Streetlights of the Future, Powered by Trash

Courtesy of Sxc.hu

We Bet These Will Be in Copenhagen

Now that we're anticipating the UN Climate Conference and have become citizens of Hopenhagen, we've got our eyes peeled for interesting green-related news. Today, what caught our attention is the newest trend in streetlights, which (hopefully) will be powered by trash in the future.

Streetlights represent pretty serious energy usage in cities, and while some are using sensor-controlled models, this seems to be the next generation in street-lighting solutions. If you need somewhere to throw your trash, and you need to have the streets illuminated come nightfall, why not combine the two?

Okay, it may be a design concept now, but it's a fairly significant one that could provide a step to greener cities worldwide. The conceptual sketch identifies methane byproduct as the lamp fuel, which means that only compost from food waste could be used.

A designer's dream now, this streetlamp is as feasible as it is attractive, and I sure wouldn't mind seeing them dotted around town. Who knows? If the UN Climate Change Conference in early December goes the way we're hoping, designers with visions like these will slowly transform our cities with now-conceptual creations.

Don't forget to become a citizen of Hopenhagen!