Environment
Water recycling at the Bird's Nest
by Scott Bird23 Aug 2007
Sport and Technology has an interesting case study looking at the rainwater harvesting and recycling technologies being put in place for the Beijing National Stadium (pictured).
Shower Monitor
by Scott Bird22 Aug 2007
I like the idea behind this. An alarm sounds not after a certain time, but when a preset amount of water has been used. Excellent.
Blog Action Day
by Scott Bird20 Aug 2007
Via Get Rich Slowly : This is a very interesting idea - a number of high profile blogs are dedicating a day (October 15th) to writing on a single topic : the environment. Naturally there are many, many issues within that; I look forward to seeing which of them are tackled.
Devoting just one day to such a large cause may seem a little lacklustre, but it’s definitely a good start.
Solar-powered mouse
by Scott Bird7 Aug 2007
For the computer, that is.
Engadget points to a prototype (a product of the Syn-Energy programme of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) of a solar-powered mouse, the ‘Sole Mio’. Whilst the mouse isn’t anywhere near the top of the list as far as energy consumption is concerned, this is surely only the first of a long line-up of energy-efficient devices.
It’s a very interesting idea.
Cash for Cans
by Scott Bird6 Aug 2007
Many Australians will remember the ‘Cash for Cans’ schemes of the 1970s. These were simply sites where a bag of aluminium cans could be taken, weighed and sold back to the manufacturer. Around 20c per kilo, from memory.
Easter was a great time of year financially, with many people collecting enough cans from the Royal Easter Show to more than pay for the cost of admission. Beautiful.
Although the recycling situation in Australia is generally pretty good (with schemes such as the 3 bin one becoming common), there are still a number of areas that could be improved. One of these is the reintroduction of schemes such as ‘Cash for Cans’.
I wonder though, how many people would simply use the numerous public recycling bins as their source?
The bins are shrinking
by Scott Bird23 Jul 2007
From the start of October this year our local area will be using a 3 bin system for household waste and recycling. This system is helping people acquire a recycling mentality, and comprises :
- a 240 litre (53 gallon) bin for the widely known recyclable materials such as glass, paper and many forms of plastic, collected fortnightly
- a 240 litre (53 gallon) bin for garden waste, collected fortnightly
- a 140 litre (31 gallon) bin for household waste (anything not contained in the other 2 bins), collected weekly
In addition to these regular collections, the local council picks up any bulky items (whitegoods, furniture etc) twice per year.
This is definitely a move in the right direction, as it encourages people to further consider their recycling options. Up until now, the weekly waste collection revolved around a 240 litre bin; easily large enough to contain 7 days’ worth of almost anything.
Cheap as (silicon) chips
by Scott Bird15 Jul 2007
Current solar cells cost consumers around US$2.30 per watt. A team of Korean researchers has just slashed this to the bargain basement price of US$0.10 per watt. Beautiful.
Apple recycling
by Scott Bird14 Jul 2007
I love this time of year. Tax time, council pick-ups for larger items and a general clean-up around the place - it all has that superb ‘starting again’ feel.
Part of this cleanup inevitably involves disposing of a small pile of old computer gear (I seem to magically attract the stuff), and - in Sydney and Melbourne at least - Apple is helping out there. Perfect.
Global warming UK traffic goes to US sites
by Scott Bird9 Jul 2007
Hitwise shares a very interesting statistic - searches for the term ‘global warming’ are on the move.
Enertia
by Scott Bird9 Jul 2007
Via Engadget : I love the way this technology is going. The Enertia electric motorbike.
Solar-powered motorbike
by Scott Bird4 Jul 2007
Via TreeHugger : There’s still a fair bit of work to do, but as a concept I love this : a solar-powered motorbike from SunRed. The solar panels don’t power the engine directly; they fold out when the bike is parked and charge up a battery or two. Beautiful.
Utter Inn
by Scott Bird20 Jun 2007
Via Digg : Want to get really close to nature on your next vacation? How about a stay at Sweden’s Utter Inn, a floating (and underwater) hotel. After sunning yourself on the deck above the water, head down to your aquarium-like room below and watch the local marine life pass by.
Beautiful.
Waste Aware Scotland
by Scott Bird7 Jun 2007
I lived in Scotland for several years, and one of the many points of interest was the approach to waste reduction and recycling. For a peek at the many things which differ slightly from that in other countries (especially here in Australia), as well as the many which are the same, grab a free copy of the Waste Aware Scotland magazine - available as a free .pdf download each month.
Regardless of where you are in the world, there’s some valuable information here.
World Environment Day
by Scott Bird5 Jun 2007
Surprise champions of solar technology? The Amish.
by Scott Bird4 Jun 2007
Via Digg : In a move not altogether surprising from a group of people with self-sustainability as one of their stated goals, several Amish communities have turned to the sun to supply some of their energy needs. What may be surprising is the level of this take-up - an incredible 80% of Amish families in the Holmes County community (the largest in the US) are thought to have photovoltaic cells helping to supply their electricity needs. That’s an amazing take-up.
The Largest solar roof in Europe
by Scott Bird1 Jun 2007
Via Digg : the largest solar roof in Europe.
Putting drainage holes in stormwater pipes
by Scott Bird31 May 2007
There were a number of great ideas brought up on the Saving Water episode of the New Inventors last night. One of my favourites - that almost slipped by without comment - was a suggestion from Michael Mobbs (the man behind the Sustainable House) regarding stormwater.
As the excess rainwater from each household is diverted to a large series of drains in front of the property - and isn’t currently used, it simply travels back to the sea - he simply drilled a number of holes in this last section of pipe. The water is then taken up by lawns and trees in the street; negating the need to water them directly.
Brilliant, simple and reasonably inexpensive.
CETO
by Scott Bird28 May 2007
There is a rapidly growing collection of very interesting renewable energy technologies emerging. High on the list - particularly where wave power is concerned - is CETO.
CETO is based on an extremely simple, very powerful idea; that the motion of the sea has an enormous amount of untapped energy. The silent, unseen collection of CETO balloons aims to do just that.
How does it work? The diagram at left provides the basics of the idea; essentially the balloons (shown in red) are moved by the incoming and outgoing waves, and this motion is converted via the usual mechanisms into electricity. As a side benefit, seawater can be pumped ashore instead of electricity (at times of low electricity demand) ready to be desalinated using conventional techniques.
It’s a brilliantly simple setup.
Protecting yourself from phone radiation
by Scott Bird22 May 2007
Whilst the idea of mobile phones causing cancer doesn’t seem terribly likely, Swiss underwear manufacturer ISA bodywear isn’t taking any chances. Just in case.
Woodgas Pickup Truck
by Scott Bird17 May 2007
Via Laughing Squid : sitting somewhere between environmentalism and art - Chicken John’s Woodgas Pickup Truck.
How to green your baby
by Scott Bird15 May 2007
The latest guide from TreeHugger - How to green your baby - is a great read for any new parents.
Building a micro wind farm
by Scott Bird9 May 2007
Recently I considered the idea of purchasing a wind turbine for the house. Essentially a long metal pole with a propeller attached; mounted on the roof like a television aerial.
The only drawback here is the cost; still prohibitively high.
The idea of constructing a similar device began to creep in; and then I came across this - a micro wind farm developed in Hong Kong by none other than alternative energy pioneer, Lucien Gambarota.
Rather than re-inventing the wheel (quite literally) and building a similar device; has anyone successfully constructed an inexpensive device working on similar principles?
100 Mile Diet
by Scott Bird8 May 2007
If you’re a fan of locally-produced food (and when it comes to freshness, cost and simplicity it’s often hard to beat); check out 100 Mile Diet. Health, finance and environment benefits abound.
Big Belly
by Scott Bird7 May 2007
Big Belly. Solar-powered compaction.
Microgeneration
by Scott Bird3 May 2007
Tonight’s Catalyst had an interesting segment on microgeneration - essentially the generation of power by individuals and communities to meet their own needs.
It’s a great idea (and certainly not new), however the cost of the PV cells, wind turbines etc is prohibitive for most; consequently the take-up in Australia is pathetically small. The show discussed one strategy which is already working in several countries (notably Germany) - a ‘feed in’ tarrif.
The concept is simple; people are paid considerably more for contributing their excess power to the grid than other people are charged for this same electricity. This payment encourages a much more rapid take-up of microgeneration. Definitely a benefit for everyone.
Going Carbon Neutral
by Scott Bird30 Apr 2007
With the number of lifestyle changes going on here at the moment, the goal of carbon neutrality seems like a great one to add to the list. If you’ve ever wondered exactly what people mean when they talk of ‘going carbon neutral’, read on.
What is Carbon Neutral?
The concept is simple. We all know that there are a number of ways in which nearly everyone pollutes the atmosphere - via the cars we drive, the houses we live in and so on. Going ‘carbon neutral’ is just a matter of helping out renewable energy schemes (such as wind or solar farms) by purchasing ‘offsets’; or the amount of energy equivalent to the amount of pollution produced.
As you can see, this is not a final solution, but it’s a great step in the right direction.
Why bother?
There are a few advantages to doing this. The first is that it encourages you to take a closer look at the amount of energy you’re using. If you’re effectively imposing a tax on yourself, you’re likely to use less. Ride a bike to work occasionally, or install CFL or LED lights in your house.
A second is that you’re directly helping the development of renewable energy sources. Research into areas such as wind and solar energy collection is vital; particularly as these have the ability to be far more cost effective than current goal or gas power plants.
Thirdly, it’ll prepare you for the inevitable changes to a carbon-centric economy; where all carbon-based pollution is heavily taxed.
Great, how do I start?
There are five steps along the road to carbon neutrality. These are :
- Reduce your current emissions as much as possible. This not only has the advantage of lowering your energy bills short-term, it will minimise the number of carbon offsets you need to purchase.
- Choose which of your emissions you wish to offset. It’s up to you how many items you decide to offset; whether it’s the occasional ‘plane flight or everything that you do. Any offset is a positive step.
- Calculate the quantity of your emissions. Several online calculators are available for doing just this; David Suzuki’s site has a comprehensive list in his Carbon Neutral Resources section. Don’t worry too much about the slight differences between some of the results (some take into account just CO2 emissions, whilst others include additional greenhouse gases) - the important thing is just to get a sense of how much you’re producing overall.
- Purchase the necessary offsets. Once you’ve worked out how much to buy, there are a number of online sources which will let you do just this. Once again, David Suzuki has compiled a great list of these offset dealers.
- Review your strategy regularly. As with any ongoing financial commitment, take a look at it on a regular basis (once per year seems reasonable for emissions reduction, or at times of major change - such as the purchase of a new house). Recalculate and adjust as necessary.
This all sounds like a lot of work. Is it worth it?
The short answer : yes. Adjusting to anything while it’s still optional is, quite simply, easier. Another thing to bear in mind is that this doesn’t need to involve a major lifestyle change. Just cut down your energy usage a bit, save some money in the process, and purchase the occasional offset.
Regardless of the size of the change, any change is a step in the right direction. Carbon neutrality.
Volcano 55m years ago sparked global warming
by Scott Bird28 Apr 2007
Top 10 'green' buildings in US
by Scott Bird25 Apr 2007
Via Reuters :
In presenting the Top 10 Green Awards, the American Institute of Architects celebrated the best examples of sustainable architecture and environmental design.
It’s a very interesting list.
Vermiculture
by Scott Bird24 Apr 2007
Vermiculture, or worm-farming, is a fairly simple way to break down many kitchen scraps into material that your garden will love. In fact, for a couple of years now I’ve been using the same setup - a Can-O-Worms from Wiggly Wigglers - to do just that. Inexpensive, quick to set up and extremely low maintenance. Perfect.
A worm farm is really just a container filled with dirt, kitchen scraps and worms. At the base of many of them (including the Can-O-Worms) is a tap, ready to occasionally pour the rich liquid into a watering can; to be topped up with water and used on the garden. It’s a great fertiliser.
The process
I keep the worm farm outside, near the gardens it helps support. In the kitchen is a large ice-cream container (any container with a lid would do fine), to which is routinely added :
- tea bags
- coffee grounds
- vegetable peels
- fruit cores and rinds (other than citrus or banana)
There are many more things that could be added, but as a general rule : any kitchen waste is fine, apart from meat, bones or acidic materials (such as citrus fruits and banana skins). Small amounts of paper are also fine (but I usually recycle those in any case).
Once the container is full (every couple of days or so), it’s emptied into the top section of the Can-O-Worms (underneath the protective coir matting). When that layer of the Can-O-Worms is full, the entire layer is moved to the bottom of the worm farm and a new (empty) layer moved up into the top position. The worms will find their way into the new layer as soon as there’s food there to eat.
The amount of liquid in the bottom of the Can-O-Worms depends largely on the rain, but I’d say it gets emptied every 2-3 weeks or so. Pour it into a watering can, and dilute it with a large amount of water. The water should make up roughly 90% of the mix.
The benefit
There are two main benefits of worm farming. These are :
- ready-made garden fertiliser
- reduction in household waste
It’s the second reason that originally encouraged me to try it; the fertiliser is just a nice bonus. And the amount of kitchen waste I produce is significant - in coffee grounds alone. If you’re in a similar position, it’s well worth trying.
NB : If you live in a flat, smaller models are available for indoor use. As I haven’t tried any of these I don’t have any recommendations; but I’d love to hear about any that you try.
SolarRolls
by Scott Bird21 Apr 2007
Via Rainy Day Magazine : Just under 10 years ago I undertook about 6 months of the almost-obligatory backpacking that follows a few years of hard study. I often wonder just how many of today’s gadgets I would’ve carried with me had they been available back then - such as a digital camera, a notebook and a SolarRoll to keep them going.
The SolarRoll is exactly what the name implies; a number of photovoltaic cells put together in a flexible membrane that can be rolled up when not in use. Weighing less than half a kilogram and unfolding to just under 1.5 metres, the SolarRoll produces a respectable 14 watts of power - enough to power a laptop or digital camera. Perfect.
Solar facelift for CIS Tower
by Scott Bird21 Apr 2007
Via MetaEfficient : A Manchester skyscraper belonging to CIS Insurance recently had a particularly green facelift: thousands of failing mosaic tiles were replaced by photovoltaic cells.
The tiles produce a healthy 390kW per year; roughly enough to keep 100 computers going for that time. This power production is supported by 24 wind turbines located on the roof of the building, themselves contributing to the building’s energy needs to the tune of 10% . As a bonus, it looks great.
Free CFL lightbulbs
by Scott Bird18 Apr 2007
One of the current government-sponsored programs to reduce energy consumption - particularly relevant to the upcoming change in legislation on incandescent lights - enables householders to freely exchange all of their existing incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient Compact Fluorescent (CFL) ones.
Although I’m aware of the rapid improvements in LED technology which will undoubtedly see the widespread use of these lights in the very near future, the CLF globes are significantly more efficient than our current incandescent ones. As for concerns regarding their production and mercury content; they’ve already been manufactured and contain far less mercury than earlier versions. This is very much a win-win situation.
The incredible shrinking lake
by Scott Bird16 Apr 2007
Via Strange Maps : The incredible shrinking lake. Definitely something to think about.
Cement that conducts electricity
by Scott Bird13 Apr 2007
Via Digg : This is the type of invention that probably has far more uses than appear at a glance : cement that conducts electricity.
Self-healing house
by Scott Bird4 Apr 2007
Via Engadget : this is a very interesting idea - a house that repairs its own cracks; making it more tolerant of earthquakes.
The NARO car
by Scott Bird30 Mar 2007
Via TreeHugger : The NARO car is an interesting concept. Behaving in some ways similar to a motorbike, and with a fuel economy of up to 100mpg; this is definitely one to keep an eye on.
The answer, my friend
by Scott Bird29 Mar 2007
With around 12% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions emanating from cows, new research hopes that an improved diet can make drastic changes. Very interesting.
Global GMT
by Scott Bird26 Mar 2007
With the clocks going back here once again yesterday the Daily Telegraph has an interesting idea - why not make everyone around the world use GMT? This would make things much simpler for international communications, and people would quickly adapt to having their day begin and end at what now seem unusual times.
The only problem: the confusion caused by the change itself is enough to prevent something like this from happening any time soon. There would be as much chaos as if everyone was told to drive on the same side of the road from next Monday.
The Solar Chimney concept
by Scott Bird20 Mar 2007
Via The Energy Blog : this video [streaming, 11.5mb .flv download] is a great introduction to the concept of a Solar Chimney. Although it is based on a pilot project from almost 7 years ago, the technology still has an important future. Very interesting.
The end of PFOA?
by Scott Bird10 Mar 2007
PFOA - perfluorooctanoic or pentadecafluorooctanoic acid - is the ‘non stick’ surface used on various kitchen items. It’s perhaps most widely known under the brand name Teflon. Consumer and environmental organisations such as the EPA and NICNAS have called for PFOA to be banned.
The changes are, unfortunately, progressing slowly. DuPont, for example, isn’t expected to end production of the chemical until 2015. In the meantime, are you going to keep using items coated with PFOA?
Making your own biodiesel
by Scott Bird10 Mar 2007
Via Digg : How to make your own biodiesel. Not a bad idea at all (for those who already have diesel-powered cars, at least).
Sliver cells
by Scott Bird9 Mar 2007
Caught an interesting story on last night’s Catalyst regarding the development of Sliver Cells - Solar Cells that use a massive 90% less silicon, are flexible (allowing uses on things like clothing) and operate at greater efficiency than current photovoltaic cells. Developed by the ANU, they’re being heavily tested by Origin Energy and should be in widespread use within 2-3 years. Superb.
California rains followed by quakes
by Scott Bird9 Mar 2007
Photo © Thomas Hawk
NewScientist magazine has a very interesting piece on the apparent link between rains in California and earthquakes there a few months later. Definite food for thought.Voltaic Systems Solar Backpack
by Scott Bird1 Mar 2007
These look great - and will be even nicer once they have the ability to charge a laptop. A MacBook Pro, preferably.
$25M prize for removing greenhouse gases
by Scott Bird10 Feb 2007
This is great. Richard Branson has put up a $25 million prize for eradicating a significant quantity of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. This doesn't simply mean reducing emissions, or the current practice of merely burying the offending gases; but finding ways to convert/destroy the gases which are added to the atmosphere each year.
The prize is up for grabs until 2010, and longer if necessary. Superb.
Current thinking on climate change
by Scott Bird1 Feb 2007
A little under a year ago I returned to Sydney, Australia, following 4 cooling years in the UK. In the space of a day I moved from a mild Autumn to a notably warm Spring. I expected my body to take a few weeks to become re-adapted to the warmer surroundings. That re-adaptation hasn't yet been completed.
Now, at the beginning of February, temperatures here are beginning to cool. The peaks of 40C have come down to the high 20s or low 30s. Following 40 degrees, 30 feels more than reasonable.
Yet things don't seem to be back to normal; at least they don't seem to be the way they were when I was growing up. There are more bushfires, the country has been in drought for over 6 years (and many places have been living with water restrictions for much of that time) and the cooling winds of the evening now seem to be just as hot as those throughout the day. Sydney is still a great place to live, but the climate is just a little more hostile.
The problem with climate change at the moment is that it's still considered by many to be a fringe issue. It's politicised at best; ignored at worst. Rather than a majority of people - or at least the mainstream media - saying 'This is a problem that needs to be addressed, regardless of the cause', the typical coverage seems to be along the lines of 'it's bad, isn't it' or nothing at all. There isn't yet much in the way of public debate.
If you're sitting there thinking 'there's not a lot that one person can do', there's one thing to keep in mind. Quite apart from any direct environmental action, or taking a particular stance and sticking to it regardless, the biggest thing that you can do right now is a simple one :
Talk about it.
From fuel to flames
by Scott Bird15 Sep 2006 Researchers at Italy's University of Messina look set to be the first to successfully turn carbon dioxide into useful hydrocarbons. A viable solution could be developed within a decade. A step in the right direction? Definitely.
The real Sim City
by Scott Bird24 Jun 2006
There's an interesting piece on BBC News outlining how the game Sim City was a large part of the inspiration for MetroQuest; a software application that enables town planning on a much larger scale (and using real cities). Great stuff.
Dead Sea shrinking
by Scott Bird5 May 2006
The Dead Sea, the world's saltiest body of water and the lowest point on Earth, is shrinking. The water which once flowed into the sea from the River Jordan has been diverted many times over the years for hydro-electric and farming projects.
The water level is now dropping by a metre per year.
Of the proposed solutions, the one currently getting attention is to construct a canal which would transport water from the Red Sea, roughly 200km away. On the face of it, this strikes me as being a rather odd move; doing little other than buying time. However, it may be the only short-term solution which appeases the several countries involved (Syria, Jordan and Israel have all used the diverted water for various projects).
Natural lighting
by Scott Bird13 Apr 2006
The basic design of the light bulb hasn't changed much in the past 130 years. With electric lighting responsible for a large share of global energy consumption (more than 20% of electricity used in US buildings alone is for lighting), researchers have been looking for ways to reduce that.
Enter the OLED.
OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) aren't new - they've been used in various phones and mp3 players for a while now - but they've never been ready to compete with traditional electric light bulbs. OLEDs work by combining red, green and blue light to produce white. Until recently, the blue pigments used were too short-lived to make large-area lighting practical. However, a new pigment looks set to change that - and the next few years of research should be extremely interesting.
Why would we want OLED lighting? For one, minimal heat is produced in the creation of light. This could see large, thin, flexible light panels rather than the traditional bulbs. I can hear the buzzing of interior designers everywhere.
The minimal heat expenditure also means energy savings. As nearly all of the electricity used to power the lights is involved in the production of light, less is required overall. A great situation for all.
Meltdown
by Scott Bird14 Mar 2006
Ah, the power of distributed computing. A documentary tonight on the prediction of climate change introduced a piece of software which hopes to produce far more accurate models than those currently held. Functioning in a manner similar to that of the SETI screensaver (the idea actually came from early discussions with the SETI aplication developers), the first batch of data will be analysed and presented in May this year. Naturally the project will continue well past that point.
To download the software, as well as find out more about the project, take a look at the BBC's climate change site.
Norway's 'Doomsday Vault'
by Scott Bird12 Jan 2006 Norway has revealed plans to construct a massive 'Doomsday Vault' in order to preserve some 2,000,000 seeds in case of a major environmental collapse. The vault, hewn from an Arctic mountain on the island of Spitsbergen, will be protected by permafrost, concrete reinforcing and a generally remote location. At only 600 miles from the North Pole, the only inhabitants of the area for much of the year are polar bears. A similar plan was first put forward in the 1980s, however this was thwarted by the Soviet Union's access to Spitsbergen. Work on the currently planned vault should begin next year.
Waste
by Scott Bird20 Sep 2005
Having been part of a recycling culture for many years it was natural to look for various recycling options as soon as I moved house. Unfortunately the council's waste collection service - which includes a recycling initiative - doesn't currently extend to my street, which leaves me with the following possibilities for the next year or so :
Ignore it
This seems to be the most common approach in the area, and households with as few as two people are easily filling a 240 litre bin with waste each week. Not desirable at all.
Local supermarket
The nearest large supermarket (currently a reasonable-sized Morrisons) has recycling bins for glass, aluminium cans and paper. With a car this might be a realistic option; without any other transport available (at least not near the supermarket) the alternative is a 30 minute walk. Whilst I don't mind the walk at all, the idea of carting boxes/bags of recyclable materials inspires me less.
Local recycling centres
Unfortunately these are situated in locations that also necessitate use of a car. As these are often in industrial estates, there are very rarely any public transport options and no residents within easy walking distance of them.
Vermiculture
With the recycling of glass, plastic and cans not viable at the moment, I make sure that other areas of waste are addressed. One of these is the conversion of much kitchen waste into compost with the assistance of some ever-hungry worms. Not only does this produce a rich material that can be used within the garden, it also reduces the amount of material by 70-80%.
Composting
In addition to the worm farm mentioned above, a simple compost bin performs similar magic on larger items and garden waste (plant cuttings, grass clippings etc).
Plastic bags
The bulk of plastic bags currently obtained are from Tesco grocery deliveries, and these are collected by the driver on the following visit. Other bags, unfortunately, are among the few contributors to the waste materials that end up in the main bin each week.
Water
Using the Jacob Jensen rain guage I purchased a while ago I'm keeping an eye on local rainfall, in the hope that there'll be enough water hitting the roof to catch and reuse. Although I'm yet to see any heavy rain here, at least the little which does fall is relatively frequent.
Naturally, the most effective measure is to reduce the initial creation of waste. In the kitchen this has been happening for some time, and the making of things like stocks use up a lot of vegetables that would otherwise be thrown away. Anything remaining becomes worm food.
Elsewhere, well it's an ongoing change.
Measuring rainfall
by Scott Bird13 Sep 2005
Glasgow's managed to acquire a reputation for many things, though being consistently sunny and dry isn't among them. To find out just how much rain it gets - at least in my tiny piece of it - I'll be using a cool-looking rain guage from Denmark's Jacob Jensen. With a wireless range of 20-30m (easily enough for my current yard) between collector and display unit, this is much more fun than an estimate using a bucket and ruler.
Not to mention far, far more accurate.
Hopefully the amount of rain (proper, heavy stuff - not the pathetic drizzle that seems to herald the opening of umbrellas right across the UK) will be worth catching; and reusing.
Running on air
by Scott Bird4 Apr 2005
Compressed air, that is. Korean car manufacturer Energine has developed a hybrid car featuring an electric motor partnered with an engine which runs solely on compressed air. The compressed air will power the car at low speeds, and the electric engine will kick in once the car reaches 20-25kmh (32-40mih).
The PHEV (Pneumatic Hybrid Electric Vehicle) uses a 48 volt battery both to compress the air and to power the electric engine. As there is no need to construct a cooling system, fuel tank or many other components the manufacturing costs of the car are about 20% lower than an equivalent petrol-driven vehicle. Despite this, however, it will only be once a major manufacturer throws its weight behind the project that you'll start seeing a PHEV or two on the streets.
And that could be a long, long time.
Corn discs
by Scott Bird5 Nov 2004 Pioneer engineers have developed the world's first Blu-Ray discs made of corn. The corn discs - which hold a healthy 25 gb each - are made of 87% corn, and biodegrade. For those considering biting into the disc, it's covered with a 0.1mm layer of resin that will stop even the strongest teeth. Despite that, once the discs are released it will be interesting to see how many cooking experiments start taking place. Putting one in the microwave is certainly an interesting option.
News from the sun
by Scott Bird8 Aug 2004
It isn't often that the worlds of energy efficiency and advertising come together, yet a product from Tokyo-based MSK Corporation looks set to change that. MSK in conjunction with chemical company Kaneka has developed PV-TV, a photovoltaic panel which can also act as a glazing element and a video screen.
Finally a way to cover the outside of glass office buildings with constantly changing advertisements.
Crunch
by Scott Bird22 May 2004
Whilst out walking this morning I heard an unusual crunching sound as a car ran over something on the road behind me. Turning to see what it was, I saw the remains of a pigeon - it had been well and truly killed by the first impact - getting repeatedly struck by the cars following the first; without slowing down or reacting in any way.
A couple of hours later, further along the same road, a truck carrying a load of rubbish lost an empty cardboard box. Each car behind the truck slowed down and carefully either avoided or crushed the box before continuing.
An interesting, though perhaps understandable, set of priorities.
Return of the wind
by Scott Bird4 Nov 2003
Over the past few days here there's been a gradual increase in the intensity of the wind. From a gentle breeze it has become strong enough to knock old women off their feet, and it's made me glad that I have a reasonably heavy (and stable) camera.
And that I'm not an old woman.
Supermarket Car Parks
by Scott Bird20 Oct 2003
The supermarkets near my house, in fact most of the large suburban supermarkets I have seen here, are all surrounded by giant black moat-like car parks. If you want to walk to a supermarket (not an unreasonable idea given the fact that they are always in areas where there are lots of people) it is necessary to navigate this maze of slow-moving traffic each time you want to buy a loaf of bread.
What amazes me is not the fact that these car parks exist - there are always reasons why some people drive to the supermarket, such as buying large or heavy items - but rather that their size and placement indicate that the supermarket owners expect people to drive there. What ever happened to walking?
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