Analyses have shown that landfill is an outcome of “tragedy of the commons” and is itself an example of unsustainable landscape design that impacts society and environment. In order to meet growing waste management needs, city planners in some areas propose expansion of landfill areas.
With forests covering vast expanses of land, individuals and organisations engaged in illegal logging and deforestation are easily able to evade detection. We take a look at a couple of projects in the Amazon that use satellite and drone technology to detect and punish illegal logging.
Technology has definitely changed the way our world works. Recognising the growing digital divide between the developing and developed world, some smart thinkers have created innovative solutions with tangible impact that bridge this gap.
Some of us are used to the convenient lifestyle our modern and connected lives afford us. But not everyone has the privilege to access to free internet in cafes or shopping centres. Last winter, a smart bins company in NYC created a project and turned trash cans into (today's version of) gold – free WiFi Hotspots for households in downtown Manhattan.
Humanitarian mapping is one of the latest tools to be used to tackle highly contagious diseases like Ebola. Satellite images are being used to document buildings like schools and roads and small towns affected by the virus. The collective data help aid agencies navigate around the area of where the infected populations are and where the disease has spread to.
Rooftops in France are going green! The French government recently passed a new law to mandate all new buildings that are built in commercial zones to cover their roofs partially with green plants or solar panels.
Combining solar panels and vertical axis wind turbines into a single modular unit, the SolarMill claims to be the "world’s first integrated hybrid technology" to generate renewable energy directly from your roof.
Back in your high school physics class, did you ever think about this: capturing energy when water comes down from the clouds; or tap the energy when water goes into air, into the atmosphere?
How much do you know about your community? Apart from sharing your favourite grocery stores or cafes, could you tell stories of some of the historical buildings or trace back some forgotten history stories of people's work or lives in your neighbourhood?