The new LEDs, dubbed the PROLIFIC Series Roadway Luminaires, offer substantial savings over conventional HID (high intensity discharge) streetlighting.  Lighting Science also claims that PROLIFIC performs up to nearly 90 lumens per watt, giving it a big advantage over current LED technology, which performs at up to 60 lumens per watt.  To sweeten the payback even more, federal stimulus funds are available for cities to make the switch from conventional lighting to LED.

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With the economy on the downturn, more and more people are starting gardens to help ease grocery bills. Growing one’s own food is a step towards living sustainably, so this is great news. However, more gardens mean more water use,  and 40% of water used during the summer is used outdoors. So, as you plan your garden this spring, be sure to keep water in mind and take measures to reduce water usage.

Reducing water usage in an organic garden not only conserves our most precious resource, it also lowers costs and in many cases, benefits the plants as well. By paying attention to how your garden is watered, you can be sure to give plants just the amount of water they need to thrive without overdoing it. Many of the water saving methods mentioned below also benefit the soil and enrich your garden in other ways. Water should be a key part of your garden planning from day one. Read on for ways to garden sustainably and save water.

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Struggling Indian car company Tata Motors has announced the commercial launch of the Tata Nano, the most fuel-efficient petrol-driven car in India, and quite possibly the world.

The Tata Nano, keenly anticipated across India since its unveiling early last year, is capable of an incredible 23.6km/litre (55.5 mpg) and ultra-low carbon emissions of 101 g/km, one of the lowest in India. Oh, and with prices starting at about 100,000 rupees ($2,050), it’s also the cheapest car in the world (more pics after the jump).

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“What,” you may be asking, ”could possibly go wrong?”

Plenty.

More on why we should never, Never, NEVER elect public officials who are bad at math after the jump.

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PC energy saving specialists Verdiem have today released free downloadable software designed to help users slash their energy use up to a massive 80 percent.

According to Allison Cornia, vice president of product management at Verdiem, “If we could get just 10 per cent of the world’s one billion PCs using [the product] properly we could save 32 billion kilograms of CO2 a year. That’s equivalent to taking half a million cars off the road.”

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Scientists at the University of New South Wales have set a new world record by creating the first silicon solar cell to achieve 25% efficiency.

Team leader, Prof. Martin Green of the university’s ARC Photovoltaic Centre of Excellence, says their world-beating solar cell is now a massive six percent more efficient than the next best technology. The record edges the current generation of solar cell technology closer to the theoretical limit of 29% efficiency.

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The CherryPal promises to be affordable, efficient, and powerful enough for the average PC user. At first glance, that stats on the system look modest, and for good reason. This design actually cuts out 20% of PC components to reduce energy usage. But fear not, despite being small (the size of a paperback), the CherryPal claims it can start up in 20 seconds, and cloud computing provides more power/storage when you need it. A Linux operating system (now more user friendly than ever), and cloud computing means you won’t need to worry about viruses or install protective programs that can slow down your PC.

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I cover a lot of upcoming or future technology, but it’s time to step into the present and aim for the past. Today we’re going to look at a technology available right now that can make some wanton energy waste history. It’s a surge protector that stakes the hearts of vampire electronics without hassling you, the sleeping victim.

Vampire appliances are pretty much anything you can plug in that still sucks energy when it’s supposedly turned off. Some are pretty obvious - the clocks on your microwave or VCR/DVD player burn all day, everyday. We know they’re not “off” because we cans see their LEDs glow. But other electronics, from your television to your cell phone charger also draw power when they’re plugged in but not in use. Check out a handy graph from Good Magazine. Some gadgets are notorious, like your plasma TV. Estimates claim that 5% or more of U.S. energy usage is insidiously wasted by “stand-by mode” or certain misleading “off” buttons. A whopping 5% may not sound like much, but it adds up to about $1 Billion dollars per year - and energy prices will probably continue to rise.

Be honest - how many times would you go around the house unplugging everything before it got old? Smart greenies have been switching off their surge protectors, but it’s easy to forget while watching your favorite late-night TV show or blogging at 4am. So what can we do about these metal-toothed Nosferatu in our midst? How about a surge protector that turns off all your appliances for you?

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Well actually, they're here. But until prices coming down, most of us will simply rely on compact fluorescents to bridge the gap between changing a bulb one a year to once every couple decades. I spied a new entry into the LED fold over at MetaEfficient with a cool looking bulb called "The EcoLED". According to the stats, this long-lasting, efficient beast will last about 50,000 hours. In scale, that's about 11 years at 12 hours a day. Since I would never leave a light on for that long, you can expect this bulb to shine well into your midlife crisis.

The bulb mimics a 100-watt incandescent but only uses 10 watts of power. According to the site, that's good for $450 in savings and a reduction of more than 9,000lbs of CO2. You'll also want to use this bulb a little differently than the standard light,

"Remember: LED lights are directional (like a spotlight). This EcoLED light has a beam angle of 100 degrees, which is equivalent to a wide spotlight. It is not appropriate for use in lamps with lamp shades or other lighting applications where light needs to be emitted in all directions at once. (However, it can be aimed at a wall or ceiling to produce radiant ambient light that radiates through the entire room.)"

It should be noted that work is underway (especially by GE) to create LED lights that do in fact mimic the light radiance of incandescent and CFL bulbs. The color of LED lights (which is a brilliant, pure white light) is also different from the yellow glow of an incandescent. So far, that hasn't marred their label as "the bulb of the future".

You can pick up the EcoLED for $99 from BetterLifeGoods. While this may seem like ridiculous change for a light bulb, the experience of replacing it in the year 2027 will be simply priceless.

More info after the jump.

What's Jatropha you ask? Up until recently, it's simply been a plant that's useful for live fencing and evil intentions: the nut it produces is deadly. Eastern countries, however, are intent on harvesting it for its biodiesel properties. Those black nuts contain more than 30% oil! Better yet, the fuel burns with a clean flame, producing a fraction of the emissions of traditional diesel. If you're looking for a reason to jump even higher, the oil can be used in simple diesel engines without any refining. Just mix in and go. How's that for efficient?

Countries like Thailand, India, China, Indonesia, and the Philippines are developing energy policies around the use of Jatropha. Most are highly dependent on oil imports, and therefore, are looking for simple, effective alternatives. The plant is particularly effective in this part of the world since it is easy to grow, starts producing nuts quickly, and is highly drought-resistant. After making use of the oil, the seed cakes that are left can be used as fertilizer or as a heat source when burned. What's not to love?

Currently Thailand only has 20,000 acres of Jatropha planted — compared to the nearly 33 million China plans on investing in. In this instance, farmers are reluctant to plant since there's no market, while the government is reluctant to support because there aren't enough plants. Eventually someone is going to have to budge. Most expect rising oil prices and environmental awareness will push the issue and Jatropha into the limelight. Meanwhile, the U.S. is still stuck with corn. Blah. Bring on the real alternative plants of the future. No one will miss poisonous nuts, but there always room for corn on the menu. Let's stick with what's most efficient for each need.

If you're like me, there are often times when you plug your cell phone into your charger, fill up, unplug, and then walk away leaving the charger in the wall. This act can waste energy as a phantom pull is still exerted by the charger in your wall. Well, now there's a product that replaces all of your various chargers and makes the entire process much more efficient.

Called the Wild Charge, the device uses non-inductive technology to pass the current from a strip to the devic. In terms of space, you're only limited to how many devices you can fit on the strip. Even laptops work. The company claims efficiency by being "compliant with the newest power conservation guidelines. What’s more, a family can share a single pad for all their devices, eliminating the need for multiple chargers and power adapters." The unit also goes into standby mode automatically when not in use.

The company makes further claims about this device "replacing all of your current chargers" and causing less waste in landfills (using the example that people often throw away their old chargers when they buy a new phone) but I don't think that's the larger selling point here. I mean, companies are still going to package chargers with their products. I don't think you can necessarily request a device without one. But, having less devices plugged into a wall, and consequently not drawing power, is a good thing.

Have a look at their site for more information. This is a CES 2007 preview, so don't expect it to be available until about March. Initial pricing comes in at about $50.

Link: WildCharge via Gizmodo

photo credit: gizmodo