Archive for December, 2009

The Copenhagen Wheel: Technology for Biking 2.0

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

M.I.T. researchers (who else, right?) have invented a bicycle wheel that uses the technology from hybrid cars, which is believed by many to be the next big thing in biking…Biking 2.0.

Here’s how it works: “The new wheel uses a kinetic energy recovery system, the same technology used by hybrid cars, like the Toyota Prius, to harvest otherwise wasted energy when a cyclist brakes or speeds down a hill. With that energy, it charges up a battery inside the wheel’s hub” (nytimes.com).

The Copenhagen Wheel (image via nytimes.com)

The Copenhagen Wheel (image via nytimes.com)

If you’re saying to yourself…”don’t we have electric bikes already?”  You’re right, we do.  But, unlike previous (more…)

Why Climategate is a Pathetic Reason to Discredit Climate Change

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Discredit climate change all you want, but I'm fairly certain these smokestacks aren't making our air cleaner.

Discredit climate change all you want, but I'm fairly certain these smokestacks aren't making our air cleaner.

Suddenly, when a hacker in the UK gets a hold of e-mails between leading climate scientists that show an effort to raise fears about global warming through data “editing,” the whole issue is debunked.

You may have heard the term “Climategate” being thrown (more…)

Samso: Denmark’s Energy Self-Sufficient Island

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Can a 30-mile by 15-mile wide industrialized island of 4,000 inhabitants be completely energy self-sufficient?  With 21 wind turbines, power plants that rely on furnaces fired by wood chips and straw, and farms of man-sized solar panels (kept trim by herds of sheep), an energy self-sufficient island is a reality.  It’s the Danish island of Samso.  It has become one of the first industrialized places in the world to qualify as being totally energy self-sufficient.

How Samso has become energy self-sufficient (image via ngpowereu.com)

How Samso has become energy self-sufficient (image via ngpowereu.com). Click to zoom in on the Infographic.

In 1997, Samso won a competition between 5 Danish islands to become Denmark’s renewable energy island.  How?  It presented a 10 year plan to to (more…)

Welcome to Green Crawler’s Facebook Page

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

So you’ve either joined Green Crawler’s Facebook page or you’re looking at it and thinking “okay, what is this website all about?”

In the booming industry of “green” shopping, many of us are still unaware of our options online.  “Where can I buy green? Do my favorite stores have green products? If so, how can I locate these products on their websites?”  This is where Green Crawler comes into play.  Our mission, in a sense, is to provide savvy shoppers with a one-stop resource to find products that contribute to a healthier, more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Now, you must be thinking, “What constitutes a “green” product?”  The fact is; you don’t have to dress like your 8th grade art teacher to be more eco-friendly.  When you come to Green Crawler, you aren’t just browsing through pages and pages of Birkenstocks, hemp pants, and tie-dye ponchos.  You are finding “green” alternatives.  CFL bulbs, Energy Star TV’s, fashionable jeans and shoes (organic 7 jeans for example), SIGG reusable bottles, messenger bags made from recycled sails and billboards, etc.  These products are both from reputable merchants (Buy.com, Zappos, Shop.com, Amazon’s Endless.com) and merchants you probably haven’t heard of (Mothernature.com, Shoporganic.com, Nimli.com).

In addition, we constantly strive to keep our users informed about green news.  We will be using this Facebook fan page to share what we find via Twitter, our favorite Blogs, our own Blog, YouTube, and tons of other resources.  And of course, this can be a place for you all to share your findings, thoughts, and favorite products…and of course, give feedback.

That’s Green Crawler.  If you like what we’re doing, join the page and spread the word.  Our job… keep looking into new ways to make the site more user-friendly, adding more sellers and products, and allowing you all to collaborate with us.  We have some new features in the works right now and will be sharing them soon! Talk to you all soon. Thanks for joining our fan page!