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There are 2.7 million miles of roads stretching across the United States. On hot days, all that asphalt absorbs warmth from the sun, heating to 140 degrees or more. The energy potential of this phenomenon has not gone unnoticed. Researchers from the University of Rhode Island are looking into several ways to harness the solar energy potential of roads to melt ice, power streetlights and signs,......read more
Cement production accounts for five percent of global CO2 emissions, which is double the emissions from all airline traffic. That spells a massive greenhouse gas problem, just so society can continue to build and expand its infrastructures. But there has to be another way, right? Cement is the glue that holds concrete together. Concrete is so ubiquitous as to be nearly invisible. Producing the......read more
In the shift from the wasteful and earth-damaging ways of the past toward a more sustainable future, technology is our pal. Advances in renewable energy systems, materials production, and waste recycling have transformed our ability to live greener lifestyles. Recently, researchers at the University of Warwick made one such advance in the realm of plastics recycling. Typically, only around 12%......read more
Bee populations around the world are in massive decline, with scientists blaming it on a lack of genetic diversity, urbanization, and increased pesticide use. Now, Swiss scientists have discovered a surprising new culprit that doesn't seem so nefarious from here: our cell phones. The researchers conducted 83 different experiments in which cell phones were placed inside bee hives, and the bees'......read more
One of nature's most fascinating spectacles, a starling murmuration is a large, swirling, cloud-like formation made up of thousands of starlings flying together. We know because we looked it up. Out canoeing on the River Shannon in Ireland, two British women caught some spectacular footage of the phenomenon. The video has gone viral in impressive fashion, catching four million views on Vimeo......read more
With the rise of cloud computing, data centers are popping up all over that are filled with heat-emitting servers. These servers are comprised of motherboards, and the motherboards must be cooled to prevent overheating. Technology companies pay energy costs to run the servers, and an additional 50% of the cost of running the servers simply to cool them with fans. Why not eliminate the fans and......read more
With more and more of us reading things on digital screens, the future of paper looks very bleak indeed. While trees around the world breathe a cautious sigh of relief, the paper industry is trying to find ways to change its fortune. At Fast Company, Ariel Schwartz informs us about a joint venture between Domtar (a paper company focused on environmental responsibility) and FP......read more
In a press release that reads like sci-fi writing, a startup called Planetary Resources announced plans to identify, explore, tag, and finally mine asteroids for materials ranging from precious metals to water. The audacious venture is an attempt to locate and exploit a sustainable resource supply for Earth's ever-growing population. "Many of the scarce metals and minerals on Earth are in......read more
With inspiration from the complex mathematical patterns found in nature, Tatiana Plakhova creates fascinatingly futuristic illustrations that apply geometric lines to landscape photos. The results are stunning. These selections, from the Moscow-based designer's "Geosphere" collection, clearly show off her vision and talent. "My works are based on mathematical simplicity and harmony," she says.......read more
If there was a hall of fame for sustainable business, Dr. Mike Biddle would be one its first inductees. Twenty years ago, the trailblazing plastics engineer launched MBA Polymers in his garage. He was determined to prove that complex polymers from consumer plastics could be recycled into useful raw materials. Mike developed a patented series of techniques for separating and refining plastic waste......read more
