Archive for the ‘sustainability’ category: Page 483
Jun 7, 2017
Roomba creator wants to do for gardens what he did for your floors
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in categories: food, mobile phones, robotics/AI, sustainability
Letâs be honest: while planting your garden can be fun, weeding it usually isnât. Not unless you enjoy crouching down for long stretches, anyway. You might not have to endure the drudgery for too much longer, though. Roomba co-creator Joe Jones and Franklin Robotics are launching Tertill, a robot that weeds your garden all by itself. The machine automatically roams the soil, using sensors to identify small plants (you use collars to protect young crops) and chop them down. Itâs solar-powered, so you donât have to dock it â you can even leave it out in the rain.
In addition to pairing with your phone through Bluetooth, the machine has a USB port to charge during particularly gloomy weeks.
The design does require some careful planning to work properly. You need to space your crops loosely so that the robot can kill weeds in between, and youâll want to avoid any steep inclines so Tertill doesnât stuck. There will have to be some kind of basic barrier to prevent the vehicle from wandering away, too. You may also have to rethink how you kill weeds. While youâre probably used to pulling weeds out by the roots, Franklin is counting on its bot repeatedly cutting down weeds until they wither and die.
Continue reading “Roomba creator wants to do for gardens what he did for your floors” »
Jun 5, 2017
Space station welcomes 1st returning vehicle since shuttle
Posted by Dan Kummer in categories: robotics/AI, space travel, sustainability
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) â The International Space Station welcomed its first returning vehicle in years Monday â a SpaceX Dragon capsule making its second delivery.
Space shuttle Atlantis was the last repeat visitor six years ago. Itâs now a museum relic at NASAâs Kennedy Space Center.
NASA astronaut Jack Fischer noted âthe special significanceâ of SpaceXâs recycling effort as soon as he caught the Dragon supply ship with the stationâs big robot arm.
Jun 3, 2017
These 14 billionaires just promised to give away more than half of their money like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett
Posted by Derick Lee in categories: biotech/medical, economics, education, health, sustainability
Started in 2010 by Bill and Melinda Gates, worth $88.5 billion, and Warren Buffett, worth $74.2 billion, the Giving Pledge is a commitment by wealthy individuals and families to give away more than half of their wealth to causes including including poverty alleviation, refugee aid, disaster relief, global health, education, women and girlsâ empowerment, medical research, arts and culture, criminal justice reform and environmental sustainability.
Started in 2010, the Giving Pledge now includes 168 wealthy individuals and couples from 21 countries.
May 29, 2017
Spy shots reveal Tesla Model 3âs radical single screen dashboard
Posted by Dan Kummer in categories: sustainability, transportation
Anticipation is growing for the July release of Teslaâs âaffordableâ $35,000 Model 3.
Now, the latest shots of Telsa testing the car may have revealed one of its final secrets â what the interior will look like.
Continue reading “Spy shots reveal Tesla Model 3âs radical single screen dashboard” »
May 28, 2017
The Solar Industry Is Creating Jobs 17 Times Faster Than the Rest of the U.S. Economy
Posted by Dan Kummer in categories: economics, employment, energy, sustainability
Jobs in the solar field in the United States grew at a rate 17 times faster than the overall economy. This was part of a larger trend towards jobs in renewable energy and away from more dangerous, less sustainable jobs in fossil fuels.
A new report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reveals that solar jobs in the U.S. (and other nations) are expanding quickly. As of November 2016, the American solar industry employed 260,077 workers. This is an increase of 24.5% from 2015, with a growth rate that is 17 times faster than the United States economy as a whole.
May 23, 2017
Chinaâs belt and road infrastructure plan also includes science
Posted by Derick Lee in categories: economics, engineering, nanotechnology, quantum physics, robotics/AI, science, sustainability
China is also planning to use the initiative to flex its scientific and engineering muscles, officials made clear at a 2-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that ended yesterday in Beijing. âInnovation is an important force powering development,â Xi said in a speech to the opening session of the forum. And so the initiative will include technical cooperation in fields including artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, quantum computing, and smart cities. He also mentioned the need to pursue economic growth that is in line with sustainable development goals, and that rests on environmentally friendly approaches.
Investment also planned in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and other fields.
May 21, 2017
The Doomsday Vault Isnât Flooded But Weâre All Still Going to Die
Posted by Aleksandar Vukovic in categories: existential risks, government, life extension, sustainability
Still, the seed vault is supposed to function without humans having to get involved with maintenance. The Norwegian government is studying the situation and plans to fix the leak.
It was a story that was too good to pass up. The Svalbard âdoomsdayâ seed vault had flooded because of global warming-induced high temperatures melting the surrounding permafrost. But according to one of the vaultâs creators, the reports are pretty overblown and everythingâs fine. Well, the vaultâs fine. The apocalypse is still ticking along nicely.
May 19, 2017
Arctic stronghold of worldâs seeds flooded after permafrost melts
Posted by Brett Gallie II in categories: climatology, sustainability
No seeds were lost but the ability of the rock vault to provide failsafe protection against all disasters is now threatened by climate change.
May 18, 2017
India cancelling huge coal power station because it wants to focus on renewable energy
Posted by Dan Kummer in categories: energy, government, sustainability
A planned coal fired mega power plant in India has been scrapped because the government wants to focus on green energy.
Gujarati state officials had planned a 4,000-Megawatt ultra-mega power project (UMPP).
It would have been the state of Gujaratâs second UMPP.