possible energy and ideas

harvesting lightning: not quite yet, but someone's out there experimenting with it.
cement coated with titanium dioxide created by an italian company apparently absorbs atmospheric pollutants and neutralizes them, thus "de-smogging" the air around it.
through a mathematical equation, two men have developed a self-righting object. they figured out the equation, designed it on the computer and a company manufactured them. what they discovered in the process was that it already occurs in nature: beetles and tortoise shells are self righting objects.
wireless energy discovered first by tesla: now redesigned copper coils can send energy to light a lamp through magnetic resonance.
elastomers are made of plastic which have the capability of generating electricity. discovered a decade ago, this material is now being tested for use in ocean buoys: the buoy moves up on the crest of a wave, therefore stretching the elastic that is secured to the sea floor. this action creates energy and stores electricity.
UPS has banned left turns for their 95,000 trucks. through research they discovered that taking only right turns saved gas and time which equals money.
turbine power from 1000 feet in the air. copper cable attached to a wind turned turbine filled with helium collects energy into a generator and sends electricity back to earth.

successful use of celebrity status and money

i really like brad pitt. he has commissioned 13 architecture firms to design and rebuild new orleans lower ninth ward using green development and technology. the project is called make it right (makeitrightnola.org) and one can visit the site and contribute by donating money for solar panels, low flush toilets, solar water heaters or adopting whole houses which seems to be a more direct and more exciting way to be charitable while contributing to the environment as well. he and steve bing are each matching $5 million in funds towards this project.

measuring impact and exploring all the options

wood or petroleum (paper or plastic)? local conventionally grown food or organic shipped from across the country? table scraps for biogas. termite bellies for their enzymes which convert biomass to biofuels. the bean found in africa that can be grown in the most arid environment between rows of food crops which has been discovered to be an efficient source of energy when burned.
it's hard to avoid the green discussion. we are confronted with it daily: at the pump, the grocery store, at home with our lights, our heat, our energy bills. what's better: make a decision based on one's personal health or the health of people and places we may never go nor meet. many of the world's pesticides are manufactured in countries far away from america. these pesticides end up locally, though, going into our food supply. transported food requires fossil fuels. we know what that does to the air. not all local food is pesticide free. see where i'm going? how do we calculate the toll from shipping healthier food long distances to picking them up locally with pesticides which rot the earth nearby and further away where they are manufactured?