Eco workers of the world, unite! Happy May Day, and welcome to Thursday’s edition of the Daily Five. On tap: a potentially crucial advance in solar panel technology; Toronto cabbies go with pedal power; and Florida State University researchers are getting their insulated mitts on a deep Antarctic core sample which may tell a 20 million year-old climate tale.

Sunrgi Exits Stealth, Promises to be as Cheap as Coal: The objective of most alternative energy technologies is to bring power in under the per-watt cost of conventional power. That’s just what Sunrgi claims they’ve achieved. Sunrgi uses magnifying elements to focus sunlight on tiny photovoltaic elements, dramatically boosting their efficiency while reducing overall cost. Running prototypes are already in the field, with full production to follow in 2009. (EcoGeek)

Uno: Crazy Electric Unicycle Motorbike: A single-wheeled motorcycle is already enough to turn heads. But here’s the eco-kicker: the Uno motorbike is also fully electric. This wild transportation concept is the brainchild of 18-year-old Canadian inventor Ben Gulak. It uses a pair of gyros to stay upright — in theory. (Good Clean Tech)

‘New’ Ancient Antarctic Sediment Reveals Climate Change History: Scientists at Florida State University’s Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility finally have their gloved little hands on some truly unique deep core samples. Researchers have gathered in Tallahassee this week to examine segments of a 1,100 meter-long core they expect will give a much more accurate picture on Antarctica’s ancient climate than previously possible. The alternating layers of glacial and marine sediment in the core sample were deposited over a 14 to 20 million year period. (Science Daily)

Toronto’s Emission Free EcoCabs: Hail a cab in Toronto, and you may be in for a petroleum and emissions-free ride. Starting today, Go Mobile Media will introduce 28 pedal-powered EcoCabs on the city’s streets. They’ll carry two adults and their athletic drivers at about 12 miles per hour — at least until winter sets in. (Inhabitat)

World’s Largest Tidal Turbine Successfully Installed: It weighs a thousand tons, has twin 16 meter rotors, and will generate enough power to serve a thousand homes. Marine Current Turbines has successfully installed its 1.2 megawatt underwater turbine off the Irish coastline. The company plans to build on its new SeaGen turbine technology to construct a 10 megawatt tidal power farm somewhere in the UK by 2011. (Metaefficient)

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