The document discusses sustainability innovations that are helping to address environmental issues and improve everyday life. Major companies are transforming their business models to be more sustainable while individuals are also recognizing the need for change. The issue profiles several startups developing smart technologies like sensors for waste bins, solar panels on roads, and devices to help coexist with wildlife. Overall, the document promotes the message that small, affordable innovations can help drive meaningful change towards a more sustainable future.
Looking through the exponential looking glassJason Suttie
We are now in what some are calling the next industrial revolution. In this time, we are experiencing exponentials more than at any other time in history. An example of this is the exponential decrease in the cost of solar electricity generating technology: the cost of electricity will, in our lifetime, tend to zero. This not only allows us to solve our own electricity challenges here in South Africa but opens many possibilities on how we solve other challenges such as water security. With the cost of electricity tending to zero the business case for large scale desalination plants more realistic. Given that South Africa has just survived the worst drought in living memory many people are now conscious of water security and are looking for their own solutions.
A keynote by Frank (Ecodesign Centre) on good design given at the "iSustain Symposium. ‘Does it pay to be green?" organised by the Institute of Sustainable Design (ISD)
This is a comprehensive description of all Paris Strate School of Design Master Program Diploma projects in the field of:
+ Product design
+ Packaging design
+ Retail design
+ Interaction design
+ Transportation design
Looking through the exponential looking glassJason Suttie
We are now in what some are calling the next industrial revolution. In this time, we are experiencing exponentials more than at any other time in history. An example of this is the exponential decrease in the cost of solar electricity generating technology: the cost of electricity will, in our lifetime, tend to zero. This not only allows us to solve our own electricity challenges here in South Africa but opens many possibilities on how we solve other challenges such as water security. With the cost of electricity tending to zero the business case for large scale desalination plants more realistic. Given that South Africa has just survived the worst drought in living memory many people are now conscious of water security and are looking for their own solutions.
A keynote by Frank (Ecodesign Centre) on good design given at the "iSustain Symposium. ‘Does it pay to be green?" organised by the Institute of Sustainable Design (ISD)
This is a comprehensive description of all Paris Strate School of Design Master Program Diploma projects in the field of:
+ Product design
+ Packaging design
+ Retail design
+ Interaction design
+ Transportation design
Residential apartments for sale at Rajarhat, Kolkata.redantrealty2
Doyeeta is an apt synthesis of peaceful living & enjoying the feel of living in the city Centre. It is a G+5 stand alone tower comprised of six well designed 2BHK & 3BHK apartments in each floor. It is exclusively equipped with all the basic amenities to serve its residents like AC Community Hall, Lifts, Power back up & 24x7 securities etc. Two automatic lifts & the efficiency of each flat are surely the main attractions of the project. Being located at Salua behind City Center ll, it is well connected to Newtown, Rajarhat Road & VIP Road.USP:2 automatic lifts.Average efficiency of each flat is 26-28%Distance Chart:The proposed project is located off Rajarhat road near Salua. The project is 4 to 5 minutes walking distance from 211 bus route.
1.8 km from Chinar Park more. 2.5 km from City Center 2. 2.8 km from Haldirams. 2.6 km from Kailkhali More. 4 km from Airport. 2.5 km from the nearest Metro station.
2 kms from Charnock Hospital-
Opposite to Assam Rifle Regiment
5 mins walking distance from 217B Bus Stand
In close proximity : Reliance Fresh Kalipark & Zora restaurant.Amenities:Community Hall2 Automatic Lifts.24x7 water supplyPower backupCCTV surveillancePricing:Rs. 2850 per sq ft.Possession:Possession will be in Dec 2017About Us:Red ant realty is one of the leading real estate developers in Kolkata specializing in superior quality residential as well as commercial developments within Kolkata city. At red ant realty, we believe in providing quality, breakthrough real estate products and services that home buyers most want and need.In a short span Red Ant Realty has developed into an established brand in delivering comprehensive professional solutions to real estate development across all industry verticals – Residential, Commercial, Retail and Township.
Contact Details:
9831506000
033-60604488
www.redantrealty.com
A brief case study illustrating the journey of a Healthcare organization to a SharePoint Intranet Portal. This case study covers the health care business users and IT department's pain points of the old intranet and shared drives, as well as the process of Discovery and Design through Deployment of the SharePoint Portal including sample images.
On 1 October Ecorys, ATQ and Big Lottery Fund hosted the first of a number of mini-conferences designed to help applicants to the CBO Fund develop their ideas through learning from others with similar experiences.
This presentation covers the Developing Business Cases workshop. Delegates heard how Newham Council had worked with Advance, a provider of positive support to adults with learning difficulties to develop an innovative SIB model that will enable such adults to live better lives in the community and also reduce housing and care costs for commissioners.
Stories of sustainability on the Salesforce platform Desynit
Desynit ran an event for the Bristol Salesforce community on the 8 July 2015, to showcase 'green' technology solutions. Here are the stories we heard from three awesome businesses who are changing the world through technology, powered by Salesforce.com.
Sustainability, Circularity, Circular Economy needto be on top on any leaders agenda.
We Agilists have been always used with navigating the complexity, acting empirically and create contexts where collective intelligence can make the difference in finding new pathways and approaches.
We think that our worldwide community has a very high potential for addressing the immense complexity behind issues of environmental sustainability and circularity and could help organizations in finding the best sustainable solutions for leaving a better world for those who will come after us.
That said, we need to step in. Now.
Residential apartments for sale at Rajarhat, Kolkata.redantrealty2
Doyeeta is an apt synthesis of peaceful living & enjoying the feel of living in the city Centre. It is a G+5 stand alone tower comprised of six well designed 2BHK & 3BHK apartments in each floor. It is exclusively equipped with all the basic amenities to serve its residents like AC Community Hall, Lifts, Power back up & 24x7 securities etc. Two automatic lifts & the efficiency of each flat are surely the main attractions of the project. Being located at Salua behind City Center ll, it is well connected to Newtown, Rajarhat Road & VIP Road.USP:2 automatic lifts.Average efficiency of each flat is 26-28%Distance Chart:The proposed project is located off Rajarhat road near Salua. The project is 4 to 5 minutes walking distance from 211 bus route.
1.8 km from Chinar Park more. 2.5 km from City Center 2. 2.8 km from Haldirams. 2.6 km from Kailkhali More. 4 km from Airport. 2.5 km from the nearest Metro station.
2 kms from Charnock Hospital-
Opposite to Assam Rifle Regiment
5 mins walking distance from 217B Bus Stand
In close proximity : Reliance Fresh Kalipark & Zora restaurant.Amenities:Community Hall2 Automatic Lifts.24x7 water supplyPower backupCCTV surveillancePricing:Rs. 2850 per sq ft.Possession:Possession will be in Dec 2017About Us:Red ant realty is one of the leading real estate developers in Kolkata specializing in superior quality residential as well as commercial developments within Kolkata city. At red ant realty, we believe in providing quality, breakthrough real estate products and services that home buyers most want and need.In a short span Red Ant Realty has developed into an established brand in delivering comprehensive professional solutions to real estate development across all industry verticals – Residential, Commercial, Retail and Township.
Contact Details:
9831506000
033-60604488
www.redantrealty.com
A brief case study illustrating the journey of a Healthcare organization to a SharePoint Intranet Portal. This case study covers the health care business users and IT department's pain points of the old intranet and shared drives, as well as the process of Discovery and Design through Deployment of the SharePoint Portal including sample images.
On 1 October Ecorys, ATQ and Big Lottery Fund hosted the first of a number of mini-conferences designed to help applicants to the CBO Fund develop their ideas through learning from others with similar experiences.
This presentation covers the Developing Business Cases workshop. Delegates heard how Newham Council had worked with Advance, a provider of positive support to adults with learning difficulties to develop an innovative SIB model that will enable such adults to live better lives in the community and also reduce housing and care costs for commissioners.
Stories of sustainability on the Salesforce platform Desynit
Desynit ran an event for the Bristol Salesforce community on the 8 July 2015, to showcase 'green' technology solutions. Here are the stories we heard from three awesome businesses who are changing the world through technology, powered by Salesforce.com.
Sustainability, Circularity, Circular Economy needto be on top on any leaders agenda.
We Agilists have been always used with navigating the complexity, acting empirically and create contexts where collective intelligence can make the difference in finding new pathways and approaches.
We think that our worldwide community has a very high potential for addressing the immense complexity behind issues of environmental sustainability and circularity and could help organizations in finding the best sustainable solutions for leaving a better world for those who will come after us.
That said, we need to step in. Now.
15 mind browin blowing inventions that cloud save the planet
Green products & Environment proteclion hot new offer background revolution
Click here to save planet
digistore24.com/redir/257573/nazila17/
Rewir Trend Review #8 is out - covering the future of luxury. Happy reading and happy holidays!
Do you have feedback on content or want to share ideas on new topics? Don't hesitate to get back to me!
Welcome to this summer issue of Rewir
Trend Review where we will take you through
the landscape of food – beyond taste, smell
and consumer behavior. Yummy!
Most small businesses struggle to see marketing results. In this session, we will eliminate any confusion about what to do next, solving your marketing problems so your business can thrive. You’ll learn how to create a foundational marketing OS (operating system) based on neuroscience and backed by real-world results. You’ll be taught how to develop deep customer connections, and how to have your CRM dynamically segment and sell at any stage in the customer’s journey. By the end of the session, you’ll remove confusion and chaos and replace it with clarity and confidence for long-term marketing success.
Key Takeaways:
• Uncover the power of a foundational marketing system that dynamically communicates with prospects and customers on autopilot.
• Harness neuroscience and Tribal Alignment to transform your communication strategies, turning potential clients into fans and those fans into loyal customers.
• Discover the art of automated segmentation, pinpointing your most lucrative customers and identifying the optimal moments for successful conversions.
• Streamline your business with a content production plan that eliminates guesswork, wasted time, and money.
Financial curveballs sent many American families reeling in 2023. Household budgets were squeezed by rising interest rates, surging prices on everyday goods, and a stagnating housing market. Consumers were feeling strapped. That sentiment, however, appears to be waning. The question is, to what extent?
To take the pulse of consumers’ feelings about their financial well-being ahead of a highly anticipated election, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey. The survey highlights consumers’ hopes and anxieties as we move into 2024. Let's unpack the key findings to gain insights about where we stand.
Unleash the power of UK SEO with Brand Highlighters! Our guide delves into the unique search landscape of Britain, equipping you with targeted strategies to dominate UK search engine results. Discover local SEO tactics, keyword magic for UK audiences, and mobile optimization secrets. Get your website seen by the right people and propel your brand to the top of UK searches.
To learn more: https://brandhighlighters.co.uk/blog/top-seo-agencies-uk/
Short video marketing has sweeped the nation and is the fastest way to build an online brand on social media in 2024. In this session you will learn:- What is short video marketing- Which platforms work best for your business- Content strategies that are on brand for your business- How to sell organically without paying for ads.
When most people in the industry talk about online or digital reputation management, what they're really saying is Google search and PPC. And it's usually reactive, left dealing with the aftermath of negative information published somewhere online. That's outdated. It leaves executives, organizations and other high-profile individuals at a high risk of a digital reputation attack that spans channels and tactics. But the tools needed to safeguard against an attack are more cybersecurity-oriented than most marketing and communications professionals can manage. Business leaders Leaders grasp the importance; 83% of executives place reputation in their top five areas of risk, yet only 23% are confident in their ability to address it. To succeed in 2024 and beyond, you need to turn online reputation on its axis and think like an attacker.
Key Takeaways:
- New framework for examining and safeguarding an online reputation
- Tools and techniques to keep you a step ahead
- Practical examples that demonstrate when to act, how to act and how to recover
In this presentation, Danny Leibrandt explains the impact of AI on SEO and what Google has been doing about it. Learn how to take your SEO game to the next level and win over Google with his new strategy anyone can use. Get actionable steps to rank your name, your business, and your clients on Google - the right way.
Key Takeaways:
1. Real content is king
2. Find ways to show EEAT
3. Repurpose across all platforms
Search Engine Marketing - Competitor and Keyword researchETMARK ACADEMY
Over 2 Trillion searches are made per day in Google search, which means there are more than 2 Trillion visits happening across the websites of the world wide web.
People search various questions, phrases or words. But some words and phrases are searched
more often than others.
For example, the words, ‘running shoes’ are searched more often than ‘best road running
shoes for men’
These words or phrases which people use to search on Google are called Keywords.
Some keywords are searched more often than others. Number of times a keyword is searched
for in a month is called keyword volume.
Some keywords have more relevant results than others. For the phrase “running shoes” we
get more than 80M relevant results, whereas for “best road running shoes for men” we get
only 8.
The former keyword ‘running shoes’ has way more competition from popular websites to
new and small blogs, whereas the latter keyword doesn’t have that much competition. This
search competition for a keyword is called search difficulty of a keyword or keyword
difficulty.
In other words, if the keyword difficulty is ‘low’ or ‘easy’, there won’t be any competition
and if you target such keywords on your site, you can easily rank on the front page of Google.
Some keywords are searched for, just to know or to learn some information about something,
that’s their search intention. For example, “What shoe size should I choose?” or “How to pick
the right shoe size?”
These keywords which are searched just to know about stuff are called informational
keywords. Typically people who are searching this type of keywords are top of a Conversion
funnel.
Conversion funnel is the journey that search visitors go through on their way to an email
subscription or a premium subscription to the services you offer or a purchase of products
you sell or recommend using your referral link.
For some buyers, research is the most important part when they have to buy a product.
Depending on that, their journey either widens or narrows down. These types of buyers are
Researchers and they spend more time with informational keywords.
Conversion is the action you want from your search visitors. Number of conversions that you
get for every 100 search visitors is called Conversion rate.
People who are at different stages of a conversion funnel use different types of keywords.
5 big bets to drive growth in 2024 without one additional marketing dollar AND how to adapt to the biggest shifting eCommerce trend- AI.
1) Romance Your Customers - Retention
2) ‘Alternative’ Lead Gen - Advocacy
3) The Beautiful Basics - Conversion Rate Optimization
4) Land that Bottom Line - Profitability
5) Roll the Dice - New Business Models
The digital marketing industry is changing faster than ever and those who don’t adapt with the times are losing market share. Where should marketers be focusing their efforts? What strategies are the experts seeing get the best results? Get up-to-speed with the latest industry insights, trends and predictions for the future in this panel discussion with some leading digital marketing experts.
AI-Powered Personalization: Principles, Use Cases, and Its Impact on CROVWO
In today’s era of AI, personalization is more than just a trend—it’s a fundamental strategy that unlocks numerous opportunities.
When done effectively, personalization builds trust, loyalty, and satisfaction among your users—key factors for business success. However, relying solely on AI capabilities isn’t enough. You need to anchor your approach in solid principles, understand your users’ context, and master the art of persuasion.
Join us as Sarjak Patel and Naitry Saggu from 3rd Eye Consulting unveil a transformative framework. This approach seamlessly integrates your unique context, consumer insights, and conversion goals, paving the way for unparalleled success in personalization.
Monthly Social Media News Update May 2024Andy Lambert
TL;DR. These are the three themes that stood out to us over the course of last month.
1️⃣ Social media is becoming increasingly significant for brand discovery. Marketers are now understanding the impact of social and budgets are shifting accordingly.
2️⃣ Instagram’s new algorithm and latest guidance will help us maintain organic growth. Instagram continues to evolve, but Reels remains the most crucial tool for growth.
3️⃣ Collaboration will help us unlock growth. Who we work with will define how fast we grow. Meta continues to evolve their Creator Marketplace and now TikTok are beginning to push ‘collabs’ more too.
Digital Commerce Lecture for Advanced Digital & Social Media Strategy at UCLA...Valters Lauzums
E-commerce in 2024 is characterized by a dynamic blend of opportunities and significant challenges. Supply chain disruptions and inventory shortages are critical issues, leading to increased shipping delays and rising costs, which impact timely delivery and squeeze profit margins. Efficient logistics management is essential, yet it is often hampered by these external factors. Payment processing, while needing to ensure security and user convenience, grapples with preventing fraud and integrating diverse payment methods, adding another layer of complexity. Furthermore, fulfillment operations require a streamlined approach to handle volume spikes and maintain accuracy in order picking, packing, and shipping, all while meeting customers' heightened expectations for faster delivery times.
Amid these operational challenges, customer data has emerged as an important strategy. By focusing on personalization and enhancing customer experience from historical behavior, businesses can deliver improved website and brand experienced, better product recommendations, optimal promotions, and content to meet individual preferences. Better data analytics can also help in effectively creating marketing campaigns, improving customer retention, and driving product development and inventory management.
Innovative formats such as social commerce and live shopping are beginning to impact the digital commerce landscape, offering new ways to engage with customers and drive sales, and may provide opportunity for brands that have been priced out or seen a downturn with post-pandemic shopping behavior. Social commerce integrates shopping experiences directly into social media platforms, tapping into the massive user bases of these networks to increase reach and engagement. Live shopping, on the other hand, combines entertainment and real-time interaction, providing a dynamic platform for showcasing products and encouraging immediate purchases. These innovations not only enhance customer engagement but also provide valuable data for businesses to refine their strategies and deliver superior shopping experiences.
The e-commerce sector is evolving rapidly, and businesses that effectively manage operational challenges and implement innovative strategies are best positioned for long-term success.
How to Run Landing Page Tests On and Off Paid Social PlatformsVWO
Join us for an exclusive webinar featuring Mariate, Alexandra and Nima where we will unveil a comprehensive blueprint for crafting a successful paid media strategy focused on landing page testing.With escalating costs in paid advertising, understanding how to maximize each visitor’s experience is crucial for retention and conversion.
This session will dive into the methodologies for executing and analyzing landing page tests within paid social channels, offering a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insights.
The Pearmill team will guide you through the nuances of setting up and managing landing page experiments on paid social platforms. You will learn about the critical rules to follow, the structure of effective tests, optimal conversion duration and budget allocation.
The session will also cover data analysis techniques and criteria for graduating landing pages.
In the second part of the webinar, Pearmill will explore the use of A/B testing platforms. Discover common pitfalls to avoid in A/B testing and gain insights into analyzing A/B tests results effectively.
10 Video Ideas Any Business Can Make RIGHT NOW!
You'll never draw a blank again on what kind of video to make for your business. Go beyond the basic categories and truly reimagine a brand new advanced way to brainstorm video content creation. During this masterclass you'll be challenged to think creatively and outside of the box and view your videos through lenses you may have never thought of previously. It's guaranteed that you'll leave with more than 10 video ideas, but I like to under-promise and over-deliver. Don't miss this session.
Key Takeaways:
How to use the Video Matrix
How to use additional "Lenses"
Where to source original video ideas
Digital marketing is the art and science of promoting products or services using digital channels to reach and engage with potential customers. It encompasses a wide range of online tactics and strategies aimed at increasing brand visibility, driving website traffic, generating leads, and ultimately, converting those leads into customers.
https://nidmindia.com/
It's another new era of digital and marketers are faced with making big bets on their digital strategy. If you are looking at modernizing your tech stack to support your digital evolution, there are a few can't miss (often overlooked) areas that should be part of every conversation. We'll cover setting your vision, avoiding siloes, adding a democratized approach to data strategy, localization, creating critical governance requirements and more. Attendees will walk away with actions they can take into initiatives they are running today and consider for the future.
1. Re-inventing life
on planet earth [2.0]
REWIR TREND
REVIEW #07YOUR BRAND AND BUSINESS UPDATE
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
2. Is our planet spinning out of control?
Environmental, societal and cultural
fractions are bubbling everywhere and
the issues with our everyday life seem
more troublesome than ever before.
Major brands like Tesla, Google and H&M
are re-writing the map of sustainability and
many others follow suit. Products, services,
business models and mindsets are about
to change into something new. On grass-
root level, people recognise the need of
adjusting, adapting and changing in order
to secure our everyday lives and the lives of
future generations. But is there hope?
Yes, there is. In this issue of Trend Review
we invite you on a journey to see innovative
projects and meet inspiring people who truly
care about the sustainability of our planet
and the well being of its inhabitants. Time to
reinvent the way we live on planet earth!
THE SCENE
Photo: shutterstock
3. TOMORROWLAND
Frankly, the world we live in today is not the
same place we grew up in. We have a hard time
adapting to new patterns, behaviors and
possibilities. And it seems the planet we live
on is heading in another direction, with rapidly
changing conditions that affect every day life.
Change fosters new ideas. Funding hub
Kickstarter reports that the fourth most funded
category is technology, with a majority of
projects aimed to improve everyday life
– in areas such as health, environment,
sustainability and distribution of wealth.
Keeping the same pace as this change is crucial
for brands and people – observing, analyzing,
understanding and adapting to the new
conditions. The biggest impact on the world is
universal access to all human knowledge. The
smartest person might be stuck in a tractor in
Vietnam or out of Kentucky. Enabling that person
and millions like him or her will have a profound
impact on the development of the human race.
Cheap mobile devices are available worldwide
and online educational tools are too. This will
have a huge impact on literacy and numeracy and
will lead to a more informed and more educated
world population in just a few years of time.
Photo: shutterstock
YOU ARE HERE
4. WE ARE
THE ROBOTS
What if your toaster texted you telling it
was unhappy and wanted to leave?
Interaction designer Simone Rebaudengo
created a series of connected toasters in
order to make the owners more aware of
their responsibility of ownership. By giving
the toaster a bit of personality, maybe the
owners got more aware that they weren’t
really using all the gadgets surrounding
them in their homes. If not being used, why
not give your toaster (or bike) to someone
else? Australia based Credit Card founder
has developed iBag. A smart solution that
is a location enabled purse which has built-
in mechanisms to stop shoppers from
overspending. The app warns users by
using GPS when they’re getting too close
to a favorite shop. The bag sends off a text
message to a trusted person to let them
know that the user might be spending
money they shouldn’t.
Photo: shutterstock
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
5. TIMING IS EVERYTHING
What if your trash could tell you when
it was full? Well, now it can. Finnish startup
Enevo thought of making waste manage-
ment smarter and more efficient by
creating intelligent waste containers that
know when to be emptied. A small device
inside the waste container provides
real-time data to local waste handling
companies, telling them about waste filling
levels, service predictions and also notifying
them about temperatures causing
different kind of development. With this
tiny yet smart innovation, the waste
management industry can save money and
time, while limiting the footprint of carbon
oxide by having fewer trucks on the streets.
http://www.enevo.com/
CONNECTED EVERYTHING
6. ON AND ON
Swedish fashion brand H&M launched a
new service in their shops. 95% of all the
clothes being thrown away could be recy-
cled. This could have a serious impact on
the environment and by installing recycling
bins in-store, H&M hopes to make the shop
visitors more aware of how they look at
clothes. By three golden rules – rewear,
reuse and recycle – H&M states that these
are the only rules in fashion of today!
Photo: http://annesage.com/2013/03/14/long-live-fashion-un-haul-your-closet-for-hm/
WEARABLES
7. SMARTY PLANTS
What if the plants could talk? Well, now
they pretty much can. Fieldview use
sensor technology to limit wasted water,
fertilizer and crops by streamline the
seasonal flow of harvests. The sensors
also track the health of the land with a
plant growth algorithm that use over 30
years of weather data to predict weather
changes as well as alerting farmers for
what dates to have in mind, several weeks
before they occur.
Photo: shutterstcok
ECO
8. ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Driving can be lots of fun and now, also
really productive. By replacing conventional
roads with hard-wearing solar cells, which
help to produce up to three times more
amount of energy than what we consume.
Also, these solar cells warn drivers for an-
imals and have built-in heating cells which
are able to melt snow and ice, making the
roads safer. Right now Solar Roadways is a
project being funded on crowdfunding site
Indiegogo, so this project might see the
light of day within the next year.
http://www.pvbuzz.com/solar-roadways-still-going-strong/
PATH
9. NATURE CALLS
Co-existing with wild animals doesn’t
generally come to mind that often, does it?
In many places it is a real problem and
human-animal conflicts are the results of
the never ending human movement in to
new territories. A new smart collar,
developed in coalition with wildlife rangers
and MIT, can help us humans to under-
stand the animals much better and even
predict behavior. It can also be used on
endangered species in order to track
individuals that need protection, help
and make sure that they stay safe.
The collars provide GPS-tracking, real-
time video feeds, heart rate and body
temperature measurements.
http://www.nature.org/media/elephants/img/habitat/bg.jpg
BEACONS
10. JUST LIKE MAGIC!
New technologies help the environment
– Mexico City’s Manuel Gea Gonzalez
Hospital uses a 2,500 square meter facade
that breaks down air pollutants when
exposed to UV light. The honeycomb
increases the surface area by 200% and
allows the structure to neutralize the same
amount of pollutants in one day that’s
produced by 8,750 cars.
At the same time, the city of Milan is
using a smog-filtering concrete facade to
purify the air. Starting with an air-purifying
structure in front of the Palazzo Italia
– the 9,000 square meter structure will
take about 2,000 tons of air-purifying
concrete to complete. The concrete is
made of 80% recycled materials and works
by breaking down harmful pollutants into
unreactive salt molecules when exposed to
UV light. Inhale – exhale.
Photo: shutterstock
AIR
11. Headlines on social media often talk
about shark attacks on popular beaches
all around the world. Your chances of
being attacked by a shark in the U.S. are
about 15 times less than your chance of
being struck by lightning, scientists of
Princeton university point out. Co-existing
in the natural habitat of sharks can now be
even safer – in May 2014 Australian
telecommunications company Optus
launched a shark detection buoy.
Designed to protect people from attacks
in coastal waters, the smart ocean buoy
is programmed to detect sharks using
sonar technology. Once a shark has been
identified the buoy transmits an instant
message to alert a lifeguard via the Optus
network. Surf’s up mate!
CARE FOR A SWIM?
https://cleverbuoy.com.au/
JAWS
12. BACK TO THE ROOTS
In May 2015, Dutch design firm Weltevree
unveiled Groundfridge: a prefabricated
polyester structure which is placed
underground, using the earth’s insulation
properties to store food at a steady
temperature between 7 and 15º C (44.6 to
59º F). Accessed via a hatch-like door
and steps, the 7.48 ft (2.28 m) diameter
structure has an integrated cabinet and
lighting, and a capacity of 3,000 litres
– equivalent to that of 20 regular
refrigerators. Storing food under ground
is not so cave-man anymore, now is it?
Photo: https://mimiberlinblog.wordpress.com/2015/04/19/fuorisalone-2015-exploring-weltevree/
STORAGE
13. SCHOOLS OUT!
Photo: http://www.repurposeschoolbags.com/
Childhood friends Thato and Rea, two
young women from South Africa – founded
Rethaka, a start-up with the aim to create
an impact on young people and unprivileged
communities. Repurpose Schoolbags is an
environmentally-friendly innovation made
from ‘upcycled’ plastic shopping bags with
built-in solar technology that charges during
the day and transforms into a light at night.
The initiative targets school children in
underprivileged communities and
addresses a number of problems
– letting kids study after dark in homes
without electricity. Also the bags are
designed with reflective material that
makes the children visible to traffic.
LIGHT
14. LET’S BREAK
IT DOWN
For many reasons the imbalance of wealth,
education and health won’t lead the
humans to a prosperous future. Our planet
isn’t doing so well and we need to take
better care of it, starting with the simple
possibilities we have around us, one step
at a time. The climate changes are here
to stay. So is pollution, and unfortunately
even war. However, there is hope.
Simple, smart and affordable innovations
are popping up everywhere which prove
that change doesn’t have to cost a fortune
as long as there is a will to improve and
develop. Sustainability is no longer an
option – it is an obligation. Got it?
CONCLUSION