• Category Archives: Awareness and Hype

    LED power supply lifetime increased to 100,000 hours by Japanese firm

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    Kaga Components Co Ltd is exhibiting a power supply apparatus for LEDs that has a lifetime of 100K hours. This was shown in an exhibition in Tokyo which took place on April 15 to 17, 2009. The apparatus which is currently under development was exhibited for the first time. How this was achieved? Well, the electrolytic capacitor was removed from the circuit to achieve this lifetime. At the same time the power supply circuit was also downsized. LEDs are going to be lighting source of the future because of its environmental advantages but unfortunately the lifetime of existing LEDs is as low as 10,000 hours.

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    Agreement between automobile makers and energy firms on standard electric vehicle plugs

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    Automakers and energy firms the world over have reportedly agreed to a single standard when it comes to electric vehicle plugs. Germany’s RWE has announced that automakers and energy firms have finally come together on a standard for these plugs. This standardization will ensure that a car can be charged in France exactly in the same way it is being charged in Germany, Italy, and Greece etc. General Motors, Volkswagen, BMW, Fiat, Toyota and Mitsubishi have signed off on the global plug design along with a number of energy firms around the world. This move not only minimizes headaches on recharging for consumers but also cuts costs for automobile makers’ world over.

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    Carbon dioxide can now be turned into biofuels

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    Singaporean researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have devised a way to convert carbon dioxide into clean-burning biofuel methanol, using a safe, non-toxic process. This breakthrough scientific discovery was printed in the chemistry journal, Angewandte Chemie. Scientists have been able to make carbon dioxide react with a stable organocatalyst called N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) under mild conditions in dry air. A dash of silica and a touch of hydrogen are added in, where the entire mixture is subjected to hydrolysis to produce the methanol. More addition to the good news is that NHC is available in abundance. So have humans finally found an answer to Global Warming?

    Posted in Alternative Energy, Awareness and Hype, Biofuels on April 22, 2009
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    Eco-friendly McLaren super car by 2011

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    McLaren Automotive plans to launch an “eco-friendly” supercar in two years. The company was being restructured and the road car division would be made into a separate company as it winds down production of the Mercedes SLR. The new car is currently code-named as P11. The P11 is expected to cost US $ 275,000 when it is launched and will have technology from the racing arena. It is expected that P11 will be made of carbon fiber to bring down the weight. It will also sport the KERS hybrid drive system to improve both efficiency and performance of the car.

    Posted in Alternative Energy, Awareness and Hype, Transport on April 22, 2009
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    Spam mails come with a carbon footprint

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    Hence forth when ever I will empty my inbox of the spam mails, I am going to be leaving some carbon footprint behind. And this non-green cycle starts from the spammer’s den. The Carbon Footprint of Email Spam Report by McAfee reveals that these junk mails are not only a nuisance to people but also to our environment as it contributes to green house gas (GHG) emissions. The global report declares that about 33 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) which is equivalent to energize 2.4 million homes is generated annually. And the GHG emissions can be compared to 3.1 million passenger cars using 2 billion gallons of gasoline. And if you want to figure out your participation to this whole revelation then its time to know that a single spam message equals to 0.3 grams of CO2.

    Posted in Awareness and Hype on April 16, 2009
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    Mini green-house effect by Bel-Air

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    Since global warming is such a concern and since we can’t actually be carrying around green houses to go green, a couple of intelligent heads thought to invent just that. This is referred to as a mobile mini green-house or living filter called Bel-Air. It absorbs and metabolizes noxious chemicals and particles from the air that circulates in homes. This was created by Parisian industrial designer Mathieu Lehanneur and Harvard scientist David Edwards. So what it does is, act as an air purifier that continuously inhales polluted air, forcing it through three natural filters prior to releasing it back into the space, purified.

    Posted in Alternative Energy, Awareness and Hype, Other Stuff on April 14, 2009
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    Eco composter for a healthier and greener garden

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    Here is an eco-composter. A composter is an object used for composting. Composting is the natural speeding process where ‘microorganisms break down complex organic matter into simple, nutritious topsoil’. It is an old fashioned style object that is coming back into use as the fears of global warming rises. The eco-composter tumbler has a capacity of 71 gallons and is made of 100 per cent recycled materials. The tumbler breaks down fresh material in the shortest amount of time to create rich black soil. The spherical shape and special base allows the object to rotate easily in any direction for easy mixing. A patented internal air tube system allows an open flow of air from the outside, directly into the center of the composting material. It can also be used in all weather conditions.

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    Coca-Cola and Pepsi vie for ‘Who is the greenest of all?’

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    Greenlaunches has been following the green war of the Cola giants. We have kept a tab on Coca-Cola’s green moves and Pepsi’s green steps. Today I am back with more insight on this Green Cola War. A certain study states that neither of them is truly green. This means that they are playing the role of main culprits in leaving significant carbon footprints and water polluters. However this latest report clarifies a few things about both these companies. It is revealed that about 2.47 liters of water make one liter of Coca-Cola. And if you intend to compare this figure to its rival then its difficult as Pepsi doesn’t reveal detail about their production.

    Posted in Awareness and Hype on April 6, 2009
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    Pamela Anderson walks the ramp for Richie Rich’s eco-friendly line Muse

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    Yup, it has finally reached. As is typical in any case of a trend, now the go-green has seeped into the lap of fame. Oddly though a very un-typical entity has been chosen to promote the message – Pamela Anderson. Apparently she has agreed to get into line with Richie Rich’s new eco-friendly range called Muse. This will be launched in summer and will feature casual yet eco-friendly garments. Aside from being ‘friends forever’ and she having been an ‘inspiration’ for him, he is also the guy who designed her wedding dress, which wouldn’t have taken much time considering who its for.

    Posted in Awareness and Hype, Other Stuff, Recycle on March 31, 2009
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    Personal shower using recycled water

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    It is so often these days that we hear about the various water shortages that the earth is going to face very soon because of the damage that us irresponsible humans have caused to this planet. This is when certain people come up with bright ideas to find a cure in as small a way as they can to help save the situation. Here is a concept that is very feasible. It’s a personal shower that uses recycled water and distributes it to provide a massage. And it just uses 20 liters of water.

    Posted in Alternative Energy, Awareness and Hype, Recycle on March 31, 2009
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