A new bill introduced to Congress proposes a reduction of the production of plastic in the United States. There is often a focus on consumers to responsibly reduce the amount of plastic they consume and dispose of it properly. The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 shifts responsibility to the producers of plastic, holding them financially responsible for waste they create.
Read MoreScientists at Rice University in Houston TX have found a way to create Graphene by using waste. The process, named flash graphene, works by heating carbon-containing materials to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat this intense creates graphene in 10 milliseconds. This graphene can then be used in a wide range of products.
Read MoreThe United States has been pulling out of the Paris Climate Accords since 2019. It turns out that other countries haven’t necessarily been so great either. According to the World Resources Institute, 15 countries have plans or policy to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Read MoreScotland is on track to reach 100% renewable energy target by the end of 2020. In 2016, the country closed down its last coal fired power plant. The plant once powered 25% of homes in the country and was once the largest coal plant in all of Europe. The majority of renewable energy is now produced by onshore wind energy.
Read MoreThe L.A Reservoir has 96 million black balls floating on it. When the shade balls were introduced into the reservoir, many people had questions about the purpose and effectiveness. The most common answer is to reduce evaporation during summer months. The correct answer is much more in depth, although evaporation reduction is a positive outcome.
Read MoreGreta Thunberg continues to hit world leaders along with major business establishments hard about business practices directly causing climate change and political inaction. At the world economic forum, Thunberg spoke to world economic leaders.
Read MoreThe company Watergen has created a system that creates drinking water from air. The technology extracts humidity from air in a machine resembling an air conditioner. The machine works by drawing in air, filtering it, going through a heat exchanger which extracts the water from air, and finally filtering the water to remove impurities and adding minerals for taste
Read MoreA report from ISWA released in October 2019 is Aimed at Getting the Waste Management industry prepared for the oncoming 4th Industrial Revolution. The 4th industrial revolution is expected to drastically change the way humans live and the way our systems operate in a way that is non-linear and, in return, more difficult to predict and regulate
Read MoreThe first fully electric flight took off near Vancouver, Canada on December 10th. The flight was piloted by Harbour Air, a company operating in the islands near Vancouver and builder of the new aircraft. The plane is a converted 62 year old DeHavilland Beaver, a small plane that is used for many working people and companies in the region and is known as the workhorse of the north.
Read MoreThe company Carbon Cure has developed a way to sequester carbon into concrete by storing CO2 inside concrete during the manufacturing process. This technology has the ability to dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the concrete industry.
Read MoreA new climate change report was released by the United States Government outlining what impacts our country will most likely face due to climate change. The assessment is Volume II of a mandated report from the Paris Climate Accords, titled Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States. 13 federal agencies contributed to the report including NOAA, NASA, and the Department of Defense.
Read MoreA new startup, Qube, is setting out to change the way we build our cities on a foundational level. Abhishek Banerjee developed a way to make bricks out of plastic waste. The India based company began when Banerjee toured a traditional brick kiln and was shocked at the level of inefficiency and inhumane working conditions present.
Read MoreThe COP, Conference of the Parties, are essential in the climate fight. The annual summit takes place with world governments to work toward environmental goals. The 25th UNFCCC led summit takes place from December 2-13 2019 in Chile. This summit has, in the past, created the Paris Climate Accords which has largely put the world on the path toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Read MoreA solar-tech startup backed by Bill Gates is pushing solar technology boundaries with its concentrated mirrors producing high temperatures. The ability to reach 1,000 degrees Celsius with solar, allows solar power to be used in the steel, cement, and petrochemical manufacturing processes.
Read MoreA new UCLA study reveals that arctic sea ice may become ice free for part of every year between the years 2044 and 2067. Human caused climate change has been steadily warming the arctic for decades. The study was conducted by UCLA Climate Scientists.
Read MoreAt the Fast Company Innovation Festival, Kanye West unveiled a new Yeezy shoe prototype made with algae. According to Design Boom, the shoe is made with a combination of petroleum-based ethylene-vinyl acetate and foam produced using algae. This clog is the first release in the company move towards sustainability. West was quoted in saying “We’re going to be farming and going to seed to sole.”
Read MoreCubbit is a new way to store data that has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the data storage industry. The company is based on bee’s and the power of the swarm. Each Cubbit acts as part of the hive with the user storing their own information on half of the device while the other half acts as part of a cloud where other people’s encrypted data will be stored.
Read MoreResearchers at the University of Cambridge have created an Artificial Leaf that can be used to develop a liquid fuel alternative for Syngas. Syngas is a widely used gas currently produced with fossil fuels. The carbon neutral device is powered by simply sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. The device can also be used in a variety of temperatures and levels of sunlight.
Read MoreThe system uses seawater and solar power to achieve the energy needed to desalinate the water, regulate the temperature of the facility and grow the crops. The farm uses a 115m solar tower with 23,000 mirrors pointed at it. A thermal desalination plant separates salt from the seawater used to irrigate, with no wasted water. In addition, the facility captures rain water for use in irrigation.
Read MoreA coalition of around 10,000 farmers and ranchers announced they will be supporting a Green New Deal. According to Regeneration International, the coalition is a bipartisan national coalition of rural and urban farmers and ranchers. Agriculture practices could play a key role in the climate change fight. Currently the industry accounts for 9% of U.S greenhouse gas emissions, but could potentially reverse this into a carbon sink if green techniques were applied broadly throughout the industry.
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