Dell goes green

For years computer manufacturers have been infamous for producing (environmentally) harmfull products containing all sorts of toxic materials. Some time ago Apple started collaborating with Greenpeace to become more eco-friendly.

Now one of the biggest Windows-running brands is starting to pick up that trend too. I'm talking Dell. Yesterday they started selling a new line of computers, which goes by the name of Studio Hybrid. Intended as a compact desktop PC the Studio Hybrid should be more friendly towards the environment.

In regard to the packaging, which often results in a lot of garbage, Dell claims:

• Reduced packing materials about 30 percent by weight as compared to typical tower desktops.
• Packing materials are also 95 percent recyclable.
• Reduced printed documentation 75 percent by weight on average as compared to typical tower desktops.
• System recycling kit is included.

So less packaging materials (a bit logical, not? Since the system is kinda compact), the box is recyclable, there's less paper used for the documentation (which few people read anyway), and wait there's more. A system recycling kit, that's rather new to come with a computer, not? So the end user gets the oppertunity to properly recycle all the toxins that come with a computer.
If the recycle kit makes sure that all the toxins get removed from the system and are stored away properly I'd strongly recommend every other electronics manufacturer to include such a kit.

So the packaging is not as bad for the environment as regularly, but how about the computer itself. Well, Dell promises that it uses 70% less energy then a regular PC. That's not just a huge win for the environment, but also for your wallet!

I can only say that Dell has chosen a good direction with the new system, and that I hope they'll soon be followed by others. (And besides, the design is pretty great).

-jdh

Household Tips: Dryer Balls!

Hello All,

I read in a green-living handbook that one could replace fabric softener sheets with aluminum foil balls and get the same effect.

Really? Aluminum balls? I had to see for myself.

Luckily, my incredible girlfriend had just baked cookies and we had on hand two aluminum sheet pans. (and a chihuahua.)


I gave both pans a scrub, and one still looked good, so I put it away for later baking.


The remaining pan I cut in half.


Then, using my winter gloves, I crumpled both halves into two foil balls.


Here they are, all done.


Pop 'em into the dryer, (set on "Low" to conserve energy.)



Then I waited while my darks dried. The dryer sounded fine, but I could definitely hear my balls jangling. (So much subtext.)

BZZZZZZZ!

The dryer was done, time to see if the balls did their thing.

They sure did!

Not a wrinkle in sight, and much less static cling than usual!
Plus the dryer balls really seemed to knock loose a lot of lint.

Here are my shiny, metal, heroes.



The great part about aluminum dryer balls, besides their incredible low cost, savings to the environment and wonderful performance, is the fact that they will never wear out. Ever.

Dry a thousand loads with them and they will still be balls of crumpled up aluminum, zero change. This is smart.

To think how many dryer sheets I've thrown away. Never again.

Make yourself a pair, why doncha?

Saving your fellow humans can be fun and easy.



Love to all,

Jackson

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic has a very exciting thing going on.

For a fee, you can get a five minute experience of weightlessness.
You sit in a rocket, which is attached to a plane. The plane flies you up as high as planes can go, then drops the rocket.
The rocket fires its engines and you fly into low-Earth orbit. Then you can take pictures, look out the window at the majesty of the Earth below, and struggle mightily to keep your lunch inside you.

Exciting stuff.

Here's what I'd like: Yeah, weightlessness is cool, but I think it'd be cooler if I could get into the rocket in Burbank, fly up, blast into space, wait twenty minutes and then come down in say, London? Nairobi? Tokyo? Forget commercial airline travel. If I never have to get on another plane it will be far too soon.

Let's shrink the world some more. Give me a five hour trip to Hong Kong and I'll give you my undying loyalty and lots of my hard earned cash.

Check out their site, especially the movie they've got up about the future of the company.

Site here: Virgin Galactic

Syntroleum: Part II

In which our humble narrator attempts to "score" an interview with the esteemed Ron Stinebaugh, head of Media Relations at Syntroleum.



I hope he replies, I'd love to know more.

-J

Here's A Pretty Thing.

This is the Magenn Air Rotor, from LiftportEnergy.com.
It is essentially a power generating balloon.
The Air Rotor spins in the breeze, generating friction. That friction rotates a generator within the Rotor, which produces energy, which is in turn sent down the tether to a battery below, or directly onto the power grid.
Works day and night, low wind and high, and is bird and bug friendly. It is also completely silent.

Every house should have one.

Fossil fuels are so yesterday.

High Torque Air Rotors are so now.

Hip hop hooray!

-Jackson



Magenn.com
LiftportEnergy.com

UK Smartness

All the outlets in Jolly Old have incorporated this very smart, energy saving feature: an On/Off switch!

Plug your chargers, computers, or anything else that steadily drains power, and when you're done using them, simply turn the entire outlet off.

No hassle.

Huzzah!

Syntroleum: Part I - Chicken Fat to Jet Fuel!

Sometimes I'm a bad environmentalist. I say this this because I utilize commercial airline travel. A lot. I figure that I fly roughly twice a month.

So it excites me greatly to learn that the nice folks over at Syntroleum have developed a process that allow them to turn just about any fat, including vegetable fats, into both biodiesel and jet fuel. All clean burning and renewable. They've also signed a deal with Tyson Chicken to convert chicken fat into fuel. Very tasty.

Here's a blurb from their website:

"Building on over 20 years experience, Syntroleum has proven its ability to produce synthetic fuels from a wide variety of feedstock—from natural gas to fats, oils and greases. The Fischer-Tropsch process has already been utilized through the company’s comprehensive labs and production facilities to produce significant amounts of synthetic diesel and jet fuel. These fuels have been successfully proven to perform better than conventional fuels across most operating parameters, including emissions, thermal stability, and cetane. With the growing demand for renewable fuels worldwide, Syntroleum is also utilizing its Biofining™ technology to produce renewable synthetic fuels with the same superior qualities."

Just think, the era of fossil fuels is really and truly drawing to a close. And we'll all live to see it end! Huzzah to progress and technology! Huzzah to Science!

And especially, huzzah to my friend Oded who alerted Superforest to this wonderful breakthrough.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that they are a subsidiary of Halliburton, but that's great! Good on you, Halliburton. We need more major companies investing in clean-tech and this is certainly a giant leap in the right direction.)

I plan on getting in touch with Syntroleum when I return to NYC after Thanksgiving, so check back for some sweet sweet content.

Love,

Jackson

syntroleum.com
Investor PDF: syntroleum.com
Info on the Fischer-Tropsch Process: wikipedia.org