floatron, solar powered robotic floating pool cleaner

 In Stock  No Responses »
Jun 122012
 

One of the best ways to cool off during the hot summer months is taking a dip in the pool. But there is nothing worse than burning eyes, itchy skin and green hair as a result of spending all day in a pool full of cleaning chemicals. The floatron is a solar powered water purifier which mineralizes pool water, thereby reducing algae growth.

floatron purifies pool water by using mineral ions in place of harsh chemicals such as chlorine. This non-toxic purifier releases mineral ions into the water as it floats across swimming pools. While the mineral ions are harmless to you, they are 1000 times more effective at halting the growth of algae and other microorganisms, purifying water such that it falls within the EPA’s established drinking water standards. The unit is so safe that you can swim with it as it purifies.

Unlike chlorine, which quickly loses potency through sun exposure, the mineral ions remain effective for weeks without evaporating. Great for keeping water fresh in pools that are covered during the off-season, the purifier begins producing ions immediately after being placed in a pool under sun exposure. The unit produces ion levels sufficient for pool purification within two weeks (depending on pool volume). Yet, the floatron does not produce enough electrical current for electric shock, so no worries about getting the same zap the algae are feeling.

Mushrooms as the new styrofoam?

 Green Living  1 Response »
Oct 272011
 

Eben Bayer's sustainable plastic

I’ve been pondering the problem of plastics for the past few days and in my research I’ve discovered what some consider being the most menacing member of the plastic family.

Styrofoam.

Did you know that 20% of the waste in landfills is comprised of Styrofoam?  I remember using this material at parties in grade school, at church brunches, and family gatherings.  Styrofoam can support a whole meal, making cups, bowls, and plates.  Not to mention my last computer came padded in Styrofoam packaging, and come to think of it, so did my TV.

Now consider this:  Next time you sip out of a Styrofoam cup or take your new appliance out of the box, take a look at the white material in your hands.  This packaging is going to last longer than you.  When humans die, our bodies decompose and become part of the earth within the first 100 years.  Any Styrofoam that you’ve encountered in your life will still be around long after you’ve been dead and buried.

It’s a disturbing thought.  People talk about leaving behind a legacy.  Is this the legacy of our generation?

Looking for something to reaffirm my faith in  humanity I consulted TED Talks.  Here I found Eben Bayer, a man who asks “Are Mushrooms the new plastic?”

Bayer says they could be.  Using a part of the root system of mushrooms called Mycelium, Bayer and his collegues have been able to grow an insulating, fire resistant, vapor resistant alternative to plastic which can also absorb impact like Styrofoam.  This organic material is compostable, which allows it to fit into the natural recycling system of the natural world.  Bayer is proving that the great minds of our time are putting themselves to good use.

Sources:

http://www.ted.com/talks/eben_bayer_are_mushrooms_the_new_plastic.html

http://the-green-campaign.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-you-should-know-about-styrofoam.html

http://www.highcountryconservation.org/pdf/The%20Facts%20on%20Styrofoam.pdf

Images:

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-styrofoam-cup-image14196359

http://www.motherboard.tv/2010/12/2/now-mushrooms-can-be-turned-into-plastic

Spread sustainability with Pinterest

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Oct 272011
 

home decor branch design

Post your interests with Pinterest!

The community of social networkers is once again spreading it’s wings with a new social networking site called Pintrest.  Instead of sharing your status, posting personal pictures, or catching up with friends, Pinterest is a place where you can categorize pictures, hobbies, quotes, or articles from your favorite websites.

So what does this new social site have to do with sustainability?  As a place dedicated to sharing people’s interests, I’ve discovered a gold nugget of sustainable themed information, crafts, and images.

For instance, I signed into my account this afternoon only to discover that a friend had “pinned” an entry from a blog that described how to hang fallen yard branches from the ceiling for interior decorating purposes in her nursery.

Last week I came home to find my roommate struggling with an old picture frame in the living room.  Inspired by John Hardy’s innovative green school and their use of old car windshields as whiteboards, she told me she had seen a similar idea on Pinterest which involved putting recycled paper in an old picture frame to make a white board.  It’s now hanging in our living room.

Currently 29,443 boards exist on Pinterest showing the people who have created a space for keeping track of clever, sustainable, green living ideas.  These include sustainable household items, designs, fashion, poetry, pictures of bikes and alternate transportation, tips on gardening, and alternative crafts that are aimed at reusing and recycling.

With the wide wealth of information that is spread over the World Wide Web, Pinterest is a snazzy way for the sustainable community to spread ideas across the globe.

Sources:

http://pinterest.com/

http://www.makeandtakes.com/wipe-off-weekly-menu-board?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+allaboutthemakeandtakes+%28Make+and+Takes%29

http://dearlillieblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/hanging-branch-tutorial.html

Images:

 

http://dearlillieblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/hanging-branch-tutorial.html

http://www.faithfullyfrugal-and-free.com/2011/09/corny-halloween-crafts.html

Calorie Counting Parents (with the help of Big Brother)

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May 132011
 

Smiling for the Calorie Camera

“Whatcha got there for lunch?” Is what many parents Texas are wondering in regards to their children’s dietary habits. These parents are not packing their kids lunches though, no, instead they get a snapshot.

A calorie camera is being regarded as the “newest weapon in the fight against childhood obesity,” (CBS news reports).  This calorie camera takes a picture of every child’s meal tray as they go through the cafeteria line. The camera then takes another picture after the child is done eating, these two images are then sent to the parents. The technology will also calculate the number of calories consumed by the child and send this number to the parents with the pictures.

The cost of this calorie camera project is two million dollars and is being funded by the United States government.

Size, shape, color, and density are all taken into account. These cameras are so precise that they can calculate the calories in a leftover ounce of mashed potatoes; the consistency of the potatoes is taken into consideration in this calorie count for the most accurate reading. The camera’s calorie counting program has 7,500 food varieties currently installed.

As the Lone Star Texas News reports: “Smile, Texas schoolchildren. You’re on calorie camera.”

How would you feel if you, or your child, was subjected to calorie counting observation?

 

Sources:

http://lonestartexasnews.com/Calorie-Camera/9815013

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42994465/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/smile-kids-youre-calorie-camera/

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/05/12/cameras-capture-what-children-eat-at-school/

Images:

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/11/2868707/some-schoolkids-find-themselves.html

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/05/12/cameras-capture-what-children-eat-at-school/

http://nopolymon.blogspot.com/2010/04/big-government-cartoon-calorie-camera.html

Generate Power on a Walk around the Block

 What's Hot  1 Response »
Mar 022011
 

Power Generating Fabric Bristles

What happens when your walking to class and your ipod and cellphone dies?  How will you get enough battery life to call your mom back? What if you could plug your ipod or cellphone directly into your jacket or jeans. With microscopic bristles rubbing against one another with every heartbeat, every step, and every handshake you could become a walking power generator.

Georgia Tech developed the technology. The bristles are coated with zinc oxide nanowires that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. A square meter of this fabric could give your ipod the battery it needs to finish that playlist or give your cell the boost to finish the call, roughly 80 kilowatts of power.

“The two fibers scrub together just like two bottle brushes with their bristles touching, and the piezoelectric-semiconductor process converts the mechanical motion into electrical energy,” Said Professor Zhong Lin Wang who is overseeing the development of this technology at Georgia Tech.

The material could also be used in tents, curtains, awnings, umbrellas or anything else that is subject to mechanical movement by way of body, wind, or other.

We may very soon be on the verge of developing energy wherever we go. I have covered numerous innovations such as sweet and simple as this one. Combined, all of these technologies could be used to create a truly sustainable utopia. Have hope for the future.

Sources:

http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/20278/

http://medgadget.com/archives/2008/02/electricity_generating_fabric.html

Helpful Image

 Green Living  No Responses »
Jan 032011
 
cables

An image to help the modern tech basket case that is cable organization... No description necessary.

Source: http://observando.net/post/466525800

Buttonless Remote Control Innovations

 What's Hot  No Responses »
Dec 292010
 

Remote controls are old technology like VHS to Blue ray, the Wii, and X-box Kinect are the new new. Technology is getting farther away from the black plastic rectangle with buttons. What if you controlled your TV, and video games by paddling through water? Or the movement of a rocking chair. The following are two new innovative ideas to control your technology remote-free.

Channels: Paddling your hands through two buckets on either side of a seat you can control your position on the screen with this remote. The design is supposed to be very tactile, imagine changing the channel by simply splashing your hand in a pool of water.

Cadence Chair: This control is set in a “standard issue rocking chair” the prototype asks the user try to match the rhythm of the music playing by rocking in unison, if you do, a video will be unlocked.