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In June, I bought a totally righteous Volkwsagen Jetta TDI. It’s fast, gets great gas mileage, handles extremely well on windy mountain roads, has ample storage capacity and cost me just over 25K, making it pretty reasonable for a family car. I love this car. To me, it represents the best kind of lazy environmentalist choice – one that requires absolutely no sacrifice and actually improves my life while minimizing my environmental impact.

Yet, as much as I love this car, I am ridiculously lazy about caring for it. And though it’s the summer months when car washes are in vogue, I went all summer without giving my beloved TDI a cleaning.

That is, until today. I’ve just finished washing my car without using any water thanks to an awesome product from Lucky Earth. The company’s non-toxic Waterless Car Wash product is fabulous. You just spray the liquid on, wipe it off using a bit of elbow grease and you’re done. No endless amounts of water running from the hose. No toxic soapy stuff seeping into the ground water. This product is easy to use, works well, and is good for the planet.

I’d kick myself for not trying it earlier except that even experiencing how good the product is, I still probably won’t wash my car again until next spring, so any self-administered kicks won’t do me much good.

Lucky Earth Car Wash is available at Amazon.com.

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Eco Factor: LEED Platinum certified prefab modules made from green materials.

The V100 Mod Box has everything in it to be termed as the next-generation prefabricated living module. The 1000-cubic-foot structure is made with green materials and includes state-of-the-art energy saving appliances. To top it all, the Mod Box requires no maintenance of any kind. The structure can be assembled by anyone, without any tools or previous knowledge.

Despite having a tiny footprint, each of the boxes carries two rooms, which can either be a kitchen and a living room, or a bathroom and a bedroom. Amenities inside include walnut cabinets, induction cook top, refrigeration and water saving sinks and showers.

The box can be used for larger applications, such as hotels and multifamily projects. The boxes can also be configured in anyway and connected to each other without any nails, screws and no paint at all. The low-maintenance structure can be built anywhere in the world and with a LEED Platinum certification, it ensures that you’re living in a green way.

Via: Jetson Green

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Eco Factor: Artwork created from eco-friendly materials.

We’ve frequently written about artwork created from environmentally friendly materials by eco-conscious artists, and from what we have already seen, cardboard seems to be the ideal material for most artists. American artist Kiel Johnson, who has already received numerous awards for his unique pieces of art, has now come up with cameras that are made from cardboard.

The designer, whose works normally represent near-obsolete machines, has beautifully crafted a range of cameras from cardboard. The collection includes SLRs, Polaroid cameras, point and shoot cameras, twin lens cameras and the retro 8mm cameras.

Via: The Design Inspiration

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Eco Factor: San Ysidro U.S. Land Port of entry uses sustainable design to reduce energy usage.

Award winning architectural firm, The Miller Hull Partnership would be constructing the San Ysidro U.S. Land Port of Entry as a high performance building with sustainable features enabling it to achieve LEED Platinum certification. One of the largest land port entries on US soil the project integrates energy efficient design features along with water conservation strategies.

The redevelopment project is designed to improve operational efficiency, security and safety for cross-border travelers and federal agencies at the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry. The construction would be completed in three different phases. In the first phase, the northbound primary inspection lanes and booths, the northbound secondary inspection facilities, and associated canopies that cover these facilities would be integrated with sustainable features. These include Ethylene Tetra fluoroethylene canopies to allow penetration of maximum daylight thereby reducing the need for artificial lighting. This combined with use of photovoltaic panels and geo exchange system can help offset the port energy use.

The primary inspection booths would be using radiant heating and cooling panels as part of the booth’s HVAC system. The sustainable water management strategies include a 700,000 gallon rainwater reclamation system along with planting of flora species that require low water use and maintenance.

Via: ArchDaily

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Eco Factor: Pedal-assist bike for short distance commutes.

The G-Bike City is a short distance commute vehicle that runs on electricity and has pedals that can be used when the battery runs out. The pedal-assist electric bike, which avoids costly insurance and registration, costs just $1099.99, and features a powerful 500W brushless hub motor.

The designers claim that the G-Bike City can be recharged in just 4-8 hours, after which it can operate for 42 miles with a top speed of 20mph. The range can be extended if you don’t hesitate in pedaling back home after a longer trip.

Thanks for the tip: [Lex Houser]

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Eco Factor: Zero-emission concept car powered by electricity.

The Toyota MOB concept is the brainchild of Spanish designer Jorge Marti Vidal and features a striking look that incorporates unusual bodywork. The concept vehicle, which has been inspired by the idea of the Mobius strip, carries two continuous panels, which weave their way back and forth to create the bodywork and the chassis.

The designer claims that the vehicle will be made from an organic material called “liquid wood,” which is formed using the waste product of lignin, left after the manufacture of paper. This lignin is combined with wood fibers to create a composite material, which is durable and recyclable. Propelled by electric motors, with each wheel getting its own engine, the MOB would act as an environmentally responsible racing car.

Via: Diseno-Art

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Eco Factor: Energy saving domestic appliance works automatically when electricity rates are cheapest.

Miele is offering a highly relevant and future-proof solution to saving energy by fabricating smart grid domestic appliances. On display at IFA 2010 are a washing machine and tumbler dryer with a mind of their own. These electrical devices function automatically only when the electricity supply is the cheapest. For that they are fitted with Miele’s gateway communication module, which provides access to the appliance through a PC and also monitors electricity rates.

The appliances have to be programmed according to tariff rates and earliest starting and latest finishing times. Once done the Smart Start function helps the machine run automatically only when the electricity is the cheapest.

Via: Gizmag

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Eco Factor: Prototype vehicle powered by an electric motor.

Till date we’ve only seen bikes and e-bikes that can be folded to easy carriage. Researchers at the Nagoya Institute of Technology in Japan have developed an all-electric vehicle that too like its two-wheeled siblings can be folded vertically for storage. Christened the X-Frame, the zero-emission vehicle can also change its shape while on the move.

For better aerodynamic properties, the vehicle lowers itself when traveling at a high speed. The process just reverses when the driver plans to have a slow commute. The X-Frame is powered by a replaceable electric battery that is housed in the vehicle’s rear wheel, offering an eco-conscious city transport vehicle with a minimum parking footprint.

Via: Dvice

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Eco Factor: Lamps made from Flashlight and PET bottles.

Looks like designers Lie Zhong-Fa, Lee Sang-Bong and Ji Jung-Ah are on a quest to change the way people think about trash. The trio is out with an interesting idea for all you creative geeks out there. They have developed a flashlight that makes green lamps in seconds.

All you have to do is, screw + (Plus) Conjunctive Flash Light onto the mouth of a standard PET bottle and you are all good to go out on any adventurous expedition during the dark night. This innovative creation gives a meaningful makeover to the PET bottles that would otherwise end up in landfills. This makeshift lantern-esque lamp is just perfect to be hung-up in a tent or taken outdoors.

Via: YankoDesign

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Eco Factor: Hurricane and earthquake resistant homes to be built in Haiti using shipping containers.

There have been innumerable project to rebuild the earthquake-wrecked Haiti after the catastrophic tremor shook the Caribbean nation. This time around, Haitian Canadian musician Luck Mervil offers a helping hand to the homeless. He is backing the Montreal organization Vilaj Vilaj, which aims to build an entirely new village for 5,000 people.

Located on a parcel of previously uninhabited land near Leogane, a coastal city west of Port-au-Prince, the eco village will be constructed using 900 shipping containers. Under this $25 million project, the Haitians will be provided with sustainable and long-term housing. The long-term, hurricane, and earthquake resistant homes will be build from both 40 and 20-foot containers that offer a living space of nearly 320 sq feet.

The self-sufficient village will include a series of 900 shipping containers grouped together in a grid and separated by open space, parks, and playing fields. There are plans to have spaces dedicated for companies to set up, so that the villagers can earn a living. Mervil and his team have already built a prototype shipping container house in Canada in just in 10 days. They claim that the construction cost for the house was somewhere between $8,000 and $10,000 and hope it to reduce for the village.

Via: Inhabitat

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Eco Factor: Zero-emission motorcycle propelled by electricity.

Auto designer Andre Federico Look believes that racing is a significant medium in communication new technology and motorsports has the chance to demonstrate new technical and creative solutions within the framework of competition. To prove his belief, Andrea has come up with a concept electric motorcycle that can rival any conventionally-powered machine on the racetrack.

Christened the AER, the motorcycle features an asymmetrical chassis which takes care of maintenance and service in the pit lane. The motorcycle is propelled four electric engines that collectively generate a whooping 143.5KW of raw power. To evenly distribute weight, the four electric engines and their battery packs are centered as compact as possible.

The “framerings” enclose the package of the motors and the batteries by assembling them to an engine block. Beyond that, the rims and other highly stressed components require to influence the bikes handling in a positive way. The tires, wheel flashings, and the rims are combined to a self-contained system. The rims are laid out to fit the needs of a sensitive tire temperature management. Especially, at the end of a race, the tires are worn – by ensuring a more constant temperature over the laps it would be possible to finish the competition without fighting against the specific tire problems.

By assembling one smaller electric engine in the front wheel it is possible to recuperate a big amount of braking energy by only one system. The engine/generator system weighs about 4.5kg which is insignificant in comparison to a typical braking system. This motor supports in reference to acceleration and helps to reduce the stress for the rear wheel tire.

The designer has figured out two possible battery technologies, which use oxygen in the air for energy generation. The battery packs might either use lithium-air technology or zinc-air technology. This upcoming technology provides up to ten times the energy density of conventional lithium-ion battery.

Thanks: [Andre Federico Look]

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Some have accused me of trying to create a marketing campaign to generate support for solving global warming. They’re correct. That’s exactly what I want to do. I want to rebrand environmentalism to make the green solutions so utterly appealing and attractive that people will be enticed to participate in the solutions.

Unless we get serious about our communication (and by serious I actually mean less serious), we will fail to attract a broad enough spectrum of Americans to move change forward in this country.

So, yes, let’s implement some savvy marketing. Let’s rebrand environmentalism.

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Eco Factor: Sculpture made from recycled plastic.

A group of eco-conscious Japanese artists have crafted a Gundam from grids of plastic leftovers. The structure, christened the RG (Recycle Grade) RX-78-2 Gundam, is three feet tall and has been built entirely from spare plastic runners and part trees from smaller Gundam model kits.

As you can see from the pictures, the structure wasn’t easy to build and it took nearly 250 man hours to take shape. The structure is on display at the Chara Hobby Show at the Dengeki Hobby booth in Tokyo.

Via: GizmoWatch/Technabob

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Eco-Factor: sustainable design reduces the need for mechanical heating and cooling thereby saving energy.

Designer Erick Van Egeraat design for the 32,000 m2 Corporate University planned for Russia’s largest and oldest bank, Sberbank has been chosen from 4 other proposals for combining sustainable design tools and technologies.

The project uses low environmental impact materials such as wood, mineral stucco and granulated concrete foundation for construction. Putting sustainability in the centre of the corporate agenda the building façade and the space dividing elements have all been built using prefabricated wood and glass. The structure uses cantilever design for terraces, cross ventilation and summer shading to reduce the need for mechanical heating and cooling. The design also envisions vegetated roofs to improve both the appearance and insulation qualities of the building. The project is scheduled for opening in the first quarter of 2012.

Via: ArchDaily

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Eco-Factor: Solar powered electric assist bicycle trailer takes a musician on tour.

With Kristin Rule’s new album release round the corner, the cellist who creates music with an environmental edge has planned a music tour with that is equally eco friendly. The lady gets mobile this time using a bicycle accompanied by a solar-powered, electric-assist trailer.

She uses a ‘Watt-Bot’ trailer equipped with photovoltaic panels to harness solar energy and store it in a pair of 12 volt batteries. The contraption built from recycled material provides generated enough power to assist three hours of riding for pedaling a cello laden bike extension built directly into the bike. The bicycle is also equipped with cycle analyst on the handle bar for better power management. The panniers used for carrying clothing and camping gear too has been built from custom built from salvaged canvas.

Via: Treehugger

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Eco Factor: New electric racecar sports lightweight carbon fiber body.

Brigham Young University is on a quest to set a speed record for the E-1 class and its partner to fulfill the dream is an electric streamliner. Unveiled recently, the special racecar sporting lightweight carbon fiber body reached a top speed of 139 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats this month. After nearly six years of designing and building, the over a hundred student team was proud to have a fast, quite and green car that has the ability to turn heads.

Powered by 880 lithium ion batteries, BYU’s new electric racecar features slender shape and enclosed wheels that help in reducing air resistance. In order to create a lightweight motor, the team stripped down and rearranged dozens of Dewalt cordless drill battery packs. Since the car is designed for racing, the rubber tires that are prone to expanding and exploding at high velocities are replaced with solid aluminum rear tires.

The car has a small, rugged computer located at the back, which serves up a webpage that functions like a digital dashboard, displaying information about the car’s current speed, throttle position and voltage to anyone with a computer in range. Offering a turning radius of 600 feet compared to the turning radius of 35 feet of average cars, this electric streamliner offer great safety. The team aims to a top speed achieve of 200 mph. Let’s hope the team succeeded in its mission and give us some spectacular action-packed race to watch.

Via: Physorg

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Eco Factor: Cellphones made from new form of bio-plastic.

NEC has announced the development of a new kind of bio-plastic that can be used to make mobile phones. The bio-plastic is 70 percent cellulose and cardanol, a primary component of cashew nut shells. While current bio-plastics include large amount of oil-based additives, the new plastic uses cardanol to modify cellulose.

In recent years, bio-plastics have been derived from plant resources but the possibility of future food shortages has emphasized the importance of using non-edible plant resources to produce bio-plastics. The plastic developed by NEC is being claimed to resolve these issues and the company has stated that research and development will continue to make the product viable for mass production.

Via: Cellular-News

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Eco Factor: Urinal and sink combo concept uses gray water to cleanse the urinal basin.

Peeing and washing hands in the same urinal stand sounds a little bizarre to me, but I have no clue how are you guys going to react to this. Designer Yeongwoo Kim has developed a simple green urinal that incorporates a radical hand washing concept to offer a one-stop bathroom. Dubbed the “Eco Urinal”, this urinal and sink combo is designed to save a water flush cycle.

After the men are through with their job, the water they use to wash their hands is used to flush the urinal, reducing the water consumption. The design that encourages gray water utilization will give a helping hand to the environment. The Eco Urinal concept won a 2010 iF Concept Design Award from International Forum Design.

Via: YankoDesign

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Eco Factor: Zero-emission vehicle powered by an electric engine.

The Follow Me concept electric vehicle has been designed to better postal delivery services in inner city. The compact vehicle helps delivery agencies sneak through congested city lanes. A network of distributed docking stations allows to continuously stock-up deliver vehicles with parcels on the move.

The open design allows the driver to easily get in and out of the vehicle, which can be customized with a wide range of add-ons. Developed in collaboration with the Art College of Berlin and the Technical University of Berlin, the concept electric vehicle is easy to maneuver during traffic jams to ensure a smooth function of the delivery system.

Via: James Dyson Award

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Eco Factor: Temporary water polo venue cloaked in a PVC membrane will reduce water consumption by 40%.

Enthusiasm, excitement, thrill and curiosity is what one experiences during the Olympic Games. But, this time it also gets special venue for experiences that are larger than life. The Olympic Delivery Authority Planning Committee has approved the plans for a temporary London 2012 Water Polo Arena. Designed by David Morley Architects, the temporary water polo venue will boast a state of the art inflatable roof.

The 5,000-seat venue will be wrapped in silver and its rippling roof, made of air inflated recycled PVC cushions for extra insulation, slopes up from the main pedestrian entrance to the Olympic Park. Designed to complement the adjacent Aquatics Centre, the asymmetry venue will house a 37m by 23m by 2m competition pool along with a marginally smaller warm up pool. All the builds will be kept as close to sustainability as possible.

The architects will start the construction in spring 2011 and expect it to complete by spring 2012. There are plans to reduce water consumption by 40% through low-flow taps and showers and waterless urinals. It has been designed to be taken down after the Games to be relocated and reused elsewhere either in full or in sections. David Morley Architects see their new project as a huge boost to the profile of the sport.

Via: WorldArchitectureNews

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Eco Factor: Sustainable mixed-use development generates renewable energy.

The J1 Residential Tower by O1a Architecture has been designed as a sustainable high-rise on the Cornice in Abu Dhabi. The biodynamic project is a mixed-use development that consists of retail spaces in the base, office space and a hotel with amenities located centrally and residential areas that make the upper section of the tower.

The building aims to create innovative space for living, recreation and working, which will help enrich the quality of life of the end user. The building, which generates energy through is envelope and geometry strives to create architecture that is respectful to the inheritance of future generations. Environmentally sustainable principles were also applied to the design wherever possible.

Architects: O1a Architects

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Eco Factor: Battery swapping system to make EVs practical.

Better Place, in collaboration with the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of Japan’s METI and Nihon Kotsu Co., is testing the viability of battery swapping systems in Tokyo. The trail started last April and will continue until November. While researchers over the globe are working hard to better the credentials of electric batteries, by enabling them to store more charge and support fast charging, Better Place is working on alternative approaches.

During the tests electric taxis have been driven for 40,311km during which drivers went through switch station 2122 number of times. The average time to swap depleted batteries was 59.1 seconds.

Via: Treehugger

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One of my favorites is the Saddle Up ($39) T-shirt from Topo Ranch. Made of 100% organic jersey cotton, this shirt just gets better with time. I like so many of Topo Ranch’s t-shirts because they’re understated in their messages.

I like to wear environmentally conscious clothing but I don’t like eco-clothing that screams “eco.” Subtlety and style are always appreciated.

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Eco Factor: Stone-walled house with mesmerizing sea view.

Designed by Greek firm Deca Architecture, the “Aloni” is a house designed as a dual response to the particular topography of the site and to the rural domestication techniques that in the past shaped the raw Cycladic Island landscape. Situated on the exotic Antiparos Island of Greek, this stunning home appears like it’s naturally camouflaged in its environment.

The most prominent man-made interventions in the landscape, the dry-rubble stone walls are being replaced with by holiday homes. Four courtyards carved into the flowing landscape divide the living spaces into five interior areas. The east-west axis the slope drops offers a mesmerizing view of the sea.

Via: Designboom

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