This island is introducing the strictest plastic ban the world has ever seen
The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu currently boasts some of the strictest laws when it comes to plastic waste. In July, the island voted to ban single-use plastic bags, drinking straws and styrofoam containers in a dramatic attempt to stem the flow of trash from the country’s coasts into the Read More...
Scientists are using 3D printers to deliver safer medicine tablets for children
Hydrocortisone is one of the many medicines that cause problems for children and their parents. Not necessarily because of its side-effects, but because they tend only to be available in 10 mg or 20 mg tablets. While adults can generally take two or three whole 10 mg tablets a day, kids can’t. Read More...
Decluttering your home? This 5-point scale will help you pick what to get rid of
By now you’ve probably caught wind of Marie Kondo’s approach to decluttering your home, which comes down to a single question: Does it spark joy? In other words, does this possession bring you joy. If it doesn’t, into the trash (or donation bag) it goes. But is it really so simple? Don’t we Read More...
Flow batteries could solve range anxiety in the EV industry
While electric cars can take some strain off the environment, their limited charging infrastructure and range limitations are something of an Achilles’ heel in the electric vehicle (EV) industry. The good news is that help may be on the horizon. Scientists are working to develop liquid, or Read More...
Farmers could soon replace polluting fertilizer with special microbes
Of the hundred-million-plus tons of fertilizer sprayed onto farm fields each year, much of it eventually ends up polluting the air or flowing into water, where it can cause toxic algae blooms like the green slime seen in Florida. One startup is helping farmers begin to replace standard chemical Read More...
Investors are putting millions of dollars into companies that fight food waste
Every year, roughly one third – or 1.4 billion tons – of the food produced in the world for human consumption ends up in landfills. By some estimates, this adds up to nearly $1 trillion of annual squander and the production of nearly 8 percent of human-caused greenhouse gases. And while Read More...
Recycling small fragments of glass is now possible thanks to new process
Unlike plastics, glass can be recycled many times over—making it a much more sustainable material. The only issues are the recycling process is generally limited to large pieces that can be easily sorted by color. When glass is shattered into small fragments, they tend to simply be discarded by Read More...
Doctors are starting to prescribe recipes, not pills, to heal their patients
A well-managed, healthy diet is arguably the best medicine a person can give to themselves. The only problem is eating healthy isn’t as easy as popping a pill. For some, healthy foods simply aren’t available. And if they are, they aren’t affordable. That’s why a number of hospitals and Read More...
Tortoise believed extinct for 100 years rediscovered on remote Galapagos island
A species of giant tortoises believed to have been extinct for more than a century has been rediscovered on the Galapagos Island of Fernandina. The discovered reptile is an adult female, suspected to be more than 100 years old. The species is unique to the Fernandina Island, one of the many dozen Read More...
Want to stop contributing to overfishing? Try this plant-based tuna alternative
In some regions in the world, overfishing is so bad that tuna production is on the verge of collapse. With that in mind, a food company has created a fish-free tuna alternative made from beans, legumes, and algae that tastes and feels like the real thing. Meat eaters have long had the benefit of Read More...