The company the Autonomous Tractor Corporation, which invented the autonomous, and cab-less tractor Spirit in 2013, has developed an aftermarket package to turn any tractor, no matter the brand, into an autonomous vehicle. The package is called AutoDrive, a safety navigation and implement management system that allows for autonomous operation. It taps into the electronics onboard the tractor and, using sensors, lasers, radio signals and artificial intelligence software, takes over the controls, without the need for a driver.
Organic Burial Pods Turn Your Loved Ones Into Trees
The very thought of death puzzles, touches and disturbs us all. One thing we do know for sure is that not one of us will escape death, and so you might as well know how you want to be buried.
Continue reading… “Organic Burial Pods Turn Your Loved Ones Into Trees”
Fish farms have become a bigger business than the open sea
People around the world are eating more fish from farms than from the open sea for the first time ever. This has spurred billions of dollars of takeovers as one of the largest food companies seeks to capitalize on rising demand.
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MIA federal rules stall Colorado’s ready-to-fly dronemakers
In Colorado, 15 of the first 500 FAA exemptions were granted to permit commercial drones to fly. But enabling those and other waiting businesses to spur an estimated $232 million in economic impact — and create more than 1,190 jobs — in Colorado by 2017 hinges on long-delayed rules based on a 1946 U.S. Supreme Court case filed by a poultry farmer.
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‘Smart’ LED farming: making space veg viable?
According to researchers at Purdue University, ‘targeted’ LEDs could be the future of extraterrestrial horticulture, the tiny electrical components could lead a revolution in fine-tuning food production off (and on) Earth. Continue reading… “‘Smart’ LED farming: making space veg viable?”
Planting a billion trees a year using drones?
By using drones to plant forests of seedlings, a start-up plans to help solve the world’s climate problems. Lauren Fletcher, the founder of BioCarbon Engineering says, “We are going to counter industrial scale deforestation using industrial scale reforestation.” Continue reading… “Planting a billion trees a year using drones?”
The cost of California’s drought
With the northeast U.S. emerging from yet another snowstorm, California has just recorded its hottest winter ever, with average temperatures 4.4 degrees hotter than the 20th century average. Continue reading… “The cost of California’s drought”
Grow your ashes into a tree with the Bios Urn
How would you, your loved ones, or even your pet like to grow into a tree after death? It is now possible with the Bios Urn. Continue reading… “Grow your ashes into a tree with the Bios Urn”
Dutch company using living plants to power streetlights
Dutch company harnessing electricity from living plants.
The Dutch company Plant-e, is using living plants to power more than 300 streetlights, WiFi hotspots, and cell phone chargers. The “Starry Sky” project started in November 2014 by Plant-e near Amsterdam in an old ammunition site called HAMburg.
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Internet of Things Innovations in Agriculture
Venture capitalists invested a record amount in agriculture and food startups in the third quarter this year, totaling $269 million across 41 deals. Conservis, for example, raised $10 million to offer farmers a real-time view of operations. FarmLogs raised $4 million to deliver apps that help farmers increase their productivity and profitability by identifying the crops most likely to sell. In November, Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors and Flextronics Lab IX launched Farm2050, a collective to support “ag-tech” startups whose solutions boost global food production.
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It’s Illegal to Live off the Grid in the State of Florida
Robin Speronis lives off the grid in Florida, completely independent of the city’s water and electric system. A few weeks ago, officials ruled her off-grid home illegal. Officials cited the International Property Maintenance Code, which mandates that homes be connected to an electricity grid and a running water source.
That’s like saying our dependency on corporations isn’t even a choice. The choice to live without most utilities has been ongoing for Robin, the self-sufficient woman has lived for more than a year and a half using solar energy, a propane camping stove and rain water.
In the end, she was found not guilty of not having a proper sewer or electrical system; but was guilty of not being hooked up to an approved water supply.
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Algae used to extract metals from mine tailings
England’s Cornish Tin Mine
Jamie Doward – A pioneering research project to clean up a flooded Cornish tin mine is using algae to harvest the precious heavy metals in its toxic water, while simultaneously producing biofuel.
If the project, which is at a very early stage, is proven to work, it could have huge environmental benefits around the world.
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