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5 Eco-Cars Faster than the Porsche 911

by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 10.15.08
Cars & Transportation

Porsche 911 Driving photo

Why the Porsche 911?
There's nothing inherently special about being faster than the Porsche 911 which can get from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5-5.0 seconds (I'm talking about the regular 911s, not the $194k GT2). It's not like you actually need that kind of acceleration in regular driving... But, it does strike the imagination of gearheads everywhere and create a halo effect. If that can help make eco-cars more desirable, why not?

Lets check out 5 green cars which are actually faster off the line than the Porsche 911.

Read more: 5 Eco-Cars Faster than the Porsche 911
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TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life. No time like the present!

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Solar Power International Photo of the Day: Giving GreenVolts ‘Utility-Scale’ Concentrating Solar PV a Sense of Scale

by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 10.15.08
Science & Technology

greenvolts concentrating solar photovoltaic photo
author photo

Back in September, Jaymi reported on San Francisco-based GreenVolts raising $30 million in series B funding for their 2 MW concentrating solar photovolatic (CPV) pilot project. In her post there were some photos of GreenVolts’ innovative technology, but they don’t really give you a sense of the scale. Which is why I was happy to get a chance to snap the photo above at Solar Power International.

In case you missed it, here’s how GreenVolts touts some of the benefits of its variety of CPV:

Read more: Solar Power International Photo of the Day: Giving GreenVolts ‘Utility-Scale’ Concentrating Solar PV a Sense of Scale
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Crate Expectations: 12 Shipping Container Housing Ideas

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
Design & Architecture

nortran container warehouse photo

Judging by the three most popular posts in TreeHugger, it seems that much of our readership wants to green their sex life in front of a pellet stove in a shipping container house. And why not? Shipping containers are cheap, plentiful and strong. I grew up surrounded by containers (and helped my dad design the Kalkinesque warehouse shown above for Northern Canada in the seventies) and always thought the interior dimensions too small, the floors too toxic and the problems of insulating and making them comfortable too challenging, but dozens of architects and shipping container designs have proven me wrong. Let's count the ways.

Read more: Crate Expectations: 12 Shipping Container Housing Ideas
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Quote of the Day: Bob Lutz on What Could Kill The Volt

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
Cars & Transportation

lutz-volt-quote.jpg

Tyler Hamilton at Clean Break reminds us of what Bob Lutz said a month ago when I asked him if a recession could kill the Volt, much of which seems to be coming to pass a lot more quickly than anyone might have anticipated:

"Let us say that over the next 18 months the world goes into a major recession, car sales and fuel use drop dramatically, the steel companies produce less steel and therefore use less energy, China finds it main export markets drying up, so they are into a contraction and use less steel and aluminum and plastic. And at the same time Canadian tar sands come onstream, and coal-to-liquids come onstream. All of a sudden there is a reduction in primary demand in petroleum plus all these additional new supply sources… And the oil barrel drops to $25 a barrel and we’re looking at gas pump prices at $1.25 a gallon. I personally don’t think that’s going to happen, but that would be a dramatic event for the Volt because everybody would say, ‘Ha!, why should I bother?’"

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Five Poverty-Fighting Clean Water Projects and Designs

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.15.08
Design & Architecture

water poverty design projects blog action day droplet photo
Today is Blog Action Day, and we'll be using our forum as a green blog to talk about this year's theme: poverty. Check the end of the post for links to all our Blog Action Day posts. Photo credit: laszlo-photo

The intersection of green and poverty might be the most dramatic when it comes to water issues; no resource is more precious on this planet, and, yet, no resource is more abused, misallocated, polluted, or otherwise undrinkable; 2.6 billion people in the world lack access to sanitary toilet facilities and 1.1 billion people have no access to safe drinking water. Yet, some solid green projects are underway, bringing design to the forefront of green and poverty, around the globe, helping impoverished folks get their hands on the precious resource.

In honor of Blog Action Day, here are five projects and designs that have the potential to help end poverty and insure everyone has enough clean water to drink.

Read more: Five Poverty-Fighting Clean Water Projects and Designs
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th comments
GRACE said: "davidm Footprint over the Macbook's lifespan = 460 kg CO2. No idea how long they consider the 'lifespan' to be. if even thi..." [read]

Jessica said: "Yep - word in the auto industry is that this will definitely be badged a Scion in the U.S., seperating it from Toyota's current entry-level offerin..." [read]

Eugene said: "The author doesn't seem to realize that a large percent of the people without internet access are in rural areas where they don't have libraries, c..." [read]

Emmet said: " ["Milton: The information you present is interesting, though I have to wonder how accurately it reflects all the data concerning the s..." [read]

BenSchiendelman said: "- Milling is fine as long as they're recycling the leftovers. Given the cost of aluminum, that's very likely to be the case. Rather than claiming w..." [read]

Ray said: "When the sea rises it time to move to higher ground. Don't look for your government to do this. Take action to save your own butt. ..." [read]

Fuel Poverty in UK, Government Faces Court Action VIDEO >>

by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 10.15.08
Business & Politics

BBC News video segment: The UK government faces court action over claims millions are in fuel poverty despite a pledge to eradicate it.

Old age pensioner Philys Webb says fuel is more of a worry for her than food. It's estimated that 5 million people in the United Kingdom are living in "fuel poverty," meaning they need to spend 10 percent of their income on gas and electricity. In 2000, the UK government committed itself in law to eliminating fuel poverty for vulnerable households (those with children, pensioners, or disabled people) by 2010 and for everyone by 2016. It is widely believed the government will miss these targets outlined in The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. Friends of the Earth thinks energy-efficiency and renewable powers sources are the solutions to fuel poverty as well as climate change.

Read more: Fuel Poverty in UK, Government Faces Court Action VIDEO >>
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British PM Putting Unemployed To Work Insulating Attics

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
Science & Technology

conservation corps with bricks photo
Civilian Conservation Corps Working With Bricks

We keep saying that the best source of energy is conservation and efficiency; by coincidence, Franklin Roosevelt set up the Conservation Corps to build ditches, plant crops and reforest America in the Great Depression. Now leader of the free world Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the UK is doing the same, creating a new Conservation Corps to conserve energy- training thousands to insulate attics.

"We are expanding in a very radical way our insulation and draught-proofing central-heating provision for the elderly and other people in our country. We are training large numbers of additional people to do that work in insulation. That will be one of the employment programmes that will grow."

Read more: British PM Putting Unemployed To Work Insulating Attics
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Flip a Strip Mall Redesign Winners Announced

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.15.08
Design & Architecture

urban battery scottsdale image

Strip malls are in trouble across North America as the economy tightens and people aren't filling their new houses with junk any more. Even when they were busy, they were not exactly the most efficient use of resources. Late last year the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) invited architects to determine what ideas they had for urban farming, live/work, revitalization of strip malls in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe. MOS architects of New Haven, Connecticut of all places, took first prize with its Urban Battery that charges us up with wind and solar power combined with a vertical algae farm.

Read more: Flip a Strip Mall Redesign Winners Announced
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