Ecologue

Solid waste is only one part of the equation, and it is important to keep yourself aware of the whole problem. That’s why this week, we’ll be delving into stories that relate to both waste and energy.

Man secedes from United States to build wind turbine

What lengths would you go to be sustainable? For Segway inventor Dean Kamen, it meant seceding from the United States in order to build a wind turbine.

Known as North Dumpling Island, the micronation now has its own constitution, flag, currency, anthem, and even a navy (which consists of a single boat). The entire country, which sits on a two-acre island plot off the coast of Connecticut, is entirely carbon neutral, being run entirely by wind and solar power.

All of the lighting on the island uses LEDs, which help reduce waste by being energy efficient and longer lasting than traditional incandescent bulbs, and less toxic than their fluorescent counterparts.

The light bulb that’s lasted a century 

The Centennial Lightbulb is the world’s longest-lasting light bulb, having run continuously for 113 years. The bulb has only been turned off a small number of times, and has a 24-hour live camera feed, which people may watch online at any time.

The bulb is often showcased as evidence for planned obsolescence, which is when a product is designed to break down or weaken after a certain period of time.

This post is part of the “Reedcycler’s Believe it or Not” blog series, which showcases weird waste-related stories. Tune in on Mondays each week for more.