Happy New Year Graphics provided by MUDTRAP.COM

Thank you all for coming by and visiting Forced Green during this past year.

May all of your hopes and dreams come to pass along with a prosperous 2011.  Of course, as always, remember to make it green!

…. as the green future unfolds.

Native American Proverb – We Do Not Inherit The Earth From Our Ancestors, We Borrow It From Our Children. – This, We Finally Seem To Understand, Now Let’s Keep Up The Good Work.

NASA.gov

At a press conference on February 24, 2010, Bloom Energy’s founder and CEO announced an amazing new fuel cell. Utilizing a certain type of plentiful sand baked into ceramic membranes instead of precious metals like platinum or corrosive materials like acids, oxygen is pumped in one side and fuel on the other to create a chemical reaction that produces electricity at nearly twice the rate of some legacy technologies. Not only was this announcement exciting in the genre of fuel cells, the impressive fact was it was already quietly tested, up, and running very successfully at several locations including Google! Read more in the Forced Green post: A Green Energy Sand Box

On March 29, 2010, Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC), based out of Portland, Maine, launched the Energy Tide 2 (ET2), its Turbine Generator Unit (TGU), the largest ocean energy device deployed in U.S. waters. Designed to harness 60 kilowatts of tidal power (enough electricity to power 20 homes), in Cobscook Bay near Eastport, Maine. It is generating green, renewable energy used at Coast Guard Station Eastport. Read more: Tapping The Green Power of Earth’s Oceans.

In the spring, the PB40 PowerBuoy anchored off the shores of Oahu, Hawaii, started generating 40 kilowatts of clean tidal energy back on shore to Kaneohe Marine Corps Base. Read more: The Color Of Wave Power Is Marine Green

Four purpose-built electric trucks, the first all-electric FedEx parcel delivery trucks in the United States, hit the road in the Los Angeles area in June 2010, joining more than 1,800 alternative-energy (hybrid) vehicles already in service for FedEx around the world. Read more: An Electrifying Road Trip Along Route 66

In early fall London launched the world’s first Wireless EV Charger. The company HaloIPT, is planning to stage units along parts of England’s M25 motorway. Read more in the Forced Green post: No Greener Than Wireless on this company and it’s ingenious green charging system.

On September 23, 2010, off the coast of Kent in the UK, the world’s largest offshore wind farm went online. Thanet Offshore Wind Farm generates 300 megawatts (MW) and pushes the UK’s installed wind power capacity above the 5 GW (Giga Watts) mark, enough electricity to power all the homes in Scotland. Read more: World’s Largest Wind Farm – ONLINE

The Nissan LEAF hit the highways in December with an overwhelming positive response that even startled Nissan. Such that Nissan announced they will be launching 3 more electric vehicle models: an electric Infiniti, a two-seat urban car, and a small cargo van (due out in 2013). Read about the LEAF: Build It Green And They Will Buy and the MPG equivalent: Nissan Leaf: 99 MPG Equivalent .

Right on the LEAF’s bumper, the hybrid Chevy VOLT hit the road in December. For MPG equivalents and a video, see Forced Green’s post: And Now For The Hybrid VOLT

A new McDonald’s restaurant has opened in Huntington, West Virginia. Teaming up with American Electric Power they have installed two Level 2 (240 volt) EV (Electric Vehicle) charging stations in their parking lot.

Cracker Barrel is jumping feet first into the 21st century by installing EV charging stations at 24 locations (half of them with ultra-fast 480-volt DC) in a Tennessee triangle that includes Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga. The company installing the EV Charging stations is ECOtality, the fascinating subject of Forced Green’s article: This Year Of Green Despite BP .

It was tough, disastrous year in many respects, like the Gulf oil spill that’s still lurking around, waiting for a big, strong hurricane so it can rebound and sucker punch us again – right BP? All in all though, I believe green did prevail, against all odds, and I believe we are in for some good green happenings in 2011 …

If you know any that I have missed, inquiring minds want to know!

… as the green future unfolds.

Picture this in your not too distant green future:

Above and along the right-of-way of the US Interstate Highway System runs the Interstate Traveler Hydrogen Super Highway. A collection of vital municipal utilities bundled into a “Conduit Cluster” providing a full integration of solar powered hydrogen production and distribution system and perched on top at tree-top level is a high speed magnetic levitation (MagLev) on-demand public transit rail. Enabling people to ride in comfort at speeds exceeding 250 miles per hour in publicly owned transit vehicles that share the same maglev rail with privately owned transit vehicles. Utilizing automated TCP/IP traffic control system using ports, and sub-networks. The vehicles come in several different versions to accommodate passengers, automobiles, freight, and even complete triage and trauma units. (more…)

The French Saw A Problem Needing A Green Solution. The Result – No Fuss, No Muss, They’ve Left The Green Driving To Us.

yelomobile.fr

In 1999 the port city of La Rochelle, France initiated a car sharing program called the Liselec initiative. With an objective to provide, on a self-service basis, a fleet of 50 electric vehicles available 24/7 from 7 pick-up points chosen based on the amount of traffic, located in and around La Rochelle.

By the end of April 2002, the service had 485 users, with an average of 6 new subscriptions per week. They’ve been growing ever since, enough to warrant three new locations coming online in January.

Customers are issued a proximity card after purchasing either a monthly subscription of 5.5 euros ($ 7.39) or a combined hourly/mileage rate (0.18 € per km / 0.09 € per minute) ( $ 0.24 per km / $ 0.12 per minute).

The vehicles in this all electric fleet are converted Peugeot 106 and Citroën Saxo models. Available 24 hours a day, the proximity card unlocks the vehicle’s doors, the driver enters his/her personal code on a keypad fitted in the dashboard and the vehicle is ready to go. The vehicles are returned to one of the seven pick-up points. Each of the pickup/dropoff points has dedicated parking and charging facilities.

Vehicles are always available and free parking anywhere in La Rochelle area is a nice perk. The direct savings for the users is enormous by avoiding vehicle purchase, service, and insurance costs as well as gas, maintenance, parking and garage charges.

If ever you fly to France, don’t rent a normal car, take care of your carbon jet guilt, and rent one of these for a green piece of mind.

Now, don’t that sound like a big ol’ win – win ….

… as the green future unfolds.

On The Green Battle Front-Lines, Sometimes It Seems For Every One Step Forward, We’re Knocked Two Steps Back. But Cheer Up Bucky, ‘Cause Good Things ARE Happening :

bluesteelroads.com

On February 1, 1986 the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), was established. A nonprofit, charitable organization with a mission to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people. Since then 19,000 miles of rail-trail throughout the U.S. have been completed, and more than 9,000 miles of potential rail-trails waiting to be built. (more…)

A Labor-Reducing, Time-Saving, Amazing Machine Gives Rebirth To A Sustainable, Beautiful Blast From The Past

Henk van Kuijk, owner of Vanku Machinebouw (machine construction), from Brabantine Gilze-Rijen, the Netherlands, has developed an amazing machine called Tiger-Stone. An electric powered, gravity employing ballasting machine crawling along a sand base accurately laying sustainable brick/paver roads at an astounding 400 square meters (1,312 sq. ft.), a day. The width span can be adjusted up to 6 meters (19.68 feet) wide.

Brick roads have been road/street building material for centuries and pavers of one sort or another have been building roads for around 2,000 years or so. Brick/paver roads had fallen out of favor because they were so back-breaking labor and time intensive. But since the dawn of the green building movement and Tiger-Stone – they’re baaaacck! Bricks and pavers are easy to manufacture, reuse (a biggie), last an extremely long time, virtually maintenance free, and they are easily replaced in case of damage. They absorb rainwater between their seams helping renew aquifers and reducing storm water runoff. They can take intense heat, rain, snow, and freezing without cracking and the damage that leds to the potholes we’ve all come to know and loathe.

A mini-loader dumps bricks or stones into a hopper where up to three workers feed paving stones or bricks onto an angled plane, as the electrically powered Tiger-Stone travels in reverse. This allows (with the help of gravity) the angled plane to roll out a perfectly aligned, curb to curb, beautiful, sustainable, instant road.

In fact, watch the magic for yourself:

…. as the green future unfolds.