BPA Bans, Chemical Reform Laws in the Works in 30 States
by: Greener Design, 2011-01-19 01:05:44 UTC

 New bills in 30 states will try to ban bisphenol A and reform the federal government's chemical policies this year.

Water Weighs All
by: Yanko Design, 2011-01-18 08:09:46 UTC

Instead of using all that precious and energy-wasting metal in the construction of a scale, why not use water? That’s what the designer of this fabulous project thought, then he brought it to life – Water Scale, a scale that uses Archimedes’ Principle in a simple container to create just what he thought of in his mind.

The object that is to be weighed is placed ont he scale plate which then sinks into the water in proportion to its mass, overflowing the water which then moves up through channel under the water reservoir. The weight of the object is measured with water and the plastic bead in the channel. This scale can weigh objects up to 1000 grams, and is more economical and lighter than most electric and mechanical scales in the market.

Plus no electricity, no energy consumption – green.

Designer: Muzaffer Kocer & Ayca Guven

----------

Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Yanko Design Store - We are about more than just concepts. See what's hot at the YD Store!

Steven Holl Builds Nanjing Museum With Rammed Earth
by: TreeHugger Design, 2011-01-18 17:41:47 UTC
Images credit Stephen Holl Ronald Rael of Earth Architecture shows us yet another great example of rammed earth construction. It's only one of the oldest building materials known to humanity, its main ingredient is as cheap as dirt, it doesn't get any more local and it is gorgeous to look at, particularly in the hands of an architect as talented as Steven Holl. He has used it at the Nanjing Museum of Art and Arch... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Microfluidics and sunlight combined to purify water
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2011-01-17 01:24:00 UTC

It has been known for some time now that sunlight can be used to purify drinking water. The practice of Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) basically involves just leaving water sitting in direct sunlight, where a combination of heat and UV rays kill off waterborne pathogens – the process is called photocatalysis, and it’s what’s at work behind both the Solaqua water purification device, and a system recently created by students from the University of Washington. Now, researchers from Hong Kong Polytechnic University have taken things a step further, by combining photocatalysis with microfluidics in a microreactor... Continue Reading Microfluidics and sunlight combined to purify water

Tags: Microfluidic, Purification, Water

Related Articles:

• Breakthrough in quest for solar hydrogen production
• Breakthrough in using sunlight to split water
• HOT reactor cleans up in China
• Putting the pressure on algae to create biofuel
• New water treatment system saves space and reduces costs
• Electrolux Sunny solar water front loader

Fruit fly research could lead to simpler and more robust computer networks
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2011-01-18 05:30:49 UTC

Over the years science has gleaned an enormous amount of knowledge from the humble fruit fly. Drosophila melanogaster was used to provide the post-Mendelian foundations for our understanding of genetics and has also been used extensively in neuroscience research. The latest fruit fly-inspired innovation could simplify how wireless sensor networks communicate and stands to have wider applications for computing. .. Continue Reading Fruit fly research could lead to simpler and more robust computer networks

Tags: Biomimicry, Carnegie Mellon, Computer, Network

Related Articles:

• Destroying cancer cells with exploding gold nanoparticles
• Fast thinking flies to help build better robots
• Researchers create hair cells - cure for deafness on the way?
• Flexible Thin Film Solar Cells to be printed like money
• Making blood from human skin
• Flexible Cells to expand Solar Energy applications

Global Observer unmanned aircraft makes first hydrogen-powered flight
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2011-01-17 07:00:51 UTC

Following on from a successful maiden flight under battery power in 2010, AeroVironment’s high altitude, long endurance (HALE) Global Observer unmanned aircraft has now taken to the skies using hydrogen-fueled propulsion. The aircraft reached an altitude of 5,000 feet during the four hour flight on January 11 at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in California. Both the endurance and the altitude of the system will be expanded in further test flights in order to achieve the planned operational altitude of 55,000 to 65,000 feet... Continue Reading Global Observer unmanned aircraft makes first hydrogen-powered flight

Tags: AeroVironment, HALE, High Altitude, Surveillance, UAV

Related Articles:

• Global Observer successfully completes first flight
• AeroVironment Global Observer long endurance UAS completes wing load tests
• World’s First Hydrogen UAV
• Boeing tests hydrogen propulsion system for high-altitude UAV
• World records for QinetiQ Zephyr UAS now official
• Solar-powered Zephyr smashes record for the longest unmanned flight

Zeolite-based wood glues shown to absorb pollutants off-gassed from particleboard
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2011-01-14 20:57:16 UTC

It has been estimated that up to 85 percent of all wood materials (such as particleboard or plywood) contain adhesives that in turn contain formaldehyde, and the World Health Organization has classified formaldehyde as a carcinogen. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to simply avoid eating those wood products – even the fumes given off by formaldehyde have been shown to pose a health hazard. Many people turn to keeping spider plants in their homes or offices, as they help neutralize airborne toxins, but now help could be coming from another source. German researchers have discovered that by adding special minerals to wood adhesives, those adhesives themselves can help clean the air... Continue Reading Zeolite-based wood glues shown to absorb pollutants off-gassed from particleboard

Tags: Adhesive, Air purification system, Emissions, Glue, Pollution, toxic, Wood

Related Articles:

• Tofu ingredient used to create formaldehyde-free plywood glue
• New environmentally benign adhesive for pressure sensitive tape developed
• Safer surgery using mussels and inket printers means no needle and thread
• 'The trouble with gribbles' may actually be a boon for biofuel industry
• New sensors protect priceless paintings in transit
• New bones from old wood

Pigments from peanuts: a better way to make dyes from agricultural waste
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2011-01-17 00:40:34 UTC

Researchers at the Argentine National Institute for Industrial Technology (INTI) are taking a new approach to the manufacture of natural dyes from agricultural waste. The method involves extraction of pigments from waste and conserving them in dust form, meaning they can be dry stored for use all year round. Over the past year numerous agricultural materials have been tested with one of the most promising candidates being peanut shells – one of Argentina's main exports... Continue Reading Pigments from peanuts: a better way to make dyes from agricultural waste

Tags: Agri-waste, Dye, Peanut, textile

Related Articles:

• Fluorescing dyes could make counterfeiting virtually impossible
• New dyes to benefit solar electricity and hydrogen fuel production
• Roving mobile processing plants to produce biofuels
• Nikon introduce eco-friendly ecobins binoculars
• CO2 could be used in 'green' plastic production
• Possible cure for peanut allergy discovered: peanuts

Biolamp streetlamp converts smog into fuel to power eco cars
by: The Design blog, 2011-01-17 12:29:06 UTC

Over the period, smog due to increasing number of vehicles and industries has becoming a major concern for the environment and health of people living in urbanities. Addressing the issue, Hungarian designer Peter Horvath has popped up a creative solution, the “Biolamp,” which converts carbon-dioxide into fuel to power the street lamps, other than providing a clean and healthy environment for the city dwellers. Containing a liquid, alga mixed with water, which transforms CO2 into oxygen, the sustainable streetlamp also includes a pump to suck the smog, from the top, and circulate the liquid in the spiral system. During the daytime, the streetlamp uses sunlight, CO2 and water to transform the alga into biomass that can be converted into fuel to power the lamps as well. As soon as the alga liquid is saturated with carbon-dioxide, the biomass is driven to the closest filler station through underground tubes, where it is transformed into biofuel to power eco cars, and refuel street lamps with alga thereafter.

[Cheers Peter]

Metafore Further Meshes EPAT Paper-Buying Tool with Green Efforts
by: Greener Design, 2011-01-13 14:00:59 UTC

The latest update to the Environmental Paper Assessment Tool offers deeper data on the environmental impacts of paper production, helping companies make the greenest choices and achieve their supply chain sustainability goals.