The thought of an artificial tree usually excites memories of building and ornamenting a Christmas centerpiece. But here's an innovation that will put those plastic branches to shame: scientists at Columbia University are developing a structure that can capture carbon 1,000 times faster than a real tree.
The carbon-capturing structure looks more like a cylinder than a soaring Redwood.
(Credit: Global Research Technologies)Klaus Lackner, a professor of geophysics at the university, has been working on the project since 1998, according to a CNN report, and is optimistic about a near-future application.
Modern improvements in coal-fired power plants have reduced carbon emissions, but Lackner is seeking a different function. The "tree" would be used to trap carbon that has already been emitted into the air by car gasoline or airplane fuel, CNN reports.
Unlike the real thing, the synthetic "tree" doesn't need direct sunlight, water, a trunk, or branches to function, as it looks more like a cylinder than a soaring Redwood. The concept, which Lackner says is flexible in size and can be placed nearly anywhere, works by collecting carbon dioxide on a sorbent, cleaning and pressurizing the gas, and releasing it. Similar to the way a sponge collects water, the sorbent would collect carbon dioxide.
... Read more
A Hose Tree from Argentina
(Credit: Strapya-World)Craver Kent German gave us an excellent tour last week through the bizarre and sometimes disturbing universe of phone straps and dangles that is Strapya-World, but it's not done yet: Its latest offering is going green.
The "Babytree Cell Phone Strap" features tiny capsules containing an assortment of equally tiny trees from various parts or the world from which you can choose, Tokyomango says. The trees--from Argentina, South Africa, Mexico, and the United States--are alive and, according to the Web site, will stay that way for six months as long as they're watered once or twice a month.
Think of it as a plant version of the Tamagotchi--which certainly beats that USB "Dream Chick" we saw a few months back. That's just silly.
Consumer electronics makers looking to find their way into consumers' living rooms could learn a thing or two from Japanese custom PC manufacturer Universal Roaming.
Sony in particular has gone out of its way to make PCs and gadgets that blend nicely into the living room decor without being too gadgety. The result has been, well, mixed. See the Vaio TP25E (that weird round one) and the sleek Vaio LT29U all-in-one.
(Credit:
Ryou PC)
Universal Roaming takes a different approach, creating the Ryou PC series of small and lovely desktop PCs that appear more akin to decorative art than computers. They're not quite as avant garde as the Enlighten or Shadow from Suissa, but they definitely make a statement.
Each is made from Japanese Judas trees, and decorated with silver, gold, and red lacquer. But the Ryou series is not just a pretty face: it comes loaded with Windows Vista Home Premium SP1, an 80GB hard drive, a 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo T5500 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a DVD burner, Wi-Fi adapter, and a 3-in-1 card reader.
There's no price listed, but be prepared to pay a pretty penny. Clearly a lot of manual labor went into these guys.
(Credit:
Nimble Critters)
It's a curse of life in the 'burbs: Every year you swear your holiday lights will outshine the rest of the neighborhood, and every year the Joneses humiliate you with something new. No more.
We guarantee that they won't find anything like the "ETree" at Wal-Mart, K-mart, or any other mart in the United States. This bizarre floor lamp, created by designers of U.K.-based Nimble Critters, features 10 branches that can be contorted into whatever shape you wish, according to Technabob.
You'll pay a hefty price for originality, however, as a lamp like the one shown here costs more than $2,000, while a smaller version goes for around $745. But it's a two-fer: Not only will you ace the competition, but you may scare them off for good because they'll think your house has been commandeered by alien cephalopods.
Most of the year, shoppers seeking to be ecologically correct worry about the age-old paper versus plastic bag dilemma (The answer? Bring your own bag.). Around this time of year, those who celebrate Christmas worry whether they should get an artificial or real tree.
Efficient LED lights come in standard and fanciful shapes.
(Credit: HolidayLEDs)Fake firs from the middle of the 20th century that once looked high-tech have made a retro comeback. Dressing up an old one can be relatively eco-friendly, whether it sports flocked snow, aluminum branches, or ceramic gumdrops. The Doris Day aesthetics might irk some neighbors, but at least you'd do the planet a favor by keeping a used, imitation pine out of a landfill. Options abound on Freecycle, eBay, Craigslist. Resale shops run by charities, like Goodwill and Salvation Army, could also use the business.
Just don't let pity for the pathetic Charlie Brown tree fool you into taking it home. Along with legions of other fake, new trees, it's made of PVC plastics that offgas toxic chemicals. Most fake trees are made in China, which requires shipping them far with fossil fuels, and many contain lead.
Chopping down a tree may hurt if you're normally compelled to hug one, but it usually supports a local economy. Plus, replanting in that spot or elsewhere, and sending the dead wood to a mulch-making service, can ease the blow. Environmentalists who like the oxygen and aromatherapy provided by a real tree may prefer potted varieties that can be planted outside later.
Poor Charlie Brown's tree is a pathetic choice if you want to be green.
(Credit: ThisNext)To swaddle a tree or entire home in lights, LED strands come in all kinds of colors and shapes and are brighter, more durable and far more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs. They're good enough for the trees at Rockefeller Center and the White House. However, the high price of LEDs can be a letdown. Solar-powered lights can take a tree off the grid, unless you want to revert to low-tech popcorn and cranberries. (Although there are lots of other solar-powered doodads, most are made of non-recycled plastic.) You can mail in recycle used lights for recycling, or check for options at nearby hardware stores.
For the festival of lights, menorahs made of recycled pipes, glass, and mixed media. Soy-based or beeswax candles are less polluting than those made of petroleum-based paraffin. Or, make your own LED menorah.
Will it blend? Hang on tightly.
(Credit: Gaiam)To warm a hearth, should you do a real or fake fire? Duraflame announced last week that its logs, made of sawdust and castoff nut shells, will use plant-based wax, potentially saving 100 million pounds of petroleum each year. The Java Log packs coffee grounds that burn brighter and cleaner than wood. Gas fireplaces pollute the air less than those that burn wood, but they use fossil fuels.
If you aim to shop sustainably, it's a good bet to avoid Christmas stores at malls, where most goods are made abroad under dubious working conditions. Hunting online for vintage greeting cards, menorahs, and wall hangings can be more creative and less wasteful. Backed by the Etsy artists' emporium, Craftster, and other creative sites, you could pledge only to buy handmade gifts and trimmings this season. One of the cardinal rules of craftiness is that pretty much anything can be turned into a lamp, a clock or a Christmas tree ornament. Just gather last year's ribbons or bend paper clips to string up and hang old DVDs, CDs, circuitboard chunks, and shwag stress balls from CES.
Wrapping paper also can be reused, bought recycled, or ditched altogether for cloth bags or funny pages. You can reuse packing peanuts from boxes mailed to you, or stuff packages with cushioning that can double as extra goodies, such as candy, stockings, pine cones, napkins, pot holders, and popcorn (but ship quickly). Just be wary of tinsel and glitter, which can hurt furry, curious pets.
This menorah is made from galvanized pipes.
(Credit: Two String Jane)If you're making all this fuss for a party, nothing screams green like manual labor. The Vortex hand-powered blender lets your guests whip up spiked eggnog smoothies by hand. You could also toss around this ball for handmade ice cream. And no matter the mess, skip the urge to use disposable cups, plates and utensils, although compostable options may be better.
(See also: CNET's green gift guide, Gifts you can't unwrap, and Getting cash for crashed gadgets.)
Artist's conception of living house
(Credit: terreform.org)Many traditional societies have partaken tree house living. And some of us had tree houses when we were kids. Now a New York-based nonprofit is promising a tree house for future high-tech, low-impact living.
The group is terreform.org. In their own words, "Terreform is a nonprofit organization and philanthropic design collaborative that integrates ecological principles in the urban environment."
Terreform says it is close to making its first sale. Zoning regulations and building codes may present a problem. Walls that grow and change shape?
Like any self-respecting tree, the Fab Tree Hab would collect rainwater. The walls would be clay and straw. Windows would be a soy-based plastic, capable of expanding as the structure grows. Now, if they can only insure that closets would grow faster than the rest of the house.
(Credit:
Ben Arent)
The convergence of plant and machine is upon us. The "EnergyTree" is an experimental contraption that links a computer's power levels to the health of a living thing.
It was the brainchild of U.K. product designer Ben Arent, who created the concept for Microsoft's "StartSomething" PC design competition this year. The goal, according to Yanko Design, is fairly simple: "If the user is extremely efficient with their energy use the EnergyTree will give the tree the nutrients and water it needs to survive and flourish. If the user is inefficient with their energy consumption the EnergyTree will poison and malnourish the tree, eventually killing it."
It sounds kind of like a cross between a global-warming initiative and a sadistic sci-fi lab experiment to us. But if the greater good is saving the planet, we suppose the ends justify the means.
(Credit:
Tokyomango)
Given the countless ways that have been devised to encase the iPod, we're surprised that it's taken so long for the latest trend to reach the ubiquitous music player: lumber.
As wood has become popular for everything from computers and laptop cases to TVs and cameras, it seems no-brainer to apply sylvan designs to iPods and MP3 players, as Tokyomango notes that Japanese toy maker Asuka Kobo has done. Then again, maybe it has something to do with the way they look. Somehow, wood just doesn't seem appropriate for the sleek design of the media player, no matter how nicely stained or varnished it may be.
But it could always be worse: They definitely aren't in the category of the "iDear." And if it's a natural look you're going for, there's always the "iStone."
(Credit:
Akihabara News)
Months after our mates at Crave UK got the scoop on its plans, LG is apparently ready to debut a wooden plasma TV. Akihabara News says the company will release a 60-inch model with wood casing on the Korean market in March.
But before you fly to Seoul for bragging rights, be aware that wooden plasmas have been available in Sweden for some time already. If you really want to make a statement, save a tree and get a "Yalos Diamond" LCD for only $130,000.
(Credit:
Akihabara News)
We admit it: We're suckers for Peanuts. Especially around the holidays, when we get to hear the Vince Guaraldi Trio everywhere. It's one of the few childhood memories we have that doesn't involve getting beaten up by our older brothers.
That's why we were happy to see Snoopy on this iPod Nano, rather than yet another gadget adorned by the evil Hello Kitty. Japan's Run-At, which makes various products for Disney as well, has released 1,000 of the limited-edition iPods for the second year in a row with the famed beagle wearing headphones etched in the back.
Last year's special edition reportedly cost more than $300, and this one may be even more because it comes with a bevy of accessories, including a leather case. On second thought, Snoopy was kind of a jerk to Woodstock sometimes.
