Though I’ve seen eco-cabs and electric rickshaws by now, this new solar rickshaw by SolarLab have something to be proud of. Most of the energy, 75-percent, will come from the roof-mounted photovoltaic cells while the rest of 25-percent will be delivered through pedaling so better be prepared if there’s no sun outside.

I can see a battery in this sketch but to be honest, what kind of engine is that? Any details about it, would be great. Don’t plan to drive during the night unless SolarLab has an extraordinary battery to help you out or you’re training for the Olympics on that hill.

SolarLab via Dezeen

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Though they have their reasons, I can’t figure out why they’ve built such a big umbrella “house”. The project uses modified umbrellas and was put up by Kengo Kuma who did it for the Milan Triennale Museum of design.

The umbrellas are zipped together along their outer edges to form the modular shape you can see in the pictures, and each of them have two extra flaps hanging from the central segment which are used for different compositions. The Umbrella House has a kitchen area, a sleeping mat if you need a power nap and should be great for on-campus gatherings, don’t you think?

via DesignBoom

The tiger mosquito, native from Asia, became a recent threat to European countries a few years ago when they discovered it already established itself in northern Italy where it has transmitted chikungunya fever to local population. The same mosquito is responsible for the dengue and yellow fever plus 20 other viral diseases. More than a dozen other countries including Germany and the Netherlands have detected the plague, too.

Because the UK climate during the summers is highly suitable for the tiger mosquito to breed, scientists at the Government’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) at Porton Down in Wiltshire are very concerned that England and the Wales may be the next areas to be invaded.

“The mosquito has popped up across Europe and although we haven’t found it yet in the UK, we have identified the potential for it to come here,” a spokesman of the HPA’s Porton Down laboratories said. Though the Health Protection Agency said they have “no confirmed reports” in August 2007, the DailyMail reported on that an Asian mosquito was found in a suburban back garden in Gloucestershire.

Once settled in the country, it could cause a locally spread epidemic. “You do need several steps in the chain for it to become an issue, but it’s something we’ve been keeping an eye on. Most people think of malaria, but there are other things you can catch from mosquitoes,” the same spokesman said.

Over the last few years more and more British people returned from Asia with the chikungunya virus, from 6 in 2004 to more than 130 in 2006. The female mosquito seems to be the most dangerous because she feeds on human blood throughout the day, not just at night, is renowned for her quick and penetrating bite that could transmit diseases extremely fast.

Not sure what you will think but the pre-historic family we all know, The Flintstones, got arrested in Brussels, Belgium, while driving towards the European Parliament building.

It wasn’t Fred or Wilma to get the penalty, but six Greenpeace activists dressed as cavemen driving the “Flintstone car”, that protested on the influence of the auto industry on proposals to curb carbon dioxide emissions from car. This week the European Parliament will start debating on the legislation that forces down CO2 emissions from cars, with fines on manufacturers that fail to comply.

“Our activists and their zero-emission vehicle are raising the alarm about the influence this dinosaur industry exercises over EU climate policy,” said Greenpeace transport campaigner, Melanie Francis.

Not sure about you but I remember the pedal powered ‘Flintstone car’ driver that got his traffic ticket dismissed, so I hope nothing happens to these six well-intended cavemen.

World’s number 5 oil exporter, Norway has big energy resources and by 2025 it could become “Europe’s battery”.

The island of Utsira, Norway - image by tualatin

A recent study talked about developing sea-based wind parks that would allow access up to 8,000 megawatts of renewable energy, equivalent to about eight nuclear power plants. Exporting green energy would actually help the European Union to attain their goal to get 20-percent of the total energy from renewable sources such as solar, wind, waves or hydro power.

The investment for the wind parks would cost up to $44 billion but if we consider they pump out 2.2 million barrels of oil per day, it will probably take only 6 months to cover it.

Norway has the longest coastline in Europe and using wind power they expect to have “access to up to 40 terrawatt hours of renewable energy in 2020-2025, of which about half would come from offshore wind power.” If the authorities will consider the project and it will be built, it may cut 20 million tonnes of heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions.

Way to go Norway.

If you’re an environment friendly sailor and have a passion for speedboats check out Czeers MK1, a 10-meter boat that packs 14 square meters of solar panels and an 80kw electric motor. It was showed off at the Millionaire Fair last year and though it’s just a prototype, this baby goes up to 30 knots on water.

Made 100-percent of carbon fiber with orange leather trim, photovoltaic cells on almost all horizontal surfaces and an LCD touch-screen control system, Czeers MK1 uses no oil, produces no engine noise and no fumes. The company expects to sell 4 to 8 models a year and though they didn’t disclose the price, expect to hit the sky.

Here is a video of the superboat. Do you like it ?

via Gizmag

Boy oh boy, nature either changes or we never knew such things can happen. Here is a fishing spider from Africa that lurks near water and feeds on fish or in this particular case, with a live frog.

Could that be the way nature responds and is it possible for these spiders to invade cities in the next centuries for a ride on our arms? It’s probably just a freaky-looking arachnid with different taste than a common spider, but that still motivates me to be greener.

via videosift.com

image by WYGD

Daniel Burd is an 11th grader from Canada, that wants to turn his school science project into a dream come true. The guy is certain that if a plastic bag takes 1,000 years to decompose it’s because of the microorganisms behind it, and Burd thinks he has a method that will cause them to decompose in just three months.

The young scientist searched for those “guilty” of decomposing plastic bags and found two strains of bacteria that work together; the primary bacteria is Sphingomonas while the other one is Pseudomonas. Creating an industrial solution for plastic bags that would only last for three month is extremely simple. “All you need is a fermenter . . . your growth medium, your microbes and your plastic bags,” Burd said.

Though it doesn’t solve the pollution in the Pacific, this guy’s idea is a simple enough that it might just work well enough to change the world (at least a bit). He deserves congratulations and some money to continue his research and make it a real solution, instead of a project.

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Naked Bike Riders Protest Car Pollution

Lycra-trimmed, ultra-mini Salmon-Skin Bikini. Are you serious?

Source: The Record

A recent survey on 2,600 participants from the top eight richest cities in the world, Tokyo, New York, Paris, London, Milan, Moscow, Toronto and Frankfurt, revealed  that Tokyoites  “don’t want to sacrifice a convenient lifestyle to prevent global warming.”

Though Japan is at the cutting edge of green technologies, its citizens are the least eco-minded in the world. They came last for considering that “an eco-friendly lifestyle is comfortable”, for studying about global warming and preserving the environment or for buying eco-friendly products. As a paradox, more then 90-percent of them feel threatened by global warming.

On the other side, Parisians and Milanese are supposed to be the happiest to change their habits for a greener planet.

Image from P F C

This is the construction timelapse of a big PYCO 1 megawatt wind turbine that was built from March 31st 2008 to April 4th 2008 in Lubbock, Texas. Sooner or later we will understand that we can live a life on renewable energies if we stop wasting and though they build bigger mills around the world this is a good step forward.

This video is copyright in whole or in part by PCCA.