The (Green) Fix

The Power Pump from Orange

When it comes to protecting Mother Earth, we take a fair share of our energy from the sphere in the sky. While that’s all well and good, there are certain circumstance where standing in the sun for hours or leaving you gadgets out in direct sunlight just isn’t feasible. Enter the Power Pump from Orange. In what essentially amounts to an inflatable mattress pump, Orange and GotWind have teamed up to take foot-power to the next level by generating energy for your gadgets. The main Power Pump unit acts as a converter station between an air blasting foot powered air pump and your cell phone. The conversion ratio is about 1 minute of pumping for 5 minutes of talk time (mind you that’s at 1 pump per second, a pace that Jane Fonda would do well to maintain). But if you’re anything like me, you suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome and you expend that much energy in thirty seconds on a rocking chair anyway.

An ideal addition to your camping gear and emergency pack, the Power Pump will actually be debuting at the Glastonbury Festival, June 24-28.

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Ezio’s Eco-friendly FlexScan monitors

For the most part it’s pretty standard to have your monitor set to standby after a period of inactivity but a lot of times that delay is simply chewing up hydro while you’re off making a sandwich or discussing the game at the water cooler. One innovative solution is to monitor movement in front of the monitor and that’s precisely what Ezio’s 20-inch FlexScan EV2023W-H and the 23-inch EV2303W-T do.

The diminutive motion sensor is built-in to the front of the monitor itself; a desktop sentry on the lookout for movement. If no movement is detected after 40 seconds the monitor shuts itself off. Ideal for those forgetful folks but also would make a great addition to a corporate line up. Imagine how much energy is wasted by those sleeping at their cubicles! Finally, we have an answer.

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The Bicycle Commuter Act

So, what is the Bicycle Commuter Act or BCA? Essentially, it’s a little bit of green goodness that was snuck into the Renewable Energy Tax legislation that was recently passed. While the nuts and bolts get a little dicey, the BCA entitles those that commute by bike to a $20 credit every month. The legislation was designed to provide bikers, the most green commuters of them all next to the bipeds, with the same benefits other commuters enjoy. To qualify you must bike at least three times a week and you also have to get your employer on-board through their commuter benefit provider. It’s certainly a great start in encouraging green modes of transportation and the $20 a month (or $240 a year) can go a long way towards an even sweeter ride!

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