Carectomy week in review

Aquaduct improves bicycle’s brilliance

It’s no secret that we at Carectomy have a bit of a bike fetish. The smog-free human-powered machine offers the world a 100-year-old solution to its transportation needs.

Thanks to the Innovate or Die – Pedal Powered Machine Contest, we’ve seen bike technology tweaked and put to some interesting new uses. But the winner, the Aquaduct Mobile Filtration Device, could very well change the world.

Mass transit trims the fat

Instead of going to the gym, downing diet pills, or resorting to gastric bypass surgery to get thin and beautiful, why not just take mass transit? According to a recent report by USA Today, taking public transportation instead of driving is a proven way to lose weight and improve your overall health.

U.S. train travel on the rise

U.S. travelers -- frustrated by gas prices, traffic congestion, and the hassle and delays of air travel -- are increasingly rediscovering the train. One in four domestic flights arrived late in 2007. Add in the maddening yellow-orange-mauve alert security checks, and it’s understandable why passengers are fed up.

Ethanol not an eco-darling after all

The future for gas-guzzling, inefficient cars doesn’t look promising. As gas prices rise and oil grows scarce, Western nations are scrambling to become self-sufficient in producing their own fuel. In the search for alternative energy sources, ethanol has emerged as a favorite. A recent study by scientists at Stanford University, however, has knocked ethanol from its eco-pedestal.