Solar Trees

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There is an old joke in Oklahoma, that in the summer time, you can tell the best parking place not by which one is closest to the door, bu which one has the best all day shade!

Envision Solar makes a solar array mounted on a central pole. On the top of the canopy is mounted the solar and under the canopy is SHADE! In addition, the central pole can be equipped with Envision Solar's CleanCharge solar charging stations using the Coulomb ChargePoint for both electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Every parking lot in the sunbelt could use these to great advantage. In fact, Dell headquarters in Round Rock, Texas (north of Austin on IH 35) installed enough to provide 50 covered parking slots. And provide 130 kW of energy. Pretty neat.


Seems to me, my gentle snowflakes, that if I ran the Sonic Corp, since I already have the covered parking slots, I would look into this application pretty quick. Cheaper energy, government tax credits (both Federal and state), impress my customers with my "green" efforts, what's not to like? I don't know the franchise structure, but if each Sonic is individually owned, and if I were one of the owners, I would look into this for my local franchise.
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So, What Are They Waiting For?

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Yuka Yoneda, over at inhabitat gives us the Top 5 Green Ways to Clean Up Oil Spills.

CONTAIN IT WITH A GIANT UNDERWATER DOME

It may sound insane but desperate times call for desperate measures and BP engineers have begun working on an enormous dome that they propose could be lowered over the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They are hoping that the dome could contain the 1,000 barrels of oil floating towards the Louisiana coastline, but admit that it will take at least 2 weeks – precious time that we can’t afford – to construct. [They are actually working on something like this right now.]

SOP IT UP WITH MUSHROOMS AND HAIR

Mushrooms and hair – not a combo that you’d like to find in a sandwich, but mats made from the mixture offer a totally organic and effective way to sop up oil on water. The technique isn’t just speculation either – it was actually utilized in the Cosco Busan oil spill of ‘07!

UTILIZE BACTERIA TO EAT UP THE OIL

Did you know that the key to ridding the oceans of oil may already lie in underneath its surface? Bioremediation — using naturally present microorganisms to clean up oil spills — makes use of bacteria living in the ocean who actually “eat” the oil when it enters their natural habitat. Adding sulfate or nitrate fertilizers to the microorganism population causes them to multiply beyond their natural state and eat up the toxic metals invading their home at up to five times the rate that they would without assistance.

SOAK IT UP WITH HYPER ABSORBANT PEAT MOSS

A Norwegian company has come up with a totally natural way to soak up nasty oil slicks – good old’ peat moss! The super absorbent moss they’ve developed can be scattered on the spill to absorb the oil, and then scooped right out of the water along with the oil.

MAKE OIL-ABSORBING MATS OUT OF PET HAIR AND PANTYHOSE

Most pet owners have a LOT of animal hair and fur floating around their homes. San Francisco-based non-profit Matter of Trust is asking dog and cat owners and groomers to donate their pets’ locks (as well as their own) to stuff inside of used pantyhose to create mats and booms that are perfect for soaking up oil.

A Solution for 2 Problems

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"Never lose battery power again! With the nPower™ PEG (Personal Energy Generator), you can recharge your handheld electronic devices while you walk, run, or bike. Simply plug your nPower™ PEG into your cell phone or MP3 player, carry it [the PEG device] vertically, and go."

(Scheduled to cost $149.00)

Now you can recharge your cell phone and get your daily physical activity (save yourself a visit to the gym) at the same time!

The rules are simple:

1. Buy Tremont Electricity's PEG
2. Throw your cell phone charger away.
3. Walk at least an hour a day so you can recharge your cell phone.
4. Get the exercise and energy life you need!

It just gets better & better. I am amazed by this device.
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Electric Cars CAN Plug-in

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Wow! This is what is needed for "electric" cars.

Photo by Chris Duffey for the East Bay Express

3Prong Power, a Berkeley, California startup ... offers plug-in hybrid conversions for first, second and third generation Prius’s as well as the Ford Escape Hybrid.

The conversion, which is the first available for first generation Prius’s, creates a 35-mile EV mode for the vehicles. So drivers can fill up with petroleum at a gas station — or fill the electric tank in any standard electrical outlet.

3Prong’s conversion isn’t cheap, with prices ranging from $3,499 to $11,499 (the most expensive option has a 40-mile EV mode). But at the same time, the conversion stands to cut fuel costs by up to a quarter, since electricity costs less than petroleum. At the moment, 3Prong only offers its services in the Bay Area. Don’t be surprised, however, if similar Prius conversion companies pop up elsewhere as PHEVs become more popular.

OK, now all those parking meters can be retro-fitted with coin/bill slots to offer electricity. While you park to shop or work or see the doctor, your car can be re-charging. If the city gets the money for the electricity, it will surely amount to more than the current parking charges.

Next thing some enterprising garage inventor needs to come up with is a really FAST recharge.

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