Global investment in energy falls but renewables remain strong
Global investment in energy fell by 8% last year to $1.8tn (£1.4), reflecting low oil and gas prices and cost falls in the sector, new data shows. Nearly half of the decline was accounted for by the US, where plunging oil prices and a recent boom in shale gas, along with cost deflation in the Read More...
How Europe's influx of refugees is inspiring creative, affordable housing for everyone
When hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants started arriving in Europe in 2015, many cities started quickly building simple shelters, sometimes repurposing old shipping containers as temporary places to sleep instead of tents. But these makeshift sites were also often on the edges of Read More...
Fitness apps could help cities plan better bike lanes
The data collected by the fitness app Strava turns out to be a pretty accurate way to get a handle on how many people commute on foot or by bike, say scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This could help urban planners as they try to make cities safer for walkers and Read More...
Why Socially Responsible Companies Pay Less for Top Talent
Let’s say you’re interviewing two highly qualified applicants, Smith and Jones, for the same job. Mr. Smith shows a clear interest in making a positive mark on the wider world including, for example, listing extensive volunteer work on his resume. Ms. Jones’ whole career, by Read More...
Social entrepreneurship: Where the glass ceiling is already smashed
There is a growing sector where women are rising to the top, smashing through the glass ceiling as never before, and transforming the world with big ideas. It’s called social entrepreneurship and it’s disrupting the traditional status quo, fostering innovation and developing Read More...
Google-backed blockchain start-up Ripple raises $55 million from big banks
Chris Larsen, the chief executive of Ripple, said the company was investing the fresh funds in global expansion. "We have been expanding our office locations. We want to continue that and grow those teams, we want to be hiring so we can have engineers on the ground with local banking partners as Read More...
This fabric produces energy from light and movement
Researchers have developed a fabric that can harvest energy from the sun and movement at the same time. The fabric could be used to create power-generating clothing, creating a new meaning for the word wearable. So far the technology can only generate a couple volts a minute, but researchers Read More...
Romania is teaming up with Greenpeace to keep its forests untouched
In a race to save one of the last untouched forests in Europe, the Romanian government has teamed up with Greenpeace and other environmental NGOs to create a database that will ensure the federal protection status. The database will create clear boundaries to keep loggers from working illegally, Read More...
1.5 billion people lack a legal identity; blockchain technology can change that
Many refugees and migrants cross borders without proper documentation or their passports are lost or stolen along the way. German police said recently that 80 percent of Syrian refugees in that country didn't have the right paperwork. Without official identification refugees don’t have access Read More...
'Super-agers' may hold the clue to preventing dementia
As we age beyond our 50s, our brains tend to shrink in volume and our memory begins to decline. These widespread brain changes are considered normal, but mounting evidence suggests that avoiding memory loss is entirely possible. Scientists in the U.S are studying a unique group of adults in their Read More...