Green Gadgets

Not all green gadgets are efficient, environmentally friendly products, but this teenager has been winning awards for creating such a device.

Param Jaggi, a 17-year-old high school student received a sustainability award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency for his anti-pollution invention.

Millions of high school students across the world compete in annual science fairs.

One thousand five hundred winners from sixty-five countries are then selected to compete in the Intel® International Science and Engineering Fair - the world's largest science fair for pre-college students.

The Environmental Protection Agency evaluates participants green gadgets, and environmentally friendly products, and recognizes one student with the prestigious Sustainability Award.

Jaggi's invention is a bioactive energy carbon dioxide filter that inserts into a vehicle's exhaust pipe. The filter is a transparent gas canister with gas permeable membranes as entry and exist ports.

Carbon dioxide enters the canister and passes through a solution containing live algae. Through photosynthesis the carbon dioxide is converted into oxygen and released into the air.

"It puts us a step forward in society, where we could decrease our effect on the carbon imprint and still do it at a very consumer friendly cost and benefit," said Param.

Carbon Footprint Calculator

A carbon footprint is a measurement for the emissions of greenhouse gases (commonly expressed as carbon dioxide) that are created by activities or accumulated during the life cycle of a product.

The major sources of carbon dioxide emissions from humans are from burning fossil fuels (home heating, electricity and transportation) and deforestation.

A carbon footprint calculator measures your demand and influence on the environment based upon your consumption and pollution.

Carbon footprint calculators compare your life style, consumption and pollution to the earth's capacity to regenerate enough resources to support your activities.

These calculators are freely available to use online and allow you to assess your carbon footprint and determine your requirement for green gadgets.

Param Jaggi's invention, for example, reduces the carbon emissions created by driving fossil fueled vehicles.

Sources: epa.gov; societyforscience.org;.ipcc.ch Graphic: Uspto Photo: Jack Tse

Farm Irrigation

As climate changes, global warming causes extreme weather conditions around the world - including drought.

In Australia, vasts tracts of land have experienced the worst droughts in over a century. Agriculture in these areas has been devastated as farmers struggle to produce their crops under a sea of debt and no water.

Farm irrigation under such conditions is an expensive proposition. So inventor, Edward Linnacre, created a simple garden irrigation system.

The Airdrop is an effective solution on how to save water that exists in the air. Even in the driest of deserts, air contains moisture but harvesting that water usually requires large amounts of energy and refridgeration units, which is very expensive.

Linnacre's invention recaptures moisture that has evaporated into the air and returns it to the soil using a simple, inexpensive, new technology gadget.

A fan that is powered by both the wind and solar, sucks air into a coil that wraps around a tube stuck into the ground.

The air cools to produce condensation that is stored in an underground tank. The water is then pumped into the soil through drip irrigation hoses to feed the roots of plants. A computerized screen displays all relevent functions - water levels, pump pressure, float cut off switch and solar battery strength.

Linnacre got his inspiration from studing the Namib beetle, a species that survives in dry climates by collecting condensation through it's skin.

The Airdrop received the 2011 James Dyson Award for design and engineering. The award is granted annually by the James Dyson Foundation, established by the billionaire inventor of the Dyson vacuum cleaner.

Related Article: New Technolgy Gadgets

Sources: jamesdysonaward.org; dailymail.co.uk