Biofuels: could agave, hemp and saltbush be the fuels of the future?
Biofuels have long been touted as a carbon-neutral alternative to fossil fuels, doing for the world’s planes, ships and automobiles what windfarms and solar panels are doing for its electricity grids. With the transport sector accounting for almost one fifth of Australia’s total carbon Read More...
MIT researchers develop new way to clear pollutants from water
When it comes to removing very dilute concentrations of pollutants from water, existing separation methods tend to be energy and chemical-intensive. Now, a new method developed at MIT could provide a selective alternative for removing even extremely low levels of unwanted compounds. The new Read More...
A supermarket in Norway solves the battery recycling challenge
You know you need to recycle batteries. You put them aside. And then…? It’s not easy to do the right thing when it comes to recycling batteries as there often are no easy places to go to. A supermarket in Norway is changing that. The store has introduced a battery recycling vending machine that Read More...
This device generates clean air and electricity from air pollution
Researchers in Belgium have developed a process that purifies air, and at the same time, generates power. The device must only be exposed to light in order to function. The device is similar to an electrolyser that can extract hydrogen from water. The researchers have discovered that polluted air Read More...
Study with mice shows that cannabis may reverse dementia
A new study with mice shows that THC, one of the active ingredients in marijuana, was able to improve the brains of elderly mice to the level that their brains resembled those of rodents who were only two months old. THC is the substance that causes people to get “high”. However, the amount Read More...
What is the fastest growing job in the US?
You could guess the answer: As the solar industry continues to grow fast, so do its job opportunities. A new study shows that between 2012 and 2016 solar photovoltaic installers or someone who assembles solar panels was the fastest-growing job in the U.S. The average solar job pays about $42,500 Read More...
The Japanese have a skill that’s now copied around the world
If you travel on a train in Japan, you may encounter a conductor talking to himself. He is performing tasks while commenting aloud on each thing he’s doing. He is practicing shisa kanko, which you may also call a form of mindfulness. A study has shown that when asked to perform a simple task, Read More...
Vertical ocean farming could restore marine ecosystems
The premise on which it’s based is simple, too: the oceans are the planet’s life support system because they regulate its climate and provide half of the oxygen we breathe. Its fish provide a staple diet for 50 per cent of the people on the planet. Its water, thanks to Read More...
How to fix climate change: put cities, not countries, in charge
Climate change is the most urgent challenge facing humankind. Other issues make headlines: terrorism kills; inequality affects everyday life for billions around the globe. But climate is paramount, because in sustainability human survival itself is at stake. Why then have the nations governing the Read More...
Study: By 2030, self-driving cars could cut car ownership by 80 percent
Stop us if you've heard this one before: someone's published a study on self-driving cars and the effect they'll have on transportation. In the past year alone, we've seen plenty of those studies. Some show that people are afraid of self-driving vehicles (even though they're totally onboard with Read More...