Egg-ceptional
Ground-breaking research at Princeton University has shown freeze-dried and super-heated egg whites can remove salt and microplastics from seawater with nearly 100 percent efficiency. When egg whites, a complex system of almost pure protein, are freeze-dried and heated to 900degC in an environment without oxygen, they form an interconnected structure of carbon strands and graphene sheets. This structure acts like a tight mesh sieve, sifting microplastics or salt out of water. If researchers can refine the fabrication process, eggs could help with large-scale water purification.
Top marks to
renewables
The International Energy Agency’s [IEA] 2023 electricity market report states that renewable energy, particularly solar, wind and hydro-power, is likely to be the world’s top source of electricity within the next three years, and, with a predicted 9 per cent increase in demand, renewables will cover most global electricity growth. This growth will predominantly occur in Asia, where the share of fossil fuels in electricity generation is currently high. However, the IEA predicts that the share of coal in global electricity generation will fall from 40 per cent in 2010 to 33 per cent in 2025. Gas will generate 21 per cent of electricity in 2025, while nuclear energy will generate 10 per cent.
Good way to go
Environmentally-friendly death practices in recent years now include the sustainable mushroom coffin, which decomposes quickly and enriches the soil with human compost. Traditional burial and cremation practices produce harmful chemicals and contribute to carbon emissions, harming the environment. Mushroom coffins are made from mycelium, the vegetative part of fungi, which is grown around a mould of the desired shape and then dried, forming a sturdy, biodegradable material. These coffins are available in various shapes and sizes and can even be customized to suit individual preferences.
