Search Results for: luceneapi_node/American History Museum

U.S. To Phase Out Incandescent Light Bulbs

Photo credit: USA today After being passed by Congress, Bush just signed into law a massive energy bill that will, among other things, spell the end of traditional light bulb. USA Today reports that the bill will phase out the venerable (but power-hungry) incandescent bulb over the next dozen years in favor more efficient fluorescent,… [Continue Reading]

New Record: World’s Largest Wind Turbine (7+ Megawatts)

The world’s largest wind turbine is now the Enercon E-126. This turbine has a rotor diameter of 126 meters (413 feet). The E-126 is a more sophisticated version of the E-112, formerly the world’s largest wind turbine and rated at 6 megawatts. This new turbine is officially rated at 6 megawatts too, but will most… [Continue Reading]

Bike Books: A Review

biking-country

With the temperatures falling outside you may not be getting on your bike as much as you’d like, especially if you haven’t stocked up on your wool clothing. So it’s the perfect time to catch up on your reading. As bike popularity is exploding, so are the number of books written about the love and… [Continue Reading]

Efficient: Books That Explain Train Travel In North America

Eight Great American Rail Journeys

Train travel is one of the most efficient forms of transportation. However, in North America, traveling by rail is not particularly systematic or comprehensive. It’s difficult to get an overview of what’s available. Thankfully, there are several good books on North American train travel, which I read recently. Here’s a brief review:

3000 Megawatts of New U.S. Wind Power In 2007

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) today released its First Quarter Wind Power Market Report, announcing that the U.S. wind energy industry is on track to install over 3,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power in 2007, with Texas likely to account for about two thirds of the new installations.

American Apparel: Organic Cotton

American Apparel has a range of men’s and women’s organic cotton shirts and underwear at reasonable prices as part of their “Sustainable Edition” line. The clothing is made in California in sweatshop-free conditions. The jersey T pictured is available for $15. Web Site: American Apparel

Electric Tankless Water Heaters

Note: This post has been expanded and updated for 2009! Tankless water heaters only heat water when it is needed. About 8% to 30% of the energy consumed by a standard water heater goes to keeping the water hot while it’s not being used. New tankless systems heat the water instantly when you turn on… [Continue Reading]

Bamboo Hangers

We’ve featured quite a bit of optimal and sustainable clothing over the years, but what about those devices you use to hang up your clothing? We mentioned the bioplastic hangers, available from Earthsaver. Now, the Great American Hanger Company has launched a new line of bamboo hangers, and these hangers really show off the beauty… [Continue Reading]

Green Building Using Thin-Film Solar

This is the new Ballard Library in Seattle. It’s a state-of-the-art green building which makes use of a sod roof, daylighting, and translucent thin-film solar collectors from Schott. It is listed in the American Institute of Architecture’s top ten green buildings.

Electric Vehicles – Looking Back, Looking Forward At The Smithsonian

EV1 Electric Car On Display At The Smithsonian

Bet you didn’t know that an electric car was the nation’s best-selling vehicle back in ’04.  1904, that is.  If you think the late 1990′s were the dawn of this technology, think again – electric vehicles have been around for over a century.  A new display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, part of… [Continue Reading]