Coming to a neighborhood near you – a great way for most utility companies to integrate solar power into their existing infrastructure.  New Jersey’s Petra Solar, Inc. has announced it will be producing 200,000 smart solar systems for installation on PSE&G utility and street light poles in the largest ‘pole-attached’ solar installation in the world.  The project, which the NJ Board of Public Utilities approved yesterday, will create more than 100 green jobs in installation, R&D, operations and manufacturing of the grid-connected solar PV system.

PSE&G’s $200 million contract will call for Petra Solar to make 200,000  units for installation on poles in New Jersey’s six largest cities and 300 rural and suburban communities.  The 3½ year contract will add 100 new “green jobs” to Petra’s existing, 40-person, employee base.

source: petrasolar.com

Back in 1950′s post-war Europe, someone had a vision.   A teensy, microcar for zipping around around the bustling, urban streets of Europe. Thus was born the Isetta, or bubble car, the dinosaur grandfather of today’s Smartcar.  The car was originally created by the Italian automaker Iso SpA and later made by several carmakers.  You entered the vehicle by opening and swinging out the hood which had the steering wheel and instrument panel attached to it. (more…)

This article on alternative medicine is submitted by our good friend and acupuncturist, Janine Ptaszek.

Ahh… allergies.  ‘Tis the season!  And has been for months for some of us.  What to do?

There are the conventional antihistamines out there, the over the counter standbys that we don’t want to take but grab to make us feel better enough to sleep, jog, take care of the kids… you fill in the blank.  But while these may work for a little while, often we need to keep tapping into those bottles to keep our symptoms at bay.  Also, the side effects of medications can be worse than our allergies, and many long term affects are untested and unknown.

As Chinese medicine grows more popular, people are turning to acupuncture and herbs for allergy relief.  As a licensed acupuncturist in New York and NJ, I see many of these cases.  My experience is that it works. (more…)

All you iPhone and Blackberry fanatics can soon look forward to topping-off your tired batteries with an integrated solar charger.

The Powcell sleeve, which will charge via sunlight or most ambient light sources, is designed to fit nicely onto the back of your mobile device.  You can now pre-order one of these sleek, sustainable phone chargers – though there’s no word on when you can expect delivery…

more info, (£59.99) @ powcell.com

• Unfortunately, things are heating up…Scientists Expect Wildfires to Increase as Climate Warms – sciencedaily
• In today’s robot news…Robot Attacked Swedish Factory Worker – thelocal.se
• Our emissions, not theirs…Poor Nations Seek 95% Emissions Cuts by 2050 – earthtimes
• Today’s best headline…51 Headless Vikings Found in English Execution Pit? – natgeo
• Anybody got George Hamilton’s phone number?…‘No Doubt’ Sunbeds Cause Cancer – bbc
• You can now add snakes-in-your-pants to texting as a driving distraction…Driver Tells Conn. Police Snakes Led to SUV Crash – aol news

The U.K.’s By Nature is launching a new range of kids’ lunch kits that are reusable and waste-free.

Reusable lunch kits can help eliminate the daily disposal of foil, plastic bags, used juice cartons and containers destined for the landfill, sidewalk or playground.  The colorful lunch sets come in a choice of kid-friendly caterpillar or butterfly designs. (more…)

The benefits to owning a hybrid car just keep growing.

Not only do you reduce your carbon footprint, help the planet, reduce your gasoline expense and potentially qualify for a tax credit, but you may now get a fat 10% deduction on your car insurance from companies like Travelers and Farmers Insurance Group.

Recent stats show that, though repairs on hybrids may be more expensive, green car buyers tend to drive more carefully and with fewer fender benders and bodily injuries – thus reducing insurance claims.

This Sunday, August 2nd, expect to see the much-hyped, new Nissan electric vehicle unveiled when the Japanese automaker officially opens the doors to new world headquarters in Yokohama.

You can catch a glimpse of the zero emission car’s smooth styling by checking out their new micro site… but don’t expect to see much. The yet-to-be-named, five-seater EV gives us a coy peek at its front end, which looks a not-so-much-like these prototype images, released last weekend.

Expected to garner a 100-mile range, the lithium-ion battery powered car (you’ll find the battery pack tucked under the car floor) will hit dealer lots in the U.S. and Japan in 2010. In it, drivers can feast their eyes on a navigation system that alerts passengers of the current electric charge and then calculates the range necessary to drive to a given destination. (Owners can also check the charge via cell phone. Hello, iPhone app.)

Get the full scoop on the new EV and all of Nissan’s eco efforts by taking a look at their Green Program, touting the philosophy: Seeking a symbiosis of people, vehicles and nature.

Until then, tell us: Which new green ride has got you salivating most? Honda’s CR-Z Concept, the new 2010 Prius, XR3 Personal Transit Vehicle or Enertia Electric Motorcycle?

This prototype combines 2 of my passions — recycling and salads…throw in a side of clean laundry, and we’ve hit the trifecta.

Conceptually, a it’s a fresh spin on cleaning small loads of laundry and delicates. Let’s get this baby to market — the Laundry POD: lightweight, portable, made from recycled materials, easy to store and effective.  As an apartment dweller who traverses the building and travels 5 floors to launder my clothes, the idea of washing little ditties in a salad spinner-inspired device that I can tuck under my sink sounds cool.  You could even take the gray water and give your plants a drink.  In theory, it’s a great way to save energy and water, and quickly clean that little pile of ditties.  Designed by RKS, it placed 4th at this year’s Greener Gadgets Design Competitition.