sustainability

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Tallest timber tower reaches full height in Sydney with design by SHoP
2 months ago
- Steel and concrete provide strength across the high-rise structure.
- Around 10,000 cubic meters of Austrian timber enter the build.
- The Frank Gehry-designed museum opens on December 11th, 2026.
- Since 1989, children's play is recognized as a fundamental right alongside education, shelter, and care.
- A series of rounded rock-like forms rise as a vertical landscape with planted terraces, public routes, and immersive spaces to make climate action tangible.
- Timber, clay, cork, and eelgrass shape a workplace where material performance is experienced through everyday use.
CipherX applies painless permanent tattoos with dissolving microneedle patches
2 months ago
- cipherX offers small carbon black graphics through selected pop-ups.
- A device replaces addictive apps and touchscreens with physical keys and tools for intentional communication.
- SpongeBob's Gary becomes a speaker with a turntable-inspired base by Momandeum.
- A studio uses bacterial pigments to create biodegradable footwear, extending a 20-year investigation into living systems manufacturing.
- Researchers from Yonsei University develop a floating device that converts movement into energy for water testing and microbial disinfection.
Pebble Watch Software Is Now 100% Open Source + Tick Talk #4 - PT2 Demos!
2 months ago
- Pebble watch software is now 100% open source, including the new mobile app, for long-term sustainability.
- The Pebble Appstore now supports multiple feeds and has a publicly available backup via Archive.org for decentralization.
- Pebble Time 2 shipping schedule: most units expected in March/April, with efforts to ship some before Chinese New Year.
- Hardware sustainability is ensured through self-funding and repairable designs, like the screwed-on back cover of PT2.
- Core software components (PebbleOS, mobile app, developer tools) are fully open source to prevent future shutdown issues.
- Non-free components like heart rate sensors are optional; core open source software guarantees functionality.
- PT2 color options are black/grey, black/red, silver/blue, silver/grey; selection emails will be sent in weeks.
- Developer Dashboard and new appstore feed launched; developers can upload apps, with paid options available via Kiezel Pay.
Commission adds exemptions to portable battery removal rules
2 months ago
- The European Commission adopted a delegated act on July 14, 2026, exempting additional products from requirements for consumer-removable portable batteries under the EU Batteries Regulation.
- Products already exempt include medical devices and 'wet appliances' like electric toothbrushes; batteries in these must be removable by independent professionals for safety reasons.
- Six new product categories are added to the exemption list, including wearable devices like smartwatches, fitness trackers, electric toys, and equipment under the ATEX Directive for explosive atmospheres.
- The Commission also updated guidelines on battery removability and replaceability to help manufacturers apply the new derogations.
- The delegated act will enter into force 20 days after publication in the EU Official Journal unless the European Parliament or Council objects.
Spot birds not golf
2 months ago
- Hyperscalers like Google face pressure over data center water use, with consumption reaching 10.9 billion gallons in 2025.
- A suggestion is to buy exclusive country clubs, convert golf courses to parks, and promote birdwatching as a sustainable hobby.
- Coachella Valley has 120 golf courses using ~750,000 gallons/day each; acquiring 40 courses could offset Google's water use.
Launch HN: Rise Reforming (YC S26) – Turning Waste Gases into Valuable Chemicals
2 months ago
- Chemical production is centralized and fossil fuel-dependent, making it vulnerable to geopolitical events and natural disasters.
- Biogas is an ideal domestic feedstock; the U.S. produces enough for over $20 billion worth of chemicals annually, but 60% is wasted or flared.
- Rise Reforming converts stranded biogas from wastewater plants, farms, and landfills into valuable chemicals like dimethyl ether (DME), methanol, and dimethyl carbonate (DMC).
- Their technology is supply-secure, modular (fits in a shipping container), scalable, price competitive, and low-carbon.
- Key milestones include signed agreements, proof-of-concept after 1800+ hours of stable syngas production, and a $650k pre-seed round of funding.
JetZero
2 months ago
- JetZero raised $175 million in Series B financing led by B Capital, with investments from Alaska Airlines and United Airlines (including a path to purchase up to 200 aircraft).
- JetZero broke ground on a manufacturing and final assembly campus in Greensboro, North Carolina, and signed a letter of intent with EXIM Bank for up to $3 billion in financing.
- The company added defense and tech leaders to its board, opened an engineering office in Wichita, Kansas, and secured partnerships with Japan Airlines and Gulf Air for its all-wing Z4 aircraft.
- The Z4 aircraft promises up to 50% better fuel efficiency and a low-drag, lightweight design, aiming to reduce emissions and improve passenger experience.
I Think You Might Be Fooling Yourself with AI
2 months ago
- Richard Feynman's warning not to fool yourself applies especially to AI users, who may feel more productive without evidence.
- No independent scientific study confirms that AI improves productivity; one study found developers were 19% slower using AI.
- Personal anecdotes and layoffs attributed to AI are unreliable—many layoffs are 'AI washing' or cost-cutting for unproven technology.
- AI is economically unsustainable; heavy subsidies keep costs low, but real pricing would be much higher, questioning the value.
- The author admits bias against AI due to externalities like energy use, data center impacts, copyright theft, and internet degradation.
- On moral and ethical grounds, the author chooses not to use AI, arguing the harms outweigh any perceived benefits.
EU ban on destruction of unsold clothes and shoes enters into application
2 months ago
- EU bans large companies from destroying unsold textiles from July 19, with medium-sized firms to follow from 2030.
- Rules require companies to prioritize reuse, repair, donation, or recycling of unsold items; destruction is only allowed in limited cases.
- Companies must keep records for five years, provide proof for exemptions, and face fines for non-compliance.
- The measure aims to reduce waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and promote a circular economy under the Ecodesign Regulation.
- Textiles are targeted due to high pre-use destruction rates (4-9% of market volume), equivalent to 264,000-594,000 tonnes annually.
Microsoft's AI Buildout Sent Carbon Emissions Up 25% Last Year
2 months ago
- Microsoft's carbon emissions increased by 25% to 20 million metric tons in the past year.
- The company attributes the rise to building new data centers for AI, which drives energy and resource demand.
- Microsoft's 2030 carbon-negative goal is challenged by the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure.
- Other tech giants, like Alphabet, also report rising emissions due to data centers and AI demand.
- The International Energy Agency forecasts global data center emissions to nearly double to 300 million metric tons by 2035.
The Most Important Cheque in Economics
2 months ago
- A 1990 check for $576.07 settled a famous bet between economist Julian Simon and biologist Paul Ehrlich over resource scarcity.
- Ehrlich predicted that population growth would make metals like copper and tin scarcer and more expensive, while Simon argued human ingenuity would make them more abundant.
- Over a decade, despite a 19% population increase, the inflation-adjusted price of a basket of five metals fell by about 36%, proving Simon correct.
- The bet highlighted a key error: viewing resources as fixed gifts of nature rather than as matter combined with human knowledge and innovation.
- Simon emphasized that the ultimate resource is the human mind, which, when free to experiment and trade, can solve scarcity through invention and efficiency.
- The lesson is that prophets of permanent scarcity often underestimate human creativity and overestimate physical limits, a relevant insight today.
- The debate reflects two visions of humanity: people as mere consumers depleting resources versus as problem-solvers who create new wealth and expand possibilities.
Old car engines find a second life as handmade electric guitars
2 months ago
- Engine head guitars combine unique geometry and original engine forms to function as both instruments and sculptural objects.
- Discarded and unsold garments are repurposed as raw materials in fashion to promote sustainability.
- Luxury brands support traditional crafts through funding global prizes, apprenticeships, and workshops to preserve artisanal skills.
- Designboom seeks an experienced managing editor to oversee editorial workflow and maintain its leading global voice in design, architecture, art, and technology.
- A Mexican designer reflects on a decade-long practice of transforming plant waste into valuable products while keeping craft tied to local growers.
Dark Sky Lighting
3 months ago
- Dark-sky lighting reduces dangerous glare and enhances safety by using only necessary light, countering the misconception that brighter light equals safer conditions.
- It preserves human health by minimizing blue light at night, which can disrupt circadian rhythms and lead to insomnia and other health issues.
- This lighting protects wildlife by maintaining natural day-night cycles, helping to prevent harm to birds, sea turtles, insects, and other nocturnal animals.
- Amber dark-sky lighting provides a more pleasant, restful nighttime environment, resembling sunsets and candlelight, unlike harsh white LEDs.
- It saves energy and reduces costs by cutting wasted outdoor lighting, which accounts for significant energy consumption and financial waste.
- Dark-sky lighting helps restore views of stars and the night sky, combating light pollution that hides celestial bodies from urban areas.
- Practical implementation includes full shielding to direct light downward, using amber colors, dimming, and timers or motion detectors for efficiency.
- Communities like Flagstaff, AZ demonstrate success with dark-sky lighting, allowing residents to see the Milky Way even in populated areas.

sustainability

Tallest timber tower reaches full height in Sydney with design by SHoP

CipherX applies painless permanent tattoos with dissolving microneedle patches

Pebble Watch Software Is Now 100% Open Source + Tick Talk #4 - PT2 Demos!

Commission adds exemptions to portable battery removal rules

Spot birds not golf

Launch HN: Rise Reforming (YC S26) – Turning Waste Gases into Valuable Chemicals

JetZero

I Think You Might Be Fooling Yourself with AI

EU ban on destruction of unsold clothes and shoes enters into application

Microsoft's AI Buildout Sent Carbon Emissions Up 25% Last Year

The Most Important Cheque in Economics

Old car engines find a second life as handmade electric guitars

Dark Sky Lighting