Algae

In a ghastly vision of a future cut off from sunlight, the machine overloads in the Matrix movie series turned to sleeping human bodies as sources of electricity. If they'd had sunlight, algae would undoubtedly have been the better choice.  Engineers from the University of Cambridge in the UK have run a microprocessor for more than six months using nothing more than the current generated by a common species of cyanobacteria. The method is intended to provide power for vast swarms of electronic devices."The growing…

As the number of electronic devices grows, we’re going to have to get creative with our energy sources. Cambridge researchers have now demonstrated how an algae energy harvester can use sunlight to power a microprocessor for over a year without any human help.Algae features heavily in green technologies of the future, in many different ways. It shows promise in producing hydrogen, purifying wastewater, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, forming the basis of biofuels, and generating electricity through…

Discarded shoes are a particularly bulky form of waste, with their molded rubber soles joined to often synthetic uppers. Blueview shoes reportedly offer a greener alternative, however, as they're claimed to completely biodegrade once thrown away.Developed by University of California - San Diego spinoff company Algenesis, Blueview shoes incorporate uppers made of machine-knitted hemp/eucalyptus yarn (plus a cotton canvas strap), along with in- and outsoles made of a proprietary polyurethane foam known as Soleic.The latter…

As humanity fights to keep its only planet from becoming inhospitable, most of the focus will rightly be on decarbonizing everything we practically can. But it won't be enough. Direct air capture will need to be part of the equation, and it'll need to be massively scalable, energy efficient and much, much cheaper than today's technology, so it can become profitable quickly as carbon taxes and emissions trading schemes kick in globally. London startup Brilliant Planet believes it has a carbon capture and sequestration…

While many people love the taste of smoked salmon, not everyone is comfortable with wild fish being netted, nor with captive fish being farmed. Such folks may be in luck, though, as a new smoked salmon substitute is in the works – and it's made of algae.The product is currently being developed via a partnership between IFF-Dupont and Israeli startup SimpliiGood. Reportedly looking a lot like real smoked salmon, the substitute is "composed of 100-percent pure, fresh, minimally processed spirulina."Spirulina is a commonly…