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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) today announced the all-new Lexus 2011 CT 200h hybrid vehicle earned a “Top Safety Pick” award. The CT 200h, which went on sale in March 2011, has 134 total system horsepower and has achieved EPA estimated fuel economy ratings of 43 mpg city and 40 mpg on the highway for a combined 42 mpg utilizing regular 87-octane gasoline. The “Top Safety Pick” is the highest safety designation awarded by the IIHS. To qualify for the award, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of “good” in the IIHS’ front, side, rollover, and rear impact evaluations and be equipped with electronic stability control. The announcement was released on the IIHS website http://www.iihs.org. The IIHS is an independent non-profit research and communications organization funded by auto insurance companies.
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (5/26/2011) — University of Minnesota researchers have developed a portfolio of degradable plastics derived from renewable resources that could serve as a viable alternative to plastics made from petroleum and natural gas. These materials have the potential to be safer, more sustainable alternatives to plastics currently on the market. “Nearly all synthetic chemicals and materials are derived from fossil fuels,” said Marc Hillmyer, Distinguished McKnight University Professor of chemistry and director of theCenter for Sustainable Polymers. “To wean ourselves from such products, we must develop alternatives based on renewable resources as a means toward a sustainable polymer industry.” Polylactides (PLA) are degradable polymers that can be used in a variety of products, from medical devices and sutures to food packaging and diapers. These polymers could reduce the country’s reliance on materials derived from crude oil. However, PLA has a few property deficiencies in comparison to other polymers, such as its tendency to soften at higher temperatures, a feature that limits utility in food and beverage packaging applications. Hillmyer and his colleagues have developed new types of polyactide-based materials that have potential to solve these problems.
Green Start-Ups Compete for Impressive Prizes Two of the biggest challenges of being a start-up – particularly one competing in the red hot green industry – is getting noticed, and getting funded. That’s why competitions – like GE’s Ecomagination Challenge – are vital to eco entrepreneurs: they promote and fund some of the world’s best and brightest ideas for sustainability. The first installment of the $200 million Challenge – the “Powering the Grid” competition, which wrapped in November – upped the ante in terms of funding. GE announced today that that it intends to acquire FMC-Tech, an Ireland-based leading provider of real-time power line monitoring technology – and one of twelve Challenge winners with the best ideas for bringing the power grid into the 21st century. GE’s ecomagination Challenge: Powering Your Home is the most recent open call to action for businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators and students with breakthrough ideas for home energy creation, management and use.
In the Past Two Years, the Nation’s Premier Department Store Chain Has Replaced Over 400,000 Hot & Costly Halogen Spotlights with Super Efficient LED Lights, including the amazing 12 watt MSi iPAR. National Department store chain Macy’s has announced a wide ranging program to reduce energy consumption and waste as part of the company's comprehensive effort to promote sustainability and operating efficiency. Part of this program includes the continued replacement of halogen lighting with long life, super efficient LED lighting, including MSi iPAR’s. Last year Macy’s replaced over 130,000 60 watt halogen bulbs, and in 2011 another 280,000 LED lights will be installed in over 200 stores. The conversion to LED was a simple matter of unscrewing the old lights and screwing in the new ones, but the results were immediate and dramatic. Unlike hot & high wattage halogen lights, the extremely efficient LED lights use a fraction of the wattage and produce very little heat, lowering the amount of energy needed for air conditioning. “Macy’s is serious about operating their stores in an efficient manner,” said Bruce Johnson, MSi managing partner. “LED lighting will help them reach that goal by providing them with a highly efficient light source that consumes less energy and produces very little heat.”
