Sure, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure — but could one man’s random household items be the next great energy saving product?
Well, Good and Nest teamed up to find the American innovators taking do-it-yourself to the next level with their Home Planet Challenge. The concept is simple: Create a product that optimizes efficiency and diminishes waste out of items that can be found in your household or at a local department store.
After Good and Nest chose their 19 favorites, the public voted for the top five. Here’s a brief look at some of the winning designs.
DIY Air Conditioner
While most home cooling systems can run up into the hundreds of dollars, this air conditioner will only cost you about $15 to make. Constructed of only Styrofoam, a fan, ice and a PVC elbow, this product will cool you off on those hot summer days.
Solar Cooker
This $10 value cooks your meals without cooking the environment. While its components sound like something out of a school project — foil, glue, office clips, poster board and string — it will greatly help reduce electricity consumption.
Stationary Bike Energy Generator
With this invention, users can burn calories and create electricity to charge their phones or power light bulbs at the same time.
So the next time you think about throwing something out, take an extra look to see what gems it could help produce. After all, it might end up being the next great, energy saving product.
To learn about the other products rounding out the top five, check out click here.
MORE: This College Student’s Clean Energy Idea Is Making Waves, and Not Just on Campus
Category: Preserving the Environment
Can This Ancient Farming Method Help Drought-Ridden California?
California is in its third year of a historic drought — and every Californian is feeling the pinch. Lawmakers recently approved a $500 fine for residents who waste water on lawns, but it’s the state’s farmers who are experiencing the most pain.
Agriculture accounts for 80 percent of the state’s water use, and with wells drying up, the results have been environmentally and financially devastating — costing billions of dollars and thousands of jobs. And when half of our nation’s food comes from the Golden State, this is an issue all Americans should be concerned about.
There are already several interesting solutions to counter the catastrophic drought, and in the midst of all that talk, an old-fashioned farming method has also been brought to the table, especially since it requires no irrigation at all. It’s called “dry farming.”
Modern Farmer touts this practice as “a refreshing answer” for farming in arid landscapes such as California that receive precipitation in small spurts. The process (which has been used historically in dry regions in the Mediterranean and the American west) involves sealing the top few inches of soil into a dry crust to prevent moisture from escaping after rainfall. Because crops are getting less water from above, their roots push lower into the ground, searching for moisture.
MORE: The Silver Lining to California’s Terrible Drought
A few Californian vineyards and farms already use dry farming on fruits and vegetables such as grapes, tomatoes, apples, grapes, melons and potatoes. NPR reported that a “garden that goes unwatered for months may produce sweeter, more flavorful fruits than anything available in most mainstream supermarkets.” These crops, since they are so niche and tasty, indeed go for a premium.
Dry farming, however, might not work large-scale since it results in a much lower yield (Slate found that dry-farmed apples averaged 12 to 14 tons per acre versus the 20 to 40 tons per acre on irrigated apple farms) there are some additional benefits. Modern Farmer reports that since dry farms do not use any irrigation methods, it saves on the infrastructure and the maintenance of of wells, pumps, tanks and piping.
But since the drought could cost California’s Central Valley (the state’s farming hub) $810 million in lost crop revenue, dry farming is an alternative that might be worth every penny.
DON’T MISS: The Eco-Friendly Plan to Quench Central California’s Thirst
This Texas Solar Farm Relies on a Flock of Sheep to Perform Maintenance
A solar farm in San Antonio, Texas is not being sheepish about its newest landscapers: a group of four-legged friends that are keeping the 45 sprawling acres perfectly manicured under the sweltering Texas sun.
The farm’s operator, OCI Solar Power, put around 90 Barbados-cross sheep out to pasture in April to graze and serve as an environmentally-friendly, cheap alternative to maintenance, the Texas Tribune reports. Though the practice is used elsewhere in the U.S., including California and South Carolina, sheep grazing is not common among Texas solar farms.
“It was good to see it was actually quite common” elsewhere, said Charlie Hemmeline, executive director of the recently formed Texas Solar Power Association. “The fact that you’ve got a solar plant there isn’t necessarily restrictive to other uses such as grazing.”
The 4.4-megawatt solar farm is part of a larger series of 400-megawatt plants that San Antonio’s municipal utility, CPS Energy, intends on adding to its system by 2016. Just one megawatt of solar energy can heat and cool up to 100 homes on a hot, Texas summer day, according to the Tribune, and in more mild conditions, can power even more houses.
OCI Solar’s experiment with sheep grazing has worked out well despite recent heavy rains. None of the sheep have chewed through cables or hopped up onto the solar panels, unlike goats, which are more prone to that type of behavior.
Not only are the solar panels good for soaking up the rays. In the blazing sun, they provide a shady respite for the sheep.
Officials contend sheep grazing not only boosts the local agricultural economy, but is also cheaper than hiring human landscapers, who have to steer large lawn equipment in sometimes difficult-to-reach areas.
The sheep aren’t the only animals living at the solar farm. The company has also employed two herding dogs to help stave off lingering coyotes and help protect the sheep.
OCI Solar intends to keep the current herd around for about 10 months before a Texas breeder will swap the sheep with a new crew. If all goes well, they might add the animals to keep its expansive 500-acre, 41-megawatt-plant in sheep shape.
MORE: EnergyCube: The Pop-up Power Station Revolutionizing Solar
Inspiring the Next Generation Of Energy Conservationists
If anyone ever questions the future of sustainable energy, look no further than Cindy Johengen’s fifth grade class at Allen Elementary School in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
With the guidance of 32 engineering students from the University of Michigan who go by the nickname “Woven Wind,” these middle schoolers put up their own 15-foot wind turbine in their school’s backyard. MLive reports that this mini turbine — with its three three-foot-long blades — reportedly cost $600 and was just a temporary installation. (Woven Wind is working on securing permits for a permanent installation)
As for how much juice it provides, it can power small devices like cell phones. However, don’t scoff at the contraption’s tiny punch. There’s so much more to it than that.
MORE: Ask the Experts: How Can We Fix Early Childhood Education?
The student team — who usually build small-scale turbines to power rural villages in countries such as Guatemala — decided to work a little closer to home. The reason why? To educate and inspire these youngsters about sustainable energy.
“The greatest moments are when we see the ‘aha’ moments and the ideas click in their heads,” said Nick Kalweit, the lead engineer of the Woven Wind project and senior in mechanical engineering.
It’s more important than ever to teach the next generation the importance of sustainability, especially since the planet they will inherit is facing the impacts of climate change.
As Woven Wind team member Anastasia Ostrowski said, “When I was younger, growing up, I never had that education. I didn’t get the stress of renewable energies or the stress of finding ways to better our planet. These kids have a great opportunity that a lot of their education is stressed on that because of the times we’re in. Everyone is realizing that renewable [energy] is essential.”
[ph]
DON’T MISS: These Kids Are Powering Their School Just By Walking
When Stormwater Runoff is a Problem in Your Community, Rain Gardens Can Be the Answer
While the expression “April showers bring May flowers” is true, it doesn’t address the fact that sometimes, rain can do more harm than good. That’s true in many parts of the U.S., especially in some urban communities, where stormwater runoff is a serious problem.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, stormwater can pick up anything from household bleach to plastic bags, traveling into a storm sewer system or directly into a body of water where residents fish, swim, and receive drinking water from.
“A lot of people think runoff gets treated. It doesn’t,”Laura Eldred, an environmental program specialist with Environmental Conservation told The Alaska Dispatch News. “A lot of this runoff is going to end up in our creeks and our lakes.”
But there is a way to prevent and minimize harmful stormwater runoff that can create toxic and sewage-filled waterfronts or shores: Planting a rain garden. These green areas can help absorb and filter rain water, reducing the amount of runoff. According to EcoWatch, a rain garden, “is a plant bed grown in a shallow, landscaped depression where water naturally flows, which slows and filters rainwater. Plants and soil filter pollutants in the water and allow runoff to percolate slowly into the soil, recharging groundwater supplies.”
In other words, think of it as an eco-friendly sponge.
Rain gardens are popping up in communities nationwide. In Alaska, The Palmer Garden is filtering runoff from the Mat-Su Senior Services building parking lot before it heads towards the Matanuska River. And at Hackler Intermediate School in Arkansas, a rain garden was built to pick up pollutants that are dumped into Dodd Creek and end up into the Mountain Home city’s water sources.
How can you jump on the eco-friendly bandwagon and create your own personal rain garden? Here’s a step-by-step guide, courtesy of The Rain Garden Network.
[ph]
MORE: From LED Lighting to Waterless Toilets: Buildings and Cities Are Prioritizing Sustainable Solutions
If Your Community Is Parched, Here’s How You Can Help Conserve Water
Do you turn on your faucet and let it run or take a longer shower, not really giving much thought to how much water you’re actually wasting?
This year, many U.S. residents don’t have this option. Almost 50 percent of the Western states are in a “severe drought,” and over 75 percent of California is in an “extreme drought.”
Regardless of whether you’re in a drought emergency or not, it’s always important to be mindful of how much water you’re using. CityLab provided some good ideas for how to curb your water-wasting habits:
Actually reuse your water: If you’re boiling pasta or emptying out your pet bowl, don’t just head straight for your kitchen sink. Leftover water can be used for watering house plants or outdoor vegetation.
Order your water wisely: When eating out, tap water is often served before ordering your actual meal. Only ask for water if you plan on drinking it. Also, be mindful about your refills. Only accept them if you plan to consume the additional fluid. And remember: it takes extra water to clean those used glasses.
Don’t let it all go down the drain: We’ve all heard this one, but it’s important to turn off the faucet in the middle of brushing your teeth, washing your face or shaving. Remember that if you let the water flow while cleaning your smile for the recommended two minutes, you’re actually wasting three gallons of water.
Take care of your food scraps: Running the waste disposal in your sink uses, on average, a gallon of water per person per day. So be mindful of these options. Dispose your food scraps in the garbage, or if you’re feeling really green, start a backyard compost. And if you don’t have a yard, there are indoor composting options. After all, if NYC apartment residents are doing it, why can’t you?
To read CityLab’s additional H2O-saving ideas, click here. And if you’re feeling ambitious, check out this comprehensive guide from the California Urban Water Conservation Council.
Just remember, using less water is for the greater good and better for your wallet, too.
DON’T MISS: This Park Bench Does More Than Just Sit Around
One in Five Baltimore Residents Lives in a Food Desert. These Neighbors Are Growing Their Own Produce
Boone St. Farm operates on two vacant plots in the center of East Baltimore Midway, one of dozens of neighborhoods in Baltimore identified as “food deserts.” Cheryl Carmona adopted the land in 2010 with two goals — that it serves as an urban farm that grows and provides fresh produce for its neighbors, and as a community garden where residents can learn about growing their own food.
Dozens of neighbors have pitched in and, four years later, Boone St. Farm has grown thousands of pounds of affordable produce. Residents on food stamps pay only $5-10 a bag. The community plots are used for gardening workshops and offer classes in nutrition to students at the nearby public school. As Boone St. Farm enters its fourth season, Carmona plans to include local cleanup initiatives and other projects aimed at making the farm an essential part of the neighborhood.
Thirst Quenchers: Step Away from the Trash Can
Milk cartons. Juice cartons. Wine cartons, if you prefer. After you quench your thirst with a beverage, there’s no reason that you can’t recycle that empty container.
In case you aren’t aware, most cartons are made of paper and can be recycled just like any other paper product. Still, not everyone is doing their part. As Earth911 reported, in 2009, at least half a million tons of carton waste ended up in landfills.
But now it’s easier than ever to recycle these containers. According to the Carton Council (yes, there is such a thing!), the growth of carton recycling has boomed in the last five years — from 18 percent to 50 percent since 2009. There are now 58,358,146 of households in the U.S. — half the homes in the country — that have access to curbside recycling programs or drop off facilities.
MORE: Recycle Your Phone, Save the Gorillas
And here’s a fun fact for your next dinner party: Carton recycling is probably growing faster than tweeting. If you look at this neat infographic, in the last five years, the increased access to carton recycling (177 percent) has dwarfed the growth of mobile web usage (103 percent) and the number of adults using social media (55 percent).
In a blog post, Jason Pelz, the VP of recycling projects for the Carton Council wrote that this special landmark is only the beginning: “In fact, 50 percent is just one milestone for us. We envision the day when cartons are recycled everywhere and no cartons end up in landfills. It is with this ambition that we are marching full speed ahead.”
To those of you who don’t think and simply toss your empty containers into the trash, you’ve got some work to do. We all owe it to the trees to make this a little extra effort.
[ph]
DON’T MISS: Can I Recycle This? 5 Things You Should Always Recycle (and 5 Things You Shouldn’t)
This Student-Invented Device Eliminates Almost All of the Emissions from a Very Common Household Polluter
Without a doubt, the only thing that’s green about lawns is its color.
We’ve already gone on a long tirade about this expensive and resource-intensive crop, but did you know that simply mowing your grass once a week comes at a hefty environmental price?
Here’s why: The typical gasoline-powered lawnmower is a huge, filthy polluter. The EPA estimates that in a single hour, these mowers emit 11 times the air pollution of a new car that’s driven in the same amount of time. That’s something that the planet — and our lungs — shouldn’t have to go through just for a nice patch of green. (Unless you own an electric mower, of course!)
That’s where NOx-Out comes in. It’s a one-of-a-kind device from the student engineers at the University of California-Riverside (UCR). By fitting this L-shaped pipe over a regular mower’s muffler, it significantly cuts emissions from lawnmowers more than 90 percent. According to a UCR press release, when an earlier version of the NOx-Out was tested, it cut carbon monoxide by 87 percent; nitrogen oxides by 67 percent and particulate matter by 44 percent. In the current version, 93 percent of particulate matter emissions were eliminated.
The device, which won a huge grant from the EPA’s P3 (People, Prosperity and the Planet) competition, works in a three-step process, UCR says. “First, a glass quartz filter captures particulate matter. Then an ultra-fine spray of urea solution is dispersed into the exhaust stream. The urea spray primes the dirty air for the final stage, when a catalyst converts the harmful nitrogen oxide and ammonia into harmless nitrogen gas and water and releases them into the air.”
MORE: Why New Farm and Construction Equipment Will Improve Air Quality and Save Lives
The idea for the NOx-Out came from team member Rosalva Chavez, a UCR environmental engineering student. Chavez suspected that her janitor father, who earned extra money mowing lawns over the weekend, had developed coughing and asthma due to his exposure to emissions via gasoline-powered lawn equipment.
The best news about this story? As TreeHugger found, the UCR campus will be using these devices on their own lawns, and eventually, the entire University of California system could benefit from cleaner air, thanks to the NOx-Out.
UCR says that team is also thinking about commercializing the product once it’s further refined — selling for about $30 each. When 80 percent of Americans live in a home with a lawn, that’s a small price to pay to help out the planet.
[ph]
DON’T MISS: A Roof That Can Clean the Air?
Why Is This Kitchen Trash Being Dumped onto Louisiana’s Coast?
Whether you have a taste for them or not, the oyster is one of nature’s most amazing creatures.
These humble pearl-makers are not just a briny delicacy, they also keep our oceans clean as all-natural filters: an acre of oysters can filter 140 million gallons of water an hour, removing 3,000 pounds of nitrogen a year.
And after they’re shucked and slurped by the dozen, their empty shells also have a remarkable use. According to the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP), they are the best material to use when raising new oysters and restoring oyster reefs. As ORP executive director Stephan Abel says in the video below, “Each shell can be home to 10 new oysters when recycled and replanted.”
At the moment, the number of oysters being removed from the Louisiana coast is greater than what is being returned. To make up for this deficit, several restaurants in New Orleans are cutting down on their waste by returning the ones that patrons toss to the Gulf Coast, Good News Network reports.
“The main reason we want to be involved in recycling oyster shells is because we’re such a large user of the resource,” said Paul Rotner, chief operating officer of Acme Oyster House in New Orleans. “It’s in our best interest. We need the shells in order to enrich the life span of our current oyster beds and to build new reefs.”
MORE: Kelp: The Sea Weed That Could Save Mankind
Thanks to a $1 million donation from Shell Oil Company, the state has kicked off its first formal oyster shell recycling program for New Orleans restaurants, according to a press release from The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL).
Considering the amount of oysters that seafood restaurants go through in a day, that’s a lot of shells being diverted from landfills. In a single weekend, the coalition collected more than 19,000 pounds of shells from Acme Oyster House, the Bourbon House, Redfish Grill, Peche Seafood Grill, Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar and Lüke.
Hilary Collis, the restoration program director of CRCL told NOLA.com that the organization plans on returning about 1,500 tons of oyster shell to Louisiana’s coast each year. These shells will help strengthen existing reefs and build new ones, all while protecting the coast and provide habitats for a number of other ocean creatures, such as fish and crabs.
So the next time you find yourself down on the Gulf Coast, slurp away!
[ph]
DON’T MISS: Why You Should Add ‘Trash Fish’ to Your Diet