Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced that he will be committing $10 billion of his own money to fight climate change. The announcement came via Instagram and is, by far, the largest donation to the cause to date. The Bezos Earth Fund will support “any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world”.
Read MoreResearchers have designed a system that can desalinate ocean water. The system uses Ionics to separate salt from water and is powered by solar. Desalination on large scales typically uses a large amount of energy, costs vasts amounts of money, and has unintended environmental impacts. A small-scale system, used strategically, could avoid these negative aspects.
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 MoreScientists have developed a way to produce Hydrogen power on demand. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing and Tsinghua University, found a way to create a higher conversion efficiency that starts rapidly and runs quietly with the only byproduct being water.
Read MoreA new mineral is being used for solar panels that could greatly improve the efficiency of solar panels. Perovskite is a calcium titanium oxide mineral found in the Ural Mountains of Russia in the 1800’s. Excitement about this mineral has grown due to its efficiency, unusual properties, and its low cost.
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 MoreThe British company Highview Power Inc. has developed a process to store energy for the grid without the need for fossil fuels. The system involves cooling air, storing it efficiently, and using the re-gasification process to drive a turbine and create electricity without combustion.
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 MoreAMP Robotics, based outside of Boulder, CO, uses an intelligent robotics system to create positive change in the recycling industry. The AI robots perform physical tasks that have been largely performed by humans like sorting, picking, and moving materials. The AMP Cortex applies technology that simulates the brain, eyes, and hands to separate recycling from waste.
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 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 MoreResearchers at UC Santa Barbara have been studying Squid Camouflage. A new study has demonstrated the ability to understand the mechanism by which squid, and other camouflage sea species, control reflective pigments to change their appearance and visibility. Reflectin, the protein which controls reflective pigments, has long been a mystery for scientists
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.
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