Posted by Michael, June 25th , 2006.
On Watt’s Weekly, a web site and podcast devoted to energy discussion and news, Ben was running around his apartment testing all of his appliances with the Kill A Watt™. This little device is a power monitor. You can plug in anything to display how much power it consumes. It was interesting to hear just how much energy random house-hold appliances use. You can listen to Ben’s Podcast here », ( mp3).
If you are planning a remote solar energy set-up this device would help you map out your power consumption. It will reveal your phantom loads too… appliances that suck power even when their not on. This is a tool for being more conscious about your energy use. We don’t think about it often, but there are tons of electronics leaching power right now in our homes… do they need to be?
Continue…
Posted by Michael, June 21st , 2006.
Posted by Michael, June 18th , 2006.
Twigs carefully placed together to create a whimsical space near the bald spot at Carleton College. This sculpture was made with Willow, Buckthorn, and Dogwood harvested in Carleton’s Cowling Arboretum and McKnight Prairie. Artist Patrick Dougherty and Carleton staff, students and volunteers constructed it in October of 2002. On the plaque next to the sculpture it says it will have a expected life-span of two years. Now in 2006, four years later, it’s still standing - though some of the walls are bending over. I like how this space creates a fairy-tale landscape in contrast to the brick and mortar campus.
You can see more pictures at the Twiginometry exhibition » and check out what Patrick is up to at Stickwork.net »
Posted by Michael, June 11th , 2006.
The gizmo Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) is a safe, affordable, environmentally effective mode of transportation. It is a single passenger vehicle designed for commuters traveling under 45 miles per trip, or 75% of all drive time.
Oh God - I want one! I usto seen these Gizmo zipping around Portland when I lived there. I was reminded how much I desire one of these lean-clean-machines when I read this article at Treehugger. It’s about ‘Luke Pie Rocker’ and the Gizmo-driven Galatic Pizza and how he is a real super-hero, saving old ladies purses in Minneapolis. There’s a video about Luke on WCCO.
The Gizmos are made by a outfit called the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle ( NEVCO ) in Eugene, Oregon. These lil machines are designed for urban drivers that travel 25 miles a day. It’s not intended for freeway travel at 45 miles an hour, but there are so many miles driven that don’t require the freeway speed or distances. Driving gas machines on short trips is no good for the atmosphere or the cars - it takes time for those internal combustion engines to burn at an efficient rate.
With the Gizmo there is…Ahhhmmm…. NO GAS, NO POLLUTION and super low cost transport. Combine these small vehicals with renewable / clean energy sources and we could make real progress in the transportation revolution. I am a fan of the idea of driving small pods like these around locally and then driving onto a large commuter train for distance travel. Electric pods could be charged while on the train.
If you hear of a used Gizmo for sale, please let me know.
Posted by Michael, June 1st , 2006.
Photo taken by Soare.
Wikipedia is a great place. I was reading about natural building and found a link to a natural building material that I had never heard of before called “Chirpici“. It looks like light clay in forms dried like adobe brick.
“the chirpici bricks used for construction are made out of clay, with straws and manure and are baked in the sun before they are used. The result isn’t as hardy as regular bricks…”
