Green Thinking for the Average Joe » inventions http://www.ecojoes.com Environmental news, eco-friendly experiments, and green mess Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:07:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Alex Chiu Does it again – Perpetual Motion Machine http://www.ecojoes.com/alex-chiu-does-it-again-perpetual-motionmachine/ http://www.ecojoes.com/alex-chiu-does-it-again-perpetual-motionmachine/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:06:48 +0000 ecojoe http://www.ecojoes.com/?p=607
the-man-the-myth-the-legendDang!! Back in college, me and some of my friends talked a lot about creating perpetual motion machines, and came up with all kinds of different designs. Eventually we decided it was impossible, and abandoned the idea.

But apparently some people did not give up, and recently the famous Alex Chiu announced that he had built a working perpetual motion machine. The only caveat is that it will not work on Earth — it needs the zero-gravity of outer space.

Still, this should revolutionize everything. Not since his immortality device has such an invention been unveiled to the world. Free, limitless energy should dramatically lower pollution and energy costs, and get rid of the need for gasoline and coal.

Sources:
Alex Chiu, Boy Genius
Rare Interview with Mr. Chiu

]]> http://www.ecojoes.com/alex-chiu-does-it-again-perpetual-motionmachine/feed/ 10 The World’s Smallest Car – the Peel 50 (P50) http://www.ecojoes.com/the-worlds-smallest-car-the-peel-50-p50/ http://www.ecojoes.com/the-worlds-smallest-car-the-peel-50-p50/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:13:50 +0000 ecojoe http://www.ecojoes.com/?p=509
worlds-smallest-car-peel-p50
Dang, here I was thinking that the Smart car was tiny — the P50 is much smaller! So small, in fact, that the Guiness Book of World Records recognizes it as the smallest car ever produced.

how many miles to the gallon do you get? This bad boy got 100 miles per gallon!

The P50 has a single-cylinder 49cc engine and only three wheels… technically, it’s not even a car (they classified it as a motorcycle). Only about 100 were made, so if you get a chance to see one, you go and you take that chance.

To learn more about this awesome automotive oddity, please place your mouse cursor over THIS and mash the button.

]]> http://www.ecojoes.com/the-worlds-smallest-car-the-peel-50-p50/feed/ 5 Solar Plane Sets New World Record http://www.ecojoes.com/solar-plane-sets-new-world-record/ http://www.ecojoes.com/solar-plane-sets-new-world-record/#comments Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:47:53 +0000 ecojoe http://www.ecojoes.com/?p=244
To see the video and read more about the Zephyr-6, head on over to BBC News, and tell them EcoJoes sent you.

Zephyr-6 -- running on moon power??A solar-powered plane flew for a little over 82 hours, shattering its old record. The lightweight plane, known as the Zephyr-6, was flown as a demonstration for U.S. military, which is looking for new ways to provide air support for its ground troops.

Dang, 3 days in the air just from solar power. This might be even better than the solar powered bra. Pretty amazing. If they could somehow make solar-powered passenger planes, we could cut down on air pollution while also reducing our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels. It’s a win-win situation.

]]> http://www.ecojoes.com/solar-plane-sets-new-world-record/feed/ 0 Solar Powered Bra: Japanese Ingenuity with Solar Power http://www.ecojoes.com/solar-powered-bra-japanese-ingenuity-with-solar-power/ http://www.ecojoes.com/solar-powered-bra-japanese-ingenuity-with-solar-power/#comments Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:45:13 +0000 ecojoe http://www.ecojoes.com/?p=214
Hooray Japan
I don’t have much to say about this, except that if I was a girl, I would be wearing one all the time.

Triumph International Japan has finally done it; our world’s environmental problems are as good as solved now, for they have done the un-possible — invented a solar powered bra. I haven’t seen a “green” invention this innovative since the new milk jug design came out and confused some people.

The bra is green (in color and philosophy), and has a solar panel attached to it that can be worn around the stomach. It generates enough energy to charge small electronics, like a mobile cellular phone or mp3 player or what have you.

Not only does this bra collect solar power, but it also has plastic pouches that can be filled with water in case you get thirsty. So I guess it might save some water bottles?

But alas, this ingenious invention has some downsides. It can get messed up if it rains on the solar panel, and also, it doesn’t work if it’s covered up with actual clothes. To me, it looks like someone just glued a flexible solar panel to a tanktop. We will be closely monitoring Triumph International’s continuing work on this creation…

]]> http://www.ecojoes.com/solar-powered-bra-japanese-ingenuity-with-solar-power/feed/ 0 New Milk Jugs | Where Captalism and Environmentalism Merge http://www.ecojoes.com/stackable-milk-jug-design/ http://www.ecojoes.com/stackable-milk-jug-design/#comments Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:32:13 +0000 ecojoe http://www.ecojoes.com/stackable-milk-jug-design/
So square it's hipGood ol’ Wal-Mart and Costco have started using a new design for their milk jugs, and I think they’ve come up with a real winner. The new design has a whole mess of environmental and cost advantages compared to the milk jug design that you’re probably used to, but there are some people that jes’ plain don’t care for it. Here’s a brief summary of its pros and cons.

New Milk Jug Design Pros

  • Less shipping materials – The old jugs had to be packaged with heavy shipping crates. The new ones can be stacked with just a layer of cardboard between them.
  • More efficient transport – Less shipping materials means more milk jugs can be transported in each truck, so companies save money on gas and cut down on air pollution.
  • Shipping labor cut in half
  • Water usage cut by 60-70% – The old shipping crates had to be sprayed off after each run, since milk would spill on them and birds would roost in them
  • Lower milk cost! – “Sam’s Club said [there] was a savings of 10 to 20 cents a gallon compared with old jugs.“
  • The new milk jugs fit better in your fridge.

The Bad Side of New Milk Jug Design

Amy Wise spills milk all over the place

Amy Wise, a homemaker in Ohio, said the new-fangled gallon jug spilled milk everywhere. Judging from the picture, I’d say her main problem is that she’s trying to pour the milk into an imaginary cup in her left hand. No wonder she looks frustrated.

Many people say the new milk jugs are harder to pour. But I think with more practice, people will get used to them quickly. With all the benefits (less pollution, cheaper milk, easier transportation, and more efficient use o’ materials), methinks that the new milk jug may be here to stay.

* The bodacious picture of Amy Wise was taken by David Maxwell of The New York Times.

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GETCHO POPCORN LISTO

That’s right, folks, it’s movie time. So sit back, relax, and get ready for some surious learning as Amory Lovins narrates this neato video about Hypercars. All you have to do is click on the picture of Amory; look, here he is now:

Go ahead, click me

Fun Facts about Hypercars

  • Very light weight, very strong (carbon fiber, the same as Formula One race cars)
  • Less wind resistance
  • More efficient electric accessories (A/C, CD player, etc.)
  • Increase fuel efficiency dramatically
  • Windows let in light, but not heat (reducing need for A/C)

Amory says it’s possible we’ll see hypercars on the market within 4 to 5 years. Hopefully my car can hold out that long, then I’ll spring for a crazy efficient hypercar and watch my gas savings pile up.

- credit for the video goes to PBS and Nova

]]> http://www.ecojoes.com/i-need-me-a-hypercar-from-amory-lovins/feed/ 2 Man Transforms Reused Bus into Amazing RV http://www.ecojoes.com/green-bus-conversion/ http://www.ecojoes.com/green-bus-conversion/#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:10:50 +0000 ecojoe http://www.ecojoes.com/green-bus-conversion/
HOLY MOLY, THIS USED TO BE A CHEESE BUS

Look above. That used to be a yellow cheese school bus! Man, when I first saw this, I was too interested. I read all the steps, and looked at all the pictures of what Jake Von Slatt did. What he did was buy a cheap school bus (a little more than $2,000) and transform it into a beautiful, homemade RV. I like his homemade RV for a couple reasons:

  1. He did it cheaply. The bus cost about $2,000, he did most of the work himself (or with his friends), and he got a LOT from the dump, craigslist, or freecycle.
  2. He reused a lot of materials, thereby creating his RV in a very “green” way (reused bus, materials from dump, reused mess off websites).
  3. You can see the process of the bus’s conversion. Seeing all the steps it takes is really interesting, and makes me want to (one day) attempt something like this. It’s really cool, so por favor take a look at it.

Anyhoo, enough with my thoughts. Enjoy this video of Von Slatt giving you a tour of his homemade RV that came from a lil’ ol’ cheese bus.

]]> http://www.ecojoes.com/green-bus-conversion/feed/ 43 Man-Made Lifeforms: One Step Closer http://www.ecojoes.com/man-made-lifeforms-one-step-closer/ http://www.ecojoes.com/man-made-lifeforms-one-step-closer/#comments Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:52:52 +0000 ecojoe http://www.ecojoes.com/man-made-lifeforms-one-step-closer/
synthetic-dna.gifYesterday, scientists announced that they had successfully achieved a man-made genome by putting together the DNA of one of the simplest bacteria, Mycoplasma genitalium. Many experts hail this as a huge step on the way toward routine genetic synthesis, with many medical and ecological applications.

The last step for the scientists is to take the synthetic genome and successfully insert it into a bacterium where it can take over and produce a viable synthetic cell. If it can do that, then this would mark the first synthetic life-form. How huge would that be?

Genetically altered plants and bacteria could work to clean up pollutants and create fuel for people. They could also be used to treat sewage more effectively, and maybe even used to produce medicines. This is a tremendous leap forward for science, and for humanity; once we can harness the power of genetics, we can vastly improve the world.

True, this technology could also be used for harm, such as creating more powerful bio-weapons, but hopefully the benefits will easily outweigh the negatives. There are so many things this could be used to improve; it’ll be exciting to follow the developments on this story.

]]> http://www.ecojoes.com/man-made-lifeforms-one-step-closer/feed/ 2 How to Get Energy from the Road http://www.ecojoes.com/how-to-get-energy-from-asphalt/ http://www.ecojoes.com/how-to-get-energy-from-asphalt/#comments Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:32:10 +0000 ecojoe http://www.ecojoes.com/how-to-get-energy-from-asphalt/
Parking lot energy!Roads and parking lots. They are everywhere in today’s busy, dog-eat-dog, modern world. They sit there all day, selfishly absorbing the sun’s rays, then squandering all that heat at night by simply releasing it into the night air. Welp, a Dutch company named Ooms Avenhorn Holding BV is now working on ways to take that solar energy and use it to heat homes and offices.

Ooms has already implemented this technology in several places around the Netherlands; solar energy collected from nearby roads and parking lots helps heat an industrial park of 160,000 square feet in Hoorn, a 70-unit apartment building in Avenhorn, and an air force base hangar.

This is a great idea; even on cloudy days, this system of getting heat from roads is effective. Let’s hope that America can build off of this Dutch technology and start using our numerous roads and parking lots to heat our buildings. Just think about how much of our land in cities is taken up by roads and parking lots. Imagine if we were using that captured solar energy to heat our buildings. We could cut our power usage in a huge way, while not sacrificing anything in the way of personal comfort.

A good article about getting energy from asphalt can be found right about here. Thanks to my pop for letting me know about this.

]]> http://www.ecojoes.com/how-to-get-energy-from-asphalt/feed/ 2 Tree Tent Lets You Hang Out With a Tree http://www.ecojoes.com/hang-out-with-a-tree-in-your-tree-tent/ http://www.ecojoes.com/hang-out-with-a-tree-in-your-tree-tent/#comments Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:19:33 +0000 ecojoe http://www.ecojoes.com/hang-out-with-a-tree-in-your-tree-tent/
Sometimes you feel like a nut…Do you love camping, but hate sleeping on the ground? Do you envy the lives of acorns and pinecones, getting to hang from a tree all day? Well have I got an invention for you.

It’s called the Tree Tent. Designed by Dutch sculptor Dré Wapenaar, the Tree Tent is a 13-foot tall ball that you hang from a tree. Its hardwood floor and round mattress lend an air of dignity to the zaniness of the Tree Tent.

Luckily, it only costs $50,000 to buy yourself one. At that price, I think I’d rather just hang a bag on a tree and crawl inside, but if I was super-rich, I might be tempted to get me one of these. If your bank vault is getting full, you can buy a Tree Tent here.

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