Green Energy: It's Coming!

Most of my friends know that I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes the general public's adoption of clean, renewable sources of energy. I just don't think enough people care enough. Or, at least, I used to think that...

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of reports on really cool things people are doing to promote and use alternative sources of energy. It was enough to make me think that maybe, just maybe, we will turn this thing around. A few of the coolest innovations I've seen recently include:

The Sakai City Waterfront Mega Solar Power Generation Plan - Long name, cool project. Sharp and Kansai Electric Power's giant solar energy plant will generate a ton of clean power and reduce CO2 emissions by several bajillion kilotons. Okay, the real numbers can be found in the Sharp press release.

Orange's Green Cell Phone Charging Stations - UK cell phone provider Orange will be setting up these nifty tents at the Glastonbury Festival. Basically, they use wind and solar power to charge people's cell phones. One tent can charge about 100 cell phones per hour. Yay technology! Now I just need one for my house...

The Microfueler - "The EFuel100 MicroFueler™ is the world's first portable ethanol micro-refinery system." In other words, sugar and/or discarded booze goes in, wait about 5-7 days, and useable ethanol comes out. Sure it costs about $10,000 and it won't be available until late 2008. But look at it this way: now you have something to do with all the Larrys people leave at your parties...

Honda's FCX Clarity - The first production car to be powered by hydrogen fuel cells. That's right, we're talking ZERO emissions. Not less, not some... ZERO. 'Nuff said. If you live in Southern California, go get one.

So maybe we will be able to save the planet. Now if we only had some sort of machine that could suck up all that excess greenhouse carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere and turn it into something useful... Like food. Or oxygen... Hmmm...