Climate 411

This post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

When I went out to get lunch yesterday, I passed a sporting goods store with an interestingly labeled sneaker display. I’d never thought of my feet as an "alternative fuel" before, but I guess that’s right!

Human movement isn’t just for transportation. Take a look at last Thursday’s post for examples from around the world of how human movement can be used to generate electricity. Investment spurred by cap-and-trade legislation will make clean energy technologies like these the norm rather than the exception.

This post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

Yesterday’s New York Times reported that a number of chain stores, including Wal-Mart, Macy’s, Safeway, and Whole Foods, are putting solar panels on their roofs to generate electricity. There’s a big opportunity here. Stores are the largest energy users in many communities, and solar panels could generate 10 to 40 percent of the store’s electric needs.

Solar power still costs more than electricity from coal, but:

[R]etailers believe that they can achieve economies of scale. With coal and electricity prices rising, they are also betting that solar power will become more competitive, especially if new policies addressing global warming limit the emissions from coal plants.

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This post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

The idea of generating electricity from human movement isn’t new, but recent advances make it practical in a way it never was before. This CNN article gives a good overview of how the technologies work, and where they are in use. For example:

• The California Fitness gym in Hong Kong captures energy from workout machines to power lights and music. The technology was developed by French inventor Lucien Gambarota. Another human-powered gym is set to open this month in Portland, Oregon.
• A London nightclub called Surya uses a special dance floors to convert vibrations into electricity. Another vibration-powered club will open next month in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The floor technology can be used in more than just dance clubs. Any large crowd will produce vibrations. Sustainable Dance Club also has received requests for floors from bus and train stations, where it can be used to power lights and display boards.

And there’s more!

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