Happy Good News!!

Growing Rooftop Spinach in CO2 recycled from building ventilation quadruples growth & Scientists create biodegradable paper battery powered by water.

Happy Monday, Earthfriend! ??

Enjoy the recent news happening all around the world!????

Growing Rooftop Spinach in CO2 recycled from building ventilation quadruples growth

Researchers have grown a farm of rooftop vegetables bathed in the CO2- rich exhausted air from city buildings that has boosted plant growth by 400%.In buildings where lots of people live and work, the CO2 emissions from human respiration can reach high levels, which is why these systems are needed to keep the air fresh and unpolluted.?At each of the rooftop vents, the researchers planted neat rows of spinach and corn. The plants were also exposed to more or less air powder from the vents, to determine the impact of high winds on plants ability to use the CO2.

The researchers choose the two respective crops because on the one hand, spinach uses a metabolic pathway that is highly responsive to CO2, whereas on the other corn uses another pathway that makes it less sensitive to elevated amounts of this gas allowing the researchers to test the benefits of their system across different types of crops.?

They found that CO2 levels spiked reaching above the recommended 1000 parts per million(ppm) for building. This was also the 800 ppm of CO2 that plants need to receive a growth boost so on the rooftop, this resulted in huge growth for the vegetables. Rooftop gardens can create insulations in winter and have a cooling effect in summers, saving on energy use and the associated emissions.?

More research is needed before CO2-recycling urban gardens become a reality: ”There is a lot that has to be figured out before a system can be developed that can be installed on rooftops, ”Buckley says, adding that they hope to continue investigating the impact of building exhaust on crop growth at new study sites in the future.

So between 2018 and 2019, Buckley and colleagues started their experiment on the roof of the Boston University campus in the United States, a building heavily populated by students during term time.

If you want to read more about Growing Rooftop Spinach in CO2 recycled from building ventilation quadruples growth, please click?here.

Scientists create biodegradable paper battery powered by water

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology?(Empa)?have invented a biodegradable?battery?that is printed onto paper. The paper could revolutionize single-use electronics, and it turns on with droplets of water.

We are using electronics for more things than ever before. Our increased use of technology has a huge impact on on environment, especially with battery technology. Batteries that are sent to landfill can release toxic chemicals into the ground, such as?mercury,?cadmium,?lead?and?nickel,?which has harmful effects on our water supply. It is estimated that our use of batteries will increase 11 fold between 2020 and 2030.

The battery works by printing using a modified 3D printer which prints the battery using their recipe of carbon, cellulose, glycerin and table?salt. The?battery can store electricity for hours and has been used to power?small digital clocks in a prototype?Gustav Nystr?m from Empa says. ”The project of biodegradable electricity storage system has been close to my heart for a long time. We applied for Empa internal funding with our project, Printed paper Batteries and were able to start our activities??with this funding. Now we have achieved our first goal.”

The Battery could help revolutionize?how some Internet of Things devices are powered. Nystr?m says,.

We may be using these biodegradable batteries in future and if you want to know about this, please click?here.

Bangladesh Farmers turn to floating rafts to grow crops

We use rafts for sport, outdoor activities or river expeditions. Have you ever heard of someone growing plants in these rafts?

Meet Mohammad Mostafa, a farmer in the low-dying deltas of southwestern Bangladesh, has revived his forefathers' farming practice of growing crops on floating rafts, as rising seas and storm flooding threaten more and more farmlands.

With prolonged waterlogging also posing an increased challenge to families growing their own food, more have turned to using the rafts as secure platforms to grow vegetables and fruit including cucumber, radishes, bitter gourd, papayas and tomatoes. The 200-year-old technique was initially adopted by farmers in the region during the flooding season, which used to last about five months each year. But nowadays, the area remains under water for?8 to 10 months and more land is being flooded.?

“These days, the?land is under water for a longer time. This ancient technique has helped us to earn a?living, "said?42-year-old Mostafa as he planted balls of seedlings on floating beds.

“My father and forefathers all used to do this. But the work is not that easy. So, at first, i tried to earn as a fruit vendor but ended up in debt”?.”said Mostafa, the sole breadwinner in his six-member family,”i tried my luck at floating farming five years ago and that made a great difference in my life”.

Low-lying Bangladesh is considered among the most climate-vulnerable countries, with the impact of rising waters compounded by storms, floods and erosion

Between 2000 and 2019,Bangladesh was ranked seventh in a list of countries hit hardest by climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 produced by the non-profit German watch.

If you want to learn more about other farmers who does same as Mohammad Mostafa, please click?here.