We went gaga over green tech in 2009, and Copenhagen 2009 was supposed to be the highlight of the year. Sadly it went bust like Frannie Mae, and now we’re all left to our own devices.
Fine.
It's time to go down to the grassroots and find out what’s happening there. After all, the best engineering ideas had worked its way up from the ground. Not ever down. So we’ve put together 7 types of green technologies that we’d like to see more of in 2010.
7. Batteries not included: Solar- and motion-powered devices
Solar-powered handheld devices started way back in 2006 when Taiwan-based electronics company MSI launched their ill-fated solar-powered mp3 player. Since then, inventors and tinkers have moved onto using kinetic energy to power our music players. Why do we love these alternative-powered mp3 players? ‘Cause it sucks when we’re listening to our favourite songs and the device runs out of power!
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What is Piezoelectric? (by Newsydotcom)
6. Keeping it clean: Green mobile phones
When was the last time you’ve changed your handphone? We betcha that it’s probably within the year when new designs come out. But did you know that handphones can raise toxicity levels in landfills?
Most mobile phones are made of non-biodegradable materials that cannot be recycled. When they’re dumped in landfills, these phones release toxins and damage the environment. That’s why we give kudos to phone manufacturers who recognise this problem and create cool phones that are safe for the environment!
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Elm & Hazel by Sony Ericsson
5. For fashionistas: Environmentally-friendly fashion
Did you know that the fashion industry is a big culprit of carbon emissions in our atmosphere? And for all you fashionistas out there, eco-friendly fashion doesn’t mean no fur. It means being aware of how your clothing can affect the Earth. So check out these designs by innovative fashion folk who have created earth-friendly and fun-to-wear fashion!
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4. Getting around: Eco-friendly cars, bikes & transportation
When in Tampines, do as the residents do and ride a bicycle! After all, it’s healthy, cheaper, and more environmentally-friendly than taking a car. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to incorporate more environmentally-friendly materials into the bicycle’s design.
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Bamboo and carbon fibre racing bicycle
3. Fly the friendly skies: Solar-powered flight
Air travel is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases and guzzles plenty of fuel. But what to do? We still love to fly to different parts of the world to explore new places. There’s been a push by aviation experts to come up with new ways to power aeroplanes by using the sun or…pedalling like a madman?!
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- Sunseeker II: the only solar-powered aeroplane to fly over the Alps
- Pedal-powered aeroplane by Jesse van Kuijk
Pedal-powered aeroplane by Jesse van Kuijk
2. Cities that breathe: Self-sustaining & eco-friendly cities
Why “greenify” a building when you can create cities that are sustainable and eco-friendly at the same? While creating a green building is certainly laudable, it’s about as useful as sin especially when it’s surrounded by ecologically unfriendly infrastructure. Perhaps the solution is to start everything from scratch!
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Eco-friendly housing communities on San Juan Islands
1. Alternative fuels: Post-fossil fuel energy sources
If we’re reading oil prices correctly, well then fossil fuels are on the way out. When that happens we’ll be thrown back to the stone age, without the means to power our Xbox, TV and air-conditioning! Since it has been announced there’s been renewed urgency by energy cartels to look for other energy sources, preferably one that doesn’t harm the environment.
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CO2 to Methanol (by pepe727)
Tell us what kind of green tech you’d like to see in 2010 in the comments!
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