News
Chinese scientists develop robot fish that gobble up microplastics
Robot fish that «eat» microplastics may one day help to clean up the world’s polluted oceans, says a team of Chinese scientists from Sichuan University in southwest China. Soft to touch and just 1.3 centimetres (0.5 inch) in size, these robots already suck up microplastics in shallow water. The team aims to enable them to […]
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Effective Carbon Dioxide Capture Using Two-Dimensional Ionic Liquids
A new technology for CO2 capture, utilization, and storage has attracted broad attention in the context of global concern about climate change and greenhouse gas control. Due to their ultralow vapor pressure and environmentally friendly features, ionic liquids are considered a new type of CO2 adsorbent. They are composed of only cations (positively charged ions) […]
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The world’s largest vertical farm using 95% less water opens in Dubai
As a powerful alternative to help with the land crisis, vertical farms are no less helpful than traditional farms regarding functionality. Although the idea itself dates back to ancient times when the people of Babylon built “The Hanging Gardens of Babylon” in 605-562 BC, the modern concept was first proposed by Dickson Despommier, a Public […]
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CO2Rail aims to turn train cars into rolling carbon capture plants
We’re seeing a growing emphasis on direct air capture technology in our efforts to combat climate change, and an interesting new take on this technology could see it put to use on railways around the world. US outfit CO2Rail is developing specialized rail cars that can be attached to existing trains and use energy from […]
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Reducing sugar consumption to achieve climate and sustainability goals
Reducing sugar consumption would have important benefits in the fight against climate change, as well as in the recovery from the health and economic crises associated with the coronavirus pandemic. This is the conclusion of a study by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) that analyses the […]
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New bioremediation material can clean ‘forever chemicals’
A novel bioremediation technology for cleaning up per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, chemical pollutants that threaten human health and ecosystem sustainability, has been developed by Texas A&M AgriLife researchers. The material has potential for commercial application for disposing of PFAS, also known as «forever chemicals.» Published July 28 in Nature Communications, the research was […]
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Eco-friendly sound-proofing made from seaweed
Most of the acoustic materials that can cancel out sound are made from plastic foams that aren’t easily recycled or degraded. This is a significant environmental issue, as plastic can take centuries to decompose if they enter the environment. Moreover, current alternative options are made from plant fibres that don’t effectively dampen noise in the […]
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Woolybubs baby shoes can be dissolved in boiling water
American baby footwear company Woolybubs has created a range of baby shoes that can be broken down in hot water after the wearer has outgrown them to help eliminate waste. The shoes, which are suitable for babies aged zero to 12 months old, are designed to dissolve into a liquid when submerged in water set […]
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