Articles by Chris Schults

Treehugger TV has arrived

We've all encountered comments like "television rots your brain." Generally speaking, I don't believe technology is inherently bad. What we should evaluate is its application and use, not technology itself. Which is why I advocate that enviros utilize traditional and emerging media to their advantage instead of abandoning it altogether.

With television, I think most of us would agree that environmental issues and innovative green products and ideas do not get the coverage they deserve. Which is why I'm very interested in projects like Current TV, where you can help make television by creating your own news and/or helping to decide what gets aired.

So, I'm excited to see that our friends over at Treehugger have launched Treehugger TV, which plans to feature a new video each week. So far, they have two:

01: Trike Taxi
The men from Trike Taxi take us through their plans for a eco-friendly electric powered pedicab.

02: Swaporamarama
Swaporamarama developer Wendy Tremayne discusses the community event she has been organizing since 2002. An alternative to knee jerk consumerism, 'The Swap' is a creative happening that bonds people, fashion and ideas.

Good luck guys -- I look forward to future episodes.

The Meatrix II: Revolting official launch date and premiere

It is official, The Meatrix II: Revolting will be released on March 30th.

And all you New York area Moopheus fans can attend the premiere at the Bowery Poetry Club in the East Village on March 29th.

If you're one of the few people who haven't watched the original, I direct you here.

How do you define “environmentalism”?

Dave's environmental ethics post addressed an issue that has become more and more apparent here in Gristmill: the term "environmentalism" means something different to each one of us.

This is exemplified in today's Soapbox by Oliver Bernstein on environmental issues along the U.S.-Mexico border:

The flying car has arrived

In a relatively short time, the dreams of sci-fi and Jetson fans will finally be realized: the flying car has arrived. (I can just hear the collective groan of the environmental community.)

Let me repeat that: someone has finally designed a flying car. According to Newsweek, in two years MIT student Carl Dietrich plans to have his flying car (named the Transition) on the road and in the air, and selling for about $100,000:

The Transition runs on regular gas. But you can drive it to the airport, extend its origami-like wings, take off at double the highway speed and fly up to 500 miles away, then touch down and park it in your host's garage. With the wings folded, the Transition is about the size of an Escalade, with a little less cargo space. Of course, it's a little more difficult to maneuver -- it requires a sport pilot's license -- so it's not likely to replace your standard flightless car. "It's not like every Joe Schmo and soccer mom on a cell phone is going to be driving one," says Dietrich, an MIT grad student who won the school's top prize for young innovators.

And just to top that, his next project will be: a desktop nuclear-fusion reactor. Really. Read the press release.

(Via BB)