Climate Technology
All Stories
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How successful cities are like marijuana
In comparison to other crops, the relatively high value of pot is a good metaphor for a city's decision to invest in its downtown versus sprawl, says Joe Minicozzi, the new projects director at Public Interest Projects.
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The Solyndra sideshow peters out
After more than a year of breathlessly reporting on the Solyndra "scandal," Politico has finally admitted that there was never a scandal.
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Would you like a bamboo keyboard? Of course you would
The iZen bamboo keyboard is 92 percent bamboo, because normally keyboards are made from plastic, and plastic is made from oil and we'd rather not.
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DIY printable furniture ships as information, not parts
If your modular furniture from IKEA was fashioned from wood harvested on one continent, cut and finished on another, and shipped to yet a third, that’s not exactly sustainable. That’s why design firm Filson and Rohrbacher decided to replace actual furniture with its evanescent, Platonic ideal: pure information. Download the computerized machine-ready plans at their […]
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One giant, offshore wind turbine can provide power for 6,000 people
Off the coast of Belgium, truly gigantic wind turbines are going up. They're rated at 6.15 megawatts and the blades of these monsters cover the surface of two soccer fields.
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McDonald’s ditches Styrofoam … maybe
McDonald’s may be getting a little less evil … maybe … I guess … if consumers really, really want it to. The fast food behemoth recently announced plans to swap out Styrofoam cups for paper ones at 2,000 of its stores. If customers respond well to drinking their bargain coffee out of greener vessels, the […]
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Robot jellyfish will use water for fuel, spy on you
A team working out of Virginia Tech and the University of Texas at Dallas is building a robotic jellyfish that mimics the real thing. Here it is in action: The robot gets its power from hydrogen and oxygenate, which reacts with platinum to create heat, driving the jellyfish’s “muscles.” One day, the jellyfish won’t even […]
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Human wings: The green answer to air travel
Forget subways, trains, and bikes — those are old hat compared to what we’re about to tell you. Meet the new green form of transportation: strapping on human bird wings and flying through the air with the greatest of ease.
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Mayor awesome: Against all odds, L.A.’s mayor stays green
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa talks about being green in uneasy economic times, biking with his buddy Lance Armstrong, and asking China to help fund his city’s new transit system.
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Skate punk gets business degree to sharpen his activist chops
Erick Boustead first brewed his heady mixture of music, organizing, and online media to fund a skate park.