Solar energy is set to grow massively over the next twenty years. The International Energy Agency’s certification of solar power as the world’s fastest-growing, cheapest renewable energy source will allow it to surpass coal and gas-powered power in many countries.

As a result of the coronavirus global pandemic, air quality improved around the globe as emissions from factories and vehicles decreased. Solar energy has risen in countries like India as a result of this. However, ongoing research and innovations are driving solar forward.

Flexible Thinking Leads to Innovation

Developments, such as floating photovoltaics (or photovoltaics), placed on the surface of lakes and lagoons can reduce evaporation. Solar cells can be integrated into clothing and buildings to generate energy.

These breakthroughs are possible because of low-cost, lightweight organic solar panels that use conductive plastics instead of silicon.

Organic solar cells can gather more light using fewer materials. They can also be printed on transparent or flexible films, which fit perfectly onto windows and walls. They are less stable than silicon-based cells, and they degrade faster. Is experimenting at Florida State University with perovskite and different elements to improve performance, stability, and efficiency.

Flexible organic solar panels are a new way to gather and store energy from the sun. One company created flexible film solar panels that harvest sunlight while storing energy locally for powering homes off-grid. Solivus’ panel is one-tenth of the weight and contains no toxic or rare earth materials. It lasts for 20 years. The company plans to cover the roofs of industrial buildings and sell ‘arcs’ for home use.

Another worthy innovation is the use of bi-facial solar cells. The dual-surfaced panels can collect more sunlight that is reflected by the ground. This allows them to generate more electricity than traditional designs. By 2030, more than half of photovoltaics will likely be bifacial. This includes transparent double-sided solar panels, which can also be used on farmland to grow crops.

Solar panels can be improved by redesigning them. Researchers from Britain and Portugal have found that reshaping the surface of the solar panel to look more like a checkerboard can improve diffraction and increase the amount of sunlight absorbed by up to 125 percent. The breakthrough could lead them to create thinner, lighter, and more flexible solar panels that can power homes and industries.

Christian Schuster, a member of the British team, said, “In theory, we could deploy ten times more solar energy with the same absorber material. Ten times thinner solar panels could enable rapid growth of photovoltaics and increase solar electricity production.

What is it made of?

Textiles can now incorporate unique materials that collect indirect or diffuse ambient lighting. These luminescent solar concentrators can be applied as gels on clothing fabrics to power mobile devices. Portable solar energy is a welcome alternative to static charging in a world that has become accustomed to it.

A more radical development would make solar power a 24/7 energy source in warm regions. Thermoradiative cell generates electricity by emitting infrared (as heat), into the surrounding air. The panels would be covered with thermoradiative cells and pointed toward the incredible night skies. This would generate energy by losing heat.

Solar power can be used to produce electricity around the clock by using thermoradiative panels.

Plastic Turnaround: Recycling waste into wonder materials

Plastic pollution and recycling are significant problems for society. However, it is a common misconception to believe that plastic packaging or containers can be recycled indefinitely or never; some can only be reused once or at all.

A new generation of industrial technologies offers the possibility to reuse and recycle millions of tons of waste and plastic products each year.

Chemically Breaking it Down.

The Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactors break down plastics using heat, pressure, and supercritical water’s unique properties while removing toxic byproducts and impurities. A waste treatment technique creates a hot fluid plastic mix that breaks down the complex to recycle materials such as cookie packets or food trays into oil and fuel, making the system self-sufficient.

Companies that produce chemicals have invested in waste reduction and circular economics. BASF introduced chemical stabilizers to improve the strength of recycled plastics and create catalysts for higher-purity oils.

To ensure that innovation continues to move forward, government investment is needed. One example is the UK’s Textiles Circularity Centre, built with a $7-million grant to change textile and clothing industries. This included converting waste materials into textiles and reducing imported materials.

The World Trade Organization is attempting to combat the rapid increase in single-use face masks and other plastic personal protective equipment due to the coronavirus epidemic. The WTO’s Sustainable Development Goals include efforts to change the mindset of plastics and extractive industries from “take, make, and dispose” towards circular production.

Historical Production

It is imperative to change this mindset between 1950 and 2015. The volume of plastic produced was 8.7 billion tonnes, more than one ton per person. By 2050, the total mass is predicted to reach 13 billion tonnes. The toxic atmosphere created by the gas and chemical emissions of production, landfill waste, and the degradation of Microplastics in our food and water devastates Health.

Up-Cycling the Future

Researchers are hoping to transform plastic waste into wonder materials. The graphene layer is one atom thick and can be used to make lightweight, flexible solar panels or develop new cancer treatments.

Scientists from Rice University, Houston, have developed a method known as flash joule converter. This method converts waste plastic into graphene by using an electric current. The graphene produced is of high quality and cheaper than any other method.

Another research group has found that waste plastic can be broken up to create high-value carbon nanotubes and clean hydrogen fuel within seconds using cheap iron-based catalyzers. Carbon nanotubes are utilized as thin-film coatings, automotive parts, or water filters. Hydrogen can fuel zero-emission cars, energy storage, and heating buildings.

The Trashpresso mobile upcycling plastic plant is powered by solar energy. According to structural engineer Arthur Huang, the creator, “Our consumption patterns are polluting our environment.” His concept shreds polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene waste and turns it into household goods and plastic bricks. He says the way to go is to recycle materials like the Romans did.

Other initiatives, such as the New Plastics Economy, aim to change our plastic use and reduce plastic waste in our environment. Huang and his colleagues recognize that by ensuring plastic is never wasted, we can change how it’s designed and used, making it reusable or recyclable.

Brain Food: The Neural Circuit is the Key to Problem Eating

Certain food impulses can be hard to resist. The smell of bacon, hot buttered popcorn, or the sight of burgers or cream cakes can trigger an impulse purchase in seconds. Delicious food in any form triggers a reaction that can override rational thought and ruin our best intentions.

A discovery in the brain’s workings could help to solve weight gain and overeating. Scientists have discovered a specific brain circuit that affects impulsive food consumption. If we can regulate this circuit, we could help people control their urges.

The brain is in charge.

A team from the University of Georgia has discovered a brain circuit that can be targeted for creating therapies to treat people with impulsive eating disorders.

Emily Noble, assistant professor at the UGA College for Family and Consumer Science and the paper’s lead author, said: “There is underlying physiology that regulates your ability to say no to impulsive eating.” In experimental models, activating this circuitry to get a specific behavioral response is possible.

These impulses can lead to various behaviors, including acting without thinking, engaging in dangerous activities, and failing to anticipate the negative consequences of actions. These impulses cause psychiatric disorders, such as drug addiction and problem gambling. Similar to an urge to overeat, the flashing lights on a slot machine can trigger a desire to gamble.

The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that regulates impulsivity. The hypothalamus regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep, and circadian rhythms. UGA researchers identified cells in the lateral hypothalamus that produce a transmitter called melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) as crucial to food impulsivity.

MCH has been shown to regulate food intake in previous research. In one study, rats with lower levels could reduce their intake. They also showed resistance to diet-induced weight gain.

The Science-y Stuff

The UGA team measured the effect of MCH on food-intense behavior in male rats. They found that activating or suppressing the cells producing this hormone resulted in more impulsive behaviors.

The rats were taught to press a lever to receive a delicious, high-fat, high-sugar-flavored pellet. Then, each rat had to wait 20 seconds to receive tasty, high-fat, high-sugar ammunition.

Researchers found they could alter the animals’ response to pellets by activating the neural pathway between the hypothalamus and hippocampus. This neural pathway is associated with learning and memory.

The rats were happy to do what they were taught to get the food pellets. But altering levels of MCH affected the hypothalamus-hippocampus circuit, so the rats had less ability to stop themselves from trying to get food.

Noble said activating a specific pathway in MCH neurons increased impulsive behaviors without affecting the average caloric intake or motivation to eat delicious food.

This circuit’s ability to affect food impulsivity opens the door to other drugs and treatments that could one day help people stop overeating. She added that we can help people adhere to a healthier eating plan “without reducing their normal appetite or making delicious food less tasty.

DIY Garden Eco-Friendly Eggs Experiment

Are you looking for an educational, fun DIY project that produces zero waste? Create a mini garden using an eggshell, a handy kitchen scrap!

Why not create a zero-waste mini garden instead of throwing away the eggshell after you make your next omelet? This educational, fun DIY project allows younger green thumbs to participate in the park from the comfort of their own home.

Step 1: Prepare

Wash any remaining bits of egg with water after using them. It is okay if you didn’t crack the egg perfectly – just as long as enough remains unbroken for planting (at least 50%). You can freeze the clean, dried eggs in an egg carton to collect them over time.

Gather your other materials for the project at this stage. This is what you will need:

• Egg carton A new way to recycle! It is possible to reuse your egg carton as a container that can be used for growing seedlings.
• Eggshells
• Soil or Potting Mix While you can still use commercial potting mix (usually just topsoil), it’s best to try a seedling starter mixture. Your seedlings will have the best chance of growing if you use this mix.
• Seeds
• Spoon for scooping up the dirt
• Small Spray Bottle for watering plants
• Marker

Decorate your eggs after washing but before adding any soil. Be creative! Draw silly faces to make the seedlings look like hair. Continue the zero-waste concept by using a permanent marker on the shell to label each seedling. You can create decorative paper labels for your perfect window garden aesthetic.

Step 2: Soil

Add soil carefully to the insides of the eggs using a spoon. Make sure that the ground fills up the entire egg. Keep a little space!

Spray the soil with your spray bottle to keep it moist but not wet. Be careful not to overwater the seedlings. The eggshell is self-contained and does not allow for the drainage of extra water. The spray bottle prevents oversaturation which could drown or suffocate new roots.

Step 3: Seeds

You can start with herbs if you’re a beginner or have a black thumb. For first-time gardeners, basil, cilantro, or mint are good choices.

Add 2-3 seeds per shell. After adding the seeds, top off each egg as necessary with soil. Check the seed packets to determine specific planting depths. If necessary, mist the ground again to keep it slightly moist.

Step 5: Care

Place your seedlings in an egg carton near a south-facing, sunny window. Water the soil as needed (usually every other day), but keep it from becoming drenched.

Step 5: Growth & Transplantation

How to Make Egg Planters

 Choose a zero-waste, fun, and educational DIY project the entire family can work on together. Create a mini garden using an eggshell, a handy kitchen scrap.

Your seedlings will start to crowd together as they grow. Trim seedlings with scissors down to the soil level. Removing them is unnecessary, as pulling them can damage the roots and disturb the soil.

Check your seedlings regularly. Don’t worry if you don’t immediately see any growth. The seeds first develop as roots. As the root system generates, a green shoot will appear with one or two leaflets. The next set of “true” leaves will appear after these first leaves. At this stage, your seedlings will be ready for transplantation.

Please make a small hole at the bottom of the shell (using your hands, gently tap the egg on a surface to crack it) and then place the whole egg in your container or garden bed. Do not worry about the shell of the egg! The eggshell will degrade and add nutrients to your plants over time!

Coffee Culture Brews up eco-friendly espresso in the lab.

By: Robin Fearon

Coffee is one the most popular beverages in the world: it’s a social drink that Americans enjoy at least thrice daily. The coffee bean is threatened by climate change. A Finnish research group has now cultured coffee beans in the laboratory to provide the world with a sustainable espresso.

The VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland adapted plant cells to produce cell cultures for coffee and then grew them in the bioreactors. Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre brought together biotechnologists, food scientists, and chemists to develop the best cell lines. They also developed a roasting method for the coffee biomass.

A sensory panel then created the lab-grown brew’s taste and aroma profile. The drink smells and tastes similar to conventional coffee. Heiko Rischer admitted that glass could be better because making good coffee is an art. However, this could be the start of something beautiful.

Heikki Sala, a researcher at VTT’s Espoo research lab, goes through the process to smell and taste the coffee that is sustainably grown.

Rischer said that the experience of drinking his first cup was thrilling. We are just four years from ramping production up and gaining regulatory approval.

In 2021, the revenue generated by global coffee production is expected to reach $400 billion. The US is the most significant national coffee consumer, with $81 billion expected this year. The FDA would have to approve lab-grown coffee to replace farmed coffee beans. However, the sustainability issues of coffee farming may make this a necessity.

Scientists claim that the problems associated with coffee are well-known. The worst effects of coffee farming are deforestation, especially in countries that export a lot, like Brazil. Other issues include water pollution, biodiversity loss, and labor exploitation. The planet could benefit significantly from lab-grown coffee.

The bioreactor is used to grow coffee sustainably.

Rischer says that growing coffee cultures in bioreactors takes a lot of energy. The environmental impact depends on whether fossil fuels or renewable sources are used. Local production reduces transport, eliminates pesticides and fertilizers, and allows water reuse.

Climate change and environmental decline are real threats to the viability of coffee. The combination of rising temperatures, droughts, flooding, or fungal pests such as leaf rust can destroy coffee harvests. Shade-grown coffee, which encourages biodiversity, is better adapted for climate change and can be more intensive, significantly impacting coffee growers and the environment.

Cellular agriculture is a growing market for startups that want to offer the same taste of coffee and caffeine boost without the environmental guilt. Atomo, a Seattle-based company, creates its molecular coffee from plant wastes such as chicory roots and grape skins. Compound Foods, a Bay Area company, uses synthetic biology to produce coffee without beans.

The darker color of the coffee is the result of the roasting process.

Rischer, from VTT, said: “We’ve now proven that lab-grown espresso can be a real thing.” The true impact of these scientific works will be felt by companies willing to rethink food ingredients’ production. All efforts should ultimately result in healthier and more sustainable food for both the consumer and the planet.

It may be more difficult to compensate for the loss of income by the 20 million rural poor and smallholders that depend on the coffee-growing industry. The Sustainable Coffee Challenge ( SCC) campaign works with the United Nations to improve standards.

Climate change is threatening or causing problems for several cash crops, including coffee. SCC believes that coffee consumption will triple in 2050. This means society must produce it more efficiently. The SCC believes that solving some of the most challenging problems in coffee production is a top priority. However, with science at our side, we can find better alternatives.

Decarbonizing food, fuel, and fashion could be achieved by removing CO2 from the air.

By: Robin Fearon

Carbon dioxide (CO2) products are part of the rapidly growing trend to decarbonize almost everything we use. The CO2 in the air can be used to make food, drinks, fuels, and plastics. Recycling carbon could lead to a circular economy, reducing pollution and waste.

Over the last 250 years, industrial activity has dramatically increased levels of CO2 in our atmosphere. This has caused global warming. Twelve is converting this greenhouse gas to carbon-based products using solar and water energy. Using photosynthesis tech, the company aims to produce sustainable automobile parts, Jet Fuel, and washing detergent.

Twelve’s electrolyzer turns CO2 into oxygen, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen. These chemicals are used in many commercial products. The company estimates that its devices can remove the same amount of CO2 as 120 million trees at an industrial scale.

By capturing and transforming CO2 this way, refined oil and natural gas are removed from manufacturing. Carbon capture is used by companies not dependent on fossil fuels to revive life-critical substances such as food. The Finnish company Solar Foods uses electrolyzed carbon dioxide to produce Solein protein. This replaces traditional farming and its energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

Air Protein, a Kiverdi subsidiary, uses the tagline “Meat Made from Air” for its meat replacement products made using captured CO2. The company uses a technology developed by NASA for astronauts to feed on long space voyages. Exhaled CO2 feeds microbes which are then converted into food.

Kiverdi holds more than 50 patents and is exploring products that can be used to feed fish farms, inject nutrients into the soil and create biodegradable materials.

Reduced plastic pollution is an urgent global issue. An agreement signed by 173 nations aims to address the problem. The captured CO2 will be used to create a new generation of plastics. These include biodegradable materials made from sugar or wood scrap.

On, a Swiss activewear company, created the clean cloud running shoe range using plastic foam made from CO2 captured in industrial emissions. Newlight from California has developed the CO2-derived AirCarbon, which can be used in furniture, phones cases packaging, sunglass, and faux leather.

Carbon transformation is used in luxury products. Vodka and Perfumes, as well as Diamonds, are all made using atmospheric CO2, which positively impacts the climate for expensive lifestyle products.

Diamonds can be made from carbon dioxide.

To reach net zero, it is essential to promote the concept of CO2 Circularity. Carbon neutrality and -industries need negative to remove greenhouse gases. Initiatives such as the New York Urban Future Lab “Carbon to Value” initiative and the University of Michigan Global Co2 Initiative are promoting and finding companies to make this happen.

The wheel didn’t turn enough in 2022. The Circularity Report shows the world economy consumes more virgin materials and recycles less than 9 percent. Global consumption of natural resources exceeded 100 billion metric tonnes in 2019.

Making carbon capture products in a carbon-negative way could tip the balance towards a world with less waste.

Bitcoin Code Switch Can Clean Up Crypto’s Bad Image

Bitcoin was told to reduce its environmental impact to save the planet drastically. The estimated annual energy consumption for the Bitcoin Blockchain is more than Sweden’s total. However, campaigners claim that a simple software fix could reduce power consumption.

 including Greenpeace USA and the Environmental Working Group, are asking big technology and finance companies to support the campaign ‘Change The Code Not the Climate.’ The groups say that rewriting Bitcoin’s code could reduce the enormous carbon footprint of Bitcoin and its negative impact on global climate change.

The blockchain network uses a ‘proof-of-work’ method to mine digital coins. Each new Bitcoin is generated by computers that solve a mathematical puzzle to verify the currency’s new transaction. The first computer to solve the problem receives Bitcoin. All other computers that compete with it are discarded.

Bitcoin miners require massive electricity to verify transactions and mint new currency. Mining operations run hundreds of computer servers to solve equations and verify transactions.

Giga Energy will connect a gas generator with a Bitcoin miner near Linden in Texas on April 4, 2020. – What do we do with gas from oil wells that are too far apart to have pipelines connected? Until now, methane has been released or flared into the air, causing pollution and greenhouse gasses. A young American company proposes converting it on-site into electricity to extract Bitcoins.

The critics say that switching to instead of will use almost 100 percent less energy. Ethereum, a rival cryptocurrency, already uses less fuel than Bitcoin. However, switching from transaction validation to proof-of-stake will decrease the total energy used by 99.95%.

Proof of stake relies upon ‘validators,’ who use their crypto investments to verify network transactions. The stake amount and the length of the stake determine the winners. This is much more energy efficient than processing.

China was once a global hub for Bitcoin mining. Before a government-imposed ban, over half of the world’s Bitcoin mining operations were in China. Some mining operations are turning to fossil fuels for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

Crypto investors are targeting natural gas and coal plants. Bitcoin had revived Fracking Companies and dirty Coal-burning Plants that were about to go bankrupt when the US switched from renewables. The cryptocurrency’s proof-of-work method has resulted in a mountain of electronic garbage as miners destroy servers to maximize their earnings.

On March 16, 2018, a picture of mining rigs for a supercomputer was shown inside the Bitcoin factory “Genesis Farming” near Reykjavik. In the middle of Iceland’s stunning lava fields, one of the largest bitcoin factories in the world is located at a secret location rich in renewable energy. This energy powers computers.

Scientists say that heavy computer hardware, excessive energy consumption, and using fossil fuels associated with Bitcoin may increase global heating beyond sustainable limits. This could be more than two degrees Celsius. The impact of the blockchain could be drastically reduced by changing how it works.

Tefere Gebre, Greenpeace USA’s chief program officer, said: “No matter what you think about Bitcoin or the code changes that are required to make it happen, we can help protect our planet and community from the damaging impacts of climate-change.”

The US has become the epicenter for global Bitcoin mining activities. States like New York have created bills to prohibit mining operations from using electricity from fossil fuel power plants. Legislators also call on intensive research to evaluate the currency’s environmental impact. Bitcoin is under increasing pressure to improve its environmental credentials.

Save Baby Elephants From a Deadly Herpes Viral

A biotechnology company has accelerated efforts to eradicate a deadly disease that affects endangered elephants.

Elephant Endotheliotropic Virus (EEHV) is the most common cause of death for Asian elephants born in North America or countries within their natural range. With fewer than Colossal Biosciences is now a genetic engineering company specializing in de-extinction. They have announced plans to create a vaccine that will prevent elephants from contracting the deadly virus in zoos and their natural habitats.

Elephants in the wild are an essential keystone species. They play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity and the Health of ecosystems that they inhabit. Matt James of Colossal says that disruptive conservation methods rooted in genetics will complement current preservation efforts and ensure the future of all elephants.

Colossal announced previous plans to exterminate the woolly mammoth. The endangered Asian elephant shares 99.6 percent of its genetic heritage with the woolly.

Matt James, cofounder and CEO of Colossal Animal Operations, and Ben Lamm, Colossal’s Head of Animal Operations, spoke to Discovery about EEHV, its conservation implications, and the impact on animal operations.

Why is the elephant endangered?

JAMES: African and Asian Elephants face extinction because of various human pressures, including ivory poaching, habitat fragmentation, and conflict between humans and elephants. We are also beginning to understand how the Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus affects elephants in the wild.

What causes the deadly Fatal Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV)?

JAMES: Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesviruses are a type of herpesvirus that can cause a hemorrhagic illness, affecting primarily young elephants. We know that EEHV, a latent viral, is carried by most elephants and shed occasionally. However, we are unsure what causes the virus to cause illness in elephants. The EEHV virus will most likely affect calves after weaning when their antibodies no longer protect them. Elephants become hemorrhagic once the virus has taken hold.

Can this virus infect humans?

JAMES: EEHV does not constitute a zoonotic, a type of disease that is spread from one species to another. EEHV is a disease that affects only elephants.

Does EEHV pose a danger to humans?

JAMES: EEHV does not directly threaten human Health, as it is not a zoonotic virus. EEHV directly impacts the viability of elephants, which are keystone species in their environment. Losing elephants will drastically affect ecosystems within and around their range, which could be devastating to humans.

How much time will it take for a vaccine to be developed?

JAMES: Dr. Paul Ling at Baylor College of Medicine has worked tirelessly for more than ten years to understand this virus and build a vaccine. Colossal and Dr. Ling have teamed up to accelerate Dr. Ling’s vaccine development work. This will reduce the time it takes to develop a vaccine. The first-generation EEHV vaccination is estimated to be ready in about two years. Colossal and Dr. Ling are also working to create an mRNA version of the vaccine, which will be available shortly after the first-generation vaccine.

Will this research have an impact on the de-extinction of woolly mammoths?

Colossal’s commitment to eradicating EEHV’s deadly effects on elephants will protect future woolly mammal populations. This research will improve our understanding of mammoth and elephant immune responses, allowing Colossal to provide mammoths and elephants with traits that protect them from this deadly disease.

Scientists Resurrect the Tasmanian Tiger

Colossal Biosciences announced that it had begun working on the de-extinction of the iconic Australian marsupial, the thylacine. Humans hunted this iconic marsupial in 1936. Please find out how they plan on doing it in this exclusive interview with evolutionary biologist Andrew Pask, Ph.D., and Colossal Cofounder Ben Lamm.