April 28, 2009
What does sustainability mean to you?
If you’re not sure, this short video from College of Charleston students will be a nice wake-up call – one that everybody should take notice of as fellow stewards of our environment.
February 25, 2009
Making cars from seaweed
Thor Heyerdahl’s Ra2
Credit: Wikipedia
Reminiscent of Thor Heyerdahl’s papyrus reed boat that sailed 4,300 miles from South America, makers of the new Toyota 1/X being showcased at the Melbourne Motor Show this week are also thinking of a lightweight floating material – seaweed!
“The 1/X concept is a vehicle that completely redefines what it means to be environmentally considerate. The name says it all: a car that weighs a fraction of the others in its class today and uses a fraction of the fuel” – David Buttner, senior executive director of sales and marketing.
They’re thinking past 2020, but one day cars like the 1/X may be made of plant-based plastic, eco plastics.
February 10, 2009
There’s money in them there potholes!
MIT students develop
energy-harvesting
shock absorbers
Credit: MIT
A team of MIT undergraduate students have invented a shock absorber that harnesses energy from small bumps in the road, generating electricity while it smoothes the ride more effectively than conventional shocks. The students hope to initially find customers among companies that operate large fleets of heavy vehicles. They have already drawn interest from the U.S. military and several truck manufacturers.
Their prototype shock absorbers use a hydraulic system that forces fluid through a turbine attached to a generator. The system is controlled by an active electronic system that optimizes the damping, providing a smoother ride while generating electricity to recharge the batteries or operate electrical equipment.
December 16, 2008
It’s time to cleanup truck emissions
With South Carolina’s revenue-generating SPA terminal just around the bend here from Shem Creek, our global terminal plays a vital function on our waterway. We are always faced with loads of trucks coming in and out of Mt. Pleasant – either from I-526, Hwy 17 North, or Hwy 17 South – the 150+ trucking firms around Charleston are a major business partner helping the local economy.
On the other side of the country, a revolutionary new law taking effect on 1/1/11 will make California the first state to limit diesel pollution from big rigs, requiring owners to install diesel exhaust filters on their trucks, with almost all vehicles to be upgraded by 2014.
