MakeHeat

We may be getting close to negotiations between the U.S., Israel and the Palestinians. While we wait for those talks to begin, we can at least partner on other, less politically volatile things, right?

Images: University of Applied Sciences in Detmold

Like the unassuming but architecturally versatile shipping pallet, a lot can be done with a humble beer crate. Well, maybe make that 2,000 beer crates, like this colourful, temporary experimental pavilion called Boxel, created by digital design students from the University of Applied Sciences in Detmold, Germany. …Read the full story on TreeHugger

Best Solar LED Lawn And Garden Lights

Since LEDs are an efficient light source and draw far less power than traditional bulbs, they are perfect for off-the-grid applications where solar cells charge a battery that powers the lamp. Large-scale applications of this concept include LED road lane markers, but smaller-scale projects like lighting your lawn or garden are perfect uses for them as well.

Keep in mind that most solar LED lights simply won’t be as blazingly bright as a wired halogen lamp, but they can be an efficient and convenient way to illuminate your outdoor spaces – especially in areas where you want to avoid the hassle or expense of wiring.

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Photo: GM

Don’t Let More Air In Than You Need
There are all kinds of tricks to make cars more aerodynamic (and thus more fuel-efficient- here’s an extreme DIY example). One of those tricks is to have a variable geometry air shutter at the front of the vehicle to let more air in when the engine needs cooling, and to reduce wind drag by letting less air in at higher speeds or when the engine doesn’t need cooling. Check out the video below….Read the full story on TreeHugger

Using a filter to keep calcium scale off your A/C fins and “flash evaporation” to cool the surrounding air, you can achieve up to a 30% decrease in your cooling bills!  Great idea, marketed by RealGoods

Air Conditioner Conservation Device – Cooling – Air Quality & Climate Control – Home & Outdoor – Real Goods.

With the healthcare issues out of the way, let’s hope that our President is reading the paper and will get on the stick to get more jobs in the green sector, because…

China Is Alternative Energy World Leader, Doubled US Investment Last Year | Green Stocks Central.

PSC OKs renewable energy effort | Rochester Business Journal New York business news and information.

Here’s a picture I stumbled across that looks pretty optimistic:  The supposed area needed by 2030 to supply power to all of the world.  Looks great, need more information, though.  If this is true, in the USA at least, one would think that solar panels on every roof and (oh here he goes again with the parking lots!) covering every parking lot would “solve all of our power problems”.  I’m curious if this is all the electrical power needs, or if – in a perfect world – this would be able to power the vehichles, the kilns and furnaces needed for various manufacturing, including solar panels, heating, cooling, water purification, etc.?  UPDATE: Found the postulation here:http://www.landartgenerator.org/blagi/archives/127 .  Great comments – worth a perusal with a cup of solar tea…

Picture-519.png 996×734.

Site Watch: Ecobuild is a site to keep in your roster of places to find new items in the green field.  Would love to go there myself, but the flight would be the least of my worries.  Let’s just say I’m doing my part by using my laptop to catch up on the latest, rather than spewing tonnes of carbon by going there in person.  Hope the site is iPad friendly (more wishful thinking on my part!).

Ecobuild – Products.

Heating and Cooling Options for the Environmentally Sensitive

via Heating and Cooling Options for the Environmentally Sensitive.