Design
Could the buildings of tomorrow be made of fungus? These researchers say yes.
If you read yesterday’s Optimist View, you know that the options for building in a changing climate are diverse and versatile. They might even include building homes out of fungus. Yes, fungus. A provocative new paper by academics from the University of the West of England and the Royal Danish Read More...
How rain gardens can help reduce polluted water runoff
If you live in a coastal city, you know not to swim in the ocean for several days after heavy rain. This is because water runoff can carry dirty and even harmful pollutants such as bacteria, chemicals, and sewage. Beautiful, planted rain gardens are a natural and effective way to clean water moving Read More...
This solar farm is providing a habitat for desert tortoises to thrive in
Solar farms aren’t only good for generating clean energy. In the desert in Nevada, a solar farm is providing tortoises a habitat they can thrive in. Juvenile tortoises depend on plant cover to hide from predators, and fortunately for them, the shade below the solar panels allows many plants that Read More...
New homes in Wales will be powered by renewable energy by 2025
The building and housing sector are one of today’s major contributors to global warming and the climate crisis. Acknowledging the urgent need to find a solution to this problem, the Welsh government has recently issued plans requiring all new homes in the country to be heated and powered by clean Read More...
Packaging as a service could eliminate unnecessary cardboard and plastic waste
With nearly 700 million trees being cut each year to make the shipping boxes used in e-commerce, and nearly 8 million tons of plastic in tape, bubble wrap and foam, it’s high time the industry rethinks its wasteful practices. Enter THE BOX - a revolutionary, sustainable and trackable shipping Read More...
Architects have created a replicable self-sustaining surgical center in Uganda
Roughly 5 billion people lack any form of safe or affordable surgery, leading to millions of deaths annually worldwide. In response, architects have created a modular, easily replicable surgical facility to provide ambulatory surgical procedures for underserved populations in resource-poor Read More...
This trio of clothing companies empowers young girls with more diverse styles
Children pick up on gender queues from a very young age. Toys, movies, books, and clothing play a big role in reinforcing what it means to be a girl and what you can achieve. Fortunately, there are girls’ clothing brands that are stepping up to tell young women that they can be anything they want Read More...
Eco-friendly living concrete is made from a mix of bacteria and sand
Despite its remarkable properties as a building material, concrete has a dangerous environmental footprint. Cement - the main ingredient for making concrete - is solely responsible for 6 percent of the world’s human-made carbon emissions. And while researchers have sought alternative means of Read More...
How wood became the hottest, most sustainable building material
Architects, builders, and sustainability advocates are all abuzz over a new building material they say could substantially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the building sector, slash the waste, pollution, and costs associated with construction, and create a more physically, psychologically, Read More...
This Philippine island is reconstructing itself by turning volcano ash into bricks
Last week, the island of Luzon in the Philippines was startled by an eruption of the Taal Volcano - one of the most active in the region - displacing thousands of people and blanketing neighboring towns and villages with thick layers of erupted ash and mud. Following the disaster, the ash-covered Read More...