Where design and sustainability cross paths

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Abdolhadi Mirhejazi’s Naturmobil: A New Way to Think About Horsepower!

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No, you’re eyes are not deceiving you. This vehicle really runs on genuine horsepower, and it even has a patent! Whoever thought mankind would return to the horse as inspiration for transportation alternatives, in the effort to free us from oil dependency? Well, Dubai-based Iranian inventor Abdolhadi Mirhejazi has done just that with his DIY Naturmobil from Fleethorse, LLC, which has been getting some press over the past year, for its shall we say, innovative approach to transportation design. With top speeds of up to 80 km/h the vehicle operates with a horse walking on a slightly inclined conveyor belt, which moves the gears serving six motorcycle wheels, with enough energy left over, to power a small battery for headlights and to act as backup power when the horse gets fatigued and needs to rest (the horse is constantly monitored to keep track of body temperature and heart rate). This process can even maintain enough power to run two LCD monitors on the side of the vehicle, for video advertisements. As you can imagine, a project like this needs constant funding for development, so Mirhejazi and his marketing manager are seeking investors, and planning to exhibit the Naturmobil at the upcoming Invention and New Product Exhibition in Pittsburg, California this coming June.

Although this may not be the most practical solution to oil dependency and auto-based pollution, it certainly offers a unique take on how we could design our modes of transportation to have less negative environmental impact, rather than sticking with the status quo. You never know, by implementing some rigorous lateral thinking, concepts like this may lead the R&D teams at Toyota, Honda and GM, to come up with radical new technologies for the cars of the future. Probably without the horses though…

Via XPRESS of Dubai

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Pet Doo-doo Dilemmea

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Are you one of the millions of pet owners who experience second degree duty grief every day? Every time you take your dog for a walk, do you take along a doo-doo bag?  Every time you change the kitty litter, do you scoop it into a plastic bag to have a stink free trash? For all of you pet owners out there, your pets can now do their business and you can get off guilt free. (Disclaimer: this does not solve the actual litter toxicity problem but does although solve excrament disposal issues.)

New to the market this summer, Perf Go Green is introducing a full line of 100% biodegradable kitty litter bags and waste bags of all sizes.  When less than 2% of plastic bags get recycled, it is easy to see the responsible next step. Standard plastic bags take anywhere from 100-500 years to break down, while biodegradable bags take anywhere from 12-24 months to break down leaving far less mass in landfills annually.

Manufactured by Spectrum Plastics, these bags are composed of recycled plastic, OXO-biodegradable additives, and are designed with a perforated film to aid in the decomposition process. Keep your eye peeled and your conscience out of the guilt weeds.