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The Mobile MaxPure™
In the last newsletter, there was an article on this unit, explaining the use in developing countries, for disaster relief, and to provide a contingency for water contamination issues. The Mobile MaxPure™ is a solar powered water purification system that can be transported anywhere needed, or can become a stationary pure water source.
During the Democratic Convention in Denver, two of these units were on display, with one providing auxiliary power for one of the free biking stations.
In addition to the power generated from the solar panels and stored in environmentally safe batteries, it can also pump and purify 30,000 gallons of water per day. Given that a family of 4 in a developing country requires approximately 3 gallons of drinking water per day, the Mobile MaxPure™ can provide 10,000 families with pure water.
SoGoGreen is a partner with Global Intersections, Inc., in worldwide distribution of the Mobile MaxPure™. NGOs in Africa, SE Asia and So. America are currently reviewing the benefits of this product, with one planned for Uganda early in 2009.
If you would like further information about this product, please contact info@sogogreen.com.
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Cool “Green” Stuff
Envirofit has come up with a safer and more efficient stove for developing countries. It burns half as much fuel, and reduces carbon monoxide emissions by 80%. The price is right also – they start at $15. Solar cooking is the ultimate solution, but is not always practical in some cli-mates. This is a great alternative – www.envirofit.org.
Agroplast makes a chemical for plastics that is identical to the plastic made from fossil fuels. It is made from pig pee (yes, I said it!). If all pig farms nationwide were equipped with the process for separating out the urea, it could be enough for all our na-tion’s needs – www.agroplast.info.
Enphase Energy is getting 5 to 25 percent more power from solar roofs by placing a small inverter under each panel. By using digital technology, the inverters are made smaller – www.enphaseenergy.com.
Have you seen the DIA solar energy system?
If you are flying into or out of Denver, you can’t miss the giant solar array. There are 9200 panels in a 7.5 acre area. Three million kilowatt hours are pro-duced by this giant system. The total carbon offset is over 6 million pounds per year. It was finished in August 2008 and dedicated right before the Democratic National Convention in Denver
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The “Roads Scholar”
A few months ago I had an opportunity to drive with friends who own a Toyota Prius. The miles per gallon showed a whopping 62. In explaining how he got that kind of mileage, the husband said his boss (who also owns a Prius) and he had an ongoing competition to see who could get the best mileage. This means that they have to pay attention constantly while driving to make sure they are doing the things necessary to maximize mpg.
As someone who has an urge to go from 0 to 60 in a nano- second, I took heart. I started moving more slowly away from stop lights, though not so slowly that the people behind me missed the light. If you make other cars idle through yet another red light, you are not thinking globally – plus you are fueling road rage! I also tried to maintain a consistent speed on flat roadways. And no speeding up to stop lights and braking at the last minute! I became a bit obsessive about watching my miles per gallon gauge.
I don’t have a hybrid, but also don’t have a gas-guzzler. I was surprised, though, when I started seeing an average 1 or 2 miles per gallon improve-ment. My obsession is paying off! Here are a couple more tips:
1) Take the junk out of your trunk. The more weight in your car, the more gas you use.
2) 2) Forget the drive-throughs. All that idling increases your gas bill, not to mention the waistline!
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