Imagine if … the energy from footsteps could be harvested and converted into electricity.

Think about all of the people racing up and down the stairs of a busy train station, the children running around in a school gym, and the folks dancing at a zumba class.  Think about capturing all of that energy.  Pavegen, a company based in London, uses recycled materials to manufacture tiles that can convert the kinetic energy of footprints into electricity.  Earlier this year, Pavagen installed 8 of their tiles at the Riverdale Country School, a private school in NY.  The tiles power a smartphone charging center at the school. 

Why stop with footsteps?  If an emergency radio can be powered by a crank, wouldn’t it be nice if revolving doors could power the lights?  How about harvesting all of the kinetic energy in a playground – swings, slides, ladders? 

(This post was shared on Reduce Footprints Meet & Greet LinkUp)

Imagine if … roads, parking lots and driveways were embedded with solar energy collectors.

SolarRoadways, a husband-and-wife team, is making solar tiles that can do just that.  The tiles are strong enough to be driven over, and they collect energy from the sun.   SolarRoadways has already built a prototype driveway and are now in the midst of an indiegogo crowdsourcing campaign to raise money to build a manufacturing plant. 

Prototype Solar Driveway by SolarRoadways 

Think about the enormous surface area of asphalt exposed to the sun - all of the miles and miles of roads, parking lots, and driveways.  Imagine if the sunlight reaching those roads could be collected and converted into electricity to make communities less dependent on fossil fuels.  Solar tiles in roads allow energy to be produced close to where it will be used, which is much more efficient than transporting energy over long distances.  Decentralizing our energy sources also makes us much more resilient- for example, severe weather would be less likely to lead to widespread power outages. 

One more perk of using solar tiles is that the solar energy captured could be used to melt snow and ice on highways and driveways during winter.  The benefits would be huge:  energy and resource savings (no need to buy and transport salt!), increased safety and no more salt contamination of the surrounding environment.   

Thoughts?

(This post was shared on Reduce Footprints Meet & Greet LinkUp and Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party Hop )

Imagine if suburban gardening crews created organic farms on their customers’ lawns

Imagine if instead of hiring gardeners to mow their lawns each week, suburbanites could hire gardeners to come and grow food on all or a portion of their property.

What do you think?

It would probably be quieter and less polluting than using lawn mowers, weed-wackers and leaf blowers.  Different plans could be available– the pick-your-own plan where gardeners plant and weed, but let the homeowners have the fun of harvesting, or the full service plan, where gardeners plant, weed, harvest and leave the fruits and veggies in a basket by the door.

While some of us (including me!) love to grow our own food, other people don’t have the time and/or inclination to garden.   Wouldn't it be great to give folks an option that was just as easy and convenient as hiring gardeners to tend their lawn? 

Imagine if ... public transportation connected the Hudson line, Harlem line and New Haven line of the Metro-North Railroad

Imagine if ... a light rail ran along Route 35 in Westchester connecting three branches of the Metro-North Railroad lines:  the Hudson line, the Harlem line and the New Haven line.  

The light rail would stop at the Peekskill train station on the Hudson line, the Katonah train station on the Harlem line, and the Branchville, CT train station on the New Haven line.  

Additional stops would be made along the way in Yorktown, NY and Ridgefield, CT.  

What do you think?
Would you ride on this if it existed?
Is there another place you think a light rail connection would help?
All thoughts, comments appreciated!!

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