2nd Green Revolution

Whether you love him, hate him, or are indifferent, Steve Jobs has major street cred. His company makes products that are elegant, well-designed, easy to use, and revolutionary. The hype and excitement that accompanies the lead up to and release of a major Apple product is second to none. Not only that, but the products go on to be wildly successful, while turning entire industries upside down. Think the Macintosh in the computer industry, the iPod in the music industry, the iPhone in the mobile device/phone industry, and now perhaps the iPad in the publishing industry. The presence of Apple has done wonders not only for Apple but for the entire electronics sector. People are excited about seeing the next useful technology and how it is integrated into a computer, phone, or GPS system. All this begs the question: Is there someone who can lead a company to develop breakthrough technologies and integrate them in products in the clean energy sector that consumers will get excited about? Is it even possible to have that in regards to green technology? Who would be a candidate for the role? Read the rest of this entry »

EcoATM (first profiled here), the San Diego based provider of a convenient in-store, trade-in solution known as Automated eCycling Stations for recycling your electronic “e-waste” is burnishing its green credentials by taking a leadership role in the Electronics Recycling Coordination Clearinghouse (ERCC). The ERCC will “provide a forum for information exchange about state agencies implementing electronics recycling laws.” From a press release received via e-mail: Read the rest of this entry »

On or around the first of every month, 2nd Green Revolution updates the green events calendar for the coming month. Last November we began including a post highlighting some of the intriguing events for that month. Many of the events on the calendar for February take place in India, New Zealand, and Australia. However, there are a few in San Francisco, California and several intriguing domestic events at the end of the month.

Here is a sampling of a few domestic symposiums that caught our eye. Read the rest of this entry »

Last weekend’s post “Global Freezing” brought up a couple of important points about why society needs to change its collective behavior. In fact, behavior (along with technology) was posited as the main pathway to achieve energy independence.

One tool currently on the market that encompasses both the technological and behavioral changes needed is the smart meter. Several posts on 2nd Green Revolution have dealt with this topic. Earlier this month on NPR, reporter David Kestenbaum interviewed Dan Reicher, software developer at Google. Host Steve Inskeep provided the following introduction: Read the rest of this entry »

Is LPD technology too good to be true?

In addition to all the hoopla at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas about 3D TV’s, there is word today about yet another new television screen technology. Add LPD to your list of abbreviations. Laser Phosphor Display (LPD) will now join LCD, DLP, OLED, and Plasma in the club of new television screen technologies. LDP is being officially unveiled today by Prysm, a four year old Silicon Valley start-up with around 100 employees. In not so modest language, the company states on its website that LPD displays offer energy efficiency, reliability, and large screens:

With its advanced design, the LPD display system presents a breakthrough in low power consumption. Large displays can consume relatively little power while still showing a bright and vivid image from any angle. Second, the freeform scalable freedom achieved is unmatched by any other display technology. The design of the Laser Engine has total flexibility without constraint in order to bring to market displays of any size, shape, curvature, brightness and resolution. Read the rest of this entry »

The other day I picked up the Kill A Watt EZ from Costco (mentioned in an earlier post for their recycling program with Gazelle) for $20. Being the type of person that doesn’t read instructions I ripped open the package and plugged the device into a three-pronged outlet. Unsure what to do next, I plugged a computer cord into the other side of the device (see the picture at right). It read 120.6 volts. Since I couldn’t figure out how to change it, I unplugged the device and read the instructions.

The Kill A Watt EZ allows the user to choose from several different settings, including kWh (for kilowatt hours), voltage, or cost – which depends on one’s electricity rate. One neat feature is the programmable electricity rate. Type in the rate you pay (ex. $0.10 per kWh) and the Kill A Watt will calculate the cost to power your device. This feature comes in particularly handy for devices that consume large amounts of electricity (such as flat panel TVs), especially when plugged in but not in use. In addition, when deciding whether or not a new appliance makes sense (and cents), use the Kill A Watt to determine the appliance’s electricity consumption. Read the rest of this entry »

Following up last week’s story about Yale University installing human powered charging devices on elliptical machines and stationary bicycles at its gym comes a report from NPR’s All Tech Considered on a company aiming to convert the mechanical energy of walking into an electrical current to charge people’s cellular phones. Tremont Elecrtric, based in Cleveland, Ohio, plans to mass manufacture the nPower™ PEG (Personal Energy Generator) and have them on the shelf in time for the holiday rush. On their website, Tremont is allowing consumers to pre-order the devices. Read the rest of this entry »

Technology advances so quickly that even if our cell phone or laptop is in perfectly good working condition, many of us upgrade to have a better camera, faster processing power, better graphics etc. Or, we jump to a different manufacturer when a new product comes out that really gets our attention. What do you do with all those “outdated” cell phones and laptops? If you’re like many Americans, they sit in a closet or an old electronics graveyard set up somewhere in the house. That may be better than throwing them away, where they would end up in a landfill leaking toxic chemicals, but they are taking up space and are of no use from a productivity or financial perspective. A San Diego start-up called ecoATM thinks it has a solution that is both environmentally friendly and convenient, while giving consumers a little incentive to recycle. According to CNET: Read the rest of this entry »

In a clear example of how difficult and contentious it is to implement recycling regulations, New York City has been sued over a law that is to take effect at the end of this month that “mandates free, door-to-door electronics collection, paid for by manufacturers.” According to Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) president Gary Shapiro:

“CEA filed suit along with the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) to challenge the law. Manufacturers recognize that they have a key role in providing recycling opportunities for consumers, and have recycled billions of pounds of electronics through voluntary programs. However, they do not have the only role. The responsibilities and costs for electronics recycling should be shared among all stakeholders, including city and state governments, retailers, recyclers and consumers.”

Who should bear the cost of recycling programs? Read the rest of this entry »