VIDEO: Jones Soda Co. celebrates Earth Day with pedal power
by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Apr 25th 2009 at 3:33PM 
Click above to watch the video
Think your company did something worthwhile on Earth Day? If so, that's great, but it probably didn't require quite the level of commitment that was shown by Jones Soda Co. Employees at the beverage company's headquarters took turns spinning themselves silly on stationary bicycles hooked up via belts to used car alternators. These generators sent electrons to a slew of recycled car batteries that provided power to the office's 15 laptops, a server, a printer and the usual assortment of phones and fax machines. Apparently, more power was generated than was used by this equipment.
However impractical this may be, the employees of seemed to get behind the idea, showing up at work early to help generate their own electricity. A more worthwhile scheme is currently in the works that would see Jones Soda reducing its fleet of delivery trucks and minimizing excess packaging materials.
[Source: Seattle PI]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jharlan 4:55PM (4/25/2009)
This is very typical for the "greener than thou" crowd. Symbolism with negligible substance. Did they take into consideration lost productive time? Food intake and carbon exhaust for the additional physical activity? I suspect in actuality the human body is a poor converter of fuel into power.
Impress by looking cool and green with out any real analysis of cost.
Is it better than nothing? maybe slightly.
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dwarg 6:43PM (4/25/2009)
jharlan, thanks for bringing that up. If these holier than hipsters really wanted to do something for the earth they would have stayed home, in bed, and found the minimum breathing rate to sustain life. Or they could have experimented on their bodies to convert energy using photosynthesis to pull carbon out of the atmosphere.
What a bunch of ass-clowns, "we peddled our own electricity as a symbolic gesture..."
Please, anyone that really cares about the earth does something more substantive than that.
Well, I'm off to kill myself so I can't consume anymore food or produce anymore carbon dioxide...if only I can find an environmentally sound way to do it.
harlanx6 7:25PM (4/25/2009)
We'll pass around the revolver. You first!
jboy 8:26PM (4/25/2009)
Bullets are not green.
I suggest constructing a windmill (for electricity) near a cliff. Tie one end a hemp rope around your waist and the other end around the windmill. Jump off the cliff and alot of your falling energy will be transfered to the windmill (for electricity).
Now that is a green funeral.
dwarg 2:47PM (4/26/2009)
jboy you're an inspiration. The windmill fall is my first option, now I'm just waiting for gorr to chime in and see if he has any hydrogen generating methods to recommend. That way my death will just be ten short years away... for the next 50 years.
harlanx6 11:43PM (4/25/2009)
The world supposed to end 12/21/2012 anyhow so why should we care? I wonder if Gorr ever considered a bonehead English course?
Snoopy 3:32PM (4/26/2009)
Well, while the foolishness of the original comment has already been pointed out, I'd like to add a practical note to this wonderful comedic interlude (apology in advance for being a buzzkill).
Using bicycles to create energy can be a great way to create energy, if the alternator technology is good enough. The amount of cycling energy converted to electrical energy could end up being quite high.
As it is, and as it was noted, they made more energy than they needed! How awesome is that? That's 9 bikes creating enough energy to power 15 laptops and all of that other equipment. It almost sounds like one person on one bike would be able to produce enough electricity to power their own laptop all day.
But wait, there's more! (Did he just say there's more? No way!) Those people were making themselves healthier by exercising. Yep, they were were producing electricity and making themselves healthier at the same time! And it's already known that healthier and thinner people are more environmentally people just by being thinner and healthier! http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200904/20090420/article_398236.htm
harlanx6 9:49PM (4/26/2009)
You are out there, Snoopy, but I'm sure we enjoyed your foolishness. Keep on pedaling, Partner. The rest of us know that statistically there isn't enough power produced to begin to pay the wages. It is merely symbolism, which you space cadets are noted for.
jboy 5:18AM (4/26/2009)
Let's see if I can out crazy Gorr.
Hydrogen suicide.
First, setup one of those energy inefficient water to Hydrogen extraction aparatus. Then place yourself in a lyopholizer (freezer dryer). Collect all of your water automatically (you are a mummy at this point) and have it turned into hydrogen.
Done.
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Killroy 10:44PM (4/26/2009)
I always had an Idea to design a gym to have all the equipment generate power, to reduce power consumption or feed power back to the grid.
Look at all the treadmills pluged into the wall, it should be the other way around, the gym should plug into the bikes, elliptical and weight machines. The more power you generate, the lower your gym fee. Win-Win.
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