New Zealand Embraces Electric Cars EVs, Hydrogen to Cut Emissions, Fossil Fuels

Good News Notes: “New Zealand will accelerate its adoption of electric vehicles and investigate hydrogen as an alternative energy source as it seeks to phase out fossil fuels and play its role in mitigating global warming. Announcing its first emissions reduction plan Monday in Wellington, the government said it will initially allocate NZ$2.9 billion ($1.8…

Bases get ‘electric facelift’ as Marines deploy smart grids, electric vehicles

Good News Notes: “Marine installations from West Coast air stations to deep South depots are getting an electric facelift as the Corps ramps up its electric vehicle fleetand base “smart grids” for powering the force at home stations. Following new executive orders to reducecarbon fuel use that would also make for resilient, blackout-proof power grids, the Corps is…

Kroger Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation Funding Food Waste Research

Good News Notes: “With an estimated one-third or more of U.S. food waste happening in households, The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation has teamed up with theFoundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) to launch the Food Waste Challenge to develop an original methodology for quantitative measurement of food waste generated in U.S. households. Objective, quantitative measurements…

Businesses to donate unused food under Gainesville’s ‘zero waste’ rule

Good News Notes: “Restaurants and grocery stores will be required to donate food they don’t use to food pantries or turn it into compost instead of throwing it in the dumpster under one of several of Gainesville’s new sweeping zero waste ordinances. Those requirements are among one of three proposed laws approved by the Gainesville City Commission on Thursday….

Scuba Divers Remove More Than 25,000 Pounds of Debris From Lake Tahoe

Good News Notes: “At more than two million years old and more than a mile above sea level, Lake Tahoe sits on the border of California and Nevada in the Northern Sierra Nevada mountains. The water is so pure that it isn’t even required to be filtered by water suppliers, the Tahoe Daily Tribune reported. Despite the remarkable purity of its…

Wireless Heater Made From a Leaf Skeleton Is Fully Biodegradable

Good News Notes: “We’ve gotten very, very good at making things that are cheap and durable. Unfortunately, there are some deleterious side effects. Among them: Our society generates massive amounts of waste that is going to remain in landfills for a long time. What’s more, the process of making these goods is also bad for…

This Portable, Solar-Powered Device Purifies Seawater on Demand

Good News Notes: “Imagine having the ability to purify water anywhere, any time, with one solar-powered device. While that may not be of key importance to many in wealthy nations, it is for the 785 million people around the world who, as of 2017, lacked access to clean drinking water. A group of researchers at the…

World’s Largest Solar Power Carport Launched

Good News Notes: “A 35 MW solar power carport with 90,000 solar panels was launched the first week of May in the Netherlands. Biddinghuizen is the solar carport location, which is the same site for the annual Lowlands music festival. The festival receives tens of thousands of visitors each year, so the parking area covers 35…

shine is a portable wind turbine about the size of a 1L water bottle

Good News Notes: “Canada-based company Aurea Technologies unveils Shine, a portable wind turbine for adventurers. The ultra-compact lightweight device offers unrivaled performance for outdoor aficionados who need power to recharge electronic devices.    Super portable, Shine collapses into about the size of a 1,000 ml water bottle and is capable of charging handheld electronics such as phones, tablets, lights, cameras, etc….