Technology

We have all heard of composting. It was taught to us in school. Ever wondered how powerful that concept is? It is so simple and easy to implement and can make such a huge impact on the environment. All it requires is that you dump your organic waste into a compost pit and see it transform into healthy manure. If you are still clueless, meet the Daily Dump. It is a Bangalore based organization that helps you set up the composting in your house. After the setup is done, they can even do ‘crisis visits’ to your compost corner to …

Honestly, I don’t understand what all this ‘go green’ fuss is about. There has been an explosion of TV shows, green marathons, walks, talks – you name it! But, how does it matter to me – if the earth runs out of oxygen or water after 1000 years? I won’t even be alive then! It simply makes no difference to my life. Or does it? A long time ago, when I was still a pig-tailed-school-kid, we learnt about the soaring temperatures (40+ degrees centigrade) in the Thar desert in Rajasthan, and were utterly shocked. How anyone could survive in such …

While it is an architectural delight, it is also a recharging port for your gadgets. You can even relax on it on a sunny, winter morning or just laze around with friends. That’s what Architecture students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have given form to, under the mentorship of Prof Sheila Kennedy. The unique piece of furniture uses the human power to create 1.5 axis 35 watt solar tracking system. It utilizes a 12-amp hour battery that stores the solar energy gathered during day-hours. This allows for energy availability even when it’s dark. It is a commendable innovation on part …

So when we talk green, we talk about the plants, the trees, waste management, recycling, reuse and sustainable ways of leading life. Well, how much difference can a single hand make to this global issue of depleting environment, is a persistent question on our minds all the time. Well, one does what one can. Even as you read this, you are concerned about the environment but are you living a sustainable life? A simple thing as your bathing soap can be a cause of environment depletion. Interesting, eh? It gets better as you read this further. A normal bathing soap …

India is fast emerging as a frontrunner in terms of harnessing renewable energy resources. It has been ranked No.1, on par with the US, in annual solar power generation, while it claims the fifth spot in wind power generation. India also makes it to a credible fourth position for scope, space and facilities allotted for renewable energy expansion. In its survey (ended May 2009), Mc Kinsey & Company has stated that India has an annual solar energy yield of between 1,700-1,900 kWh/KWp of installed capacity, one of the world’s highest solar intensities. As per the BP statistical review of world …

Every urban Indian has one common nightmare : DRIVING. Once upon this used to be a pleasure, but then income grew, traffic grew and public transport refused to scale. Then there was pollution compounded with rising fuel costs, limited parking space and the persistent growling of badly maintained engines. From Delhi to Bengaluru, from Kolkata to Mumbai every urban Indian is today hesitant to get behind the wheel. And thats when you notice a small two seater with bright orange streaks on the body whizz through the streets. It has no exhaust emmisions and you wonder what’s under the hood. …

The industrial sector in India accounts for upto 36% of electricity consumption in India. That makes industrial sector the biggest consumer of electricity. The energy intensive sectors like cement, textiles, iron, steel, cement and fertilizers are the prime users, consuming upto 70% of this electricity. Around 15-25% of this consumption is avoidable. The second biggest consumers of electric energy are the domestic and the commercial sectors, consuming upto 33% of the total electricity. Daytime lights usage is the biggest contributor to the electricity consumption in buildings. Similarly, in the domestic sector, lighting and fans contribute the maximum to the electricity …

In our war against global warming, one of the battles whose outcome is under our control is the fight against transport emissions. Even on this front, we need to drastically scale up our efforts as latest measures notwithstanding, transport emissions are set to increase by 84 percent to 2030 (Tomlinson, 2009). While the current response of most governments has been to tighten mileage norms, experts and policy makers agree that automobiles powered by alternative sources of energy are the future. Such a scenario also reduces most nations’ dependence on oil imports, saving precious foreign exchange which can be diverted to …

Think Bengaluru 25 years back and you remember well planned roads, wide open spaces, no traffic and clean air. Fast-forward to today and bang! You spend a fourth of your day just in traffic. As one haplessly stares at the statistic of vehicle growth, one can’t help but wonder if there is a panacea to this problem…… Enter THE SEGWAY The Segway is a battery-operated, two-wheeled, self-balancing vehicle invented by American entrepreneur Dean Kamen. When Dean Kamen unveiled the Segway on ABC’s Good Morning America; he described the machine as “the world’s first self-balancing human transporter”. From it’s launch in …