Sustainability

Xiulin Ruan, a Purdue University professor of mechanical engineering, holds up his lab’s sample of the whitest paint on record.

This Ultra-White Paint May Someday Replace Air Conditioning

Developed by researchers at Purdue University, the paint reflects 98.1 percent of sunlight

Sea beans, otherwise known as sea asparagus and pickleweed, belong to the genus Salicornia, marsh plants that thrive in salty soils.

How One Farmer Is Introducing Americans to Sea Beans

In Charleston, South Carolina, Heron Farms is attempting to grow a gangly, salt-tolerant plant in the face of sea level rise

Regenerative farming, which centers on building soil health, is one promising pathway for decreasing agriculture’s carbon footprint.

To Meet Ambitious Emissions Goals, Large Food Companies Are Looking to Lock Carbon in Soil

But the logistics of moving farmers in their supply chains to regenerative agriculture practices can be complicated

In Singapore, a city-state notoriously tight on space, Apollo Aquaculture Group is building an eight-story indoor aquaculture facility.

An Eight-Story Fish Farm Will Bring Locally Produced Food to Singapore

The massive indoor aquaculture facility is an effort to boost food security for the small island city-state

Grōv Technologies’ vertical farm is designed to minimize land and water use of conventional feed production.

Could Indoor Vertical Farms Feed Livestock?

The people at Grōv Technologies think farmers can produce wheatgrass for their herds with less land and water using the method

(Top row) Jing Liu and Florian Idenburg, Barron Ryan, Arturo Elizondo, (middle row) Samantha Pratt, Gitanjali Rao, Anitra Belle Henderson, (bottom row) Kennyjie, Andrea Ponti and Brett Phaneuf

Ten Innovators to Watch in 2021

These visionaries are imagining an exciting future with chicken-less eggs, self-piloting ships and more

Christmas tree cured fish was one well-received recipe Julia Georgallis included in her new cookbook.

You Can Eat Your Christmas Tree. Here's How to Do It

Turn your once-ornamented tree into something scrumptious

Concrete, a building block of our cities and towns, accounted for the most mass, followed by steel, gravel, brick and asphalt.

Human-Made Materials Now Weigh More Than All Life on Earth Combined

People produce 30 billion tons of material annually, making our built environment heavier than the planet's biomass

At the moment, more than two dozen companies across the world are working to grow beef, chicken and fish in labs.

In a Global First, Lab-Grown Chicken Nuggets Will Soon Be on the Menu in Singapore

By culturing cells, food scientists have learned to grow meat in a lab without killing any animals or relying on deforestation

The Norwegian Joy is one of several cruise ships equipped with air lubrication technology.

Tiny Bubbles Under a Ship May Be the Secret to Reducing Fuel Consumption

A technology called air lubrication offers a way to make large ships more efficient

Pier 26 in Tribeca is the first revitalized pier to open to the public in the Hudson River Park in ten years.

How New York City Is Reclaiming Its Piers

A renaissance in pier developments is reconnecting people to the city's waterfront

Prototype biodegradable flip-flops made using algae.

Researchers Use Algae to Make Biodegradable Flip-Flops

The shoes break down in about 18 weeks under the right conditions

The Hanasaari B power plant was commissioned in 1974 as a coal-fired power plant.

Helsinki Power Plant May Be Transformed Into Arts and Culture Center

The Finnish capital plans to decommission the Hanasaari power plant by 2024. Could it be the next Tate Modern?

Frea is a year-old, zero-waste vegan restaurant in Berlin.

The Rise of 'Zero-Waste' Restaurants

A new breed of food establishment is attempting to do away with food waste entirely

A family commutes by cargo bike on a rail-and-trail path in Seattle.

Can We Really Combat Climate Change by Consuming Less? Maybe.

In her new book, scientist Hope Jahren talks about the warming planet and what can be done to slow its effects

Mexico City Is Proposing to Build One of the World's Largest Urban Parks

More than twice the size of Manhattan, the park could restore the water systems of the region and serve as a model for cities around the world

Olive oils for sale at The Spanish Table at Seattle's Pike Place Market.

Is Paying a Premium for European Foods Worth It?

New tariffs on certain wines, spirits, olive oil and cheeses from Europe have us wondering how much place really factors into taste

(Clockwise from left) Michela Puddu, Elias Sime, Richard Yim and Miranda Wang

Eight Innovators to Watch in 2020

From plastic recycling pioneers to landmine foes, these dreamers have big plans for the coming year

Lucy Hughes holds a piece of MarinaTex.

This Bioplastic Made From Fish Scales Just Won the James Dyson Award

British product designer Lucy Hughes has invented a biodegradable plastic made from fish offcuts

Visitors to CopenHill can ski or snowboard on four artificial slopes, a slalom course and a freestyle park.

You Can Hike, Fish and Even Ski at These Visitor-Friendly Power Plants

Copenhagen's new green power plant with a ski slope is just the latest energy facility with tourist attractions

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