Miscellaneous
German state will produce 100% renewable electricity in 2014
The German state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany’s northernmost and windiest state, announced this week that it plans to produce 100% of electricity from renewables before 2014 ends. Home to more than 200 alternative energy companies, Schleswig-Holstein is looking to produce 3X the energy it Read More...
Designer refugee tents provide water and generate power
Is a refugee tent that is lightweight, portable and provides water and electricity too good to be true? Not if you’re award-winning designer and architect Abeer Selkaly, who has created a tent that does just that, and looks good. The modern–designed tent provides heated water and power via Read More...
Insect food is the answer to world hunger and global warming
We are constantly hearing about there not being enough food to feed the world, but if we changed our perspective on what food is, or what is edible, would there be enough then? Harvard graduates Laura D’Asaro, Rose Wang and Meryl Natow think that changing perspective could help solve the Read More...
Attributes of a Successful Sharer
Below is an excerpt from Beth Buczynski's new book 'Sharing is Good' published by New Society Publishers in August 2013. In it Buczynski outlines the benefits of collaborative consumption, why sharing drives progress, and how to overcome hurdles that keep people from sharing. Beth Buczynski Read More...
Central platform lets philanthropists manage donations from one place
Every year Americans spend $220 billion on charities. PlanG is a centralized platform that lets philanthropists manage all their donations from a singular place– something that can be challenging when you are donating large sums of money, or have numerous charities you often donate to. The Read More...
Reforestation plan in Panama could cut 7 million tons of CO2 emissions annually
On June 17 by the Panama Association of Reforestation and the Panama Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture announced a plan that would bring back nearly 2.5 million acres of rainforest over the next 20 years. The Panamanian initiative has 3 main goals: bolster development of Panama’s Read More...
Germany gets 50% of electricity from solar
On Monday June 9, 2014 solar panels in Germany produced 23.1 GW of electricity– or a little over half of the electricity Germany consumed that day. Though this surge in solar panel power only lasted for one day, it is an indicator that solar technology is beginning to make par for supplying base Read More...
Germany's different approach to solar could lead to wider adoption
On Monday June 9th 2014 solar panels in Germany produced 23.1 GW of electricity– or a little over half of the electricity Germany consumed that day. Germany’s approach to solar is slightly different than what we do in the US. Instead of building massive solar farms common, 90% of solar panels Read More...
UK’s first carbon–negative building is built from upcycled materials
Located on University of Brighton’s campus, the carbon negative building serves as a living research and design project, exemplifying what buildings can be built with. The house is comprised of 85% post–consumer products. Materials used to build the carbon–negative structure includes floppy Read More...
Drops in coal demand from US, China hint that we have hit peak coal
Earlier this month the White House announced a plan to scale back CO2 emissions from coal–fueled plants. The initiative aims to reduce pollutants that result from coal burning by 30% over the next 15 years. While China still consumes 50% of the world’s coal, 10 years ago the demand for coal in Read More...