A 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 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 MoreEarlier this month, a study was published from researchers at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia revealing a new battery for electric cars that could last for up to 1 million miles, more than twice the amount that Tesla’s currently expect to get. The researchers, in an exclusive agreement with Tesla, conducted their tests over three years with an end-result that creates a new benchmark for research and development for modern batteries.
Read MoreResearchers at UCLA have invented a new device that makes electricity at night by using the thermoelectric effect. Thermoelectricity is not a new concept, but this team of researchers have come up with an idea that could be immensely beneficial to the 1 billion people who currently do not have access to electricity, while also being a viable option in the renewable energy market.
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.
Read MoreThe Trump administration has proposed lifting logging restrictions on Tongass National Forest. The proposal would allow for roads to be built in an area that had been previously designated as part of Alaska’s roadless rule. The roadless rule is currently in effect for 9.2 million acres of the total 16.8 million
Read MoreThe solar industry continues to grow at a rapid pace. An important aspect of renewables, and the piece of the puzzle which makes them viable, is storage. The world is going to need more lithium batteries of all shapes and size, and fast. The demand for lithium is projected to grow five-fold by 2025.
Read MorePeople have been cultivating food in their own gardens and land for a very long time. Urban farming is seeing growth as climate concerns grow and cities around the world seek to be more sustainable. Urban farming can be more sustainable than traditional farms in many ways while also making cities more resilient and self-sufficient. A new age of farming is on the horizon in the United States.
Read MoreThe Company EarthSense develops autonomous robots that can navigate through vast crop fields identifying problems such as weeds, and plant biomass with LIDAR Sensors. The robots use Machine Learning to improve their capabilities over time. EarthSense, located in Champaign, Il, has been gaining a lot of publicity after the release of their robot in 2018. The 2019 model has improved Hardware, Software, and analytics based on the early adopter’s user experience.
Read MoreThe Amazon Rainforest has been burning at alarming rates in the past few weeks. Currently 72,843 fires have been reported in Brazil this year and 41,858 in the Brazilian Amazon. This doesn’t include fires occurring in other countries in the Amazon. The fires are largely intentionally set to clear land to be developed for agriculture. Forest fires and burns for clearing occur each year during the dry season throughout the region, but not at a rate this great. This year, the blame for the increase in fires is largely due to new president Jair Bolsonaro.
Read MoreRecently, the Trump administration announced that there would be changes to the way the endangered species act is applied. These changes will weaken the conservation enforcement in the United States, making it more difficult to protect wildlife from Climate Change. The new changes make it easier to remove species from the list, weaken protections for threatened species, and using financial incentives when evaluating whether a species is fiscally worth protection.
Read MoreFarmers are working on rebuilding the nation’s soil. Midwest farmers have had a long term love-hate relationship with soil from the 1800’s when agriculture first began to the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s. Soil had consistently degraded until the 1980’s when farmers began working toward better practices to ensure the longevity of their land. Half of all topsoil and soil organic matter has disappeared since the 1800’s.
Read MoreWhile it is widely accepted that trees are important for the climate, what isn’t talked about as much is the ability to sequester a large amount of carbon via grasslands. Planting native grass is relatively easy, requires little to no upkeep and provides a range of benefits that can be quantified almost immediately.
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