Ted Baer has created a series of small windmills designed for third world use over a period of three decades. This first in the series has evoved in simplicity and power. The aluminum vanes are constructed from a building flashing roll utilizing the pre-existing bend of the roll in construction. Two 16 " sections are rivited together to make one vane. The vanes clip on the spokes of the bicycle wheel using a "bent nail" and a bend in the vane. Detailed pictures will be provided shortly. The generator is a surplus permanent magnet motor and the endless belting is purchased to length from online sources.

Output is a respectable 2 amps at 12 mph providing a cost effective alternative to a solar photovoltaic panels (if wind is available). The total cost of the windmill is less than $80 purchasing most items new (off-the-shelf).
www.instructables.com

Ann Elliott Cutting for TIME

---

As any avid bad colonies reader will attest, the exclusion of Inhabitat is a bit of a travesty. Oh well, some good new sites in this list and some old favorites.

---

Grist
Treehugger
Dot Earth (NY Times)
The Guardian
Real Climate
Environmental Capital
No Impact Man
Ecogeek
Ecorazzi
Switchboard
Mongabay
Climate Ethics
Climate Progress
World Changing
Planet Ark

Ecocho is a new search engine trying to make a difference for climate change.
For every 1000 searches users make on Ecocho we'll counter balances or "offset" up to a ton of greenhouse gases. We do this by sponsoring two trees via advertising on the site.
Imagine searching the web and saving the planet at the same time. How does that work? Glad you asked.

Ecocho is a free service, and it's one of the easiest ways people can change everyday behaviour to make a positive impact on the environment.

It allows you to search the web using your favourite search engine technology (Yahoo or Google) and reduce greenhouse gases as you do it.

* Each time you use ecocho as your search engine, you'll be helping to slow climate change.

* How? For every 1000 searches that users make on ecocho.com, up to two trees will be grown to offset carbon pollution emissions

* Switching to ecocho.com doesn't alter or slow your search. Search results are displayed via technology you already know and trust - Yahoo and Google

* ecocho.com is the world's first known search engine that enables users to offset their own carbon emissions for free

* ecocho.com is an international initiative to reduce global warming. The service is multi-lingual and is being rolled out globally.

* Trees are grown via official Government-accredited projects.

* KPMG will run quarterly and final year-end audits on the amount of carbon credits purchased and "retired" by ecocho

* Yahoo and Google have both given their support to the project, contributing the search results for the site

* ecocho.com aims to contribute 70 per cent of revenue back into carbon offset credits, for the growth of trees

* Now everyone can help reduce global warming by switching to ecocho.com as their internet search engine

Start searching now - www.ecocho.com

Image from www.sustainingfuture.blogspot.com

The traditional concept of farming may soon be taking a new twist. Up until now, most people have envisioned farms as outdoor sprawling fields located in the country, but in the future, the picture may be replaced with a citified version of three dimensional “farms” that will be located right on busy city streets inside tall buildings, with one “field” stacked floor after floor on top of the other in order to make the best use of dwindling resources and space.
The Concept

If this vision of the future (referred to in modern agricultural circles as vertical farms) sounds complicated, that’s because it is. Basically, the premise is to use agricultural methods within urban high-rise buildings to raise fruit, vegetables, fish and livestock, which can be used to feed city residents. The farms would rely on rooftop solar panels and advanced technology to capture evaporating water in order to support their operations, so they wouldn’t need to diminish the supply of other valuable resources in order to exist.

Full article at www.gogreen.whatitcosts.com
More info at www.verticalfarm.com

ZAP stands for Zero Air Pollution®.
With its new product offerings, the Company is positioned to become a leading brand and distribution portal of advanced technology vehicles. ZAP is committed to running its business based on a strong philosophical foundation that supports the environment, social responsibility and profitability.

Zap Corporate Team PhotoZAP's Strategy
ZAP's strategy is to serve the growing and underrepresented consumer that seeks fuel efficient vehicles. With the recent increases in the cost of oil and increasing concern about the environment and the effects of global warming, we believe there is a large and untapped demand in the areas of transportation and consumer products. ZAP believes a similar opportunity is present today, enhanced by heightened environmental awareness, climate changes and economic pressures. ZAP has assembled a complete line of products to meet the growing demands of the environmentally conscious consumer focused on two primary businesses: ZAP Electric Vehicles and ZAP Recharge-It-All. We also conduct certain portions of our business through the following wholly-owned subsidiaries: Voltage Vehicles, ZAPWorld Stores, Inc., ZAP Manufacturing, Inc. and ZAP Rental Outlet.

www.zapworld.com
and yes for the web savy, Zap is using drupal for their website. The very same that powers bad colonies, trendy.

Purdue scientists have released a high-resolution map of American per-capita carbon dioxide emissions to Wired.com. It shows the amount of carbon dioxide produced in 100 square kilometer regions of the United States divided by the number of residents in that area. You can download the full eight megabyte ultra-high-resolution file here.

The work provides unprecedented resolution into U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. After all, a single large city like Houston can sprawl over 1,500 square kilometers. It comes as President Bush, in a major policy reversal, prepares to announce a new plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that critics say is not likely to go far enough in curbing greenhouse gases. Purdue scientists have released a high-resolution map of American per-capita carbon dioxide emissions to Wired.com. It shows the amount of carbon dioxide produced in 100 square kilometer regions of the United States divided by the number of residents in that area. You can download the full eight megabyte ultra-high-resolution file here.

The work provides unprecedented resolution into U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. After all, a single large city like Houston can sprawl over 1,500 square kilometers. It comes as President Bush, in a major policy reversal, prepares to announce a new plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that critics say is not likely to go far enough in curbing greenhouse gases.

www.wired.com

For our good friend on the other side of the pond, Andy.

US Biotech firm Solazyme unveiled an algae-fueled Mercedes C320 at the Sundance Film Festival in January marking the first real-world road test of biodiesel made from algae. Solazyme president and CTO Harrison Dillon said the Sundance test drive responds to “the need for a near-term solution that will also be cost effective and sustainable. Our technology combines all the key components: low carbon footprint, environmental sustainability, certified compatibility with existing vehicles and infrastructure, and energy security for our country,” in a press release. The company has since coupled with the Chevron Corporation and plan on producing algae-derived fuels for consumer use in the next three years.

Solazyme grows algae in fermentation tanks without sunlight, by feeding it sugar. Algae suitable for biofuels can be grown in open ponds or lakes or enclosed in heated greenhouse structures to promote year-long growth. And since the production of algae doesn’t hinder food and livestock feed production like corn and soybeans, its effect on the ecosystem and the food chain is significantly reduced.

www.inhabitat.com

The idea is simple: Take the carbon dioxide from a power plant, and instead of trapping it underneath the ground, you could sequester it into commonly used, and quite resilient, products. Carbon based plastics are already sold each year, so they are not a new product. However, using emissions to create those plastics is a new and exciting idea. And, according to Thomas E. Müller, the process of taking CO2 and turning into plastics could be a relatively cheap process.

This process could be adopted sooner than you think. However, don’t expect this to be the ultimate solution. Even if there was no potential of increasing the waste problem by creating more disposable items, the emissions problem would not be solved. “Using CO2 to create polycarbonates might not solve the total carbon dioxide problem, but it could be a significant contribution.” said Müller.

Originally posted on www.inhabitat.com
More at www.physorg.com