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The [Re]Drive External Hard Drive from SimpleTech is an energy efficient hard drive wrapped in an eco-friendly package that is so stylish, you would never hide it away in a cabinet but put it front and center on your desk.
This plug n’ play system works with your USB 2.0 and 1.1 jacks, is Mac and PC compatible (phew!) and automatically turns on and off with your computer to conserve energy.
Did I mention how good looking it is? The hard drive is made with renewable bamboo and recyclable aluminum, the most recycled metal on the planet according to SimpleTech.
By Gavin Hudson •
August 14, 2008
Jeju island in South Korea is said to have three things in abundance: wind, women, and rocks. But neither the rocks nor even the women are creating as much stir these days as the wind.
The goal of Jeju is 500 MW of wind power by 2020. That would cover 20% of the island’s energy needs. And that’s not including the island’s existing solar energy. However, the rapid growth of the wind energy industry has some people asking “who owns the wind?”
As in other regions where wind farms are springing up around the globe, some locals on Jeju island find themselves divided into supporters and opponents of wind farm development.
Before visiting Jeju’s two existing 10 MW and 15 MW wind farms, I spoke with Kim Dong-joo, an activist at the center of the wind energy conflict, in his office at the Korea Federation for Environmental Movement of Jeju.
“It’s a really good thing to spread renewable energy. Jeju island has a very strong wind to use for power generation, so many companies have made plans to invest to make a wind farm to earn money,” says Mr. Kim. “But,” he says, “these companies have only one goal; that is to earn money. So they do not think of anything like citizen participation and democratic decision-making. They did not think of anything, just earning money. So I think the cause of this social conflict is that the companies don’t think about the people involved on Jeju.
Editor’s note: On Monday, Ecopreneurist’s lead writer Leah Edwards published this post on approaching venture capital firms with a cleantech business concept (with guidance from a member of one of the most influential VC firms in the world, Khosla Ventures). We figured a few of you out there are bouncing around business ideas, and might find this information useful, so we wanted to bring it to your attention.
First of all, don’t worry about the business plan.
I realize that sounds like crazy advice coming from a business consultant. However, I have seen too many entrepreneurs stalled or stressed when trying to write up a business plan when the plan really is not the critical issue. Many green business ventures that would be of interest to VC firms are in the cleantech, new materials, information technology, and life science spaces. If you are an ecopreneur with an idea in areas like these, your most important task is to explain the technology or science behind your idea and whether you have, or can get, the rights to the intellectual property.
Don’t spend your valuable time wordsmithing a long document. Just be able to say:
- why your idea works
- how it is different from an existing technology or product, or what is being developed by others
- how it will change the world, e.g., by dramatically changing a market or supply chain or by creating a new market or standards for how a market operates, etc.
This is not just my humble opinion. I spoke with Khosla Ventures’ newest operating partner Ford Tamer who explained that the firm is looking for leapfrog innovation—new technologies or new business models that can increase the size of a market by five-times or can drive costs down so significantly that entire new markets become available. He says, “We’re interested in ideas that can significantly affect the earth and can build big companies… We have no problem taking the risk if the risk is worth taking—for a huge benefit to society and the ability to be a major player.”
By Leah Edwards •
March 10, 2008
First of all, don’t worry about the business plan.
I realize that sounds like crazy advice coming from a business consultant. However, I have seen too many entrepreneurs stalled or stressed when trying to write up a business plan when the plan really is not the critical issue. Many green business ventures that would be of interest to VC firms are in the cleantech, new materials, information technology, and life science spaces. If you are an ecopreneur with an idea in areas like these, your most important task is to explain the technology or science behind your idea and whether you have, or can get, the rights to the intellectual property.
Don’t spend your valuable time wordsmithing a long document. Just be able to say:
- why your idea works
- how it is different from an existing technology or product, or what is being developed by others
- how it will change the world, e.g., by dramatically changing a market or supply chain or by creating a new market or standards for how a market operates, etc.
This is not just my humble opinion. I spoke with Khosla Ventures’ newest operating partner Ford Tamer who explained that the firm is looking for leapfrog innovation—new technologies or new business models that can increase the size of a market by five-times or can drive costs down so significantly that entire new markets become available. He says, “We’re interested in ideas that can significantly affect the earth and can build big companies… We have no problem taking the risk if the risk is worth taking—for a huge benefit to society and the ability to be a major player.”
By Joe Mohr •
February 23, 2008
The Garbage Can died yesterday. Not really. But, what if? Could we get by? Or, would our waste fill our streets once again, as it did in the days of the industrial revolution?
We’d get by.
We’d get by with recycling (every house, city, state, and country would HAVE to) and composting.
It’s encouraging, of course, how much we hear of the former. Everyone is aware of the importance of recycling (coupled with the need to purchase goods made from recycled materials). But composting?! That’s just for gardener(d)s!
However, if we all recycled our food scraps some very fundamental changes would take place. First, we’d create less waste. Second, we’d have a home-made fertilizer better for our lawns, plants, trees, and veggies which is better than any chemical fertilizer ever created. Third, we’d once again have nutrient-rich soil (good for us, and for future generations). I’ll stop there and take a second to quote superstar writer and gardener, Michael Pollan (from his book Second Nature) on the benefits of compost:
- Compost improves the soils “structure”. Compost helps “airy crumbs” of clay, sand, and silt form and be held together by humic acid–creating “ideal” conditions for plant-life to grow.
- Compost increases the soil’s waterholding capacity. One hundred pounds of humus (the main constituent of compost) can hold one hundred and ninety pounds of water! Therefore, requiring less watering, and plants grown in it will better withstand drought.
- Compost teems with microorganisms, which break down organic matter in the soil into the basic elements the plants need.
- Compost contains nearly every chemical plants need to grow, including such elements as boron, manganese, iron, copper, and zinc, not often found in commercial fertilizer. Compost thus returns to the soil a high proportion of things agriculture takes out of it.
By Sarah Lozanova •
February 9, 2008
Welcome to CleanTechnica, where clean technology comes alive. You can look to us to deliver relevant content for the green curious to the green expert. With a diverse writing team, we’ll keep you informed on topics that can shape our world. Building on the insightful articles that Green Options has supplied readers on this topic, you can count on CleanTechnica to provide vibrant information on:
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By Sarah Lozanova •
January 28, 2008
Japan backed the United States last month during the United Nations-led talks in Bali, opposing the European Union proposal for cutting emissions by 2012. Japan however has helped redeem itself by pledging $10 billion over 5 years to help developing countries reduce carbon emissions.
The “Cool Earth Partnership” fund pledges $8 billion in assistance and $2 billion in grants, aid, and public assistance for clean energy. Dispersal of funds will begin [...]
The [Re]Drive External Hard Drive from SimpleTech is an energy efficient hard drive wrapped in an eco-friendly package that is so stylish, you would never hide it away in a cabinet but put it front and center on your desk.
