[Please do no contact the news team of Inspir’Action! We’re not owners nor reseller of Brikawood. See contact details below.] … More
The Plastic Road project in the Netherlands gives new life to plastic waste, while, at the same time, avoiding millions … More
Good news, on the environment, is scarce. For the first time, a group of English and American scientists succeeded in … More
Good news, on the environment, is scarce. For the first time, a group of English and American scientists succeeded in … More
[Please do no contact the news team of Inspir’Action! We’re not owners nor reseller of Brikawood. See contact details below.] … More
The Plastic Road project in the Netherlands gives new life to plastic waste, while, at the same time, avoiding millions … More
Good news, on the environment, is scarce. For the first time, a group of English and American scientists succeeded in … More
The Plastic Road project in the Netherlands gives new life to plastic waste, while, at the same time, avoiding millions … More
[Please do no contact the news team of Inspir’Action! We’re not owners nor reseller of Brikawood. See contact details below.] … More
Good news, on the environment, is scarce. For the first time, a group of English and American scientists succeeded in … More
The cut-throat competition for sustainability is fierce and Costa Rica reached a massive success of sustaining its energy with 100% … More
Mexican startup Eco Domum, created in 2013, has an ecological and solidarity vocation. Through recycling, it gives a second life … More
The Mongolian-Manchurian grassland ecoregion is home to one of the last surviving nomadic cultures. Although it stretches over 965.600 square kilometers between Russia and China, Mongolia has a population of 3 million inhabitants about a quarter only consisted of nomadic herders. Read more
In Seine-Saint-Denis, Yann discovered the Butte Pinson farm, a place that revives the link between young (and old) and nature. Environmental education, innovative insertion device, eco-grazing, short circuits, recycling of expired food products… Follow the guide! (Article of Yann Le Beguec, Collibris) Read more
People produce garbage, and the more our population grows, the more waste we leave behind. But the amount of full bin bags that are disposed per day, isn’t only determined by our numbers — it’s also defined by our lifestyle, which is shifting into a more assiduous and complex way of life.
Plastic, a disposable material which is composed of major toxic pollutants, came as a relief in our busy lives that require fast solutions: open, empty, shove, replace. But what we have given little notice of is plastic’s resistance to decomposition, which makes its lifespan as long as 500 to 1,000 years.
A team of Japanese designers and engineers dared to ask the critical question: “for how long can we sustain this cycle of plastic accumulation?”, and knew that the answer isn’t comforting for the natural environment. Thus, they joined forces, and gave an alternative response to the plastic pollution — a gelatinous material obtained from red marine algae that can be used to replace the cheap, widely available and overused plastic.
Agar Plasticity is the environmentally friendly alternative to plastic … it can be disposed without upsetting the food chain, or harming the land, the air, and the water.
As explained to Good, Agar Plasticity is the environmentally friendly alternative to plastic because — alike plastic — it can disposed without upsetting the food chain, or harming the land, the air, and the water in the process. Agar absorbs and retains water quite well, and it can be used to improve water retention by mixing it with soil in a garden. Even if the agar ends up in the oceans, it won’t violate the marine life, given its original incarnation as marine material.
The process of making agar plastic is similar to the process that is used in Japanese cuisine, where agar is dissolved in water, heated and then cooled until it becomes gelatinous — a perfect ingredient for desserts. The agar powder is dissolved in simmering water and then poured into a mold. Once the agar sets into a jelly, the mold is frozen for two days. The freezing process forms the agar into a structure that can provide cushioning for a packaged item. After two days, the frozen agar solution is thawed and completely air-dried.
Agar Plasticity is in its early stages, but the goal is to see it replacing mass consumption plastic products, which are harming organisms. In the meantime, we can take our own little step towards a less plastic-oriented lifestyle by incorporating small changes: shop with cloth shopping bags, carry water in reusable bottles, upcycle, use matches, and avoid items packaged in plastic.
Note: AGAR PLASTICITY is a project by the designing team AMAM, and it is one of four finalists for the 2016 Lexus Design Award.
Currently, the most organic conscious nation in the world is Denmark. Eight percent of all food sold is organic, with nuts, carrots and milk being the most popular products in 2014-2015, according to Organic Denmark — an association of companies, organic farmers and consumers. The organic agriculture is the way to go with our food, but let’s see why it’s about time to leave conventional farming behind.
We are more or less seven billion living humans on Earth — an alarming increase of 6 billion people in 200 years only. Thus, in a time of population eruption and environmental degradation, organic farming could be established as the most sustainable and healthy way to feed our species.
While the opponents of organic farming argue that the productivity of conventional farming is significantly higher, and at the same time requires less acres of land, Professor John Reganold of Soil Science and Agroecology at the Washington State University along with his team have found that yields are indeed increasing with non-organic farming but at the expense of our personal and our environment’s well being.
Organic agriculture takes a proactive approach, establishing an ecological balance while producing food. Along with the organic label comes a series of long term benefits and great accomplishments. More specifically, GMOs aren’t used intentionally in the production and processing of organic products. Pesticide-free lands attract new or re-colonising species, including wild flora and fauna, pollinators and predators, and reduce the risks of groundwater pollution. Overall, organic agriculture is a less polluting agricultural system, which promotes biodiversity and quality over quantity.
The number of organic farms is growing, as well as the awareness and demand from the consumer’s side, who are willing to pay more for organic products
As per Professor Reganold’s article in The Guardian, organic farming is also looking after its own people, who are provenly having access to more job opportunities, and are also having less exposure to unhealthy pesticides and hazardous chemicals. Eventually, organic agriculture has the potential to provide for Earth’s population for years and years, as long as public policies and private investments support and encourage conventional farmers to convert to organic methods.
Even though the global agricultural land occupies only 1%, we are heading towards the right direction. We see that the number of organic farms is growing, as well as the awareness and demand from the consumer’s side, who are willing to pay more for organic products — a price, which compensates farmers for preserving the quality of their land.
Can we imagine another form of agriculture? A friendlier farming environment which does not use pesticides, do not waste water and reduces CO2 emissions? This is the objective of these projects in Shizuoka and in Narashino City, Japan. Read more
Underwater fauna and flora can now breathe. European institutions have finally decided to ban trawling in depths of over 800 meters. This decision is the result of intense negotiations that lasted four years. It thus open the way to recovery in European waters. Read more
In the south of Sweden, close to Lake Vättern, the architects of the Gothenburg office ‘Tailor Made Arkitekter’ have designed a self-sufficient house.
In Bangkok, Delhi or Cairo the roar of the auto rickshaw is part of the soundscape. Easy to navigate their way through traffic jams and narrow streets, the tuk-tuk is one of the most convenient ways to cross congested cities in several countries. Since existing models are very noisy and polluting, some companies have decided to come forward with a solution: create a zero-emission electric version. (Article from The Guardian, 3 June 2016)
A local community capable of producing its own food and its own energy? Many of us dream about it. For some, this dream will become a reality in a new neighbourhood built in the suburbs of Amsterdam. Let’s discover ReGenVillages. (Article extracted from mrmondialisation.org, June 5, 2016) Read more
Exploiting the potential of the collaborative economy to fight against food waste while creating new business opportunities, this is what an Italian SME, has done. Francesco Ardito created this start-up a year and a half in the business incubator of the Polytechnic of Turin and was a finalist of the European Social Innovation Competition last year. Read more
