Water
Scientists develop innovative process that extracts lithium out of seawater
While most electronics, including autonomous vehicles, power themselves with batteries made of lithium, the growing demand for this element is expected to exhaust our planet’s land-based reserves by 2080. Future shortages could cause battery prices to skyrocket and hinder the growth of electric Read More...
Scientists attempt to take charge of the weather by electrifying clouds
The United Arab Emirates is finally ready to test out a new method of triggering rain in water-scarce regions that involves jolting clouds with electricity. The plan is to catapult small autopiloted aircraft into the sky that will then get close enough to send an electric charge through the Read More...
This map lets you trace the path of any waterway across the US
River Runner, a new map developed by data analyst Sam Learner, lets you trace the origins of water throughout the entire United States. Users can click on any location or enter any address and the map will show them where the water in that area is likely to flow to. If, for instance, you click Read More...
These "flying" electric boats could save Venice from being engulfed by water
The romantic Italian city of Venice is slowly but surely sinking into the sea. While rising sea levels are partly to blame for this, there is a less commonly-known contributor to this issue called “moto ondoso,” also known as wake pollution. Wake pollution is caused by speeding motorboats Read More...
‘Micro-tree’ harvester purifies water and extracts it out of thin air
Water scarcity is one of the most challenging problems humanity faces. Water is floating in the air all around us and in our oceans, but despite having so much water on Earth, only a tiny fraction of it is actually drinkable — while the rest of it is either too salty, contaminated, or difficult Read More...
Denver will be home to North America’s largest sewer heat-recovery project
Did you know that the hot water you send down the drain can be used to regulate the temperature of buildings? Called sewer heat recovery, the process essentially captures warm water from showers, washing machines, and dishwashing and stores it in a heat-consistent pit. This stored water is then Read More...
Community coral planting restores Belize’s expansive reefs
Hurricane Iris swept across Belize in 2001, destroying large amounts of the vital coral reef ecosystems that lay off the coast. Marine biologist Lisa Carne had witnessed these corals in their pre-storm splendor and was devastated at their destruction. With the ambitious goal of bringing the reef Read More...
Rewilding: A Key Solution for Biodiversity
Wild wolves used to roam freely across most of the United States, but when these wolves were hunted to extinction in areas like Montana and Wyoming, ecosystems quickly fell out of balance. Without natural predators, elk populations soared, eating away at trees and grasses, eliminating building Read More...
This underwater kite generates electricity using water currents
Some time ago, we introduced you to KiteKraft, an innovative kite design that uses the power of the wind to generate clean electricity. Now, a similar kite system aims to do the same, but by using tidal and river currents instead. Called Manta, the system was developed by scientists at the Read More...
This low-cost filter fits directly onto jerry cans to provide potable water
According to the World Health Organization, at least two billion people worldwide use a contaminated drinking water source, leading to tens of thousands of deaths associated with unsafe water every year. To help expand access to clean drinking water where needed and save lives in the process, Read More...