Sarah Higman, Author at The Green Optimistic

A “Green” Beer We Can All Get Behind

Sarah Higman — Sat, 27 Jun 2015 04:54:19 +0000

Looking for your new favorite beer? Look no further, meet the West’s best kept secret Sierra Nevada Beer. Sierra Nevada Beer could be the greenest beer in the world; from start to finish sustainability is the keystone of their production. Let’s start with energy; Sierra Nevada owns one of the largest privately owned solar arrays […]

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Meet India’s Waterman Reviving Waterways One River at a Time

Sarah Higman — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 04:46:41 +0000

Rajendra Singh is a remarkable individual who is doing more as individual to combat climate change than most of us put together. Using a modern twist on an ancient technology Singh has provided clean water to over 1, 000 villages. Singh was recognized early this year with the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize (also known as […]

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Giant Floating Solar Farms: Japan’s Newest Energy Source

Sarah Higman — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 04:23:38 +0000

After the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan embraced renewable energy, especially solar energy. One thing Japan lacks in particular though is viable land to place solar farms big enough to generate enough electricity to meet Japan’s needs. Always the innovators, Japanese scientists have come up with a neat solution; creating floating solar farms that will […]

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The Environator: Schwarzenegger Talks Climate Change

Sarah Higman — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 05:13:41 +0000

In a smackdown worthy of one of his action flicks actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger has a message for Australia; “Going green and protecting the environment did not hurt the economy, it’s a bunch of nonsense.” In Sydney to promote his new film, Schwarzenegger used his media time to take a swipe at Australia’s […]

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Climate Change Didn’t Slow Down 15 Years Ago, Scientists Prove

Sarah Higman — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 18:52:14 +0000

One of the arguments climate change deniers use is the belief global temperatures the warming of the planet’s surface slowed at the turn of the century. A new study released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration throws a big spanner into that argument. The new report states that Earth’s global average surface temperature had climbed 0.2 […]

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Even Oil Companies Want a Carbon Tax

Sarah Higman — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 08:51:36 +0000

In an unprecedented move six leading European oil companies, including BP and Shell have released a letter calling on the world to implement a price on carbon emissions. In a three page document addressed to the United Nations climate chief the oil companies outline what they are doing to reduce carbon emissions themselves then calls on governments around […]

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Ocean Cleanup: World’s Largest Floating Structure to Launch Next Year

Sarah Higman — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 04:28:41 +0000

As a teenager, Boyan Slat read about the giant plastic islands floating in the worlds oceans. Six years later his foundation is about to launch the longest floating structure in the world, designed to rid the world’s oceans of plastic pollutants. Touted to be the largest cleanup in history, Slat’s foundation The Ocean Cleanup will place a 6500 feet […]

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Great Barrier Reef Not “In Danger” – For Now

Sarah Higman — Sat, 30 May 2015 19:39:21 +0000

Despite being one of the most vulnerable ecosystems in the world and squarely in the firing line with climate change, UNESCO experts decided not to label the Great Barrier Reef “in danger”. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee report on the health of the Reef still paints a stark future for the World Heritage Area. […]

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Ice Cream Flavor Encourages Climate Change Activism, Deliciously

Sarah Higman — Sat, 30 May 2015 19:38:48 +0000

Mmmm. Climatelicious. That should be the name of Ben & Jerry’s newest ice cream flavor – brought out to encourage consumers into climate change activism. Instead they have gone with ‘Save our Swirled’ which I guess has a good ring to it too. Save our Swirled is a mix of raspberry ice cream, marshmallow and raspberry […]

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New Solar Cell Fabric Charges Your Devices While You Wear It

Sarah Higman — Sat, 30 May 2015 19:37:05 +0000

Using perovskite, scientists have come up with a way to potentially create solar cell thread which could be used to create chargeable fabric. Scientists around the world are exploring ways to use the mineral perovskite in solar cells. Cells with perovskite are cheaper and easier to manufacture for solar cells and are able to convert […]

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Climate Change Politician: “Why Aren’t We All Screaming?”

Sarah Higman — Sat, 30 May 2015 19:34:59 +0000

“We are all going to die” This is the bold, and somewhat refreshing platform for U.S senate hopeful Mike Beitiks. He is running for the senate on a single platform – to create and support any bill that acts on climate change. That will be his only focus. “We’re fighting a war against CO2 with sharpened […]

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Looking at Tesla’s Gigafactory Through a Drone’s Eyes

Sarah Higman — Wed, 27 May 2015 19:45:34 +0000

I feel a bit like a child getting up at 4am to have a sneaky look at the presents under the Christmas tree – Emory Peterson used his brand new drone to fly over the new Tesla Gigafactory, currently under construction in Nevada. The Nevada local captured our first real glimpse of the factory and, as expected, […]

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Climate Engineering Gives Hope for Coral Reefs

Sarah Higman — Tue, 26 May 2015 11:42:18 +0000

A team of researchers from around the world warn that the only way to save coral reefs is to use climate engineering. Coral reefs could be the first ecosystem to be systematically destroyed by climate change. Rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification are both occurring due to higher atmospheric carbon dioxide resulting in mass coral bleaching. Even […]

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Bacteria Can Help Plants Cope With Climate Change

Sarah Higman — Mon, 25 May 2015 18:02:48 +0000

A range of recent studies into the benefits of microbes in soil has uncovered their potential to help plants cope with water and heat stress. As any hobby permaculture student knows the key to a good crop with high yield is not herbicides and pesticides but healthy soil. Research is supporting this premise and is […]

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COMPETES Act Threatens Climate Science Research

Sarah Higman — Fri, 22 May 2015 19:16:14 +0000

Climate change research is about to take a big hit under legislation passed today by the US House of Representatives. The bill, known as the American COMPETES Act sets priorities for research programmes at the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). While ostensibly intended […]

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Obama: Climate Change Deniers Security Risk

Sarah Higman — Thu, 21 May 2015 14:16:32 +0000

American politicians who deny that rising seas, thawing permafrost and longer wildfires are the crippling effects of global warming pose a serious threat to US national security, Barack Obama said on Wednesday. During his speech to the United States coast guard academy Obama stated, “This is not just a problem for countries on the coast or for […]

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4 Unusual Ways to Fight Climate Change

Sarah Higman — Thu, 21 May 2015 14:13:01 +0000

We all know the main ways an individual can help combat climate change; reduce power usage, divest in fossil fuel investments and switch to green energy when possible. Let’s look at a few scientifically sound ways that you can help climate change that are a little outside the box. Breed worms According to a new […]

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India: Bellandur Lake Catches Fire Due to Pollution

Sarah Higman — Wed, 20 May 2015 05:07:55 +0000

An event belonging more to the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork (Discworld fans anyone?) India’s Bellandur Lake recently caught on fire. The lake, which has been covered in several feet of toxic foam for several weeks now caught fire last Friday and burned for most of the night. It is believed the fire began due to […]

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Vortex Bladeless – No Blade Future for Wind Turbines

Sarah Higman — Sun, 17 May 2015 17:56:10 +0000

A Spanish company has revolutionized the look of wind turbines and has potentially removed one of the biggest opposition to wind turbine installation. The company, Vortex Bladeless constructs exactly what their name implies – a wind turbine without the blades. Wind farms currently supply 0.2% of the worlds energy demands. The main environmental concern of […]

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Used Cigarette Butts Offer Energy Storage Solution

Sarah Higman — Sun, 17 May 2015 17:55:08 +0000

Scientists in South Korea have successfully converted used cigarette butts into a high performing material that could be integrated into computers, handheld devices, electric vehicles and wind turbines to store energy. Using a “simple one step process” co-author Professor Jongheop Yi of Seoul National University says that the new materials outperforms currently available carbon, graphene […]

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Solar Meets Swarovski for Fitness Bling

Sarah Higman — Fri, 15 May 2015 04:23:52 +0000

With the plethora of fitness trackers available it was only a matter of time before the big jewelry companies take notice. Crystal king Swarovski not only took notice but has taken their fitness tracker to a greener level with their new Misfit Swarovski Shine. The Misfit Shine – available in Spring this year – looks […]

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Gold – the Key to Simpler Solar Cell Manufacture

Sarah Higman — Thu, 14 May 2015 20:12:52 +0000

Scientists at Rice University have developed a simpler way to change plain silicon into valuable black silicon by using the top electrode as the catalyst. Gold electrodes serve as the catalyst in this new process which will benefit solar cell manufacture. Black silicon reflects little light and allows more to reach the active elements of […]

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One in Six Species Face Extinction Due to Climate Change

Sarah Higman — Thu, 14 May 2015 20:10:48 +0000

A new study released by the University of Connecticut estimates that one in six species face extinction due to accelerated climate change. The study’s author, Mark C Urban has compiled the results of 131 existing studies at the impact of climate change on biodiversity loss and has pinpointed three areas most at risk of losing fauna […]

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More Atmospheric Carbon = Less Wasteful Trees

Sarah Higman — Tue, 12 May 2015 19:21:35 +0000

Here at The Green Optimistic we are constantly looking for the silver lining in among all the news we sift through each day. With that in mind, let’s talk trees: According to the study of a large, interdisciplinary team of researchers, European broadleaf and coniferous trees have increased their water-use efficiency since the beginning of […]

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Climate Change, a “Hoax,” Says Australia’s Key Advisor to PM

Sarah Higman — Sun, 10 May 2015 19:09:39 +0000

In a move we wish was satirical, influential chairman of Australia’s Business Advisory Council claimed that climate science is filled with “dud predictions.” Maurice Newman, disregarding all the actual science behind climate change stated ”The real agenda is concentrated political authority. Global warming is the hook. It’s about a new world order under the control […]

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NOAA: Carbon Wise, We Are Back in the Pliocene Era

Sarah Higman — Sun, 10 May 2015 19:06:31 +0000

The global average concentration of the greenhouse gas surpassed 400 parts per million in March this year. These levels haven’t been seen in over 3 million years, well before humans walked on earth. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released these findings from their latest global measurements and state these figures is a […]

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Toyota to Produce Hydrogen Fuel from Cow Dung

Sarah Higman — Tue, 05 May 2015 10:53:56 +0000

Toyota engineer Scott Blanchet has been working on a new car engine – one that is powered by cow dung. Exploiting a waste product to harvest the universes most abundant element hydrogen is the plan. Toyota will extract the hydrogen out of the manure using large digesters; essentially lagoons where the dung is broken down […]

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Goodall: Apes Won’t Adapt to Rapid Climate Change

Sarah Higman — Mon, 04 May 2015 10:51:09 +0000

In a recent interview the chimpanzee expert Dame Jane Goodall has voiced concern about the fate of apes due to climate change. “It is getting drier and hotter and that is going to affect food and water supplies.” Goodall said in an interview with Guardian. “Some won’t be able to migrate anywhere – there won’t […]

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US Has More Trees Now Than 100 Years Ago

Sarah Higman — Sun, 03 May 2015 10:18:06 +0000

Thanks to decades of forest growth exceeding harvesting rates the US officially has more trees now compared to 100 years ago. The United States has the fourth largest forest estate of any nation, with 8% of the world’s forests or about 300 million hectares of forest, exceeded only by the Russian Federation, Brazil and Canada. […]

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Perovskite Solar Cells Yielding More Power

Sarah Higman — Sat, 02 May 2015 12:22:55 +0000

Perovskites is currently all the rage in solar cell technology and researchers have found a way to make them even more efficient. Perovskite is a type of mineral formed in the earths mantle and is an excellent light harvester. Manufacturers are particularly interested in using perovskites in solar cell development as it is cheaper to […]

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Extinct Species Could Be Restored Thanks to New Technology

Sarah Higman — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 18:11:57 +0000

A team of researchers have mapped almost the entire genome sequence of two Siberian woolly mammoths, a step closer to the possibility of bringing the species back from extinction. Evolutionary geneticist Hendrik Poinar, director of the Ancient DNA Center at McMaster University believes that the technology to reintroduce extinct species could only be few decades […]

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Soy Lecithin Could Clean Up Oil Spills

Sarah Higman — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 12:21:13 +0000

Soy lecithin is a common ingredient listed at the back of many of the food products in your pantry. Now it may take center stage as a cheap option to disburse oil spills. Soy lecithin is found in a myriad of products from margarine to chocolate to tea bags. It is derived from soyabean oil and used […]

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Anticipation Building For the New Tesla Home Battery

Sarah Higman — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 11:17:31 +0000

When Telsa Inc decided to create its electric car it created arguably the best battery on the market. Now the technology world is watching closely to see what Telsa will unveil next. As houses all over the US switch to solar the aging power grid structure is struggling to hold up. The grid was originally […]

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Apple – “We Want to Stop Climate Change”

Sarah Higman — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 05:49:11 +0000

Apple Inc. new Environmental Responsibility Report doesn’t mince words. Unlike many governments around the world this corporation states the debate about whether climate change exists is over. “We don’t want to debate climate change. We want to stop it,” the report states. Apple is a big advocate of renewable energy and is willing to put […]

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Lotus Leaves Could Hold the Key to Cleaning Oil Spills

Sarah Higman — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 18:25:48 +0000

Fun fact – lotus leaves naturally repel water but not oil. Sounds simple but this design may be the answer to cleaning oil spills at sea. Engineers at the University of Ohio have used the lotus as inspiration and flipped it on its head, developing a fine mesh that water can pass through, leaving oil […]

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Food Favorites Set to Disappear Thanks to Climate Change

Sarah Higman — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 05:12:37 +0000

Menu favorites such as haddock and lemon sole may soon disappear from our plates thanks to warmer oceans. A new study published in Nature Climate Change has found that some fish species will be unable to move away from the rapidly warming water due to depth and habitat constraints. Researchers from the University of Exeter […]

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World’s Largest Ecological Corridor, Twice the Size of France

Sarah Higman — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 13:03:31 +0000

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is working towards presenting the Summit on Climate Change a gift for humanity – the world’s largest ecological corridor. President Santos has announced he would like to work with neighboring Brazil and Venezuela to create a massive 135 million hectares of ecologically protected area. His proposal will state that the […]

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Australia Backs Fossil Fuels, Renewable Energy Hurts

Sarah Higman — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 10:48:35 +0000

A new Australian Energy White Paper, released this week states the governments continued support of “establishing and supporting the Oil, Gas and Energy Resources, and the Mining Equipment, Technology and Services Growth Centres” The White Paper, which is supposed to provide the Australian government with long term goals has been rewritten again – the last […]

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Recycled DVDs Find New Life as Carbon Absorbers

Sarah Higman — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 10:41:51 +0000

The move towards digital storage means more and more of our old CDs and DVDs are ending up in landfill. Now recycled discs have a new future – from capturing tunes to capturing carbon. Researchers in Poland have managed to recycle old discs into two types of activated carbon. The resulting activated carbon has a high surface […]

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Climate Change Lawsuit – Two Teenagers Leading the Way

Sarah Higman — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 10:38:36 +0000

Frustrated at slow moving governments environmental groups are turning to the legal system for help with two Oregon teenagers leading the way. In the first case of its kind, Kelsey Juliana and Olivia Chernaik are accusing the Oregon state government of “failing to act to protect public resources for the future”. They claim that the […]

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US Veterans to Help Deter Poaching in Africa

Sarah Higman — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 12:33:25 +0000

Over the past three years, over 100,000 African elephants have been killed by poachers, the Northern White Rhinoceros has been poached to extinction and the Black rhinoceros is teetering on the edge with population levels declining by 97.6%. But poachers beware – an elite team of US veterans have declared war. Many African parks have […]

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Canadian Govt Sued by BCFN Over Oil Companies Pollution

Sarah Higman — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 12:27:36 +0000

The Beaver Lake Cree First Nation (BCFN) people is suing the Canadian federal and Alberta state government for allowing oil companies to pollute traditional lands. Under the First Nation’s land situated in Alberta lies the largest known reservoir of crude bitumen oil in the world, estimated to be larger than England. Commercial oil production in […]

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Barclays Stops Funding Mountaintop Mining

Sarah Higman — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 08:47:03 +0000

Could this be the death knell for the controversial coal mining practise of mountaintop mining? Barclays, a British multinational finance company has quietly announced it will cease to fund any companies wanting to use mountaintop removal (MTR) to mine for coal. Mountaintop mining is a contentious issue, particularly in the Appalachian Mountains in the US. […]

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Agricultural Waste Biofuel Now a Reality, Thanks to Yeast

Sarah Higman — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 14:06:04 +0000

Agricultural plant waste could be turned into sustainable biofuel a new study from the University of East Anglia has found. The study investigated over 70 different strains of yeast and has found five different strains of yeast can turn straw, cereal stalks and even corncobs into bioethanol, an alcohol based biofuel. Bioethanol can be mixed […]

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Algae Biofuel Production Could Soon Be Viable, Rice Scientists Suggest

Sarah Higman — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 13:59:42 +0000

Love the idea of a green car? Soon we could be using truly green biofuel from oil-rich algae. Researchers at Rice University have found a neat way to solve a number of environmental issues in one fell swoop. Nutrient Overload One of the most expensive environmental issues in the US is nutrient pollution in waterways particularly […]

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Climate Change May Mean Faster Tarantulas

Sarah Higman — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 10:52:03 +0000

If you need another reason to convince others to reduce their carbon emissions this study could be just the ticket. Researchers at Harvey Mudd College in the US have discovered that higher temperatures can dramatically increase Texas brown tarantulas top running speed. Spider biology – for those brave enough to study them – is fascinating. […]

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Tesla Looking to Build Second Gigafactory in Japan

Sarah Higman — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 03:44:06 +0000

Hot-giggaty! According to a Bloomberg report, Tesla executives are in talks with their Japanese partners about potentially building a second Gigafactory on their shores. Kurt Kelty, Tesla’s director of battery technology has been in Osaka praising Japan’s view towards technology. ‘Tesla looks to Japan for the world’s most advanced technology,’ Kelty said at an event […]

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