Hasta La Gadget!

You know who we don’t do enough stories about here on Gearlog? Bjork. Well, that’s all going to stop right here. It seems that the Icelandic indie pixie is protesting a plan to sell off her native country’s natural resources in the bet way she knows how: through the power of song.

Bjork will be holding a T”he Voice of the People,” a karaoke protest/marathon, in her hometown of Reykjavik. “We want to give the nation a voice, a chance to reclaim its energy resources by singing them back,” the singer said of the event, which is scheduled to run through Saturday.

The marathon is in protest of the sale of Icelandic energy company HS Orka to Canada’s Magma Energy. The sale comes in the wake of major economic collapse for the tiny country.

Says Bjork,

We want to call a national referendum to make Icelanders feel that the decisions made on their energy resources are the decisions made by the nation, not by a few businessmen behind closed doors. So far the nation has not had a chance to take a stand on whether or not it wants its energy resources privatized.

One of the side effects of not having a combustible engine is that electric vehicles are quiet. Very quiet. So quiet, in fact, that police in California will soon be using electric motorcycles to improve their stealth.

The bikes, produced by Zero Motorcycle, are currently being employed by the Scotts Valley Police Department, reportedly the first California police force to utilize electric bikes.

“We hope this opportunity serves as the touchstone for other law enforcement agencies to see the benefits electric motorcycles have when it comes to community patrols and traffic enforcement,” Zero VP of Sustainability, Jay Friedland, said. “The silent operation of the Zero DS allows each officer to hear what’s going on around them, which enhances awareness and safety. Zero DS motorcycles also are a great cost-effective solution for small departments and we are proud to be able to support those who keep our communities safe.”

The police are using the Zero DS model, which has a top speed of 67 miles per hour and a range of up to 50 miles.

Via USA Today

With the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt attracting plenty of attention, if not sales, it’s not surprising that other automotive manufacturers are jumping into the electric vehicle market as well. At this year’s CES Ford announced that the popular Focus model would be available as an EV starting at the end of this year.

The car will based on the standard 2012 version of the Focus and will have an expected range of 100 miles and a top speed of around 84 miles per hour. One of the defining features of the EV Focus, though, appears to be its charging time. Ford is claiming that the car will be able to fully recharge in three to four hours, which is about half of the time for most similar cars. Best Buy is lending its support to the new car and will be installing 240 volt charging stations at stores across the country.

Since it was unveiled at a gadget expo, the EV Focus also comes packed with some neat little features. That includes the new MyFord Touch dashboard, as well as a mobile app that lets you unlock doors, set charging times, and more. The Ford Focus EV will be available for sale in November 2011.

Via CNet

The federal government imposed a ban on energy drinks that also contain alcohol, but what’s going to happen to all of those shelves of cans? It turns out, they’re being turned into fuel.

According to a report from the Associated Press, the drinks are actually being distilled, with the alcohol being removed, and then blended into gasoline. In Virginia, hundreds of truckloads containing thousands of cases of drinks are being taken to the MXI facility for this purpose. And, in addition to reusing the drinks, the cans, cardboard cases, and shipping pallets are all recycled as well.

“These are actually things that could go directly into a landfill or incinerator or some other waste process that’s not as environmentally friendly, so I think it’s a good thing,” Brian Potter, MXI’s VP of Operations, said.

The tallest building in New York City is turning green. Officials for the Empire State building announced that soon all of its power will come from wind energy, provided by Texas-based Green Mountain Energy.

The company has signed a two year agreement, which will see Green Mountain providing 55 million kilowatt hours of energy per year. It’s expected that the shift will see carbon dioxide emissions reduced by nearly 100 million pounds annually.

“It was a natural fit for us to combine 100 percent clean energy with our nearly completed, ground breaking energy efficiency retrofit work,” Anthony E. Malkin, president of building owner Malkin Holdings, explained. “Clean energy and our nearly 40 percent reduced consumption of watts and BTUs gives us a competitive advantage in attracting the best credit tenants at the best rents.”

Via USA Today