Tonya Kay is an actress, TV personality, professional dancer and danger artist living in Los Angeles. A vegetarian of 28 years, vegan for 18 of those and raw vegan for the last 11, Tonya Kay pioneers the green health movement with appearances, publications and green media (available at 
| Human-Powered Kitchen Appliances |
| Tuesday, 29 November 2011 | Tonya Kay | Blog Entry |
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Instead, I'm walking in L.A. I'm walking in L.A.! As the Missing Persons sing the outlaw irony of “Nobody walks in L.A.” But I figure that I'm fit and young and my legs are powerful and pain-free. I don’t avoid walking. Someday it may hurt and I may use a cane. But that's not today and every step reminds me of how grateful and efficient I am. In fact, I'm so powerful that I am a full-on alternative-energy source. Thirty of us race through spinning class at the gym, and with the right converter, we could all be charging our iPods, or powering the cooling fans, or feeding the building's light grid. Human power is the most renewable, sustainable, common-sense source of electricity available. With a massive personal-application energy-converter market waiting to be claimed by some green entrepreneur, solar power and human power are my bets on the future. Some green product innovators are already tackling this niche and my home is turning into a human-powered urban utopia. I have a Z Star hand-crank juicer, with two powerful magnets that marry crushers for wheatgrass, apples, melon, greens and cucumbers (I'd keep the carrots out of this one). Or my Vortex hand-crank blender that clamps onto a countertop or rear bumper, so when you finish whipping up a blueberry/banana/apricot-stone kernel smoothie, you can throw down in the concert-stadium parking lot. Tailgating and eco-innovation: it's just common sense. So long as one has a bicep, one can power a hand-crank kitchen appliance. But what if one desires complete liquefying or a long-extraction kava/coconut-water cocktail? Perhaps the bicep is not enough... but a three-speed bike and hefty legs are! The Fender Blender is a blender that attaches to and is removable from a bicycle. It works when the bike is stationary on stands and even while you are in motion. Imagine blending your favorite fruit drinks while riding to the yoga studio. No child in the park will choose cotton candy over this fun. People will take photos. You will generate free electricity. And your bicep and hamstrings will look and feel like you are a human power source. So you can continue to be grateful when walking two blocks from your parking space. Heck, you may even start leaving the car at home! Help the Earth, Spread the Word: Share this article with family and friends by clicking on the "Email This" or "Share This" links below right. Then see TODAY'S TOP STORIES. [Sign up to be notified each time Tonya publishes a new Clean and Green Everyday blog entry on EcoHearth. Also, see a complete list of writing by Tonya Kay on EcoHearth.com or visit her Clean and Green Everyday blog. – Ed.] Additional resources:
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(14)
Written by Tonya Kay , November 30, 2011
You are welcome, Steve! It delights me to know you are doing it, too. Making it happen. You are an artist, a compassionate and an intelligent. With qualities like that, I have only faith in your journey.
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Written by Steve the Kaleidoscope Guy , November 30, 2011
I appreciate for continuing positive influence. I'm now mostly organic vegetable powered myself....
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And thanks for the reminder to put back on the drawing board my bicycle powered giant kaleidoscope!
Written by EcoGreenGuru , November 04, 2010
Great Article!
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I think products made from recycled plastic and are sustainable can also Green the kitchen..
Written by Tonya Kay , September 16, 2010
I constructed the solar powered dehydrator and devised the clothes dryer (ie: clothes line). I purchased the human powered wheat grass juicer and hand crank blender. The bike blender was a generous partial collaboration of Electra Bicycle, Xtracycle and Bike Blender. I paid others to convert my personal car and company van to run on waste vegetable oil fuel and have tinkered on the personal auto at length myself as well as designed the perfect portable oil filteration system. I painted my home with non-VOC paints myself and my Lover installed the biodegradable flooring. I'm sure there is more!
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Written by Judy , September 15, 2010
are the devices you have at home things that you made yourself to be more
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Written by Tonya Kay , September 15, 2010
Quite! And think about all those fitness folk walking stairs or riding bikes in place in gyms - how much 24 hour energy could be harnessed there!
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Written by Jenna , September 14, 2010
I have heard of this previously and I think it's a fantastic innovation! I work in a building with thousands of employees. At least half of the able-bodies employees use the elevator to get to the second floor (there are only two floors!) rather than the large, open flight of stairs...ridiculous
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Written by Tonya Kay , November 03, 2009
Hi. I am not familiar with that expose. Please do forward.
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Written by Lydia Rueda , November 03, 2009
I am in the process of building my new home and in looking for appliances, windows, water heater, air conditioning, all that good stuff, I decided I wanted to make my new home energy efficient. In researching these products, I read an article about how some Energy Star labeled products, the manufacturers conduct their own testing, place the Energy Star label on their product, when in fact, the product is not energy efficient at all. Is anyone aware of what products are doing this and which ones I should stay away from? Any input I receive is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Written by kelsey. , August 27, 2009
i linked to this article on my blog. you can see it here: http://dearlosangelesiloveyou....u-run.html
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Written by Tonya Kay , June 21, 2009
Thanks for saying you enjoy my articles! I enjoy writing, but most importantly, I enjoy hearing from readers. I really do this for the community, so it's your responses that keep me going. And thinking of what to write next!
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I'd really like to see the human-powered gym with plans linked above go into action. Wish I was a funder of something that innovative!
Written by Joy Langtry , June 19, 2009
I've always wondered about folks who needed to take the elevator to get to the gym and use the stair-master! Love the image of everyone in spinning class generating watts. Someone needs to invent and market that...
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You're awesome - I enjoy every one of your articles. Thank you!
Written by SunBunny , June 18, 2009
"No child in the park will choose cotton candy over this fun." This article brings back memories of childhood when everything was fun, which is now what I call lots of work. I never ever saw a blender powered by a bicycle. I need to see a photo for this one. I told Tonya of the entire EcoHearth site, I liked her articles the best.
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Written by Joanna Steven , June 18, 2009
Another great post! I love my hand crank juicer. It juices very well, but I know it's gentle enough not to kill the precious stuff.
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Stalking pedestrians in parking lots all the way to their parking spaces. Adding a quarter-hour extra time for finding a meter. Amassing tickets for crowding residential driveways... All to avoid walking two blocks in the city. Why?
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