Dedicated enviros shun consumption, and for good reason. But some consumer items aren't all bad, and might even (gasp!) be good, particularly if they replace more harmful products or encourage greener living. We've rounded up 10 gadgets that a loyal greenie can covet in good conscience.
Bike Friday
This kick-ass bicycle doesn't just fold up for easy storage and transport; it's also a respectable touring bike. Use it for everything from multi-sport adventures (think bike-kayak-bike trips) to business travel. The only downside: Bike Fridays, like other foldables, are significantly pricier than your average commuter bike -- but they're also significantly cooler.
(Read a first-hand account from a Bike Friday tester.)
Freeplay EyeMax
Freeplay's solar-powered radios come with an extra perk: when the sun is M.I.A., there's a hand crank that lets you power your tunes with kinetic energy. One minute of cranking gets you about an hour of radio time. The cool blue Eyemax, priced at $49, also has a built-in LED flashlight. For each product ordered directly from Freeplay, $1 will be donated to the Freeplay Foundation, which promotes access to alternative energy solutions and education for poor communities in Africa.
LED Light Bulbs
Compact fluorescent light bulbs are so 2007. While CFLs are three to four times more energy-efficient than moldy old incandescents, LED light bulbs are more than twice as energy-efficient as CFLs -- and they can last three times longer. Plus, unlike compact fluorescents, LEDs don't contain toxic mercury. LED bulbs, which are made up of a number of single light-emitting diodes, come in a variety of sizes and shapes, from standard to festive, and perform a variety of functions, from lighting streets to greening chandeliers.
(Find out more about LEDs from advice columnist Umbra Fisk.)
BoGo Light
Solar flashlights are a great alternative to the usual battery-drainers, particularly in areas where batteries are in short supply. Buy one BoGo Light from SunNight Solar for $25 and the company will donate another one to needy folks in the developing world.
(SunNight Solar founder Mark Bent made Grist's list of green entrepreneurs.)
Smart Strip
Household gadgets often suck up electricity even when turned off. To stop these "vampires," you can plug your gizmos into a power strip that is easily turned off with the flip of a switch. The $40 Smart Strip takes this idea one step further with a feature geared toward computer and home-entertainment systems: when the device plugged into its "control" outlet is turned off (say, a TV), the Smart Strip cuts off the current flowing to peripheral devices (like a DVD player and VCR). That's smart, all right.
(Read advice guru Umbra Fisk's column on power strips.)
Solio Charger
The Solio Classic taps the power of the sun to charge portable electronic devices like iPods and cell phones. Three small solar panels fan out to absorb as much sunlight as possible, then fold up when you're done. One hour of sunshine will give you about 40 minutes of music or 15 minutes of talk time. The classic model sells for $100 in silver, black, white, or bright pink.
Photo: Outi Koo
The Wattson
Who knew you could reduce your energy consumption by ... buying an electronic device? The snazzy-looking Wattson wireless energy monitor collects detailed data about home energy use and then gives you a simple readout: a calming blue glow means you're using energy sparingly, a fiery red indicates an electricity binge. By casting light on your energy consumption habits, this gadget could prod you to change your wasteful ways, significantly decreasing your energy bill. The Wattson sells for about $300 (£150).
Philips Eco TV
Sipping only 75 watts of power during normal use, and just 0.15 watts in standby mode, the Philips Eco TV uses less energy than a typical incandescent light bulb. In contrast, an old cathode-ray-tube TV consumes about 100 watts, while similar-sized plasma-screen TVs can guzzle anywhere from 200 to 500 watts. The Eco TV sports a 42-inch, flat-panel LCD screen, which -- aside from making gadgetophiles drool -- has the ability to automatically dim in response to ambient lighting and what's showing on the screen. The TV, priced at about $1400, is also built from lead-free components and packaged with recycled materials.
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.
Tesla Roadster
The Tesla Roadster is arguably the sexiest of all the green gadgets we lust after -- and inarguably the most extravagant. This all-electric sports car goes 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds, has a top speed of 135 miles per hour, and travels 220 miles on a charge. All that for a base price of just $98,000.
(Check out our list of green cars for eco-friendly options that might be nearer to your price range.)
Toxic suds want to watch you shower
Ask Umbra on shower caps, computers, and junk mail
Ask Umbra on climate-skeptic teachers, low-flow toilets, and more
Comments
View as Flat
karenc Posted 4:08 am
15 Apr 2008
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carfree Posted 6:06 am
15 Apr 2008
Just the amount of toxic waste the production of this vehicle creates far outweighs any fuel savings.
Grist should write about cool new vehicles being used for public transportation. (Admittedly, the Bike Friday is pretty cool.)
The Tesla Roadster strikes me as a very expensive green viagra pill. Kind of like a hybrid SUV.
We can do better.
If you really want to go green, consider going carfree! A movement to liberate ourselves from car ownership growing in the USA and around the world.
http://carfreeusa.blogspot.com
Carfree advocates, urban planners, and architects will gather in Portland this summer. Join us!
http://carfreeportland.org/index.php
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racc Posted 8:11 am
15 Apr 2008
So...
A roadster which is designed to travel at high speeds on the open road with a technology that is best for stop and go traffic around town. It does't make any sense.
It does seem like a fun toy but just don't pretend it is green.
Let them pay for advertising assuming they are actually wanting to sell a product and not just stock.
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naught101 Posted 12:11 pm
15 Apr 2008
Low-pressure sodium seems to be the way to go, if you don't mid everything being yellow.
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toddjanderson Posted 2:44 pm
15 Apr 2008
According to wikipedia, a "gadget" is defined as a small technological object (such as a device or an appliance) that has a particular function, but is often thought of as a novelty.
The idea that Bike Friday, or any other cycle that is used for travel, is merely a "gadget" and often thought of as a novelty touches on a much deeper and systemic challenge. As long as our society relates to products such as this as something novel rather than a legitimate movement toward effective sustainable and enviro friendly travel, we will be inadvertently branding these attempts as fringe.
The real core issues at stake reside in reframing the entire discussion about eco friendly transport so that policy makers see a legitimate and substantial link between the infrastructure that we build (e.g. roads, airport terminals, traffic safety systems) and the vehicles we use to get around on it.
Let's not even for a moment slip into thinking that Bike Friday is anything less than a movement. I believe that Bike Friday is a reflection of the deep commitment that the founders and their followers share in creating a new possibility in travel and transportation. Let's be careful not to dumb down our collective efforts by calling this a gadget. Words can be very powerful. I believe that unless and until we can upgrade the conversation from what is "kick ass" and "cool" into what is "inspiring" and "transformational", we as green thought leaders run the risk of being made irrelevant.
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Delay And Deny Posted 12:22 am
16 Apr 2008
Bikes are great...and the people of Washington State are crying out for the builders to put the majority of tax dollars to bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2008/04/01_WashingtonStateBi ...
I have to agree with some of the other posters about "gizmos". What we really need is "infrastructure" -- yet, that big, noisy, public word -- for bicycles.
I have a perfectly great bicycle, a Trek 7000, that I bought for $220. What I need, however, is a multimillion dollar bicycle network to drive it on.
The voters have already said they would rather we build that than more automobile infrastructure.
So what's the hold up?
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AndieG Posted 1:30 am
16 Apr 2008
Bicyclists, that are willing to pay an annual FEE, to pay for them!
Roads were and are built, to carry cars & trucks, the bulk of the funding for them comes from Gasoline Taxes, Registration Taxes, and other fees.
Since vast segments of the population CAN'T (physically, monitarily, or practically) use bicycle paths, which would be basically Recreational, there should be a FEE, to register your bike, and an Excise Tax to use it, to help pay to build the paths, and pay for the enforcement officers to keep it safe!
No bicyclist, should be allowed to use the road way, without being licensed, after passing a test, on the rules of the road. There are way too many arrogant, and ignorant, bike riders! Riding three abreast, not staying to the side of the road, or turning in front of cars! I'm sure the problem goes both ways, but right now, it's always the auto driver that's blamed!
Every time I see an article in my local paper about 'Bike Paths', it's always sponsered by someone selling expensive bikes, not for transportation to work, but Yuppie Recreation! So he can benefit, from tax dollars spent, to increase his sales of over-priced bicycles!
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piojin Posted 2:26 am
16 Apr 2008
Now if I only had a bit more money...
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toddjanderson Posted 3:53 am
16 Apr 2008
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DannyGirl Posted 3:08 am
22 Apr 2008
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DannyGirl Posted 3:15 am
22 Apr 2008
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kayakchik Posted 2:20 pm
22 Apr 2008
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!!!
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green8659 Posted 2:31 am
25 May 2008
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cbergen Posted 3:14 am
16 Sep 2008
Thanx,
Carrie
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