Jared Johnson

September 4, 2008 • 7:00 am 0

The SolarTaxi Visits GW

SolarTaxi

Louis Palmer made a stop yesterday at the campus of The George Washington University in his SolarTaxi, and he even took the university’s president, Steven Knapp, for a ride around the University Yard. Palmer is currently driving this vehicle around the world to stimulate reflection on ways we can change our habits for a better environment.

The SolarTaxi Route

According to the Solartaxi website,

The Solartaxi is an electric vehicle with a five-meter solar trailer covered with 6 square meters of solar cells. The electricity is stored in a newly invented ZEBRA battery, so we can even drive at night, without any sunshine. The solar cells on the trailer produce enough electricity to run the car up to 100 km a day.

SolarTaxi's Solar Panel Trailor

SolarTaxi at H St & 20th St NW, Washington, DC

Update: 09.15.2008

Check out the WRC NBC4.com article on this event, or watch the report.

Filed under: Sustainability , energy, washington, dc, solar, taxi, The George Washington University, Louis Palmer, campus, environment, vehicle, wrc, nbc4

August 3, 2008 • 9:56 pm 0

Hot, Flat and Crowded: Exclusive Preview Excerpt

I posted last week on my excitement for Thomas Friedman’s new book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded. I received a comment notifying me that Thomas Friedman’s publisher is giving away the free audiobook of The World is Flat in anticipation of the release of his new book in September. In addition to the audiobook, the publisher has posted an exclusive audio preview excerpt from chapter nine of the new book.

To download the mp3s, including the exclusive audio excerpt of Hot, Flat, and Crowded, go to http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/giveaway between now and August 11, 2008.

I listened to the excerpt, and from what I heard, I am excited for the full book. Friedman highlights the difference between the current symbolic green movement and a truly systemic solution that would require “transformational green legislation.”

One of my favorite quotes from the excerpt is:

I am starting to believe that there actually can be too much publicity when it comes to climate change, especially when it reaches the fashion world. Seriously, if I read the word ‘eco-chic’ one more time, I’ll jab my eye out with my biodegradable pen. I just fear that as soon as all of the magazines get these green issues out of the way, they’ll feel like it’s out of their system, over and done with, like any other trend.

Click here for a video of Thomas Friedman talking about his new book at the Energy Efficiency Forum 2008.

I plan to blog more once I get my own copy of the book in September.

Filed under: Sustainability , america, climate, eco-chic, energy, energy efficiency forum, green, revolution, Thomas Friedman

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