I’m a degreed electrical engineer who has designed a lot of power related hardware so naturally I was interested in CFLs. I’ve installed various brands with some being pure crap (Ikea) to some lasting a very long time. I decided to take apart the first few that failed and see what the problem was. I don’t recommend people doing this because of the mercury inside the bulbs. One bulb actually burned the circuit board inside. What I found was poorly designed electronics being the main cause of failure. When designing for the high volumes, an engineer is going to be pressured to squeeze every penny out of the design and that means riding the edge of failure. There is no reason that a CFL can’t last for a very long time but you are probably going to have to pay a little extra for a good product. At this time, I know of no standards regarding these types of bulbs. Until we get some standards and methods of certifying these standards, we’re going to be seeing a lot a variance in quality.

o2 Michigan is a local chapter of the o2 international network for sustainable design. o2 Michigan is a proud participant in the international movement toward the creation of places, environments and products that support humane and ecologically sustainable* lifestyles. Join us for "GREEN DRINKS" every month (see venue details on sidebar). Newcomers of every discipline are welcome.

Here are ten+ projects that will payback the money you put into the materials in a year or less.

For starters, Potter can credit bicycling for leading him to his wife, Hiromi, the daughter of Japanese bike racing champ Seiichi Nishiji. More recently, Potter’s dedication brought him the opportunity to manage an innovative new program spinning around Michigan State University in East Lansing. MSU Bikes is a university-sponsored program that simultaneously encourages bike use and supports the biking community, all while helping to clean up the campus. The program was originally conceived as a way to encourage university faculty and employees to do a little more biking and a little less driving. Under Potter's direction, MSU Bikes picks the best bikes out of the crop of bikes regularly abandoned and cleared from the racks around campus, cleans them up and gets them back on the road.

This is German Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier touring his home region of Brandenburg cycling on a pedal powered rail cart. Is this cool, or what? I've seen different kinds of rail bikes, but this is the first human powered rail device that can carry several passengers that I've seen.

who will be parking their cars? The 57 million American households that have both cars and access to something resembling public transit. Gasoline at $7 begins to approach prices Europeans have paid for years, meaning that chunk of America “will start to act more and more like Europeans,” Mr. Rubin says. Not soccer moms in a minivan—soccer fans, searching for tokens:

Our analysis suggests that about half of the number of cars coming off the road in the next four years will be from low income households who have access to public transit. At their current driving habits, filling up the tank will have risen from about 7% of their income to 20%, an increase that will see many start taking the bus.

The design world makes a tremendous impact on the produced world in terms of usability, resources used, and understanding of priorities. Designers have an unprecedented opportunity to use their skills to make meaningful, sustainable change in the world—

programming instructions for smart thermostat that adjusts based on radio-signalled price increases from the power company; a user interface for time of day pricing

Plastic Bag Rugs - made from post-consumer grocery store HDPE#2 bags

"As gas prices edge toward $4 a gallon and our nation is seeking ways to increase our energy independence, this is an opportunity for Chelsea to add a small step in the process," Hammer wrote in a new report to the City Council.

I go to my library’s web site and search for the title. From the detail listing, I see that there are nine copies in the system. Unfortunately there are fifteen holds, but that often happens with a new book. I can wait. I click “request copy” and th

Hundred mile decorating takes the concept of "green home decorating" to a new level. In addition to being cautious of the materials your furnishings and decorations are made out of, there is the added environmental benefit of buying locally.

Daily analysis of the business of the environment by The Wall Street Journal.

At ECO:nomics, The Wall Street Journal will bring together top leaders, thinkers and innovators to debunk the myths and uncover the opportunities in a massive new market: the business of environmental capital.

Covalent Solar is seeking to revolutionize solar energy by producing high efficiency solar panels with unique aesthetic and functional advantages

luminescent solar concentrator

These simple electronic displays give some information about the production of electricity by solar panels located on this parking lot rooftop. Seen in Lyon, France yesterday, it actually represents the real-time production (percentage), the cumulated pro

from bruce sterling

The image centers on the largest of the fires in the Siskiyou Complex, which is the Dark Three Fire. The burned area is charcoal-colored, while surrounding forest and other vegetation is red. Water is dark blue. The western perimeter of the fire is hidden

Then, in 1830, Edwin Beard Budding, an engineer from Gloucestershire, came up with a third alternative—“a machine for mowing lawns, etc.” (Supposedly, Budding was inspired by the rotating blades then used to trim the nap on carpets.) Budding’s inv

Our first test run of the stove was very successful--we boiled a pot of water and cooked some eggs in a a pan. The fire burned cleanly with little smoke except during start up.

"Giving them money to consume more fuel isn't really the answer," said Michael Ramirez, Herman Miller's director of corporate social responsibility. "Obviously this situation is not going to change, so we need to change our behavior."

CEC promotes the transformation of the marketplace for clean energy technologies and practices. Our ongoing programs include:

in the 1930s, with the spread of electrification and the consolidation of utilities, streetlights became a convenient way to off-load excess energy from the grid at night, when power demands dropped significantly.

emergent organization around bicycle-powered cinema

The design describes the mechanical and electrical capabilities of peddle power. It’s a dual pedal power system, with a pedal powered washing machine spinning clothes dry, and a separate belt going to a generator for electricity.

homeless dave's washtub festooned with 00s Ann Arbor / Ypsi sticker art

99MPG. com was started to support the MIMA modification to the Honda Insight, but has morphed into a site where creative individuals that have modified their hybrid cars to improve the efficiency can share their work with other like minded people.

The private school plans to build an 11,000 square-foot addition of classrooms and greenhouses within the next few years. A 5,040-square-foot rear addition will feature a green roof over the school's science wing. School officials hope the green roof will

Portland, OR: The City of Roses' approach to urban planning and outdoor spaces has often earned it a spot on lists of the greenest places to live.

2006 photos of the Green Fair in downtown Ann Arbor - I will hunt on Flickr for the 2007 crop. We had a good time, pedal-powered smoothies and diesel-electric buses the highlights.

Meadowlark Builders of Ann Arbor is building a duplex on spec at 723 and 729 Spring St. that appears to be among the first new residences in the city to use insulating concrete form walls.

Collecting rainwater for use during dry months in rain barrels or other depositories is an ancient and traditional practice. Historical records show that rainwater was collected in simple clay containers as far back as 2,000 years ago in Thailand, and thr

april 21-22 2007

coming soon

they help you turn off junk mail to your house, 5 yr of service $41. consider this as a carbon offset?

Project Grow is a private, non profit organization with an emphasis on community gardening and gardening education.

posit that one well-oiled Front Porch Forum can do more for environment and community than whole collections of sidewalks, solar panels and official open space. Our neighborhood, I’d guess, would score well since it was laid out in the 1920s… dense, m

Every morning, I pedal to generate electricity. The Pedal Generator I ride charges batteries, that run an inverter, that produces 110v AC, that powers LED lights, the monitor on my computer, and many other small battery-powered things. It is the most insp

umich rates and deals for zipcar; also available for non-umich folks

grows and sells plants native to SE Michigan

"green" diesel electric rail switchers, with video.

global view / good current tsunami relief news