People have been turning to nature for inspiration to help them solve problems for millions of years. From buildings and bridges to materials and medicine – examining the design of nature has aided in the development of almost every aspect of our lives, and most of us – often without realizing – benefit from these inspired revelations several times a day. This design concept is most commonly known as biomimicry. Designers, scientist, and engineers continue to study the complex structures found in nature to create greener and more efficient products and process for our homes and lives. In 2005 leading biomimicry expert Janine Benyus founded the Biomimicry Institute to give people the resources they needed to further their studies and understanding. Read on to learn more about how nature has inspired some truly innovative new products.

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Post tags: "wind power", African termite mounds, arup associates, biomimicry, Biomimicry Institute, Biomimicry of Termite Mounds, biomimicry solution, biomimicry techniques, Biomimicry: Design Inspiration From Nature, bioStream, blade design, Butterfly Wing biomimicry, butterfly wings, COM-BAT, design from nature, design inspiration from nature, eco design, fish swimming patterns, George de Mestral, green design, Janine Benyus, Mick Pearce, nature design, nature inspired design, Qualcomm, quantum dot solar cell, quantum dot solar cells, renewable energy, solar powered plane, solar-powered spy plane, spy plane, Termite Mounds, tidal power, veer, velcro, velcro burs, Whalepower, whales, wind turbines, wind turbines X wind power

We recently told you about Moto Electra‘s bold attempt to drive an electric motorcycle across the United States in just 3 days – and on June 6th the team accomplished this world record-breaking feat! Battling temperatures over 100 degrees, punishing rain and bike repairs, the racing team hit their goal while showing the world the potential of electric motors.

Read the rest of Moto Electra Sets World Record by Crossing the US on an Electric Motorcycle in 3 Days

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Post tags: battery technology, coast-to-coast drive, coast-to-coast motorcycle drive, coast-to-coast motorcycle record, cross country drive, electric bike, electric motorcycle, electric motorcycle coast-to-coast, electric transportation, electric vehicle, Moto Electra, Moto Electra Racing, Thad Wolff, world record drive

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Post tags: adventure, camping, camping gear, Design, hiking, luminair, Nature, tents, tentsile, tree tents, Treehouses, Trees, Treez Tents

Volvo just unveiled a new line of silent electric buses that will hit the streets of Gothenburg, Sweden in 2015. The buses are part of a new service initiative called ElectriCity, which is being launched in cooperation with the City of Gothenburg, Göteborg Energi, Västtrafik, Lindholmen Science Park, and Johanneberg Science Park.

Read the rest of Volvo Unveils New Noiseless Electric Buses for Gothenburg, Sweden

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Post tags: bus, electric public transportation, Electricity, green bus, green transportation, public transportation, volvo, Volvo bus, Volvo electric bus

If you pound the pavement every day for your commute or just a little exercise, you can use some of your stride to power your electronic devices. The SolePower is a shoe insole that allows the wearer to generate electricity as they move. Able to be slipped into a piece of footwear, the system runs a wire to a rechargeable battery worn around the ankle or clipped to the shoe. Power is generated and stored as you stroll and can later be used to charge phones, GPS units, music players, and other gadgets. Using mechanical linkages and generators, the SolePower works much like a smaller, slimmer version of a hand-cranked flashlight.

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Post tags: carnegie mellon university, charge, developing nations, first responder, hiker, insert, insole, iPhone, kickstarter, kinetic energy, pennsylvania, pittsburgh, podiatrist, shoe, solepower, walk

As the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant continues to leak radiation, Japan is turning its sights away from atomic power and towards solar energy. At the end of 2012, the country had installed solar power-generating arrays that provide a total 7.4GW capacity. According to Bloomberg analysts, that number is expected to double. The explosive growth, thanks to a feed-in tariff established by former prime minister, Naoto Kan, could establish Japan as the second fastest emerging solar market behind China and trailing only Germany and Italy in size of installed infrastructure.

Read the rest of Japan Undergoes Solar Boom With Over 7.4 GW Already Installed

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Post tags: china, Feed-in Tariff, france, fukushima daiichi, germany, italy, Japan, naoto kan, renewables, Solar Power

Despite major advances in clean energy, the world’s carbon emissions reached an all-time high in 2012. Overall, emissions grew 1.4 percent, reaching 31.6 gigatons a year. The good news is that the US reduced emissions – but the bad news is that growing China produced the biggest increase.

Read the rest of IEA Report Shows Global Carbon Emissions Reached a Record High in 2012

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Post tags: carbon emissions 2012, carbon emissions report, China carbon emissions 2012, China increase emissions, Climate change 2012, Climate change report, Global Warming 2012, Global Warming report, global warming temperatures, Global Warming Trends, IEA 2012 report, IEA recommendations, iea report, International Energy Agency, recommendations to reduce warming, US carbon emissions 2012, US reduced emissions

When architect Ed Mazria announced that buildings account for nearly 50% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, the building industry was taken aback. After a long career in passive solar architecture, he has taken on the goal of steeply reducing the carbon footprint of architecture – most notably with his 2030 Challenge, which aims to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in new construction, and to cut the use of fossil fuels in existing buildings by 50% by 2030. To help hit those targets, Mazria is launching a new initiative called the 2030 Palette—a robust, visually oriented online design tool which strives to help produce low-impact, people friendly projects. We recently visited Mazria’s offices in Santa Fe, where we spoke to the architect in-depth about his work and how sustainable development can save us from the worst climate change has to offer.

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: Ed Mazria, Founder of Architecture 2030 Introduces the 2030 Palette

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Post tags: 2030 Palette, Architecture 2030, carbon neutral architecture, Ed Mazria, global warming, green architecture, green construction, Sustainable Building

Read the rest of Product Review: The BioLite Campstove Charges Your Gadgets as You Cook a Meal

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Post tags: backpacking, BioLite, BioLite Campstove, camping, camping gadgets, cellphone charging, energy generating stove, green gadgets, renewable energy, stove, thermal energy, thermoelectric, thermoelectric energy, wood stove

About a year ago, Sharp achieved a new solar cell efficiency record of 43.5% by using a lens-based system to focus sunlight directly onto the cells in order to generate electricity. Now, Sharp has done it again. This time, they’ve created a concentrator triple-junction compound solar cell that offers conversion efficiency of 44.4%…all in a tiny package that’s only 4mm x 4mm!

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Post tags: "solar energy", efficiency record, fossil fuels, high efficiency solar cell, satellites, sharp, Solar Cell, Solar Power

Like peanut butter and jelly or chips and dip, some things were just meant to go together. A team from the University of Bath in collaboration with SME McCamley Middle East Ltd has developed a new wind turbine that they claim will overcome many of the problems associated with traditional renewable power generation. Their hybrid technology encases a vertical blade wind turbine in an outer frame that is outfitted with solar cells. Bat and bird friendly as well as quiet, the design is able to be installed on buildings in order to assist with urban electricity projects.

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Post tags: bulgaria, sme mccamley middle east ltd, Solar Power, UK, university of bath, vertical axis wind turbine

Summer is here, and for many parts of the western United States that means fire season has officially begun. Scores of firefighters have already been battling blazes across the country. First responders could soon have an innovative new tool that can go where no human feet dare tread. Researchers at UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering have developed a Segway-like robot that is capable of exploring areas and taking thermal data to paint a 3D image. Using a pair of on-board RGB cameras, the machine can create virtual reality images in real time to assist firefighters.

Read the rest of UC San Diego Develops a Firefighting Robot Capable of Creating 3D Images

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Post tags: conference on robotics and automation, firerfighter, first responder, Hong Kong, Jacobs School of Engineering, national science foundation robotics initiative, san diego fire rescue department, segway, thomas bewley, UC San Diego, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: 8 Questions with Starbucks Global Responsibility VP Ben Packard

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Post tags: ben packard, coffee farming, coffee house, corporate social responsibility, ethical farming sustainable agriculture, leed certified stores, leed for retail, recycled packaging, renewable energy credits, social responsibility, starbucks global responsbility, starbucks leed, U.S. Green Building Council, water scarcity

With hopes of replacing hazardous kerosene wick lamps, d.light has created a series of affordable solar LED Lamps for areas without a reliable source of electricity. The lamp has an integrated solar panel and can easily orient itself towards the sun during the day, and provide focused task lighting at night. The compact-yet-powerful S1 Solar LED Lamp is one of the finalists for the 2013 INDEX: Award.

Read the rest of S1 Solar LED Lamp by d.light Aims to Provide a Brighter Future for Rural Areas in Asia and Africa

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Post tags: Affordable Solar Lamp, Africa, asia, d.light, INDEX Awards 2013, LED lighting, Lighting for Rural Areas, renewable energy, rural areas, S1 Solar LED Lamp, solar lighting, Solar Power

Southern California Edison just announced plans to permanently close the San Onofre nuclear power plant after a 16-month battle over whether or not to restore its twin reactors. Facing political opposition, regulatory challenges, and expensive repairs, the utility announced this Friday that the plant was no longer suitable for operation. The plant served the region for over 4 decades, but problems with its steam generator tubes and radiation leaks forced it to undergo a $670 million redesign. Not being able to ensure the safety of the eight million people living within 50 miles of the plant, Southern California Edison decided to retire and eventually dismantle the facility.

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Post tags: California, California Public Utilities Commission, close, edison international, erich pica, friends of the earth, Fukushima, Los Angeles, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, radiation, reactor, san diego, san onofre nuclear power plant, southern california edison, ted craver

Siemens just announced plans to harvest energy from speeding trains by installing America’s first regenerative braking energy storage system on the new TriMet Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Line. The Sitras Energy Storage unit is designed to capture kinetic energy from the train while it is slowing down. It then converts this energy into electricity to power the train when it accelerates.

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", alternative energy, light rail, public transportation, renewable energy, siemens, TriMet Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Line, world's first regenerative energy storage unit

America’s wind farms are set to expand to the offshore market, as the Interior Department just announced that it will auction wind energy rights to 164,750 acres off New England’s coast. Rhode Island and Massachusetts waters will be the first to be leased to wind energy investors. The area has the potential to generate 3,400 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power over a million New England homes.

Read the rest of Obama to Auction Off New England Shores for Wind Farm Development

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Post tags: eco design, federal auctioned wind farm, green design, offshore wind farm united states, offshore wind farms, sustainable design, wind farms rhode island

Google just announced that its new Finnish data center will be powered entirely by wind energy. The company is no stranger to renewable energy, and it struck up a ten year deal with a Swedish wind farm developer to construct a farm to power its new data center. The Hamina, South Finland data center will meet its energy needs by purchasing the entire output of the new O2 wind farm, which will be constructed in Maevaara, Northern Sweden.

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Post tags: "wind power", Allianz, eco design, Google, Google Data processing Center, green design, O2 wind farm, sustainable design

The first grid-connected offshore wind turbine in the US was just installed in Brewer, Maine. The 65-foot-tall VolturnUS turbine is a small-scale prototype of a giant 6-megawatt turbine designed by the University of Maine Composites Center that will be used to test the technology before a full-scale unit is connected to the grid in 2016. The researchers behind the project hope that they will be able to cut the cost of offshore wind to 10 cents/kWh by 2020.

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Post tags: "wind power", offshore turbines US, offshore wind power, renewable energy sources, UMaine floating turbine, University of Maine Composites Center, VolturnUS, VolturnUS turbine, wind energy, wind power US, wind turbine design

Electric vehicles are a great option for personal use, but when it comes to public transportation, the technology has its limitations. Electric buses require overhead power lines or lengthy recharge times to stay running. But that may all change with TOSA’s new “flash-charging” stations, which can fully charge a bus in 15 seconds flat! That means the bus could be fully re-charged and ready to go in the time it takes to let people on and off at a stop.

Read the rest of High-Capacity Flash Charger Can Juice Up an Electric Bus in Under 15 Seconds

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Post tags: ABB, bus charging in 15 seconds, charging public transit, Electric Bus System, electric busses, electric public transportation, Flash Charging, flash vehicle charging, Hydropower Electric charging, Public Transportation Geneva, Public Transportation Swittzerland, quick vehicle charging, renewable energy, TOSA