Sundance Channel

Green tech finds (6/9/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:00:58 +0000

The original electric cars, a solar-powered train tunnel, and geothermal energy harvesting that also sequesters carbon... your green tech finds for the week.

Big battery breakthrough?: Researchers at MIT are redesigning batteries as "semi-solid flow cells," which could eliminate charging time issues for electric cars, as well as provide viable storage of energy generated from renewable sources. (via Grist)
Solar-powered train tunnel opens in Belgium: A two-mile stretch of train tunnel near Antwerp is now covered with solar panels, and will provide electricity for both high-speed and inter-city rail links, as well as a train station. (via AOL Travel)

Green tech finds (5/12/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:15:41 +0000

Car parts made from dandelions, "flying" trains, and power-producing toilets... this week's green tech finds.

A field guide for tree species... on your phone: The new Leafsnap app allows you to identify species of trees simply by taking a picture of a leaf. Users can also share images and locations, making for potentially useful data on tree species. (via Grist and The Guardian)
Car parts made from dandelions: The "milky-white substance that seeps from dandelion roots" may work as a sustainable source of "rubber" for car parts such as cup holders and floor mats. Ford and The Ohio State University are experimenting...

Green tech finds (4/7/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:23:09 +0000

T-BOX-2010_liteonaward from jiangqian on Vimeo.

We've got mushroom materials this week... plus another upgrade in ENERGY STAR standards, and algae's potential for cleaning up nuclear wastes...

Dell piloting mushroom packaging: I mentioned this development last year... this week, Dell packaging guru Oliver Campbell announced that the company will be piloting use of a mushroom-based packaging materials for shipping products. (Note: Spent a few days in Austin to attend a Dell CAP Day last week... they paid for my trip).
Ford's looking at mushroom-based foam insulation: Yep... a mushroom twofer -- Ford's also considering using Ecovative's material to replace petroleum-based foams used as insulating material in its cars interior elements.

Study claims Florida high-speed rail would be a money-maker

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:00:04 +0000

As the battles over collective bargaining in Wisconsin, and now the disasters in Japan, have dominated the news over the last month, you may have missed Florida Governor Rick Scott's rejection of federal funds to build a high-speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando. Scott turned away the $2.4 billion for the project because he was concerned about cost overruns that Florida taxpayers may have had to cover. According to a new study by the Florida Department of Transportation, though, the governor's fears are not only unfounded, but represent a missed opportunity to create some economic growth in the Sunshine State.

Green tech finds (12/31/09)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:34:46 +0000

Your last green tech finds of '09... enjoy!

The obligatory New Year prediction: 2010 will be a banner year for clean technology, according to investment bank Jeffries, and Greentech Media. Places to watch include Finland and South Korea.
Tetris meets SimCity meets urban planning: That's the basic idea between new strategy game City Rain (and that's a screenshot above). (via sustainablog)

Green tech finds (12/24/09)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:37:25 +0000

Because green technology never takes a holiday… here are this week’s finds. Salting away solar power: Nevada Power has announced a 25-year deal to buy solar power from the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, which will be “the nation’s first commercial solar power plant using salt storage to distribute energy after the sun sets…” Satellites [...]

Green tech finds (10/22/09)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:17:03 +0000

From a green ride to a clean (hand-cranked) shave, it's all here: this week's green tech finds.

Solar that doesn't stand out: Or, not as much, anyway... Iowa's Powerfilm has developed "thin, flexible solar sheets that can be integrated with architectural building materials." (via Springwise)
Eco wifi: Australia's D-Link has announced its Green Ethernet^TM technology which "automatically detects link status and network cable length, then adjusts power accordingly." It's also allows a user to schedule wireless up time (like thermostats).