Derek Markham | greenUPGRADER

Great Resources to Help Get Your Bike Ready for Spring Riding

by Derek Markham on March 19th, 2009

I hope this isn't how your bike was left this winter... I ride year round, so I keep an eye on my bike's maintenance needs on a regular basis, but for many people, the bikes get left in the garage or behind the shed all winter. When spring finally breaks, they're left trying ride a squeaky, possibly rusted, flat tired bike that's badly in need of a tune-up. Which can be extremely frustrating. If you're game to learn the basics, getting your bike ready for the first spring ride could be just a click away.

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Posted in Sports+Recreation 7 Comments

Adventure, Inspiration, Activism: Wend Magazine

by Derek Markham on March 14th, 2009

If you're into environmental activism and the outdoors, and you're looking for some eye candy and top-notch writing, then do yourself a favor and check out Wend magazine. I'm not that into magazines anymore, as I get most of my news on the web, but there's something about holding an actual hard-copy in your hand that cruising the internet doesn't have. And Wend is definitely a worthy media candidate for the eco-adventurer.

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Posted in Media+Internet 2 Comments

Zoomi Monterey Electric Bicycle

by Derek Markham on March 13th, 2009

Zoomi Scooters' 2009 Monterey electric bicycle will help even the laziest rider commute up hills, to the store, or out for drinks with minimal effort. The bike gets up to 33 miles per charge, and has a top speed of 25 miles per hour, so you can get where you're going without worrying if you'll get there in time, or if you'll get back before your battery dies.

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Posted in Cars+Tranportation 1 Comment

Plastiki Expedition: 12,000 Miles in a Boat Made From Plastic Bottles

by Derek Markham on March 7th, 2009

The Plastiki Expedition is the brainchild of David de Rothschild, and the goal is audacious: to sail 12,000 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Sydney in a boat made entirely out of plastic bottles and recycled waste products. They plan to embark in April, carrying (among others) four scientists from the Scripps Research Institute who will study ocean acidification, marine debris, overfishing, and coral bleaching.

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Posted in Nature & Science 13 Comments

Recycling Your Gadgets Is Easier Than You Think

by Derek Markham on March 5th, 2009

We’re a nation of gadget lovers. Our computers and cellphones and MP3 players rapidly become outdated, obsolete, or simply not-so-cool anymore, and our consumer urge is to simply replace them instead of fixing or upgrading. The EPA estimates that 2.25 million tons of electronics were disposed of in 2007, and 80 to 85% of them [...]

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Posted in Gear+Gadgets, Recycling Services 2 Comments

DIY Solar Bike Trailer: Eco Pioneer

by Derek Markham on February 28th, 2009

The Greener Gadgets Design Competition brought tons of great green ideas into the limelight, from composters and Twittering electric metering devices to cardboard computers and public bicycle service systems. One of my personal favorites was the entry by Eco Pioneer, a DIY solar bike trailer. It’s a modern day covered wagon, ready to power your [...]

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Posted in Concept+Design, Gear+Gadgets 5 Comments

Choose Recycled Content Toilet Paper: Save Ancient Forests

by Derek Markham on February 26th, 2009

What’s your choice for taking care of business? Is it ultra-quilted? Made from virgin paper? If it is, you may be wiping out ancient forests with each swipe of the hand.

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Posted in Health+Beauty 3 Comments

Around the World Solar-Powered Airplane Flight: Solar Impulse Project

by Derek Markham on February 21st, 2009

Bertrand Piccard is a third generation adventurer working toward a high-flying goal: To develop the first airplane to be able to fly around the world using only solar power, generating no pollution during its flight.

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Posted in Concept+Design 3 Comments

Hydrogen-Fueled Gypsy Zeppelin

by Derek Markham on February 19th, 2009

An autonomous self-regenerating hydrogen-based zero-emission low-cost low-tech nomad houseboat airship. Wow. What an idea! Lieven Standaert, a Dutch engineer, architect and science teacher, has designed a ship that makes its own energy, using its propellers to generate hydrogen for fuel. The tagline? “Powered by wind, fueled by rain.”

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Posted in Concept+Design 4 Comments

Samsung’s Blue Earth: First Solar Powered Touchscreen Phone

by Derek Markham on February 14th, 2009

With a body made from recycled plastic, a solar panel for power on the back, an ‘eco-mode’ energy-saving setting, and a built-in ‘eco walk’ pedometer for calculating how much CO2 emissions you’ve saved by walking, the Samsung Blue Earth cell phone just set the bar for eco-friendly phones very high.

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Posted in Gear+Gadgets 9 Comments