A new water filter that employs cotton dipped in nano-sized silver wires and copper tubes works 80,000 times faster than filters that simply block bacteria from getting through. The filter, developed by
Roughly 1 billion people in the world have no access to safe drinking water, and contaminated water kills more people worldwide than all forms of violence combined. Seeking to provide a solution to this
Photo by Julien Harneis Rwanda is harnessing the natural gas in one of three known “exploding lakes” to generate electricity in a nation where just 1 in 14 houses has access to power. The
It’s often hard not to succumb to the built-in stimuli of digital entertainment - especially when it's everywhere we turn. But we often forget that there’s a lot to be had with just one’s
Calling out to architects, urban designers, planners, students, visionaries, the Build a Better Burb competition seeks to find a bold new design proposal that can retrofit underutilized spaces in suburban
Most large urban areas are located next to a large body of water - whether it is a canal, river, lake or ocean. As a way to combat commuter and residential pollution, parts of these waterways can be
Today, Samsung India launched the first solar-powered phone, the Solar Guru. It's the first solar mobile phone to hit the market, and, at $60, it’s designed to be affordable.
Architecture for Humanity is network of over 40,000 design professionals around the world who donate their services to helping to improve lives of people in need. Every year they build buildings and
No, this is not the latest roller coaster -- it’s actually a self-sustaining community designed by DWP Architects in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Noticed at Designboom, 'Everrich 2 Apartments' is a
Swiss not-for-profit Solafrica has provided a portable solar power station that runs a large donated TV where residents of Kibera, Africa's largest slum, can gather to watch the World Cup.
Whether or not Afghanistan's mineral wealth, which includes a massive supply of lithium, proves to be good news for the troubled nation, it will almost certainly be good news for electric vehicle makers
Over a billion people in the world don't have access to transportation. Worldbike is trying to fight that problem with great design as their weapon. Founder Ross Evans created Worldbike a decade ago on a
According to a startling infographic made for EU Infrastructure and a report by the Norwegian Embassy, the carbon footprint of this year's World Cup in South Africa will be a whopping 6 times that of the
1.6 billion people in the world still use kerosene lamps for light. Not only are they non-renewable and expensive -- they can consume up to 5% of a family's income -- they also give off noxious
Talk about “green design to save the world” — Appropriate Technology Collaborative has developed a solar powered refrigerator for vaccines that stands to save millions of lives lost each
We're thrilled to announce that The Buckminster Fuller Institute has just announced the winner of their third annual Buckminster Fuller Challenge, and this year's award goes to... Allan Savory for
One our favorite design organizations Project H just launched their latest initiative which focuses on transforming the educational landscape through design. An organization founded by former Inhabitat
The power of art is often described as being emotional, healing, ethereal, and inspirational. But in the context of the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI), art's power is as literal as that: power. An
If you've been a fan of Inhabitat for awhile, you may have noticed our love for the humanitarian design non-profit Project H Design. Founded by former Inhabitat Managing Editor Emily Pilloton, Project H
If you want city planners to learn how to handle the serious problems metropolises face, let them play games. IBM’s CityOne is kind of like a SimCity for urban planners and city officials. The
Images via CNN According to scientists at a government lab in Livermore, CA, all we need to do in order to save our planet from its energy woes is create a star right here on Earth. It's that simple!
Photo courtesy of JAXA Solar backpacks and sun-fueled vehicles are impressive, but a solar-powered spacecraft just blows our minds. Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, plans to launch a
America's love affair with consumer electronics will likely rage on for years to come. With a constant stream of iPads, e-readers and smart phones hitting the market, it's hard not to get sucked into
Urban greenies across the US may finally get what they desire -- streetcar lines in their home cities. Due to a change in federal transportation policy under President Obama, 22 American cities are
The Indonesian government recently announced plans to develop a hot new energy resource -- real hot. The country's leaders aim to generate 4,000 megawatts of geothermal energy from volcanoes by the year
Just in time for Earth Day, a new NASA data-crunching tool aims to revolutionize global climate change research. NASA Earth Exchange, or NEX, uses a 128-screen supercomputer to combine satellite images,
Photo credit: Popular Science We are totally nerd-ing out right now over a new DARPA project. The Department of Defense's research branch wants to merge the best elements of a plane, electric vehicle
Recently the city of Chicago was honored as one of two exceptionally green US cities to be shortlisted for UN-Habitat's 100 Cities Initiative. The project aims to give cities, governments, and even
A new device can make a tree grow in Brooklyn--or California, or Holland or even the Sahara desert. The Groasis Waterboxx captures rainwater and condensation in the air, helping plants grow in even the
It's hard to imagine a cement plant going green. Creating cement is a scarily dirty process, and the industry is responsible for about five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. One Canadian company
