Solar, Wi-Fi powering bus shelters, Geothermal theme parks, and the ultimate illuminating camping accessory comprise this weeks Geen Fix
Solar Shelter
“If you’re going to San Francisco, be
sure to get some shelter or you Wi-Fi may fade away.” Or so the lyrics might
have gone had Scott McKenzie and Mick Jagger visited modern day San Francisco. The
city that keeps on taking charge has built their first bus shelter that takes
charge of those solar rays and turns them into router-powering
kilowatts. The bus shelters have roofs made from thin film solar panels
integrated into 40 percent post-industrial recycled polycarbonate material.
Meanwhile, the rest of the structure is composed of recycled steel, among other
things. Besides powering wireless routers, the solar panels will energize LED
lights and an intercom. Any and all excess power will be fed directly into the
SF power grid.
This particular shelter is the first of
1,100 to be built over the next four years.
Geothermal Theme Park?
In the midst of environmental turmoil companies
build electric cars…most of which are expensive two-seater
sports cars. They build portable solar chargers…from 100% new material. And now
they’re building the U.K.’s largest geothermal power plant…to power a theme park. Bah?
Currently labelled Project Eden the plan is
to tap into the hot, hot, heat in the Earth’s crust in Cornwall. The
geothermal energy will be used to power a green theme park (not entirely sure
if it’s a) a green theme park b) a green-theme park c) a green-colour-scheme
park, we’ll keep you posted). The site will also house the world’s largest
greenhouse, with the notion of providing the foggy isle with exotic fruits and
vegetables—i.e. more than just taters and apples. The big picture, however, is a
little more promising, with the potential for 10% of U.K.
homes to be powered by thermal energy.
Project Eden will cost $25
million and is expected to be complete by 2012.
Green Camping
In lieu of camping season I thought it
would be appropriate to give a nod to the Solar Powered/Hand-Crank LED Lantern
available from GizFever. For though we go camping to escape the
hyper-connected, electrified life we lowly humans still need to see when it’s
dark. This doubly-green lantern can charge via solar rays and/or by turning the
nifty hand crank. A perfect combination for those sunny/rainy camping expeditions.
And if you really can’t leave your gadgets at home, the lantern can charge your
mobile phones too. All for the low, low price of $35 (seriously, that’s pretty damn low!)
