These solar panels create clean water in the desert

Good News Notes: “Most of the energy that hits a solar panel is wasted. Energy technology researcher Peng Wang told IE that less than 20 percent of the energy that hits a solar panel gets turned into electricity. The rest is turned into heat, which can cause the panel to become even less efficient. Researchers have spent decades figuring…

New Technology for Storing Summer Heat To Use in Winter

Good News Notes: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is funding the project through the Longer Duration Energy Storage Demonstration program, part of the £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP). Thermal energy storage – storing heat so it’s available when needed – has the potential to cut rocketing energy bills. It also…

Inside the “International Space Station of the sea”

Good News Notes: “Fabien Cousteau has a vision for how humans can live and work in the ocean. He imagines that long-term stays under the waves could be enabled through the construction of underwater habitats, which would look and feel like houses, as opposed to just sealed, submarine-like bubbles.  These habitats would have a galley,…

Omani student invents new type of bioplastic using natural elements

Good News Notes: “Neeam al Harrasi, a student from the wilayat of Rustaq in the Governorate of South Batinah, has created a new type of bioplastic using natural materials available in the sultanate, such as rice water and fish scales, to make the mass production of bioplastics more affordable. The school project in which Do’aa…

6 Ways to Fertilize Your Garden Using Food Scraps

Good News Notes:   “1. Eggshells Making an omelet or baking a cake? Don’t throw away those eggshells—they can be used in a variety of ways in your garden. If you have a mostly intact eggshell, you can use it as a biodegradable seed-starter “pot.” Gently fill it with dirt and a seed of your…

IKEA Has Perfected Vegan Meatballs. Is Plant-Based Chicken Coming, Too?

Good News Notes: “Swedish furniture giant IKEA recently added plant-based chicken nuggets to its menu in the United States. The new option is part of a kids meal (recommended for children 12 and under) that includes broccoli and is priced at $3.49. While IKEA typically develops its own plant-based meats, these nuggets are made by…

NFL Players and Former Juvenile Offenders Team Up for Super Bowl Pop-Up Dinner

Good News Notes: “Café Momentum — an award-winning nonprofit restaurant that provides 12-month paid internships and life-changing support to young people exiting the juvenile justice system — teamed up with the Players Coalition, a nonprofit founded by NFL players Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins. The restaurant is dedicated to making an impact on social justice and racial inequality, along with Stand Together Foundation, a…

Refillable groceries to be made available to every UK shopper

Good News Notes: “’Every shopper in the UK’ will have access to refillable groceries in a large supermarket or with a delivery service under plans by some of the country’s biggest grocers. Waitrose, Ocado, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and the supply-chain company CHEP have joined a refillable grocery partnership and plan to both roll out unpackaged options…