Trefficient

                                                 Mazda is making every effort to offer energy and fuel efficient sport utility vehicles to counter the ever rising gas prices.  The new Kazamai (pictured) is schedule to be presented at the Moscow International Motor Show in August. The slick design and -friendly technology used to create this elegant crossover is turn heads.  With efforts such as this, SUV lovers will still be ableto get their vehicles without racking up the cash is gas.      

The concept is driven by a compact (by crossover/SUV standards) aerodynamic design and lightweight body.  The company claims it is based on their “long-term vision for technology development, Sustainable Zoom-Zoom, which aims to provide a unique balance between sporty driving fun and superior environmental and safety performance.” The car will use four-wheel drive powertrain with newly developed direct injection engine and transmission.  

From: Inhabitant 

Are you sick of forgetting your Bluetooth device or even worse, not charging it?  LG has solved that problem.  The new Solar Bluetooth Car Kit is the perfect solution for hands free communication.  Not only does it allow you to talk on the phone and drive safely, but it also saves the trouble of having to make sure the hands free set is charged before hopping into the car.  The car kit is not yet available in stores, but it is another minor solution to help conserve energy. 

For all you Bluetooth users or soon-to-be Bluetooth converts, LG has a greener solution: the Solar Bluetooth Car Kit. Mount this light-weight box to your windshield and you’re good to go…and talk. Holding enough charge for 16 hours of talk time, the kit can get 1 hour of talk time for every 2 hours of exposure. Plastic clasps keep the box angled at the sun so you can careen around corners without losing light. And say you do have to sit through a storm and need some juice, there is the old-fashioned cigarette lighter charger option. Plus, with it only weighing 72 oz, you can move it from car to car.

From: Ecogeek

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a boat that your family could take out to nearby pristine sandy beaches with crystal clear blue water and billions of tropical fishes? And wouldn’t it be nice if, somehow, that boat didn’t disrupt the fishes, or the environment, in any way? And while we’re dreaming (here in Montana we haven’t escaped from the 40s yet, and it’s raining), let’s throw in some solar panels as well. 

 Now it is possible with the new half-boat half-bike.  This is perfect for the local lake or pond that does not have too large of waves or current to overturn the boat.  This boat has two ways of operating; the first is by someone pedaling the boat, similar to riding a bike.  The other option is to crank on the solar-powered electric motor.  Either way you choose to power the bicycle-boat it is sure to help the environment.   

 From: Gizmodo

Toto has announced the new EcoPower faucet. Unlike traditional motion avtivated faucets, this one will actually use hydropower to conserve energy.

The EcoPower faucet recharges itself every time it is used. The flowing water causes a turbine to spin, creating a current that’s stored in the rechargeable batteries. The faucet will stay charged with as few as five uses per day.

From Cleantechnica

I remembered a few people I forgot on my list today, so I had to rush them something quick.  I though a gift card would be great and what better store to shop from then Amazon.  After browsing for a few minutes I realized they had a very cool email gift card (a gift card/certificate that’s emailed directly to the person, rather than shipping them a physical card).  Because you’re not shipping someone a physical card, there’s no fuel burned, no printing of the actual card (plastics/inks), and they receive it almost instantly.  Woo-hoo, a last minute eco-friendly gift!

Staples has a corporate responsibility their Staples Soul campaign and, according to their website, it’s an approach to business that recognizes the close connection between their financial success and their desire to make a positive impact on our associates, communities, and the planet by joining together the following areas: diversity, the environment, our community, and ethics.

The one I really find interesting is the environment report, which mentioned they’ve increased energy efficiency 28% in the last 5 years and emissions an estimated 15% over the same period. In addition, they are “committed to reduce [their] greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent on an absolute basis from 2007 to 2010.” They are also investing in envrionment education.

Go Staples! Reduced emissions and reduced energy usage.

From What’s the Diff.

President Bush recently signed energy bill will set the stage to phase out incandescent light bulbs by 2012 to 2014.  USA Today writes:

A little-noticed provision of the energy bill, which is expected to become law, phases out the 125-year-old bulb in the next four to 12 years in favor of a new generation of energy-efficient lights that will cost consumers more but return their investment in a few months.

General Electric (GE) says it’ll develop an incandescent that’s 30% stingier than today’s bulbs by 2010. Earl Jones, a GE senior counsel, says it likely will cost more than current bulbs but less than a fluorescent.

HeatIsOn has a fantastic chart and in-depth discussion on the energy stance of the presidential candidates.

Where does your candidate of choice stand?

Sometimes understanding the value to paying more can help put things into perspective. Yes, buying compact fluorescent bulbs is more expensive, but only in the short run.

Let’s assume that you’re using a 23w compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) to replace a 75w incandescent bulb and that the CFL has an 8,000 hour lifespan. 75-23= 52w saved per bulb replaced. 52x *8(kw)*.1(kw/h cost)= $41.6 saved in energy costs over the life of the CFL. Not bad.

But wait, there’s more! We now need to figure in the savings of not having to replace the incandescent bulb. Assuming the bulb has a life of 1,000 hours, we saved replacing 8 bulbs and at a cost of $.5 each, that’s an extra $4 saved. $41.6+4 = $45.6 saved by using the CFL.

$45.6 - $3 (for the cost of the CF)L is a total savings of $42.6.

Average payback period is:
$45.6/8000 = .0057

3/.0057 = 526 hours of lamp usage. That’s 132 days if the lamp is on for 4 hours per day. Nice.

Writers note: Math doesn’t tend to be one of my strong points, so feel free to comment and correct any errors. Image form Grey Wind.

Xeko is a trading card game that teaches kids (and adults!) about endangered animals and the environment. People go head-to-head with real-life animals and bio-diversity hotspots. Check out their commercial and a really quick review.

It’s won numerous awards, but here are some of the highlighted ones:

• Creative Child Magazine Game of the Year
• National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval
• GreatDad Recommendation
• The Toy Man Award of Excellence

I love it when companies actually practice what they preach and Xeko does just that. In addition to attempting to raise awareness using the game itself, Xeko: offers a program to recycle booster pack wrappers, donates a portion of sales to Conservation International, and even manufactures cards from recycled paper.

Disclosure: I do contract work for Xeko.