| Saturday, January 21, 2006 |  |
| World Social Forum: The Great Debate in a Land of Change | 0 comments |
| 21 Jan 2006 @ 08:31 World Social Forum: The Great Debate in a Land of Change From: Published on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 by the Inter Press Service World Social Forum: The Great Debate in a Land of Change by Humberto Márquez CARACAS - Some 100,000 social activists from across the Americas and the world will soon be arriving in the Venezuelan capital, where they will condemn war and imperialism, and lend their support -- although not unconditionally -- to the changes introduced in this country by President Hugo Chávez. "The great people of the United States are our brothers, my salute to them," Chavez told the 15.000 World Social Forum participants that managed to get inside the Gigantinho Stadium in Porto Alegre to hear him speak. Credit: Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias The sixth annual World Social Forum (WSF) is being held at several different sites this year, instead of one centralised forum as in the first five editions. In addition to the Americas forum in Caracas Jan. 24-29, the African forum will take place in Bamako, Mali, Jan. 19-23, and the Asian meet will be in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi in March. In Venezuela the WSF "will find a process of transformation that has incorporated some of the policies of mass movements in this continent and in other regions. People come to the forum to speak and debate, but also to see and learn," Carlos Torres, of the Canadian non-governmental organisation Alternatives, told IPS. READ MORE More > |
| Aptera—to achieve up to 330 MPG | 1 comment |
 21 Jan 2006 @ 08:18Accelerated Composites, a San Diego, California-area startup, has designed a two-seat, three-wheel parallel hybrid—the Aptera—to achieve up to 330 MPG and sell for less than $20,000. [...] The production powertrain will consist of a 12 hp (9 kW) diesel engine with a 25 hp (19 kW) permanent magnet DC motor. (Accelerated Composites is designing the prototype with a gasoline engine for cost.) The electric motor is coupled through a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT); when the engine is off the car can run on the electric motor alone. [...] The Aptera weighs 850 lbs and is made almost entirely of lightweight composites, based on Accelerated Composites’ Panelized Automated Composite Construction (PAC2) process. It accelerates from 0–60 mph in 11 seconds, and has a top speed of 95 mph. More > |
| Get Free Power with Solar Style | 0 comments |
 21 Jan 2006 @ 08:09 From TreeHugger Solar Style is now selling easy-to-use solar-powered electronics chargers. By all appearances, they have successfully launched and are now selling their compact, convenient wares to the world. Solar Style's aim is to help consumers power their portable electronics without using the grid, using "free energy" ("free," of course, after making a small investment in their products), and they're well on their way. Their devices work like this: the photovoltaic panels collect light and convert it to energy, which is stored in what they call the "Battery on Board." When you need a boost of juice, plug in and the batteries will charge or power your electronic life. They are currently offering four chargers and a multitude of connectors for personal electronic devices like cell phones, PDAs, Bluetooth accessories, mp3 players, digital cameras and even some laptop and notebook computers, all at surprisingly low prices. Their models range in price from US $29.99 to $55.99, and all are available from their website. ::Solar Style |
| RainTrust — Another Initiative to Save the Amazon | 1 comment |
 21 Jan 2006 @ 08:04 RainTrust — Another Initiative to Save the Amazon January 21, 2006 02:26 AM - Warren McLaren, Sydney Billed as “one of the most comprehensive efforts in history to preserve the Amazon region while building a sustainable rainforest economy” the RainTrust asks for $100 USD for its ‘Protect an Acre’ project. For each $100, sponsors receive a certificate, but also the unique GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates for their acre (0.4 hectares) and an aerial grid photograph of the location. And in the fullness of time ecotours are planned, so you can go visit your sponsored acre. Your financial support is used to “reclaim deforested lands, and support the growth of environmentally-friendly businesses to create a thriving economy in the Amazon, as an alternative to massive deforestation.” RainTrust (nice word-play of name) is a for-profit company organised to facilitate business development and international marketing for forest-based businesses that spring from the program. They work closely with the Brazilian NGO, Amazonas Verde, who is dedicated to the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. Thanks to Rachel B. who gave us the tip. Heaps more info - including a long list of endorsements from high profile folk who reckon it is a very sound concept - can be found on their extensive website at ::RainTrust More > |