Living in a mobile home is a dream for many, and there are many ways of living that dream. Filmmaker Felix Starck and musician Selima Taibi are a young German couple hailing from Berlin, and they recently transformed a yellow school bus into a cozy and quite comfortable home for themselves and their dog Rudi. They plan to live in it full time, while traveling from Alaska to South America. (more…)
There is a housing shortage in many cities worldwide, which has in recent years led to the emergence of “micro apartment” complexes. These offer small homes, which are just as functional as larger ones, but cost much less. Ivy Lofts is one such “micro apartment” complex. It was developed by Novel Creative Development and it will be located in the East Downtown, or EaDo, neighborhood of Houston, which is very close to the cultural and business center of the city. (more…)
Scientists have been sounding the alarms about climate change for decades, but unfortunately we are still completely dependent on digging stuff up and burning it for our main sources of energy. The United States gets 39% of its energy from coal, which is ok from a national security standpoint until the acid rain makes our water undrinkable. Natural Gas pollutes 30% less than coal and the U.S. gets 27% of its energy from that source, but there are still significant pollution issues. And, of course, there is a threat of a meltdown, but mainly the radioactive waste is dangerous for 240,000 years.
People have been looking for alternative energy sources for decades, but progress in getting them installed means less than 15% of the energy produced in the United States comes from renewable or clean sources. Hydropower is the largest sector of green energy in the U.S., responsible for almost 7% of the power production. It is, however, not without its own issues- dams can endanger ecosystems, so hydroelectric power has to be done properly. Wind is an emerging energy sector at almost 4.5% of America’s power grid. Just one percent of power produced in the U.S. comes from solar or geothermal sources, though that number is always increasing with improvements in technology.
Transportation is one sector where small improvements in efficiency can have a huge impact. Increases in mandatory fuel efficiency have decreased air pollution since the 1970s. Continuing to increase efficiency will continue to improve the environment. Biofuels have also shown promise in decreasing pollution. Now many people are even driving hybrid electric and full electric cars. When powered with solar power they produce zero emissions, and even when they get their power from traditional sources they still pollute less than traditional internal combustion engines.
Learn more about the arsenal of green tech being employed to reduce pollution from this infographic!
Vina Lustado, a designer from California recently created a quaint tiny studio. It’s a mobile (towable) structure, which can serve many purposes, such as an additional workspace, home office, guesthouse, or even vacation cabin. It’s called Sol Pod and, as the name suggests, it gets its electricity from the sun. (more…)
Green technology is amazing. You have heard it all. Green houses, sustainable homes, solar panels, eco-friendly fuel, and so on. All that new green technology (or greentech) is growing in popularity and providing all the necessary tools for us to “save the world”. Green ways of waste disposal, green ways of handling your rubbish, and proper recycling will apparently be enough to do this extreme feat and relieve you of the responsibility of feeling guilty about the planet’s state.
AVAVA Systems from California has recently unveiled Britespace, a high-end, prefab home that comes in a flat pack and is extremely easy to assemble. It’s also made of sustainable materials and has impressive seismic strength. It comes in three sizes, namely 264, 352 and 480 sq ft, and offers a great choice to those wishing to downsize, as well as anyone building their first home (more…)
