Fireworks are harmful. Can drones do better?
Fireworks are a big part of the 4th of July, but they come with some serious health and environmental risks. Drone light shows could be a safer and more exciting way to celebrate. As the sun begins to set on the 4th of July, excited …
The most sustainable skyscrapers are made out of wood
The world is building high-rises faster than it has ever done before. According to architect and Supertall author Stefan Al, that could be a very good thing for the environment — with the right design approach. Things are looking up — literally. More than 1,500 …
How to save electricity
Already faced with sky-high gasoline prices, many Americans are also feeling the pinch from home energy bills. The average home electricity bill in the United States rose eight percent in January compared to a year earlier, the largest increase in more than a decade. If the …
Top tips for EV battery charging
Topics covered in this article How an EV battery works Charging at home and on the go Extending EV battery lifespan Wireless EV charging So, a new EV has caught your eye. Maybe the aerodynamic design cues like the grill-less fascia or sweeping lines sent …
Four new green hotels that take only reservations, leave only memories
From a Mexican design retreat that runs entirely on solar power to an ambitious culinary destination hidden deep in the almost untouched forests of Montana, here are four of the best (and best-looking) new eco-hotels. Hotel Terrestre Puerto Escondido, Mexico Opened: February 2022 Nestled in …
This Brooklyn brownstone produces more energy than it consumes
A century in the past, a century in the future: that’s the purview Ruth Mandl and Bobby Johnston, married architects who run CO Adaptive Architecture, had when renovating their three-story townhouse in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. “We wanted to celebrate and respect the building’s …
The best electric vehicles for road trips
Until now, range anxiety has stopped many an electric vehicle (EV) owner from hitting the highway for a road trip (or stopped many a road-tripper from becoming an EV owner). Thanks to battery tech that’s light years better than in earlier models, many new entrants …
V2L explained: What it is, how it works and what it means for the grid of the future
Icemakers, picnic tables, coffee machines—car makers have long tried to inject a bit of lifestyle into their designs, to varying degrees of success. But what if you could turn your electric vehicle (EV) into a portable battery pack able to power high-demand devices? A new …
Welcome to Europe’s first smart island
Porto Santo, a Portuguese idyll whose beaches are regularly voted best in the world, is transforming itself into an open-air laboratory. The North Atlantic island, some 500 miles east of Casablanca and roughly on the same latitude, gets a good amount of sun and wind. …
How passive house design can take action against climate change
Twenty years ago, architect Katrin Klingenberg broke ground on the first passive house in the country. By 2009, there were about 10 passive house projects in the US; 250 in 2016. The Passive House Institute US (Phius)—the training and certification non-profit Klingenberg founded in 2002 …
