Sustainability Around the World

Hover over the dots below to explore global stories related to the environment and sustainability. Scroll down to learn more.

Iceland has developed a method to capture the CO2 produced from geothermal power production and solidify it as a mineral in an underground layer of basalt. They are currently developing tech to remove CO2 directly from the air.

San Francisco was the first city to ban single-use plastic bags and many cities have since followed suit. In 7 years, plastic bag pollution dropped by ~72%. The SF airport has become the first to ban the sale of single-use plastic water bottles.

A team of students from the India Institute of Technology Kharagpur developed innovative ways to use rice husks (a waste product) as the building block for furniture and kitchenware. Rice husks have also been used in India to create building material for homes.

Cabrucas, and other forms of agroforests, allow native trees and animals to live alongside agricultural crops like the cacao tree for chocolate. This method protects biodiversity and economic viability.

Copenhagen, Denmark plans to become the first CO2 neutral city by 2025. They have already reduced CO2 emissions by 42% since 2005 and their economy has grown by 25% in only 2 decades.

Kenya opened Africa's largest wind farm in 2019 and is on track to be powered solely by renewable energy sources including wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal. They are currently at 93% and plan to be at 100% by the end of 2020.

Organizations like the Great Barrier Reef Foundation are working to study, save, and preserve the coral reef ecosystem that is at extreme risk of collapse due to warming oceans from climate change.

At the end of 2019, Germany was the biggest electric car market in Europe. The government has implemented cash incentives for electric cars and further encourages use by having accessible charging stations (579 just in Berlin).

Many cities in Japan, like Fukuoka and Osaka, implement green roofs for recreation and agriculture. Some of the green roofs and architecture are used to climb, walk, and explore as a break from an urban landscape.

Jaelynn Tibbitts 2020, originally from <a href="http://www.freepik.com">Designed by Freepik</a>

Sources:

Adegoke, Y. (2020, February 24). Renewable energy investment is taking big strides in sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://qz.com/africa/1807518/renewable-energy-investment-takes-big-strides-in-africa/

Amigo, I. (2017, November 3). Betting on agroforestry in Brazil's Atlantic Forest. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://news.mongabay.com/2017/11/betting-on-agroforestry-in-brazils-atlantic-forest/

Aranha, J. (2018, December 15). Furniture & Kitchenware Made From Rice Husk? IIT Kharagpur Students Say It's Possible! Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.thebetterindia.com/166933/iit-kharagpur-innovation-invention-rice-husk-furniture/

Charging stations in Berlin for electric cars. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://chargemap.com/cities/berlin-DE

Chowdhury, S. (2018, October 29). Rice husk idea wins Clinton challenge at IIT. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/west-bengal/rice-husk-idea-wins-clinton-challenge-at-iit/cid/1672876?ref=opinion-recommended-story-3

Daniel, A. (2019, May 3). In Iceland, turning CO2 into rock could be a big breakthrough for carbon capture. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-05-03/iceland-turning-co2-rock-could-be-big-breakthrough-carbon-capture

Doherty, P. (2019, May 28). Top 10: Sustainable Cities Around The World. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.lux-review.com/top-10-sustainable-cities-around-the-world/

Eidt, J. (2018, April 20). Landscape Urbanism: Green Roofs, Community Farms in Japan. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.wilderutopia.com/sustainability/landscape-urbanism-green-roofs-community-farms-in-japan/

Kuhudzai, R. J. (2020, January 15). Kenya Meets Renewable Energy Generation Target, Should Now Shift Focus To Accelerating EV Adoption To Soak Up Excess Electricity. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://cleantechnica.com/2020/01/15/kenya-meets-renewable-energy-generation-target-should-now-shift-focus-to-accelerating-ev-adoption-to-soak-up-excess-electricity/

Kweifio-Okai, C. (2015, January 4). Rice waste makes 'green wood' to build low-cost homes in India | Carla Kweifio-Okai. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jan/04/rice-waste-green-wood-low-cost-homes-india

Patel, T. (2018, December 18). #TBIYearEnders: 10 Awesome Ideas from 2018 That Promise a Greener Tomorrow for India. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.thebetterindia.com/167155/best-sustainable-innovations-eco-friendly-iit-india/

Phillips, A. (2017, November 15). California's Plastic Bag Ban Appears to Be Kicking Some Major Ass. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://earther.gizmodo.com/california-s-plastic-bag-ban-appears-to-be-kicking-some-1820443038

Projects. (2020). Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.barrierreef.org/what-we-do/projects

Robertson, D. (2019, October 11). Inside Copenhagen's race to be the first carbon-neutral city. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/oct/11/inside-copenhagens-race-to-be-the-first-carbon-neutral-city

Sachgau, O. (2019, December 9). Germany Edges Out Norway as Europe's Biggest Electric Car Market. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.ttnews.com/articles/germany-edges-out-norway-europes-biggest-electric-car-market

Sambuichi, R. H. R., Vidal, D. B., Piasentin, F. B., Jardim, J. G., Viana, T. G., Menezes, A. A., … Baligar, V. C. (2012, January 31). Cabruca agroforests in southern Bahia, Brazil: tree component, management practices and tree species conservation. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-012-0240-3

Slotnick, D. (2019, August 2). San Francisco Airport is banning plastic water bottles starting this month. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-airport-sfo-bans-plastic-water-bottles-2019-8

Yoneda, Y. (2011, December 6). 9 Enchanting Gardens, Green Roofs and Planted Walls We Spotted Around Japan. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://inhabitat.com/9-enchanting-gardens-green-roofs-and-planted-walls-we-spotted-around-japan/