Simon Hackett’s Tesla Roadster on the Global Green Challenge in Australia. (Photo via Simon Hackett)

Simon Hackett is the managing director of Australia’s national broadband company Internode, but he doesn’t spend all his time behind a computer. He is the proud owner of a Tesla Roadster, which he just drove 313 miles on a single charge — at least a tentative world record.

The record was set on the Global Green Challenge, an Australian solar car race (from the Northern Territories to southernmost Adelaide) that goes back to 1987, when it was won by a General Motors/AeroVironment entry called Sunraycer. The solar car race, open to electric vehicles charged by photovoltaics, was won by a team from Tokai University in Japan. American teams from the University of Michigan and MIT did well, too, but that’s another story.

The Challenge also includes a division for production cars, and that’s where the Tesla was competing. Hackett points out that his drive smashes a record set last April by another Tesla Roadster, which completed the 241-mile Rallye Monte Carlo d’Energies Alternatives on just one charge (with more than 38 miles left, apparently).

From the road, Hackett and co-driver Elilis Prelgauskas sent Tesla an email: “Emilis and I have decades of experience flying gliders competitively, and we applied the same energy conservation techniques to our driving, with significant results! The car had about three miles of range left when the drive was completed. We traveled 501 kilometers [313 miles] on a single charge. Let that sink in for a minute.”

On his blog, Hackett said, “We wanted to prove a point about the ability of EVs to drive truly large distances–and we have done so! This ends any contention that EVs aren’t practical cars. They’re more than that–they are the future of motoring.”

Simon Hackett’s Tesla Roadster on the Global Green Challenge in Australia. (Photo via Simon Hackett)

Simon Hackett is the managing director of Australia’s national broadband company Internode, but he doesn’t spend all his time behind a computer. He is the proud owner of a Tesla Roadster, which he just drove 313 miles on a single charge — at least a tentative world record.

The record was set on the Global Green Challenge, an Australian solar car race (from the Northern Territories to southernmost Adelaide) that goes back to 1987, when it was won by a General Motors/AeroVironment entry called Sunraycer. The solar car race, open to electric vehicles charged by photovoltaics, was won by a team from Tokai University in Japan. American teams from the University of Michigan and MIT did well, too, but that’s another story.

The Challenge also includes a division for production cars, and that’s where the Tesla was competing. Hackett points out that his drive smashes a record set last April by another Tesla Roadster, which completed the 241-mile Rallye Monte Carlo d’Energies Alternatives on just one charge (with more than 38 miles left, apparently).

From the road, Hackett and co-driver Elilis Prelgauskas sent Tesla an email: “Emilis and I have decades of experience flying gliders competitively, and we applied the same energy conservation techniques to our driving, with significant results! The car had about three miles of range left when the drive was completed. We traveled 501 kilometers [313 miles] on a single charge. Let that sink in for a minute.”

On his blog, Hackett said, “We wanted to prove a point about the ability of EVs to drive truly large distances–and we have done so! This ends any contention that EVs aren’t practical cars. They’re more than that–they are the future of motoring.”

[In his ongoing but sporadic series Don't Throw That Away!, the Green Cheapskate shows you how to repurpose just about anything, saving money and the environment in the process. Send him your repurposing ideas and challenges, but whatever you do, Don't Throw That Away!]

I was a bank robber, the first Halloween I can remember. That involved carrying a burlap bag filled with stacks of newsprint “loot” over my shoulder, wearing a black turtleneck sweater like Illya Kuryakin wore in The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and — most memorably — sliding one of my grandmother’s worn out silk stockings over my head.

That memory (the last part, in particular) is etched upon my mind. And, my therapist says, no amount of counseling is ever likely to erase it.

Silk stockings are of course as long gone as my dear grandmother; truly sad to say, in both cases. But here are 20 creative ways to repurpose today’s worn out nylon pantyhose, even if you’re not planning to rob a bank:

• Gift wrap storage: Keep rolls of gift paper neat and tatter-free by storing them in old pantyhose — one roll per leg — and hanging them in the closet.
• Green Cheapskate soap on a rope: Put bath soap slivers in the foot of a pair of pantyhose to get every last bit of suds out of them in the shower. Rub-a-dub-dub, there’s a cheapskate in my tub. (See more “Recycling Oddities.”)
• Plant ties: Use lengths of pantyhose to stake up tomatoes and other plants in the garden; because of its elasticity, it’s easier on tender plants than string.
• Mold and mildew stoppers: Partially fill pantyhose with kitty litter and place in shoes, luggage, closets, dressers, etc. to absorb moisture and reduce mold and mildew.

[In his ongoing but sporadic series Don't Throw That Away!, the Green Cheapskate shows you how to repurpose just about anything, saving money and the environment in the process. Send him your repurposing ideas and challenges, but whatever you do, Don't Throw That Away!]

I was a bank robber, the first Halloween I can remember. That involved carrying a burlap bag filled with stacks of newsprint “loot” over my shoulder, wearing a black turtleneck sweater like Illya Kuryakin wore in The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and — most memorably — sliding one of my grandmother’s worn out silk stockings over my head.

That memory (the last part, in particular) is etched upon my mind. And, my therapist says, no amount of counseling is ever likely to erase it.

Silk stockings are of course as long gone as my dear grandmother; truly sad to say, in both cases. But here are 20 creative ways to repurpose today’s worn out nylon pantyhose, even if you’re not planning to rob a bank:

• Gift wrap storage: Keep rolls of gift paper neat and tatter-free by storing them in old pantyhose — one roll per leg — and hanging them in the closet.
• Green Cheapskate soap on a rope: Put bath soap slivers in the foot of a pair of pantyhose to get every last bit of suds out of them in the shower. Rub-a-dub-dub, there’s a cheapskate in my tub. (See more “Recycling Oddities.”)
• Plant ties: Use lengths of pantyhose to stake up tomatoes and other plants in the garden; because of its elasticity, it’s easier on tender plants than string.
• Mold and mildew stoppers: Partially fill pantyhose with kitty litter and place in shoes, luggage, closets, dressers, etc. to absorb moisture and reduce mold and mildew.

See comics from the last 30 days!

See comics from the last 30 days!

With a name like Pop-Up House, we were envisioning some kind of 3D greeting card. But it turns out that House Port’s design for an affordable home is a “cost–effective, energy-efficient package that can be finished and upgraded to one’s personal taste, on any budget, large or small.”

The Pop-Up House ships flat–packed, ready–to–assemble, which means substantial savings on labor, shipping costs and waste. It comes with parts and written and DVD instructions, and is user-friendly enough so anyone with building experience should be able to put it together. Naturally, the owner is responsible for preparing the site and the foundation, and finishing fixtures are also not included (plumbing, lighting, etc).

The core of the Pop–Up House consists of prefabricated SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels), which are designed to deflect heat. The space between the roofs of the Cubes and the House Port allows for air circulation for natural cooling. The price for a Double Cube Pop-Up House and port is $160,000, not including any labor, fixtures and sliding doors.

Get a visual tour of the Pop-Up House in a new eight-part web series, following Hally Thacher’s five-week adventure in developing the first Pop-Up House in Northern California. She creates a beautiful home in the desert for a budget of $250,000 from start to finish.

Here’s the first webisode (I don’t care for the term “webisode” btw):

With a name like Pop-Up House, we were envisioning some kind of 3D greeting card. But it turns out that House Port’s design for an affordable home is a “cost–effective, energy-efficient package that can be finished and upgraded to one’s personal taste, on any budget, large or small.”

The Pop-Up House ships flat–packed, ready–to–assemble, which means substantial savings on labor, shipping costs and waste. It comes with parts and written and DVD instructions, and is user-friendly enough so anyone with building experience should be able to put it together. Naturally, the owner is responsible for preparing the site and the foundation, and finishing fixtures are also not included (plumbing, lighting, etc).

The core of the Pop–Up House consists of prefabricated SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels), which are designed to deflect heat. The space between the roofs of the Cubes and the House Port allows for air circulation for natural cooling. The price for a Double Cube Pop-Up House and port is $160,000, not including any labor, fixtures and sliding doors.

Get a visual tour of the Pop-Up House in a new eight-part web series, following Hally Thacher’s five-week adventure in developing the first Pop-Up House in Northern California. She creates a beautiful home in the desert for a budget of $250,000 from start to finish.

Here’s the first webisode (I don’t care for the term “webisode” btw):

See comics from the last 30 days!

See comics from the last 30 days!