Researchers at Ohio State University have discovered a new way to extract energy from coal while preventing 99 percent of the carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. The technique, called Coal-Direct Chemical Looping (CDCL), harnesses coal’s energy without burning it. This new groundbreaking technology, which could revolutionize one of the dirtiest industries on the planet, will be tested at a larger-scale pilot plant currently under construction in Alabama.
Drumroll please…….
We’ve received over 300 incredible light-inspired photographs in our LightCollector photography contest over the past few weeks, and now it’s time to vote for your favorite images to decide which photographer is most deserving of the sweet $1000 cash prize! Will it be this stunning image of a museum escalator, or this mesmerizing photograph of a skylight inside a museum that takes the grand prize? Voting starts today to determine the top 20 finalists. The top 20 entries with the most votes will go head to head to compete for the grand prize of $1000!. So vote for your favorite entries today and if you entered this contest, round up your friends and family and make sure they vote for your photo. Voting is easy, you just need to create a Light Collector account (either on the website or through your mobile phone).
ON THE LIGHT-COLLECTOR WEBSITE >
STEP 1:Go to the Light Collector website and search for photos with the tag #INHABITAT.
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STEP 2:
Click the heart on the bottom right hand corner of the photo to vote it up. Please use Safari, Firefox or IE browser since Chrome seems to not work with this website. Be sure to tell your friends and family to vote on your images (and leave comments) if you entered! The 20 images with the most votes will make it into our final round of judging and have a shot at the $1000 GRAND PRIZE. Please note, you can only vote for an image once.
Estonia just launched the world’s first nationwide EV fast-charging network with chargers placed in every town, village, and along highways. The installation of 165 fast chargers began in summer 2012 to service 650 all-electric vehicles currently listed in the country’s traffic register. EV users can charge batteries to 90 percent in less than 30 minutes, paying between 2.5 and 5 euros per charge.
Designer Pani Jurek has constructed these brilliant two-tiered chandeliers from test-tubes which can be individually transformed by filling them with flowers, water, or anything that fits! The artist created the frame from two different levels of plywood before shaping an organic circular form with the test-tubes. We love that users can interact with the glowing lamps to make each one entirely unique depending on what is placed within the glass tubes.
Yury Taranik / Shutterstock
Researchers led by experts from Oxford University warn that a 1.5C temperature rise would melt Siberia’s permafrost, which would in turn release hundreds of gigatonnes of stored carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Covering nearly a quarter of the northern hemisphere, this ticking carbon bomb would speed up global warming and cause widespread climate change. However, The Guardian reports, it would likely take a few decades for the permafrost to melt and therefore greenhouse gas emissions would initially trickle into the atmosphere.
Many of us who try to lead eco-conscious lifestyles are likely already using many reusable, washable fabric items for both household and personal use; cotton dish cloths, washable baby diapers, handkerchiefs, and Glad Rags-type menstrual cloths are growing in popularity, but there’s one area in which we may all be eco-offenders: the ‘loo. The fluffy white toilet tissue that most of us use to dab at our nether-regions is usually made of virgin tree fiber, unless we’ve gone for a brand that uses recycled materials. Using TP with recycled content is better for both trees and the planet’s water supply, but there’s still a lot of processing that’s required to create it, and there’s likely to still be some old-growth forest wood pulp in there too. If we’d like our personal care habits to be as eco-friendly as possible, what other options can we look into? Short of keeping a pile of mullein leaves or a bucket of water and a ladle beside the toilet, there aren’t too many alternatives that don’t involve something disposable.
When we consider the field of engineering, the images that come to mind run the gamut from airplanes to bridges to 3D printers. Yet we rarely think about how the processed food we consume has been designed with the same amount of attention and detail as any piece of cutting edge technology. New York Times reporter and author Michael Moss has written a book called Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us detailing how industry titans have affected the collective American waistline. Linking their conscious development of addicting junk food to disease, he delves into how our eating habits are affected by big business and their role in the obesity epidemic.
Green designer Max McMurdo has once again put his skills into action to create a fresh new version of his famous ‘Deborah’ airplane wing desk. Named after Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden, this classic desk is made from real airplane wings which have been transformed by Max’s Bedfordshire-based company, Reestore Ltd.
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Get your children excited about indoor gardening and nature with one of these magical Beanstalk pods! A cute and quirky design, the Beanstalk requires no soil, no watering, and virtually no effort to get things growing. Its odorless and re-usable water beads are also a truly marvelous and innovative substitute for soil. Each Beanstalk pack includes four magical beans which will pop up with a special message or pictures, all sure to delight.
The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!
London-based studio Cohen Van Balen works synchronizing design and biotechnology. Their new and unconventional project sees animals as life support ‘devices’ for human patients suffering from renal and respiratory ailments. The ‘Life Support’ concepts offer thoughtful alternatives to inhumane medical therapies, as well as a way for humans to develop a relationship of mutual reliance with an animal.
There are safety advantages to decking out your bike like a shining beacon when sharing lanes with petroleum-powered traffic, but the Clarity Bike explores the opposite end of the spectrum. This super-strong and stealthy cycle sports a see-through frame made from an advanced transparent polymer. Aiming to revolutionize how bike frames are engineered and produced, the creatives from Designaffairs Studio in Munich, Germany explored high-tech plastics used to make windscreens on fighter jets.
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