World’s Largest Solar Power Carport Launched

Good News Notes: “A 35 MW solar power carport with 90,000 solar panels was launched the first week of May in the Netherlands. Biddinghuizen is the solar carport location, which is the same site for the annual Lowlands music festival. The festival receives tens of thousands of visitors each year, so the parking area covers 35…

The urine revolution: how recycling pee could help to save the world

Good News Notes: “On Gotland, the largest island in Sweden, fresh water is scarce. At the same time, residents are battling dangerous amounts of pollution from agriculture and sewer systems that causes harmful algal blooms in the surrounding Baltic Sea. These can kill fish and make people ill. To help solve this set of environmental…

A new brick building in Manhattan is made of 577,367 pounds of recycle

Good News Notes: “Let’s play Spot The Difference, urban edition. You’re on West 47th Street in Hell’s Kitchen, a Manhattan neighborhood known for its industrial vibe. Like much of the area, the street is lined with brick buildings; despite some color variations, the facades mostly look the same. There is, however, one striking difference. A…

Why Michelin-Starred Chef Marco Pierre White Is Serving Whole-Cut Vegan Lamb

Good News Notes: “Chef Marco Pierre White—known as the first British chef to be awarded three Michelin stars—just added whole-cut vegan lamb and beef to the menu of his 22 steakhouses in the United Kingdom. Made by Israeli company Redefine Meat, the vegan meat (dubbed “New-Meat”) is made using a range of proprietary and patented…

CSRWire – Google and Engie Strike New Renewable Energy Deal

Good News Notes: “Google has signed a new 140MW renewable energy supply contract with French utility firm Engie, the tech company has announced.  The three-year agreement means Engie will provide Google with renewable electricity from solar and wind sources in Germany, via an energy portfolio.  The solar power will be sourced from a new 39MW photovoltaic (PV) project which is scheduled to operate in 2023. The wind power will come from 22 wind…

Novel Renewable Technologies That Could Power the Future

Good News Notes: “You’ve heard, of course, of solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric power plants, but did you know there are some other lesser-known renewable technologies currently in the pipeline? From stretchable or paint-infused solutions that can generate electricity from the Sun to ways for you to power your own electronics, the future of energy generation…

Planting the seeds for better vertical farm crops

Good News Notes: “Humans have been farming outside for around 12,000 years. Over those thousands of years, farmers have stumbled upon or bred specific varieties of plants and seeds that do well in outdoor field farming environments. And as farming has turned from a local business to a massive profit-making behemoth, the process of developing the…

How to fight microplastic pollution with magnets

Good News Notes: “As a child, Fionn Ferreira spent hours exploring the coastline near his hometown of Ballydehob in south-west Ireland. But the more time he spent on the sheltered, shingle-strewn coves nearby, he grew increasingly shocked by the large amounts of plastic litter he found strewn across the beach and in the sea. “It…

Israeli start-up devises way to convert used nappies into green plastics

Good News Notes: “UBQ Materials is researching a way for turning common household waste into sustainable plastics. The Tel Aviv based start-up is set on developing a material out of the likes of paper, mixed plastics, food residue and dirty diapers that could serve as a substitute to conventional plastic, wood and concrete. This material…