Nissan debuts fuel-cell prototype powered by bio-ethanol
Just in time for the Olympic Games, Nissan is testing a special type of fuel-cell vehicle on the streets of Brazil. The model, based off the NV200 van, runs completely off bio-ethanol and offers a driving range of more than 372 miles. It doesn’t work like other fuel cells which have a Read More...
Wellpaper: How an Israeli couple is using art to empower rural women in Tamil Nadu
The 2004 tsunami took with it more than we can fathom. Entire villages were brought to a standstill against the force of the massive tide - multi-storied buildings were decimated to stray piles of rock, submerging within it the muffled breathes of multitudes. And when nature strikes the way it does Read More...
From weddings to the Olympics, the race to end food waste quickens
When Italian architect Carlo de Sanctis went to a friend's wedding on the outskirts of Rome two years ago, he did not expect to find himself discussing food waste. As the party was winding down, de Sanctis and his friends ended up wondering what the waiter next to them would do with the uneaten Read More...
The Merits of Reading Real Books to Your Children
The CheckupDr. Perri Klass on family health. A new Harry Potter book and a new round of stories about midnight book release parties reminded me of the persistent power of words printed on a page to shape children’s lives. How do we think about a distinct role for paper, for Read More...
This project is helping women support their families while curbing deforestation in Zambia
What’s driving deforestation in Zambia is the same thing that is creating one of the country’s biggest health hazards: charcoal. So to help address both issues in one go, a group of volunteers is empowering women in Zambia with clean wood chip stoves which they can sell in their local Read More...
The clean energy revolution is underway in Australia
The “virtual power plant” seeks to link together networks of energy-efficient buildings, solar installations, and batteries to help utilities reduce energy demand at peak hours and supply targeted areas with clean energy. We wrote about the “virtual power plant” of Los Angeles last week, Read More...
Nature can help anyone, including inmates
Surrounded by concrete walls and metal bars, prisoners can’t enjoy the benefits of being in nature, so researchers did the next best thing by showing videos of things like forests, the ocean, rivers and fireplaces to a group of inmates three to four times a week for an entire year. The study Read More...
Study: Organic wines are not just better for the environment; they taste better
The word “organic” is seen as synonymous with “higher quality” within grocery stores, but when it comes to wine, an “organic” label is often a turn-off for consumers. Instead of touting their wine as “organic”, vineyards who grow organically often leave the label off the bottle for Read More...
7 ways to improve your body language
Sometimes miscommunication stems from the language your body is speaking rather than the actual words coming from your mouth. In fact, many studies show that nonverbal communication actually has the highest impact in conveying messages, even more so than the words we speak. Here are some ways to Read More...
Africa calling: mobile phone revolution to transform democracies
Mobile phones will account for almost one-tenth of African GDP by the end of the decade, as mobile broadband connections triple in five years, underlining how the explosive growth in the telecoms industry is having a major economic, social and political impact on the continent. Market analysts Ovum Read More...