The Green

Generating power from the human body is not just a science fiction fantasy from films like THE MATRIX, real scientists and inventors sweat over experiments and blueprints as they struggle to find organic power sources for an energy addicted world. Right now your body is generating approximately 100 watts of electricity just by sitting there looking at this screen. Imagine if your floor could generate electricity when you walk from point A to point B in your home. Now get ready to watch that imagination come to life.



Elizabeth Redmond, a 23-year-old "designtrepreneur" has developed a blueprint to turn the alternative energy paradigm on its head through her brainchild POWERleap - a flooring system that generates electricity via human footfall. Think 5th Avenue powered by the stampede of shoppers! Between presenting to the Chicago 2016 Olympic committee, the Chicago IDEO office, and to children for a friends summer program on environmental consciousness, POWERleap has quite the busy schedule. Lets hope the trend continues and our next walk to work powers more than healthy leg muscles.

Elizabeth's energetic invention is part of an online initiative to drum up support for environmental solutions like POWERleap. Get more details below



"Changents is an entertainment-driven online destination that enables "change agents" to tell their amazing stories while building a network of fans around the world who want to help them. Through videos, photos, blogs, mobile messaging and podcast dispatches from the field, change agents draw in "backers" to lend a hand - virtually or in person. At www.changents.com, five extraordinary "Earthkeeper Heroes" are leveraging the platform to connect with a global Internet generation that is hungry to create environmental change on their own terms."

At www.changents.com, you can follow Elizabeth's story and help her make the connections she needs to turn POWERleaper from prototype to power plant!

POWERleap aside, true to her entrepreneurial thirst Elizabeth also works with a young company called Ecolect [www.ecolect.net] - a website for sourcing sustainable materials. With the Ecolect co-founders Joe Gebbia, and Matt Grigsby she performs product consulting, material consulting and procurement, blogging, and many other odds and ends.