Hopeful Green Inventions

By FRANK LINGO

In the sometimes depressing realm of environmental journalism, there’s a need to point out encouraging trends when you can find them. To start the new year, let’s look at some eco-friendly innovations.

The world has at least 65 million refugees from war, gang violence and natural disasters. They have urgent need for food, clothing and shelter.

• A woman inventor from Jordan named Abeer Seikaly (www.abeerseikaly.com) has created a woven durable dome that can provide inexpensive shelter. It can withstand harsh climates, while providing a method to gather water and harness renewable energy.

• A more permanent prospect for the homeless is the “Tiny Tetra House” made from wood and recycled drink containers. It’s designed by Bali-based Stilt Studios and measures under 700 square feet.

An internet search reveals many more brands of tiny houses. These decent but inexpensive structures should ease the cost of providing shelter to the homeless if our politicians should decide to help.

• Plastic bags are the bane of our ecosystem. There are billions of them clogging up our oceans and waterways, and killing animals. Enter Kevin Kumala, founder of Avani Eco, who has invented a biodegradable bag to replace plastic. It’s made from roots from the cassava plant and natural starches. The bags disintegrate within six months and are harmless if eaten by animals.

• There are dozens of electric bicycle and motorcycle brands now on the market. Even notorious gas hog Harley-Davidson has an electric model. This trend is revolutionizing single person transportation worldwide.

• Ford has come out with the Lightning, an all-electric pickup truck. They can’t keep up with demand. Another innovation by Ford is the new Maverick, a hybrid pickup that gets up to 42 miles per gallon and sells for an affordable $20k on the base model.

• Are you as sick as I am of the ridiculous volume of styrofoam in your packages? Check out Perdue Farms with their dissolving foam that is safe for drains, septic systems and water treatment plants.

• Leather has long been a staple of fashion but it depends on the meat industry, which isn’t environmentally sustainable. There are a slew of vegan leather alternatives, but polyurethane versions aren’t advisable. Instead, check out plant-based leathers made of everything from pineapple leaves to mushrooms. That way, you could even snack on your coat.

Water is one of the biggest issues of the 21st century. Access to clean water is a serious problem for up to four billion people, according to the United Nations.

Solar desalination plants are the coming wave. It’s necessary because 97% of the world’s water is salty — unfit for drinking or agriculture. Of the 3% of the world’s freshwater, almost half is in North America with its many rivers and five Great Lakes. Yet even in our water-rich USA, there are desperate struggles to provide enough for the many millions living in the arid Southwest.

The only way that will work long-term is desalination, which folks have tried for centuries but it’s always been difficult and costly.

Now an efficient, low-cost passive solar desalination process has been developed by a research team at MIT, working jointly with a team from China. A big advantage of the system is that it doesn’t need electric power so it can be used in undeveloped areas.

As with all these innovations for more sustainable living, we are depending on decision-makers in government as well as the private sector to get things done. An occasional nudge from their constituents and customers would help.

Frank Lingo, based in Lawrence, Kansas, is a former columnist for the Kansas City Star. Check out his new website GreenBeat.world. Email: lingofrank@gmail.com

From The Progressive Populist, January 1-15, 2022

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