All things green and planet saving.
When you look in your rubbish bin, what all do you see there? Is it all just trash that can’t be reused in any way, shape, or form? Of course it isn’t, because a lot of us throw things away that we could reuse, but don’t. If you have a garden, or just want to give your yard a boost, then why not turn some of that trash into treasure?
Ford’s 1.0 Litre EcoBoost petrol engine was this week given the 2013 International Engine of the Year award, which reflects the motoring industry’s new found passion for eco friendly technology in more than just concept vehicles. The engine, which features direct fuel injection, variable valve timing and a sophisticated turbo charger, delivers amazing performance and fuel efficiency, with a top speed of 112mph and average consumption of a miserly 65.7 mpg.
![Ford Fiesta 1.0 Litre EcoBoost – road testing the new 3 cylinder, 65mpg wonder engine [Video Review]](http://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/fordfiesta1.jpg)
While Tupperware may store leftover goodies, it has a bad habit of taking up too much space in the fridge and can give off a bit of an odd taste. You can resort to plastic wrap, but that stuff is a royal pain to mess with. If you want to have a Eco-friendly and reusable way to store food, why not use something made of natural materials?
We’ve all become very reliant on mobile phones, simply because they’re an awesome invention. But even so it is probably prudent to minimize extensive exposure to the radiation from the handsets during a long call. And before you trot out the old nonsense about non-ionizing radiation being completely safe, just remember that microwave ovens also use non-ionizing radiation, which most definitely is not safe unless properly shielded.
![Tawkon – track your phone radiation and stay safe [Freeware]](http://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/tawkon-1.jpg)
The stories circulating recently about working conditions in some Far Eastern factories have made a fair number of people start to question their role as consumers. For one thing it doesn’t feel right that we can buy something cheap only because someone else far away suffers. The Fairtrade movement, which started to help African farmers improve their living standards while still supplying Western supermarkets with produce, has now found an equivalent in the consumer electronics space.
As more of us have on-the-go lifestyles, being able to keep our portable electronics powered up is crucial. A new portable power bank called the Tarot by Powerocks is about to be introduced to the market. This credit card shaped power charger fits neatly into your wallet, pocket, briefcase or backpack and will provide an emergency charge for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices when no electrical outlet is available. Weighing just 1.79 oz., and measuring 3.5” (length) x 2.1”…
It’s hard to remain a ‘concerned’ citizen nowadays because you can never tell whether a product you’re buying comes from a company whose ethics are questionable or worse. There are so many different degrees of ownership in the major corporates, that it’s almost impossible to trace who owns what when it comes to consumer products on the shelves.
![Buycott – finally there’s a guilt free way to shop [Freeware]](http://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/buycott3.jpg)
So you think the only solution is to use high tech all the time? Well there are some people on the planet who would beg to disagree. And they’re coming up with all sorts of clever ways to make do with less.
The home building industry has been fairly static for a long while, but now an enterprising company wants to do for self build what IKEA has done for wardrobes. The company, Glog Homes, sells DIY blueprints and ‘house kits’ which they say anyone can use to build their own house in a matter of weeks.
One of the juiciest targets of the eco-energy industry over the years has been how to harvest the incredible amount of human activity such as walking, running, or even scratching an ear, into useable electrical power.
One of the scary things about living the modern comfortable life is how far removed we are from the basics. For instance if the transport system died tomorrow, do you know how you would get stuff to eat?
Hidden behind that elegant solar headpiece in the photo above is Simon Milward, a rather insane enterprising young fellow who intends to become the first human to cycle across the Sahara Desert using nothing more than the locomotive power of a solar powered bicycle.
Sometimes you have to take your hat off to the almost limitless ingenuity of the human brain. Brain, not Brian. Anyhoo, the hard work of inventors like Tesla, Edison and Col Sanders have down the ages delivered impressive and wonderful technologies for us all to enjoy, and for that we’re indeed grateful.
Some surprising news from Portugal and Germany recently indicates that we may actually be seeing the fruits of investment in renewable eco energy coming through at last. The first report delivered figures from REN, the Portuguese grid operator, which show that ‘nearly 75% of the country’s energy needs were met by renewable energy during the first three months of this year’.
Ever need a dab of inspiration? We all tend to place things on our desk that put us in a swell mood, or helps our imagination open up a bit. One thing that we all seem to have in common as well, is that we run out of desk space because it’s easy to try and overdo it with inspirational material. If you want to keep your space tidy, but still have things that will get your brain juices going…
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