6.30.11: In this week’s feature we asked the question: What would you invent to combat carbon dioxide emissions? No wrong answers.

We spoke with Physicist Klaus Lackner of Columbia University’s Earth Institute and learned how his invention, the synthetic tree, can remove one ton of carbon dioxide a day from the atmosphere. We also heard from  group of seventh graders at the school Quest 2 Learn on how aerial dones and water powered cars can save the earth.

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Tags: aerial drones, carbon, carbon capture, climate change, congress, klaus lackner, lamborghini, quest 2 learn, solar panel, synthetic tree, water run car

02.22.11: NNR takes a look at clean technology for clues on what our much hyped Sputnik moment might look like.  We speak with clean tech reporter, Jon Hiskes of Sustainable Industries magazine on allocations for renewables in Obama’s proposed 2012 budget and the venture capital sector’s approach to clean technology.

We also sit down with clean tech investor, Ben Maher of Litchfield Holdings, to discuss the challenges of raising capital and the federal support that would help his start-ups.

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Tags: 2012 white house budget, carbon, clean tech, coal, fossil fuels, obama, oil, renewable energy, solar power, subsidies, venture capital, wind power

by Genevieve Joy

11.13.10: Carbon cutting is now a competitive sport. And the referee is WattzOn, a free online tool that helps you understand your energy usage, compare it to other people, and watch how your consumption changes as you begin to pay more attention. You can even learn about Embodied Energy, the number of watts used in the production of the things we own like laptops (7,725 watts) and armchairs (.772 watts).

When you sign up, the site prompts you with questions about your flying, commuting, housing, food and “stuff”.  It then spits out your total consumption. For the “housing” section, have your electricity bill ready because you’ll want to answer to the watt.

As a user, I can see how life-changing WattzOn could be.  I have access to informative blog posts, forums for discussion, groups to join (although at the moment most have under ten members, one notable exception being 15 San Francisco Users).  I am able to compare myself to the average WattzOn user and see that I fly way too much (1,333 watts) but am below average on commuting (129 watts).

Even more fun, you can do a “face off” against another user.  I was fairly content with my 3,367 watts until I saw that the average WattzOn user consumes 2,785 watts.*  My blood began to boil, my competitive juices flowed.  Then again, the average American consumes 11,400 watts—this emphasizes the necessity of a tool like Wattzon, but also the fact that those who use it aren’t the ones who really need to.*

The problem with the site is that, helpful though it may be, it requires time and input from its users.  You give a lot to get a lot.  The “About” page on the site reads: “Through Wikipedia-like data editing, WattzOn is looking to people to enter data from their own experiences to help us all understand how we use energy in our lives.”

Let’s face it, this is not a tool for the lazy consumer, but maybe it’s time to recognize that we can’t afford to be lazy much longer.  I recommend taking ten minutes out of your day to find out about your energy use.  And maybe engage in some healthy carbon competition.

*These numbers can be found on WattzOn after registration.

Tags: carbon, commuting, electricity, energy, watts, wattzon