Green Poo!

This article comes from Greenmuze and was written by Trevor Williams, who is a member of the Greenmuze staff. He was able to base this article off of an article from FastCompany. The photos come from iStockphotos and UNESCOSat. UNESCOSat is the program within the United Nations that is attempting to launch satellites that are powered by human feces. The satellites hope to be launched by 2011. The idea roots from Shewanella bacteria digesting human waste and liberating hydrogen that can be passed through a fuel cell with oxygen, creating energy through an electric current. It also creates water as a by-product. This a very confusing and complicated idea that is difficult to understand, however, it is supposedly effective. Human waste is always a concern while people are in space because people are always concerned about where to dispose of it. Because of this, the idea arose to use the excrement for fuel and energy uses. The idea will cost roughly $5 million to experiment with, and is part of an educational program with the United Nations. They will study this under space radiation, so they can discover the potential effects of radiation on the bacteria used for energy. The program is estimated to be operational for five years. The one issue concerning scientists experimenting with the feces is that the bacteria could potentially mutate to being harmful, rather than helpful. This is a very interesting and innovative environmentally-friendly idea that relates to the idea of environmental science, and it's attempt to gather as many green ideas that could have a positive impact on the future generations.

Chill couch, literally.

             A new line of couches has been designed to be environmentally conscious. The couches are made from recycled refrigerators, making them "cool" in more than one way. The cushions are also green, being made out of recycled car seats. Thea article was found by the GreenMuze staff on the Fridge Couch website. The Canadian Designer, Adrian Johnson, designed this product, successfully attempting to combine modern day couch designs with environmentally friendly ideas.
            “Fridgecouch has become a purpose for me, a chance to bring recycling to people in a way they never imagined. But it's only the beginning. Design never stops, and where there's a will there's always a way,” explains Johnson. This quote successfully envelopes all the aspects of the never-ending attempt to bring more environmentally friendly ideas into the world. Johnson portrays an optimistic perspective on the present of leading a greener life, as well as the future.
               The couch has a built-in table that comes of the left side of the couch, as well as arm-rests on both sides of the couch. The couch combines an interesting design with thoughtful environmental ideas, evident by the images. The seat belts are still noticeably on the car seat. It is not specified whether they become an issue of comfort during relaxation.
                  This applies to class because it is an innovative idea that can have a positive impact on the environment. It shows that new ideas are becoming more prevalent, as well as shows that products can be just as easily created to be environmentally conscious, while still maintaining a flattering look and necessary comfort.

                I applaud the pioneer that Mr. Johnson is, and hope that many people will follow in his path in trying to come up with creative, helpful, and green ideas! The images were taken from the Fridge Couch website.

Environmentally friendly tractor!

The Greenmuze staff acquired this article from "Designblog". The photo was taken by the staff at Designblog. The picture is of a newly designed tractor. The "Deuterium" tractor is designed by Prithu Paul and Ankit Kumar and was developed in India. This is meant to help with the environmental movement. The tractor contains embedded nano solar cells to help trap solar energy. The tractor would not only help the environment, but would also be much more convenient and user-friendly. For example, the tractor does not require human operation. Also, it adjusts to the path through a sensor mechanism. It also contains a vacuum powered suction that can pull equipment, as well as a retractable axial shift technique to adjust to ground clearance. It can also adjust the length of the vehicle. Another advantage to the Deuterium is the detachable and deplorable roller bots attached at the bottom of the tractor. They can provide topographical assessments, as well as collect other data. This addition runs on hydrogen fuel cells, thus sustaining an environmentally-friendly theme. The tractor also contains a vent for air circulation, with the hopes that it will provide even more sustainable energy sources. The product also contains a rear camera for monitoring, as well as a head lamp for convenience. It has a 360 degree light, in addition to solar panels around the entire tractor. These additions provide 24 hour usage. The Deuterium is a sensible, convenient, safe, and green product that could help change the way people approach farming. This has the potential to be an extremely successful product and I hope it is able to become widespread. It applies to the ongoing discussions on new environmentally-friendly ideas and even helps with the continuous issue of supply and demand.

Awesome, Green Dorms in France!

In France, dorms are being made from recycled shipping containers. They are extremely interesting looking. The dorms allow a lot of different environmental advantages. For example, they are made from recycled metal from shipping containers, that otherwise would serve no purpose. They also have large windows, providing an abundance of natural light. The dorms are more spacious than they look, having bathrooms, bedrooms, storage spaces, hallways, and balconies. These dorms are much more environmentally friendly than regularly built dorms, and will hopefully start a trend in the construction of dorms. This applies to our class because we are constantly looking for effective ways to help the environment. This would have a major positive impact on the environment. In addition to all of the positive effects of the dorms, they also are very intriguing looking! I hope that this becomes a major trend throughout the world, and hopefully spreads to America soon. The article was compiled and written by the staff at www.greenmuze.com.

Bright Automotive is making transportation advances!

Bright Automotive is making major strides in the attempt to find more environmentally friendly vehicles. They are engineering a hybrid plug-in electric fleet vehicle. This is much more appealing to Americans due to the fact that it is larger in size. This is part of an American attempt to become as environmentally efficient as many European countries have come to be. Bright Automotive is a company based in Anderson, Indiana is working on a van-sized vehicle that is as fuel-efficient as a "Smart Car." This van is a plug-in vehicle that is named IDEA, it could potentially eliminate thousands of pounds off the weight of a typical American van. The founder of the company, John Waters, became a supporter of electric cars in the 1990s, and has been trying to make strides in the field ever since. General Motors has contributed a $5 Million investment, in hopes that the environmentally friendly cars will become a great success. Waters hopes that IDEA will become a very commercial product within the next few years.Waters utilizes many lighter, high-strength materials in the designing of the van, however, prevented reducing cargo room.The IDEA is projected to get 36-38 miles per gallon, as opposed to the average 12-19 miles per gallon of a typical van. This relates to what we are studying, because we are constantly discussing environmentally efficient methods and products. I think it is great that companies are really making strides in the advancing of vehicles and fueling methods. Hopefully, vehicles similar to this become more popular and make our country more environmentally friendly!

Chicago School going green!

http://www.edutopia.org/going-green

I was searching for good articles about environmental advancements or any interesting things about being green when I discovered this article. This discusses a Kindergarten to eighth grade school in the Southwest side of Chicago that is very environmentally friendly. One of the most notable environmentally conscious editions to this large elementary school is the massive windows that allows natural light to reflect off the scuff-proof floors to cut down on expensive lighting. Natural light is used in a large way at this school. Also, the bluish-green doors are made of recycled glass. In addition, on the roof of this three-story building are drought-resisting plants. These plants serve as an educational purpose for the students, as well as providing insulation for the building. Julie Chamlin, the project manager, attempted to meet all environmental standards when designing the building. Solar panels are also being installed upon the roof. Each classroom at the school contains large windows as well, providing more natural light. The curriculum at the school also provides the school with an education on the environment and how to live a more green life.

This pertains to what we are currently studying in Environmental Science in many ways. We are learning about how the environment can be better preserved and possible methods, and this school in Chicago is utilizing many methods. This school is effectively educating their students on the environment and using a green curriculum to help our future generations uphold the environment.