SunFyre...words from a seated position

Every car company in America, and most of the rest of the world, thinks they are going "green". This is the first sample I've seen of a car company truly producing an environmentally friendly car. The French company, Venturi, produce three vehicles; a completely electric sports car, a solar electric hybrid, and this, the first autonomous energy vehicle. It's capable of running exclusively on solar and wind energy. Solar energy is actually captured as vehicle drives. While parked the vehicle can capture wind energy and solar. In emergencies, you can plug in the vehicle and obtain a full charge in only five hours.

While it certainly isn't the solution for all of our energy concerns, and frankly, it isn't sexy, it is the first production car that could run completely exclusive of fossil fuel. Additionally, the company is carbon neutral so even the production of the vehicle is offset.

They are currently producing 20 units as demonstrators. Starting in March of 2008 they will produce 200 more units.

Here's some information borrowed from their website, along with a fancy little slideshow I made.

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Of decidedly original design, this is a vehicle that has no desire to look like other cars which depend on “black gold” : priority has been given to integration of the photovoltaic cells which compose its translucid roof.

Eclectic thus does not pass unnoticed in traffic: its elevated central driving position offers exceptional panoramic vision and considerable space, for both driver and passengers.

Eclectic’s message is loud and clear: this is not an ordinary car, but an avant-garde way of getting around. Owning an Eclectic is also a personal commitment : it means changing one’s way of getting from one place to another by exchanging one’s role as a “consumer” for that of a “producer” and this, in the general interest.

Its designer Sacha Lakic describes Eclectic as : “a modern, autonomous and intelligent automobile. The energy that drives it exists all around it : it simply has to deploy its wind turbine, expose its solar cells or, if necessary, find a simple electric plug. It is usual practice to “stylise” a car. In the case of Eclectic, its contours were born of an approach to design. Its appearance reflects its function. Its silhouette pays homage to certain icon-cars such as the Lunar Rover, Mini-Moke and Méhari. Though its technology positions it clearly in the present and, above all, the future”.


Venturi marks a new era in technological history by launching the production of Eclectic, an urban 3-seater electro-solar vehicle which goes well beyond anything offered so far by car manufacturers of today :

• 1st vehicle powered by renewable energies ;


• 1st solar production vehicle (2.5 m2 of photovoltaic cells) ;


• 1st vehicle that can be directly recharged with a personal wind turbine ;

Eclectic is thus the vehicle with the least possible impact on the environment.

Unlike other vehicles which are not used for over 90% of the time, Eclectic takes advantage of moments of immobilization to store energy in its batteries; contrary to a petrol tank, this energy reserve remains available for other uses. It’s well worth betting that one day, and at national level, this could comprise a considerable reserve of energy which could compensate for breakdowns in the production of electricity as already seen, for example, in California.

Available as an option with last-generation NiMH (NIV-7) batteries (liquid cooled), Eclectic offers a range up to 50 km at a speed of 50 km/hr (electronically restricted), which suffices largely to cover daily movements in urban areas.

The share of solar recharging is approximately 7 km per day of exposure.

When using electricity, a full recharge requires 5 hrs using a standard connection (16 A) or 3 hrs with 2 onboard chargers (optional).

Finally, as an option, Eclectic can be recharged with a wind turbine, set up on the ground next to the car. It is small and light enough to be carried easily. In this case, the share of recharging is approximately 15 km per day in windy areas.

Sources: verturi.fr

Labels: Automotive, environment, technology

Don't throw those old batteries in the trash! Battery recycling is something that we can all do to protect the environment and ourselves.

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Labels: environment, recycling

We've been clearing out our house before the big move. Buying a new home is a very cleansing experience. Our rule of thumb became "if we haven't touched it in a year, we won't miss it if we don't move it." This only became a serious issue when Kristen tried to get rid of my old baseball cards.

Trash day arrived. Normally we have one large can and a small recycling bin. That weekend, trash and recycling was in two large piles. Together the piles were roughly the size of a compact car. Our house isn't that big, I can't believe one home could produce that much refuge.

Beyond the trash, we also have a section of our basement dedicated to yard sale inventory. (By the way, our yard sale is scheduled for April 2nd. Come by and purchase some high quality, ultra-rare uber-crap!)

That weekend inspired me to write the following article:

10 Tips to Improve Recycling without Turning into a Radical Flaming Environmentalist

By Jason Tweed

I strongly believe in recycling, reducing, and reusing. Here are 10 tips to improve your recycling, without turning into a radical flaming environmentalist. It's the easy, little things that everyone can do to make the world just a little better for my three-year-old twins. Keep your recycling bin full

Newspaper Recycling

If you read the newspaper daily, please recycle them. Newspapers account for huge landfill usage. Contrary to popular belief a newspaper (nor anything else) will not bio-degrade in a landfill. If for some reason you can't recycle your newspaper, throw it in your front yard. Newspaper will bio-degrade in only a couple days if ample water and oxygen are available.

Paper Recycling

Our township recycles newspapers, but not other paper. We put all junk mail and office paper recycling in with our newspapers.

Kids and Recycling

Babies are a horrible drain on the environment. Don't give birth if you don't have to. Disposable diapers are bad, but let's face it, only radical flaming environmentalists use cloth diapers. You can however purchase baby wipes in refill packaging rather than the plastic tubs. It reduces waste. Also, flush-able wipes are better if you actually flush them.

Plastic and Steel Recycling

Some communities still only recycle aluminum. They tell you to remove steel cans and plastic bottles. Throw all your steel cans in with the aluminum. They run magnets over the aluminum cans and pull the steel out anyhow. These companies are required to recycle the steel and plastic. Your steel and plastic will get recycled with the aluminum.

Recycle Jokes

If you hear a good joke, or even a mediocre joke, don't let it take up brain landfill. Tell it to someone. If you don't have any friends, submit it to Friday Funnies Recycling Program.

Composting

If you live in a rural community, take all food waste and toss it in a pile in your backyard. This compost pile will actually create high quality soil that can be used. Food doesn't decompose in a landfill nearly as effectively. There are lots of sites on the Internet that teach you how to compost easily and effectively. While a simple pile in your yard (away from the house) will work in some areas, you may want to build a compost bin or compost tumbler.

Recycle Money

Contribute to a favorite charity. Give it to your church. Give it to a guy who looks like he has less money than you. Finally, buy something... even silly stuff pays somebody's salary. Saving is good, but if you have discretionary income, don't be discretionary about spending it. It helps the economy, which will do as much for our children as having a clean planet.

Have a Yard Sale

Take the crappy stuff you normally throw away and drop it in a large cardboard box in your basement. Every spring take the box, along with everything else in your house, into the front yard. Mark prices on it and sell it between 7 a.m. and noon. Use the money you earned to buy yourself a nice lunch. Then, here's the key, everything that doesn't sell, leave it beside the curb. Write FREE on the big cardboard box. It's amazing, stuff people won't pay a quarter for something, but will steal it during the night. By morning everything should be gone. Anything left is truly trash, so leave it out for the sanitation engineers. Lastly, recycle the big cardboard box.

Computer Recycling

A new trend in trash has evolved over the past few years. No one used to throw away computers, they'd simply give them to less fortunate relatives who were computerless. But now, all your relatives who want one already have one, and you have three old computers. Don't throw them in a landfill (especially monitors) because they have lots of bad stuff in them. Instead, call a local computer repair shop and ask them how to dispose of a computer properly. If they have a good answer, offer to drop your old computers at the shop and they can reuse and recycle them for you.

Finally, recycle hugs

The latest medical evidence has proven that your heart can actually explode inside your chest if you receive too many hugs and don't get rid of them. If you feel your heart expanding, give hugs immediately. Give them to children, because they have very small hearts, and can handle the pressure. If you feel your heart shrinking, you may have given away too many. Try asking someone with a large heart to recycle some of their hugs.

Labels: environment, Family values, Friday Funnies, humor, parenting, recycling