For instance, green fuels often refer to the first generation biofuels derived from crop plants. Specifically from a variety of crops that either can be broken down into sugar (starches), or oil. Sugar generating plants are fermented into ethanol. Oil producers are used as biodiesel.

One reason people don’t like biodiesels from these sources is that it takes up valuable land mass for the production of fuel and not food. Also, the intensive commercial farming techniques are extremely detrimental on the environment for the long term. Air pollutants are a byproduct of the processing techniques as well as when the fuel is actually burned. Additionally, GMO crop plants are used. Other ways to generate green fuels are desirable for this reason.

Algae is a promising green fuel © by giant mice kill rabbits

In result, initiatives to create better, second generation biofuels are underway. Algae fuels, are easy to grow indoors with quick process times are looking more attractive than crop fuels like corn. In fact, algae fuels may generate more than 200 times the amount of fuel than corn can. Although promising, expect many more years of filling up your tank with gas, rather than algae based fuel.

Although the change from “clunky” biofuels to sleeker forms are developing, as a citizen it is important to recognize self-responsibility and not rely on future technologies to save us from ourselves. Reducing energy usage is the best way to help the environment and this can be accomplished through a variety of ways that do not have to inconvenience societies. In fact, gains can be made from a society focusing on local economic development and natural resource management. Taking a Permaculture course is a great way to expand your own possibilities when it comes to living well on less fossil fuels.

Hydroelectricity created from a dam. Central Hidroeléctrica El Nihuil © by lucasgburgos

All the energy that most people enjoy so freely is derived at some point from natural resources. Water specifically is one resource that is used to generate electricity. There are two established ways to make hydroelectricity; via a water powered turbine (what the water wheel was to kinetic energy the turbine is to electricity) and wave power and the changing of the tides. These are sustainable energy production methods because the water’s power and not the water itself is used. This is also why hydroelectric dams are considered sustainable, although the man-made dams cause environmental damage to the location- and there is also the possibility of that these massive structures will fail and devastate the communities or habitats that lie beneath. Although, not without impact, hydroelectric power presents a relatively low impact when compared to blowing up mountains for mere, expendable coal and other such short-term energy gain.

Niagara Falls in New York was one of the first places to harness water for energy for success. Nicola Tesla, the brilliant inventor and scientist generated electricity on a mass scale by using the falls great strength to spin turbines. The turbines created electricity through their movement around a wire which could then be stored and moved for use elsewhere. Giant dams work in a similar way. Tunnels beneath the dam are made and filled with turbines which the water can flow through, creating electricity with the movement. The amount of electricity produced is completely determined by operators.

Then there is the electricity created by the moon- specifically the waves generated by the moon’s gravitational pull. Again, turbines are spun by waves creating wave power. Not all the ocean is ideal for setting up water turbines, but it is certainly a vast opportunity to be further developed especially in the pursuit of sustainable energy production methods. There also is reason to believe that some water turbines and tidal power plants may be destructive to ocean life.

In comparison to burning fossil fuels, a limited resource, using water’s power to make hydroelectricity is a far better alternative. Individuals too can harness water for energy. A stream or river can produce smaller amounts of energy for household use.

Unfortunately, it seems like oil spills are a common bi-product of our cheap oil culture. Image: marinephotobank/flickr

There are three unfortunately common oil spills to be aware. First the large tanker or pipeline accidents that release a massive amount of oil into a, usually ecologically valuable and pristine habitat. These incidents usually cause a negative public reaction and are often the catalyst for stricter safety policy.

Oil spills most commonly occur when the oil is extracted or being stored. Notably off shore drilling is accompanied by spills or “seepages” that are par for the course. Natural disasters, like hurricanes lead to oil spills when the containers are compromised by “unforeseeable” events.

Then there are the teeniest of spills, occurring from our own cars, the motor oil that we throw away , at gas stations and other machinery. The small amount of oil seeps back into the grown, and eventually into the ocean. Although small, the problem here is the accumulative effect of an oil based society making spills daily.

Oil, at this time, powers globalization. We live in an era of cheap oil, that continues to subsidize the cost of manufacturing and transportation. All our goods and services are powered by a low cost of oil. Without it, the world would not be the same. There is no society left on earth that is not directly or indirectly affected by this yearly billion dollar industry. Unfortunately, despite all the money and resources available there is no protection against an oil spill as soon as it is pumped out of the ground. The BP oil leak disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is one example of what can go so wrong, and how truly unprepared and incapable even the experts are at quickly fixing a deadly problem.

The bottom line is that oil spills are caused by our massive dependency on it and our unwillingness to diversify or reduce the need for cheap energy. As long as we are so singularly dependent on oil, the chances are increased that deadly spills will continue to occur.

The electric bike, or E-bike is used for practical transportation as much as its environmental benefit. Image: US Misson Geneva/flickr

Electric bicycles have a rechargeable battery or power pack they can be used in the same way as normal bicycles in the lanes. An ‘electrically assisted pedal cycle’ does not need to be registered to the road or carry insurance as long as it has pedals, the motor is electric (and not run on petrol) and weighs under 40 kg.

They provide the balance between draining your energy – making you sweat your way to your desired destination or exhausting the energy from earth’s resources – using up fossil fuel reserves. Safer more controlled road experience, without the hum or roar of a moped or motorbike you can not only enjoy the quiet but have the ability/option to listen out for danger signals. You can travel longer distances before your personal battery runs down, you can use the bike when its battery runs out and you can accelerate quicker away from traffic lights for example. And when or if the battery runs out at the bottom of a hill you have some extra weight from the dead motor to haul up.

There are age restrictions in some places, riders have to be older than 14 years of age.

This upgrade on the traditional push pedal bicycle makes cycling to work a viable option. Lycra shorts are a no-no on any occasion, let alone the daily commute. Electric bikes make for less sweat and therefore the opportunity for more clothes. The expense will be repaid within a month or two if not weeks. The intended use is an important element to consider to help you chose the right bike for you. Mountain, road, cruiser or hybrid think about the frame, the weight and the battery.

If you aren’t into the market for buying a new bike, but want to convert your favorite bike to an electric bike you can do that to with a conversion kit. This video demonstrates what a mountain bike would look like and ride like after being converted to electric.

Once you have your shiny new bicycle there are a number of maintenance issues to be aware of. Fortunately the motor looks after itself, just keeping it dry – or drying it after it’s been in the rain – and away from the sun will do the trick. Ensuring the tyre pressures are correct and there’s no dirt in the gears will help with the battery performance. Watching the battery use and charging when required (portable and solar panel chargers available). The rest is regular bike maintenance, brake cords and pads. I certainly want to ride an electric bicycle, don’t you?

Commonly, horses are used as show horses, racers, on ranches to cut cattle from the herd and just for the joy of riding. However, the use of horses is much bigger than you might realize. When you look at it, each horse is bred and trained for specific reasons and jobs, and one of these jobs include farming.

Image: Farming with Horses

Though the use of horses for farming might seem redundant, it is a method many farms use to become more eco-friendly and environmentally responsible.

Besides these environmentally sound reasons, using horses to replace fuel driven machinery, is also very cost effective for the farmer in order to maintain and cultivate agricultural land. This is however dependant in the size of the farm.

The Amish still use these old techniques to work their farms. As you know, the Amish are self sustainable and modern technology is a big no. It is an effective way of production for them, then why not for our smaller, modern farms.

Replacing machinery with horses means that the farm produce less carbon pollution and alleviates soil compaction caused by many machineries.

Furthermore it is an effective way nitrate groundwater pollution is reduced. It is also important to note that horses can be used for many agricultural processes such as plowing, harrowing and corn planting.

Many farms use horses for logging, cultivating land, both the planting and picking of corn, corn binding, grain drilling, bailing, the spreading of manure to fertilize land as well as mowing and raking.

As you can see, almost all fuel driven machinery on a farm can be replaced by older technology equipment and horses.

To be fair, the technological advances in machinery have enabled agricultural production to increase at a faster pace. This faster pace allows for a cheaper in store product that we can rely on. It is a sure deliverable that will not only be available, but be available on time.

Asking farms that produce agricultural products on a nationwide scale, to drop all fuel driven machinery and switch to use of horses, will not only mean an immediate cost for the farms, but a smaller production and delivery scale.

It is an effective way of farming for smaller farms that produce less. Bigger farms we rely on the feed not only our own nation, but to derive an income from exports, cannot afford to stop the use of machinery.

These modern techniques were put in place so that agricultural products can be produced at a faster pace and on a wider scale. Switching from machinery to horse will have a devastating effect on a nation’s economy.

Yes, jobs can be created by switching back to older techniques, but the amount of jobs that will be lost, will be far greater.

There has to be a change in the way our machinery operates, but it has to be as effective as those we already have in place.

Vertical hydroponics made with recycled materials. Image: Sing-Me Lee/flickr

Hydroponics is defined as “the cultivation of plants by placing the roots in liquid nutrient solutions rather than in soil”.

Vertical hydroponics is simply put the vertical distribution of water. It takes up wall space instead of floor space and works much like normal hydroponics. Many people opt for this type of growing system for growing plants indoors, either for food, herbs, flowers or other oramental value.

A pump does the work of distributing water to the plants in your garden and, if done correctly, yields just as much as that of a normal hydroponic system. It costs just about the same so, if you have limited space, this is the option for you.

The only difference in this system is that water is pumped up to the plants from a central water system at the bottom. Water reaches the plant and the plant receives all the nutrients it needs from fertilizers you mix with the water.

This specific system also uses light more efficiently. Where you had to add more light with each new hydroponic system, the vertical hydroponic system uses less light distributed more widely. Various systems can use the same light, just be careful that the systems do not overshadow each other.

Some systems are made of stackable pots that are insulated to protect the plants from too extreme temperatures. These systems can be bought ready to use.

If you are not much of a builder, you will find the internet very useful. If you still can’t get your head around the idea, you can always opt to buy a system. Most deals include a step by step instruction DVD while other package deals include all the material you will need.

Plants and vegetables that work perfectly with hydroponic systems:

1.     Tomatoes

2.     Lettuce

3.     Ivy

4.     Parsley

5.     Basil

6.     Flowers

7.     Herbs

8.     Corn

9.     Strawberries

10.  Peppers

11.  Eggplants

12.  Broccoli

An outdoor vertical hydroponic grower with solar panels. Image: IrisDragon/flickr

At this time, vertical hydropinic farming is not commercially adapted because there are still a few problems such as the effects of gravity. It will affect the plant and how it yields its fruits. Sustainable, organic farming with good soil management techniques is still the optimal way to grow food and plants.
However, these kinds of innovative hydroponic systems are perfect for those of us who do not have a big garden or yard.  It is one of the steps you can take in terms of self sustainability. There is no harsh environmental impact and it is something that can be used for a home or even in communities.

Compared to sustainable farming practices, vertical hydroponics is much less energy effcient and frankly an un-natural technical eco-system. It does however provide yields that can be managed relatively easily and a wonderful supplement to traditional growing practices, especially for people living in an apartment or urban area where soil is scarce.

Ancient Mayan pryamid in present day Belize. Image: Adventurous Wrench/Flickr

The ancient pre-Columbian Maya culture was one of the great and flourishing civilizations.  Mayans used their traditional ecological knowledge to modify their landscape in stable and resilient ways; in essence, they were early practitioners of ecological engineering.

One example of ecological engineering is their method of rainwater collection.  The Maya could not use groundwater, such as natural springs, because it was 500 feet below the surface and they had no technology to reach it.

So, the Maya depended on rainwater which accumulates in seasonal swamplands, known as bajos, which cover about 40% of the landscape. In modern times, that rainwater evaporates before anyone can use it effectively but the ancient Maya built drainage canals to redirect and reuse the rainwater and converted these wetlands into large agricultural fields.

In order to support such a large population, other methods of agricultural were necessary.  The Maya also utilized agricultural terraces, water reservoirs, raised fields, and planted urban gardens.  Agroforestry was also practiced that conserved the surrounding rain forest and cycled the agricultural fields through five successional stages: herbaceous stage, two shrub stage, and two forest stages.

However, the Maya ultimately could not sustain their ever increasing population.  As the Maya intensified their agricultural production they needed to reduce the fallow times of the fields and they needed additional space so they cleared the rainforest to accommodate urban and agricultural expansion.  The widespread deforestation led to increased soil erosion and evaporation which also inhibited sustainable agricultural practices.  The Mayans may have inadvertently caused local climate change and drought conditions by converting the wetlands into fields and clearing the rainforest by the slash and burn method.

The Classic Period of the Maya culture significantly declined between the 8^th and 9^th centuries and most of the Maya cities in the southern Maya lowlands were abandoned.  One of the more persistent theories explaining the abandonment is the systemic ecological collapse model.  Coupled with drought, ecological collapse due to overpopulation and abandonment of sustainable agricultural practices could have easily manifested into a society turned to turmoil and warfare as food became scarce and urban centers became weak and targets of invasion.

The IDDS is a hands-on conference, not one of those boring talking meetings focused on papers and proceedings.  This summit brings people of diverse backgrounds together to develop technology prototypes and enterprises that improve the lives of people living in poverty.  More than 20 counties from around the world are represented (from Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America, and Central America).  Students and teachers, professors and pastors, economists and engineers, masons and mechanics, doctors, welders, farmers, and community organizers all meet on common ground to co-create innovative technology solutions.

One of the prototypes to come out of the summit is a low tech water purifier backpack.  The backpack is made of transparent material and relies of the heat and ultraviolet light of the sun’s rays to disinfect the water inside.  The developers hope that the product, once in production, will retail below $5.  This simple technology will allow much of the world’s population that lack access to safe drinking water a simple and affordable means to have pure water.

Another problem tackled at the IDDS 2011 is the high infection rate of malaria in children.  Malaria accounts for about 40% of the infectious diseases in Ghana. Treated bed nets have been shown to be an effective way to reduce malaria; however, only 28% of Ghanaian children at risk for malaria sleep under an insecticide treated net, according to the World Health Organization.  A simple technological solution to this problem, developed during the conference, is an LED lantern that repels mosquitoes using a neem oil mixture. The lantern will be used at night, when mosquitoes are most active, and will harness local neem tree resources.

Tangible technologies were not the only focus of the summit.  The design teams recognized that sharing information through user-generated content is a powerful movement for positive social change but this is difficult in isolated rural communities.  However, most people in Ghana have access to a mobile phone so the proposed solution includes creating a voice-based search-enabled social community where farmers can retrieve and share knowledge to build upon best practices and grow their incomes.

The next IDDS should be even more productive as it will be expanding its geographic reach.  IDDS 2012 will be multiregional and each local summit focus will be unique to their host site. Host sites for 2012 are currently being explored.

For more information about the IDDS visit their website at http://iddsummit.org/.

The prototype for the $100 laptop. Image: jsbarrie/flickr

The 100 Dollar laptop, also known as the Children’s Machine, 2B1 and better known as the XO-1, is an inexpensive subnotebook computer.

It was created with the goal of distributing the laptop to children in developing countries, effectively giving them the opportunity to explore and learn, in the end leading to a better quality education. Everyone has the right to knowledge and this was just what this laptop could bring children.

The idea and laptop was developed by an organization called One Laptop per Child (OLPC). It is manufactured by Quanta Computers and is designed to use Linux software which is free, community developed software. It has no hard drive and instead uses an internal flash memory.

The idea was first introduced in November of 2005 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) by the then UN Secretary General, Kofi Anan, and the project’s founder, Nicholas Negroponte.

There are many things that make this project special, including the way in which the laptop was developed and operates.

First of all, it is designed to use far less energy than that of a conventional laptop. It thus more energy efficient and is designed to use only between 2 to 3 Watts in total power consumption.

The production cost of this laptop was also kept way down, thus using methods that kept not only the environment in mind during production, but maintenance as well.

The LCD screen of the laptop is also designed to use only between 0.1 to 1.0 Watts. It even has a monochrome mode for when efficient lighting, as in daylight, is available.

This laptop also has various rechargeable batteries, making the constant need for electricity not a necessity. Because it is able to run on battery power, simply charging it before use can eliminate the need for a constant flow electricity to the machine.

Different models come with different power options. The XO 0.1 Beta came with a power option that included a battery and a hand-crank generator. XO 1 came with a pull-string generator while newer models were specifically designed to use less energy in order to operate.

Also helping to lower power consumption is the fact that moving parts were intentionally left out of the machine. Moving parts use more energy and they were not added in order to be more energy efficient. This is why you will find no hard drive, optical drive, floppy drives or fans.

The machine is able to passively cool itself and thus there is no need for a fan.

Smog or air pollution is produced when we burn non-renewable fossil fuels. The fuels from the natural resources of oil, coal and natural gas whose distribution causes unrest in the natural world as well as the political world. By harnessing the natural resources of wind, solar rays and tides or by developing new biofuels that use low impact crops such as algae, clean technologies are providing the world with something it can afford, renewable energy.

Clean technologies do however spread beyond the realm of energy generation. They answer the question of efficient delivery in smart grid infrastructure. And further down the line they work on the efficiency of devices at the point of use, as well as transport, buildings and industrial processes.

One of only only a few climate focused investment funds, is the Clean Tech fund which aims to ‘promote scaled-up financing for demonstration, deployment and transfer of low-carbon technologies with significant potential for long-term greenhouse gas emissions savings’. Large sums of money are required to make green technologies economically viable and luckily venture capitalist funding is rife in this area. Worldwide investment rose from $850m to $6b in just three years; evidence of a heavily funded growth area.

International initiatives, conferences and roadmapping events exist in order to set milestones and global targets to push countries into reducing their emissions. Copenhagen in 2009 hosted the United Nations Climate Change Conference though the output (or lack therefore) fell below par. Much to everyone’s disappointment there was no legally binding treaty formed. Global recession was blamed for the lack of concrete commitment but the rising oil prices suggest a sacrifice needs to be made not only for long term environmental benefit but short term economic savings. The ‘Clean Development Mechanism’ defined in the 2007 Kyoto Protocol aims to assist sustainable development.

Whether it’s money you have or skills, or will power and knowledge to make discoveries that will clean up the repeating patterns of human error this is the industry to be in. Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths are bubbling away to bring ever more effective solutions to environmental problems. Clean technologies mean we have to do little in reducing the quality of our lives to improve the eco situation. In terms of sustainability clean tech will mean that we don’t have to reduce our demands because the way those demands are met will be eco-friendly.