Important Innovations

Number of Environmental Factors Encroaching on their Habitats New Global Research One of nature's most beautiful and mysterious creatures - fireflies - are under threat globally.  This is another vestige of the perils of the global environment which is warming and being altered by Climate Change.  There are a number of causes to this existential threat including habitat loss and pesticides.  But a surprising new cause has been added by scientists to the mix.  The global expansion of light pollution from electric lights is causing major disruption to fireflies' nocturnal flights.  The world's light pollution is adding to the environmental stress already harming the global firefly population. Vanishing Natural Beauty A global assessment involving 350 top firefly experts has just been released.  Their conclusion is that some of the 2,000 species of fireflies now face extinction.  They found that fireflies are rapidly vanishing from many places where th

US Scientists Enable Jellyfish to Swim 3-times Faster Source:  Caltech New Invention with Big Potential to Monitor Health of Oceans Scientists at Stanford University and Caltech have created a pacemaker-like device that enables natural jellyfish to swim three times their normal speed.  The microelectronic, pulsing, tiny, prosthetic device generates electric jolts that make the fish triple their speed while using just twice as much energy.  The scientists and engineers involved in the project says the device causes no additional stress to the sea creatures.  They say the potential for this system is as vast as the ocean itself. Network of Live Ocean Monitors The scientific team says the combination of speed and energy efficiency from this device opens the possibility of using jellyfish to gather data from across the world's oceans. They envision equipping the jellyfish with sensors to track ocean temperatures, salinity and oxygen levels.  They say this could

Adidas Going Very Blue and Green Source:  Adidas Ocean Waste Commitment Two New Fabrics 100% Recycled German based sports gear giant Adidas is going very green and blue.  It just introduced two new fabrics:  Primeblue and Primegreen.  Both are composed of 100% recycled polyester.  Primeblue contains Parley Ocean Plastic, which is a fabric made from recycled ocean plastic waste.  Adidas will unveil some new products made of Primeblue during the upcoming Super Bowl on Sunday.  Primegreen, which contains only recycled plastic and recycled polyester, will introduce new products later this year. Adidas has showcased some running shoes made of recycled ocean plastics.  Today it greatly widened its environmental commitment. Very Specific Environmental Goals For 2020, Adidas has committed to having 50% of the polyester it uses in products recycled polyester.  By 2024, it will use only recycled polyester.  And, it commits to cutting its carbon footprint by 30% by 2030 and to b

2020's:  Royal Decade to Repair CC thru Innovative Remedies Source:  Kensington Palace Earthshot: Multi-Million Pounds Challenge for Remedies Prince William is launching what's being called the most prestigious environmental program in history.  It's called Earthshot and it runs for the 2020's decade.  The purpose is to focus and reward doable remedies to address Climate Change.  Prince William is putting significant money, what Kensington Palace is calling "multi-million pounds" behind the Earthshot Prize Challenge. Awarding Climate Change Innovation Prince William's Earthshot program is betting on human innovation to turnaround the massive environmental damage that Climate Change has caused globally to the planet.  Starting in 2021, 5 CC remedies will win substantial monetary prizes.  The Prince hopes that by 2030 those yearly five prizes will yield 50 new Climate Change solutions. Moonshots The Prince likens his program to other historic

New Invention:  Tablet Toothpaste "Change Toothpaste" Source:  Change Toothpaste Potentially Cuts 900 Million Plastic Toothpaste Tube Throwaways Per Year Tubes of toothpaste aren't something you think about but their impact on the global environment is hugely negative.  900 million toothpaste tubes are discarded into oceans and landfills globally every year.  Importantly, it takes 500 years for them to breakdown, which means virtually every toothpaste tube created is still discarded someplace in the world.  And, the tubes, which contain multiple layers of plastic, polymers and resins, can't be recycled.  A company headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta Canada just came up with a solution in the form of tablet toothpaste. "Paste with No Waste" Entrepreneurs Mike Medicoff and Damien Vince are the inventors and founders of CHANGE Toothpaste. Their tablet toothpaste is an all natural vegan substance that works just like toothpaste but has no harsh chemic

Australia's FrogPhone for Science Source:  University of  New South Wales & University of Canberra FrogPhone Science Calls to Remotely Monitor the Environment This new innovation is a call for science. Australian researchers have developed the FrogPhone system, which once installed at a frog pond location,enables scientists to call in on their cell phones and remotely  listen in on frogs in the wild.  Why is that important?  It provides great access and data to monitor the health of the environment.  Frogs are widely recognized as one of the best barometers of how healthy local environments are.  The FrogPhone is a novel device and a technological first. Frogs and the Quality of the Surrounding Environment The FrogPhone allows scientists to call a frog screening site and monitor the frogs, real-time, in nature.  This is the world's first solar powered device that provides environmental data via text while conducting real-time sound surveys over the phone.  The

Brazil May Send Its Army In to Combat the Amazon Fires Source:  Amazon Burning Global Environmental Concern About the "Lungs of the World" It's mind boggling and clearly an international crisis.  The Amazon Rain Forest, which is the world's largest, is engulfed in raging fires.  In Brazil alone, there have been 74,000 fires in the Amazon this year.  The Amazon Rain Forest covers parts of nine countries, but Brazil is key.  Importantly, the Amazon produces 20% of the oxygen on Earth.  The situation is so severe that French President Emmanuel Macron is calling for it to be included on the agenda at the G-7 Meeting in Biarritz.  The President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro, whose environmental policies are under attack, has just announced he may call in the Brazilian Army to fight the unprecedented fires in the Amazon, which is known as "the lungs of the world." Fires Sending Smoke 2,000 Miles Away The fires are so extensive that smoke extends 2000 miles a

Naturbeads from the UK - Green Replacement for Plastics Source:  Naturbeads New Innovation to Replace Plastic Microbeads in Cosmetics These biodegradable microbeads invented by engineers at the University of Bath in the UK are an eco-friendly replacement to plastic microbeads found in cosmetics. Their invention is called Naturbeads and they've created a company around it that's receiving investment money from Innovate UK and Sky Ocean Ventures.  Naturbeads are made of cellulose which is a naturally occurring material.  Unlike plastics, it causes no environmental damage. Scalable Tech The engineering team creates their Naturbeads by pressing liquid cellulose through tiny holes to create drops and then detach them with vegetable oil.  There are many uses for this new invention including safer, greener cosmetics.  The bottom-lime:  Naturbeads are biodegradable, cellulose microparticles that replace plastic microbeads.  They are plastic alternative products that are prod

Permafrost is Thawing & No Longer Permanent Source:  Siberia's Permafrost Melt Disrupting Land Global Wake-Up Call Scientists are pointing out that the effects of global Climate Change are particularly evident in Russia, where 2/3rds of the land is permafrost.  But that is dramatically changing.  Global warming is savagely reducing the permafrost in Siberia, which is one of the coldest human habitats on Earth.  The permafrost is thawing away. Twice the Warming Siberia and the Arctic are warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the world.  Melting permafrost is causing severe flooding during springtime in Siberia.  It's changing and disrupting the landscape and in some cases destroying homes.  The permafrost melt is changing the habits of migratory animals and is threatening entire villages. Raging, Massive Forest Fires In the last several weeks, 8 million acres of forest in Siberia have been engulfed in massive fires.  The fires have been touched off b

Pioneering Pilot by Mondi Group Source:  Mondi Group Less Plastic Waste by Innovative Re-Use Mondi Group, the global packaging and paper company, has created flexible packaging from recycled plastic used and discarded by consumers.  They've developed a usable pouch prototype that contains 20% post consumer waste, considered one of the nastiest forms of plastic waste that is polluting the planet. Circular Economy The company, which lists headquarters in London, Vienna and Johannesburg, says this brings them one step closer to a circular economy.  The program is called Project Proof and it's an Ellen McNamara Pioneer Project that Mondi is leading.  The plastic waste comes from mixed household waste.  And the flexible pouch that they've produced from it is suitable for items like detergent. Proof of Concept Mondi Group says this demonstrates it is possible to use unclean and raw, post consumer recycled content to create flexible, new packaging.  Mondi will now dev

"List of Top, New Environmental Innovations" by Journalist Edward Kane New book by journalist Edward Kane.  It's a must read series of news summaries on the latest and biggest innovations impacting the environment and making it greener and cleaner.  For more details go to Important Innovations Collection: "List of Top New Environmental Innovations" by Jou... : New Book on the Top, New, Global Environmental Innovations “List of Top New Environmental Innovations” by Journalist Edward Kane ...

"LIST OF TOP NEW ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS" BY JOURNALIST ED KANE This new book is a compendium of new summaries on the latest new technological innovations designed to start alleviating climate change.  It's a valuable guide book and resource of quick, easy news reads. Important Innovations Collection: "List of Top New Environmental Innovations" by Jou... : New Innovations Addressing Climate Change In “List of  Top, New Environmental Innovations” we showcase the latest innovations ad...

France Moves Forward On Banning Fossil Fuel Cars by 2040 Big Environmental Move France is taking a major step to make its carbon footprint neutral by 2050 and ban gas and diesel powered vehicles starting in 2040.  This is an important step by a nation to stop climate change and save the environment. For a great news blog, go to Important Innovations Collection: France Bans Fossil Fuel Cars by 2040 : Part of French New Mobility Law Source:  Traffic in Paris, Stock Image More Mobility, Less Carbon Dioxide The goal of the government...

Mechanical Trees Pull Carbon Dioxide from the Air Source:  Arizona State University New Technology for a Cleaner Environment Researchers at Arizona State University have invented Mechanical Trees, a new technology that pulls carbon dioxide out of the air and captures it for reuse.  Just 12 trees are capable of removing 1 metric ton of CO2 a day for less than $100 a ton.  That's a significant cost advantage and the team says the technology is ready for commercialization.  For more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Mechanical Trees For Cleaner Environment : New Tech to Cut, Capture & Reuse CO2 Source:  Arizona State University A Start to Reducing Climate Change A team at Arizona Sta...

Lists of Top New Global Innovations - 8 Book Series by Journalist Edward Kane Free Borrowing on Kindle To be in the know about the latest, top global innovations, you might enjoy taking a look at the 8 book series written by my fellow journalist Edward Kane and co-authored by me.  We just enabled them for free borrowing on Kindle.  For more information, go to Important Innovations Collection: Top New Global Innovations : My Innovation Books on Kindle and Amazon Free Borrowing in Kindle Lending Library I wanted to make you aware that I've ...

Environmental Wake-Up Call: New Scientific Discovery in Remote Pyrenees Mountains Source: Stock Image of Pyrenees Mountains Plastic Particles Inhalable in the Air Plastic particles found in the Pyrenees Mountains suggest they are now travelling in the air.  Scientists from the Ecolab in France and the University of Strathclyde in Scotland have found them in the air in a very remote area of the Pyrenees Mountain between France and Spain.  It suggests that plastic is not just polluting the ocean but also the air we breathe. Microplastics Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic waste, produced when plastics breakdown.  Many of the fragments found by the scientists were small enough to be inhaled.  Very few people live in the remote mountainous area that they focused on indicating that the microplastics blew in with the wind from a populated area 60 miles away. Findings and  Conclusion for the Environment Over a five month period, the scientists found 365 pieces o

New Innovation Books by Edward Kane Just Enabled Free Borrowing on Kindle Lending Library If you're interested in the latest, top innovations, there's a great opportunity to borrow for free books of news summaries on top global innovations by national journalist Edward Kane. The opportunity was just enabled by Ed in the Kindle Lending Library.  The books cover significant new innovations in medicine, travel and improving the environment and are co-authored by me.  For details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Latest Innovation Books - Free Borrow on Kindle : My Books I've just made several of my books available to the Kindle Lending Library for free borrowing.  The books contain my news sum...

New Book - "Important Innovations Collection - The Environment" by Edward Kane A Book for Anyone Concerned about The Environment & Looking for Innovation Fixes If you are concerned about the environment and climate change and want to know about new global innovations that may make a difference, you might find "Important Innovations Collection - The Environment" by national journalist Edward Kane very valuable.  It's an easy to read guide book on the latest and most promising innovations to reverse climate change.  It's written as a crisp series of news summaries that bottom-line what you need to know. The book is designed as news you can use not a detailed science dissertation.  You can borrow it for free on Kindle or read a free sample of the book.  For more information, go to Important Innovations Collection: Innovation Impacting the Environment and Climate C... : Important Innovations Collection - The Environment by Edward Kan e Unique, Hand

Journalist Edward Kane's Latest Book on Important Innovations Impacting Climate Change, Global Warming and the Global Environment This is a uniquely informative series of news briefs on the latest and most important innovations with great potential to positively impact the global environment and cut greenhouse gas emissions Important Innovations Collection: Important Innovations Collection: Environment : My Book on Innovations Impacting the Environment, Climate Change and Global Warming ASIN: 1792645619   ASIN: ...

Environmental Innovation - Ink & Paint Made from Exhaust System Pollution Source: Grafiky's  KAALINK System Retrofitted to a Diesel Generator MIT Spinoff Company's Tech has Cleaned Nearly 2 Trillion Liters of Air This is remarkable innovation, ingenuity and engineering.  MIT spinoff company Graviky Labs is rolling out a patent-pending device called Air-Ink.  The technology attaches to the exhaust system of cars, diesel generators, vehicles and machines and converts the captured pollution into ink and paints.  The bedrock technology underlying the system is called KAALINK.  It's extraordinary innovation, beneficial to the environment, in the advanced prototype stage.  For a detailed news blog by my journalist colleague Ed Kane on this, go to  https://importantinnovationscollection.blogspot.com/2018/12/air-ink-pollution-to-ink.html