Solar Powered Bikini

Almost everyone these days are trying to find a green angle to promote their product, company or persona. Many businesses who are using green marketing are clearly more concerned about how they can profit from this green angle than promoting serious environmentalist issues. However, if it starts getting more people thinking about ecological concerns and less about American Idol or some such thing, then perhaps some will evolve to a more serious commitment than just being fashionably green for a few months. Real change to slow global warming can happen only when the politicians feel the political pressure. That pressure can only come if the majority of people starts to get involved and informed.

If we really want to halt Global Warming and reduce our carbon output by 50% or even 80% over the next 30 years or so people will have to undergo a mind boggling radical transformation in the way we all live. What we eat, how we drive, where we work, how we live, virtually nothing will be immune from needing a radical reconsidering. The profit motive is just one way among many we can start to get people thinking about how we might change our lifestyles. A solar bikini seems vacuous at first glance but what if the hot babe wearing this inspires some guy to start thinking “maybe I better bone up on this solar energy thing if I ever wanna stand a chance?” (pun intended!)

I strongly recommend you check out worldchanging.com’s thoughtful article “Make This Earth Day Your Last” that speaks to this more comprehensively.

Great Green Gadgets wishes you the best on Earth Day none the less.

RSVP Stainless Steel Compost Pail $39.99
from the Grist Store at Amazon

Food and paper make up the largest percentage of items in most landfills, food waste is considered the #1 least recycled material. The nature of today’s landfills are such that food waste often doesn’t break down properly and contributes to landfills producing methane – a harmful greenhouse gas.

Large urban areas often have to ship the garbage to distant, rural landfills, using fleets of trucks spewing tons of greenhouse gases into the air on a daily basis. At the same time farms use chemical fertilizers to grow their crops that contributes to pollution and soil degradation. Finding ways to reduce landfill waste and generate sources of rich, organic fertilizer is clearly the way to go.

I read Elizabeth Royte awesome book, Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash recently, who gives an excellent account of her investigations into all things pertaining to garbage and has much useful information on composting. The wonderful and ever fascinating everydaytrash blog has a terrific interview with Ms. Royte well worth the read.
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Switching to energy efficient light-bulbs is great but tubular skylights go even further in that not only do you save electricity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions but you get free natural lighting. This natural light is not only brighter but also shows true color, unlike incandescent bulbs. It can also help reduce seasonal affective disorders. Green builders are often incorporating this type of lighting in their projects and works particularly well in commercial workplaces where most activity takes place during the day.
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Aerorider Velomobile

Next to walking, the Velomobile may be the greenest form of personal transportation available. This bicycle car is designed with a sleek, aerodynamic style not only will help keep the planet cooler but will add cool cache to the driver as well. Combining the brawn of Flintstone’s car with the brains of Jetson’s this bike is just what the world needs now.

If commuting with human powered vehicles becomes popular it could offer a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and also address the obesity epidemic. It is amazing that many people drive their car to the gym so they could workout on an exercise machine. Think of the money saved in gas and gym fees by just driving your Velomobile to work.

Many new models have a small battery electric assist as well as being human powered. If you live anywhere other than a very flat terrain then you could certainly use the assistance getting up hills and the like. As some of these vehicles weigh up to 70 lbs. going uphill without the assist could prove extremely difficult. You would need to research to see what the rules of the road are in your area and figure out if your terrain would be Velomobile friendly or not. One place to get this information is Velomobiling.net perhaps the ultimate place to go for all things Velomobile.
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Excel AC Composting Toilet $1549 from The Natural Home.com

Greater attention is increasingly being given to drought and water shortages around the world. As global warming worsens this is predicted to become a much more serious problem for millions of people around the world. Here in the US the Southwest already has serious problems with a lack of water.

As water shortages worsen, people’s attitudes on water use will hopefully change. One attitude needing change is the reluctance to consider green alternatives to the typical flush toilet in specific and about our relation to human waste in general. The low-flow toilets were initially met with skepticism by many but now has become commonplace. In time people may grow to accept the composting toilets as well.

Composting toilets use little or no water and processes toilet waste for reuse as valuable compost. They work with the same natural composting principles as when bears poop in the woods…
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