Self-Cleaning Glass: Pilkington Activ Glass

“Pilkington Activ” glass needs little cleaning, reducing consumption of detergent and water. The active glass has a special nano-scale (extremely thin) coating of microcrystalline titanium oxide which reacts to daylight. The reaction breaks down dirt on the glass, and when the water hits the glass the dirt slides off. The chemical used — titanium dioxide […]

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Biodegradable Plastic Made Using Bacteria

Metabolix has found a way to produce high-quality plastics using plants and bacteria. In one process it has re-engineered bacteria to turn them into highly efficient "biofactories." By feeding sugars and oils to bacteria in a fermentation process, the company has created bacteria that produce plastics amounting to more than 85% of the cell’s weight.

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Book Review: “Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things”

The ideas in this book are refreshing and optimistic. The authors, William McDonough and Michael Braungart, propose that factories, homes and consumer products can be redesigned so that they are actually beneficial to the world. This is in contrast to the approach of attempting to regulate industries and minimize environmental damage. Instead of trying to

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