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Fossil fuel free.
I want to be free.
-Cara
Nerds Are Cool
I remember back in the good old days of this blog I’d do a lot of eco-shopping entries. I’ve since been trying to shave down what I already have. I have always been a pack rat and love to buy stuff. If it wasn’t for the fact that each time I move I am more lazy than obsessed with hording stuff, I’d be one of those guys, you know on Clean Sweep or Cops. See lazy sometimes is good. I donate stuff to the Salvation Army, or those clothes boxes sprinkled throughout NYC, or drag stuff to swap meets in Queens, or bring them to my job and leave them on a counter outside my office, eBay, etc… Someone, somewhere wants my stuff.
I do have a point to all this. I now find I need to do some shopping for a new backpack. I may document this journey further, but for now I just wanted to share some resources I am using to research said bag. By the way, for those interested, my perfect bag would be an eco, fair trade, non sweatshop, sustainable, long lasting, locally made, recycled, durable, solar energy source, super fresh, comfortable, user friendly, big when it needs to be back pack. I am sure I am missing other specs, but you get my point.
For company ratings on social and environmental issues, see Co-op America’s sweatshops.org. The Fair Trade Federation also lists companies committed to “fair wages and good employment opportunities to economically disadvantaged artisans and farmers worldwide.” If they meet these guidelines I have completed part one of this journey.
OK, let me get started, my backpack is almost in pieces.
-Cara
Here’s a little blurb about what’s going on with my organic, handmade t-shirt company I run with Ms. Marine Boudeau.
Good times.
-Cara
Join us at Pridefest this year in the West Village:
Hudson St. between Abingdon Sq. & West 14th St
Sunday, June 28th, 2009
11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Come check out our handmade, organic, super fresh t-shirt collections, hang out, take pictures and buy plenty of shirts for you, your peeps, lovers, family…
Sign-up for our newsletter to receive any Pridefest updates and possibly discover many other amazing and interesting things.
To learn more about this super gay weekend visit NYC Pride.
Cara & Marine
Founders of Be Nice
Underground Art Gallery, is located on Satucket Road, one half mile from Brewster Grist Mill and herring run in Brewster, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Malcolm Wells, a former office building designer, just trying to undo the horrible damage he did by paving more than 50 acres of land for buildings and their surrounding asphalt, created the 1,200-foot gallery he designed. It was built in 1985. Originally the Gallery was planned as Malcolm and his wife Karen North Wells’ home, but they ran out of the funds to add living quarters. So now they live in a nearby tiny shingled bungalow built in the early 1900s from a Sears-Roebuck catalog kit.
The studio opened in 1990 with 250 tons of earth as a roof, supported by ten tree trunks. Because of the earth that surrounds three walls and the roof, the gallery is exceptionally quiet and insulated from outside noises. In the summer, fall, and spring, the roof comes alive with the blooming of wildflowers, wisteria and grasses.
The gallery employs passive solar heating and cooling techniques to keep naturally warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Hardwood trees in front also add cooling shade, while the all-glass southern exposure allows sunlight to heat the gallery in the cold winter months. Wells heats the gallery by burning just 2 cords of wood in a small stove every year.
The privy features a waterless, odorless, composting toilet with an aerating vent to the roof, allowing people to use the facilities in comfortable privacy while saving fafillions of gallons of fresh water per year.
That is fresh.
-Cara
That’s right a year ago, on January 10th, 2008, “The Day After An Inconvenient Truth” was formed. When I first started this blog it was to have a voice in the world that differs from mainstream television, radio, satellite, newspapers, etc. I was inspired by the movie, “An Inconvenient Truth“, drawn into the meaning of an “inconvenient truth”, the fact that you might not want to hear what the problem is and what can be done to solve said problem, but here is the truth and now that you know, what are you going to do about it?
In the beginning, what I primarily wrote about was eco, environmental “inconvenient truths”, following in the footsteps of the film, but as time went by I began to find “inconvenient truths” in other areas as well, be it the issue of gay rights, human rights, animal rights, freedom of speech, freedom of art, whatever is going on in the world that mass media does not cover or covers up, these were the pieces I exceptionally enjoy writing about. Then there are the “recycle stuff” ones, just there for some information of what extra steps you can take to make a better world, the D.I.Y. projects using recycled materials, or just how to make something green and cool for your everyday life. Throw in a few organic recipes, cool green events, green product reviews, games, petitions, stories of amazing people who inspire me, beautiful photos, and sometimes just a funny video to relax and you have, “The Day After An Inconvenient Truth“. :]
What I am getting at with all this is to say, “The Day After An Inconvenient Truth” has evolved from when I began to where it is at now. I went from doing blog entries everyday from January, 10th, 2008 to October 13th, 2008, right around when I got an official 9-5 job, to now where I may not blog everyday, but no more than a few days go by without me throwing one out there. I needed to find a balance in my life and for now this works for me. I’d rather have good ones than just have ones. :]
I really like writing this blog, even when I can’t think of what to write about, or when I’d rather be playing PlayStation with Ms. Marine or web 2.0 out on the million social networks. This blog makes me more accountable. It is something I started and am still doing a year later (see Tony). Listen, for someone with absolutely no attention span to anything (besides computers and all things tech), I am pretty amazed that “TDAAIT” is still going. What is crazier is when I started this blog I was surprised if I got 10 hits a day, to now where I get on average over 300 unique hits a day from all over the world. Though businesses like MSNBC and other corporations that I do not have any respect for, ask me to place their advertisements on my site, I refuse. I was not working a real job when I started this blog and could have used easy money like that. Instead, I was insulted that they would even ask me, so much so I responded that they obviously had not looked at my blog, because if so they would never have asked me! In retrospect, I am sure they would have asked me anyway. In their minds people are just a herd of non-thinking cows who when they see a blinking ad, inevitably they must click on it. That goes against what I am trying to achieve here. I really hate ads everywhere. I am blessed in many other ways through this blog, so it doesn’t need to monetarily support me as well.
What else have I gotten from writing, “The Day After An Inconvenient Truth”? I have learned about a lot of bad stuff that goes on, and I have learned about good people, things and ideas, living and growing here on this Earth (I liked it when Alice Walker called humans “Earthlings” in this interview.). I maintain hope and an awesome faith that things will only get better if you do good.
Something I keep in the forefront of my mind is, what each of us does affects the other. It is not just the huge things necessarily, even our smallest thoughts affect the world. Also, we can as one person change things; who you touch in turns will touch others. You may not get the gratification of seeing the change you bring to the world directly, but if you do it, you may see the world itself change. I search for happiness and peace, by going inconveniently through its sorrows, untruths, truths, and ugliness. I also keep the faith. Faith is the most important thing, without it you are lost. I guess that is what, “The Day After An Inconvenient Truth” is to me, a way to not lose hope and to maintain my faith during the era that is the beginning of the end.
This year I have learned that humanity is not as bad and hopeless as it seems, so that’s cool.
-Cara
Non-Electric Water Distiller
Above is a non-electric water distiller that uses almost any heat source to distill pure water anywhere, anytime. Look, I am not saying you need one, just letting people know what one of their water distilling, non-electric options are.
The tap water is heated to boiling point so the impurities are separated from the water, and the water then becomes steam. This is then condensed back into pure liquid form. The impurities remain as residue and are removed leaving 100% pure, pH balanced water. That my friends is how distilling water is done.
For $369 you can buy the one pictured above at Real Goods Dot Com. According to their site the water distiller is, “…a high output stove top water distiller that operates on a variety of heat sources for daily and emergency use. Distillate capacity, based on a 2,600W electric burner: 3.2 qt. in 1.2 hours; up to 16 gal. per day. Stainless steel with no moving parts or fan; digital timer with alarm, 12″H x 12″ Diameter. 9 lbs. Three-year limited warranty. China/USA”.
Distilled water is literally water that has been boiled, evaporated and condensed – leaving all chemicals, toxins and waste behind and creating pure, clean water. Distillation will remove bacteria, viruses, cysts, heavy metals, radionuclides, organics, inorganics, and particulates. However, it does not remove substances that have boiling points at a lower temperature than water. Some of these substances are oils, petroleum, alcohol and similar substances, which in most cases don’t mix with water. Also, remember that substances removed from water remain in the boiler, so you’ll need to clean it up every once in awhile.
Zack Scott, makes a great video demonstrating how to make a mini solar water distiller.
I wonder if we’ll have any hot days left this year to try.
Hmmm…I might think of a way to build a real distiller. I may need to move to a tropical island to turn up the heat. You never know when you may need to distill mucky water in the middle of nowhere. Now at least you have an idea what to do.
Survivor!
-Cara
The Place
On our way to Connecticut’s Stonehenge, Marine and I passed an amazing solar powered house in the middle of a wildflower field, while in Sachem Head, CT. One of the best parts of road trips I think is finding these types of hidden places. Marine threw the car into reverse, and I snapped some quick pics. Here they are for your viewing pleasure.
The Studio
Right Section
Solar Panels Close-Up Shot
There were these cool bird houses that seemed to grow out of the flowers, one of the houses I saw had the word “VIEW” etched on it. It makes me wonder, with all this crazy art and such, maybe I have stumble upon an alien colony right here in Connecticut. Someone call Art Bell!
Bird Houses with the Sun Behind Them
Bird Houses in the Sun
View
It turns out that it is not a house, but an art studio and garage, built by Eileen Eder, a local artist, and her husband, Andrew, located in the back of their house (which I never noticed). The two completed this barn like studio in November of 2007. It looks like a crazy sort of dark, futuristic barn in the middle of a wild field.
Part of the Field
According to Solar Connecticut’s web site, the solar panels were installed on the studio’s 60-foot long roof by Aegis Electrical System of Branford. If you’d like to read more about the studio’s solar set-up click here.
It really is beautiful.
-Cara
People might be getting annoyed with my solar power obsession, but I could not pass this one up when I found it earlier this week. It is the LightCap 200!!!
This small, lightweight (just 2.6oz) cap fits on any ‘standard’ water bottle (2” wide mouth) such as Nalgene®, Camelbak®, GSI® and most others, turning your bottle into a solar-powered lantern. With clean, green solar energy powering your lantern there are no more burned out batteries to worry about or replace (adding to our already toxic landfills).
I love it! You can put colored water in them as well….super fresh!
Next we have Wola Nani Papier Mache Bowls, which are made by women living with HIV/AIDS. In Xhosa, Wola Nani means ” we embrace and develop each other.” These eye-catching bowls are made of papier mache using over-prints from canning factories in Cape Town. You can use them to put your keys in, mail, etc and it supports a great cause. You will also have a story to tell people when they comment to you how beautiful and interesting it is. It is not meant for food storage or eating purposes, so don’t eat out of it.
Last but not least is the Aptera a high-efficiency vehicle currently in development by Aptera Motors, Inc. They claim fuel efficiency of 230 mpg at 55 mph, which would make it one of the most fuel-efficient cars in the world. Because the Type-1 has only three wheels two in front and a single drive wheel in the rear, most states in the United States would classify the vehicle as a motorcycle. Design elements such as recessed windshield wipers and rear-view cameras instead of mirrors contribute to the low aerodynamic drag. According to the pre-order page, Aptera Motors has set the price at $26,900 for a an electric version with a 120-mile range, and $29,900 for the diesel-electrical series hybrid. If you want to learn more check out their site.
Charge it!
-Cara
Reason 84 from, 101 Reasons Why I Am Vegetarian:
In America, essentially all farmed animals will be trucked around at least once in their lives. Filthy, crowded, cramped, noisy, and terrifying conditions over extended periods are the norm. Truckers may legally deny the animals food and water for up to 36 hours. And such “protections” do not apply to poultry. Many animals are traded internationally. About 4 million live sheep are transported from Australia to the Middle East every year where Islamic law dictates throats be slit without stunning. In one recent year, a ship full of 58,000 sheep was rejected because of widespread infection. Before finding an import destination, nearly a tenth died.
The history of solar power is of interest to me, because again for some reason I have an innate interest in all things solar. In this entry I wrote about some of the forefathers of the solar power movement and in future entries I will bring us up to the present time.
Humans and the earth have used the sun as some sort of energy source since the beginning of time, but it was not until 1838 that Edmund Becquerel observed and published findings about the nature of certain materials to turn light into energy. This in itself did not really create much commotion, but it did bring the thought of harnessing the sun’s energy source to people’s mind.
Thirty years later between 1860 and 1881, Auguste Mouchout, a mathematics instructor at the Lyce de Tours, became the first man to patent a design for a motor running on solar energy. This invention was born out of his his concerns over his country’s dependence on coal. “It would be prudent and wise not to fall asleep regarding this quasi-security,” he wrote. “Eventually industry will no longer find in Europe the resources to satisfy its prodigious expansion. Coal will undoubtedly be used up. What will industry do then?” Well we know what they do, they discover other nonrenewable sources of energy like oil and natural gas to use up, and once that is gone then will we turn to sun and wind for our main source of energy? The issue “they” see with that is they have not figured out a way to turn an obscenely grandiose profit off the sun and air, but I would not worry too much as I am sure General Electric is working on buying the sun as we speak.
Anyway, Mouchout received funds from the French Emperor Napoleon III and with those funds he designed a device that turned solar energy into mechanical steam power and soon operated the first steam engine. He later connected the steam engine to a refrigeration device, illustrating that the sun’s rays can be utilized to make ice, for which he was awarded an awesome French Medal of Super Freshness [I tried to discover, briefly, what medal it was he won, but to no avail, so yes I did invent the French medal of Super Freshness incase you weren’t sure.]!
Unfortunately, his groundbreaking research was cut short. The French renegotiated a cheaper deal with England for the supply of coal and improved their transportation system for the delivery thereof. Mouchout’s work towards finding an alternative source of energy was not considered a priority anymore and he no longer received any funding from the Napoleon V3 [ah, isn’t that the way things go?].
I will end our solar history lesson there for today and hope you have enjoyed it so far, more to follow!
Let the sun shine in.
-Cara
Reason 80 from, 101 Reasons Why I Am Vegetarian:
In the early twentieth century man learned how to extract nitrogen (fertilizer) from the air, cheaply and in large quantities. The discovery ultimately allowed 2 billion more people to inhabit the Earth and has given humans the luxury of feeding crops to livestock. Yet what gives the world abundance has, by way of nutrient runoff and acid rain, poisoned waterways from the Chinese countryside to the Ohio Valley. (Excess nitrogen promotes algae growth, robbing the water of oxygen.) In North America and Europe, lakes and rivers contain 20 times the nitrogen they did before the Industrial Revolution.
Two eco-green-super fresh shopping entries in one week, stop it. It’s your lucky week. Well not really. I didn’t think it would be responsible of me to promote more consumption, so instead I will put together some tips on how to be more environmentally conscious when you do shop. Even better. :)
According to Earth 911,
A family of four [I wonder if this is a family of four people or two people and two cats or one person and three dogs…] can save $2,000 a year in the supermarket by choosing large sizes instead of individual serving sizes. Small sizes use more packaging for each ounce of product than larger sizes. So, if you buy large sizes, you save money, reduce waste, and help the environment.
Here’s some Earth 911 tips:
- Buy cereal in a large box instead of in individual serving sizes.
- Buy large packages of sugar and flour.
I think the best thing would be to buy local products, like at your Farmer’s Market. That way you may avoid any packaging and you’ll be supporting your local region and a small business. That’s a lot of good.
Another thing you can do to help out is make sure whatever it is you are buying, that the packaging is recyclable through your local recycling program. If you go to this link on Earth 911 you can find that information.
Do not buy disposable products. We do not live in a world that can survive all this junk filling landfills and polluting the earth. In fact take all the disposable products you have and invent something new. There’s a cool project. Then if you want you can sell it on Etsy, make tons of money, quit your job and work for yourself, protect the world, and enjoy your life…easy.
Here are some ways to do your part,
- Use rechargeable batteries in everything that needs batteries [May I suggest purchasing solar powered products, or water powered or kinetic instead…]
- Do not use disposable cameras [Unless you are at someone’s wedding and they give you one. I mean at that point it’s too late.].
- Use cloth napkins, sponges, and cloth towels or wipes to clean up. [I’m working on that one right now.]
- Use washable plates, cups, and silverware for parties and picnics instead of disposable products [Come on really who is still buying paper or plastic plates???].
- Use an electric razor or hand razor with replaceable blades instead of disposable razors. [Whoops.]
- Use a washable commuter mug for your morning coffee and eliminate a Styrofoam or plastic cup every day [Funny, I was walking around just the other day with my Starbucks’ disposable coffee cup in my hand, thinking just that. I’m embarrassed….tell no one.].
I hope you have enjoyed this Friday’s shopping tips.
Enjoy your weekend.
-Cara
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Reason 77 from, 101 Reasons Why I Am Vegetarian:
The population explosion should not be thought of exclusively in terms of people–not when one considers the ecological footprint represented by the world’s 3.2 billion cattle, sheep, goats, and domesticated bison across the globe. About 20 percent of the world’s pastures and rangelands, with 73 percent of rangelands in dry areas, have been degraded to some extent, mostly through overgrazing, compaction, and erosion caused by livestock.
On Fridays I usually do a shopping or a recycled object making entry, then Saturdays a recipe entry and Sundays are a game or quiz entry, but two Fridays ago it was my 100th post, so I didn’t do the shopping/recycled entry until Monday. This Friday I was into tips, so I guess and forgot to do my regular entry. Today I will make up for missing said entry.
Here are three cool products I found. I mention places to buy the things I talk about, but I suggest trying to find products locally whenever possible.
On siliconsolar.com I found for $24.95 the Solar Battery Charger AA AAA C and D. It has the ability to charge AAA, AA, C and D batteries using solar cells. The company has one complaint in 36 months at the Better Business Bureau, which they resolved. I worked for the BBB here in New York City for about six years and that is a fine record for an online company…in my opinion. I think this charger is a great idea.
Alright, I am not sure how many people grill, but my dad does and smokes food. He makes me a mean, marinated, smoked portobello sandwich like you wouldn’t believe. Anyway, his grill light uses batteries I think, so I found the Maverick SOLAR LED Grill Light, Stainless Steel GL-04 for $48.99. Happy Father’s Day!!!
Last but not least, we were talking about brining your own water bottle to work instead of using disposable cups. I like the Switzerland company Sigg’s water bottles. They aren’t too big, and have a clean fresh look and feel to them. They are fashionable and sustainable.
I will update this entry with any reviews once I’ve tried any of these products. Please leave a comment if you’ve tried any of these contraptions, as I would love to know what you thought of them
Enjoy.
-Cara
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Reason 73 from, 101 Reasons Why I Am Vegetarian:
Grass-fed beef is more eco-friendly than corn-fed, but supplies of it could never sustainably meet current consumer demand. Several guides are available to help seafood consumers “eat with a conscience.” But the species that are recommended would quickly run out if everyone ate them. Legally, “free-range” and “cage-free” designations are dubious to outright meaningless. At least one humane certification program was officially debunked. “Organic” has gone strangely industrial and is rightly tagged “ethically challenged.” Ultimately, to “eat green” and to “be kind,” one needs to go vegan. [Opinion of Pamela Rice only. I feel that to not validate free-range and grass-fed animals/farming is to tell meat eaters, that their choice does not matter between industrial farming and free-range, when of course it does make a difference. -Cara]
I’m really into solar right now, so I decided today will be the day to gather and share ten cool solar facts from around the World Wide Web.
What? You’re welcome! :P
- As for solar energy history as we know it, it wasn’t until 1839 when French physicist Edmond Becquerel first discovered photovoltaic activity.
- This discovery was followed by another Frenchman, Auguste Mouchout, in the 1860’s who invented the first motor to be powered by solar energy.
- In 1883, Charles Fritz turned the sun’s rays into electricity!
- In 1990, a aircraft powered solely by the sun crossed the United States.
- It takes only about 8 minutes for solar energy to travel from the sun to the earth.
- Solar energy is measured in kilowatt-hours. One kilowatt hour (kWh) is the amount of energy needed to burn a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours.
- If we covered a small fraction of the Sahara desert with photovoltaic cells, we could generate all the world’s electricity requirements.
- Enough sunlight falls on the earth every minute to meet the world’s energy demands for an entire year.
- Two billion people in the world have no access to electricity. For most of them, solar photovoltaics would be their cheapest electricity source, but they cannot afford it.
- Solar energy will not pollute our air with carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases and bad emissions which is one of the main causes of global warming.
In 5 billion years the sun will run out of fuel, so let’s use this baby while we still can.
-Cara
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Arsenic has been a common additive in factory chicken feed for nearly 50 years. It is used to kill parasites, reduce stress, and promote growth in the birds. The practice has long been deemed safe. Recently, however, scientists have found that the substance turns carcinogenic rather quickly after application. Arsenic-imbued manure becomes toxic to the environment when spread as fertilizer. The risk for those who ingest the meat of treated birds is, in fact, worse than once thought, particularly since exposure to arsenic is cumulative and people are eating three times the chicken they once did in the 1960s.
The last few Fridays I’ve given people some cool, eco, usually recycled ideas to buy, but for this Friday I thought we would slow it down a bit and MAKE something new out of stuff we already [most probably ] have.
The first of the three entries is a video from Make Magazine’s [MAKE brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life. MAKE is loaded with exciting projects that help you make the most of your technology at home and away from home. This is a magazine that celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your own will.] YouTube channel. The video is of this girl, Cristen Andrews, who shares with us her super fantastical plastic bag crafting skills by showing us how to get started with are own crocheting of said plastic bags.
Enjoy…
The next one is hot. I found it on ecobites.com. It is a solar powered food dehydrator made from two cardboard boxes, some clear plastic wrap, and a little tape and voilà, you to can build an inexpensive solar dehydrator. Click the picture below for all the exciting instructions on how to build it and know when your goods are dry.
I can build it and put it on my fire escape to dry all the fruits and vegetables I want, seeing as I am in the penthouse apartment. I knew there was a reason I lived on the 5th floor of a walk-up, my unlimited access to the sun…or at least for a few hours. Good times.
My Very Own Super Fresh Recycled Idea!
What you need…
A used can depending on if it will be a pen/paint brush holder, a lamp base, a vase, a container to gift a gift in or whatever it may be, you choose the size.
Craft Paint [if you so decide you want to paint it]
Glue
Cool Pictures, Greeting Cards, Magazine Pictures, Drawings
Colored Sharpies [optional]
What you need to do…
Paint can with craft paint and allow to dry if you so choose.
Cut pictures from a magazine, greeting card, drawings, photos etc. to adorn the can or use colored sharpies to draw your own craziness on said can.
It is now an original piece of art.
I have discussed many ideas and a variety of products within my posts. I have stated once I tried a project or product I would give you all the 411. I recently decided the best way to get that information back to you is by creating a page(s) of all my reviews of projects, products, petitions, protests, experiments and the like. That way they are separate from my daily blog entries. I think it will just be more organized.
We’ll see.
-Cara
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When faced with a flock of spent hens, an egg farmer may choose to induce production again by way of a forced molt–accomplished with starvation and water deprivation for periods of up to two weeks. No U.S. law prevents this heinous practice. Some major U.S. producers have phased it out but then need to bring twice the number of hens into production for the same number of eggs.
It’s Friday which means it is Eco Consumption Day her at TDAAIT. Let’s do this.
Eco Plant Food. I love my plants. I am so curious if this will work…no chemicals is fresh.
Solay simple Biodynamic natural plant food mix is formulated with ingredients that come directly from nature including Himalayan salt, Sea minerals, Herbs and Humus. Nothing has been chemically altered or synthesized only energetically enhanced. All the ingredients are mixed in the patent-pending Vortex Brewer ™, to enliven, imprint and make more potent. The solution is concentrated. All that’s left to do is dilute and apply.
Manufacture of vases, goblets and tumblers using reclaimed bottles. The Green Glass Company offers unique, sustainable glassware that’s good for our earth and I think they are beautiful and super cool.
At Eco Shoppe they sell a solar powered battery charger. That is such a good idea. Here is the product description,
“Features: – Charges 1-4 AA Rechargeable Batteries at a time – Charges NiMH and NiCD batteries – Resistant to any weather condition – Built-in blocking diode prevents the reverse flow of electricity from the battery – Equipped with an angle stand, the charger can directly face the sunlight to receive maximum sunlight. – Easy and simple to use – Environmentally friendly – Operating cost is free – Equipped with a meter to indicate solar intensity and charge time.
Note: Rechargeable time will vary depending upon the strength of the sunlight or the level to which the batteries are discharged and the battery capacity. The higher capacity of the battery will require the longer charging time.“
Shop Eco People!
-Cara
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Pigs are naturally anything but dirty and brutish and, if given half a chance, display high intelligence. Ask Professor Stanley Curtis of Pennsylvania State University. He taught several pigs to understand complex relationships between objects and actions in order to play video games. Curtis, along with his colleagues, found these creatures to be focused, creative, and innovative–equal in intelligence to chimpanzees. Other researchers have found chickens to be good at solving problems, cows to respond to music, and fish to be as individualistic as dogs.
Super Solar Phone Concept By Nokia is dedicated to Marine’s blog entry, Nokia has the Green Light.
Nokia’s new mobile phone concept reveals a self-reliant, no plug-in socket phone consisting of a solar paneled case to convert sun power to electricity. It sparkles! I mean how awesome is that. No more charger…sweet.
Word on the street is the concept is about a year from being produced commercially.
I’m ready.
-Cara
I first heard of solar backpacks when I was reading this stuff the crew from “Living With Ed” was writing about. They were saying they used them to charge their electronics. SOLAR BACKPACKS…what? I want a million of them.
You can charge your mobile phones, mp3 players, some even have enough power to charge a laptop. They have the same type of power source as in your car. It is attached to a flexible solar panel that is placed in any of the pluthera of bags out there.
I will give it up right away and start with my favorite site, Reware.com. Understand I’ve tried none of these bags…my judgement is just based on what I have seen on their sites and instinct. :D
They created a fresh solar bag line called Juice. They have the widest variety of bags, they are cool and I love the whole idea. I am going to save up some loot and get one . :) Maybe the beach tote and use it as a grocery bag!
Here is a little blurb about them, by them,
NEXT GENERATION SOLAR
Turn free sunlight into clean electricity without moving parts, heat or sound. The Juice Bag’s incredible 7 Watt flexible solar panel is made up of 52 solar cells and represents the latest in flexible solar technology.Our power technology is military-tested and approved, and our stitching and fabrics undergo a triple-quality check before leaving our warehouse.
And, while no small solar power device of this size puts out enough power to charge a laptop directly, keep an eye on us – we have a solution brewing for use with laptops and other larger devices!
SIMPLE TO USE
Juice Bags come with a built-in Car Lighter Adapter (CLA) socket – the same plug as in a car. It’s universal. Just plug in the adapter you would normally use in the car that is approved for your phone, PDA, MP3 player or other 12volt device. The moment sunlight falls on the Juice Bags solar panel, the bag generates electricity. It is that easy!
With Juice Bags, you don’t need a battery to charge your 12 volt devices, but we offer an accessory line of SolarReady Batteries so that you can store the sun if you want. Just plug the SolarReady into your Juice Bag, store up sunlight, then plug the battery into your device later.
Juice Bags are used by travelers, students, relief workers and many others for whom the freedom of clean, everywhere free energy is important.
Imagine going anywhere…anywhere…in the world and being able to keep your satellite phone, GPS Unit or digital camera charged.
MADE IN THE USA.
We now make Juice Bags in the USA with great attention to detail, and use premium fabrics and materials for superior quality.”
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Next solar bag site I really like is, Voltaic System bags. They were the first company to sell a solar bag powerful enough to charge a laptop.
Another reason these guys rock is they use,
“fabrics made from recycled PET i.e. soda bottles. We worked extensively with suppliers to develop these fabrics, since they were not previously available. Recycled PET fabric is light weight, extremely durable, UV resistant and water resistant. It even looks better than the nylon it replaced. Most importantly, it uses significantly less energy to produce and creates demand for recycled materials.”
My favorite part about the laptop bag is the handle…
An indicator light inside the handle shows when the panels are generating a charge. That is super fresh.
There are a few other sites that sell solar bags, but their stock consists mostly of leather and that isn’t my flavor. :P I hope these solar bags really are fresh. I’ll let you know when I know.
:)
-Cara
Update- Marine made this solar bag for me she liked this entry so much. :]
The Day After An Inconvenient Truth 
What Did You Say?