The SplinterBike is a bit of an engineering marvel. The bike is made completely from wood; no screws, bolts, metal, plastic or rubber. Just wood, and most of it reclaimed!
Continue reading… “100% Wooden Bike Primed to Set Land Speed Record”
Use Your Dandelions: Make Dandelion Jelly
Dandelions don’t need to be your enemy.
I like dandelions, I’ll admit it. I love the fact that they provide an important spring nectar source for beneficial insects. I appreciate their bright blossoms, which currently blanket several median strips in my neighborhood. Nearly every part of the plant is edible. And maybe the most delicious way to enjoy your dandelions is to make a batch of dandelion jelly.
Continue reading… “Use Your Dandelions: Make Dandelion Jelly”
CDC Confirms Lemon Eucalyptus Oil as Effective as DEET
Mosquitoes can be a huge problem.
It’s easy to say you’ll never use DEET, that is until you come down to South Carolina. My home state boasts mosquitoes that rival your house pet in size and stature. But even still, many fear the toxicity of DEET and try to avoid it even with those mini-monsters landing on you noon and night. According to the CDC, lemon eucalyptus oil could be a much safer and more natural weapon.
Continue reading… “CDC Confirms Lemon Eucalyptus Oil as Effective as DEET”
Environmentally Friendly Ammunition
Green for your gun.
If you are going to kill people and blow things up, at least you can do it so the rest of the living can have a pollution free Earth. It seems the US military has been developing “green” ammunition for some time now.
In 2007, responding to reports from the field that current rounds weren’t deadly enough, the Army jump-started efforts to make a more lethal round that was also environmentally friendly…
For The High-Tech Naturalist: LeafSnap Identifies Leaves Using Your iPhone’s Camera
Leaf identification in a snap!
This is just plain fantastic. The LeafSnapapp for iPhone identifies any leaf you take a picture of, as long as it’s in their library. Right now it’s limited to trees native to the Northeastern US, but they’re working on expanding that. The best part is it’s free! Hopefully this will get me to finally learn the names of the trees around here. All I know is “pine” if it has pine cones and “not pine” if it doesn’t.
Fantastic Ways To Recycle Tires
A pair of woman’s shorts, made predominantly from tyres by – unsurprisingly given the logo – Michelin.
Each year – and this is in Britain alone – they apparently throw away approximately 500’000 tonnes of tyres; as such, and due in part to their incredible durability, the disposal of disused tyres is seen as one of the largest waste problems in the world. Below are several examples of tire recycling that really capture the imagination, and serve to remind us that the trusty tyre is actually an incredibly versatile object that can, with a little imagination, be transformed into a wide range of different products…
Continue reading… “Fantastic Ways To Recycle Tires”
The Cube – World’s Smallest Eco-home
The Cube, the smallest eco-home in the world
If you think your home is a little cramped, take a look at this one. (Pics)
Continue reading… “The Cube – World’s Smallest Eco-home”
The 11 Most Walkable Cities in the U.S.
Just a walkin’.
The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center has release its list of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in the US, with 11 getting rankings from Platinum to Bronze and 8 more getting ‘honorable mentions’. Only one city received the highest honor. Find out which one below…
Continue reading… “The 11 Most Walkable Cities in the U.S.”
Hybrid Motoryacht Design Powered By Diesel And Electric Jet Skis
A hybrid boat?
Hybrid cars have been around for a while, but one German grad student is taking the concept to the water. A new hybrid propulsion motorboat designed by Stefanie Behringer, would reduce drag thanks to its three-hull, or trimaran, form.
A jet ski attaches to either side of the main hull, helping stabilize the boat. While the jet skis are electric-powered, the 49-foot long watercraft is also powered by two diesel engines that use Audi’s turbo-charged injection technology. Audi’s Concept Design team in Munich worked with Behringer on the project…
Continue reading… “Hybrid Motoryacht Design Powered By Diesel And Electric Jet Skis”
Generating Electricity with Whisky
What kind of wattage can we generate with the whisky-making process?
Whisky. Is there anything it can’t do? Here’s what the Scots are going to do with the byproducts of whisky-making process:
It is the spirit that powers the Scottish economy, and now whisky is to be used to create electricity for homes in a new bioenergy venture involving some of Scotland’s best-known distilleries…
US Missing Out On Agricultural Millions Because The DEA Can’t Distinguish Hemp From Pot
If this country REALLY wants to get out of debt, legalize hemp!
In case you missed it (and you certainly may have in the midst of other current world affairs) it’s Hemp History Week. The second annual one in fact. I imagine most readers don’t need much convincing that the US ought to legalizeindustrial hemp production–remember, though it’s perfectly legal to important hemp products into the US, it’s illegal under Federal law to grow hemp–so I won’t regale you with all the reasons I think hemp prohibition (alongside marijuana prohibition) is, to be blunt, moronic…
First Practical Artificial Leaf Developed
The first practical artificial leaf shows promise as an inexpensive source of electricity for homes in developing countries.
Scientists debut development of the first practical artificial leaf, one of the milestones in the drive for sustainable energy. The scientists described an advanced solar cell the size of a poker card at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. The solar cell mimics the process, called photosynthesis, that green plants use to convert sunlight and water into energy.
Continue reading… “First Practical Artificial Leaf Developed”
