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☆ An electric cruise ship with gigantic solar sails is set to launch in 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Adventure cruise company Hurtigruten Norway today revealed plans for a zero-emissions electric cruise ship with retractable sails covered in solar panels, which is due to set sail in 2030. The zero-emissions ship's sails will retract so that the ship can pass under bridges, as shown here in a rendering. This has led to a new wave of designs for eco-friendly sailing vessels, from the transatlantic car carrier Oceanbird and various cargo ships with retractable sails, to Oceanco’s Black Pearl superyacht and Chantiers de Atlanique’s cruise ship with folding solid sails. Hurtigruten Norway has long touted sustainable shipping. In 2019, it launched the world’s first hybrid, battery-supported cruise ship and is currently in the process of converting the rest of its expedition fleet to hybrid battery power.

Persons: Hedda Felin, ”, Gerry Larsson, Fedde, Larsson, Pearl superyacht Organizations: CNN, Hurtigruten, International Maritime Organization, UN Locations: Norway, Norwegian, Oslo, Hurtigruten Norway, “

☆ Solar trees could soon be charging your car
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Metal trees with a seven-meter canopy of solar panels that generate electricity may soon be coming to car parks and shopping malls in the UK. In the UK, EV charging infrastructure is rapidly growing, with more than 40,000 public charging points installed by the end of April 2023, up 37% from the previous year, according to ZapMap, an EV mapping service. SolarBotanic Trees has partnered with RAW Charging to supply co-branded trees (shown here in a rendering) as part of a network of EV charging sites. Charging upSolarBotanic Trees are likely to cost between £18,000 and £25,000 ($22,000 to $30,000), considerably more than a conventional solar panel source. Shelley notes that he is also exploring creating a solar tree solution for powering electric scooter charging hubs.

☆ Dubai could become home to the world's largest ocean restoration project
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Dubai Reefs bills itself as the world’s largest ocean restoration project; if built it would consist of 77 square miles of artificial reef that will create a home for more than one billion corals and 100 million mangrove trees. Plans for the project were announced this week by URB, a Dubai-based developer of sustainable cities, whose previous designs include an indoor cycling super highway in Dubai and sustainable cities in Egypt and South Africa. URBAlongside the artificial reefs, URB has designed floating residential, hospitality, retail facilities and various eco-lodges, which it says would make the site a tourism destination. At the center the project would be a marine institute, dedicated to ocean research and protecting Dubai’s coastal environment. “Dubai Reefs aims to become a blueprint for marine conservation, ecotourism and ocean living,” said Bagherian.

☆ These adorable sand cats could be under threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The sand cat has been observed hunting the venomous Saharan horned viper, pictured here buried in the sand. This elusive nature is no doubt one of the reasons sand cats have been so under-reported, says Breton. The report notes that sand cats appear to travel greater distances than any other cat of their size, including black-footed cats and African wildcats. Sand cats in dangerThe report’s findings could have serious implications for the sand cat’s conservation status. There are also local threats from shepherd dogs that sometimes kill sand cats; domestic cats carrying diseases that are dangerous for the wild species; and there have also been cases of sand cats being captured for the illegal pet trade, he adds.

☆ Environmental hero’s mission to save the most over-fished sea in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Wiping out marine life has damaged the livelihoods of local fishers. Local fishing communities are benefiting from the marine protected area as fish stocks bounce back. He trained local fishers as marine rangers who could monitor the waters for illegal fishing and send alerts to the Turkish Coast Guard. “We became a fishmonger,” says Kizilkaya, adding that the AKD continues to sell “tasty, cheap” lionfish caught by local fishers to restaurants. Kizilkaya hopes that the Goldman Environmental Prize will add momentum to his mission.

☆ Photographer Nicolas Remy captures image of the rare spotted handfish
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

There are fewer than 3,000 spotted handfish remaining in the wild. Of the red handfish, only 100 adults are thought to remain, while the Ziebell’s hasn’t been spotted in the wild since 2007. The red handfish is currently only found on two small patches of reef in south-eastern Tasmania. In the Derwent River, the team has planted artificial habitat to encourage spotted handfish spawning, which has already shown promising results in stabilizing populations, says Stuart-Smith. The Ziebell's handfish is the most elusive of the three pecies, with no confirmed sightings since 2007.

Persons: Nicolas Remy, Remy, Nicolas REMY Eventually, ”, Ziebell’s, Tyson Bessell, Jemina Stuart, Smith, Stuart, Andrew Green, Mark Strickland Organizations: CNN, Andrew Locations: Derwent, Sydney, Australia, Tasmania, American

☆ World Trade Organization head wants to 'double or triple' Africa's share of global trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The World Trade Organization (WTO) projected in October that after growing by 3.5% in 2022, trade volumes will increase by just 1% in 2023. Either way, Africa may start to reap the benefits of a free trade deal that came into effect in 2021. The landmark African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement created the world’s largest new free trade area since the establishment of the WTO. What do they need and what are they telling you in terms of doing cross-border trade on the African continent? What we’ve seen during the pandemic is that Africa needs to get its own manufacturing capacity, and this falls right back into what can make the continental free trade area work.

☆ Florian Ledoux: The icy patience of an Arctic photographer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The polar bear was just a faraway speck in a frozen white expanse. “It’s the price we pay to get unique images,” recounts award-winning French photographer and filmmaker Florian Ledoux. Florian LedouxThe months when the sun just starts to poke through create the perfect palette for a photographer, Ledoux says. Yet these are the days Ledoux lives for. Disney, Netflix or the likes will request a specific shot of a polar bear, such as a successful hunt or a mating scene.

Persons: speck, ”, Florian Ledoux, Florian Ledoux Ledoux, Ledoux, “ That’s, hasn’t, Florian, Florian Ledoux “ Organizations: CNN, Disney, Nature, Netflix, Oceanographic Magazine Locations: Tromsø, Norway, Longyearbyen, Svalbard

☆ Why an Abu Dhabi startup wants to send quinoa seeds into space
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Abu Dhabi-based startup StarLab Oasis, a spin-off from Texan company Nanoracks, wants to grow seeds in outer space in order to develop plant varieties that can survive on a less hospitable Earth. In 2023, StarLab Oasis expects to send its first seeds into orbit. From soybeans to quinoa, seeds grow differently in space than on land. Sending seeds to space will help “sustainability, climate change, and food security on Earth,” StarLab Oasis’ co-founder Allen Herbert tells CNN Business. It plans to work with companies, space agencies, universities and non-profits, to send seeds to space either for research or commercial purposes.

☆ Extraordinary close-up images show insects as you’ve never seen them before
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Released on 22 November, “Extinct & Endangered: Insects in Peril” is a collaboration between Biss and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Biss spent two years photographing the insects, capturing every extraordinary detail from strands of hair to the reflection in a wing. "Extinct & Endangered: Insects in Peril" is out now in hardcover. The insect specimens were couriered to the UK, where Levon Biss photographed them in his studio. He has photographed seeds and fruits in extraordinary detail, insect eggs, the human eye and even mold growing on tea bags.

Persons: Levon Biss, Biss, –, Abrams, ”, “, Elli Biss “, Lauri Halderman Organizations: CNN, American Museum of, of Locations: British, Biss, New York City

☆ How covering old buildings in a 'second skin' could cut heating costs, and emissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But old buildings that fail to keep in the heat are not only expensive for residents — they’re also costly for the climate. For that, old homes need to be retrofitted to make them more energy efficient. It then produces prefabricated panels that fit precisely over the old building, improving its insulation. © ecoworks © ecoworks Apartments near Düsseldorf before and after an Ecoworks renovation. Ecoworks' construction is mainly done in factories, which it says minimizes disruption on-site.

☆ Abandoned Greek airport to be transformed into a 600-acre coastal park
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Tegel Projekt GmbH/Atelier Loidl Kai Tak International Airport, Hong Kong -- With a runway that protruded into the sea, Kai Tak International Airport in Hong Kong once had one of the most arresting approaches in the world. PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/AFP via Getty Images Hellinikon International Airport, Athens, Greece -- Hellinikon was once the only international airport in Athens, Greece, before Hellinikon was once the only international airport in Athens, Greece, before closing down in 2001 . Developer LAMDA is looking to complete the first phase of construction in 2025 courtesy LAMDA Development Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado -- A photo of Stapleton International Airport from 1963. The grounds of the old airport became the 125-hectare (309-acre) Quito replaced its main airport with another bearing the same name. RODRIGO BUENDIA/AFP/AFP via Getty Images Downsview Airport, Toronto -- Downsview Airport in north Toronto was once a Canadian Air Force base.

Persons: Sasaki, ”, Michael Grove, Eero Saarinen, Kai, Kok, FREDERIC J . BROWN, Kai Tak, PHILIPPE LOPEZ, Hellinikon, Milos Bicanski, Ken Tillis, Lisa Martine, Sean Gallup, Maja Hitij, RODRIGO BUENDIA, Eleni Myrivilli, …, Aleksandra Kazmierczak, it’s, we’re Organizations: CNN, Ellinikon International, Games, Charleston Waterfront Park, Newcastle University, Tegel Airport, Tegel Projekt, Kai Tak International Airport, Kai Tak International, Getty, Foster + Partners, AFP, Stapleton International Airport, Denver International Airport, Denver, Getty Images, Airport, CNN Galeville Army, Galeville, United States Military Academy, West, Wildlife Refuge, Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife, Nazi, Maja, Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Old Mariscal Sucre International, Downsview, Canadian Air Force, Downsview Airport, City, Resilience, European Environment Agency, Development, Ellinikon Locations: Athens, Greece, Ellinikon, Boston, Charleston, Beijing, American, Grove, Berlin, Hong Kong, AFP, Europe, Hellinikon, Denver , Colorado, Central, New York, Ulster County , New York, Germany, Quito, Ecuador, Toronto, Downsview Park, Canada, Downsview, City of Athens, ”

☆ The Australian teenager on a mission to protect ragged-tooth sharks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Written Nell Lewis | Video Angus Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But the gray nurse shark (also known as the sand tiger shark and the spotted ragged-tooth shark) is under threat. As well as gray nurse sharks, whales, stingrays, grouper fish and many more marine species can be seen there. This has helped to raise awareness of the fragility of both the area and gray nurse sharks, says Leesfield. Gray nurse shark numbers have declined in recent years, leading to the species being listed critically endangered. Faehrmann explains that Fish Rock is a critical breeding ground for gray nurse sharks.

☆ In-wheel motors could be the future of electric cars
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Mounted in the rim of an electric vehicle’s wheels, the motors increase efficiency by delivering power directly to where it’s needed most. Supercars and pickup trucksElaphe, which was founded in 2006 by Gorazd Lampič and quantum physicist Andrej Detela, has designed in-wheel motors for a range of electric vehicles. In-wheel motors are far more exposed to the elements as well as impacts and vibrations from the road. The report notes that as electric vehicles become more popular, automakers are looking towards in-wheel motors for their space-saving abilities and improved power efficiency. Another major player is Protean Electric, which was acquired by British electric vehicle maker Bedeo in 2021.

German company Wasser 3.0, however, thinks it may have found the answer to cleaning up microplastic pollution before it reaches the ocean — using a whirlpool and a specially developed hybrid silica gel. Courtesy Wasser 3.0 gGmbH | Philipp BrüderleThe hybrid silica gel consists of silicone-based chemicals called organosilanes, and is non-toxic, says Schuhen. During a 12-month trial at the Landau site, around 600 pounds of microplastics were removed, says Schuhen. Some scientists have suggested using magnetic fluids to separate microplastics from water or sticky film made of bacteria, but these processes are in their early stages. Schuhen says that Wasser 3.0 is an affordable, scalable and simple solution to the global problem of microplastic pollution.

☆ These apps are trying to put car dealers out of business
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-15 | by ( Nell Lewis | Cnn Business | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London (CNN Business) City dwellers are used to switching between apps to decide the best way to get from A to B. "Whim's sole purpose is to compete against car ownership," CEO Sampo Hietanen tells CNN Business. If Whim can persuade users to trade their car keys for a single app offering multiple transport options, the environmental impact could be enormous, says Hietanen. The ticket also offers car rental from €55 ($65) per day. According to Whim, public transport and micromobility are the most popular ways to travel using the app.

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