Miscellaneous
US judge briefly extends human rights to chimpanzees
The cause of animal rights may be moving forward. Activists were given a historic victory yesterday when a judge at the New York Supreme Court of Justice briefly decreed that chimpanzees held at Stony Brook University for research purposes are covered by a writ of habeas corpus, effectively Read More...
Pee-power toilet to improve safety for women in disaster areas
Oxfam’s technology challenge to the University of the West of England in Bristol is about to pay off. The global aid agency has been looking for a technology to turn pee into power in order to light toilets and bathrooms in refugee camps and other places, in order to improve safety for women. Read More...
Bald eagle returns to New York City after a 100-year absence
Rebounding wildlife makes for uplifting news, these days, especially when species that were on the verge of extinction are at stake. The most awaited new-born in New York City these days is a bald eagle offspring. The first active nest to be spotted locally in a century is located in Staten Read More...
Holding Dow Chemical accountable to its 2025 Sustainability Goals
It is easily tempting to dismiss corporate sustainability goals out of hand as greenwashing. And with good reason, if history is to teach us anything. The fact is that businesses yield tremendous resources and power to impact our world, for better and for worse. When Dow Chemical spells out Read More...
Pittsburgh shop aims to raise public awareness about the gender pay gap
Women with full-time jobs in America make 77% of men’s salaries on average, according to the White House’s most recent data. In Pennsylvania, the average is 76 cents to each dollar. Hence the decision by designer Elana Schenkler to open a shop in Pittsburgh dubbed 76<100, which gives women a Read More...
Stanford to teach about bringing spirituality and ethical commitments to work
Meditation is becoming very popular in the business world. It is typically of zen-inspiration, or borrows from the Hindu tradition of yoga. But Scotty McLennan, the Unitarian Universalist minister who spent 14 years as the dean for religious life at Stanford University points out that “no Read More...
Carbon emissions from US power grid the lowest in 20 years
The commitment by the Obama Administration to cut total CO2 emissions by 28% below 2005 levels by 2025 is within reach. Already this year, emissions from the energy sector are expected to be 15.4% below that threshold. Up to 37% of the cut in power-sector emissions since 2007 is attributed to Read More...
The court case that could shift climate public policies worldwide into high gear
Nearly a quarter of the Netherlands lies below sea-level. Despite becoming an early adopter of climate adaptation strategies, the country lags behind much of the European Union in renewable energy sources. In 2012, 900 Dutch citizens filed a class action lawsuit against their government based on Read More...
Lucid Energy installs hydropower in municipal drinking water pipes
Hydropower has a great advantage over solar and wind energy: it is reliable, typically consistent (unless severe drought dries out rivers and lakes) and easily predictable. What if it could be made more ubiquitous? Portland startup Lucid Energy has imagined harnessing the energy generated by Read More...
Ferrock, the cement that captures carbon from the air, comes to market
Cement, the glue that allows concrete to harden, is responsible for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Because it requires limestone to be heated at very high temperatures, cement production emits about 800 kilos of carbon for every 1,000 kilos of cement it yields. Ferrock aims to make cement Read More...