Wastage of any natural resource is obviously bad, but when it comes to “food” things are even worse.

Leftovers or dinner of the month?

With UN predicting an imminent food crisis in many parts of the world because of the current global financial crunch, it seems only wise that we waste as little as possible. And though at home we try not to do it, when it comes to big hotels, organizations and schools, it could be the difference between hunger and satisfied meals for many.

Small string volunteer organizations across the US are starting an innovative new venture in which restaurants and large corporate houses are being encouraged to donate food that would otherwise go into the bin. Apart from the very obvious ‘green’ reasons that encourage such ventures, this is also a wonderful humanitarian gesture.

While you may not find such organizations flashing ads across the internet or on national television, you sure can go check with your local community, to find out about where you can donate. It’s up to you!

Image courtesy of Rasimu

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It is no new fact that hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles are the future for automobile industry as they are both an economical and ecologically the smart option. With crude oil becoming an absolute premium with each passing day, fuel cells are becoming more of a reality.

With that in mind, Alex Bell and Andres Pacheco – engineering students at Swarthmore College, ventured into creating something that could soon become the future for bikes. It’s a fuel cell powered motorcycle that uses hydrogen.

First of its kind, the model is a basic structure that uses hydrogen and reactive metals as fuel. Hydrogen is stored at low pressure in two tanks along with reactive metals like Nickel which form hydrides that can be tapped into for power. The initial metal hydride cylinders each hold 900 std. liters of hydrogen, but that could also go up with further research.

With a salvaged Buell cyclone chassis and fitted with a new fuel cell made by Ballard, the bike has an efficiency of mere 46% and is still plagued with a few transmission problems.

Coming from college students, it’s a little step forward in the field of alternate fuels for automobiles that shows what researchers are capable of if they channel resources in the right direction. [via TreeHugger]

Researchers are finding interesting things that coffee seeds can do apart from the energy caffeine induces on a sip-by-sip basis. Recent reports suggested that coffee grounds could be used as raw material to create biofuel and now a wiser individual has created a printer that uses coffee grounds for ink.

Korean designer Jeon Hwan Ju has created an eco-friendly RITI Coffee printer that actually uses nothing beyond coffee grounds, and every time you need to print a page you also get the added bonus of building up your biceps. How is that, you may ask? Well, the printer designed by Jeon works on mechanical power and hence you will just need to pour in the dregs and move the handle back and forth to get your printout.

This obviously means that you won’t rely on electricity for printouts and that sounds like an added bonus. So what if the pages smell like coffee? That only helps you wake up from your afternoon slumber at work. Right?

Just a prototype for now, the invention could well find a commercial version sometime in the future; or at least we hope so. [via GreenDaily]

If you are looking for the best combination of green design, innovative architecture and complete privacy all merged in one beautiful home, Llorenc House in Spain proves to be great inspiration.

Gorgeously designed by Eneseis Arquitectura, the green adobe maximizes the existing space and resources by creating a sustainable residence that is half-buried into ground.

Built on the site after excavating some of the soil, an artificial hill was created on one of its sides, further ensuring privacy. Not only does this make the structure secure and secluded, but it offers excellent natural insulation – a fine example of energy conservation, making the interiors warm in winter and keeping them cool in summer.

The solar passive design expands on green features with a pool that is partly filled up with rain water collected on its roof, a garden that is nourished by a grey water system and many other energy saving features. Despite its new look, it looks grand, spacious and the 40-meter driveway that connects it to the road gives it a regal appearance.

Talk about clubbing style with eco friendly design, no? [via materialicious]

The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB)  says $100+ million will be saved every year when Filipinos start using energy-efficient lights.

ADB will fund the energy-efficiency project in the Philippines by giving away 13 million energy-saving lights to homeowners and businesses with the government’s backing to cut the nation’s power bills.

ADB has approved a $31.1 million-dollar loan to the Philippines government for the Philippine Energy Efficiency Project.  Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) will be distributed to customers nationwide in exchange for their incandescent bulbs. Each CFL will save customers 400 pesos ($8.50 dollars) a year for the next 7 to 10 years. GP wonders why this isn’t happening in every country in the world.

The project will fit government office buildings and public lighting systems with efficient lighting options also as well as establish an energy service company for financial and technical suppor.

Just 20 percent of the electricity used by regular light bulbs produce light. The rest produces heat. A CFL uses all of its electricity input to produce light.

The average incandescent bulb lasts about 800 hours. CFLs will have a life expectancy of 10,000 hours and 2-year warranty to boot.

Tell me again why this isn’t happening in every country.

Japan denied accusations that it used weapons against activists from Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on inflatable boats near Antarctica.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society said two crew members were injured when Japanese whalers used a water cannon, concussion grenades, acoustic weapons and threw brass and lead balls at them.

“If our crew can hit them, then they would be better off quitting the research vessel and joining a professional baseball team,” said an assistant director of the Far Seas Fisheries Division at Japan’s fisheries ministry.

The Japanese fleet used hoses on two Sea Shepherd boats after sending warnings because the Sea Shepherd crew members threw bottles containing dyes and strong-smelling liquid at its boats.

Japan hopes to hunt about 900 whales.

Sea Shepherd has used confrontational tactics including collisions which are widely criticized by pro-whaling groups and fellow environmentalists.