Pulp mills generate significant amounts of waste and we’re seeing scientists get quite creative with how it might be put to use, with the possibilities including everything from foams, to batteries to stronger concrete. The latest example comes from researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC), who have used a pulp mill waste product as a filler material for […]

New York City is famously a center for culture and creativity in the U.S. But even in a city that’s filled with so much to see and do, one art exhibit is standing out among the crowd. Artist Dionnys Matos is using art to draw attention to sustainability and why it matters so much, what it means for the Earth […]

Allbirds put its best foot forward when it stepped into the sustainable footwear sphere. Now, the company is going further with the development of a new, plant-based leather. Made with rubber, vegetable oil and other natural ingredients, this leather alternative, aptly named Plant Leather, has 40 times less carbon impact than animal-derived leather and 17 times less carbon impact than […]

It’s a sad fact that many of the people who most need water filters are those who are least able to afford them. A newly demonstrated MIT technology could help, in that it uses locally sourced wood to inexpensively purify contaminated water. Running lengthwise within the “sapwood” of a tree’s trunk and branches are straw-like conduits known as xylem. These […]

Advances in transparent solar cells mean that soon we might be able to install them into windows and greenhouses. But in the latter case, would they deprive plants of vital sunlight? To find out, researchers at North Carolina State University grew lettuce under various wavelengths of light, and found that the plants did just fine. Organic solar cells are emerging […]

Cattle are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to their methane-loaded burps. A detailed new study has found more evidence that feeding cows a small seaweed supplement can greatly reduce their methane emissions, without affecting their health or the taste of the meat. Methane might not be as abundant a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide, but it […]

Although we’ve been hearing about various agricultural robots that are still in development, there’s at least one which is already commercially available. It’s called the Slopehelper, and it’s made mainly for use in vineyards. The Slovenian-designed autonomous electric vehicle runs on rubber tank-like treads, and can be equipped with system-specific hinged tools for tasks such as mowing, weeding, mulching, spraying, […]

Allbirds put its best foot forward when it stepped into the sustainable footwear sphere. Now, the company is going further with the development of a new, plant-based leather. Made with rubber, vegetable oil and other natural ingredients, this leather alternative, aptly named Plant Leather, has 40 times less carbon impact than animal-derived leather and 17 times less carbon impact than […]

Like humans, good plant companions bring out the best in each other. Throughout the forest, certain plants need the same resources and will cause competition between plants. In contrast, companion planting ensures plants are good neighbors, supporting each other instead of clashing. As an example, look to nature, where smaller plants take shelter from taller trees. In the gardening realm, […]

A new project in the Australian Outback will trial an innovative technique for converting solar energy into hydrogen by capturing moisture from the air and splitting it via hydrolysis, making it possible for hot, arid areas to become energy exporters. Tennant Creek is a three-pub, 3,000-person town on the northern rim of Australia’s famous red center, a colossal expanse of […]