At the Designing Sustainable Mobility Summit, Volkswagen showcased their lineup of clean cars. The summit is being held at the Art Center College of Design which is located in Southern California. The conference facilitates the sharing of ideas of transportation experts and designers on the development of technology that will make future car designs friendlier to the environment.

At the said event Volkswagen of America offers those in attendance the chance to experience the present technology being developed by the car manufacturer. Among the cars that attendees will have the chance to drive is a car that runs on biodiesel or a combination of biodiesel and ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. A car that runs on hydrogen will also be present along with those cars that are equipped with highly efficient gasoline engines.

The car maker’s goal in letting the participants of the summit drive the said cars is to emphasize that the use of alternative fuel is not just applicable in theory. Volkswagen aims to show that the technology is already present and it is working already. It is just a matter of time before cars such as the ones showcased will start rolling out of their assembly plants for use of the anticipating public. “It’s important to demonstrate that raising the bar in such important areas as fuel efficiency and emission reduction isn’t just accomplished with exotic or future-oriented technologies,” Ron Cogan said. Cogan is the editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal, the host of the summit’s ride-and-drive segment. “Volkswagen’s demonstration of its clean diesel and twin charger engines provides real-world examples of environmentally positive technologies that are opening on highways today,” he further adds.

During the event, Volkswagen will be offering their Touareg V-10 TDI engine which runs on B5 biodiesel. The fuel is a mixture of conventional ultra low sulfur diesel fuel and biodiesel. The combination provides power for the engine while releasing only a small amount of harmful gas in its exhaust. In connection with the development of Volkswagen of their vehicles that run on biodiesel, they are offering an extended warranty to further promote the use of biodiesel. Their effort to produce vehicles which run on alternative fuel helps in the preservation of the world’s fossil fuel reserves. The Touareg will be available for the summit’s attendees to drive on public roads. Such would be done so as to show how well a car running on alternative fuel performs.

Also present in the event and available for participants to drive is Volkswagen’s highly efficient twin charger engine that is currently being developed by the car maker. The powerplant provides great power packed in a relatively small engine. The high level of power being produced by the engine is due to its use of a supercharger and a turbocharger system. The engine’s supercharger aids the engine during low rpm ratings while the turbocharger kicks in at mid-range revs per minute and higher. The said engine is already being used in Europe and has received much praise for its gas mileage rating. The car manufacturer is considering introducing the engine in the United States market. The engine’s performance can also be complemented with high quality parts like EBC Redstuff brake pads.

Volkswagen’s Touran HyMotion hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle will also be showcased. The Touran is a concrete example of Volkswagen’s dedication in the development of zero emission vehicles. For almost ten years now, the car maker has exerted efforts in the development of practical hydrogen fuel cells that can be used for mass produced vehicles. The Touran uses high-temperature fuel cells that are compact, light and very durable. The development of such hydrogen fuel cells can cut down the manufacturing cost which will make mass production possible and practical.

Your office is a home away from home for you and your employees, so the right office environment is very important. After all, most people spend between eight and ten hours a day at the office, usually five days a week. That’s a lot of time spent with colleagues and office furniture instead of relaxing on a sofa with their loved ones at home!

If you design your office properly and decorate it with some unique touches, however, you’ll soon discover that your co-workers are less stressed, more productive and generally in a better frame of mind. Why? Because the right office environment affects your mood. Here are some tips for creating a unique office environment that make coming to work a lot more enjoyable.

1. Remember that traditional doesn’t have to be boring. Is this an insurance office? Law office? That doesn’t mean you have to stick with stodgy office furniture and traditional dark leather furnishings. Mix it up by considering traditional styles in bright, contemporary colors or go with traditional dark leathers and fabrics but choose unusual furniture like the newer mesh back designs that are comfortable and sleek. The unexpected always livens things up.

2. Focus on little details for big impact. Every office desk chair has to have one of those awful plastic or rubber mats to protect the floor, right? Wrong! Check out some of the beautiful new options that protect wood floors and carpeting while putting style under everyone’s feet. You can get elegant, durable wood floor mats with rubber backing that work anywhere and come in rich woods like walnut, cherry, teak and bamboo. Everyone will feel like they have their own hardwood floor!

3. Forget the motivational posters. You see them in every office, with photos of eagles soaring or someone climbing a mountain and an inspirational quote at the bottom. Ditch these and go for something more high-end and less junior high. One or two fine art prints, professionally matted and framed, will look so much more elegant than ten motivational posters. They’ll even make your office furniture look newer and brighter.

4. Open things up. Your reception area doesn’t have to look daunting. In fact, you should aim for an office environment that’s welcoming for your clients, so get rid of the 1980′s corporate power desk where the receptionist perches to look down on everyone who walks in. A smaller, lower desk will seem more approachable. The same goes for your reception area. You don’t need long banks or chairs stiffly lined up against the wall – it’s too cold and sterile. Instead, scatter chairs around the room in informal groupings with small tables in between.

And while you’re at it, remove any partitions between desks that aren’t absolutely necessary. Studies have shown that blocking everyone up into cubicles doesn’t enhance improvement. An open work area with desks that have a clear view of each other actually encourages performance.

5. Use bolder colors. Old school decorating rules for offices would tell you to stay neutral and stick with soothing, calming colors; in other words – bland. But if you want a unique office environment that people will remember and feel good about, you should stand out – and the quickest way to achieve that is with color – bold, intense color! Choose bright, saturated colors for your walls, or paint only two walls and paint the other two in a more muted version. The message? Your company is bold, innovative and energetic!

6. Show your animal side. Animal prints can work in an office! Yes, small doses of these wonderful prints can give you a truly unique office décor as long as it’s not overpowering. Try office chairs upholstered in matching animal prints. In a sleek chrome and black office, zebra print task chairs will look wonderful. If you’ve decorated in rich shades of honey and warm woods, tiger striped chairs will add the final touch to your office furniture. Just remember to stick with one print and use it for only one thing – don’t go overboard with too much of a great thing.

this tutorial will show you how to make a double underground garage and how easy it is to turn it into a modern house

Duration : 0:9:16

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Technorati Tags: 02, double, earth homes, garage, modern, the, tutorial, under, underground garage, underground house

On January 17th, 1995 a massive earthquake hit the region of Kobe, Japan. This quake was unique in that it occurred at the intersection of three tectonic plates. This resulted in enormous damage to the area. Buildings collapsed, roads were destroyed, and utilities went offline for days.

An earthquake will cause damage in two ways. Initially damage is caused as a direct effect of the shift in the tectonic plates. In this incident the shifting plates resulted in ground displacements as large as 3 meters along the fault line. Fortunately the actual fault line did not go through the heart of the port city of Kobe. In this case the direct effect damage was limited to the destruction of underground utility lines, fences, and drainage ditches. The rapid shift in displacement of the ground along the fault line sheared the underground lines like butter, cutting off all major utilities.

Most of the damage caused in this earthquake was the result of the secondary effects of the quake which radiated out from the epicenter. Secondary effects from a quake of this magnitude may take many forms including aftershocks, liquefaction, fissuring, and possibly triggering additional quakes. Wooden houses collapsed from the severe shaking of the ground. Many buildings suffered extensive damage from the 5th floor and higher. This was attributed to the building codes at the time that relaxed the structural requirements of the buildings from the 5th floor up.

The social impact of this quake was devastating. The Japanese had considered themselves to be well prepared for such an event. It was thought that their buildings, mostly made of wood, were better able to withstand the shaking and shearing forces brought on by quakes because of the material’s ability to flex, and bend. What they did not count on was the effect that the heavy tiled roofs would have on their structures. The heavy weight of the roof, placed on the lighter wood frame created a whiplash effect that turned these wooden structures into rubble. Making matters worse was the fact that roads where damaged, and those that where not damaged were covered in debris. The rubble strewn everywhere made it very hard to navigate into the area and render assistance, resulting in a much longer and more difficult recovery period. In all, 5000 people died as a result of this disaster.

The economic effects of this earthquake where just as devastating. The clean-up and repair of all the damage cost millions of dollars. Local businesses, even those not located directly in the areas of major destruction, where unable to resume business, as local utilities had suffered major damage and remained offline. In some cases it took as much as 2 months to effect repairs.

The Japanese thought they where prepared for any eventuality. They built their homes and buildings using techniques and materials that they thought would withstand the forces that an earthquake would create. Yet, despite all their preparation and planning, the result was still a disaster of colossal magnitude. Some 5000 people lost their lives; buildings, houses, roads, highways, and all major services where damaged, and tremendous financial loss, and hardship resulted. There is no such thing as being too prepared.

Technorati Tags: earth quakes, infrastructer, Kobe Japan

Straw bale house conctruction is shown in this movie trailer for the “Building With Awareness” DVD video. Straw bale walls, thermal mass walls, earth plaster techniques, and passive solar design are all explained in this how-to DVD on building with natural materials.

Duration : 0:3:59

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Technorati Tags: bale, building, construction, green, homes, straw

This short video is about the myths surrounding straw bale building. It was put together to help deal with the rumors and myths that have been circulating about straw bale building. One of my clients asked me to put this together to show her real estate agent who was telling her a lot of lies about straw bale. I hope you enjoy this.
Happy Baling
Andrew

Duration : 0:6:48

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Technorati Tags: bail, bale, building, construction, hay, home, house, straw, strawbail, strawbale

What are “Earth Homes?” Earth homes are houses that are basically constructed from the earth. Some earth homes are built from adobe, mud, straw or even underground as an earth-sheltered home. Environmentally friendly, earth homes are easy to warm and cool and extremely energy efficient.

Adobe Earth homes are houses constructed from bricks comprised of tightly compacted earth, clay and straw. Adobe earth homes can be naturally waterproofed by using fermented cactus juice!

Earth sheltered earth homes are houses the are constructed underground – or at least mostly beneath the ground surface. Surrounding soil is a superp and nautral insulation which makes these homes cheap to heat and cool. Usually installed in a well-drained hillside, earth sheltered homes have a skylight window that can fill the home with natural sunlight. Although costs may run a bit higher than conventional home construction, earth sheltered homes are a good, long-term investment as lowered maintenance and energy savings make up the difference.

Straw Bale earth homes are making a comeback as well. Straw bale earth homes are obviously constructed of straw and grass, are energy efficient, and can cut material building costs by as much as fifty percent.

Earth homes, such as Cob Houses are built from clay-type lumps of soil, sand and straw. Similar to the adobe homes, except cob earth homes do not use bricks or blocks. Cob homes have walls that are sculpted into smooth forms. Again, very energy efficient, cob homes are well-suited for the very cold climates and deserts.

Rammed earth homes may have over 18-inch, thick walls that are made from a comcination of dirt, sand, cement and water. Energy conservative, rammed earth homes have the appearance of bungalow-style charm and help keep the house warm in winter and cool in the summer. Additionally, rammed earth homes may last hundreds of years.

Why build an earth home? Earth homes conserve energy, and in most cases are easier to maintain and can endure for years to come. An excellent site to visit on earth homes: www.hobbithomes.ca This particular site even has a recipe for building your own “cob” earth home, as well as other projects.

As we embark on a strange, new age and global warming continuously on the rise, doesn’t it make sense to construct your new custom home as an earth home?

©2004 – All Rights Reserved Environmentally-Friendly Earth Homes C. Bailey-Lloyd / Lady Camelot

About the Author: C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot is the Public Relations Director & Writer for Holistic Junction — Your source of information for Holistic Practitioners; Naturopathic Schools, Massage Therapy Schools, and Reflexology Schools; Alternative Healthcare; Insightful Literature and so much more!

NOTICE: Article may be republished free of charge as long as Author Resource Box (above) is included, and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN in tact and active.

Technorati Tags: adobe earth homes, cob houses, earth home, earth sheltered homes, straw bale earth homes