French tyre manufacturer Michelin recently held its 10th annual design challenge. The winner this time was a Serbian designer, Marko Lukovic. His idea of what a car might look like in 10 years is more like a rocket or fighter jet than a car. Lukovic’ car is run by Li-Ion batteries that will become smaller as today, the designer believes. It could be possible for the future drivers to charge them inside their home or office, much like a laptop or mobile phone. Cool idea? We will see, how right he is. The winning car project has excelled 1,000 contestants worldwide.

So probably we are moving like this by 2021. Let us know what you think about the movement of the future. How will car’s look like? Will there still be cars?

By the way, mashable has a quite impressive collection of more or less cool electric cars that you will find here.

Have you ever heard about the small Danish island called Samsø? It's home to only 4,000 people and stretches over about 103 square kilometers of land…and it's 100% energy self-sufficient! Using a combination of offshore wind power, solar energy and biofuels, Samsø has created a green haven, cutting CO2 emissions by an incredible 140% in just 10 years.

 

The model has been so successful that Samsø even exports energy to mainland Denmark and acts as a model for other islands that are interested in developing renewable energy. It's become a local attraction, too: around 20,000 people flock there during the summer. So what can the rest of the world learn from Samsø? Is a completely energy efficient life possible in bigger regions with large populations, too?

It's Earth Day 2011–a day for everyone, not just environmentalists, to think about the climate and take action! This year's theme is "A Billion Acts of Green." Earth Day organizers want the world to generate a billion acts of service to our environment before the Rio +20 UN climate conference in June 2012.

 

What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day? And will you take part in an "act of green?" Share your stories with us!

 

Google has made some major commitments to clean energy, but the company's latest announcement might just be the biggest. Google is investing $100 million into a wind park in the U.S. state of Oregon. This isn't any ordinary wind park, either–it'll be the biggest in the world. It's called Shepherds Flat and it stretches over 30 square miles (around 640 acres) of land. The park is expected to generate 845 megawatts of energy, enough to power more than 200,000 homes. The company says Shepherds Flat will be done by 2012–only a year away!

 

Google also announced it's teaming up with the U.S. Department of Energy to help electric car drivers find the nearest charging station. Basically, the internet giant will use its "Google Maps" program to create an online database with all the spots where drivers can "fill up."

 

So far, Google has invested a total of $350 million in green energy projects. Is Google doing a good job? Or are there other companies out there that are making an even bigger commitment to fighting climate change?

So we told you about how you can reduce your carbon footprint for air travel, right? Well, you can definitely reduce your carbon footprint on land, too–by doing things like recycling, cutting down on electricity, etc. And a new study by researchers at the University of California Berkeley gives you the chance to directly assess your impact on the environment.

 

According to the researchers, factors like who you are and where you live actually play the biggest role in how big or little your footprint is. The study analyzes a whole series of households, so it gives you the chance to calculate your carbon footprint AND compare it to other households–even your neighbors!

 

You can find the calculator on the Cool Climate Network website. After it helps you figure out the size of your footprint, the calculator helps you find ways to slash CO2 emissions, too. So take the challenge–what's your carbon footprint? How does where you live and who you are affect it?