Teenager finds low-tech solutions to blindspot problem in cars
As every cyclist knows, the blind spots of the rear-view window of a car can be extremely dangerous. Although companies are working on various high-tech solutions for this problem, a 14-year-old from Pennsylvania has taken a more low-tech approach to create an ingenious fix for the issue. Alaina Read More...
This seaweed-fiber Sumo diaper is the alternative the world needs
In the European Union alone, 17 million dirty diapers are disposed of every day. This is problematic for the environment, especially because the chemicals and plastics needed to make diapers comfortable and anti-bacterial also make the diaper neither non-recyclable nor compostable. In response to Read More...
This bicycle is made out of 300 recycled Nespresso pods
While coffee pods are a convenience of modern times, they come with a dark side. Most of them end up in our landfills, contributing to the growing challenge of plastic pollution. In an effort to change that, Vélosophy, a Swedish start-up, has developed a sleek solution to this brewing problem – Read More...
This compostable packaging for mushrooms is made out of…mushrooms
Packaging made from mushrooms, for mushrooms, is being tested in the hope that it will keep the fungi fresher longer. Christchurch mushroom grower, Meadow Mushrooms, is trialing the packaging it has developed and made from mushroom stalks, for its own products. The 50-year-old family business Read More...
The climate crisis has ushered in a new wave of environmentally-conscious design
The environmentally conscious design has existed for years, but this year it’s different. It’s no longer a fringe conversation. It’s no longer an “oh that’s nice” detail. It’s not just about designing the same things, but making them “eco-friendly.” Designers are responding to the Read More...
Why we should start building skyscrapers using wood
There’s almost no source of carbon emissions that is more overlooked than buildings. Beyond the monstrous amount of energy and resources that go into building skyscrapers out of concrete and steel, it also requires a ton of energy to cool and heat those same buildings. Part of the problem with Read More...
Start-up transforms consumer trash into beautifully designed furniture
Sustainability and aesthetics are two things that don’t usually go hand in hand. That’s not the case for Pentatonic – a start-up that uses innovative thinking to invent new materials using the world’s most abundant and dangerous resource – human trash – without compromising an inch of Read More...
This home was made almost entirely out of repurposed items
Using recycled and repurposed materials to build new things is a fantastic way to take some pressure off the environment as it decreases landfill waste, reduces the need for raw materials, and saves the energy that comes with having to dismantle and re-manufacture products. But on top of that, Read More...
Smart fabric can change temperature according to the world around it
Imagine having an item of clothing that cools you in summer and warms you in winter. A sweater that, based on its surrounding environment, regulates its own temperature in response to your personal comfort. Soon that could become reality as scientists at the University of Maryland have created a Read More...
Possibility: Refugees drive affordable housing innovation in Europe
From The Intelligent Optimist Magazine Fall/Winter 2016 European nations are finding that by working on one problem—sheltering the waves of refugees in ways that help integrate them into their new homes—they also can address other, seemingly intractable problems: Affordable housing for Read More...