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Archive for the ‘sustainability’ category: Page 375

May 6, 2021

Ehang Unveils Tree-Like ‘Baobab’ Vertiports For Its Autonomous Passenger Drones

Posted by in categories: drones, robotics/AI, sustainability

autonomous air vehicle company ehang unveils ‘baobab’, a large tree-like tower and landing platform for its EH216 passenger drones. designed by giancarlo zema design group (GZDG) with sustainability at the core, photovoltaic panels on the vertiports will generate energy and independent plug-and-play charging points will recharge the drones wirelessly. currently in the development stage, ehang and GZDG hope to enter the emerging global eco-tourism sector with hubs being planned for a lakeside site in china’s zhaoqing city as well as in the maldives, the united arab emirates, and italy.

Images courtesy of giancarlo zema design group (GZDG)

May 6, 2021

A neglected protein-rich ‘superfood’

Posted by in categories: economics, food, sustainability

And as well as producing less waste, insects can also live off food and biomass that would otherwise be thrown away, says Collins, contributing to the circular economy, where resources are recycled and reused. Insects can be fed agricultural waste, such as the stems and stalks from plants that people don’t eat, or scraps of food waste. To complete the recycling chain, their excrement can be used as fertiliser for crops.


Insects are a nutrition-dense source of protein embraced by much of the world. Why are some of us so squeamish about eating them?

May 6, 2021

Something Is Frizzling Up the Brains of Old White Guys

Posted by in categories: life extension, neuroscience, sustainability

“This work confirms that there is a link between air pollution and how well the aging brain works,” senior study author and Columbia University researcher Andrea Baccarelli told The Guardian. “These shorter-term effects are reversible: when air pollution clears, our brain reboots and starts working back to its original level. However, multiple occurrences of these higher exposures cause permanent damage.”


Thankfully, it’s reversible.

May 5, 2021

Adidas announces new shoe made from mushroom leather

Posted by in categories: materials, sustainability

The new Stan Smith Mylo is made from materials derived from mushroom and aims to add to Adidas’ sustainability efforts.

May 5, 2021

Uganda: Filters turn dirty lake water into drinking water | Global Ideas

Posted by in categories: innovation, sustainability

Innovation in Uganda.


Access to clean water may be a right, but it’s often hard to come by. Contaminated water kills. Henry Othieno and Saudah Birungi have developed eco-friendly filters for use in schools and homes. They turn dirty lake water into drinking water.

Continue reading “Uganda: Filters turn dirty lake water into drinking water | Global Ideas” »

May 4, 2021

Meet Manta, a sea-cleaning sailboat that feeds on plastic waste

Posted by in categories: energy, sustainability

Excellent! Technology is available to make real change. Support efforts to clean the seas and use renewable energy sources.


Tired of hitting these floating objects during his races and seeing heavenly places turn into landfills, a French ocean adventurer Yvan Bourgnon decided to fight against this global scourge. He and his team have designed Manta, a giant, plastic-eating catamaran powered by renewable energy. The sea vessel literally scoops up plastic garbage and converts it into fuel to help power the boat.

Continue reading “Meet Manta, a sea-cleaning sailboat that feeds on plastic waste” »

May 4, 2021

Professor Dr. Mark Tester — Center for Desert Agriculture — KAUST — Red Sea Farms — Saudi Arabia

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, biological, food, genetics, sustainability

Unlocking The Potential Of Salt and Drought Tolerant Crops And Seawater Agriculture — Professor Dr. Mark Tester — Center for Desert Agriculture, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology; Co-founder & CSO, Red Sea Farms.


Professor Dr. Mark Tester is Professor, Plant Science, and Associate Director, Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia.

Continue reading “Professor Dr. Mark Tester — Center for Desert Agriculture — KAUST — Red Sea Farms — Saudi Arabia” »

May 4, 2021

U.S. approves massive solar project in California desert

Posted by in categories: climatology, employment, habitats, solar power, sustainability

The Biden administration on Monday said it has approved a major solar energy project in the California desert that will be capable of powering nearly 90000 homes.

The $550 million Crimson Solar Project will be sited on 2000 acres of federal land west of Blythe, California, the Interior Department said in a statement. It is being developed by Canadian Solar (CSIQ.O) unit Recurrent Energy and will deliver power to California utility Southern California Edison.

The announcement comes as President Joe Biden has vowed to expand development of renewable energy projects on public lands as part of a broader agenda to fight climate change, create jobs and reverse former President Donald Trump’s emphasis on maximizing fossil fuel extraction.

May 3, 2021

New Metal-Air Battery Design Offers a Potential Boost to Electric Vehicles

Posted by in categories: energy, sustainability, transportation

Billy Hurley, Digital Editorial Manager.

Metal-air batteries are light, compact power sources with a high energy density, but they have had a major limitation: They corrode.

A new design from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology uses oil to reduce the corrosion and extend the shelf life of single-use metal-air batteries.

May 3, 2021

Researchers Identify the Defect That Limits Solar-Cell Performance: Hydrogen in Hybrid Perovskites

Posted by in categories: particle physics, solar power, sustainability

Researchers in the materials department in UC Santa Barbara’s College of Engineering have uncovered a major cause of limitations to efficiency in a new generation of solar cells.

Various possible defects in the lattice of what are known as hybrid perovskites had previously been considered as the potential cause of such limitations, but it was assumed that the organic molecules (the components responsible for the “hybrid” moniker) would remain intact. Cutting-edge computations have now revealed that missing hydrogen atoms in these molecules can cause massive efficiency losses. The findings are published in a paper titled “Minimizing hydrogen vacancies to enable highly efficient hybrid perovskites,” in the April 29 issue of the journal Nature Materials.

The remarkable photovoltaic performance of hybrid perovskites has created a great deal of excitement, given their potential to advance solar-cell technology. “Hybrid” refers to the embedding of organic molecules in an inorganic perovskite lattice, which has a crystal structure similar to that of the perovskite mineral (calcium titanium oxide). The materials exhibit power-conversion efficiencies rivaling that of silicon, but are much cheaper to produce. Defects in the perovskite crystalline lattice, however, are known to create unwanted energy dissipation in the form of heat, which limits efficiency.