A plant has been generated from the fruit of the narrow-leafed campion.
Russian scientists have resurrected an arctic flower, the narrow-leafed campion, that died 32,000 years ago, which would make it the oldest plant ever grown from ancient tissue…
Continue reading… “Scientists resurrected a plant that died 32,000 years ago”
A phone booth with a new purpose.
The days of the phone booth may be numbered in New York City: with the flood of smartphones, vandalism and lack of maintenance, it may be time to re-think how else they might be used. Local architect John Locke’s proposition is to convert them into communal libraries or book drops, complete with brightly coloured shelving, much like your bricks-and-mortar institutions…
Continue reading… “Neglected New York City phone booths converted into communal libraries”
Even the most efficient washing machines on the market use a lot of energy and water, especially if warm or hot water is involved. But this revolutionary concept from designer Elie Ahovi could change all that. The Orbit ditches the soap and water for the cleaning power of dry ice. It’s also silent and only takes a few minutes per load to boot…
Continue reading… “Floating washing machine uses dry ice to clean clothes in minutes”
Ali Salman of Simply Hybrids
In 2007, Ali Salman was a Vice President of Marketing at Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car in LA. He was becoming dismayed at how dirty the beaches were and how smoggy the skyline was near his home in Orange County. He began to get upset and thought someone should do something to improve the water and air quality in southern California. He then remembered the Chinese proverb: “it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
He took that message to heart and decided to open up his own green business, a car rental company called Simply Hybrids. Five years later, business is booming and growing at an annual rate of 26%. TreeHugger spoke with Mr. Salman about his hybrid car rental business and how he got to where he is today…
Continue reading… “How to start your own hybrid car rental company”
Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell
Monday, Chemicals giant Solvay announced the successful entry into service in Flanders of what it said was the largest fuel cell of its type in the world.
Continue reading… “New ‘super battery’ could power over 1,000 homes”
Sending e-waste to better destination.
Mobile telephones and personal computing devices have taken a lot of business out of the post office. Personal letters and corporate mailings now largely have been replaced by digital-age communications.
But the post office may get the last laugh. In Germany, the post office plans to make a good business by collecting old mobile phones, household electronic devices, used printer cartridges, and any other e-waste that is small enough to fit in an A4-size envelop (the size of a flat sheet of standard paper)…
Continue reading… “German post offices to cash in on e-waste”
Photosynthesizing Solar Cells
Andreas Mershin, a researcher at MIT, has created solar panels from agricultural waste such as cut grass and dead leaves. Mershin says in a few years it will be possible to stir some grass clippings into a bag of cheap chemicals, paint the mixture on your roof, and immediately start producing electricity.
Continue reading… “MIT creates solar panels from leaves and grass”
The Electric Car is making new inroads in the UK.
Back in July of 2011 we heard about reports of plans for a nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations across the UK. Wind energy utility Ecotricity was installing charging stations in rest areas up and down the nations highways. Now CEO Dale Vince—who was interviewed in a live chat about building a wind energy empire—just posted on his blog that phase one of the Electric Highway is complete, and he is predicting that 2012 may just be the year of the electric car…
Continue reading… “Phase one of UK’s Nationwide Electric Car Charging Network complete”
Cycling transportation gets a boost in Sweden.
If you want to find an unassuming place where bicycling is a way of life and nobody makes a big deal about it, head south. The south of Sweden, that is, where the small university town of Lund has a big bicycle habit. They just don’t advertise it.
In Lund, 60% of the populace bikes or takes public transport to go about their daily tasks. And then there’s Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city – only 20 miles southwest of Lund. Malmö also doesn’t have a reputation for fantastic biking. But some say it is the country’s best biking city – ahead of both Stockholm, the capital; Gothenburg, the second largest Swedish metropolitan area, and a host of smaller bike-friendly burgs…
Continue reading… “A new cycling superhighway. Not in the U.S.A.”
Recycling can lids can turn into a heated situation.
It takes two hours on a sunny day, but this solar heater built by engineering students at Humboldt State University in California works. It’s made from waste materials, specifically can lids. These are held together by vines from Himalaya blackberry plants, which are an invasive species in their area…
Continue reading… “Solar heater made from can lids will boil a jar of water”
Walmart is going green?
So Walmart has launched a green blog, The Green Room, “that we hope to develop into a vibrant conversation about helping people live better around the globe.” So says Andrea Thomas, who leads sustainability at Walmart.
Right now there are just a few questions to start the conversation. What do you think are the biggest challenges in sustainability? What do you wish we, as a company, could do to address an environmental or social issue? How could we help you reach your own sustainability goals?
Continue reading… “Walmart wants to start a conversation on sustainability with its new Green Blog”
Bringing Air-Traffic Control in the 21st Century could really save CO2.
If you are going somewhere in a vehicle that burns a lot of fossil fuels, it’s never a good idea to take unnecessary detours. Sadly, most airplanes can’t take the most elegant and efficient route to their destinations because of the limitations of the air-traffic control system that guides them. It’s not the fault of the traffic controllers – they do a good job – but rather of the technology with which they have to work; the foundations of the system are 50-60 years old and produce flight paths that are far from optimal when it comes to saving fuel (and thus reducing CO2 emissions), saving money, and saving time for passengers. So what can we do about it?
Continue reading… “Computerized air-traffic control could save CO2 equivalent of Denmark’s economy”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.