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Added on the 26/10/2018 16:30:17 - Copyright : Euronews EN
One laboratory near the Dutch city of Eindhoven is doing the dirty work - literally. Bio-artist Jalila Essaidi has pioneered a new method to transform cow dung into useful material. Jalila shot to fame in 2013 after she spearheaded a genetic experiment which combined human skin with spider silk, which the media called 'bulletproof skin.' Her new project focuses on sustainability. Cow manure is actually one of the leading drivers of the greenhouse gas methane escaping into the atmosphere, so Jalila's project has the potential to ease global warming. Jalilia's company called the material made from cow dung 'Mestic,' and its got many interesting properties. Textiles made from Mestic have been well received by the fashion industry and some big-name brands already looking into ways of producing fashion items made of eco-friendly cow poop. Would you ever wear clothing made out of cow manure?
This creepy crawly insect is called a wax worm and, believe it or not, this little guy may just be the answer to global pollution. Footage provided courtesy of the Spanish National Research Council shows a brilliant new discovery made by researcher Federica Bertocchini. She discovered that wax worms are capable of eating through polyethylene plastic. The researcher demonstrated her discovery at a laboratory in Madrid on Wednesday. Although polyethylene is one of the world's most resistant forms of plastic, the worms can destroy the material by munching their way through it. According to the researcher, 100 worms can biodegrade up to 92 milligrams of polyethylene in just one night. That might not seem like much, but what if we multiply that by a thousand? Or even a million? The discovery is touted as the first all-natural solution to the disposal of the dangerous and wasteful material worldwide. Wax worms are now seen as the best way to biodegrade plastic without causing more harmful effects to nature. Polyethylene plastic, the material used to make plastic bags, is very durable. That's why we use it so often. The problem is that polyethylene is not biodegradable, which means that it stays in the environment for hundreds of years after being thrown away. It can cause all sorts of problems for wild animals and the natural environment in general. That's why this new discovery has the potential to help us clean up our act and restore areas like landfills and other areas polluted with plastic.
Egyptian builders are using discarded materials and plastic objects to create an eco-friendly home in a Cairo suburb. Edward Baran reports.
Britain's King Charles III says he is praying that the UN's COP28 climate talks will be a "critical turning point" in the fight against global warming, speaking to world leaders in Dubai. "I pray with all my heart that COP 28 will be another critical turning point towards genuine transformational action," he tells the World Climate Action Summit, held in parallel with COP28. SOUNDBITE
A park in Beijing's Fangshan district, where residents used to gather, dance and exercise, is now flooded with plastic waste after China's capital was hit with its heaviest rains in recent days since records began 140 years ago. IMAGES
Banda Aceh, Oct 18 (EFE/EPA).- An Indonesian man makes stools from used plastic bottles as part of environmental solution. Zainuddin is a teacher who starts using used bottles as materials for making stools and sofas, a side business he started during the COVID-19 pandemic. He developed the idea of making stools using used bottles as a form of environmental preservation and increasing the family's incomes during the economic recession caused by the pandemic. (Camera: HOTLI SIMANJUNTAK). SHOT LIST: ZAINUDDIN MAKES STOOLS FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES AT HIS WORKSHOP IN BANDA ACEH, INDONESIA.
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