We’re hearing a lot about alternative energy these days. But ethanol, wind and wave energy, and fuel cells, so far have many negative externalities. Solar power is still inefficient and expensive. Why don’t we hear more about the potential of free energy, the energy that exists freely in air, and is available to all nations equally? Check out this link to see all the potential technologies that can tap free energy.

I’ve also been thinking about the fresh water problem. At least one-third of the planet faces severe water shortages. More than one billion people worldwide lack access to safe and sufficient water for their household needs, subsistence and livelihoods.

Now, here’s a wild thought - what if free energy could power atmospheric water generators, a developing technology that can produce water from the humidity in air (link)?

Business 2.0, which will sadly be shutting down, has an interesting feature this month about a concept for urban towers dedicated to farming.

This is an interesting variation of my idea - the urban-suburban neighborhood tower [click here].

Parans Products is developing a fiber optic lighting solution, which can distribute natural sun light throughout a building via fiber optics.

Check out this link for the full list and information.

Business Week has a feature about an MIT Media Lab city car concept, which is inspired by stackable airport luggage carts.

For more information, click here.

I also discovered a Popular Science feature of cool concept vehicles.

A 400 horse power, all electric vehicle with an extendable payload bed:

A 4 seater, high performance, electric vehicle, with hub motors, and aerodynamic design, which takes advantage of high-speed airflow:

A modular family car:

Be sure to watch this video of a solar power plant in Seville, Spain, a glimpse into the future.

Also, Solar Electricity Vehicles is developing vehicle solar technology, so a hybrid vehicle can be 30% more efficient. At a cost of $2,000-$4,000, the cost is estimated to be recuperated within 2-3 years, with tax incentives.

British Greenbottle has developed biodegradable, plastic packaging, which is made from corn starch.  The inner-bladder is protected by fully recycled cardboard, in an innovative two-part system.

As a video guy, I have to say the following video isn’t even worth your time to watch.  However, the concept is interesting.  The building is basically pre-fab in a factory, and assembled resource efficiently and quickly.  Each floor spins like a turbine to generate power, and the tower can potentially generate enough power to not only power itself, but also 10 other similarly sized structures.

[Thanks, Gizmodo and TechEBlog]

It was Nikola Tesla, who first proposed there was unlimited energy that could potentially be tapped and beamed to earth from the ionosphere. In a different twist to a similar concept, there’s an article on Space.com about the potential to build huge solar satellites that orbit the earth and beam energy to us via microwave technology. Of course, billions of dollars would need to be spent on r and d and infrastructure, but as the article points out, we’re already spending billions securing our oil in the Middle East, and the prospective cost of global warming could be even more.

Check out the article here.

[And, in other space related news and insights, be sure to check out Roger von Oech’s post today about the “Thuban Phenomenon.”]

British Greenbottle has developed a patent-pending, biodegradable, plastic packaging, which is made of corn starch.  The biodegradable inner-bladder is protected by fully recycled cardboard, in an innovative two-part system.