Luxury

Can it be? Eco design/product connected with the luxury?

It seems it can, especially when taking – yachts 🙂 Bellow is an excerpt from an article in this subject

Eco-Friendly Luxury Yacht: OrganiK

Rarely do the words organic and luxury come together as elegantly as they do with the new OrganiK yacht design from Sylvain Viau which was created with the objective of providing a high standard of comfort with eco-friendly undertones. …

Read the whole article here Posted By Alison Agudo on January 9th, 2010 on Hauteliving.com