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Sustainable Brands Innovation Open Finalists Selected for Sustainable Business Competition

Sustainable Life Media announced the top 12 Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO) finalists who will be given a full pass to the conference along with the opportunity to pitch to the Innovation Open judges and attendees on Thursday, June 9 in the Steinbeck Theater. Finalists are required to present a live pitch to a panel of judges and will have shared exhibit space during the conference.

“There is an amazing array of finalists this year,” said KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, CEO of Sustainable Life Media (SLM). “We had more entrants that previous years across both consumer and B2B sectors, including energy creation, social innovation, cause communications, personal care products and socially responsible financial access. The range of creativity we will be showcasing during Thursday’s competition is truly inspiring and not to be missed. We encourage the investment community (VCs, Angels and private investors) to attend SBIO to be inspired by these new ideas, vote for favorites and meet the winners and finalists.”

Sustainable Brands Innovation Open Finalists

Agri-Tech Producers cost-effectively converts plant and woody biomass into a renewable coal substitute, as well as an enhanced feedstock, from which gasification processes can more efficiently make renewable liquid fuels or energy; various biochars; and an environmentally-friendly alternative to charcoal.

Conatix deploys a new business intelligence system based on machine learning technology to rapidly build a comprehensive database tracking global sustainability finance transactions and trends—new tools for a new sector. Conatix addresses the $8 billion rapidly growing market for sustainability finance data, analysis and consulting.

Drink Eat Well (DEW) was founded by Midwest restaurateur Hilary Brown as an extension of her World’s Best Veggie Burger for her Local Burger sustainable fast food chain. Their products are the only gluten-free, non-GMO food products on the market.

Greenlighted is a movement of individuals, brands, and causes committing to do good in the world. By offering deals and coupons, Greenlighted raises a $1 million fund for 50 causes that will be selected via online voting to receive a share of the $1 million. Then, they do it over and over again.

HyCLo provides on-demand, on-site machines that deliver the world’s most effective and safest wide spectrum disinfectant (hypochlorous acid) and cleaners (sodium hydroxide) - reducing cost and removing the need for chemical transport, storage, mixing and disposal of used containers, while consuming only electrical power, tap water and table salt.

Just Shea is a social business that supports shea nut commodity currently being wild harvested and processed by over 600,000 women and girls in Ghana and growing in use by the cosmetics and confections manufacturing sectors. All net profits from the sale of Just Shea products will be reinvested in women shea harvesters through its 501c3 One Village Planet-Women’s Development Initiative.

Kopo Kopo offers a software-as-a-service that enables the 30 million Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Sub-Saharan Africa to affordably integrate with mobile money systems. The first to offer this service on a subscription basis, Kopo Kopo is positioned to be the leading mobile money payment gateway in sub-Saharan Africa.

One World Futbol manufactures and distributes the One World Futbol—a unique, patent-pending, ultra-durable, non-inflated soccer ball that solves a fundamental problem of “regular” balls: when used in the harsh environments, an inflated ball soon goes flat and becomes useless. One World Futbol stands up to such conditions and keeps the joy of play alive. For retail sales, the Project uses a “Give One, Get One” sales model, donating one ball for every one sold.

Skip to Renew is utilizing plant and algae-based oils to create sustainable bio-based lubricants using algae - one of nature’s most abundant and renewable sources.

Vers is a compact sound system and mobile accessories brand founded in 2007 with the mission to deliver good design & great performance - with a significantly lower environmental impact in all aspects of products and the business resulting in a carbon-negative impact since inception.

Voz is a contemporary fair trade fashion company that uses design innovation to aid indigenous Mapuche artisans in escaping poverty by bringing designers and master weavers together to produce modern, sustainable and trend-driven fashion accessories that represent ethnic culture and appeal to the mainstream boutique market.

Who Gives a Crap is a brand of environmentally friendly toilet paper that uses 50% of its profits to build toilets in the developing world by tackling the serious issue of sanitation in a fun way and will provide composting toilets to 500,000 people annually with just 1% of the market.

Ford Says There’s Wealth in Weeds

Petroleum is found throughout passenger vehicles, not only in the gas tank. But Ford announced on Tuesday a project intended to minimize its reliance on petroleum-based vehicle components, and it chose an unlikely standard bearer: the dandelion

Developed in collaboration with Ohio State University, the project harnesses the scourge of lawn tenders worldwide, Taraxacum kok-saghyz, commonly called the Russian dandelion, to produce a versatile, milky-white substance that can be used as a plastics modifier. The substance, Ford said, could find application in cup holders, floor mats and interior trim pieces, replacing synthetic rubber commonly used in these applications.

While rubber does literally grow on trees, synthetic rubber is a petroleum product, and even if all the rubber Ford used were sustainably grown, it still would be cleaner to produce plastic from locally sourced dandelions because shipping would be minimized.

Read the entire article at the: NY Times Wheels Blog

Earthgarage - Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

E85 at the Alternative Energy Pump: How Self-Serving Is It?

It seems like, in America, E85 is fueling more debates than it is actual cars. A lot of unsubstantiated information is circulating in the media and the energy industry, confusing consumers and policy makers alike. Although 15% of it is true, the other 85% could stand to be refined.

MYTH: E85 is 85% gasoline, 15% ethanol.

TRUTH: People often reverse the percentages. E85 is 85% ethanol (which can come from corn, potatoes, wheat, or sugar cane) and 15% gasoline.

MYTH: E85 is a relatively inexpensive source of fuel.

TRUTH: That’s an illusion created by the Department of Energy. Huge government corn subsidies from the DOE reduce the market prices of ethanol artificially, making it appear as though E85 is a far cheaper transport-fuel solution than petroleum.

MYTH: E85 could, with federal backing, completely replace petroleum for private and commercial transportation.

TRUTH: Unfortunately, it takes oil and gasoline to make E85 in the first place. In fact, growing, distilling, dehydrating and refining corn into ethanol creates a net energy deficit when total agricultural production inputs versus total energy outputs are accounted for. But as we perfect that production process, the input-output ratio gets closer to 1:1.

MYTH: Energy crops, and corn in particular, take up arable land and reduce the amount of food available to the world.

TRUTH: Ethanol is only created from the starchy part of the kernel. The rest of it can still provide nutrients, minerals and protein. However, most corn is not consumed by people anyway. Much of it is turned into gluten feed and corn meal and fed to livestock.

MYTH: Worldwide ethanol use is on the decline since so many other alternative fuels are being tested and developed.

TRUTH: Although the U.S. and Brazil produce and consume the lion’s share of E85 (88%), worldwide consumption patterns showed a 2% hike from 2007 to 2008.

MYTH: Heavily subsidized energy crops, like corn, will help decrease the fuel-price volatility inherent in foreign-oil dependence.

TRUTH: While this may be the case much of the time, other factors out of the control of humanity are at play. For instance, the 2008 Midwest flood, which devastated millions of acres of corn crops, inflated corn prices 25% in the span of three weeks, a jump that, luckily, didn't last long. According to the Wall Street Journal, the most recent spate of spring storms have forced farmers to delay planting 37% of their crops, which could result in a significant yield reduction despite a high corn demand.

MYTH: Most engines can already run on this fuel.

TRUTH: True, you could conceivably put E85 in your current tank and hit the road, but that’s not recommended. Your fuel economy will decrease drastically. And E85 burns at a lower ignition point than gasoline, so you might hear some pistons misfiring. A flex-fuel system car can help you make the best use of E85.

EarthGarage - Greener Car, Fatter Wallet.

Nebraska still working on low-speed NEV bill

Even though highway-capable electric vehicles are here, there is still a place for NEVs. That place is, apparently, Nebraska.

In late April, lawmakers there advanced a measure that would allow low-speed neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) onto streets with a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less. The legislation, presented by Senator Heath Mello, was drawn up to accommodate the thriving low-cost NEV segment. Mello claims that:

As fuel prices continue to rise and Nebraska families and businesses look to save money, [NEVs] represent an alternative mode of transportation that has many potential uses. Nebraska's measure would apply to four-wheeled electric vehicles that weigh in below 3,000 pounds and can maintain speeds between 20 and 25 mph.

Read the entire article at: autobloggreen

Earthgarage - Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

Want to Try G-Oil for Free? Look no Further!

From our guest blogger, Ask Patty:

Wow, looks like the AskPatty Blog is getting some attention, because after sharing the lowdown on G-Oil synthetic motor oil with the Ask Patty Nation earlier in the month, and also spotlighting them for Earth Day last week, they've reached out to me and want to offer our readers a special offer: The ability to try G-Oil for free.

So you know the lowdown (if you don't, you can get it here) - G-Oil is a 100% biodegradable motor oil made from beef tallow by a pretty ambitious company called Green Earth Technologies, makers of a whole arsenal of green automotive products. And now, they're extending the opportunity to you, dear readers, to try their flagship product for yourself with no obligation.

Read the entire article at: AskPatty.com

Click HERE for more information from Earthgarage about G-Oil 5W-30 Green Motor Oil.

EarthGarage - Greener Car, Fatter Wallet.

City’s Next Taxi: A Nissan Van Short on Looks, Perhaps, but Full of Comforts

The next New York City taxicab will have airplane-style reading lights, passenger air bags, and a so-called low-annoyance horn, engineered to stifle flagrant honkers. The back seat even has more leg room than the old couch-on-wheels Checker cab.

But can a minivan win over New York?

The Nissan NV200, a bulky four-door van that seems more soccer mom than Travis Bickle, will become the all-but-exclusive vehicle of the city’s taxi fleet, the Bloomberg administration said on Tuesday, in the culmination of a contest of several years to redesign a city icon.

The minivan has a traditional, unstylish look, which even Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg conceded resembles a family car. Asked on Tuesday if the car had a suburban feel, the mayor smiled and replied, “That’s probably true.”

Read the entire article at: The New York Times

Earthgarage - Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

Alternative Car Fuel: Yourself!

Many hybrid vehicles are implementing the use of regenerative braking systems - harnessing the kinetic energy generated by braking and then applying it to practical use, recharging the batteries. Toyota has been advertising this system as part of their "Ideas For Good" campaign, and GE plans to implement similar technologies in trains to harness the immense energy required to bring a locomotive to a stop.

On a smaller, but still useful, scale, a lab at M.I.T. has invented what they call "Biking 2.0." They developed a bicycle with a small generator attached to the wheels that can also harness the rider's braking power. The bike then stores the power for later so it can be used in bursts to power the bike. Essentially, you are generating the power for the bike yourself. Talk about alternative fuel! The inventors see as a fantastic way to get more people to ride, especially those who might not otherwise have been able to - like the elderly, or people who live too far away from their jobs to commute easily by bike. The Biking 2.0 system makes biking longer distances a more viable option. The bike's sleek design is attractive but also cumbersome, and the developers are looking into ways to reduce the bikes mass in order to appease current trends of lightweight bicycles.

While it's doubtful that Biking 2.0 will replace the original bike, hopefully the technology behind it will continue to grow and improve. Harnessing braking power will continue to be used to generate extra power for hybrid cars, and as more modes of transportation make the shift to electric power it will become a more and more valuable technology. And for those who need the occasional boost, biking 2.0 is there for you.

EarthGarage - Greener Car, Fatter Wallet.

Common 'Check Engine' Repairs Come Cheap or Costly

A website, CarMD, has been analyzing the data it encounters about auto repairs and is now unleashing its findings about what goes wrong most often in autos. The site is compiling the list for its "Vehicle Health Index."

When that "check engine" light goes on, you never initially know how bad, meaning expensive, the repair is going to turn out to be. For instance, the top five most common failures when it comes to snafus that cause the "check engine" light to illuminate can range from the cheap (loose fuel cap) to the costly (replace catalytic converter).

Read the entire article at: USA Today DriveOn Blog

Click HERE for more information and a special offer from Earthgarage about the CarMD Vehicle Health System.

Earthgarage - Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

At a Solar-Paneled Crossroads: Plug In Hybrid Vehicles Powered by the Road

We’re buying electric hybrid cars, pouring alternative fuels into our gas tanks, driving a little slower, using special synthetic oils to increase fuel economy... We have become so obsessed with improving what and how we drive that we might be overlooking a crucial element: what we’re driving on.

Solar Roadways, whose product is their namesake, is undertaking a huge and innovative project that would uproot all of America’s asphalt and replace it with solar panels and LED lighting. On the surface, this grandiose idea appears cumbersome and unrealistic. Until you start considering all the applications this new material would offer. The panels would emit enough heat to melt ice, potentially reducing the number of ice-related accidents. The LED lights would replace the painted yellow and white lines and project real-time warning messages for drivers, such as “Deer Crossing Ahead” and “Change Speed Limit.” Thousands of these tiny solar collectors could generate enough electricity to power adjacent communities and supply energy to charging stations for plug-in hybrid vehicles, like the Prius. It’s a triple-threat transportation surface.

Even the Department of Energy has faith; they’ve spent $100K to fund this futuristic prototype. But support from the DOT doesn’t mean this road will necessarily go anywhere. Plenty of similar experimental ventures, like the proposed moving sidewalk in Altoona, PA, fell flat on the ground they were intended to change. According to the DOT, implementation of this technology nationwide will cost around $5 billion. But that figure seems awfully low considering construction costs for regular blacktop interstates are roughly $6.5 million PER MILE.

Will the benefits derived from this solar-powered technology offset the extraordinarily heavy costs, allowing us to move ahead into a non-petroleum based future? Or can we invent a more practical and less costly alternative fuel infrastructure?

Earthgarage - Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

Unlocking Business Model & Brand Innovation

Throughout time, civilization has distinguished subdivisions of economic, political, and social activity – in other words – business, government, and society. Although the interaction and interrelation of these three has evolved over the centuries, the role of business in society has increased in priority on the agendas of nearly every CEO and Board in recent years. Although it is the fundamental purpose of every business to make a profit by providing products and services that satisfy human needs, it is the concept of sustainability that requires businesses to look beyond their bottom-line profits and consider their environmental and social impacts as well.

Read the entire article at the SB'11 blog
Earthgarage is a media partner of Sustainable Brands ’11

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Ridesharing- A Convenient Way to Increase Fuel Economy

According to the Commuting in America report, more than 70% of Americans drive alone. This means a lone driver has 3-5 wasted seats. If that does not hurt, sky rocketing gas prices, a slowly recovering economy, global climate change, the energy crisis and traffic congestion are enough of a reality bite to make ridesharing a viable option.

Rapidly evolving information technology brings ridesharing to the fingertips in real time like never before. For example, Avego’s iPhone app dynamically takes advantage of real-time passenger demand, vehicle supply and travel time information.

Drivers get paid to carpool as much as $1 for the first mile and 80¢ per mile after that. Payments are made not in cash but through credit towards a gas card. For riders it is about half the cost of driving, about the same cost as public transit, and about six times cheaper than taking a taxi. A mandatory background check and five star rating system makes it safe for users. The driver function requires GPS capability. However, Avego's iPhone ride interface works using even the non-GPS iPhone.

As increasing fuel economy becomes the buzz, companies like Avego make it a reality for governments and individuals alike. Would you take advantage of a service like Avego?

Earthgarage - Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

End of the Road

Denys Lawrence Munby was a man with a passion for transport statistics. The first reader in transport economics at Oxford University, he spent his life collecting rail, bus and tram timetables. By the time of his death in 1976—murdered by bandits, it is thought, in the mountains of Turkey—he had amassed Britain’s most complete set of travel data. With it he was able to pinpoint, for the first time, the moments at which different types of transport hit their peak.

Munby’s successor at Oxford, Phil Goodwin, found himself intrigued by these turning points. Did planners in the 1920s, having seen the railways grow throughout their lives, spot that train use was soon to fall sharply? Or the same for buses in the mid-1950s? They did not. This thought led Goodwin to a radical idea: might the west have already reached “peak car,” the moment when car use begins to decline?

The notion is heretical to transport planners, who assume that economic growth and car use go together, which has been the case for more than a generation. Globally, that trend will continue. A 2008 article in the journal Economic Policy predicts that of the 2.3bn cars made worldwide over the next half century, 1.9bn will be sold in developing markets. China’s car fleet is set to outnumber America’s by 2030.

Read the entire article at: Prospectmagazine.co.uk

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