Safran and Honeywell have designed an electric green taxiing system or EGTS that allows jets to taxi on the ground without having to use their engines.  Instead the planes would use electric motors attached to each wheel and run by the plane’s auxiliary power unit.  The electrical system should provide better maneuvering control to pilots when docking at a gate and should save four percent of energy costs.

NASA has put out a proposal for a greener fuel source for launching satellites, rockets and eventually space taxis.  Space launches add “several kilotons” of carbon dioxide into the air each year.  So far it isn’t a large percentage of the CO2 that gets spewed from cars, trains, planes and ships, but over the next several decades that could change.  Because more governments and private enterprises are looking at space for new ventures, less harmful fuel is needed.

As cellphone contracts come up for renewal most people look for a new phone to replace their last one.  One of the top phones to consider is the iPhone and when you purchase a new phone, you always have to get a new case.  INature has developed a fashionable protective case out of biodegradable plastic.

Many automakers unveil concept cars at the various auto shows around the world and every now and then they actually make it into production.  Mostly they showcase new technology and design ideas.  Tata Motors will be showcasing the eMO at this years Detroit Auto Show in the Michelin Challenge Design.  Unlike many concept cars, Tata has basically said that this car won’t ever see a production line but the company has built a nice little imaginary retail experience around the car.

Installing solar panels is one way to get off the grid and free yourself from your local electric company.  Solar energy is renewable, free (except for the cost of the panels and installation) and doesn’t spew CO2 into the atmosphere.  But it still costs more per watt than grid provided electricity.  However that is going to change starting in 2013.

You have to love it.  Congress in all of its wisdom decided to postpone the enforcement of the new 100 W light bulb standards until next September.  The legislation was passed in 2007 and signed into law by President George W. Bush.  American light bulb manufacturers supported the legislation and have spent millions on new equipment to produce light bulbs that will meet the new standards.  Congresses ban on enforcement opens the door for inferior foreign light bulbs to make a huge killing over the next nine months.

Researchers in India have developed a new type of bead from paraffin and stearic acid.  It absorbs heat from the sun during the day and then releases the heat at night. The new beads should work well in climates like the United States Southwestern states.

High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes were created to encourage more environmentally friendly travel.  The idea was that if you car pool (carry one or more passengers) with you, then you can have access to a special lane to escape traffic congestion.  In some places, people driving green cars (hybrids or electric vehicles (EVs)) could travel in the HOV lane even without passengers.  Lately, HOV rules have changed slowing things down.

In an effort to fast track solar farm permitting and construction, the Obama administration has set up “solar energy zones.”  The zones cover six western states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. 

When thinking of solar power most people envision either photovoltaic cells that turn sunlight to electricity or they might think of solar thermal where mirrors reflect solar heat onto a water filled tower, boiling the water which turns a turbine which creates electricity.  Enviromission uses hot air created by suns heat to turn turbines creating power.