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Archive for the ‘sustainability’ category: Page 417

Nov 1, 2020

Cups made from orange peels

Posted by in categories: 3D printing, sustainability

Biodegradable to serve orange juice.

I think this is an epic example of “nothing goes to waste”. 😃

Vishal Mehta

Continue reading “Cups made from orange peels” »

Oct 30, 2020

Flash graphene rocks strategy for plastic waste

Posted by in categories: chemistry, sustainability

Plastic waste comes back in black as pristine graphene, thanks to ACDC.

That’s what Rice University scientists call the process they employed to make efficient use of waste that would otherwise add to the planet’s environmental woes. In this instance, the lab of Rice chemist James Tour modified its method to make flash graphene to enhance it for recycling plastic into graphene.

The lab’s study appears in the American Chemical Society journal ACS Nano.

Oct 30, 2020

This Guy Is Creating Actual Diamonds From Reclaimed CO2

Posted by in category: sustainability

Malchemy

The resulting diamond is identical to one pulled out of the ground — and Vince says Ecotricity is already capable of making about 200 carats every month.

“Making diamonds from nothing more than the sky, from the air we breathe — is a magical, evocative idea — it’s modern alchemy,” Vince told The Guardian. “We don’t need to mine the earth to have diamonds, we can mine the sky.”

Oct 29, 2020

Q&A: This entrepreneur is turning waste plastic bottles into boats

Posted by in categories: economics, employment, sustainability

Madiba & Nature’s ‘ecoboats’ — made out of discarded plastic bottles — are creating jobs, promoting ecotourism and raising awareness of the circular economy.


Africa, like most other parts of the world, is battling a spiraling plastic pollution crisis. In Cameroon, one non-profit company is helping to keep waste plastic out of the ocean while also improving livelihoods and inspiring entrepreneurs in communities across the country.

Madiba & Nature’s ‘ecoboats’ — made out of discarded plastic bottles — are helping fishermen while also creating jobs in the recycling industry, promoting ecotourism and raising awareness of the circular economy.

Continue reading “Q&A: This entrepreneur is turning waste plastic bottles into boats” »

Oct 29, 2020

Japan’s Unicharm to sell recycled diapers in 2022

Posted by in category: sustainability

TOKYO — Unicharm, the world’s third largest diaper maker, will turn used diapers into new ones which will come onto the market in 2022.

The Japanese company plans to introduce more than 10 facilities for diaper-to-diaper recycling by 2030, as it bolsters efforts to reduce waste.

Unicharm will begin demonstration experiments and collect used diapers initially in Tokyo. The pulp will be taken out of the diapers at its recycling facilities and turned into recycled pulp via an ozone sterilization system.

Oct 29, 2020

Chevrolet readies an electric crate motor for homebuilt EV hotrods

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

I don’t know about you, but I am totally here for the growing trend of putting electric propulsion in classic cars. Much of the pioneering work has been done by small aftermarket shops: Zelectric and EV West in California, Electric Classic Cars in the UK, and so on. But increasingly, OEMs are giving it a go as well. For a while, Jaguar was preparing to sell a (very expensive) conversion kit for its XKE-engined cars, although sadly that has been cancelled. Volkswagen has been working with eClassics on an electric conversion of the Type 1 bus. And here in the US, the annual SEMA show has featured some factory-blessed high voltage hot rods for the last couple of years.

SEMA is going virtual this year, and one of the cars that Chevrolet will show off will be a 1977 K5 Blazer—called the Blazer-E—that previews the company’s new eCrate aftermarket powertrain. The build team traded the Blazer’s huge 6.6L V8, with its meagre 175hp (130kW), for the 200hp (150kW) motor from the Bolt EV, which connects to the Blazer’s four-wheel drive system via a four-speed auto that replaces the original three-speed transmission.

The fuel tank and exhaust also went in the recycling bin, and a 60kWh lithium-ion battery pack was mounted in the Blazer’s cargo area. This is also from the Bolt EV and includes all the wiring and power electronics one needs to manage a modern battery EV powertrain.

Oct 29, 2020

Israeli start-up makes vertical farms to grow crops in city parking lots

Posted by in categories: food, sustainability

Vertical farms subvert the space limitations of cities by allowing for portable, shipping container-esque produce farms that can operate in any urban environment.

Oct 28, 2020

South Korean dog meat farms closing as attitudes change

Posted by in categories: food, sustainability

This was the 17th farm closure in South Korea that HSI has facilitated, and the latest indication that the market for dog meat, a traditional delicacy in South Korea, is rapidly declining.

Oct 27, 2020

NASA’s International Partnerships, Artemis Team to Shape Lunar Exploration

Posted by in categories: space travel, sustainability

« Today we announced the first in a series of upcoming commitments from our international partners to support our Artemis plans. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have signed an agreement committing our space agencies to building the Gateway together. As our outpost in lunar orbit, the Gateway is critical for sustainable exploration of the Moon as well as testing systems and operations for future missions to Mars.

With this Memorandum of Understanding, ESA will provide an additional habitation element, enhanced lunar communications, and a refueling capability to the Gateway later this decade. They will also provide two more European service modules for future Orion spacecraft.

We are honored by this agreement with ESA and, again, it is one of several to come with our international partners. Exploration requires more than hardware though – and that is why this commitment with ESA includes opportunities for European astronauts to fly with NASA astronauts on future Artemis missions to the Gateway. »

Oct 27, 2020

These biological batteries generate renewable energy from the ground

Posted by in categories: biological, habitats, sustainability

Bioo uses microorganisms in the soil to power lights—and maybe one day, your whole house.