Miscellaneous
Energy sourced from spent coffee grounds
Coffee shops and instant coffee factories in London alone send more than 200,000 tons of coffee waste to landfills every year. A UK startup is turning that problem into an opportunity. Bio-Bean is taking the spent grounds and using them to make energy. Bio-Bean collects the coffee waste from Read More...
Leopard population rebounds from near extinction
Back in 2007 conservationists counted how many Amur leopards—a species traditionally found in China and Russia—were left in the wild, they found 30. Extinction seemed imminent, but a recent re-counting of the Amur leopard population found that the species is bouncing back. Researchers counted Read More...
Eco-friendly 3-D printing plastic
From hobbyists, to providing goods for consumers in remote areas, the applications of 3-D printing are endless. The only problem: All 3-D printed products are made using petroleum based plastics, and lots of it. 3-D printing has eaten up 30 million pounds of plastic so far, which will translate to Read More...
Green sources will soon overtake nuclear energy in the UK
Back in 1995 nuclear energy was big in the UK—providing a quarter of the kingdom’s energy. Now, thankfully, that’s changing. In 2013 green energy provided almost 15 percent of the UK’s energy, while nuclear accounted for around 19 percent. With last week’s announcement of plans to build Read More...
Apple plans two data centers in EU powered by green energy
Recently Apple announced plans to build a giant solar farm that will offset all emissions caused by their California operations. Apple has also announced plans to build two giant data centers in Ireland and Denmark that will be powered by renewable sources and create hundreds of new jobs. Apple Read More...
System creates freshwater from waste with less energy
Current systems that make drinking water from wastewater devote most of their energy to oxygenating the refuse water. Now researchers have created a new system that uses almost 30 percent less energy, produces 10 percent more water, and puts out biogas as a byproduct. The system achieves such Read More...
Scientists create sustainable palm oil alternative
Palm oil is in more than half of the products found in your grocery store and has been the driving force behind countless acres of clear-cut rainforests. The reason palm oil is so sought after is because of two properties: Its extremely high melting point, and its equally high saturation levels. Read More...
ASU makes biomimicry degree programs
Biomimicry is the practice of using nature to inspire design. It’s more common than you think but hasn’t been widely taught at universities like other forms of design. Now Arizona State University (ASU) has announced plans to create degree programs for biomimicry for both undergraduate and Read More...
Solar panels made from shrimp shells
Chitin and chitosan are valuable chemicals found in the shells of crustaceans and have been used as a component of fertilizer for many years. Scientists have discovered a way to make solar panels out of shrimp shells and the process is cheaper, and more environmentally friendly than current Read More...
Positive attitudes minimize cavities for your kids
It might not seem related, but the way in which you interact with your children could factor into their oral health. A recent study found that parents who were characterized as lenient and let their children make their own decisions had kids 13 percent less likely to have cavities than parents who Read More...