Building the World

March 22, 2021
by Building The World
0 comments

WATER: World Water Day 2021

World Water Day, begun in 1993, calls us to honor and preserve the world’s freshwater supply. Water, in the form of drinking water and safe sanitation, is the #6 Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations.  Environmental historians observe that … Continue reading

March 12, 2021
by Building The World
2 Comments

CITIES: Higher Ground

Waterfront property is causing real estate prices to rise – but not in the usual places. Miami’s 2017 Hurricane Irma caused billions of dollars in damage to beachfront properties. Just after that storm, real estate further inland saw price increases. … Continue reading

February 18, 2021
by Building The World
0 comments

ENERGY: Genie in a Bottle

February 18, 2021. It’s National Battery Day. What is this genie in a bottle that we call a battery? Lithium-ion batteries are making news. It’s a technology popularized in 1991, when rechargeable lithium-ion batteries were first used in hand-held camcorders. … Continue reading

January 11, 2021
by Building The World
0 comments

ENERGY: Renewing Hope in 2021

Winds of change are in the air. Literally. “Vestas V90-3MW Wind Turbine of Kentish Flats Offshore Wind Fram, Thames Estuary, UK” by Phil Hollman, 2006. Wikimedia Commons.Wind Power innovator BladeBUG may aid maintenance of marine turbines, now 40% of the … Continue reading

December 31, 2020
by Building The World
0 comments

ENERGY: 2020 by the Numbers

The year 2020 will go down in history for many reasons, including climate change. Temperatures were 1.08 degrees Fahrenheit (0.6 Celsius) warmer than the 1981-2010 average and 2.25 degrees Fahrenheit (1.25 Celsius) above pre-industrial times. Rising temperatures have consequences. In … Continue reading

September 15, 2020
by Building The World
0 comments

ENERGY: Fire, Air Quality, and Innovation

In California, Oregon, Washington and other states, Americans have recently seen a preview of climate change. Earlier this year, Australia suffered record bushfires. Africa experienced the worst drought in decades, threatening energy supplies and food security in Zambia and Zimbabwe. … Continue reading

September 4, 2020
by Building The World
0 comments

WATER: Beach Weekend? Biodegradable Flip Flops

Labor Day 2020: for many it’s a beach weekend in flip flops. Too often, beaches are strewn with broken or discarded flip flops that litter the sand and pollute the water. Enter an innovation: biodegradable flip flops from the University … Continue reading

August 28, 2020
by Building The World
0 comments

ENERGY: Promethean Problem

Ever since Prometheus stole fire and gave it to humans, we’ve been the only species that can start and stop a fire. Darwin believed human capability to control fire was the greatest evolutionary achievement, second only to language. Now, that … Continue reading

Skip to toolbar