Five Things to Never Throw Away in the Garbage

When it comes to recycling, some people find it a chore.  In fact, up to 70 percent of everything that goes into a landfill could be recycled.  A good amount of those items, though, simply take up space in a landfill.  However, there are some items that absolutely should never be thrown away because, in addition to taking up landfill space, they are toxic and can work their way back into our water or our food.  These five items must always be recycled or disposed of in the proper way.

•    Electronics, including televisions, old computer monitors and parts, cell phones, and stereos.  Often, these items contain harmful substances like mercury.  Many cities have special electronic recycling days or collection areas, and most electronics stories will take old cell phones and recycle them.
•    Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs are another danger.  They contain mercury, which means they don’t go in landfills.  Some stores, including Home Depot, are now taking old CFL bulbs.  Since they last so much longer, however, you won’t need to recycle them that often.
•    Car fluids, including wiper fluid and antifreeze.  Basically, any type of fluid that comes out of your car should not go into a landfill due to its toxic nature.  Check with your local garbage company to learn how to dispose of these fluids.
•    Likewise, paint should be taken to the local hazardous waste collection center.  Many cities have laws against disposing of what is called free-flowing liquids in the garbage, so in addition to putting toxins in the ground, throwing away your paint may actually be illegal.
•    Finally, lithium-ion batteries should not be thrown away.  These include rechargeable batteries and batteries used in cell phones and other devices.  Many electronics stores also recycle these batteries.

UK Bans Construction of New Coal Power Plants That Do Not Feature Carbon Capture

In a move to reduce the overall carbon emissions in the UK, the British government has passed new regulations that will require new coal power plants to include carbon capture and storage. If the plants do not incorporate carbon capture and storage into their design, they will not be approved for construction. While this sounds like it will keep unclean coal burning plants from being built, the reality is that it probably won’t really deter new coal power plants. As groups like Cleantech point out, it’s only a really small step in the right direction.

Why is this? Well, the regulations state that carbon capture and storage is required for 400 MW of output from all new coal plants. By 2025, the regulations will have expanded to cover 100% of all emissions. However, the reason why this isn’t as good of a deal as it seems is because the 100% requirement in 2025 will only be in effect if the technology to capture all emissions actually exists at that point. That’s a pretty big loophole.

The biggest problem is that the funds to develop this technology just aren’t there yet. What may happen is that coal plants will “do their best” in dealing with carbon emissions, but since they can simply say that they don’t have the technology to capture all emissions, they can’t be held responsible for actually upholding the regulations. Banning the building of plants that don’t at least try to capture and store is something, but with this loophole in the regulations, it simply isn’t enough to truly cut out all carbon emissions in the UK.

Non-Energy Efficient Goods Banned by the EU

The European Union has recently made a rather shocking announcement: they’re going to set a number of environmental standards on household goods that could, in the end, ban the sale of any products that aren’t termed “energy efficient” by these standards. This includes things like showerheads, faucets, toilets, windows, and more. If they don’t meet these standards, they won’t be legal to sell or even imported into EU countries. This has both its ups and downs. On one hand, it means that energy will be used better and that people will end up using less power and paying less for what they do use. On the other hand, it will force people to purchase energy efficient products, which may give certain companies a near-monopoly on some markets.

The new standards come from the desire to reduce energy consumption by EU member countries, with a goal of increasing energy efficiency by 20% by the year 2020. A precursor to these standards were set back in 2005 by the EU, but they aren’t nearly as comprehensive or cover as much as these new standards do. The 2005 legislation only affected electronic devices, electrical equipment, and heating equipment. Now, it covers any and all “energy-related” items.

Europeans are, apparently, embracing the resolution and are ready to make their homes more energy efficient. Several governments have already agreed to fast-track the standards through Parliament, so it won’t be long before these standards are formalized and goods banned from sale.

The Heart of Green Awards

The Heart of Green Awards are awards that are given out to some of the top eco-friendly organizations, companies, and people in the world.  These awards are given out by The Daily Green, a website that prides itself on being the consumer’s guide to going green.  They’re one of the most trusted websites for information and news about green products, methods, and just about everything environmentally friendly.  Because of this, they’re recognized as a site that can truly select the best green companies and people out there.  This year’s awards were given out by star (and Heart of Green winner) Maria Menounos at the Hearst tower in New York City.

So who won a Heart of Green award this year?  Well, the website Planet Green picked up the Influencer Award for its educational television programming.  Actress Alicia Silverstone was honored with the Green Gourmet award for her advocation of the Vegan lifestyle.  The author of the Green This! series, Deidre Imus, picked up an award, as did fashion expert Summer Rayne Oakes.  In the food production categories, Kitchen Gardens International founder Roger Doiron was honored.  The President of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Frances Beinecke, was also named a Heart of Green winner.

A few other categories were determined by the Daily Green’s readers.  They were given the chance to nominate people from their own communities for the Heart of Green Local Hero Award.  This is a very special award since it goes to those who are making a difference at the local level.  Ohio teacher Greg Perry was named this local hero by introducing his Beachwood High School students to environmentalism.  His students created the ultimate green classroom and held an environmental expo.  eBay, one of the sponsors of the awards, was given the chance to select the winner of the Green Team Community, and they chose Jennifer Canty.  She is the owner of Dyscern, a company that reformats and resells electronic equipment instead of letting it go to waste.

Low Power Computer Memory

Researchers at the University of Cornell are working on creating low power memory for computers.  This memory would have a number of different benefits.  For one, it would make it so that computers didn’t really require any boot up time at all, allowing nearly instantaneous access to memory.  This memory would use only a fraction of the power that current RAM uses, making it very energy-efficient as well as work-efficient.

According to Cornell, researchers have created a thin ferroelectric film that may help in the creation of an instant-on transistor, something researches have been working on for decades.  If this research pans out, it could allow manufacturers to build a solid state computer that does not require any boot time and would save power.  This would lead to yet another computer revolution, cutting out something (boot time) that has long been an issue with computer users around the world.

Over the years, manufacturers have greatly reduced the amount of energy a personal computer uses, but as more and more people purchase computers, their energy use continues to be an issue.  With many people now owning a desktop and a laptop and every member of the family needing their own computer, these devices draw a lot of energy.  However, if the Cornell research leads to a low-power yet highly efficient form of memory, we may find our electric bills dropping a bit.

Solar Powered Cell Phones

Previously, we discussed the innovations at Kyocera and the fact that they were working on a motion-powered cell phone.  Well, they aren’t the only cell manufacturer who is working on creating a green cell phone.  Sharp and AU have added a solar panel to one of their newest phones.  They aren’t the first company to add solar power to a cell phone—Ericsson and Motorola both have models on the market or coming out soon.  However, solar powered cell phones are still quite limited, even if they are becoming more popular.

Sharp’s newest solar powered phone will be debuting in Japan in June of this year.  The device features a solar panel embedded on the phone’s lid, making it easy for users to simply set the phone near a window or other sunny location.  Leaving it in the sunlight for around ten minutes charges the battery enough for it to last for about a minute of call time or around two hours of standby time.  That’s not a huge amount of power, so it’s obviously not a way of continuously charging your phone.

While the amount of power this solar powered cell phone generates isn’t really that much, the fact that it generates any power at all is impressive and a step in the right direction.  Someday, it may be completely possible to power your cell phone via solar energy.  If everyone invested in one of these solar powered cells, it would save a lot of energy every day.  Seeing how many phone manufacturers are already jumping on the idea is certainly a very hopeful sign.

Earth Day Festival Begins in Japan

The weekend of April 18 and 19 will see thousands of environmentalists and other green-friendly people head to Tokyo, Japan for the kick off festivities of Earth Day. The events will be held in the Harajuku and Shibuya districts of the city, and officials expect to see over 130,000 people in attendance.

The festival committee has spent many months working on the festival, which is the ninth annual Earth Day festival to be held in Japan. While it is less than a decade old, many are already calling it the world’s largest Earth Day event. Unlike some other events, the Japanese have focused on getting the younger generations involved and are not as focused on commercialism, although the event does have a number of corporate sponsors, including Patagonia, Tower Records, and Sony. Other groups, including Intel and the World Wildlife Federation, will be in attendance.

This year’s theme is “Go Ethical,” and to help spread this message, the festival food venders will be serving nothing but organic foods. Many local restaurants that specialize in growing food for local consumption will have mobile kitchens set up. The festival will also feature a Dish Reuse System that insures that there is zero garbage created from the event. This is huge since events like this often create hundreds if not thousands of tons of waste. In addition to organic food, many other eco-friendly farm products will be available for purchase.

If you live near Tokyo or want to jet over for the weekend, you’re in for a great time. The festival is full of live music, great food, and educational events.

New Kyocera Cell Phone Could Be Charged by Kinetic Energy

You may not think that charging your cell phone uses up that much energy, but think about how often you charge it.  If you have a smart phone or other PDA, you may need to charge your phone every day.  This can add up over the days.  Your cell phone actually uses way more power than you think it does.

But what if there were some way to charge your cell phone without using traditional power?  That’s what Kyocera, one of the larger cell phone manufacturers, has asked themselves.  Kyocera designer Susan McKinney then took this idea and has created a conceptual device she calls the Eos.  Her cell phone folds in thirds, is very flexible, and contains tiny piezoelectric generators.  What do these generators do?  Basically, as you walk and move, these nano-scale generators convert the kinetic energy of your body into power.  While the device will most likely include a traditional charger, the power generated from your body may be enough to power the phone.

In addition to the nano-scale piezoelectric generators, the device has several other very innovative features.  It uses shape memory that brings keys up from the surface of the device when it is in use and fade down when it’s not.  The screen is also very flexible.  It is about the size of a wallet when used for standard phone calls, but it can actually be unfolded to make a larger screen when you need to see more.

While we won’t be seeing this amazing device in stores just yet, Kyocera plans on making use of its many new features in the next few years, so expect to see flexible screens, shape memory, and even a few amazing kinetic energy-powered phones in the future.

Make Your Greenhouse More Effective by Going Red

The greenhouses of the Netherlands supply much of Northern Europe’s tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables in the winter, but they use up a ton of energy to provide these summer vegetables during the colder months. However, thanks to the Japanese Showa Denko company, there may be a way for the greenhouses to actually grow their plants faster while using 70 percent less power.  How?  By using red LEDs designed to make plants perform photosynthesis faster.

These red LEDs are what’s called aluminum-gallium-indium-phosphide, or AlGaInP, LED chips, and Showa Denko has been working on them for the past two years.  According to the company, these chips have a very, very high output thanks to a new light-emitting layer, and this output makes them ideal for use in greenhouses.  While studies have shown that blue light makes plants open in the morning and start taking in carbon dioxide, it’s natural daylight lamps and red lights that make plants begin photosynthesis.

However, don’t expect to see all of the Netherlands bathed in red LED light any time soon.  There’s a cost, and it’s a hefty one.  While LEDs do certainly cost less to operate than the large daylight lamps, they cost two to three times more than the standard fluorescent or sodium lamps that most greenhouses currently use.  A few greenhouses have gone to a red LED system, and they say it will take about three years before the savings completely pays for the lights.  However, as LED technology improves, it won’t be long before greenhouse growers jump on this new technology and get rid of those old, power-hogging lamps.

What is X-Board?

You’ve probably never heard of X-Board, but chances are, you’ve got some of it in your home.  X-Board is a fairly new, lightweight type of board that is created using a structural core of paper or a type of fiberboard support.  The result is a sheet of board made from recycled material placed between two layers of very, very thick paper.  When the flimsy inner material is placed between these two thick sheets of paper, the entire thing becomes very rigid and sturdy.

This type of green product is relatively new, but many companies have jumped on board the X-Board bandwagon.  It’s especially useful for creating lightweight, inexpensive home furnishings like those purchased from IKEA and other department stores.  It’s also an alternative to plywood and medium density fiberboard.  In fact, X-Board is often combined with plywood or wood veneer to make an even stronger piece.  For companies that do many trade shows, X-Board is perfect for creating temporary booths that are only needed for a week or so.  It’s also used in building bookshelves, desks, tables, and other pieces of furniture and as material for walls in buildings.

X-Board was designed by the Xanita company.  Its creators saw huge bales of recycle paper waste and realized that the waste could be put to some use.  They set out to create a board made from the recycled waste that would be completely environmentally friendly.  Today, Xanita creates a number of ecologically friendly boards and other construction goods, all of which are made from this post-consumer paper waste.  The X-Board is made to replace formaldehyde-based boards, petroleum-based PVC materials, and polystyrene/polypropylene sheeting.  Generally, the X-Board can be used in any construction project as a replacement to these products, although in a few instances, the light weight of the X-Board may be an issue.

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