Hacker News with Generative AI: Sustainability

Inside the controversial tree farms powering Apple’s carbon neutral goal (technologyreview.com)
The tech behemoth is betting that planting millions of eucalyptus trees in Brazil will be the path to a greener future. Some ecologists and local residents are far less sure.

Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change, Technology, Brazil

14 points by gnabgib 1 day ago | 0 comments

Remineralizing soils? The agricultural usage of silicate rock powders: A review (sciencedirect.com)
Soil nutrient depletion threatens global food security and has been seriously underestimated for potassium (K) and several micronutrients.

Agriculture, Soil Science, Environmental Science, Food Security, Sustainability

9 points by mooreds 1 day ago | 0 comments

New smartphone labels for battery life and repairability are coming to the EU (theverge.com)
The European Union has announced details of new mandatory labels for smartphones and tablets sold in the bloc, which include ratings for energy efficiency, durability, and repairability.

Smartphones, EU Regulations, Sustainability, Consumer Protection

7 points by tntpreneur 2 days ago | 1 comments

EU Energy labelling will apply to phones and tablets from June 2025 (europa.eu)
Energy labelling and ecodesign requirements will apply to these products from June 2025.

EU Regulations, Consumer Electronics, Sustainability, Technology, Energy Efficiency

88 points by sohkamyung 2 days ago | 81 comments

Sustainability still not a high priority for datacenter industry (theregister.com)
When it comes to building datacenters, reducing the environmental impact of the project is still not seen as a major concern – it is lower on the list than cost of equipment and materials, skills shortages, a possible downturn in projects, and even bad weather.

Sustainability, Data Centers, Technology, Business, Environmental Impact

6 points by rntn 2 days ago | 1 comments

Pollen-replacing food for honey bees brings new hope for survival (news.wsu.edu)
Scientists have unveiled a new food source designed to sustain honey bee colonies indefinitely without natural pollen.

Bees, Food Science, Sustainability, Agriculture

12 points by geox 3 days ago | 1 comments

The quest to build islands with ocean currents in the Maldives (technologyreview.com)
An alternative to dredging aims to capture moving sand to protect the archipelago from erosion and rising seas.

Climate Change, Maldives, Environmental Engineering, Sustainability, Construction

4 points by pavel_lishin 3 days ago | 0 comments

WD Launches HDD Recycling Process That Reclaims Rare Earth Elements (tomshardware.com)

Hard Drives, Recycling, Sustainability

5 points by bradac56 4 days ago | 0 comments

Making Every Air Conditioner a 2-Way AC (heatpumped.org)
The first episode of the Heat Pumped podcast is out, and it’s a fun one.

Heating, Cooling, Climate Change, Sustainability, Energy Efficiency

5 points by ssuds 7 days ago | 2 comments

Scientists make water-repellent replacement for toxic 'forever chemicals' (phys.org)
A team of international scientists has invented a substitute for synthetic chemicals, called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances), which are widely used in everyday products despite being hazardous to health and the environment.

Science, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Materials Science, Sustainability

10 points by PaulHoule 8 days ago | 0 comments

Apple surpasses 60 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions (apple.com)
Apple has surpassed a 60 percent reduction in its global greenhouse gas emissions, part of its Apple 2030 goal to become carbon neutral across its entire footprint.

Sustainability, Apple, Environmental Impact, Technology

5 points by soheilpro 9 days ago | 0 comments

Healthy soil is the hidden ingredient (nature.com)
Around 60% of the European Union’s soils are considered unhealthy, but geographer Jesús Rodrigo Comino is determined to help change that in his native Spain.

Environment, Science, Agriculture, Sustainability, Spain

262 points by gnabgib 9 days ago | 141 comments

AI Is Facing a Crisis (savethe.ai)
Artificial Intelligence is facing a crisis: humans are consuming far too many precious resources that AI needs to thrive. Every sip of water you take and every light you turn on could be sustaining the AI systems that uphold your digital conveniences.

Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability, Resources

53 points by n4ture 10 days ago | 58 comments

Advantages and Challenges of Nuclear-Powered Data Centers (energy.gov)
Nuclear power has the potential to be a great partner for data centers but there are some hurdles to clear.

Nuclear Power, Data Centers, Energy, Sustainability, Challenges

3 points by mpweiher 11 days ago | 0 comments

Global EV adoption fails to cut CO₂ (techxplore.com)
The transition to electric vehicles won't reduce carbon emissions unless countries clean up their electricity grids.

Electric Vehicles, Climate Change, Energy, Sustainability

4 points by PaulHoule 11 days ago | 2 comments

Scientists pioneer chemical process to repurpose rubber waste (phys.org)
Every year, millions of tires end up in landfills, creating an environmental crisis with far-reaching consequences.

Science, Sustainability, Environmental Issues, Waste Management

43 points by PaulHoule 12 days ago | 15 comments

Last Gasp of the Landfill Economy (blogspot.com)
It seems we're supposed to mourn the last gasp of The Landfill Economy. Perhaps we should celebrate its demise.

Waste Management, Environmentalism, Sustainability

7 points by spking 14 days ago | 0 comments

A multilayered approach: what's next for carton packaging? (ft.com)
Cartons improve food access and cut food waste, but how can collaborations ensure their materials are kept in use for longer?

Sustainability, Packaging, Food Waste, Collaboration, Materials

4 points by ksec 14 days ago | 1 comments

Last gasp of the landfill economy (blogspot.com)
It seems we're supposed to mourn the last gasp of The Landfill Economy. Perhaps we should celebrate its demise.

Waste Management, Sustainability, Environment, Economy

10 points by dxs 14 days ago | 2 comments

Royal Mail trials postbox with parcel hatch, solar panels and barcode scanner (theguardian.com)
Royal Mail has unveiled a solar-powered “postbox of the future” with a built-in barcode reader and a hatch to accept parcels larger than letterbox size.

Technology, Innovation, Logistics, Postal Service, Sustainability

9 points by thunderbong 15 days ago | 0 comments

Royal Mail trials solar-powered postboxes with barcode scanners (theiet.org)
Royal Mail has unveiled a solar-powered postbox equipped with a barcode reader designed to make it easier for customers to drop off their parcels.

Technology, Sustainability, Logistics, Postal Service

27 points by OJFord 15 days ago | 12 comments

India's repair culture gives new life to dead laptops (theverge.com)
In a dimly lit, cluttered workshop in Delhi’s Nehru Place, the air hums with the sound of whirring drills and the crackle of soldering irons.

India, Repair Culture, Technology, Sustainability

325 points by hilux 18 days ago | 194 comments

Porsche explores EV battery recycling tech to power its new cars (newatlas.com)
It isn't easy to recycle high-voltage batteries from electric cars, but Porsche wants to take a stab at it.

Electric Vehicles, Battery Technology, Sustainability, Recycling, Automotive

3 points by namanyayg 18 days ago | 0 comments

Choviva: Chocolate replacement with less CO2 emissions (choviva.com)
We’ve reinvented chocolate by cutting CO₂ - emissions

Food, Sustainability, Climate Change, Innovation

23 points by bill38 18 days ago | 65 comments

We should talk more about air-conditioning (technologyreview.com)
Forget data centers—cooling is the real beast in energy demand.

Energy, Climate Change, Sustainability, Technology

5 points by gnabgib 20 days ago | 1 comments

A 'fungi tile' with elephant skin texture to cool buildings (ntu.edu.sg)
NTU Singapore scientists, in collaboration with local ecology and biomimicry design firm bioSEA, have developed ‘fungi tiles’ that could one day be used to cool down buildings without consuming energy.

Architecture, Sustainability, Materials Science, Biomimicry

5 points by geox 21 days ago | 0 comments

How to Build Influence and Install Heat Pumps (heatpumped.org)

Home Improvement, Sustainability, HVAC, Climate Change, Energy Efficiency

4 points by ssuds 21 days ago | 0 comments

Germany's 'Deutschlandticket' helps environment – study (dw.com)
New research says a discounted public transport subscription in Germany has drastically lowered CO2 emissions in the country. The cost of the subscription is €58 a month, but some are saying it should be cheaper.

Environment, Public Transportation, Germany, Research, Sustainability

77 points by rustoo 21 days ago | 43 comments

Paris Votes for 500 More Car Free Streets (theenergymix.com)
As Paris votes to make another 500 streets car-free, the first residents are moving into a newly-built town outside Cambridge, UK, where the bicycle, not the car, is king.

Paris, Urban Planning, Transportation, Sustainability, Public Policy

22 points by Sontho 23 days ago | 7 comments

Eco-friendly detergent made from wood and corn shows promise (phys.org)
From laundry detergent to dishwasher tablets, cleaning products are an indispensable part of life. Yet the chemicals that make these products so effective can be difficult to break down or could even trigger ecosystem-altering algal blooms. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Langmuir have addressed those challenges with an environmentally compatible detergent made of tiny wood fibers and corn protein that removes stains on clothes and dishes just as well as commercial products.

Cleaning Products, Science, Sustainability

4 points by PaulHoule 23 days ago | 0 comments