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Tag Archives: eco-conscious

SolSource Reflector Can Cook Anything With The Power Of The Sun

By David Ponce on 06/19/13 • Leave a comment!

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If it wasn’t for the sun, we would simply not be around. It’s responsible for giving energy to practically all living creatures on the planet, as well as helping pasty white boys look a little less sick. If harnessed properly, it can also cook. The SolSun reflector is shaped so that the sun’s rays focus on the cooking area, and can reportedly grill a hamburger in about 6 minutes, or about the same time as a regular BBQ. Except of course this cooker doesn’t require any fuel, and is up to cooking temperature much faster than coal or propane. The thing weighs 40lbs, is 4.3ft. across, is made of a black steel base and plastic reflective panels, and assembles in about 30 minutes with the included tools. It’s able to support up to a 20L stockpot, although the maximum temperatures it reaches will obviously depend on weather factors. Still, at that diameter on a sunny day, you should be good to cook just about anything.

The SolSun is currently on pre-order on Kickstarter for $250, with shipping in October of this year, which is unfortunately a little late for the summer in some parts.

[ Project Page ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

Mission Motorcycle RS: The Electric Bike Just Entered The Big Leagues

By David Ponce on 06/11/13 • Leave a comment!

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With Tesla paving the way, the reputation of electric vehicles as tree-hugging, wheeled road turtles is slowly fading away. The Mission RS from Mission Motorcycles is breaking ground in terms of performance. With an electric motor that’s one tenth the size of a standard motorcycle combustion engine, the RS packs 160hp and 120 ft/lbs of torque starting from 0 rpm. This can propel this crotch rocket to 60mph in 3 seconds, cover the quarter mile in a blistering 10.492 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 150mph. The bike is so fast that “Piloted by Steve Rapp, the Mission RS dominated the 2011 FIM/TTXGP at Laguna Seca, finishing the 8 lap race 39.9 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. Rapp’s qualifying lap time of 1:31.3 broke all previous electric vehicle records at Laguna Seca.” All this with zero emissions, barely any engine noise and a real world range of about 140 miles. You won’t go cross country with this beast, but at least you’ll care about the environment without sacrificing any performance. You will sacrifice one thing however, and that’s money. The Mission RS is limited in production to 40 vehicles, and costs $75,000. Its almost-as-performing and much less rarified sibling, the Mission R, “only” costs $30,000 to $40,000, however.

[ Product Page ]

Leaf Shaped Silicone Pocket Cup Professes Your Love For The Planet

By David Ponce on 02/28/13 • Leave a comment!

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Disposable cups at the water cooler getting you down? You feel we’re kicking the planet in the nads every time we throw something away that we could be recycling? There’s a solution. Simply ignore the carbon footprint that it takes to create something like the above leaf-shaped silicone Pocket Cup and pat yourself on the back for doing something for the planet. And if carrying around a cup in your pocket has you worried about germs, just run it under some boiling water to sterilize it now and then.

$12.

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[ Product Page ] VIA [ HolyCool ]

Tesla Model S Does Quarter Mile In The Twelves

By David Ponce on 01/29/13 • 1 Comment

We knew the Tesla Model S was fast, but when we read that it was doing the quarter mile consistently in the 12s. region, we were blown away. “This past weekend at the Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida, the National Electric Drag Racing Association awarded the Tesla Model S its stamp of officiation for being “the quickest production vehicle” in quarter mile tests.” It ran the distance in 12.371 at 110.84mph, a number that is very impressive for very large and very fast combustion cars, let alone electric ones. It’s even more impressive considering the Model S is rated at only 416HP and weighs in at a hefty 4,700 lbs. Clearly the electric power delivery and curve, and instantaneous torque, all combined with the lack of gear changes (it uses a single-speed gear-reduction transmission) produce the kind of thrust that is hard to match without consuming ridiculous amounts of gasoline. And don’t forget that despite the blistering acceleration, the Model S is capable of traveling up to 350 miles on a charge, although of course this is with more sedate driving.

This car is still a luxury item, and it’s not even one that will really save you money on the long run. It is however electric, and on par with luxury sedans in its class, cost-wise. So all else being equal, if you’re really hankering for a greener ride but are worried about performance issues, the Tesla Model S won’t let you down.

VIA [ Engadget ]

Lapka, For The Hippiest Of Hippies

By David Ponce on 08/14/12 • Leave a comment!

We’re all for being eco-conscious. But when you get so far out that you feel the need to carry around dedicated sensors to sniff out potential enemies to your granola lifestyle, we worry a little. The Lapka is an admittedly beautiful set of such sensors, whose purpose is to tell you in great beauty and elegance the following: the amount of Nitrites in your food and water (to sense their non-organic provenance), the amount of EMF radiation in your immediate surrounding (so you may find a spot with less “electromagnetic pollution”), a temperature and humidity sensor (to inform you whether you’re currently sitting in an optimal personal climate), and the amount of radioactivity in your surroundings (ok, we’re cool with this). They call it a Personal Environment Monitor. The various sensors will communicate with an equally beautiful application on your iPhone and keep you informed of just how outraged you should currently be at the insalubrity and innapropriateness of whatever place you happen to find yourself in. Unless of course you’ve moved to the country, far from everything, including electricity. At which point… why even have a phone, really?

We’re not sure on price, but it should be available later this year.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Werd ]

Electric Bikes Don’t Have To Scream That You’re A Green Loving Hippie

By David Ponce on 08/09/12 • 2 Comments

Maybe you secretly love the planet. With a bit of introspection, you could discover that you’re a closet tree hugger. That’s cool, we don’t judge. But if the fear of coming out has prevented you from getting in on the electric bike bandwagon, with their proudly bland aesthetics that purposely scream “Look at my eco-conscious getup!”, then perhaps the Marrs M-1 could change all that. It’s an electric bike that combines the lines and handlebars of a 1920′s Harley Davidson, with the geometry and general allure of a cruiser. We dig it, big time. It offers a 20 mile range with speeds that are electronically limited to 20mph, by law. “The bike [also] features a 48V lithium battery, brushless DC rear hub motor, hydraulic disc brake, air cooled battery box, 3-piece crank case, as well as motorcycle quality wheels, tires, hubs, controls, seat, and grips.”

Sadly, like anything pretty, so is the price tag: $7,500. They should be available later this year.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Gadizmo ]

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