Teaching people how to build machines that turn plastic into new material
The majority of the 300 million tons of plastic produced every year isn’t recycled, and recycling that does happen typically happens at an industrial scale in factories using equipment that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. But a growing number of designers are using a set of open-source, Read More...
This autonomous train requires no tracks and emits no emissions
A self-driving train that runs on virtual tracks has officially hit the streets of Zhuzhou in China’s Hunan Province. The autonomous train requires no tracks, and could ease emissions and traffic for a fraction of the cost of building a subway or streetcar system. The 100 percent electric train Read More...
New data gives hope for meeting the Paris climate targets
This week the world received alarming news that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached a record high, displaying that there is still much that needs to be done in order to mitigate the effects of climate change. On the other hand, the data also reveals that global carbon pollution appears Read More...
To accomplish more, try doing less
The pace and intensity of our lives, both at work and at home, leave many of us feeling like our lives are running their own course. Instead of being in control, the pressure to tick off items on our to-do list by each day’s end seems to decide the direction and quality of our existence. But if Read More...
Tesla wants to put Puerto Rico back on the grid
This story was originally published by Grist and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. It was a transaction concocted on Twitter—and in a few short weeks, declared official: Tesla is helping to bring power back to Puerto Read More...
This is the world's first carbon negative country
As companies, researchers, scientists and entrepreneurs work to make industries and systems carbon-neutral, one tiny nation in the Eastern Himalayas has them all beat: Bhutan is world's first – and only – carbon-negative Read More...
The largest ever tropical reforestation is planting 73 million trees
There are more habitable planets in our galaxy than humans living on planet Earth. But the nearest one is about 70 trillion miles away, which means that, for now, and for the foreseeable future, Earth is the only life-supporting rock hurtling through infinite space we’ll ever know. It’s really Read More...
Plants are becoming better at photosynthesis as carbon levels climb
Scientists have noticed a strange trend happening simultaneously with rising levels of carbon emissions: vegetation is able to use water more efficiently, leading to increased levels of photosynthesis. Apparently, plentiful levels of a particular type of carbon allows plants to adjust their Read More...
This startup is making biodegradable sanitary pads to solve big issues in India
We take sanitary napkin usage for granted in North America and Europe, but it’s a huge issue in India and other developing nations. In fact, just 16 percent of women in India use them due to poverty and other reasons, which causes health and social issues. To solve this, a startup in India is Read More...
The science of meditation explained by two experts
Meditation is popularly presented as a panacea for many of the world’s ailments. But to what extent does science support the hype? Two longtime meditators and established authors Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson, explored six thousand studies conducted over the last few decades, and decided Read More...