![open fabrication etech talk 2009 photo](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090313093707im_/http://www.treehugger.com/open-fabrication-talk.jpg)
When it comes to unmaking stuff, we have a long way to go before we're very efficient. But a big road block is manufacturers not revealing how they manufacture a product and what they manufacture it with so that products can be disassembled and recycled. Tom Igoe of Interactive Telecommunications Program, NYU addresses the issue of unmaking stuff at ETech. ...
![Mary Lou Jepsen photo](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090313093707im_/http://www.treehugger.com/Mary-Lou-Jepsen.jpg)
When it comes to figuring out how to creat low-cost, low-power computing, Mary Lou Jepsen of Pixel Qi is the woman to ask. At ETech 2009, she talks about how the secret is in the screen, and now getting super efficient computers isn't about the CPU anymore, it's about the screen. Check out her talk on creating a low power screen for the
One Laptop Per Child project and beyond....
![flickr solar powered bike photo](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090313093707im_/http://www.treehugger.com/flickr-bike-profile.jpg)
Remember waaaay back in September when we talked about the
solar powered Flickr bike? Well it's made an appearance at ETech 2009. ...
![veranda solar panels can be installed anywhere photo](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090313093707im_/http://www.treehugger.com/veranda-solar.jpg)
Solar start-up
Veranda Solar wants to change the world of solar power the way Apple changed computers. Veranda got a big head-start on financing the start-up when the company was awarded 100,000€ as runner-up in the PICNIC Green Challenge, funded by the Dutch postcode lottery. The solar panels Veranda uses are nothing special. The prototypes were developed in cooperation with Stanford University and SunPower Corp. No new photovoltaic advances, no biomimicry.
But these solar panels are offering something new to the market. Check the photo over the fold to see what makes Veranda solar special and decide for yourself if they have what it takes for success....
Martin Eberhard's Tesla Roadster plugged in. Photo: Martin Eberhard.
No Word on How Long to Charge Model S Battery Yet, Though
CNET's CarTech blog reports that the upcoming Tesla Model S electric sedan (to be unveiled on March 26, mark your calendars) will feature 440-volt fast-charging capabilities. No word yet on how long the battery would take to recharge at that voltage, but considering that the Tesla Roadster takes about 3.5 hours using a 220V/70A system, it should be relatively short. ...
Let's Hope This Thing Takes Off!
The 2009 CAFE Foundation Electric Aircraft Symposium will take place on April 24th, 2009, at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California. Topics will include "the latest in motors, PV technology, controllers, batteries, chargers, new designs, prototype performance, and the '100 MPG aircraft race.'" The registration fee is $249 before April 15, and $310 afterwards (so if you are interested, don't wait!). More details after the jump....
AMEE is short for Avoiding Mass Extinctions Engine, and it is a platform that seeks to track the energy consumption of everything. The goal is to make energy consumption and carbon footprints open sourced, so that we become more responsible for them, and hold others accountable as well. Gavin Starks spoke at ETech about why we need to care about our energy identity, how to take ownership of it, and the possible future scenarios we hope to avoid by embracing - and reducing - our consumption. ...
![end of obsolescence talk photo](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090313093707im_/http://www.treehugger.com/end-of-obsolescence.jpg)
Our consumerist culture has us in a bind, that much we can tell. So how do we design our way out? Lane Becker and Thor Muller propose some great ideas. Click through to watch video on their take on consumerism, some design strategies to fix us, and what to do with our collective free time. ...
Image via: guardian.co.uk
"The question I've been asking is, why didn't we save ourselves when we had the chance?" This is Pete Postlethwaite speaking to us from the future, the year 2055 to be exact, where he is marooned alone, high in a tower above the melted arctic, quite possibly the only man left on earth. We learn he is living in the 'Global Archive' which captured all records of human life before we were wiped off the face of the earth. This stark introduction leaves us in no doubt that Franny Armstrong's
new environmental movie is designed to scare us into action, but the question I'm asking is: will it in fact just scare us all rigid?...
photo: Matthew McDermott
One of the better descriptions of the problem of how we're not adequately addressing climate change came early in the first day of the
Copenhagen Climate Congress came from Professor Katherine Richardson, Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee and Vice Dean at the University of Copenhagen.
After saying that "climate change is not a prediction problem—scientists understand that—it's a risk problem." Richardson went on to talk about the level of certainty that climate change is man-made stated in the 2007 IPCC report:...
![alex steffan worldchanging etech speech photo](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090313093707im_/http://www.treehugger.com/alex-steffan-worldchanging.jpg)
As the developing world increases in both population and prosperity, we face an impending global meltdown. Why? Because they're emulating the Western world, specifically Americans, and we've set a really bad example for how to use the planet's resources and what wealth means. If we expect to see the developing world be green as it grows, then
we need to walk the walk. According to
Alex Steffen, there are six ways to do that. ...
Islands such as the Maldives (pictured here), as well as the world's highly populated delta regions in India, Southeast Asia, and China will be seriously threatened by rising sea levels. Photo: Moosa Ali via flickr
Think sea level rise caused by global climate change won't be a big deal? Probably not if you're a regular TreeHugger reader. But there have been some variations in predictions of just how much land will become inundated and how many people will be climate refugees, so I won't blame you if you're not entirely clear on the matter. Well, at the
Copenhagen Climate Congress scientists have clarified some of the predictions made in the 2007 IPCC report regarding rising seas:...
Batteries, Supercapacitors, Hydrogen, Hydraulic Hybrids, Compressed Air...
Personal transportation is a big part of our lives, but unfortunately the current system pollutes the air and disrupts the climate. Walkable neighborhoods, bikeable cities, and fast public transit can greatly improve things, but cars will also probably stick around for the foreseeable future. Engineers and scientists are working on new ways to make the green cars of the future go (the main challenge is with power
storage - power generation is also crucial, but it's a whole other article). Let's look at some of the most promising technologies....
![tim oreilly keynote speech photo](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090313093707im_/http://www.treehugger.com/tim-oreilly-keynote.jpg)
In the midst of facing major problems like global warming, fossil fuel conundrums, and all the other ailments of the world, we're experiencing a dire economic malfunction. Tim O'Reilly argues that it isn't an investment bubble burst we're wading through, it's a reality bubble burst. And that, he notes, is a very good thing for technology and the environment. Click through to watch a clip of his keynote speech at Etech 2009. ...
Image credit: Huber Solutions (this is not the system shown in the video).
How to Recycle Gray Water Legally
Lloyd has already written about the
Gray Water Guerrilla movement - a lose alliance of activists dedicated to installing clandestine water recycling solutions. Yet while some innovative companies are offering
gray water package units, many people are still struggling against restrictive building codes, sceptical local officials, and nervous neighbors. Luckily, there are people like Trathen Heckman in Sonoma County California who are fighting the battle for the rest of us - getting a fully permitted graywater system built in the center of suburbia. Click below the fold for an excellent video from
Peak Moment TV, in which Trathen explains how his system was built, and perhaps more importantly, how he got permission to do it. ...
photo: Matthew McDermott
The problem with any consensus document like the 2007 IPCC report is that by the time everyone signs off on its contents, some of those contents are out of date. The science of climate change continues to evolve, even though a certain state of knowledge is recorded as authoritative. How to remedy this in time for the
COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference this November-December so that, hopefully (crossing fingers, toes and anything else that will cross on my body), we can all agree to a plan that will set us on a path towards truly mitigating the worst effects of climate? The
University of Copenhagen and
IARU's
Climate Change Congress hopes to do just that. And TreeHugger will be there covering it all:...
Dear Pablo: What do you believe are the top technologies that will help us overcome climate change?
...
Image via: Flickr
Following their popular
Climate Masters at Home, the University of Oregon "Climate Masters at Work" is a 10-week program aimed at educating local business owners on how to green their business, and why, reports
the Register-Guard. The coursework not only focuses on
Climate Change 101 and how to reduce the carbon footprint of the business, but also how to save money in the process - something that is desperately needed at this time....
Sewing Lilypad electronic parts onto t-shirt
Remember the
solar powered bike signal jacket from Leah Buechley? Check her out showing it off at ETech 2009, and find out more about the future of off-grid electronic clothing. ...
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