A Soapy Solution, One At A Time
by: Yanko Design, 2010-11-08 11:30:35 UTC

Conservationists are few and far between, so sometimes it really depends on how cleverly you design a product to get the desired eco-green results. It’s quite natural for us to keep the water running while we lather our hands, so how about designing a faucet that allows you to do only ONE thing at a time! Presenting the Anti Waste Faucet: it holds a soap dispenser on the top half and the water-tap in the bottom part. Pump the lever down to dispense soap and raise it up to turn on the water. Basically you squish some liquid soap into your hands, lather up and then pull the lever up for water to rinse your hand. This ways you don’t waste precious water while soaping up!

Designer: Junjie Zhang

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Activated carbon cloth could remove pollutants from wastewater
by: Ecofriend, 2010-11-03 06:23:54 UTC

Eco Factor: Activated carbon cloth promotes decomposition of pollutants.

Developed in the 1980s to protect British soldiers from chemical attacks, activated carbon cloth could have a number of other uses as well. Researchers at the University of Abertay Dundee (UAD) have discovered that the cloth is very effective in removing harmful compounds from air and liquids.

The research carried out in conjunction with Carbon Filter Technology has found that the material can be used to create reactive chemicals such as hydroxyl radicals. These radicals are highly unstable and react instantly with other pollutants, even at very low concentrations.

When combined with an oxidant, such as ozone, the filtration process becomes even more effective with the fabric’s tiny pores able to absorb organic molecules onto the surface and convert them into smaller molecules. The research team is proposing various other uses of the cloth that include using it in hospitals to filter antibiotic and drug waste from outgoing water.

Via: Gizmag

World’s greenest parking garage to charge EVs for free
by: Ecofriend, 2010-11-03 07:26:34 UTC

Eco Factor: Parking garage to generate renewable energy to charge EVs.

BMW Group DesignworksUSA has partnered with Canopy Airport Parking to create the world’s greenest parking facility at Denver International Airport. Slated to open this month with a capacity of about 4200 vehicles, the parking project showcases a variety of advanced environmentally friendly technologies, including the use of solar power, geothermal energy, wind energy, CNG, biodiesel and hybrid shuttles.

Expecting to attain a LEED Gold certification, the parking will feature Garage Juice Bar charging stations for electric vehicles that will provide charging on a complimentary basis to help speed the adoption of zero-emission electric cars.

Via: AutoBlogGreen

BMW Spending $560 Million on EV Development
by: Eco Geek Latest, 2010-11-05 19:53:24 UTC

BMW has been lagging behind other carmakers by not having solid plans for a mass production electric vehicle.  There have been auto show concepts and there's the Mini E conversion, but that's about it.  The European Federation for Transport and Environment even called out the automaker recently for not doing enough to meet new EU emissions targets (130 grams of CO2 per kilometer by 2015).

Well, that's finally changing.  BMW has announced that it's investing $560 million by 2013 to develop and produce an EV.

The BMW plant in Leipzig, Germany will be expanded to produce the new vehicle, which is currently being called Megacity.  BMW will of course be using its luxury car expertise and materials in this new car.  The head of BMW has said that this will be the first production model "with a carbon fiber passenger compartment" to lighten the weight while retaining strength and resistance -- and keep up the cost.

That's about where the details end for now.  It is being called a series model, so we'll have to wait and see where this vehicle falls in the BMW range.

via AFP

Re-Thinking the Bathroom: Who Needs It?
by: TreeHugger Design, 2010-11-02 13:03:28 UTC
Image Credit: Architypes TreeHugger founder Graham Hill is trying to radically reduce his footprint and live happily with less space, less stuff and less waste on less money, but with more design. He calls it "LifeEdited." Have you submitted an idea to the LIfeEdited project? One of the interesting design challenges is figuring out how to design an efficient, but practical bathroom. We shouldn't limit ours... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Engineered Pulp Used To Make Cheap, Light, Green Coffin
by: TreeHugger Design, 2010-11-02 16:14:58 UTC
Credit: DanCof DanCof (The Green Way To Heaven) writes that about 36 million coffins are produced every year. That is a lot of chipboard at the low end and fancy woods at the high end, just to bury someone in. Hazel at Inhabitat writes that "Bendt Stov's innovative coffins will allow the environmentally conscious to carry their green credentials into the afterlife." ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Foldable Kitchens Moove Out Of The Way When Not Needed
by: TreeHugger Design, 2010-11-03 14:11:55 UTC
TreeHugger founder Graham Hill is trying to radically reduce his footprint and live happily with less space, less stuff and less waste on less money, but with more design. He calls it "LifeEdited." You can help: Enter the design competition and win up to $70,000 in prizes and possibly design the apartment! Some people living in small spaces don't need to look at their kitchen all the time; an Italian company logically called Florida Kitchens has introduced two models that have sliding components so that they just go away when not needed. t... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Less is More: How a few sticks create elegant coat racks (Photos)
by: TreeHugger Design, 2010-11-04 09:22:33 UTC
Inspired by Japanese Kimonos, the coat racks by the German company Noi are sculpture-like structures made from minimum amount of materials. The different wooden objects are all sticks; no need for screws, glue or other fasteners to hold them up. They come totally flat-pack and can be easily dismantled at any time.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Can Electric Car Batteries Be Recycled?
by: Mother Nature, 2010-11-02 15:51:01 UTC
This post, part of a series we're running all about electric cars, was written by Kristen Hall-Geisler from HowStuffWorks.com. Happily, the answer is yes -- the batteries that power electric cars (and hybrids, for that matter) can be recycled. For decades, the few electric vehicles that were on the road were powered by lead-acid batteries. The latest models, with their lighter weight and longer range, use lithium-ion batteries, just like laptops and cell phones. In either case, the batteries that power electric cars can be recycled. In the case of the older-technology Read the full story on Planet Green

Do Electric Vehicles Have Performance Benefits?
by: Mother Nature, 2010-11-03 15:39:57 UTC
This post, part of a series we're running all about electric cars, was written by Patrick E. George from HowStuffWorks.com. More and more, the future of the automobile is looking to be an electric one. That sounds great for the environmentalist crowd -- after it, it means cars with zero emissions and a greatly reduced dependence on fossil fuels -- but what about the horsepower-loving, speed-worshipping petrol heads? Will the electric future get to include those drivers who like to go fast? Fortunately, electric vehicles do have ... Read the full story on Planet Green