Have you ever thought that other Universes are closer than trillions of light years away? Me too.
Sometimes, scientists feel it is beyond the human mind to envision such massive spaces and more than three dimensions, However, over time theories of Universes and how they interact with one another is becoming more and more understood with the advancements in theoretical physics.
Below is a really interesting broadcast of Brian Greene being interviewed by Anna Maria Tremonti of CBC radio. Brian Greene wrote the book called a The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos...
If you are looking for a less intense version of the above broadcast, you would like Brian Greene talking with David Letterman on his research of the Universe and string theory.
I find appreciating and understanding astrology and astrophysical research important because without the Universe and planet, there is nothing -and thus no other research matters.
When you drive by a greenhouse, do think it could help save the world in any way? So often today the word "greenhouse" is associated with "greenhouse gasses," that we don't associate greenhouses with anything positive for the planet. However, the locals in a province called Almeria in Southern Spain, beg to differ and are using greenhouses to reduce greenhouse gas incubation, and offsetting global warming.
Since the 1980's, the Almerian people in southern Spain have been developing greenhouses for everyone. In fact, Almeria has the largest concentration of greenhouses in the world, covering 26,000 hectares.
What's so great about greenhouses you ask? Well, they actually reflect a majority of the sunlight back into the atmosphere. This allows for less to sunlight incubate in the towns/cities; reducing the susceptibility of holes in the ozone layer.
The greenhouses built in Spain are reflecting so much sunlight back into the atmosphere that they are actually cooling the province! While temperatures in the rest of Spain have climbed faster than the world average, meteorological observatories located in the so-called 'sea of plastic' have shown a decline of 0.3 degrees per decade. It turns out that the plastic’s white colour acts like a mirror, reflecting sunlight back into the atmosphere before it can reach and heat up the ground. This means that at a local level, the greenhouses offset global warming.
This story is inspiring because it demonstrates the power of collaborative thinking and how each of us can make a difference if we would just work together and have a common goal.
This video is perfect since World Environment Day is this week. It
celebrates the incredible beauty nature has to offer and how we can find it in
ourselves to feel gratitude for our ability to experience this beauty every
day.
The video was created by Louie Schwartzberg, who is an
award-winning cinematographer, director, and producer whose notable career
spans more than three decades providing breathtaking imagery for feature films,
television shows, documentaries and commercials.
As a visual artist, Louie has created some of the most iconic
and memorable film moments of our time. He is an innovator in the world of
time-lapse, nature, aerial and "slice-of-life" photography - the only
cinematographer in the world who has literally been shooting 24 hours a day, 7
days a week continuously for more than 30 years.
This piece includes his short film on Gratitude and Happiness.
Brother David Steindl-Rast's spoken words, Gary Malkin's musical compositions
and Louie's cinematography make this a stunningly beautiful piece, reminding us
of the precious gift of life, and the beauty all around us.
Louie was recognized as one of the top 70 Cinematographers for
the On Film Kodak Salute Series. He is a member of the Directors Guild of
America and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
This video shows the impact humans are having on the Earth, and in many ways changing it. It is a 3-minute journey through the last 250 years of our history, from the start of the Industrial Revolution to the Rio+20 Summit. The film charts the growth of humanity into a global force on an equivalent scale to major geological processes.
It is unbelievable how we have spread ourselves out with endless roads and shipping lanes which basically cover the whole thing. In many other videos out there we see see composite pictures of the Earth at night, showing various light of cities, but never before have we seen anything like this.
So what now?! Well, as the population continues to grow to nine-billion, we must think about how to find a safe operating space for humanity, for the sake of future generations -welcome to the Anthropocene.
I hope you enjoyed this video. If you are a fan of New Wave Ideas, make sure to subscribe to our e-mail list to get all the latest posts- free of charge.
A research team at the University of Alberta has discovered that an omega-3 fatty acid in fish prevents the accumulation of a toxin called lipofuscin, which can lead to age-related vision loss.
As people age, retina function progressively declines and A2E, a component of the toxin lipofuscin, builds up in the retinal pigment epithelial cells. These events are usually worse in people who have age-related retinal diseases, such as macular degeneration.
At the University of Alberta, a team of investigators under the direction of Yves Sauve, a researcher in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, conducted studies in mice and discovered that those fed DHA (found in fish oil) did not accumulate the lipofuscin and its compound. Lipofuscin, a brownish pigment left over from the breakdown of damaged blood cells, is also known as the aging pigment.
Sauve noted that this toxin increases twofold as people age. In their lab tests, however, "there was no increase in this toxin whatsoever. Note that this has never been demonstrated before -that supplementing the diet with DHA could make this kind of difference."
“This discovery could result in a very broad therapeutic use,” says Sauve, whose work was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.
The team has now started another study, looking at people who have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that results in the loss of central vision and is the main cause of blindness in those over the age of 50. The researchers will look for DNA markers in the blood of study participants. The team wants to determine if participants with certain genetic markers will respond better to increasing amounts of DHA in their diet and if so, why.
When you think of the millions spent on the BP oil spill (largest oil spill in U.S. history and second-largest in world history) just two years ago, and the millions of marine life and 11 people killed, you can't help but wonder if anything is happening to prevent this from ever occurring again.
Credit: GreenPeace/http://www.danielbeltra.com/
Fear not! Scientists have recently developed both a robotic fish that can detect pollution in the ocean and a robot that can be dropped from a helicopter to clean up the pollution/oil spills.
The robotic fish was developed by European scientists to improve pollution monitoring, with the goal of reducing the time it takes for detection of a pollutant from weeks to seconds. Note that this robotic fish could also be used for under water national security, aquariums, diver monitoring and search or rescue efforts.
The robotics are designed in the shape of fish, 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and cost a staggering $31,600 (20,000 pounds) each and are made to sim like real fish would. Indeed, the fish swim independently, can co-ordinate with each other and transmit their readings back to a shore station up to a 1 km away!! Although the cost is very high, when you consider the dollars spent on relief efforts for cleaning up so many horrific oil spills over in the past, not to mention the millions given to families who lost jobs, it seems like pennies. Note that these robotic fish are also fitted with sensors to pick up pollutants leaking from ships or undersea pipelines.
Yanko Robots Designed to Clean up Oil and Filter Water Back into Ocean Source: http://www.yankodesign.com/2012/05/21/sea-cleaning-drone/
Now that we have sorted out how to find the pollutant, how do we clean it up? There is a very neat concept by Yanko Design that just came out which consists of a small robot that canswim/propel itself and has a built in pump to separate out water from oil. It also has a compartment with bacteria that can degrade oil! The cleverest part is an "acoustic wave device" that emits high-frequency sound waves designed to keep animals at bay, so they don't join the ranks of the oil-soaked creatures that rarely survive.
When you go to Starbucks, do you recycle the lid or cup? I didn't think so.
Despite a somewhat unmatchable brand loyalty in the coffee space, Starbucks still takes heat due to the potential negative environmental impact of its disposable cups.
Starbucks is now rising up and taking action to become more sustainable. Recently, they rolled out plastic cups for cold beverages that are produced with polypropylene cups and lids, and launching new lightweight plastic cups to reduce resin consumption. In addition, Starbucks has a goal of making 100% of its cups reusable or recyclable by 2015.
In an attempt to find a solution to this recycling issue, Starbucks has launched an in-store recycling program at selected stores.While the program has hit some hiccups along the way, the company said it is committed to eventually offering in-store recycling on a wide scale.
Currently, Starbucks is working with ConAgra Foods to make their coffee cups recyclable. What is preventing this from happening is the non-recylcable polymer adhered onto the inside of their cups to prevent leak.
Conagra Foods are different in that they use post-industrial recycled polylactic acid and convert it into shrink film packaging materials (i.e. the inside lining of Starbucks coffee cups). The company's PLA shrink film contains more than 50% post-industrial recycled material, and it uses this material for tamper-evident seals on some of ConAgra Foods' table spreads. However, the CEO of Conagra Foods still recognizes the limitation of PLA based bio-plastics and their researchers are working hard to make sure no plastic/contamination occurs within the cups with PLA shrink film adhered to them (i.e. increased thermal stability). Below is a quote that expresses the CEO's concerns more thoroughly...
"We know there are challenges with PLA and how it can impact the bottle-to-bottle recycling strategy," she said. "But we have strict restrictions on PLA and we make sure it doesn't stay with the package because we don't want potential contamination."
By collaborating with its suppliers, Conagra has been able to convert 260,000 pounds of resin from non-renewable resources (PVC and PET g) to PLA (plastic derived from starch). It will be exciting to learn more about what Conagra can do for food companies to reduce their environmental waste and make their materials more sustainable.
Just when you think you have seen it all, you may have to guess again. A company named Ecovative has just come out with a packaging material made from mushrooms...yes, mushrooms.
Source: http://www.ecovativedesign.com
According to their website, they don’t manufacture these materials, we grow them. Indeed, Ecovative claims to "grow the plastic from agricultural byproducts and mycelium- a fungal network of threadlike cells. It’s like the “roots” of mushrooms. In 5 – 7 days, in the dark, with no watering, and no petrochemical inputs, the mycelium digests the agricultural byproducts, binding them into a beautiful structural material. The mycelium acts like a natural, self assembling glue." This seems like an interesting concept, but I am not sure how sustainable it is (i.e. how many mushrooms are required for one packaging material?). What I do like though is that little energy is required for the system's (i.e. produced in the dark). However, more information is necessary (i.e. life cycle analysis) for a sound opinion on the material. For instance, often mushrooms are grown in faecal matter and have to be cleaned prior to shipping/use, and I am sure the mycelium extraction process is no different
So how do they differ from traditional bio-plastics? Well, "he mycelium is able to grow on agricultural byproducts like plant stalks and seed husks. Ecovative says that they can use a broad range of feedstocks as well to create diverse material properties, and tune the specifications for the application... "We can tweak the density, strength, texture, appearance and more to deliver exactly the performance you need to protect your product." ...I must say that the "tweak" seems more qualitative and solid quantitative scientific studies.
All in all, I say "good for Ecoverte for thinking outside the box and trying to develop more sustainable packaging materials."
When you think of the mega-successful apparel company “Puma”, the last thing that comes to mind is “compostable clothing”. Well, you better believe it because Puma has been making some serious changes to its sustainability initiatives and has come out as a front-runner in many areas.
Recently, when Puma was asked by Reuters if the company would end its business relationship with Yonguor Textile of China, they didn’t hesitate to take action. Indeed, the question was raised after Greenpeace published a report profiling the problem of toxic water pollution resulting from the release of hazardous chemicals by textile factories in China such as Yongour. Puma didn’t completely end its relationship with Yongour, but they did decide to take responsibility. In fact, in a statement Puma released on July 26th, 2011 the company said it recognizes the urgent need for reducing and eliminating industrial releases of all hazardous chemicals and is committed to “eliminating the discharges of all hazardous chemicals from the whole lifecycle and all production procedures that are associated with the making and using of PUMA products by 2020.”
Last year, Puma even launched its Clever Little Bag, a reusable bag to replace shoeboxes made from 65% less paper and energy. Now, It’s leading the way in materials technology and trying to tackle what will happen to their goods once people no longer want to use them.
Instead of taking the approach for customers to “buy less”, Puma wants their clothes to be compostable! This will close their lifecycle loop and allow them to hopefully reduce their impact on the environment. Puma is confident that compostable clothes and sneakers will be the future.
Compostable clothing may be something of the future, but if you follow industry closely, you will realize that it is not that bizarre. In fact, Anke Domask, who is a German fashion designer and mircobiologist, recently developed a clothing line from milk fibers. She has come up with an easy and environmentally friendly way to extract fibres from milk and her designs are proving very successful. Additionally, Linda Loudermilk, at Miami Swim Week this wear debuted a completely compostable swimsuit!
Compostable clothing certainly is an innovative idea and if promoted by a major brand like Puma, could soon become mainstream. Finally, a company is eager to reduce their environmental footprint …and go about it in the right way!
The worlds first sustainable performance running shoe! When it comes to sustainability, it's time for running gear to lead the way, not follow.
This running shoe was made by BioMoGo and utilizes recycled and other earth-friendly components. Constructed with roughly half as many parts as comparable shoes, the
Green Silence requires less petroleum and energy to make. Of course, the
shoe manages all of this while delivering the premium performance
expected from Brooks.
image: brooks
The Key Green Features Are:
BioMoGo, the world's first-ever biodegradable midsole for running shoes
75% of the shoe's materials are post-consumer recycled
Biodegradable insole and collar foams
Packaging is 100% post-consumer recycled
Laces, gillies, and reinforced webbing are 100% post-consumer recycled
You may think twice this summer before buying that tub of your favorite vanilla ice cream. Wholesale prices have risen by around 20 per cent in just two months – an
increase which will hit thousands of food and drink manufactures, including
ice cream makers.
“The stocks in the world are being run down and we are getting to a point now
where we are likely to see the price suddenly shoot upwards,” said Nick
Peksa, business development director at market analysts Mintec.
Many people don't know that there is a major vanilla shortage occurring around the world. According to Mintec, the production of vanilla in Mexico alone has fallen by 90% in the past year. As a result, panic buying has begun driving up stock prices. In fact, widespread stockpiling of Madagascan black-vanilla has pushed up the prices up even further because of a recent rush order which entailed around 40% of the world supply of black vanilla (~1000 tonnes). Note that Indonesia also produces black-vanilla, alongside India and Mexico, but these countries have been experiencing a massive reduction in production.
So what is "black-vanilla" you ask? Black-vanilla is just a fancy name for "food grade vanilla". It is called black-vanilla because of the color of the dried pods harvested from the orchids. As previously mentioned, it is only grown in a small handful of countries and as a result its price is susceptible to poor harvest.
As global warming is taking effect and the population continues to escalate, we are seeing more and more how precious our resources are; especially vanilla. In fact, vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world – after saffron – because
it is so labor intensive.
According to Mr. Peksa from Mintec “Vanilla is the most expensive ingredient in ice cream production per
kilogram, so it is highly likely that some producers will not be able to
absorb the extra cost. This could push the price of ice cream up by around 10 per cent.”
When you think of 3D printed objects, the last thing that comes to mind is something as small as a grain of sand. Well, you better believe it because researchers in Austria at the University of Vienna have set a new world speed record for the fastest 3D-printed nano-objects.
Their latest task was to get the printer to make a race car model the size of a grain of sand. The race car was 0.285mm in length and created in just over four minutes. Incredible! To get an even better perspective, in order to produce this car approximately 100 layers had to be overlapped of nano-size sand, each consisting of 200 single printed lines.
So what is this good for? Well, the scientists say that the technique could be used to make small biomedical parts.
The problem in the past was the time taken to do this. In fact, the technology itself is not novel in science, but what is novel is how fast they were able to accomplish the given task using their set-up and materials. In an interview with the BBC, the scientist said that "they can speed up the original process by a factor of 500 or in some cases 1,000 times."
What is this special process that is able to do create such mind-blowing things? The formal name for the process is called "two-photon lithography." What happens here, is a laser beam is focused onto a liquid resin. This laser focusing, immediately hardens the resin, leaving behind a line of solid polymer just a few nanometers wide. Generally, 3-D printing techniques build up objects by adding layers to the surface, but what makes this process different is that the laser can create solid material anywhere within the liquid material.
Specifically, the researchers breakthrough entailed improving the control mechanism for mirrors used to focus the laser, and developing the special type of resin involved in the process.
Even more amazing is that the researchers are now going to develop bio-compatible resins so that the objects they create can be used by doctors. An example application is to create scaffolds which cells could use to build new biological tissues.
So many companies today won't switch their packaging to make it more sustainable (compostable, biodegradable). Often this comes down to cost as industry has to pay x-dollars annually to recycle or dispose of their packaging.
Yes, recycling plastic is better than throwing it away and it being sent to a landfill but the process uses a lot of energy (manufacturing, sorting, shipping) and the plastics have to be incinerated which often releases toxins into the atmosphere. In fact, last year, of the 28.9 million tons
of plastic packaging generated, only 5.7% was recycled or reused in some way,
and 94.3% was sent to a landfill and discarded or combusted into the
environment.[i]
If companies and citizens do not take
responsibility and an interest in this matter soon, the amount of waste
generated is going to reach an incredible high, and result in unforgivable
damage to the ecosystem. Datamonitor.com, a world-leading provider of premium global business information, is
already predicting market production for containers and packaging to reach to
8.7 million tonnes by the end of 2013, representing a current annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 1.6% for the 2008-2013 period.
Since it is difficult to completely eliminate the whole incineration process involved when companies recycle their plastics, Sato America has come up with a solution to reduce the impact on the environment while adapting these existing practices. They have created an ECONANO® series of labels that absorb and reduce the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when the labels are incinerated.
So how is it possible for a label to absorb carbon dioxide? Well, Sato America Inc., a leader in barcode printing, has created a special carbon dioxide absorbent to the label's adhesive that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released at the point of incineration by more than 20% compared with conventional labels. Even better, than when this technology is combined with their SATO’s NONSEPA®liner-less label series, it is possible to achieve an approximate 50% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions at the time of incineration, the company claims.
To better understand the scope of SATO's environmental claims, they provide an example on their website that put these statistics into perspective...
"If you were to replace 1 million 50mm x 85mm standard labels used over the course of one year with ECONANO® labels, the CO2 released at incineration would be reduced by 224kg. This is equivalent to the amount of CO2 released during the manufacture, treatment and incineration of 4,814 plastic bags."
Note that this ECONANO® lable was developed by the SATO Group in collaboration with Professor
Masahiko Abe of the Tokyo University of Science, and the University’s
venture company, ACTiiVE.
In a recent interview, found on SatoAmerica's website they had all but good things to say about ECONANO and their company objectives...
"Reducing carbon emissions is a challenge for all businesses today,”
said Etsuo Fujii, President of SATO CORPORATION. But the cutting-edge
technology SATO employs in its ECONANO® series labels offers our
customers a helping-hand in achieving their environmental targets, and
provides them with solutions beneficial to all levels of consumer goods
product identification and supply chain labeling."
What's most intriguing about this new product is how SATO is working with the current system set in place for disposing of plastics, instead of inventing something completely new that countries don't have the proper infrastructure to support.
References
[i] Ruixiang, Z.,
Torley, P., Halley, P. (2008) Emerging biodegradable materials: starch- and
protein-based bio-nanocomposites. Journal
of Material Science, 43, 3058-3071.
