As W flings his miniature body across his miniature piano, creating an avalanche of sound with his stomach and knees and feet (note: his hands are nowhere near the keys), I wonder if he inherited his father’s musical ability or if he’ll end up like me—tone deaf and instrument-phobic, left playing the egg shaker at his in-laws’ family gatherings.

I hope for the best and so encourage his musical experimentation (until the headache creeps up and begs for a quiet, introspective child prone to reading and drawing and other silent activities) with a variety of kid-sized instruments like Melissa and Doug’s piano complete with color-coded keys and songbook. Plan Toys also nurtures novice musicians with a starter baby drum or a more advanced drum set made from natural rubber wood and non-toxic paints.

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Eco Factor: Solar-powered street market concept.

In an era where multi-story shopping malls have transformed the process of buying goods and services, Israeli designer Yarel Yair is envisioning a world where sustainability will want small markets to be set up on the streets and powered by the abundant energy of the sun. His visions have taken a consumable form, which he has shared with us.

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Eco Factor: Prefab home made from ecologically farmed bamboo.

Made from ecologically farmed bamboo, the Modularean Eco House by designer David Baker is a stunning prefab that gives meaning to architectural craftsmanship. Featuring designer furniture, bamboo and soy-based interior finishes and floor to ceiling window panels, the modern and low-impact home also includes skylights, storm water abstract outdoor sculpture and a big caster to roll around the prefab. Developed by woodworker Julianna Sassaman in her office workshop, the eco house not just holds ecological and sculptural values, but at the same time it provides some highly functional spaces for the entire family.

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Eco Factor: Energy-efficient data center to be built for Syracuse University.

Syracuse University will house a new data center that will consume about half as much energy as a typical data center, which will place it among the world’s most efficient data centers. The 6,000-square-foot data center will cost $12.4 million and will flaunt the latest in eco-technology that will reduce its energy consumption by as much as 50%.

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Eco Factor: Bicycle is powered by clean solar energy.

Engineering students at Miami Coral Park Senior High school are building a bicycle, just like usual bikes on tires, but the only difference is that it will be propelled by a solar-powered motor. They hope to grab the first prize in the annual School Inventors Challenge, a competition sponsored by Popular Science Magazine. What these students actually want to build is a bicycle that will be powered by solar energy captured by solar panels that are almost foldable like a sleeping bag. This will make it easier to carry the power source along with you so that it could be opened anywhere and whenever energy is required.

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Eco Factor: Bio-fuel manufactured from cottonseed oil.

Cottonseed, which is usually considered a waste product of cotton manufacturing units, could one day be a new source of auto fuel. The findings came after a research group at the GMR Institute of Technology in India found that cottonseed oil was as efficient as petroleum diesel when used as fuel in small engines. Their findings got more significance when they found that a blend of both performed better than either of the fuels used alone.

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Eco Factor: Energy-efficient power supply units from Corsair for green computers.

Corsair has announced the launch of the new Corsair Professional Series HX850W and HX750W modular power supply units, which have been engineered to the highest quality standards to meet the demands of enthusiasts that expect the very best. The Corsair Professional Series HX850W and HX750W PSUs utilize advanced DC-to-DC circuitry and meet 80 Plus Silver certification standards for up to 90% energy-efficiency, reducing wasted energy and lowering the amount of excess heat generated.

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Eco Factor: Sustainable office complex to aim for LEED Gold Certification.

The Export Development Canada’s (EDC’s) 1,000 employees are eagerly waiting for their new home, which will be a $150m, 10-story complex covering 520,000-square-feet built near Slater Street. The complex is being built by Broccolini Construction Inc. and is scheduled to be completed by 2011.

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Eco Factor: Compact truck powered by electric engine.

Apart from polluting the atmosphere with their massive engines, trucks also create a problem when they’re running on a congested highway. The CarGo concept truck hopes to solve both the problems with an electric engine and a variable track and wheelbase that adapts to different load carrying configurations.

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Eco Factor: Boeing 747-400 powered by a 50-50 blend of fruit oil and jet fuel.

Severely criticized on the amount of carbon emissions their planes produce, aviation companies have started to try out new fuel combinations that could make their aircraft green. The newest endeavor is from Air New Zealand, which has tried to green a Boeing 747-400 by powering it with a 50-50 blend of oil from a plum-sized fruit known as Jatropha and conventional jet fuel.

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Eco Factor: Ecofriendly home made from green materials boasts sustainable features.

Green architects want homes to be illuminated by sunlight and ventilated by natural air, both of which require the design to be as open as possible. This strategy works well for designing homes on the countryside but when it comes to urban architecture, the openness of your home means a lack of privacy. Fiona Winzar Architects have designed a green home that lowers your carbon footprint and keeps your privacy intact under an “Eyelid.”

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