Zero Pollution Motors to deliver snazzy-looking air-powered car to U.S.

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Car maker Tata Motors announced the world’s first air-powered car last year for India, and now it’s going to be delivering a version to the U.S. starting in 2009 or early 2010. The company’s Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM) division says the $17,800 car will deliver jaw-dropping specs, such as a 1000-mile range on each fill-up of compressed air, a top speed of 96mph, and 100mpg on the gas or biofuel it takes to heat up that compressed air.

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Super Eco Ad

The World Wildlife Federation’s new billboard campaign casts a shadow to give the impression of rising water levels.

From youtube – on how it works:
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The board respects celestial mechanics (Kepler Rocks!). It’s perpendicular to the equator, with an unobstructed exposure to the west. The “waves” start at about 12:00 when the sun crosses the threshold above the board. The challenge was not the sun’s azimuth, but altitude, which due to the Earth’s tilt requires the scalloped awning’s shape to be distorted so the shadow appears correct. Thanks to CBS Outdoor…

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Toyota Solar Tower – sponsored content

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Startup Turns CO2 Into Fuel

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By Dave Demerjian | Photo by Flickr user Senor Codo.

Researchers developing alternatives to fossil fuels are working with everything from algae to babassu oil to corn, but a California company says it can recycle carbon dioxide into fuel.

Carbon Sciences claims it has developed a way of using the CO2 emitted during the combustion of coal, oil and other hydrocarbons to create transportation fuels like gasoline and jet fuel. Should Carbon Sciences — or any of the other firms working on similar projects — accomplish this on a large scale, it could bring a reduction in CO2 emissions as well as an abundant supply of renewable fuel.

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The Breathing Earth simulation

Welcome to Breathing Earth. This real-time simulation displays the CO2 emissions of every country in the world, as well as their birth and death rates.

Please remember that this real time simulation is just that: a simulation. Although the CO2 emission, birth rate and death rate data used in Breathing Earth comes from reputable sources, data that measures things on such a massive scale can never be 100% accurate. Please note however that the CO2 emission levels shown here are much more likely to be too low than they are to be too high.

More at www.breathingearth.net

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Pharox bulb

env-eneff230The engineering and manufacturing of the Pharox bulb has been carried out in India, and it is estimated that if all Indians were to replace one incandescent bulb with this bulb, it would save 56 billion kWh of electricity, and 44 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, which would be equal to planting 140 million trees. (Image source: coolgreengadgets.com) Source: http://www.indiatogether.org/2009/apr/env-eneff.htm

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Doc injects life into fallen giants

City-based cardiologist gives a new lease of life to two centuries-old Peepal trees uprooted for road widening

Swati Thacker, Posted On Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 01:05:04 AM | Source: Bangalore Mirror

The garden city of India is fast losing its tag due to the felling of hundreds of trees in the name of road widening. However, two centuries-old giants, which fell victim to city development, got a new lease of life, thanks to a cardiologist with a good heart for trees.

The two Peepal trees near Dasanapura were uprooted a few weeks as part of the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) project to widen the NH-4 from Goraguntepalya to Nelamangala.

Dr B Ramana Rao, a cardiologist, used to travel on this stretch on every weekend. On a Sunday, he was shocked to see the Peepal trees lying forlorn. He told Bangalore Mirror, “These two heritage trees were the most popular landmark of the area. While one of them was 225 years old, the other was standing for last 240 years. I believe in the preservation of environment and could not ignore the priceless assets lying on the roadside. So I decided to transplant the trees and instil life into them.”

However, decision to transplant the trees was not an easy one to make. There was no guarantee that the trees could live again. Besides, the traffic density was such that it was very difficult to carry the trees which weighed 37,200 kg and 53,900 kg respectively. “Both of them were lifted using a 50-tonne crane and were transported to T Begur village, about 38 kms from Bangalore on Nelamangala-Tumkur highway”, Rao said, adding that two pits, each nine feet deep were dug in the ground to re-plant the trees.

Rao bore the entire expense of the exercise. “The process took more than 40 people two days and around Rs 1 lakh. I am now happy that both the trees have sprouted fresh leaves showing signs of a renewed life”, he said.

According to Rao, mere transplantation does not ensure new life to trees. Post transplantation, the tress has to be carefully nurtured. Besides regular watering, it has to be ensured that the trees are pest-free and they are not over exposed to the sun. “If it is properly taken care of, the trees can survive for another 400 years,” Rao added.

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Tip of the day

A combination of high temperature, low humidity and dry compost causes plants to wilt rapidly and foliage to shrivel.