Eco Factor: Hybrid car made from natural materials.

Green cars are not a new thing for Toyota, which earlier showcased a variety of cars which could by all means be termed green. The company is again making news with another concept that could be a common sight on the road after a couple of decades. Toyota has showcased a hybrid concept car made from seaweed that will be shown at the Melbourne International Motor Show in Australia. The 1/X is being termed as Toyota’s dream machine, which if developed could make millions of dreams come true.

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Eco Factor: Car powered by solar energy developed by MIT.

The oldest solar electric student team in America, MIT’s Solar Electric Vehicle Team, has unveiled their next-gen solar car known as the “Eleanor.” Costing a whopping $243,000, the solar car will compete in the tenth World Solar Challenge, an endurance race covering nearly 2000 miles of Australian outback.

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Eco Factor: Forests in the sky to absorb harmful CO2 from the upper atmosphere.

Reading the simple laws of physics will make you understand that hot air is lighter than cold air, and all the harmful CO2 released from factory chimneys doesn’t have an immediate effect on the people living on the ground. The exhaust gases are hot, hence they lift and stay in the upper part of the atmosphere, showing their effect on the extremely important ozone layer.

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Eco Factor: Solar panels by First Solar break $1/watt barrier.

In bad economic times, a reduction in the cost of products is always a welcome sign. That reduction gets even better if it’s about something we’ve always wished to come cheap. First Solar is again the first in breaking the $1/watt barrier, which has been the goal of the solar industry for a long time. The company has claimed that their newest solar modules cost just 98 cents per watt. Though 2 cents doesn’t make that much of a difference, it definitely does break the records.

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Eco Factor: System to harness energy from everyday life.

Electricity sockets are often used to connect our chargers and appliances. How about a socket that instead of sucking electricity from the power grid, feeds electricity to the grid? The system is being conceptualized by Carla Diana and Jeff Hoefs. Dubbed the Inlet-Outlet, the system generates electricity from things that are used in an urban household on an everyday basis.

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Eco Factor: Sustainable energy-efficient architecture for StatoilHydro.

The competition to design a sustainable office for Norwegian Oil Company StatoilHydro has been won by Oslo-based A-Lab architects for a star-shaped complex, which is high on sustainability and style. The architecture was chosen from among 40 entries, each of which could be built before 2012. The building has been christened “Five Elements” due to the five wings the building is composed of.

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Eco Factor: Electricity generating nano-generators harness the energy of motion.

It seems like researchers have lost all hopes that humans will ever be able to generate electricity for themselves, as they are now looking forward to innocent rodents to do the job for the energy-dependent world of today. Researchers at Georgia University’s Nano Research Group have developed jackets for hamsters that will generate electricity whenever the rodents take on the wheel for fun.

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Eco Factor: Sustainable house to be powered by solar and geothermal energy.

Sustainable architecture and sustainable housing are new names in urban residential complexes. Spanish design firm Desiño Earle has designed a new solar house that could take sustainability to a new level. Known as the “Eco House,” the house is a modern eco-villa with all the amenities for futuristic green living.

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Eco Factor: New CCS technology could make coal-fired power plants green.

Be it the latest advances in solar technology or fuel cells, until we get an efficient and easily available source of green energy the human race will get powered-up by the ever diminishing sources of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels, though efficient, pollute the environment in more than one way, primarily with carbon emissions. Technologies to capture all that carbon from fossil-fuel-fired plants have already been developed. But saving the planet from a boiling disaster comes at a price – $50 for every ton of CO2.

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Eco Factor: Energy-efficient monitor saves up to 60% power.

The newest weapon in Dell’s fight against global warming is the newly launched G2410, 24-inch LCD. The white LED Full HD monitor has especially been developed for eco-friends all over the world. Ensuring up to 60% energy savings, the $349 monitor has a multitude of features that can reduce the monitor’s load on the environment.

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Eco Factor: Fuel-efficient car with a hybrid engine.

It seems like the global credit crunch has not stopped car manufacturers from designing extravagant concepts which they hope to bring to mainstream production in the near future. Recently we saw Rinspeed announcing their iChange for the Geneva Auto Show and now we have news from Kia Motors who wish to bring their newest concept car to the show.

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Eco Factor: Solar power system from Kyocera.

The lack of fossil fuels required to generate energy and the need to go green point in just one direction – solar energy. The means to harness the power of the sun are infinite, but the more efficient the PV modules are the lesser electricity finally costs. Kyocera has recently announced the newest in solar power systems dubbed the MyGen. MyGen is a grid-tie solar power system that is compatible with a wide variety of roof types and materials.

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Eco Factor: Front loading washing machine heats water with solar energy.

Just when the uses of solar energy in electronics seem to have reached its end, manufacturers from some part of the world launch products no one would have ever thought of. Electrolux is one such brand which has tried to make a new beginning for solar powered machines with their newest launch they call the Sunny Front Loading Washing Machine.

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Eco Factor: A/C powered by solar energy.

Earlier this month, researchers at the Australian National University developed solar air-conditioning units for smart homes with even smarter living rooms. The unit’s only drawback was its cooling capacity, which was just good enough for a small room. Well, if you want to host a party in your home this summer, you need much more than a ton or two of cooling and a new launch by Coolerado Air Conditioners will help you do just that.

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Eco Factor: Batteries powered by green energy.

Portable batteries used in portable electronic devices have seen some of the most eco-fascinating inventions recently. From urine-powered batteries to batteries that use sugar for energy, all showcased a new generation of portable batteries that won’t be a menace to the environment even if discarded. If urine power is not something you’d like to use in your much loved gadgets, Sony developed a sugar-powered battery system in October last year, which at that time was not as efficient and its output wasn’t anywhere near to conventional batteries available on the shelves today.

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Eco Factor: Manned airplane powered by solar energy.

Solar Flight’s quest to fly on solar energy proved worthwhile when they successfully crossed the United States in their first solar-powered plane, the Sunseeker I. Now the company is gearing up again to show the worth of solar energy in aviation with a new and improved aircraft called the Sunseeker II.

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Eco Factor: Recyclable safety glasses.

While glasses that generate solar electricity are still a distant and somewhat wild dream to chase, designer Partrick Decker has designed the Falex safety glasses. The glasses are still in the concept stage, but the materials to be used and the overall design would make it easy to mass produce. The recyclable glasses are made of bio-degradable materials so you can be sure that your safety glasses won’t hinder the safety of the environment.

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Eco Factor: Energy generator harnesses the power of motion.

According to the law of conservation, energy can neither be created nor be destroyed. That means whatever we have in our surroundings is full of energy that just needs a proper way to be harnessed. Motion harnessing generators are not a new concept at EcoFriend, but the one developed by inventor Dr. Cedrick Ngalande is different and seems more efficient.

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Eco Factor: Conceptual project aims to filter air, grow food and re-use organic waste.

Building architecture for the future does actually require enormous skills and a green mind. While skyscrapers might take decades to actually prove themselves in the eco-market of today, small designs and systems stand a chance to show their mettle right now. The Urban Space Station is one such project that aims to protect the environmental health of the place where it is installed and can encourage others to follow.

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Eco Factor: Solar thermal power plant to take Cloncurry off the grid.

Soon to recognize the enormous potential of solar energy, Cloncurry, an outback Australian town, will soon be getting a new solar thermal power plant that will deliver about 30 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually. The design will be implemented by Lloyd Energy Storage, which will build 54 towers, each of which will be 18m in height.

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Adapted from Josh’s next book The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save the Planet.

Those of us determined to green our jeans will find that most eco-aware denim is priced at or above $150 a pair. But there are exceptions. Good Society delivers high-style, fair-trade certified organic cotton jeans for about $100. Not only is the styling clean and sharp, but every pair purchased also helps provide fair wages for the workers who produce them in India. When we think about “going green,” we typically focus on reducing our environmental impact. But fair-trade certification also ensures that the people making the products we use are not exploited in the process. This helps to create a web of positive change — a good society, if you will. And for Aiden Dingh, Good Society’s co-founder, it’s not enough to sell clothing that respects both the people who make it and the environment we live in, it’s also essential to make those items affordable. While Sling and Stones, Dingh’s original organic cotton denim line, carries designer prices, Good Society makes eco-chic clothing accessible to a broader audience. You can find the collection at big national retailers like Urban Outfitters and at smaller boutiques across the country. Good Society keeps the good going by giving 10 percent of its profits to environmental causes. They’re available here in women’s and men’s styles.

Other Affordable, Eco-Friendly Denim Options:

Arizona Jeans
Arizona’s new eco-collection is available at J.C. Penney. Instead of tossing the cotton that’s left over from the cotton mill in a landfill, Arizona Jeans recycles it into jeans that retail for around $40 per pair. The company does the same thing with T-shirts, incorporating 60 percent recycled cotton.

Levis
Levis keeps it green with its 100 percent organic cotton Levis Eco denim collection featuring boot cut, straight, and slim cuts for men and women with prices that hover around $68 per pair.

Quiksilver
Guys and girls will dig the vibrant, fresh designs that are increasingly made of organic cotton by Quiksilver. From stylish tees to denim jeans, Quiksilver is rapidly introducing eco-friendly products that are sure to be a hit in dorms rooms everywhere.

Adapted from Josh’s next book The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save the Planet.

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Eco Factor: Soundproof barrier for Amsterdam Airport allows algae cultivation.

The “Create a Barrier of Silence” design competition hosted by Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has been won by an innovative noise-reduction facility developed by Toine Van Goethem. Dubbed the Ecobarrier, the design got appreciation because of its simplicity and innovative character. To add to its appeal the system has been designed to contain several sustainable features like algae cultivation and bio-fermentation. Construction on the Ecobarrier will begin once it has performed the statutory design tests.

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Eco Factor: Zero-emission car powered by electricity.

The advent of electric cars got some frowns from all those car lovers for whom performance was always rated above emissions. Electric cars, though, protect the planet from harmful GHGs but sacrifice speed and power for the same. If designer Bo Zolland is to be believed, then the next-gen electric cars will be zero-emission but their performance will not be less than the conventional hot rods of today.

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Eco Factor: Energy information display based on Plogg wireless smart meter technology.

A Swiss research group at the Bits-to-Energy Lab of ETH Zurich has developed a browser-based system that delivers real-time energy statistics of all electric devices that are connected to it. Known as “Energie Visible,” the system is based on Plogg Wireless Smart Meter technology. This new system has been installed at Cudrefin02’s headquarters, where it graphically displays the energy consumption of all the systems running on a large screen at the front of the building.

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Eco Factor: Structures created from recycled plastic bottles encourage youth to kick single use plastic water bottles.

Drinking bottled water might keep you in good shape, but the millions of water bottles discarded every day in landfills are spoiling the shape of the environment. To encourage people to stop using plastic water bottles, American eco-artist Tim Gaudreau has created a monster shoe out of 3000 plastic bottles hot glued together. While the water bottles make the sole and the body of the shoe, 300 old plastic bags were woven in the shoelace.

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