The World’s First Garbage Truck Powered by Trash
February 22, 2009
Now this is sustainable: a garbage truck that runs on the trash it collects. The British borough of Huddersfield adapted their Smith Edison municipal garbage truck to run on electricity, which is created at the Energy from Waste power station that processes the trash and turns it into energy. The truck also has a 40kWh lithium-ion battery that provides the truck with a max speed of 50mph and a range of 100 miles.
From Register Hardware, via Inhabitat:
The van … will glide around central Huddersfield collecting rubbish from 25 newly installed “split bins” and take said trash to the Energy from Waste (EfW) power station-cum-recycling centre just down the road. There, the rubbish will be burnt to generate electricity that will be used to charge the van for the next days collection runs.
Of course, powering ‘leccy vehicles is not the Emerald Street EfW’s main role – on a good day it pumps around ten megawatts into the National Grid, all generated from fire-consumed rubbish that has been collected locally.
Right now, there’s only one recharge point for Kirklees Council’s single electric vehicle, but some form of electric car recharge infrastructure may well grow out of it. It’s a small start, but it’s exciting all the same.
Link [Register Hardware] via [Inhabitat]
Galactic Green Cred: The Environmentalism of Star Wars
July 8, 2008
Not to make sweeping generalizations, but it’s probably safe to say that if you’re reading this blog you’re more than just a little familiar with Star Wars (and by Star Wars we mean the first three Lucas made). Maybe you can quote the movies at will. Maybe you still have your Return of the Jedi bedsheets. Maybe you read the fan fiction (hell, maybe you write the fan fiction). But, if you, like us, are nerdy little fanboys at heart, well, buckle up, because you’re about to love George Lucas’ space opera even more. It turns out that there’s actually a fair bit o’ green to be found in Star Wars.
1. Clean Energy For The Droids?
We see C-3PO and R2-D2 shut down occasionally, but we never do see them do anything to power themselves. Solar? Really big batteries that last through the film? The Mr. Fusion from Back To The Future? We don’t know. But we don’t see them suck in anything remotely resembling a fossil fuel, nor do we see them plug in. [Read more]
It’s Mind Blowing Time: VBS.TV Visits the Garbage Filled Pacific Ocean Gyre
April 11, 2008
Excuse my language, but holy fracking shite! I’ve been aware of the global tragedy that is the Pacific Ocean Gyre for a while now, but I REALLY didn’t ‘get it’ until I watched this 12 part video from VBS.tv- TOXIC: Garbage Island. In short- humans have created a toxic wasteland of plasticized stew the size of the continental United States.
Stop whatever you are doing right now and go watch them.
Link [VBS.TV- TOXIC- Garbage Island Part 1]
BBC Puts Reality TV Show Stars Out With the Trash- Literally
March 20, 2008
Talk about trash TV – Tune into BBC America this Sunday and you might just happen upon a gaggle of lost and forlorn Brits, rummaging through mounds and mounds of their own waste. No, not THAT kind of waste… get your filthy minds out of the sewer. We’re talking garbage here, folks. Sweet-smelling and abundant, beautiful and glorious: TRASH!
For a three week period, 11 landfill-rumaging dwellers made their ways through a dump, accepting challenges along the way that involved making the most out of the one thing that they had tons and tons of: crap. Dumped, a four part BBC series, means to draw attention to the dreadful UK landfill situation and airs until the end of March.
Compared to other European nations, the UK ranks low when it comes to recycling. It is estimated that each UK resident throws away 1/2 ton of trash each year, something that this whacked-out reality show is trying to make a stink about…
Links [Green Daily] & [BBC Dumped]
