Green Technology

There's nothing particularly organic about a robot, even if you dress it in hemp and fuel it with alternative energy. But these five can help our planet one mechanical movement at a time.

By Robert Lamb

Sure, your hair dryer or toaster sucks up a lot of kilowatt-hours during the short time it's on, but what are the truly big drains on your home energy budget?

By Julia Layton & Sascha Bos

While rebates and tax credits have put solar power within reach for many homeowners, it's still an expensive undertaking. How do you make sure you get your money's worth?

By Julia Layton

Energy efficiency is starting to rank right up there with speed and power in terms of desirable attributes for a computer. What are five of the most energy-efficient computers on the market?

By Maria Trimarchi

Some of the newest ideas in technology come from very old ideas -- they're inspired by nature. How do the plants and animals around us give engineers ideas?

By Jonathan Strickland

There are seven different numbers you might see on a plastic container. And each number has its own meaning.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus & Desiree Bowie

Eco-plastic seems like an oxymoron, and it very well may be. What exactly is eco-plastic, and does it really help the environment?

By Julia Layton

The Northeast Blackout of 2003 left millions without power and cost approximately $6 billion. Experts believe we can avoid future blackouts by storing energy along the U.S. electric grid.

By Susan L. Nasr

Did you ever make a potato clock as a kid? If so, you already understand the basic principles that make a soil lamp work.

By Julia Layton

There are two main ways of generating energy from the sun. But one -- solar thermal technology -- is really poised to take off as a clean, reliable form of alternative energy.

By Maria Trimarchi

A 10-minute shower can seem like nothing on a cold, sleepy morning, but it might cost you 50 gallons of water (or more). Is there a way to limit the volume of water you use?

By Julia Layton

The controversial technology of reflecting sunlight away from the planet could help blunt the worst impacts of climate change. Harvard University climate scientist David Keith weighs in.

By Betsy Mason

We live in a universe of clocks. The technology may not sound as dependable as your cell phone alarm clock, but humans have turned to water-powered clocks for more than three and a half millennia.

By Robert Lamb

As far back as 1500 B.C.E., people were trying to purify water to make it drinkable. And we're still at it. Today inventors use tools as simple as clay and as sophisticated as carbon nanotubes to bring clean water to the world.

By Patrick J. Kiger

You know what geothermal energy is -- heat from the Earth. Could a new twist on geothermal power help countries achieve energy independence?

By Susan L. Nasr

Without a doubt, plastic is useful. It's also everywhere - filling up landfills and recycling bins. These 10 twists on the common polymer are trying to change that reality.

By Maria Trimarchi, Patrick J. Kiger & Vicki M. Giuggio

Plants produce energy so perfectly: converting sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into power and emitting nothing harmful in the process. Can we imitate such an elegant system?

By Julia Layton & Yara Simón

Solar energy is clean and plentiful. There's one big problem, though: The sun doesn't shine all the time. Is there a way to keep solar plants powered up through the night?

By Julia Layton

Alternative energy usually means something is mined, refined, collected or grown. But gravity-powered floor lamps rely only on a force of nature -- and the strength of a human being.

By Julia Layton

Photovoltaic solar panels are like windows -- they build up a coating of grime that requires a good cleaning from time to time. What's the alternative to climbing the roof with a squeegee and bucket of suds?

By Maria Trimarchi

Gasification could represent a second chance for coal. Will this old technology, which can run on coal or biomass, get a new life as one of the most important energy alternatives of the future?

By William Harris

How much energy does your TV use when it's plugged in all night? How much power is your stereo system draining from the socket monthly? The Kill A Watt and other energy monitors help you find out.

By Julia Layton

Cellulosic ethanol can be made from any old stem, leaf or tree trunk. Farm wastes, grass clippings and recycled newspaper will work, too. So when can we expect this alternative fuel to arrive at gas stations?

By Susan L. Nasr

Many of us take clean water for granted, but hundreds of millions of people have no access to it. Luckily, technologies like LifeStraw can help make water safer for individuals and families who desperately need it.

By Martha Barksdale & Kate Kershner

As the symbol of innovation, the incandescent light bulb is not very innovative. Luckily, there's a new type of light bulb -- a greener one -- that stands poised to replace Edison's most famous invention as the icon of ideation.

By William Harris & Sascha Bos