Big increases in global CO2 in 2012

2012 saw large increases in the amount of atmospheric CO2, with a jump of 2.67ppm (parts per million). As a comparison, between 2000 and 2010, the annual rate of increase was just under 2ppm; in the 1960s it was less than 1ppm. In spite of this data and political paralysis on the issue, scientists still talk as if we have some hope of averting catastrophic climate change on this planet. Let’s face it, the only way that will happen is if/when renewable energy becomes so much cheaper and more accessible to the average consumer that they’ll rush to embrace that. Until then, our greed and short-sightedness will keep us on this path. By the time the effects are so overwhelming that even the GOP has to pull their heads out of the sand and admit the problem, it’ll be too late to fix it.

Sorry, kids. Yes, we know exactly what our current course of action is doing to the environment you will rely upon when you’re our age. Or at least, we have a really, really good idea of what will happen, just some disagreement about the exact timing of things. Don’t let future history suggest otherwise. The people of this era are choosing this path for our own short term gain. I’m doing what I can to help influence others via this blog and my own actions, but it’s a really tough battle.

(via NBC news)

March 6, 2013

3D Microprinter

3D printing is a cool technology and one I’m really enjoying…but this 3D microprinter is in a class by itself. It can print features as small as 30 nanometers, which is about .000001″! It uses a process similar to stereo lithography, whereby a liquid resin is hardened by directed light in selective areas, building the part a layer at a time. Producing geometry at this scale can be useful for all your favorite nano-technologies…microneedles, microfluidics, etc. Cool stuff.

(read more here)

March 6, 2013

Ferrari LaFerrari

Supercars may be environmentally wasteful and pointless in a world with speed limits, but I’ll admit I have a weak spot in my heart for them and am thankful that car companies still make these magnificent machines. One of the newest, the Ferrari LaFerrari, can be viewed – and heard – in all its glory in the short video below. 950hp in a V12 hybrid powertrain, in a car that weighs about the same as Subaru BRZ. I haven’t seen mention of price, but then, for a car like this, you typically need to be invited by Ferrari to buy one, and chances are you don’t really care what it costs.

Eco Market

Eco Market is a neat ecommerce site that features small sellers selling eco-friendly stuff. It’s a bit UK-centric, so you do have to be conscious of the environmental impact of shipping small packages halfway around the world, but I found that when you dig into some categories, there are search boxes at the top that let you select options such as ‘ships from’, to at least have some influence over that factor. If you have an eco-friendly product you’re trying to sell, it might be worth checking out this site!

(via Treehugger)

March 5, 2013

GlassUP HUD

Shipping in 2013 for $399 are these heads-up display glasses from GlassUp, which project a 320×240 pixel monochromatic image onto the right lens, enough for basic text and graphics. It basically acts as a remote display for your smartphone (via a wireless bluetooth connection). It’s a different sort of use than the Google Glasses, which had a corner mounted display and built in camera. Battery life is a bit of an uncertainty, as these will be more suited to occasional, not constant use. Pop up notices when you get an SMS message, for example.

(via Slashgear)

March 5, 2013

Food safety in China

China has a well-earned reputation for careless disregard for the safety of their food supply (follow this link for the ‘top 10 food scandals‘, for example). Now with horsemeat concerns in the European food supply, and most recently Ikea meatballs, Ikea wanted to reassure the Chinese that the meatballs served in China are actually made in China, and are not tied to the horsemeat scandal in Europe. Well, it kinda backfired, as it seems even the Chinese are losing faith in their food supply…and would rather have potentially horsemeat-laden meatballs from Europe than domestically produced meatballs. As one person was quoted as saying, “I don’t really care about horse meat. The key point is that if it’s produced in China, it probably has rat meat.” Hard to argue with that, based on recent history.

Could be worse though…when testing for horse DNA in meat pies produced in Iceland, they found the meat pies actually contained no meat. Lol.

Then another food surprise in China…in an effort to maximize profits, some vendors are selling walnuts filled with concrete.

March 5, 2013

3D Printing Options

Joy of joys…I finally have my own 3D Printer! I’ll be writing much more about it soon, but in the meantime, if you’re interested in this stuff, check out this article at MAKE, it’s their self-labeled ‘Ultimate 3D Printer Buyer’s Guide‘. The options are many, though in the end, I opted for a lower end consumer oriented machine, as I don’t see the others filling my occasional need for professional quality prototypes. The machine I bought is the Cube printer from 3D Systems. The price was a bit high compared to the more DIY type options, but I opted for that as it’s more likely (I felt) to be a true plug and play, hands off sort of machine. I’ll be using it for quick, rough protos, though I expect I’ll still depend on vendors for higher quality prototypes at times. A perfect combo, really. Stay tuned for more on the Cube…I’ve been using it for only a couple days now and am learning a lot!

March 4, 2013

Wealth Distribution in the US

Very nicely made video with some simple charts illustrating the distribution of wealth in the US. It’s pretty shocking…and worth a quick watch. It’s important to know the facts about the world around you, to help you make educated decisions. The gist of this video is that the majority of people surveyed do NOT know the truth about this issue (chances are, you don’t either…even I was surprised).

(via Fast Company)

March 4, 2013

Unsustainable shark fishing

The BBC reports that globally, around 100 million sharks are being killed each year. This is a mind-boggling number and anyone who thinks we can deplete the numbers of an apex predator at that rate without consequences is a fool. I’m scared of what the future brings to our society when we are so blatantly altering the ecosystem that future generations will depend upon, without being able to really understand what these changes will actually mean. It’s stupid and selfish.

March 4, 2013

Gesture-control bracelet

Gesture based control such as that provided by the LEAP are pretty cool, but this bracelet takes things a step further. This bracelet uses accelerometers to measure the motion of your arm, as well as devices to measure electrical impulses of your muscles, communicating this via bluetooth to provide gesture-based control of, well, anything. It can even recognize motion of individual fingers.

Check out the video below for some examples of how this technology could be used…it’s pretty inspiring. You can preorder this technology from MYO for $149, shipping in late 2013.

(via CNET)

March 4, 2013