green
House of Hay
BaleHaus - A domestic “carbon bank”
Living more sustainably requires us to develop ways to:live within our environmental means - especially in relation to our carbon footprint;
maintain a healthy and comfortable quality of life;
build strong communities.
BaleHaus addresses these three challenges in a number of ways and offers a straightforward and practical way to reduce our footprint on the earth, without the need for an “eco-guilt trip”.
A Lifetime of Low Carbon
The BaleHaus uses ModCell Straw cladding panels, to provide a super-insulated home, made from locally available materials that are designed to be dismantled, re-used and recycled at the end of a typical 75+ year life. This super insulating system meets the PassivHaus specification for zero heat homes.
A conventional house designed to today's Building Regulations will emit ca. 3.1 tonnes of CO2 per year. The BaleHaus, however, reduces its heating demand by 80%. It does this through the super-insulation provided by ModCell, high performance triple glazing combined with airtight construction, passive design techniques and heat recovery ventilation in winter. A BioMass boiler combined with a solar domestic hot water system to each house supply the remaining heat requirement for water heating. Energy efficient electrical fittings and appliances in combination with passive design and good daylight levels reduce the electrical demand by 19%. These measures mean the Balehaus' carbon emissions are reduced to 1.6 tonnes per year, a saving of almost 50%.
Algae Hydrogen Balloon Fuel by 20/2 Collaborative
While the hydrogen fuel cell might not be viable for commercial vehicles for years, here’s some hope for the promising element. A group of Philadelphia-based creatives known as the 20/2 Collaborative have designed a unique concept that enables on-site production and distribution of biologically produced hydrogen fuel for vehicles. This plan mixes algae ponds with floating balloons to integrate fuel production and distribution into the local landscape, and allow the renewable fuel to be created and distributed from the same place. This may sound a little complicated, but the renderings sure look amazing. Who knew that fuel production could look like so much fun?
www.inhabitat.com
Wake Up and Smell the Planet
What's that you're asking? Why should you buy Wake Up and Smell the Planet? We'll give you 8.5 good reasons:
1. You'll always have answers to the peskiest eco-questions at your fingertips.
2. It's better than The Secret.
3. Little-known fact: a book uses only half the electricity of a computer!
4. Buy it for your friends, to spread the green love.
5. It makes a handy flotation device.
6. Where else can you get the real dirt on the Jolly Green Giant?
7. Books make you look wicked smaht.
8. Did we mention you'll always have answers to the peskiest eco-questions at your fingertips?
Green your Gadgets
Our drive and desire to pioneer a line of rugged power sources led to the introduction of the first flexible solar panel, the SolarRoll. Since then, the evolution of this concept has flourished. Backed by glowing reviews in every major magazine and newspaper in this country and others, the SolarRoll has officially taken its place as one of our most talked about products. The proof, though, is in the remarkable performance. The waterproof SolarRoll has given sea kayakers the power to photograph their voyages from the far reaches of the planet. And next spring, it will assist Ed Viesturs in his final summit, Annapurna, as he polishes off the last peak of Endeavor 8000. Ideal for powering satellite phones, members of expeditions worldwide pack the SolarRoll in place of expensive extra batteries that don’t offer much relief in the form of weight. We realize however, that not everyone is defying the ordinary. Some of us simply need the SolarRoll for charging our car battery or running our video camera. With this in mind, we’re offering alternative sizes and outputs this year to accommodate the growing demand for our most popular solar panel.
www.brunton.com
Order Your 300 MPG Jetsonmobile Today
The Typ-1e and the Typ-1h
Underneath the sweeping lines of the aerodynamic shell, the Typ-1 hides some very well thought-out technology to make the driving experience comfortable and safe as well as being incredibly fuel efficient.
The all-electric model has a range of 120 miles with a regenerative braking system operational through the rear wheel in addition to full dual system hydraulic brakes front and rear. Despite the prevailing attitudes towards the performance of electric vehicles the Typ-1e is by no means sluggish – it achieves a top speed of 90mph and accelerates from 0-60 in around 10 seconds. The Typ-1h hybrid version significantly steps up the range covering more than 600 miles with fuel economy at a staggering 300 miles per gallon.
www.gizmag.com
