To Inspire this World Earth Day.
We all know we should be doing as much as we can to preserve this gorgeous planet we call home, and no more so than on World Earth Day. But did you know just how many cool new gadgets and inventions already exist or are waiting in the wings to do just that? Get ready to reduce your carbon footprint and to encourage your family and friends to do the same with some of these incredibly ingenious creations…
1: SMILE
No, despite my happy-go-lucky nature, I am not suggesting that if we all go around permanently wearing one of these then carbon emissions will magically decline… Rather SMILE is the company behind low cost solar technology for the developing world: its aim to make solar power cheaper than fossil fuels. This could help up to 3 billion people worldwide who don’t currently have access to electricity and stop them burning the likes of kerosene and coal. A BIG game changer.
2: Solar Freakin’ Roadways
Yep, that’s what they’re called… apparently. A HUGE idea for sure, but a fantastic one nonetheless and I’ve no doubt it will eventually come to fruition. It makes absolute sense – even to me, a non-techie. The solar panels (which use as much recycled material in their construction as possible and pay for themselves) basically generate electricity to road surfaces, recreation grounds, parking lots, sidewalks, subways and much, much more… So extensive is the potential use for these panels that you just have to watch this video to get as excited as I am about this truly cool innovation, harnessing the power of the sun to fuel our planet.
3: The Spider Catcher
Imagine how many mini-beasts we could save with a handy device like this one which stops any thoughts of us squishing them dead in their tracks… It’s simple, yes. But sometimes in our quest for the ultimate in hi-tech, we completely bypass the beauty of ease. I know so many people (myself included) who would not only quell their anxiety levels by having one of these under their kitchen sink, but restore whole miniature eco-systems in their very own backyards. Win win.
4: Nebia Shower
A revolutionary concept in showering which uses a mahoosive 70% less water! It is of course, no surprise at all to hear that showers are one of the BIGGEST wasters of water. And in the past century there have been no real breakthroughs to reduce the amount of water they use. That is until now. Using the same technology as rocket systems – yes really – the Nebia Shower actually produces droplets of water making for an even more refreshing and totally enveloping experience.
5: Zero Waste Towns
And now we head to Japan, where the town of Kamikatsu is completely blazing a trail in reducing wastage both from homes and businesses. Rubbish is separated into a stellar and rigorous 34 categories. Since 2003, 80% of the town’s trash is either composted or re-used. The rest goes to landfill. By 2020 the goal is to be ‘zero waste’. Imagine if we all took a leaf out of Kamikatsu’s book! How very different the world would be…
6: Clothes Recycling for Humanitarian Aid
This video may be on the short side, but what it does do is illustrate perfectly how we can breathe new – and much needed – life into our old garments… and help others less fortunate than ourselves in the process.
7: Eco Friendly Hotels
Now these may not be anything too new, but they are rapidly growing in number… innovation in itself in the year that is 2016. The video below features a Manhattan hotel which takes its carbon footprint seriously via its ‘Earth Programme’ and does all that it can to offset it, providing a blueprint for hoteliers all over the globe. Pedicabs, low pressure showers, a concierge with all the best knowledge about local eco-friendly and organic eateries, recycled loo rolls, and 253 trees per year being saved through hotel stationery being printed only on recycled paper (using soya ink) could be standard everywhere before long!
8: From Food Waste to Haute Couture!
Ingenious! I have never seen anything quite like this before and the ramifications are flippin’ exciting. Clothes made from orange peel, coffee silt, and fish scales. Don’t believe me? Take a look for yourself! Not only does this offer a viable alternative to the already overstretched traditional textiles industry, but it is a fantastic way to re-use our food waste. And you have to admit, some of these creations wouldn’t look out of place at the Oscars (in a good way!)
9: Sculpture Beasts
Constructed from lemonade bottles and plastic tubes, these gigantic – and I mean GIGANTIC – wind sculptures currently designed to ‘run’ along the beach are absolutely phenomenal. Whilst their invention may on the outside appear to be nothing more than an elaborate piece of art, the ‘simplicity’ of the mechanism and harnessing of wind power offers huge potential for some extremely important future environmentally friendly inventions…
10: Just. Wow!
I couldn’t decide which should be the last entry in my compilation, so opted for this awesome medley instead. From devices to convert your huffing and puffing into energy to eco pod style houses for riverside living, Future Green Technology’s Top Picks 2015 video has it all…
And what about you?
How will YOU be making our blue plant more green this World Earth Day?
