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The Alternative Consumer
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The Alternative Consumer provides product reviews, green news and info to the next wave of smart consumers - fresh thinkers who consciously style their lives with their health and the health of the Earth in the forefront of their mind; chic, savvy shopper
Recent Posts Tagged With 'Alternative Energy'
A New EV Family is Slated for our Future
Last week, the world class Frankfurt Motor Show served as the proving grounds for a line-up of efficient electrics. And topping the list of glitzy unveilings with four, all-electric cars was none other than Renault, Nissan’s sister company, with th...
SUNNEV DIY solar car
Art Haines, a mechanical designer from Maine, came up with the idea of building a solar powered car. When he pitched the idea of having local high school students help him build the car to his local civic group, it was well received. He and eight...
Solar space satellites: Mitsubishi Electric and IHI join JAXA
The idea of harvesting solar power from space has been circulating for quite some time. The advantages are obvious – constant sunlight independent of weather conditions; so, what we normally factor into the feasibility of solar panels on Earth â€...
Solar Roadways gets DOT grant
Will our future highways be paved with solar gold? Solar Roadways, a small Idaho start-up, just got a $100,000 grant to produce a prototype for its Solar Road Panel, a system of solar panels that could one-day turn roadways and parking lots into en...
Hywind floating wind turbine goes live
Is the future of wind power floating off the Norwegian coast? The world’s first full-scale floating wind turbine – StatoilHydro’s Hywind pilot – was officially launched yesterday in the North Sea. Floating wind towers may someday allow turb...
Dahon’s Biologic FreeCharge - pedal-power your iPhone
The folding bike specialists at Dahon have come up with an energy efficient way to charge your iPod, iPhone, MP3 player or handheld device - bike power. The FreeCharge transfers power from a bike’s generator hub to a high-capacity battery, whic...
EcoSmart Fire’s - Mini T ethanol fireplace
It almost feels like fall here in NYC - time to start thinking about extending our alfresco dining and outdoor socializing as the temps take a dip and the autumn leaves begin to fall. One solution - an eco friendly designer outdoor fireplace. The...
NovoThink Surge - iPhone 3G solar charger
This new Novothink Surge solar charging case slides neatly over iPhone 3G and 3G (S) phones. The slim hybrid charger can store power from the sun or through your computer’s USB port (from which you can also load tunes from iTunes.) Features a...
RESTORE Clothing - fashion & function
Celeste and Anthony Lilore, founders of NYC-based, RESTORE Clothing are on our eco radar. Having recently met them at a green gathering, they do walk the talk. Their active wear, RESTORE, spells out all that a conscious fashionista could want: Re...
itHouse - off-grid prefab with style and substance
The sexy itHouse is a design system created by L.A. based, Taalman Koch Architecture. The eco-friendly home is comprised of a series components manufactured off-site. The home, which is designed to be flat packed and easily shipped, is prefabrica...
NYC tests hybrid garbage trucks
Queen’s streets will soon be the beneficiary of New York City’s first hybrid garbage trucks. Three new first-of-a-kind DSNY refuse collection trucks and one diesel-hybrid electric rack truck, which will utilize some of the most environm...
smart solar rotating plant basket
Want symmetrical hanging plants but too lazy to get out of your Barcalounger to rotate them? This solar powered gadget is designed to slowly rotate hanging plant baskets for even light exposure and plant growth. The brighter the sun, the more the b...
soji solar lantern
It’s never too late in the summer to add a little sustainable style and atmosphere to your deck, patio or garden. These Modern Soji each feature a little solar panel and 2 amber LED bulbs. Powered by the sun - no electrical wires or outlets n...
Ford hybrids to ‘talk to’ the power grid
If the electric car movement is going go mainstream it’s going to need some serious infrastructure. In that effort, Ford Motor Company has announced that it has developed an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for it...
Chevy Volt touts 230 mpg
This week, GM CEO Fritz Henderson rallied his troops to announce an anticipated fuel economy for the all-new, electric 2011 Chevy Volt of 230 mpg in the city. (Yep—that’s what those vague, green ads you might have seen last week are in reference ...
earthwatch institute - Beat the Heat kick off
If you’re looking for a cool way to contribute to a greener world, check out Earthwatch Institute’s third annual Beat the Heat Climate Change Campaign kick off in Boston this Thursday, August 13 (6:30-9:30p). Donate an item to the silent...
SunCat solar catamaran
Taiwan-based, Horizon Group, is developing a series of zero-emissions, solar powered boats. The first boat in the program is the stylish SunCat 23, a 23-foot, open deck catamaran. The SunCat, which will be powered by a 2.8 kilowatt electric outboar...
Comfort Cruiser - sweet e-bike from Pedego
The new Comfort Cruiser electric bike from Pedego can help you travel to your local farmer’s market or that Abnormal Psyche class on the other side of campus in power-assisted, emissions-free comfort. The Cruiser has a top speed of 20mph and...
Toyota Highlander advanced fuel cell vehicle
Toyota Motors announced today the results of a recent collaborative fuel cell hybrid vehicle range and fuel economy field evaluation. The Toyota Highlander Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle - Advanced (FCHV-adv) - achieved an estimated range of 431 miles on ...
dragonfly solar accent light
If you’re looking to add some nighttime atmosphere to your patio, walkway or deck, you might consider a couple of these striking dragonfly solar accent lights. Each wireless solar luminary comes with two rechargeable batteries and will look a...
Mass. Audubon Society seeks wind turbine?
Here’s an interesting foray into wind power - the Massachusetts Audubon Society is exploring erecting a 50′ tall wind turbine at its Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport. Though statistics show that house cats, windows and buildi...
clean energy for America - a work of art
Remember Obama’s Hope, Progress and Change posters? Created by controversial mixed-media artist Shepard Fairey, his latest work promotes clean renewable energy in his inimitable style. Fairey’s hitched his easel and Power Up Windmill to...
Kodak solar gadget charger
Kodak keeps moving away from its film-based past and into the digital future. The company has announced its latest stab at digital innovation with the intro of the Kodak Solar Charger KS100-C+2 (catchy name). When fully charged, this portable sol...
Kinesis K3 portable wind and solar charger
Here’s a new addition to the growing list of portable device chargers, the Kinesis K3 portable wind and solar charger. Kinesis is marketing the charger as a “3-in-1 tribrid,” due to its ability to collect and store power from wind...
solar power on a pole
Coming to a neighborhood near you - a great way for most utility companies to integrate solar power into their existing infrastructure. New Jersey’s Petra Solar, Inc. has announced it will be producing 200,000 smart solar systems for installa...
Powcell solar iPhone charger
All you iPhone and Blackberry fanatics can soon look forward to topping-off your tired batteries with an integrated solar charger. The Powcell sleeve, which will charge via sunlight or most ambient light sources, is designed to fit nicely onto the b...
Solar Sound bluetooth speakers
This little black box is actually a set of portable solar-powered speakers that can keep you tapped into the music on your iPhone, iPod or most other cell phones or MP3 players without a wall outlet. You can connect to your music source via wireles...
Solar Flowers help launch new Prius
Toyota is using these giant solar flowers as part of its launch of the 2010 Prius. Each of the five, 18′ tall plant sculptures seats up to 10 people. Solar panels on the petals and stem provide passersby and free-loaders with free wi-fi and pow...
Tesla opens NYC showroom
If you’re planning a spin around Chelsea’s westside gallery row, looking for an excuse to escape a man-bar on 8th Avenue, or on you way to the High Line Park to work on your tan, there’s a new stop on your eco express - the new Tesl...
6 retro windmills - old school wind power
We thought we’d take a break from our current obsession with wind turbines and take a pictorial look at the some old-style windmills. These beauties were originally designed to harness the wind’s power to pump water (Holland wouldn’...
