Uncategorized Archives – The Green Optimistic

How Does Lead Affect Our Environment?

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 10:53:41 +0000

Lead is a toxic metal that is found naturally in the environment. It is normally found at very low levels in the environment. High levels can kill. And there is no safe level of exposure for humans. Let’s learn more about how lead affects our environment, including the people who live in it. The Impact […]

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These 5 Companies Use Solar or Wind Energy to Power their HQs in Texas

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 14:40:36 +0000

Texas has made significant strides in its renewable energy program. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) used to rely heavily on coal, but 2019 was a banner year for the state. According to ERCOT, which manages about 90% of the state’s grid, wind power supplanted coal when it comes to energy consumption. In 2019, […]

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New Invention Can Harvest Battery Material from the Ocean

Matias Prieto — Sun, 19 May 2019 05:16:22 +0000

Most batteries we use nowadays are based on cobalt. Tons of this mineral comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, often from the bare hands of children. These batteries are often powered by other unethical practices. Moreover, the predicted dominance of electric vehicles and the need for grid-scale energy storage have heightened concerns that cobalt, […]

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How to save the high seas

Matias Prieto — Thu, 16 May 2019 20:12:11 +0000

“Never has it been more important to understand how the natural world works, and how to help it “, famed nature documentarian David Attenborough says in Our Planet, the Netflix nature series that premiered April 5. It was produced in association with the international wildlife conservation nonprofit WWF. On this short clip, we can clearly […]

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Double-glazed Solar Panels: New Approach to Solar Energy Efficiency

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 18:46:50 +0000

Upon acknowledging that at present, the improvement of solar cell’s efficiency has already reached its maximum with only gradient increases if any, the two physicists from the University of Warwick, Coventry took the works of Einstein and Tesla as inspiration and came up with a new design of solar panels – double-glazing. The proposed solar […]

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Eco-friendly Businesses Growing Fast in Asia

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 15:31:38 +0000

Small private businesses that aim to fight climate change and prevent more environmental destructions are flourishing rapidly in Asia. Globally, the current worth of these environment-friendly businesses has reached over $1 trillion, according to a report by the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corp (IFC). This suggests that there are a lot of opportunities in […]

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Wind Power Knocks Out Coal in Texas

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 07:10:56 +0000

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages 90 percent of the state’s power grid and the majority of its power is sourced from natural gas and coal. Ten years ago, its wind power accounted for only two percent of its power mix. With the expansion of transmission capacity and market reforms, the current power […]

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TransCanada Oil Spill Raises US Oil Prices, Stirs Its Opponents

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 22:07:05 +0000

Canadian oil prices plummeted while U.S. crude prices rose last Friday, a day after the 5,000-barrel oil spill on the Keystone pipeline in South Dakota. Levelling with US’ largest pipeline leak of this year, the TransCanada oil spill has also further encouraged environmentalist group and critics to oppose the company’s proposed opening another pipeline, the […]

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Daimler Electrifies US School Buses

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 21:34:40 +0000

Electrifying vehicles, one of the actions to reduce greenhouse gases, is globally being embraced by major markets as this technology allows zero emission. Vehicles that depend most heavily on diesel, such as garbage trucks, delivery trucks, and freight trucks are the main target for this electrification. School buses have routes that are relatively shorter than […]

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3D Printing Could Be Key to Sustainable Manufacturing

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 17:57:30 +0000

An inkjet printer creates a two-dimensional or planar figure using digital information of the desired output. Similarly, 3D printing creates a three-dimensional object, an actual physical material, based on a digital model. This ability to produce products and components by forming successive layers of material under computer control, enabling the creation of objects with almost any […]

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IHS Predicts How the Automotive Industry Will Look in 2040

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 07:53:02 +0000

In 23 years, three trends are projected to happen in the automotive industry: (1) as consumers welcome online commute services such as Uber and Grab, vehicle sales worldwide will decrease, (2) on the other hand, the demand for petroleum and gasoline will remain increasing, especially for non-transportation uses, and (3) majority of vehicles sold globally […]

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San Francisco Sues Fossil Fuel Industry Over Consequences of Climate Change

Guest Contributor — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 16:53:19 +0000

The US cities San Francisco and Oakland have filed a lawsuit against several big names in the fossil fuel industry, over the costs of the climate change that they’ve enabled. The companies that have been targeted are Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, and ExxonMobil. This decision comes after similar legal actions were taken last […]

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Apis Cor 3D Printer Can Build House, Only Uses 8kW of Energy

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 05:46:45 +0000

3D printing is taking off in a big way, and will soon be the foundation of manufacturing, medicine and home repair. One industry that will be changed by this innovative new technology is construction. Soon houses will be built by 3D printers instead of laborers and the Apis Cor is the most advanced of its kind yet, demonstrating […]

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Cats and Jelly to Revolutionize Transport?

Ari Luis — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 09:27:18 +0000

E.G. Labs discovers a new source of energy – cats and jelly, among other things. Scientists at the lab discovered that whatever the height a cat falls from, it always lands on its feet. They further discovered that jelly toast always lands with the jellied side down, especially when on top of a carpet. So, […]

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