Home ›

Posts in All

Will creepy photos or eco facts get Americans to quit smoking?

by Kathryn Robbins on June 3, 2011
in

Will creepy photos or eco facts get Americans to quit smoking? In the age of shock and awe it takes a lot of effort to get a person’s attention, especially smokers. They’ve been told by medical professionals dangerous impact of their habit, but addiction keeps them puffing away. The FDA hopes that adding shocking photos on cigarette packs may make people quit, but they may need more firepower than stock photos.

Nissan’s latest ad for the Leaf exacts revenge on Chevy’s Volt

by Kathryn Robbins on May 29, 2011
in

Nissan’s latest ad for the Leaf exacts revenge on Chevy’s Volt Rivalries aren’t a foreign concept in the business world. Coke hates Pepsi, Microsoft can’t stand Apple, and Boeing certainly isn’t Airbus’ BFF. It seems that these spats have leaked into the growing world of EV’s and hybrid cars. After their EV was equated to a leaf blower in a Chevy spot, Nissan has exacted their revenge on the gas powered Volt in a new ad.

London gets juiced up with new electric car charging stations

by Kathryn Robbins on May 27, 2011
in

London gets juiced up with new electric car charging stations Most drivers have a friendly neighborhood gas station, but what about electric car charging points? Chances are you’re more likely to find a one in your neighbor’s garage next to their shiny new Volt or Leaf than on Main Street. The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, aims to make them as commonplace as gas stations with a plan to put an EV charging station within one mile of every resident.

Barnes & Noble ups the ante with the Nook Touch Reader

by Matt Marusiak on May 26, 2011
in

Barnes & Noble ups the ante with the Nook Touch Reader

The e-book war between Barnes & Noble’s Nook and Amazon’s Kindle is getting hotter with the introduction of the Nook Touch Reader.

This latest offering from Barnes and Noble has a 6-inch screen, uses E Ink Pearl technology for the display, and weighs less than 8 ounces. The device’s battery lasts up to two months per charge, has Wi-Fi connectivity (but no 3G), and comes with 2 GB of memory installed. It’s reasonably priced at $139, and will be available starting June 10.

The European Union looks at banning plastic bags

by Matt Marusiak on May 23, 2011
in

The European Union looks at banning plastic bagsPerhaps inspired by the recent Tainted Green article on plastic waste, the European Union is considering a tax or ban on single use plastic bags. The European Commission is taking public comments until August 2011 regarding such policies aimed at reducing plastic waste.

Although plastic carrier bags, such as HDPE bags used for groceries, are recyclable, the size and lightness of the bags allow many to escape the waste management stream. An estimated 500 metric tonnes (over a million pounds) of plastic debris float in the Mediterranean, causing havoc to the marine environment.

Volvo cuts the cord, makes wireless charger for electric cars

by Kathryn Robbins on May 22, 2011
in

Volvo cuts the cord, makes wireless charger for electric cars Over the past few decades we’ve become obsessed with wireless gadgets. From cordless phones to wireless charging stations for smartphones, we are living a wire-free lifestyle. However, with the introduction of electric cars like Nissan’s Leaf we are tied to a charging cord again. Volvo is looking to create a convenient charging system for EVs that will charge a car without the use of wires or plugs in your garage.

The problem with the current crop of EVs is their charging method. Drivers basically perform an operation everyday that’s similar to pumping gas. They need to get out of their car, locate the cable on their charging unit, find the port on their car, and attach the car to the power source. For those that forget to plug-in, they won’t have a ride to work in the morning.

Japan embraces a new kind of air conditioning, Hawaiian shirts

by Kathryn Robbins on May 20, 2011
in

Japan embraces a new kind of air conditioning, Hawaiian shirts In the humid summer months many of us rely on air conditioning to keep our homes and workplaces cool. However, this luxury may not be a reality in power-starved Japan after the Tohoku earthquake and damage to several power plants like Fukushima. Japan's Ministry of the Environment (MOE) hopes that an old plan that encouraged salarymen to get rid of stuffy suits can lessen the load that air conditioning places on the power grid.

Accounting for litter makes plastics more costly

by Matt Marusiak on May 19, 2011
in

Accounting for litter makes plastics more costly In the debate between plastic and…well, virtually everything else that plastic has replaced, such as paper, cloth, steel, or glass, trying to determine which material is actually better for the environment is often complex and nuanced. A way to sort it out is using the technique of life cycle analysis, which considers the entire lifetime of a product to quantify if plastic is a better or worse alternative from an environmental standpoint.

Ford becomes a weed eater & may use dandelions for car parts

by Kathryn Robbins on May 15, 2011
in

Ford becomes a weed eater & may use dandelions for car parts As we roll into summer there’s always one thing that gardeners and allergy suffers dread, the lowly dandelion. While it may wreak havoc on your lawn and sinuses, the pesky weed may end up in your next set of wheels. Ford and The Ohio State University (OSU) are looking to transform dandelions from a pollen-filled menace into a source for car parts.

Clean energy debate gets super snarky with "Coal Cares" site

by Kathryn Robbins on May 13, 2011
in

Clean energy debate gets super snarky with "Coal Cares" site You may have noticed in recent months that the coal industry has purchased a lot of ad time on cable networks. Many of them are running spots that tout coal as a clean and safe energy source that creates jobs. A group called “Coal Kills Kids” (CKK) is calling shenanigans on the dirty industry with their satiric site called “Coal Cares” that targets the world’s biggest coal company.

Visitors to Coal Cares may think that the site was sponsored by Missouri based Peabody Energy, but it was actually designed by CKK, an offshoot of the Yes Men. The group generates great fun by “Impersonating big-time criminals in order to publicly humiliate them. Our targets are leaders and big corporations who put profits ahead of everything else.”