Circularity
Understanding the value of a circular economy and identifying circular solutions are essential to changing our world for good. Circularity, or the zero-waste principle of keeping materials in a closed loop and away from landfills and incinerators, is the future. Find out about the latest innovations and solutions accelerating the transition towards a circular economy in the articles here from The Optimist Daily.
Seven tips for cooling your home without AC
Many of us can already feel the heated start of Summer, along with the urge to crank up the air-conditioning. While heatstroke is a serious health concern, a whole city blasting cool air into their homes presents a threat to the power grid. Some places like Texas are already experiencing Read More...
Got old electronics? Here’s how to dispose of them properly
Do you have a digital camera? Do you still use it, or does it sit quietly in a desk drawer, out of a job thanks to your iPhone? With the rate at which technology advances these days, chances are we all have old gadgets that are now obsolete or that we just don’t use anymore. Despite the amount of Read More...
Flow batteries could help with renewable energy storage
The generation of renewable energy from sources like wind and solar is one thing, but there are many other factors to consider when delivering renewable energy to consumers. A big one is the issue of storage. One Oregon startup, ESS Tech Inc. is fixing this problem with its flow Read More...
OnePower: bringing minigrids and power to Lesotho
A key aspect of helping the developing world is not only ensuring that they have sufficient power and infrastructure to run key facilities like schools and hospitals. It is also important to ensure that their energy infrastructure is resilient and, hopefully, runs on renewable energy. This is Read More...
The pursuit of nocturnal solar technology is growing
Last month, we wrote a story on solar cells developed by Stanford University that could draw a small amount of power at night, when most would think solar panels would be useless. The endeavor to create solar panels that can draw additional power at night is growing. Now, a collaboration of Read More...
Five herb-infused cooking oils you can DIY
Herb-infused cooking oils can add a welcome fragrance or taste note to your home-cooked meals. Not only that, but many of them can also be used as a moisturizer or to treat small cuts and scrapes. Here are five herb-infused recipes for your cooking oil. For these, you’ll want to use plant Read More...
MIT system uses machine-learning to reduce traffic and car emissions
As if idling in a line of cars at a red light forever wasn’t bothersome enough, vehicles emit greenhouse gasses while they’re stopped in traffic. Not only that, exposure to excess vehicle emissions while idling in traffic can be a major health risk. What if drivers could time their trips Read More...
Wetlands, the super carbon sink, and rewilding the Illinois River
After forests, wetlands are the greatest terrestrial carbon sink. These boggy and busy pools of life used to be thought of as a nuisance for people and communities, drained of their water or dug up for peat fuel. Now, we understand the quiet service that wetlands provide us and the Read More...
Five easy steps to start composting
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about eight percent of all carbon emissions come from food waste, and about half of that comes from “the consumption stage,” which means waste from households and food services. This means that we can control about four percent of carbon Read More...
Algae powered a basic computer for over six months
Sometimes it can be pretty difficult to imagine our highly technological society coexisting with the natural world. We seem to live most of our lives entirely online, not just separated from nature, but also from physical space itself. However, scientists from the University of Cambridge have Read More...