Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar buildings, solar stadiums, and an algae-powered lamp
The Week in Green is a new item from our friends at Inhabitat, recapping the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us.
In other news, the world of architecture is heating up with the onset of summer as countries around the globe gear up to unveil high-tech sun-powered homes at the European Solar Decathlon. This week we took a look at two of our favorites - the solar shelled Armadillo Box House and Finland's hyper-insulated Luuku House, which is expected to generate more energy than it consumes. We also celebrated the launch of the 2010 World Cup by taking a look at the technologies behind five stunning green stadiums that will be hosting this year's games in South Africa.
Speaking of the World Cup, this week were also excited to see the unveiling of a brand new version of the sOccket, an energy-generating soccer ball that scores a goal for green power in developing countries. We also took a look at a cheap solar-powered refrigerator for the developing world that can be assembled using local materials and could save millions of lives by storing and distributing vaccines.
Renewable energy was also a hot topic this week -- the UAE is blazing a trail with plans to construct a record-toppling solar plant that eclipses the size of every photovoltaic farm to date. We also saw home-grown algae power make its domestic debut in this gorgeous green Latro Lamp, which is fueled by a pond-scum powered bio-battery. And renewable energy took to the streets this week as telecom provider Orange unveiled a set of spiffy set of thermoelectric galoshes that charge your cellphone using heat from your feet.
Finally, this week we unveiled some incredible new uses for everyday materials as we announced the grand-prize winners of our 2010 Spring Greening DIY Design Competition. Speaking of innovative examples of repurposed design, we were also blown away by this open-source printer made from LEGO bricks and a felt-tip pen. And if you insist on continuing to use a standard printer, you can rest assured that there's an inspired re-use for those expired ink cartridges - Australia recently unveiled a bike path made from them!
shouldnt this be in alt?
@TheSunman89 haha probably.
cool bong
@Howl
lol...
Looks like he took a few hits too - its running through his veins.
The algae lamp is neat, but not practical. A small solar cell will generate more power then that big lamp.
http://www.miket.co.uk/images/Latro.pdf
@SiXiam
Then that big lamp what?? What'd it do next? Don't leave me hanging!!
@Nascent
I thought I finished my thought, but if you want more, ok.
The pdf file I linked to shows a yield of 0.6 milliamps per
square centimeter. The author thinks this is great, but I don't, especially if they are still using the gold electrodes. The algae lamp requires too much space and effort to use when one could just charge the same rechargeable battery with a small solar cell.
@SiXiam While true, something like this would likely be used in the home, and form and even "feel" matters even more than function when it comes to such things. It looks cool, and people put plants in their homes for the color and aesthetic benefit that adds otherwise nothing otherwise. =)
Just hope there is no smell involved.
Otherwise, for pure practicality you likely can't beat a cheap CFL in your wall socket.
@SiXiam
I think what Nascent meant was you spelled "than" wrong.
@SiXiam
It wasnt your thought. Nascent was sarcastically pointing out your incorrect use of 'then' instead of 'than'.
@F C
My college English Composition 3 teacher really believed in the grammar Nazi quote about living in a world where a misplaced comma means death. I don't.
More like week in total waste of money. Green isnt logical, it's emotional. If people who spew this sustainable BS actually knew Physics, Economics and Common sense they would take a logical path not filled with or sold on emotional FUD (Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt).
@nastro Over-generalizing.
We are already extremely green conscious in Europe and the United States compared to China for example today or ourselves fifty years ago.
While its true it attracts brain dead hippies, obnoxious people that like to smell their own farts, companies merely branding inferior weak products as green, and politicians like Gore who just want to capitalize on it, conservationism is absolutely necessary to maintain our quality of life.
Its as simple as not shitting where you eat. We live on Earth, we breath the air, we drink the water, so avoiding acid rain, ground water contamination, and controlling use of limited resources is just common sense. =)
@nastro And while I can see where you're coming from in some of these small products and so forth, you have to give some leeway in the fact that new technologies aren't always immediately obviously practical.
Napoleon laughed at the idea of steam powered ships, the army originally couldn't imagine how aircraft could possibly have any military value, and so on.
Early adopters are helping promote that technology and bring it into the mainstream, so no harm in supporting em. =)
@Ducman69
Right on (x2)
Ceci n'est pas une pipe.
@LifeSizeActionFigure I thought that said something to the effect of "Pass (pas) the (une) pipe (...pipe)" until I looked it up. Still humorous.
So this is what the Chinese were experimenting with off their coast just before the Olympics. They just pretended it was a chemical fed bloom.
Make a light that runs off of fermenting beer and then we can talk.