Costa Rica’s Eco Village
Solar Vistas is the first solar-powered development in Costa Rica. Aimed at Europeans and Americans who often vacation or retire to Costa Rica’s coast, the village will be built with green building methods and eco-friendly homes.

Furthermore, the company’s CEO says that they’re not at all worried about competition, but are trying to educate other builders and promote competition to increase energy-efficient construction in Costa Rica. Read more about Solar Vistas Eco Community here.

Wave-Powered Boats
Wind power has been moving boats for centuries, and it may be improved upon to the point where it’s a viable option in future. However, until now, there’s never been a boat that runs on waves. Enter the Suntory Mermaid, which will make a run from Japan to Hawaii using the power of the waves under its bow.

At 5 knots an hour, it won’t be setting any speed records, but the fact that it’s using the new technology is impressive. The solar panels it carries on its roof will power its interior lights, another good thing. The EcoGeek explains more in his blog post, Duh, Powering Boats with Waves.

Nuclear Power Just Doesn’t Add Up
When physicist, Joshua Pearce of Clarion University of Pennsylvania tries to balance the nuclear books, he says that he finds that it just doesn’t add up. In order to replace fossil fuels with nuclear power, the industry would have to grow by at least ten percent from 2010 through 2050, a pace that is just not sustainable.

Added to that, when the increased pollution, heat and mining limits are factored in, things look even bleaker for the nuclear power business. Pearce’s further conclusions can be found at Nuclear Cannibals.

Using the Wind to Produce Clean Water
Delft University of Technology is the site of a new project that uses wind to produce drinking water. A windmill pumps the water through a reverse osmosis process, and then stores the water for future use.

Already in use to produce electricity, windmills would be ideal for remote coastal villages where drinking water is scarce or nonexistent. In Drinking With the Wind, the project’s director writes about this promising technology.

US and Canadian Cities Consider Ditching the Drive-Thru
Sure, it’s convenient to drive up and order that latte and doughnut, but is it good for the environment? Idling cars worry several city councils in the US and Canada, where bans on drive-thrus may soon be reality.

Already, two cities in California and North Carolina have done it and North Vancouver, Canada is considering a moratorium on drive-thrus. Read more at Numerous Cities Contemplating Drive-Thru Ban at EcoSpace.

Rainy Day Power
One of the problems with solar power is rainy days. But a new technology is focused on how to harness the energy in falling water i.e. raindrops. French scientists have recently “developed a system that recovers the vibration energy from a piezoelectric structure impacted by a falling raindrop”, energy that can be used to power sensors and other electronics.

Surprisingly, slow-falling raindrops generate the most energy. Not surprisingly, larger raindrops also cause the largest vibration on the piezoelectric material and thus more energy. The scientists are working on practical applications for their system, as well as on a way to store the energy which would provide a steady current. Rain Power: Harvesting Energy From the Sky

PV Cells Even Greener Than We Thought
Everyone knows that solar power is greener than coal or other fossil fuels. The cells basically just soak up the rays and quietly produce electrons, so there’s no pollution and very little environmental impact.

But what about the manufacturing process? PV panels are made from raw materials that must be mined and what about the electricity involved in their production? A recent study looks at just how green PV cells really are and even reports which type is greenest. Photovoltaic Cells Are Still Very Green, Comparative Test Shows

Pollution Sponge
A new material can actually soak up, trap and eliminate pollutants, including some of the worst offenders in the hydrocarbon industry and road traffic emissions. Amazingly, the new material, which is a monolithic carbon aerogel, can also be easily regenerated and used over and over again for several cycles.

Obviously, this technology is badly needed and will have a huge impact on alleviating the health problems associated with aromatic hydrocarbons, which can be toxic even at low levels. New Material Is Capable Of Eliminating Pollutants By The Hydrocarbon Industry

Ceramic Fuel Cells Pick Up The Pace
A five year deal with a Dutch energy firm means that some Dutch homes will soon be using boilers which are powered by a ceramic fuel cell. The cells, called stacks, run on natural gas and turn boilers into small power stations that generate electricity, which can be fed back to the power grid.

Britain, also, has its eye on the ceramic units and they may start showing up in British homes as early as 2009. Because generating electricity in homes is twice as cheap as generating it on a grid, utilities will actually save money with the ceramic fuel cells. Ceramic Fuel Cells gets first major order

Organic Farming Can Trap Carbon
One of the ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is by trapping carbon in the soil, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the European Commission. Using organic fertilizers which can be obtained through composting, can trap more carbon, it seems.

Composting is also earth-friendly in other ways. It reduces waste and recycles plant material and returns nutrients to the soil. Large factory farms have resisted composting, but it is possible on a large scale. Compost Can Turn Agricultural Soils Into a Carbon Sink, Thus Protecting Against Climate Change