Any time you can reduce the amount of something needed, it is a win for the environment. All of the impact of the item is reduced. In this case, researchers have reduced the amount of silicon in their solar cells by about 99%. This is huge!

With this reduction in material, they also managed to keep the efficiency about the same. The article did not specify the exact values, but this level of material reduction will greatly reduce costs. Another benefit to smaller amounts of silicon is that this design allows flexibility in the panels by using silicon wire instead of wafers.

Lets keep our fingers crossed this continues to be everything it appears to be.

The original article requires a paid membership. I had to gain this much information from several other overview articles.

See the related link for the original article.

This is an interesting question. I bring it up because of an article I read about cars that cost considerably less than a hybrid and rival a hybrid for gas mileage. There are standard gas vehicles that get 40mpg on the highway. There are cars in this group that have few materials that are difficult to recycle when their useable life ends, unlike the Lithium batteries in a hybrid. These items alone create a lot of back and forth discussion about which is better.

Lets first cover some raw info:
Basic and popular hybrid -
Prius = average of over 40 mpg $30,000 and up

Basic standard engine -
Fiesta = average of about 40 mpg $14,000 and up
Forte EX = average of 30 mpg $19,000 and up
Mini Cooper = average of 32 mpg $19,500 and up

Basic diesel engine -
Golf TDI = average of 36 mpg $24,000 and up

Clearly the hybrid wins in fuel efficiency. However, how do we measure environmental impact when the construction of the vehicle is so far out of touch for the consumer? Consider this, batteries are toxic waste, all cars have one but is it a small manageable battery with a quality recycle and rebuild program in place? What about the battery material, can it be reused?

Currently, Lithium batteries are the most common in a hybrid and the infrastructure to collect and recycle or rebuild is lacking. However, as they are used more, demand may help create this missing element. At the moment, I call a tie for the hybrid vs high mileage gasoline and diesel. I do not have sufficient evidence to really decide one way or the other. You will need to decide for yourself based on your needs. As long as you are making an effort to consider the environment with the decision, you are making a good one, in my humble opinion.

See the EPA website for more information.

IBM is giving a boost to clean energy with a high-efficiency solar cell made from Earth-abundant materials.

Created from copper, tin, zinc, sulfur, and selenium, it performs at a 9.6 percent efficiency, which is 40 percent higher than previous attempts to create a natural solar cell.

While there have been other solar cells that perform at similar efficiency rates, they're created from materials that have either been too costly or that contain elements that could limit production capacity, making commercialization less likely.

Below is a cross section image of the new material from IBMs blog:


click to enlarge.

For more information, follow the related link below.

This is a suggestion that I read on another blog, and I think about the best one I have seen. Many suggestions include the purchase of things you do not need, this action is not green no matter how green the items supposedly are. If you don't need it, the transit to get it, the production of the item and any energy you expended to earn the money are all negatives on the environment if the item is not needed.

With that in mind, here is the suggestion:

Dinner at home. Make an effort for a romantic setting, buy locally grown produce and local meats if it is an option. Turn off a few lights to set the mood, use cloth napkins.

If flowers are part of your plan, try getting them from your yard before you buy. Remember, if you put some thought into this, your partner will be impressed and you can have a nice romantic evening without putting a burden on the environment.

Remember, if you do this, to plan your shopping so that you do not make a special trip for this dinner - add it to your regular shopping list.

Those of us that look for green products and try to make better choices often fall victim or find ourselves asking if something passes the smell test. If something smells funny or seems too good to be true, it usually isn't true. The most recent thing to goof us up is the Bamboo fabric.

According to the FTC:

-- Rayon is a man-made fiber created from the cellulose found in plants and trees and processed with harsh chemicals that release hazardous air pollution. Any plant or tree - including bamboo - could be used as the cellulose source, but the fiber that is created is rayon. --

The FTC last week sent warning letters to 78 retailers about misguided use of "bamboo" marketing. Among the warned retailers: Amazon.com, Barney's New York, Bed Bath & Beyond, BJ's Wholesale Club, Bloomingdale's, Costco Wholesale, Garnet Hill, Gold Toe, Hanes, Isotoner, JC Penney, Jockey, Kmart, Kohl's, Land's End, Macy's, Maidenform, Nordstrom, Overstock.com, QVC, REI, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sears, Shop NBC, Spiegel, Sports Authority, Target, The Gap, The Great Indoors, Tommy Bahama, Toys R' Us, Wal-Mart, and Zappos.com. Last year, the FTC sued several retailers for advertising rayon as bamboo.

We need to keep using our test, but it is very difficult when names we trust have made a mistake too. At least, I hope it is a mistake.