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Southwest Airlines upcycles 43 acres of leather seat covers

Flying can be a divisive topic when it comes to curbing emissions, but airplanes have other environmental impacts too.




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Solar-powered plane stuck in Hawaii until 2016 because of "irreversible" damage to batteries

There are worse places to be stuck than in Hawaii... I'm starting to think they did it on purpose!




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Tesla supplying solar power to Hawaii all day and all of the night

Solar City and Tesla take the Kinks out of solar power with plenty of PowerPacks




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Renewables = 92.1% of new US electricity capacity so far in 2014

We still need a ton more renewable energy in order to combat climate change, but the good news is that renewable energy is picking up the pace.




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Wildlife is absolutely thriving at Chernobyl disaster site

The number of wolves alone around Chernobyl is more than 7 times greater than can be found in other nature reserves.




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Is nuclear power "the only proven climate solution"?

Instead of building giant concrete buildings filled with uranium, why not build smaller energy-efficient buildings filled with people.




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This is the world's most relaxing song

Researchers found that listening to the song was as good as midazolam in relieving anxiety before regional anaesthesia.




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On MNN: The maple syrup bubble, soundproofing your apartment, and the library of things

and lessons in management from Renaissance Florence




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On MNN: So you want to move to Canada

And a self-driving chair, a computer in your phone and learning to listen.




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Seafood processing water is a surprising source of nutrients

Instead of tossing it, fisheries should capture the protein and fat left in water and use it to feed humans and animals a second time around.




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Let's Do The Time Warp Again: Monbiot and May vs Lomberg and Lawson

It is the battle of the M&Ms; vs the L&Ls; the Munk debate in Toronto about the statement "Climate change is mankind's defining crisis, and demands a commensurate international response" with Bjorn Lomberg and Nigel Lawson duking it out




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Sawmill House by Olson Kundig wins COTE award for "design and sustainability"

I get the design part, but is it really sustainable?




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For first time ever, solar dominates UK power supply

These spikes might be intermittent. But they are getting bigger and more frequent.




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California feeds the duck with mandatory solar panels on new houses

Fortunately, that's not the only change in their building regulations.




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UK hotel chain promises solar on 70 more locations

Even with falling subsidies, solar still makes sense.




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Solar road in France generates half the power expected

I am sorry, they are a dumb idea, and the data prove it.




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Whatever happened to Jimmy Carter's solar panels: The sequel

Instead of an exciting adventure, we got a road not taken.




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Sorry, Trump. US coal plant retirements second highest ever

2018 was not a good year for those fighting the war against the war against coal.




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Is Elon Musk's SolarCity circling the drain?

He says it is all part of the grand plan and we shouldn't worry.




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Solar powered supercapacitor produces hydrogen fuel and electricity

The technology could lead to cheaper hydrogen cars in the future.




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Why antibiotic resistance is so low in Sweden

In the war between antibiotics and bacteria, bacteria often seems to be winning … but not in places like Sweden and Denmark.




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Finland is offering free trips to people in need of happiness lessons

For three days this summer, a local host could show you why their country consistently ranks among the happiest in the world.




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Lucy is a robotic solar daylighting system that directs sunlight where it's needed

Instead of turning sunlight into electricity, and then using that to power indoor lighting, Lucy redirects the daylight into rooms for effective natural illumination.




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Reel out this solar-powered LED lighting solution for off-grid illumination & charging

This solar + battery + LED light combo aims to be the future of portable light & power.




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Aukey 20W solar charger delivers plenty of portable power (review)

At less than $50, this little dual USB port solar device is an affordable option for a clean, efficient portable charging solution.




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Solartab is back with a more powerful (and waterproof) solar tablet charger

The newest version of this solar charger & battery is lighter and offers a more powerful solar panel, and includes dual USB ports and a USB-C port.




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At just $5, this solar lamp is the most affordable in the world

When is the last time that a $5 gadget literally changed your life?




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Deja vu all over again as Voltaic introduces a new generation of solar backpacks

This is where we started.




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Sphelar Lantern uses micro-sphere solar beads to make solar lighting beautiful

These devices help solar lighting move beyond the flatness of traditional photovoltaic cells.




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Mobile solar-plus-storage device could be an entry-level gateway to clean energy

The SolPad Mobile device offers a scaled-up solar charging and battery solution for both home and off-grid applications.




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This solar briefcase will charge your phone, laptop, and a host of other gadgets

Another large-sized solar charger and battery system is about to hit the market, as an off-grid solar generator in a briefcase.




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This $35 inflatable waterproof solar lantern will also charge your phone

The inventors of the innovative LuminAID solar lantern are Kickstarting another version of their device, this time with the added feature of a charging port for portable electronics.




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Folding waterproof solar charger packs a pocket-sized punch

Portable solar chargers keep getting lighter, smaller, and more rugged, and PocketPower promises to deliver on all three of those features at a low price.




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Lightweight thin-film solar charger is rollable, and includes a battery bank

These ultra-thin solar charging devices use amorphous silicon technology, which is said to be effective even in shady or lower-light conditions.




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Solar freakin' briefcase: Renogy Phoenix is an all-in-one solar charger & battery (Review)

With 20 watts of solar panels, a 16Ah lithium-ion battery bank, and an onboard inverter, along with multiple charging ports, this compact solar generator is a great off-grid accessory.




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RIVER portable battery & solar charger delivers power on the go for off-grid adventures

This mobile solar power station offers a lightweight high-capacity lithium-ion battery with all the bells and whistles.




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E.LUMEN solar LED flashlight is a great addition to your glovebox & emergency kit (Review)

Renogy's rechargeable flashlight incorporates a host of useful features, including the ability to function as a backup battery for phones and other gadgets.




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URIDU fights poverty & empowers rural illiterate women with solar powered MP3 players

The MP3ForLife device is loaded with 400+ answers to common questions about health, nutrition, family planning, and more, translated into more than 100 languages.




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The $149 SolSource Sport is a powerful portable solar cooker

The latest product from One Earth Designs weighs just 10 pounds and packs down into a small carrying bag, but still delivers high performance fuel-free cooking.




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France plants first solar eTree in midst of heat wave

With temperatures soaring even before the calendar turns to June, the shade of the solar tree will be as welcome as its many functions




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Jenni is a gateway device for small-scale solar for apartment & condo dwellers

The Jenni solar charger and battery pack aims to make it easy to begin going solar at home, starting with your portable electronics




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Get off-grid & emergency power from this solar briefcase & battery packs

The HANS Solar Briefcase and PowerPack systems do double duty by supporting the Billions in Change movement.




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This solar hydropanel can pull 10 liters of drinking water per day out of the air

SOURCE is a solar-powered and self-contained device capable of harvesting up to 10 liters of clean drinking water per day from the air.




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Credit card-sized unit claims to be world's smallest solar charger

Sunslice is a small folding solar charger that can fit into a pocket, while still producing enough electricity to compete with much larger offerings.




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Solros delivers sunlight in a cable from dish to table

A new way to deliver natural light to rooms without windows.




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No Sun? Get a GoSun Fusion solar cooker and live better electrically

The GoSun Fusion probably won’t save the world, but the design thinking behind it might.




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How to build a solar-powered bike (lots of photos)

These pictures from the Sun Trip 2018 race prove the only limit is imagination. Congratulations to Sun Trip race winner Raf van Hulle (tech spec of his bike below).




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How to build a solar powered e-bike charging shed in sunny Eugene, Oregon

Kent Peterson does it with off-the-self stuff, but it should be easier than this.




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Why Ground Source Heat Pumps should not be called Geothermal, Chapter CLXXI

When even so-called experts don't know the difference, you must admit we have a problem here.




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Ask Pablo: Is Bottled Water Really So Bad?

Over the past few years journalists and commentators have denounced bottled water as an environmental evil. I can count myself as one of those after my article about the greenhouse gas emissions from producing and transporting one bottle of Fiji water