Peak Geek

The case of the extra water

matt — Sun, 20 May 2012 20:53:57 +0000

Over the past forty years or so (1961-2003), global sea levels have risen an average of .07″ per year. Global warming is largely the culprit here, but scientist have struggled to truly make that hypothesis work. You see, when you account for global warming’s effects on the oceans (slightly lower density at higher temperatures, and melting ice), the numbers don’t add up…that only accounts for about .04″ of the .07″ per year rise. Where’s the rest coming from? Scientists in Tokyo believe the answer is all around us. Or rather, it IS us…the extra water in the oceans is due to extraction of water from underground aquifers over the past many decades, which is not being replenished at the same rate.

So why does this matter? Look, the aquifer levels are decreasing (in many areas at least). Forget the ocean for a minute, our lifestyles are not sustainable like this and it’s immoral to pass this problem on to future generations, not when we see it happening around us and have the technology to fix it.

Based on current sea ice melting trends, sea levels are expected to rise 3-5 FEET by 2100. Living a sustainable lifestyle with water usage can help with that, though we really need to be addressing global warming as well.

(via Phys.org)

Peak Metals

matt — Sat, 12 May 2012 20:32:30 +0000

You’re reading this on a computer or other electronics device. Have you ever thought about what it took to build that device? Materials were dug up from the Earth and processed into this amazing form you’re staring at. Great, but this planet is finite in size…just how many more iPads can this planet provide the raw materials for? How long until the metals we take for granted run out? The infographic below attempts to answer that question, using data from the US Geological Survey. Naturally, there are a lot of assumptions in this and the exact numbers may be off…but the underlying point is the same, that the metals and fossil fuels that we depend on for our first world lifestyles are running out, and we’re talking about a matter of only decades before we face critical shortages. We cannot continue on this path of vast consumption…it simply isn’t sustainable. Shown here are just a few examples, the more critical ones…though the same idea applies to anything we dig out of the Earth to use…resources are limited.

BPS – the new BPA in plastics

matt — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:05:09 +0000

We’ve all heard of the fuss regarding BPA in plastics. Perhaps a bit overblown, but a valid health concern nonetheless. The result is that it’s easy enough these days to find BPA-free plastics, but what does that really mean? In many products, BPA was replaced with BPS, and it’s really not that clear that BPS is any better than BPA. So, what can you do? Not much, but start by avoiding plastics in your food chain where possible. This means avoiding canned foods (the metal cans have plastic linings inside), avoid soda (for oh so many reasons!), avoid #3 and #7 marked plastics, choose BPA free lids for canning, and use glass water bottles. Ok, so that last one especially seems like a stretch, and I can’t see a glass water bottle being a good choice for an active outdoors lifestyle, but do keep in mind that even metal water bottles have a plastic liner inside.

Billions and billions of stars…

matt — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:55:02 +0000

Sure, we know there are billions and billions of stars in the universe, but our species is not good at comprehending large numbers. What does ‘billions and billions’ actually look like? Astronomers compiled a giant image of a small slice of the night sky, and if you go to this website, you can click and zoom in on different areas of that. That’s where it really gets amazing…what at first appears like a light haze resolves itself into an incredible number of stars. It’s an amazing universe we live in.

(via Discover Magazine)

Genetically Engineered Crops

matt — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:47:12 +0000

If you’re not sure what all the fuss is about genetically modified crops, you owe it to yourself to check out this quick (4 minute) video that does a great job of explaining the issue:

I’m all for improving our lives through science, but GM foods is not about that…it’s about improving corporate profits through science without scientifically examining what possible effects this has on the species affected by this technology (not just the animals that eat the crops, us, but the animals that live where these crops are grown).

Transparent aluminum

matt — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:24:54 +0000

Trekkie of the world, rejoice! Transparent aluminum is moving ever closer to real, viable products. Under heat and pressure, aluminum oxynitride powder is fused into a clear (after polishing) material that proves more bullet resistant than laminate glass (a 1.6″ thick panel performed better than a 3.7″ piece of laminate glass). And impresses your friends. Current applications are high-priced bullet-resistant windows, battlefield optics, etc.

(via ohgizmo)

84mpg VW Passat

matt — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:49:20 +0000

With all the hype about hybrid vehicles these days, people tend to forget about efficient gas and especially diesel cars. VW is the leader in this with their TDI diesel, and just recently John and Helen Taylor set a new record for the longest distance driven on one tank of diesel – 1626 miles! That averages to 84.1mpg in a STOCK 2012 VW Passat (the official EPA rating for this car is 43mpg…so much of this gain was due to driving technique no doubt). No modifications, zilch. They even included 120lbs of luggage to make it a realistic road trip. With this sort of gas mileage in a mid-size German sedan, hybrids don’t look nearly as impressive.

Full press release after the break.

(via Autoblog)

VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT SETS WORLD RECORD FOR LONGEST DISTANCE ON ONE TANK OF CLEAN DIESEL FUEL

Mileage experts John and Helen Taylor complete 1626-mile drive in Chattanooga-built Volkswagen Passat TDI®-without stopping for fuel!

Record set using a stock 2012 Passat TDI SE with six-speed manual transmission

Average of 84.1 miles per gallon during three-day trip

Shows mileage benefits of VW Clean Diesel technology

Herndon, VA (May 7, 2012) – The world’s most fuel efficient couple has done it again. John and Helen Taylor were determined to break the record for the farthest distance traveled

on a single tank of fuel. They decided to attempt the record in the U.S. with a stock 2012 Volkswagen Passat SE TDI Clean Diesel vehicle equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. The previous record for the most miles covered on a single tank of diesel was 1526.6 miles, achieved with a VW Passat 1.6 BlueMotion® diesel in Europe.

The result? A new record of 1626.1 miles, achieved on one tank of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel under real world driving conditions. That’s an incredible 99.5 miles better than the old mark. Over the course of three days and driving through nine states, the couple averaged 84.1 miles per gallon, spending only 4.65 cents per mile. The three-day drive commenced on May 3, 2012 in Houston, TX and ended on May 5, 2012 in Sterling, Virginia. To make the drive as realistic as possible, the couple included 120 pounds of luggage and drove during daylight hours to experience normal traffic situations. Additionally, the couple took turns driving and didn’t travel more than 14 hours per day.

“We’re excited to have broken the record for the longest distance driven on one-tank of fuel,” said John Taylor. “The Passat TDI was the perfect car for the trip. It offers plenty of interior and cargo space, yet is frugal enough to help us achieve this record.”

The Passat’s 2.0-liter TDI Clean Diesel inline four-cylinder engine produces 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque and with a manual transmission delivers an EPA estimated fuel economy rating of 43 mpg on the highway. The TDI engine is equipped with a Selective Catalytic Reduction System (SCR) that fulfills emissions requirements in all 50 states. The Passat-built at the world’s only LEED Platinum certified automotive factory in Chattanooga, TN-was named Motor Trend’s 2012 Car of the Year.

“The Passat was engineered and designed to be a comfortable yet fun to drive alternative in the midsize segment. The TDI Clean Diesel version unites driving dynamics and fuel efficiency that isn’t found in the competitive set,” said Rainer Michel, Vice President of Product Strategy, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “We’re honored that the Taylors chose the 2012 Passat TDI as the vehicle to set this outstanding distance record. Their record shows just how economical the Passat TDI can be in the right hands.”

Prior to the drive, the speedometer and odometer were calibrated by a state certified testing station in Houston, Texas. Law enforcement officers from the city of Houston, Texas oversaw validation of mileage, fuel fill-up, and gas tank sealing at the beginning of the drive. A Loudoun County, Virginia Sheriff’s Deputy verified completion of the drive and mileage prior to removing the fuel tank seal.

The Taylors have made a career out of driving efficiently and conducting workshops globally on fuel-efficient driving techniques. They have collected more than 90 world fuel economy and vehicle-related records from drives around the globe. The couple also provides fuel efficient tips on their website, www.fuelacademy.com.

About Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen’s operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Beetle, Eos, Golf, Golf R, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan vehicles through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.

Transform anything into a touch sensor

matt — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:33:40 +0000

The Disney research lab in Pittsburgh released a cool demo video showing how any surface can be converted into a touch sensor. One of the coolest applications would be to use your skin to control an iPhone. Your body becomes the buttons…touch your palm with one finger for one action, two fingers for something different, touch the wrist for another action, you get the idea. Exciting possibilities here, check out the video:

If you’re more the DIY type, check out the video below that shows someone making their own version of this touch sensor. You can find instructions and details here.

(via Hack a Day)

Eco-tip of the day – how to dry your hands with one paper towel

matt — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:58:26 +0000

Here’s a quick TED video that shows how you can effectively dry your hands using only a single paper towel. Remember, every little bit counts! If enough people did this, we could save literally hundreds of millions of pounds of paper each year (plus all the energy that goes into producing and transporting that paper).

Solar powered boat completes round the world journey

matt — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:59:59 +0000

I have mixed feelings about this one. PlanetSolar is less than one day from completing a circumnavigation using a boat powered only by the sun; it’s taken them about 600 days to do this. I’m not quite sure what they’re trying to prove here. If you want to go ‘green’ on your trip around the world, solar just can’t compete with wind. Sailboats are a proven ‘green’ technology that are faster and can go more places in the world’s oceans (PlanetSolar is limited more to the equatorial regions where the sun’s more direct rays result in more powered gathered by the solar panels). Likewise, storms pose little challenge for sailboats but the cloud cover hurts the performance of PlanetSolar. Yes, solar is useful even on sailboats for powering shipboard electronics, but when it comes to propulsion, the abundant wind on the oceans is a fantastic, proven resource.

A solar boat? I don’t get it. Hoist the mainsail, matey.