Environmental Invention

t’s Earth Day. Realistically, every day should probably be Earth Day, because, you know, the planet we’re killing is what gives us life. But it’s not always Earth Day because, for the most part, we’re greedy and dumb and we like plastic and easy living and driving and flying. There are a few people, though, that make fixing the planet their life’s work. Here are 5 of the coolest inventions that might just help out this diseased planet we’re living on.

1. Boyan Slat’s Oceanic Array.
Boyan Slat is just a young fella. He’s a smart one, though, and he’s got an idea that, if it works, will remove a LOT of the plastic we’ve dumped into the ocean–up to 7 million tons.

Basically, instead of chasing the trash around the vast expanse of sea, the forward-thinking teenager suggested we, in turn, use the five rotating currents (or gyres) to our advantage. By employing an array of floating barriers, we’ll catch and concentrate the debris, effectively enabling a much more efficient extraction. And as they are using these solid floating barriers, the lack of nets make entanglement of wildlife nearly impossible. Virtually all of the current flows underneath these booms, taking away all (neutrally buoyant) organisms.

It’s got a long way to go… but it’s better than the alternative.

2. The plastic that’s not plastic.
A Japanese company called AMAM looked at the amount of plastic we produce every year, and as they should have been, were horrified. Instead of writing little articles that promote “awareness” (which really only serves to make the people writing them feel better about themselves), they’re making plastic that’s not plastic. AMAM is comprised of three designers. Kosuke Araki, Noriaki Maetani, and Akira Muraoka, worried about the amount of plastic we’re pumping out on a daily basis, decided that there had to be a better way. Using a substance found in seaweed called agar, they have come up with a material that, with a few tweaks, can work just as well as real plastic. The difference, of course, is that Agar Plasticity doesn’t wreak havoc on the environment–it’s entirely disposable and doesn’t require a long, filthy process to create, but it’s still a long way from replacing plastic.

Ari Jonsson’s biodegradable water bottle in the throes of decomposition. You won’t see a plastic bottle doing this. Image: EMGN.com

3. This biodegradable material that holds its shape when full, then decomposes when it’s empty.You know how they say the youth is the future? Well, so far, the last two of the coolest inventions have been made by very young people. The third is no different. Back in March, a design student named Ari Jonsson entered in a design festival in Reykjavik, Iceland. He brought something with him that has the potential to change the world. It’s very simple: a bottle of water. But not just any bottle of water… Jonsson’s design holds its shape while there’s water in it. When it’s empty, it begins to decompose.

This is what the future needs to look like. Photo: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

4. Morocco’s new solar plant is the largest one in the world.Ok, so this one isn’t exactly an invention, but it’s taking an old invention and using it on a grand scale.  In Morocco, on the edge of the Sahara, a power station is under construction. When it’s done, it will the size of Rabat, the country’s capital. If all goes well, by 2018 the plant will provide enough electricity for over a million people.

A few months ago, the king of Morocco, King Mohammed VI, had the honor of turning on the first testing phase of the solar plant, called Noor 1. Near the town of Ouarzazate, it generates 160 megawatts that are pumped into Morocco’s power grid. Even the test phase will eliminate hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon emissions every year.

Welcome to the future, everyone.

5. This tiny little off-the-grid house.Tiny houses are so in right now. Hell, even I live in one that I’m building, and I’m not exactly attuned to what is cool right now. But off the grid is better than on the grid, and this tiny house is far off of it. It’s crazy that nature affords us pretty much everything we need through the sun and the wind, but because of a bunch of old guys with super deep pockets, we’re still puking exhaust out of our cars and using coal plants. What the fuck are we doing?

Coined the “Ecocapsule”, the little egg shaped home is full of amazing ideas. For starters, it’s small enough to tow, coming in at just under 15 feet long and 8 feet wide. And if you happen to have an electric car, it can charge it for you.  The whole thing runs on wind and solar energy, storing power in a 9,744 watt-hour battery. It uses a 750 watt wind turbine and solar panels so effective that, as long is you’re not in an area completely devoid of sunshine, you’re set.