What would a community-owned food system look like?
In 2012, the Sustainable Economies Law Center along with numerous active partners successfully advocated for the passage of the California Homemade Food Act, also commonly known as California’s “cottage food law.” Thousands of small food businesses formed under the law during just its first Read More...
Semi-autonomous wheelchair could help mobilize people with severe paralysis
For someone with advanced Lou Gehrig’s disease or severe paralysis, a motorized wheelchair can be very hard to use. That’s why engineers have put together a self-driving wheelchair to help people with severe disabilities get around. The wheelchair isn’t exactly self-driving because the people Read More...
Your next set of tires could be made of tomato waste and egg shells
One of the key elements of a tire is carbon black, a filler that adds durability to the rubber. The substance isn’t very eco-friendly. It's made from petroleum, which is why researchers are experimenting with a “greener” way to replace carbon black. Using egg shells and tomato skins Read More...
California generated nearly half of its energy needs from solar last week
California just hit a new solar power milestone. Last week, the Golden state briefly generated enough solar power to meet nearly half of the state’s electricity needs. What’s remarkable is that rooftop systems were responsible for over a third of that power. It's an incredible feat, but Read More...
Bronze statue of a defiant girl installed in front of the iconic Wall Street bull
Symbols count. On International Women's Day, the world's third-largest asset manager has installed a bronze statue of a defiant girl in front of Wall Street's iconic charging bull statue. Along with the statue, the manager stated it would vote against the boards if a company failed to take steps to Read More...
This one ritual will help you raise a more mindful child, study says
How do we raise our kids to be more mindful? Parents have been looking for a consistent answer for years, and a new study may have found it. In the study, researchers found a ritual that can help improve children’s self-control and mental agility, which are some of the key characteristics of Read More...
Kangaroo care: the radical skin-to-skin approach to saving premature babies
Carmela Torres was 18 when she became pregnant for the first time. It was 1987 and she and her now-husband, Pablo Hernández had just moved to Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, in search of a better life. One December afternoon, suddenly out of nowhere, her body began to convulse with sharp Read More...
The five most-searched female world leaders, according to Google
While Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election, leaving one of the world’s highest and hardest of glass ceilings intact, 77 women in other countries have been elected president or prime minister in the modern era. Even after attaining office, these women have Read More...
3D Printing with plants is cheaper, stronger and more environmentally friendly
Engineers at MIT have developed a way to use plant cellulose as a feedstock for 3D printers, providing another renewable, biodegradable alternative to popular petroleum-based polymers like ABS currently being used. The researchers also believe printing with cellulose could be cheaper and stronger Read More...
London parents will get fined for dropping their kids at school by car
In an amazing reversal of American policies, a neighborhood in east London is prioritizing the safety of children over the convenience of cars. “It’s a sledgehammer to crack a nut.” This is how one angry parent described the recent crackdown by London police on parents who drop their kids Read More...