Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Farm Fountain : Art / Aquaculture

We found yet another great piece that was worth mentioning on INHABITAT, these guys have great articles worth checking out. This particular article was written by Moe Beitiks on Aquaculture. It was so cool that we thought we would re-post it.
"Who doesn’t love a nice water installation? The bubbling and gurgling of things like fountains has an undeniably relaxing effect - and yet, there’s the nagging guilt that comes from running a pump for the sheer purpose of recirculating water. How much power does it draw? What’s the carbon footprint of your meditative state? What has that water feature done for you, aside from making that ridiculous noise? No so relaxing anymore. Fortunately, artists Amy Youngs and Ken Rinaldo have devised a way to create guilt-free water pleasantries while producing food and providing oxygen. The Farm Fountain, which uses aquaponics to fertilize plants with the waste produced by fish, is a bubbly oasis of greenery and aquaculture.

The concept of aquaculture involves delivering nutrients to plants in a soilless medium with water. In this case, the plants are growing in clay balls encased in reused 2-liter soda bottles. At the base of the Farm Fountain is a pond containing koi and tilapia, the latter being an edible fish acclimated to pond culture.
Waste water from the pond, sullied by the fish, is circulated up to the topmost planters then cascades down through the rest. The plants, which include basil, baby watercress, tomato and baby lettuce in this prototype, filter the nutrients from the water and return it to the pond ready for the fish. One system’s waste is another system’s food.
The plants are lit with LED growing lights in bases dissected from an inexpensive floor lamp. The artists provide step-by-step how-to instructions for anyone interested in making their own Farm Fountain, and growing own own food in peace.


The Farm Fountain was just awarded a Green Leaf Award (2008) from the Natural World Museum."

Wow what a great idea, i can't wait to get one started. You can check out the original article at Inhabitat.

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posted by MILO @ 8:37 AM 1 Comments

Friday, June 6, 2008

The Solar Powerd Speedboat


When people think about alternative transportation, the focus is often on more eco-friendly based land or air travel. After all, the open ocean provides the prevailing winds as a very sustainable power source. We have seen wind-powered cargo ships from the beginning of exploration times, and even more recent a wave-powered boat. However, use of solar power for boats had not been explored very much, let alone in speedboats. Until now. The Czeers Mk1 prototype is, according to their designers, the first ever solar powered speedboat. Based on the 2006 Nuon Frisian Solar Challenge winner, this marine speedster is making quite a splash.
According to Inhabitat, "The prototype is capable of achieving speeds of up to 30 knots, and is fully powered by the integrated solar cells. It is absolutely gorgeous; the deep carbon fiber hue, combined with the orange interiors, and the sleek form give off an incredible James-Bondian vibe. It is also, quite likely, very expensive, as no price has been given, and only a limited number will be produced."

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posted by MILO @ 7:26 AM 0 Comments

Monday, June 2, 2008

Smart Meters = Electricity Savings


Smart meters are just, well, smart. They allow real-time pricing (f.ex. off peak electricity is less expensive than during peak demand), something that has a big impact on people's behavior. It basically rewards virtue: If you pay attention, you can save more, and if you don't, you'll pay more.

Texas utility Oncor is working with Swiss smart-meter company Landis+Gyr to roll out 3 million advanced meters by 2012. The bill is expected to be $690 million dollars, and will be first paid by customers (directly or indirectly), but over time it will more than pay for itself in electricity savings and a reduced need to built new power plants.

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posted by MILO @ 3:38 PM 0 Comments