10 Green Gadgets

Eco-conscious gizmos for the enviro to lust after 14

2 Skystream Wind Turbine
Harvest the breeze in your own backyard with the Skystream 3.7. This residential-scale wind turbine hooks up directly to your home to augment or even replace the electricity you buy from your local utility. The Skystream ain't cheap -- $10,000 to $13,000 including installation -- but on average it will save a homeowner $500 to $800 annually, so after a few years it'll pay for itself. And in the meantime, you'll be the coolest person at the block party.

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  1. DannyGirl Posted 3:08 am
    22 Apr 2008

    CFL, LED, IncandescentBad, bad old incandescents, right?  Good, good CFLs, right?  Hmmm... The problem with incandescents is the same problem with internal combustion engines: old technology that stagnated with improvements as long as the cost of energy was low.  Problem with CFLs (and my house is full of them, mind) is they contain mercury.  And silly people all over the country who are adopting CFLs (thanks to various incentives) aren't really 'qualified' to properly handle and *dispose of* CFLs.  GE (remember them, heh) I've heard is developing a more efficient incandescent.  LEDs (we also have at our house) have a long way to go on price, unless the gov is just going to give them away.  A more efficient incandescent might be a heavy-metal-free, cheap alternative.
  2. DannyGirl Posted 3:15 am
    22 Apr 2008

    mellow yellowLow pressure sodium may have uses in specific applications but, last I checked, no one wanted everything in their homes and offices illuminated yellow.  Maybe it could be used for "rise and shine" lighting, however.
  3. kayakchik Posted 2:20 pm
    22 Apr 2008

    Folding BikesDon't Fret over the expense, people! A little research yields this at REI.com:
    http://www.rei.com/product/775717?ext_cat=undefined
    They also make a bike called the Buzz Fly By...but it looks like it's back ordered right now.
    In any case, both are considerably less than a thousand smackers like the tikit is.....
    Go Bike Fridays!!!
  4. green8659 Posted 2:31 am
    25 May 2008

    Electric BikesThey have a $350 electric bike you can pick up at Walmart now.  It will go 20-25 miles with the assist on.  If you use the assist sparingly for hills and such it can go quite a long ways.
  5. cbergen Posted 3:14 am
    16 Sep 2008

    Smart Strip - available in CanadaDoes anyone know if this product is available in Canada and if so, where can I find it?
    Thanx,

    Carrie

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