New report: Electric cars and cheap solar will halt fossil fuel growth by 2020
Solar power and clean cars are consistently underestimated by big energy, according to a new report by Imperial College and Carbon Tracker Initiative. The report projects that polluting fuels could lose ten percent of market share to solar power and clean cars within a decade. A ten percent loss of Read More...
The Netherlands keeps closing prisons because it doesn't have enough prisoners
The Netherlands closed five prisons in 2016 after the country closed 19 prisons in 2014 and eight in 2009. Crime is down, sentences are too and there are fewer and fewer inmates to put in the cells. Sweden is also closing jails for the same reason as the Read More...
Pain serves an evolutionary function: Comfort is not good for you
Our evolutionary drive has been to increase our level of comfort. We fled predators, froze in snowstorms, sought shelter from the rain, and hunted and gathered our food. And, today, our lives are surprisingly easy. When we need something we go to the store. But that’s a problem: comfort is Read More...
LED lighting retrofits in Hawaiian homes: Faster paybacks than solar power
Visitors know the Hawaiian islands for many things: ample sunshine, beautiful beaches, and friendly people. Residents know these things as well, but also are all too aware of high electricity prices, an aging electrical grid dependent on foreign oil, choke traffic, and other problems associated Read More...
7 industries that will be disrupted by blockchain technology
Born in Satoshi Nakamoto’s mind, blockchain technology allows peer-to-peer networks to be created, without the use of a third-party centralized coordinators. Creating a decentralized digital ledger that records data over time, which cannot be deleted and is publicly available, can change the Read More...
Scientists hope wetland carbon storage experiment is everyone's cup of tea
Australian scientists have launched a project to bury tens of thousands of teabags in wetlands around the world. They are hoping others will sacrifice a few cups of tea and join in to discover how efficient different wetlands are at capturing and storing carbon dioxide. Lipton green tea and red tea Read More...
Mindfulness meditation has become a staple among successful people
Meditation provides all sorts of benefits, so it's no wonder that it's become a favorite habit of tons of successful people. But if you're not familiar with it, the concept can be confusing. Mindfulness meditation, one branch of the practice, might actually be easier than you thought. We made this Read More...
We’re underestimating how quickly electric vehicles will disrupt oil market
Just about every analyst agrees that the electric vehicle market is poised for rapid growth. But how rapid? It’s not an idle question. The rate of EV growth will have huge implications for oil markets, auto markets, and electric utilities. Yet it is maddeningly difficult to predict the Read More...
In India, people are getting paid to use the toilet
India has a major urban sanitation problem. More than 41 million people in urban India practice open defecation and 71.5 percent of the rural population does not have adequate access to sanitation facilities. On top of that, there are also people who resist using toilets because some see it as the Read More...
Deutsche Bank is pulling the plug on future coal investments
A report released in December 2016 said the total value of fossil fuel divestments had doubled to $5 trillion. That number is only set to rise with Deutsche Bank announcing that it will no longer invest in coal as part of its commitments under the Paris Agreement to tackle global warming. The Read More...