23 Jun
2017
Hyundai’s new emissions-free bus travels 180 miles on just one hour of charging
Green Transportation & Logistics | KOREA, REPUBLIC OF
Published by : Eco Media Asia
It isn’t just passenger vehicles going green these days – mass transit is jumping on the zero-emissions bandwagon. Hyundai just unveiled its first mass-produced electric bus called the Elec City. After one hour of charging, the bus can travel 180 miles thanks to a 256kWh battery pack. Best of all, the company’s first emissions-free vehicle will be available for order in 2018.According to a report from Yonhap news agency, the company…
21 Jun
2017
India to only sell electric cars by 2030
Green Transportation & Logistics | INDIA
Published by : Eco Media Asia
India is taking huge strides to escape its dubious distinction as one of the most polluted countries on Earth. The government is taking dramatic measures to clean the country’s air – including the switch to sell solely electric cars in just 13 years.If the amount of diesel and petrol cars dwindles on the streets of India, the country could lower the dangerous levels of air pollution that have led to the deaths of 1.2 million people…
19 Jun
2017
World’s Smallest Garden lets you recycle old bottles into adorable hydroponic planters
Others | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
You can always recycle an old wine bottle, but what if you could transform it into a tiny gardeninstead? Urban Leaf empowers people to grow food at home with the World’s Smallest Garden, which transforms used bottles into planters. It takes minutes to put together one of the mini gardens, which can grow greens and herbs year-round – and you can snag one on the cheap right now on Kickstarter. The World’s Smallest…
17 Jun
2017
Waterlily turbine powers your outdoor adventures with wind and water
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | CANADA
Published by : Eco Media Asia
There is no shortage of great off-grid renewable power sources for your outdoor adventures from rugged solar chargers to the famous BioLite stove that charges your gadgets as you cook, but it's always fun to see new inventions that let us get away from the real world while still staying plugged in if we prefer. Doing just that, Seaformatics' Waterlily is a portable turbine that generates electricity from both water and wind. It's…
15 Jun
2017
Nonprofit teaches communities how to build homes out of straw, clay and soil
Green Building Materials, Construction & Design | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Emily Niehaus was working as a loan officer when she see realized that there was a need for affordable, sustainable housing options in her community. So she founded Community Rebuilds – a nonprofit that teaches people to build affordable homes out of “dirt cheap” materials like clay, straw and soil. Interns participate in a 5-month program, completing two homes from foundation to finish using sustainable living principles. Community…
13 Jun
2017
Glowing circle made from thousands of recycled notebooks celebrate Bilbao’s book festival
Others | SPAIN
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Don’t be fooled by the perfect circular shape of this glowing installation in Bilbao. A closer look reveals that the seemingly solid plane is actually made from thousands of illuminated notebooks. Created by anonymous artist collective Luzinterruptus, this curious installation, called Denboran Zehar, uses community interaction to rethink recycled materials.Commissioned by Azkuna Zentroa, Luzinterruptus crafted Denboran Zehar for the 10th anniversary…
11 Jun
2017
Architect designs solar-powered research center to save dying Lake Chad
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | CHAD
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Lake Chad in Africa spanned over 770,000 square miles in 50,000 B.C., according to Cameroon-based architecture firm Hermann Kamte & Associates (HKA). But over the centuries it has shrunk, dwindling to a mere 1,544 square miles in 2001. HKA hopes to use architecture to jumpstart regeneration of the dying lake in the form of a desalination and research center called The Forgotten – Dead or Alive. The…
09 Jun
2017
Switzerland votes to ban nuclear power and invest in renewable energy
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | SWITZERLAND
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Switzerland just passed a new energy law that promotes renewable energy and bans nuclear powerplants. The landmark vote brings the nation closer to meeting its goal of generating 4,400 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable energy by 2020, and 11,400 GWh by 2035. Over the weekend, approximately 42% of the population turned up to vote in the national referendum, which marks the eighth time in recent history Swiss citizens have voted on the issue.Though…
07 Jun
2017
Peek inside the zero-waste kitchen of the future
Others | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
The kitchen of the future will be healthier for our planet and improve our family ties through food. That’s the vision behind The Future Kitchen, a proposal by New York-based architect Marc Thorpe and students of the industrial design department at Pratt Institute. Installed for WantedDesign Manhattan at the Caeserstone booth, the innovative kitchen prototype emphasizes sustainability with zero-waste systems and in-home gardening,…
05 Jun
2017
Vivobarefoot is launching a sneaker made out of algae
Others | UNITED KINGDOM
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Vivobarefoot, a London-based purveyor of so-called “barefoot” footwear, is going green in an altogether unexpected way. Together with Bloom, a materials innovation firm from San Diego, the company is poised to debut the world’s first molded shoe derived from algae. No, swamp couture hasn’t suddenly become en vogue. Rather, Bloom harvests biomass from ponds and lakes, particularly those at risk for algal overload, and turns it into closed-cell…
03 Jun
2017
World’s largest floating solar farm is now generating energy in China
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | CHINA
Published by : Eco Media Asia
A 40-megawatt solar farm in the South Anhui province of China is finally online and generating renewable energy. Larger than floating farms in Australia and India, the mass of solar panels is the largest in the world can produce enough clean energy to power homes in the area.Though the city of Hainan is known for its coal-rich land, the Chinese government decided to invest in a floating solar farm because the rainy weather has resulted…
01 Jun
2017
Envirohaven’s super green geodesic homes can be built in just a few days
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Geodesic homes are extremely energy efficient – and they’re a great option for those looking to reduce their footprint while living off the grid. Nevada-based company, Envirohaven, is offering beautiful, custom-made “eco havens” that can be constructed virtually anywhere in just a few days. At 1,600 square feet, the prefab structures are not exactly “tiny homes“, but their decagon shape only measures 32 feet across. The design is ultra-efficient,…
30 May
2017
Daan Roosegaarde introduces smog-sucking, air-cleaning bikes
Green Transportation & Logistics | CHINA
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Daan Roosegaarde has been touring China with his Smog Free Project, showcasing the Smog Free Tower and encouraging people to find innovative solutions to address air pollution. He’s not out of ideas yet though; he’ll add to his tour with new smog-sucking bicycles. These bikes could work much like his Smog Free Tower does, absorbing dirty air, cleaning it, and pouring it back out as fresh air.Biking in a city…
28 May
2017
New on-demand energy system generates and stores power in one device
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | AUSTRALIA
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Your entire home could be powered, heated, and cooled with one system in the near future – thanks to scientists at the University of Newcastle and Infratech Industries. They’ve designed a Chemical Looping Energy-on-Demand System (CLES) that eliminates the need for a battery to store energy, instead generating and storing power in just one device. The university described the CLES as a Swiss army knife for energy.…
26 May
2017
Plastic waste pop-up pavilion rethinks recycling in the Netherlands
Others | NETHERLANDS
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Plastic waste takes on new life in the PET Pavilion, a temporary structure that popped up in a public park in Enschede, The Netherlands. Project.DWG and LOOS.FM designed the 227-square-meter ephemeral pavilion to spark dialogue on topics relating to recycling and sustainable building. The experimental pavilion serves as an educational gathering space and can be easily dismantled for relocation within a day.The pavilion bears draws…
24 May
2017
Think you know how to recycle? Think again.
Others | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
How2Recycle makes it easy to understand recycling instructions for all types of plastic packaging - just look for the label. Ever wonder if the plastic packaging on your favorite household items is recyclable? Wonder no more, as How2Recycle has created a new, easy-to-understand system for items that are recyclable. Look for the new labels on your favorite products to find out if they're recyclable nationwide, recyclable on a local level or not yet recyclable.…
22 May
2017
ByFusion turns all types of ocean plastic into eco-friendly construction blocks
Green Building Materials, Construction & Design | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
The problem of ocean waste, particularly the plastic variety, is a big one, and many creative people are working on ways to clean it up. Finding ways to repurpose the plastic debris collected from the ocean is one component of that, and the U.S.-based startup ByFusion has responded with technology that recycles ocean plastic into durable construction blocks. This way, the plastic waste can be repurposed permanently, rather…
19 May
2017
UK Paper Company Invents Technology to Recycle Disposable Plasticized Coffee Cups
Eco Products & Services | UNITED KINGDOM
Published by : Eco Media Asia
For most caffeine consumers on-the-go, a good dose of java or tea in the morning is of primary concern. What the liquid is housed in seems to escape attention, being tossed in a trash bin without much thought as to where all the waste goes or how much material was needed to create the one-time container. Until now, the plastic content in disposable coffee cups have made them difficult to recycle. Thanks to new technology developed by UK paper company, James…
17 May
2017
SolarGaps’ new solar blinds shade windows and generate clean energy
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | UNITED STATES
Published by : Eco Media Asia
What if your window blinds could power your home in addition to shading its rooms? That’s the idea behind SolarGaps’ new solar blinds. These smart blinds designed to track the sun can be controlled via an app, and the company says their product will slash energy bills by as much as 70 percent. SolarGaps’ smart solar blinds, created by Ukrainian inventor Yevgen Erik, could revolutionize how we live our lives indoors,…
15 May
2017
Germany just generated a record 85% of its energy from renewable sources
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency | GERMANY
Published by : Eco Media Asia
Germany has outdone itself yet again when it comes to clean energy. From April 30 through May 1, the country set a national record by generating 85% of all its energy needs using renewable wind, solar, biomass, and hydroelectric power. And this isn’t just an anomaly – experts believe that this will be the new normal for Germany by 2030.“Most of Germany’s coal-fired power stations were not even operating on Sunday, April 30th, with renewable…