[ weird things ] | environment
articles tagged: environment
why we need to give up plastics as soon as possible
# health

why we need to give up plastics as soon as possible

We’re using so much plastic, it’s literally in our blood right now. For our own sake, we need to find an alternative.

if you turn carbon dioxide into jet fuel, will anyone buy it?
# science

if you turn carbon dioxide into jet fuel, will anyone buy it?

Chemists think they figured out the process of capturing the greenhouse gas to turn it into fuel for airplanes. But the big question is whether we’d actually want to do this.

asteroid mining will lose a lot of money. we should do it anyway.
# space

asteroid mining will lose a lot of money. we should do it anyway.

Today, nothing can replace terrestrial mining. But if make the necessary long-term investments, our reward will be nearly infinite cheap resources, and a cleaner, healthier Earth.

why fossil fuels are even more radioactive than nuclear reactors
# science

why fossil fuels are even more radioactive than nuclear reactors

If you start studying the waste from gas and oil wells, and measure the emissions from coal ash, the fossil fuel industry is more dangerous than any nuclear plant.

is minimalism the antidote to runaway industrialization?
# tech

is minimalism the antidote to runaway industrialization?

Our factories crank out tsunamis of cheap consumer goods and online shopping is getting them around the world faster. But are we hitting a point of diminishing returns?

will urban farming save the future or make modern politics worse?
# tech

will urban farming save the future or make modern politics worse?

According to a growing number of architects and urban planners, cities need more greenery and easier access to food. But will their solution cause more problems than it solves?

doing laundry in the future could mean almost never washing clothes
# tech

doing laundry in the future could mean almost never washing clothes

Washing clothes uses a lot of chemicals and fresh water. Now, some companies are trying to change that by rethinking how to keep clothing fresh and wrinkle-free for months.

sand smugglers and water thieves are making climate change worse
# science

sand smugglers and water thieves are making climate change worse

Sand and water might be everywhere, but the grim reality is that the sand we can use, and water needed for watering our crops and modern civilization are both being threatened.

could space planes help fight global warming?
# tech

could space planes help fight global warming?

Planes capable of suborbital flights reducing emissions from air travel sounds absurd at first glance, but a lot more plausible when you consider the technology they plan to use.

the world’s insects are going extinct, and they might take us with them
# science

the world’s insects are going extinct, and they might take us with them

You might not care that that some places on Earth are seeing 75% declines in some insects. You really should. When they’re gone completely, so are the ecosystems in which we grow our food.

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