Technosanity #42: contemplating the cost of making tea

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Making tea is such a simple thing isn't it? Or, is it? Where do the tea leaves come from and what is the environmental impact of growing the tea? Where does the paper for the tea bag come from, what is the environmental impact of that? What about limited water resources? Is the tea shipped across the planet?

Many tea makers attempt to appeal to green consciousness with fair trade practices, or claiming to grow the tea sustainably, etc. All that is laudible, but then they ship the tea thousands of miles and the environmental impact of the globalized shipping probably destroys several times over the gains from the sustainable farming practice.

Technosanity #42: contemplating the cost of making tea

Making Tea (on youtube)

TechnoSanity #41: Interview with Mark Perry, Nissan LEAF

An interview with Mark Perron, Director of Product Planning for Nissan and in charge of Nissan LEAF development. This was filmed at Santana Row during the LEAF tour currently underway around the U.S. We talk at length about practical use issues and charging infrastructure.
Also see this on youtube: Interview with Mark Perry, Nissan LEAF

TechnoSanity #41: Interview with Mark Perry, Nissan LEAF

Links:

Test ride review of the LEAF

http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/

TechnoSanity #40: Nissan LEAF test drive event

Recently Nissan brought the LEAF to the SF Bay Area to show it around. They're conducting a nationwide tour with the LEAF. I was fortunate enough to have press access to test drive the prototype vehicle. It was built from a Nissan Versa and has the LEAF drive train.

I wrote up a review: Nissan LEAF (almost) test ride, impressions, and the LEAF tour

TechnoSanity #40: Nissan LEAF test drive event




Links:  Green Transportation Examiner: Nissan LEAF

Nissan LEAF test drive event (youtube)

TechnoSanity #39: Interview with Peter Oliver, MakeMineElectric.com, part 2

At the just finished San Francisco Auto Show, among the sea of gas burning vehicles from major manufacturers, I found two cars one could rightly call "Electric". One was the Nissan LEAF due to enter mass production in the fall of 2010. The other was a pair of replica sports cars which MakeMineElectric.com constructed as electric cars. They are an EV Conversion shop located in Sebastapol, CA. Their shop is located in what used to be a Ford dealership on the main drag. This may be kind of a sign of the times, that the traditional gas burning car industry has lost its footing resulting in hundreds of car dealerships closing, and it is fitting to repurpose a former car dealership to be an electric vehicle incubator.

This is part 2 of the interview with Peter Oliver.

See also: Interview with Peter Oliver, MakeMineElectric.com, part 1
Interview with Peter Oliver, MakeMineElectric.com, part 2




Links:  See it on Youtube

http://MakeMineElectric.com

TechnoSanity #38: Interview with Peter Oliver, MakeMineElectric.com, part 1

TechnoSanity #38: Interview with Peter Oliver, MakeMineElectric.com, part 1

At the just finished San Francisco Auto Show, among the sea of gas burning vehicles from major manufacturers, I found two cars one could rightly call "Electric". One was the Nissan LEAF due to enter mass production in the fall of 2010. The other was a pair of replica sports cars which MakeMineElectric.com constructed as electric cars. They are an EV Conversion shop located in Sebastapol, CA. Their shop is located in what used to be a Ford dealership on the main drag. This may be kind of a sign of the times, that the traditional gas burning car industry has lost its footing resulting in hundreds of car dealerships closing, and it is fitting to repurpose a former car dealership to be an electric vehicle incubator.

This is part 1 of the interview with Peter Oliver.

Interview with Peter Oliver, MakeMineElectric.com, part 1




Links:  http://MakeMineElectric.com

See it on YouTube

'They’ll have electric cars one day'

TechnoSanity #39: Interview with Peter Oliver, MakeMineElectric.com, part 2

TechnoSanity #37: Electric bicycle test rides part 2

At the most recent chapter meeting of EAA's Silicon Valley chapter, ELV Motors sponsored a test ride event of electric bicycles. They brought several bicycles and allowed the attendees to ride them, providing evaluations.

The evaluation data wasn't very conclusive in pointing to one or another bicycle as being preferable over others. I think this may be because ELV Motors has done a good job of picking out high quality bicycles.

They handed me a video camera and asked me to do some man-in-the-street style interviews. This is part 2. See TechnoSanity #36: Electric bicycle test rides for part 1.

TechnoSanity #37: Electric bicycle test rides part 2

Links:  http://elvmotors.com
Links:  http://eaasv.org
References:  TechnoSanity #36: Electric bicycle test rides

TechnoSanity #36: Electric bicycle test rides

At the most recent chapter meeting of EAA's Silicon Valley chapter, ELV Motors sponsored a test ride event of electric bicycles. They brought several bicycles and allowed the attendees to ride them, providing evaluations.

The evaluation data wasn't very conclusive in pointing to one or another bicycle as being preferable over others. I think this may be because ELV Motors has done a good job of picking out high quality bicycles.

They handed me a video camera and asked me to do some man-in-the-street style interviews. This is part 1, see TechnoSanity #37: Electric bicycle test rides part 2 for part 2.

TechnoSanity #36: Electric bicycle test rides

Links:  http://elvmotors.com

Links:  http://eaasv.org

References:  Electric bicycles

References:  Electric bicycles, scooters and motorcycles at Best Buy.. oh my