Pi-POP BY STEE

A DIFFERENT SORT OF POWER-DOUBLE-WHEELER

Who doesn’t like a solution that takes a chronic issue … and simply eliminates it?

A rapidly growing sector of the EV industry – e-bikes - promises major emissions reduction around the world, except for one thing; battery fires. They are a relative rarity, but we hear a lot about them because they tend to be devastating. E-bikes are often stored and charged indoors, setting buildings on fire and killing people when their batteries explode.

The global e-bike market is valued at about USD 50 billion, with projections of USD 86 billion by 2028.

Demand leads to the inclusion of cheaply made versions, which get much of the blame for fires. Regardless, it’s an endemic problem. Lithium-ion cells experience thermal runway, a dramatic increase in temperature and pressure, along with a release of flammable gas, which can ignite from the heat and release toxic gas. Overcharging, damage, and modifications add to the danger.

And of course, we hear a lot about the depletion of lithium and how bad mining it is for the environment.

There is also that battle for more power and range; a cycle that defeats its own purpose. Or as French entrepreneur Adrien Lelièvre describes it, a dead-end. So, he invented the Pi-Pop e-bike, without a battery, using his knowledge of electronics to do what always seems to work best in innovation; level up a known quantity. In this case, a supercapacitor.

The goal is better energy storage, and that’s what supercapacitors have been doing for half a century in photovoltaic systems, such as solar panels, and more to the point here, in digital cameras, elevators, and the like, where rapid discharge - burst-mode power delivery – is required. They are also used in regenerative braking.

Pi-Pop was developed at STEE – Solutechnic Electronic Engineering – in Orléans, France. The initial focus is on how it will perform in Europe.

On level surfaces, where the rider can easily pedal and create a lot of energy, or when braking, the supercapacitor stores it electrostatically (as opposed to chemically). When restarting or riding uphill, that energy is released quickly for the needed assistance. On routes that present a dense mix of flat surfaces and grades, the case in about 80% of European cities, the 3rd generation Pi-Pop is expected to handle elevation gains of 50 meters.

Think about how it also solves the recharging scenario. Another drawback is simply eliminated. And the supercapacitor is expected to have a lifetime of 10 to 15 years, compared to five to six for lithium batteries.

Hitching a ride on this industry trend, or potentially propelling it forward in a major way, STEE is currently producing 100 Pi-Pops per month, and considering fundraising to increase that to 1,000. That would put it on track to make a big entry into the European market in 2025.

WINDPOWER FOR THE WIN

MEGAWATTS SENT FROM OFFSHORE

Wind energy is hitting its stride on a more global scale. It’s exciting to see a potential tipping point of acceptance in the headlights. Cutting-edge tech now also means solving the issues that bring pushback. Where towering turbines are considered eyesores and environmentally hazardous, the tethered wind is a solution. The cost of investing in the industry also needs to be considered.

We’ve taken a look at World Wide Wind and its floating turbines. As we were hearing from Rob Creighton at Windlift about their scaled-back, developer-friendly, tethered wind approach, major offshore wind developments in a crucial proving ground were folding. Supply disruptions, rising costs of construction and interest rates, and permitting delays are impacting commercial viability.

About 16% of the world’s energy is used in the U.S., where more than half the population lives along the eastern seaboard. It’s ripe for the development of offshore wind as part of a plan to make a major dent in climate impacts. Yet, Spanish utility Iberdrola U.S. subsidiary, Avangrid, canceled planned projects off of Connecticut and Massachusetts, and Ørsted dropped plans for two off of New Jersey.

But here is one way the trend may get back on track.

In an awkward dance, the State of New York is working to revive the 1.26-gigawatt Empire Wind 2 project. Developers Equinor and BP walked away from the plan in October after a state agency denied their request for an increase in financial relief. But in November, another state energy agency announced it was accepting applications for a new offtake agreement process, with winners decided as soon as February. It is open to all potential developers. Equinor and BP intend to be back on board.

The takeaway here is that those “elephant in the room” regulatory processes are the linchpin. It’s become clear private industry will lead the way with climate solutions, but governments still have the power to make or break them.

How can they be motivated in the right direction?

Definitive climate laws – legal mandates - appear to be giving New York a proper tailwind. It’s been four years since it committed to sourcing 70% of energy from renewables by 2030 and 100% by 2040, as well as 9GW of offshore wind by 2035. Desperate times are here, but the measures have yet to reflect that.

The Public Power New York Coalition commissioned the “Mind the Gap” report for an assessment. The gist of it is that with increased momentum of private sector renewable projects and better energy conservation measures, 2030 will bring only 61% renewable use. If projects continue to stall and energy demand continues to rise, it will top out at only 45%.

All eyes will be on what’s happening off the coast a little further north. In December, a joint wind farm being built by Ørsted and Eversource had begun sending electricity to Long Island. Just before midnight on January 3, one of the five turbines at Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Vineyard Wind project began sending about 5MW to the Massachusetts grid. An industry leader called it a “watershed moment.”

PLANET TINY SATELLITE

LET THE DOVES FLY TO ORBIT

“If AI is the Wild West, does that mean data is the new gold?” Matthew McConaughey muses rhetorically in a TV ad for a major software solutions provider.

Data has always been golden, even before the word went mainstream. Whether you’re trying to sell shampoo or launch a rocket, more is more. We just needed the bots to sort through it all.

Here’s a company taking data truly global, and to new heights.

Every 24 hours, Planet’s 200+ satellites beam down images of the entirety of Earth’s land masses. That’s as real-time as it gets and optimizes response opportunities. Its data is the highest frequency in the industry, used by governments and urban developers, and in sectors like mapping, agriculture, and forestry.

Wow! But perhaps you’re thinking, what about OwlVoices’ blog piece on "noctalgia" noting how a proliferation of satellites is a big contributor to the loss of dark skies?

Planet was launched in a Silicon Valley garage in 2010 by three NASA scientists who knew well their biggest hurdle was billion-dollar satellites and extended launch schedules. So, they designed their own “tiny, inexpensive, earth-imaging powerhouses that can deliver data on demand,” that could be launched in batches. Their smallest, Doves, are a mere 30x10x10 centimeters, the size of a shoebox. Compare that to the typical communications satellite at seven meters long, with another 50 meters of solar panels.

Planet spent a decade building and launching satellites, creating a platform that uses machine learning to make the information it collects as usable as possible for its customers. With a data archive that grows by 15 terabytes daily, it’s no exaggeration when they call it a “search engine for the planet.”

Co-founder and CEO Will Marshall told an audience at a UN climate conference about some of the remarkable results of their monitoring. They’ve discovered oil spills in New Mexico and missile silos in western China. Before and after images have been used in thousands of court cases to hold landowners accountable for misuse.

Governments immediately protected coral reefs after Planet released a global map that used spectral bands to identify coral by type. And regarding the battle against deforestation, “We can see every tree.”

Monitoring enables predictions about flooding to warn people in areas that will be affected and tracks wildfires to aid in emergency response. A recently launched fleet called Carbon Mapper is used to detect exact sources of CO2 and methane emissions. The timing was no coincidence, coming as efforts to meet climate targets moved the spotlight onto accountability.

Summing it up, Marshall said, “You can’t fix what you can’t see.”

This falls into the category of solutions the innovators in the OwlVoices community tell us will endure; straightforward concepts that are breakthroughs because they address every nuance toward usability.

FLOWING WATERS

TRANSPARENT IS NOT NECESSARILY CLEAN

Early in my newspaper reporting days, a local resident called me, outraged by a legal notice in the paper that a wastewater (sewage) treatment plant was going to dump 25,000 gallons of treated water into the adjacent river. 

I visited the plant, and can still recall being engulfed by the pungent smell of chlorine as soon as I opened my car door. That was reassuring, as was an explanation of the process that includes extensive water quality testing. I remember the plant manager, a trusted friend, saying, “The water we release into the river is cleaner than what comes out of most faucets.” 

It made sense at the time. It makes even more sense now, I found myself silently shouting at my TV recently. With expressions of thinly veiled disgust, news anchors offer inappropriate, editorial quips about a new law in California that makes it legal for municipalities to send purified wastewater back into the drinking supply. It is only the second state to do so, with Colorado leading the way, although it’s hard to imagine a bandwagon. 

It doesn’t help that this level of water recycling has gained the nickname, Toilet to Tap. 

Of course, extensive monitoring and testing will be required, with standards written into the legislation, to the point that few of us have ever benefitted from. Seriously, when was the last time you had your well water checked, or saw a report on your town or city water source? 

And bottled water? The National Resources Defense Council has regularly looked at what lurks in that crinkly plastic (we won’t go into the plastic waste issue here) to often find chemical thresholds exceeded. Yes, it’s tested, but it’s still tap water, and the feds don’t require it to be safer than what comes out of your faucet. 

Is California’s move a desperate measure, as the most populated state is impacted by drought? More importantly, will municipalities, currently not mandated to do so, pick up the ball? 

You may be thinking you’ve heard about wastewater recycling elsewhere, because plenty of places have been doing it, but for non-potable uses like irrigation, ice rinks, snowmaking and industrial. True, that kind of recycling takes the pressure off of drinking water supplies. But as climate change impacts the latter across the globe, it’s becoming obvious it will not be enough for long. 

Water management programs in places like Australia, Singapore, Israel, Namibia and South Africa have long been treating water to be reused up to the domestic level. What is it going to take, especially in the U.S., to overcome the “ick factor” and a lack of consumer confidence? 

It will also take time. Places like Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County have recycling infrastructure in place that can be leveled up. Where there is nothing, predictions are that it will take a minimum of six years for the needed builds. 

EV BATTERIES TAKE 3.0

ELECTRICITY STORED IN UNIMAGINABLE WAYS

If we think the future of fossil fuel-free transportation comes down to electric or hydrogen, we would be wrong. Those are just fuels. It’s really about how fuel cells and batteries function. In the mad scramble to meet climate targets, we need to focus on the broader picture.

Quickly coming into focus are lots of potential drawbacks, but none more head-slapping than yet another threat of depletion of a natural resource and a glut of environmentally hazardous waste. Sound familiar?

Electric vehicles are the future, at least for now, and are the best bet to be the hero of climate change. Lithium-ion batteries, however, may not end up in that equation. Lithium is an expensive, nonrenewable. Their toxic metals make recycling and disposal an issue.

All of that is not to say technology won’t advance to the point where it becomes a better option, but there is a lot out there to keep an eye on.

Northvolt Ett, a Swedish battery manufacturer founded by two former Tesla execs, specializes in lithium-ion but just announced it made a major breakthrough in improving sodium-ion battery cells. It swaps critical minerals – the source of fire hazards and price fluctuations - for a form of the pigment Prussian blue. This also eliminates sourcing parts offshore (primarily from China).

The problem with sodium-ion is limited capacity, making them more suitable for storage than EVs, but Northvolt is working on that. And sodium? There’s just a whole lot more of it, making up about 3% of Earth’s mass, and it doesn’t need to be mined.

Northvolt gets a shoutout for sourcing 100% of the electricity for its mega operation from hydro and wind, allowing it to produce fuel cells with the lowest carbon footprint in the world. When its facility is fully built, it will be able to produce batteries for about one million EVs annually, which translates to a crazy big amount of avoided emissions for that industry.

If that’s not the predicted game-changer, engineers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology are working on proton batteries that use a carbon electrode and gain a charge by splitting water molecules. Carbon is cheap and abundant and found just about everywhere. The batteries are safe and easy to recycle. The latest on their progress is a tripled energy density from their original prototype. That puts it at 245 watt-hours per kilogram, compared to conventional lithium-ion at around 260 Wh/kg.

How about CRAB batteries?

You read that right. Scientists at the University of Maryland’s Center for Materials Innovation (how ironic is that?) are combining the chemical, chitin, with zinc to power batteries.

Chitin is a major component of crustacean shells. The bonus here is that a massive source is restaurants all over the world that toss massive amounts of shells, which contributes to a scenario of cheap, at-scale production. They have proven to be 99.7% efficient after 400 hours of use, so that’s also promising.

Here’s the mic drop; they are essentially biodegradable. Bury them for five months, and the chitin will have completely decomposed into the soil. The zinc will remain but can then be recycled, indefinitely, retaining its physical and chemical properties.

WINDLIFT ENERGY 2/2

THE BIG PRINCIPLE COMPACTED EFFICIENTLY

It’s been 120 years since the Wright brothers pioneered aviation on the sands of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The anniversary coincides with a new course set for a company just a few hours from that beach. Windlift is making the move into the production of airborne power generators (APGs). We’re taking another look here because it’s a sure bet we will be hearing a lot more about how their system – autonomous flight software-driven drones - disrupts the industry.

It all seems very fitting because their airplane-shaped, quadrotor drones are based on those principles of flight. Advanced power electronics, machine learning, and composite design are thrown in for a recipe for wind energy generation that uses 90% less materials, reduces the levelized cost of energy by half, and substantially reduces carbon emissions.

A lot of development – thousands of simulated versions – went into transforming a propellor that produces thrust to the drag needed for turbine blades, and moving beyond the randomness of a tethered energy collector to an optimized flight path.

While that’s fascinating, a striking thing about Windlift is the thought that goes into useability. Maybe systems that are shockingly expensive and time-consuming to implement are part of the learning curve. Maybe Windlift will prove that theory wrong.

Puerto Rico is an example. Struggles with an aging, undermaintained power grid came to a head in 2017 after Hurricane Maria. Just months before, the power authority declared bankruptcy. It would be 11 months before power was completely restored.

We’re all thinking at this point, ‘How do we still let pockets of humanity suffer like that?’

Our next thought had better be, ‘What about renewables?’

Instead of the estimated $20B to rehab its grid, offshore wind would be a good plan for the island, except for one little thing.

It is just one of the many places around the world, Creighton says, that doesn’t have the resources to install the $2 billion port facility needed to build wind farms with traditional turbines. And specialized “liftboats” to “plant” them into the ocean floor can cost half a billion dollars.

Windlift’s “portability” – buoys and components designed to fit within an ordinary shipping container is the game-changer. It’s not surprising their research dollar have come primarily from the US military. This is the answer to many of their needs and is expected to be lifesaving in ways surprising to us civilians. On the battlefield, a large number of casualties are related to delivering fuel to the tactical edge.

An IDIQ – indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity – contract was signed recently with the US Naval Research Laboratory, capped at $30 million over the next five years. To start, Creighton said they will provide small, distributed units that will operate right on that edge. Looking ahead, they will aim to address the increasing electrical needs of military operations, like surveillance drones and EVs. 

In our next post, we’ll take a look at another disruptor, poised to make a breakthrough in battery tech, and powering its massive facilities entirely by wind energy.

WINDLIFT ENERGY 1/2

KITE SURFING FOR AS A MISSION

A cringy-worthy moment of last week came with a big storm along the east coast of the US and Canada. No one even knew what to call it because a storm that formed in the Gulf of Mexico in December was ahead-scratcher. Digging deep to hype it, a news forecaster commented about how much snow the northern tier would get, ‘if not for global warming.’

Anyway, while we were supposed to be “bracing” for high winds, flooding, and power outages, I was thinking about my recent conversation with Rob Creighton, CEO at Windlift. I was imagining their tethered, airplane-shaped drones, whirling propellers scooping up masses of energy from offshore wind, then suddenly reeled into their floating platforms to ride out the storm. It would all happen automatically; sensors and software efficiently do their jobs.

I shouldn’t be saying anything about this yet, because the North Carolina-based company will be the startup profile in the upcoming AIR issue of OwlVoices magazine. But we couldn’t resist offering a sneak peek. Their story is incredibly inspiring for two reasons – a remarkable innovation that takes a relatively simple approach to new levels with a diligently developed “upgrade,” and sustainability that meshes perfectly with user-friendliness.

The tethered system replaces a foundation and tower used by traditional wind turbines, using 90% less steel, 93% less carbon fiber, and 96% less rare-earth elements.

It eliminates the need for the specialized ports and ships needed to get typical equipment offshore and can be used on land. Windlift had the forethought to design a complete setup that fits into one 40-foot shipping container so that it can be transported just about anywhere in the world. That all translates to about a 30% reduction in upfront costs.

Tethered wind systems use lightweight, aerodynamic, flow-concentrating devices, “kites” or parachute-like wings that ride the wind. Energy is generated by regenerative braking – created when a tug activates a brake on the tether’s winch.

Here is Windlift’s exciting difference.

Instead of being at the mercy of the wind, its drones optimize it using autonomous flight control software. Extensive testing and machine learning translate into patterns that capture the maximum energy in a given situation.

Instead of relying on random tugs, their tethers are conductive, sending all that gathered energy directly to a collection point, with a tiny portion used to power the system.

It has the same power density as the traditional wind but with a 50% reduction in the levelized cost of energy.

Windlift sums it up as “terawatt-scale potential, gigaton-scale impact.”

We have seen it time and again when talking with innovators for our pages. Why did Hydraloop catch the attention of the Bowersox Innovation Group, which will now include their water recycling systems in every home they build? For great tech combined with an awesome phone app, of course. Companies like SoMaxHTC and Wildfire Energy take the consumer out of the equation and create revenue streams for municipalities, at wastewater plants and landfills. No matter how amazing a product is, what is it worth if no one wants or can afford to use it?

Creighton and his team are also inspiring for sticking with it for an off-again, on-again decade of development. Eventually, they connected with the US Department of Defense, which fully funded a prototype with a total of $22 million, The military is anxious for that easily-deployed, localized, budget-conscious power system. Windlift is targeting late 2024 for demonstrations, and at-scale deployment by 2030.

COP28

HYDRALOOP ON THE MOVE

There were some rocky moments at COP28 in Dubai last week, where some world leaders, particularly those from oil-rich nations, were reluctant to commit to a complete transition from fossil fuels. China and Saudi Arabia were among those initially blocking the phase-out of not just coal, but oil and gas.

Ultimately, a historic deal calls for “Transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050.”

Is it a new beginning toward real change?

A brief history – the first United Nations’ Conference of the Parties was held in Berlin in 1995 to address climate change. Twenty years later, the Paris Agreement (named for the host country) set a target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050. It was signed by 190 countries (out of the then- 198). Five years later, countries failed to demonstrate substantial, if any progress. Since then, accountability has been the name of the game. COP28 held its feet to the fire with the first Global Stocktake.

Away from the main stage, however, there is much to cheer on, including the presentation of the Blueprint for a Circular Water Smart Society by Meike van Ginneken, Water Envoy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, and a panel discussion with the Water Alliance and member Hydraloop.

It’s all about micro water-saving solutions. Small circles, as Hydraloop founders Sabine Stuiver and Arthur Valkieser describe the world’s first IoT-connected water recycling system. Putting the plan before decision-makers around the world is how the real climate battle work gets done. Hydraloop called it, a ”valuable starting point for governing bodies worldwide, providing concrete solutions for practical application.”

OwlVoices has been cheering their work on as the Hydraloop founders focus on advocacy and the bigger picture. We were at the launch of the blueprint earlier this year in New York City, during UN Water Week, where it was endorsed by experts like Dirk Krol, executive director, and Hans Goossens, president of Water Europe, Dean Amhaus, president and CEO of The Water Council, US, and Peter Fiske, Executive director of the National Association of Water Innovation, US.

A lot of work gets done behind the scenes at COP, and Hydraloop officially entered into an agreement with an international private equity and investment firm that promotes advancements in climate technology, sustainability, and energy transition.

It’s being called a groundbreaking partnership that opens up new opportunities for investment while propelling Hydraloop’s global expansion and diversifying its applications, in sectors that include energy, industrial facilities, water management systems, and off-grid locations.

What is the blueprint?

It is a concise plan by the Water Alliance’s Global Expert Group Circular Water to shape a water use transition, starting with an overview of the causes of the global water crisis. It offers solutions for circular water use in urban areas that can be implemented quickly to reduce tap water use and wastewater emissions by 22-45%.

It covers water-smart construction, the need for regulations that do not obstruct, but enable circular water, and financial incentives.

It can work because people are not asked to make concessions and the benefits of enhanced water security.

In our posts here, we have been talking about ways to “create” water with alternate sourcing, like Beth Kiogi’s Majik Water and MASK Architects’ BAOBAB resort, collecting drinking water from ambient humidity. Every time we read about efforts like this, we are reminded of Hydraloop’s philosophy that small circles are the answer.

Read our magazine profile of Hydraloop here.

THE GOOD OLD EV

THE NEXT GENERATION ON THE HORIZON

Is this a crossroads, or momentum toward zero emissions targets? The OwlVoices team has been sharing a look at electric avenues, and how dynamic – on the fly – charging can either be a valuable add-on solution, or the next, best one.

This week, Ford announced it is cutting its F150 Lightning pickup truck production by half next year. In the US, the introduction of that EV alone sparked more hope than all others combined. Americans like their trucks. The ICE F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle for 41 consecutive years, with one sold every minute, 24/7.

But it’s no surprise that the popularity has not transferred. Power and reliability are not negotiable in a utility vehicle. EVs used on the job could make a big dent in carbon reduction, but that segment is not gaining significant traction, and the why is also no surprise.

In 2021, the US Congress approved $7.5 billion for states and the charger industry to tap into. How many have been built so far? Thousands! Just kidding. Go with your first guess. ZERO. Red tape is blamed.

Many of the companies tapping into this market came in with the simple idea of piggybacking on existing fueling stations. Not so simple, it turned out, when local permitting takes up to 18 months. If you’re not familiar with how municipal governments work, at least in the US, these decisions typically go before a planning commission, and those are often made up of volunteers with no expertise. Well-meaning and afraid to make the wrong move, they overthink and undermine, or just say no.

The difference with electric roads is the public-private partnerships that fuel them. Sure, there are a lot of hurdles here, too. But it’s a different beast when innovators and decision-makers are collaborating.

A potentially big hurdle is the modifications needed to add receivers to vehicles, and the added cost to users. Car buyers will likely see wireless charging hardware as an optional upgrade, with early estimates of up to $4,000. Experts say it’s a serious (pricey) retrofit for current EV owners, which we can only guess will translate to bigger bucks.

Of course, this is not free-to-all charging. Electreon, for instance, says it will likely require a monthly subscription plan for users to gain access to charging while cruising. We saw that coming, but it's fair. The question is, how much of a premium price will we have to pay, and will it become another hindrance to the EV transition?

Okay, that was two questions. But there are a lot more, and none of them are stupid, because we’re breaking new ground here.

Post yours, and let’s see if we can find the answers.

I’ll start.

What if you want to do both? Innovators are developing their hardware. Do we need to buy multiple systems, and will that even work?

Sustainably scaling up battery production also requires a shorter supply chain. As manufacturing ramps up to meet climate target demands and continues to meet replacement needs.

ALL HAVE TO HAVE ONE

THE EV CHIC IN EVERY FAMILY

Nearly every carmaker on the planet is now adding at least one electric vehicle model to meet climate change targets. A Ford engineer recently stated that within just a few years, consumers would not be deciding between gas and electric vehicles, but choosing which EV to buy.

Sounds like the goal.

Now imagine everyone drives an EV or rides an electric bus or train, and all those delivery vehicles are no longer pumping out carbon emissions, either. Oh, and we also build out national charging station infrastructures.

There are downsides to this scenario. What about all those batteries?

They have long been the big challenge. Lithium-ion tech demands lots of power and threatens the depletion of that finite resource. Scaling up requires a breakthrough in power storage tech.

And charging infrastructure? Not happening fast enough!

An alternative could be those electric roads we’ve been talking about, letting us top off on the go with wireless charging.

A study in Sweden found that piggybacking dynamic charging onto home charging could mean passenger car batteries that are 70% smaller. And, to keep people moving across typical travel patterns, only a quarter of its roads would need to be electrified.

Wireless charging is fairly simple. Inductive charging coils and electromagnetic transmitters buried beneath the pavement conduct electricity through a magnetic field to a vehicle equipped with a receiver coil. Power-management hubs along the roadside complete the system.

Two ways to accomplish wireless charging:

Dynamic charging on those electric roads juices up vehicles while they are being driven. The roads remain accessible to all vehicles. They are safe. People and animals can walk on it without getting zapped.

Static systems work when vehicles are parked over a charging pad; the same tech as phone chargers. They are promised to be just as safe, even when in charging mode. The frequencies they operate at are far below the radio frequencies our bodies constantly tolerate.

Companies are popping up with static charging solutions that are easy to sell to businesses, cities, and individuals for home garages.

Dynamic charging industry leader, Electreon, which is piloting projects globally, has a plan that sort of combines the two. It is focusing on making a bigger, faster, more cost-effective impact, leaning into optimal charging places and fleets. Truck and bus depots, taxi stands, even intersections where vehicles wait at traffic lights, sucking up power faster as they remain stationary, could be the best approach with current technology.

For fleet operators, this can be an end run around taking vehicles out of service for charging, translating to better service and higher revenues.

Mass transit is another end run; getting people to use a technology they don’t trust by taking out the part where they need to be convinced.

But the big prize will still be those charging corridors. Long hauls on the open road, whether it's trucking or passenger cars, is where range anxiety is a legit fear, and that’s where the value can show up.

ONLINE CHARGING VEHICLES

HOVER IT TO COVER IT

There’s a term in football (the American version where you use your hands) called an ‘end run,’ which means the ball carrier tries to run around the end of the defensive line. It also works to describe what has mostly been the pattern of technological advancements throughout time. When obstacles seem insurmountable, the most innovative look for a workaround.

Over the next few posts, we’re going to look at the “Electric Avenue” while trying not to get that song stuck in our heads. Boy, does that sound like a no-brainer solution to the EV charging infrastructure dilemma? Who wouldn’t want an electric car if it charged simply by driving it overcharging coils buried inroads?

It’s happening, including in Detroit, Michigan, where North America’s first stretch of inductive-charging road just opened.

It’s not the tech itself that’s a hurdle, but all the things around it – installations, appropriations, and vehicle modifications – and, of course, acceptance of a major transition. In places like the US, where the aging transportation infrastructure means construction zones are a regular part of the scenery, it’s not hard to imagine the pushback. The climate change battle cry is “every solution!” Yet there are only so many resources to go around. Even among a willing public, progress can stall when the options overwhelm.

Electric cars have been around for almost two centuries. EV charging stations since 1914. Climate change awareness has accelerated recent momentum, but the struggle for transition remains real. Is it time to switch gears? Do we have time?

Dynamic charging could solve a lot of issues, from overcoming EV range anxiety to conserving natural resources and pollution with smaller batteries.

South Korea introduced wireless EV charging a decade ago with a prototype that powered public buses on inner city roads. The OLEV (online electric vehicle) platform got a lot of attention when the Korea Institute of Science and Technology introduced it. However, the batteries in the converted diesel buses were problematic. In 2021, a new pilot project began, starting with EV technology.

In 2018, wireless chargers were embedded in two kilometers of a Chinese highway that was paved with solar panels and covered with translucent concrete to test OLEV there.

Also that year, Sweden built a 21-kilometer, temporary e-roadway. This past summer, the government announced that electric highways would become permanent, followed by 3,000 more kilometers by 2035.

That’s when the EU’s zero emissions law kicks in.

In Detroit, vehicles can recharge while in motion or parked along a quarter-mile of 14th street in Michigan Central, where Israeli startup Electreon is testing its technology (as it does in Israel and several European cities). The test site is in the new mobility innovation district, a 3-acre hub swirling around Ford Motor Company’s Michigan Central Station restoration, where innovators and disruptors from across the globe can work on urban transportation solutions.

As we dive in further, we will look at how electric avenues work, safety and reliability, and what it means for carmakers and buyers.

DRY FACTORIES

L’OREAL … ONLY 40 LEFT TO GO DRY

Chances are, you used a L'Oréal product today. Its global brands portfolio includes Garnier, Redkin, CeraVe, and Maybelline New York.

Parent companies get a bad rap, but when their sustainability targets are sound and implemented, their wide-reaching influence makes a big difference.

L'Oréal gets a AAA score from CDP, a nonprofit established in 2000 as the Carbon Disclosure Project, seeking transparency in climate change impacts. It eventually broadened its environmental disclosure scope to include deforestation and water security.

CDP describes the beauty purveyor as a global leader in corporate sustainability.

On the flip side, L'Oréal is one of only 12 companies to score an AAA in each category ... out of more than 15,000 companies asked to disclose environmental impact data to CDP each year. Scores range down through D- for effectiveness. An F goes to those who submit insufficient or no information at all.

Try this statistic for size; only 1.3% scored at least an A rating.

L'Oréal’s reported actions include tackling deforestation in its supply chain and water stewardship. Instead of resting on its laurels, it has stated that the rating was encouraging them to go “further and faster” against climate change. Among the initiatives factoring into the top score is dry factories.

OwlVoices had those factories on our radar prior to a recent, chance encounter with an executive in its transformation division. When asked about that single initiative, she responded enthusiastically that they have so much more going on across their operations. So, we’re definitely going to be taking a deeper dive.

For now, let’s look at L'Oréal’s example of shampoo manufacturing. Ingredients, of course, are mixed in large tanks that need to be washed and sterilized after each use. We’re all picturing gallons and gallons of water used to hose it down, and that remains the case. There’s no magic wand to wave here.

This calls for a workaround.

Equipment can be optimized, but there’s only so much that can be done to reduce it. That makes reuse the answer. And really, shouldn’t that always be the case with gray water?

L’Oreal is using technologies like ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and evapoconcentration to use the same water over and over, in a closed loop. One of the challenges is “retrofitting” water recycling; working it into existing equipment and processes. The company notes that treating and recycling industrial wastewater is new in the cosmetics industry, so they are learning as they go.

Factories in Burgos, Spain, Vorsino, Russia, and Settimo Torinese in Italy are now dry. That means only 40 to go. But the transitions are inspiring new ways to implement across distinct locations. That should ramp up the speed of a complete transformation – and hopefully, knowledge to share – as they pioneer the way.

The goal is to eventually level up to further reduce impact by completely reimagining water cycles. Two years ago, L’Oreal launched a strategy for areas that include biodiversity, plastics, and oceans, and “recognizing the interconnectedness of nature and earth’s systems”

MINING BITCOIN

ON TO ECO-FRIENDLY AND CLEAN

Cryptocurrency. Did your eyeballs just glaze over?

Just because SBF is in jail and we’ve been in a crypto winter doesn’t mean the digital currency is dead. The concept is sound and spring is springing. The issues lie in doubts, regrets, and refusal by regulators to wrap their minds around it and provide what the industry itself is screaming for.

But that’s not what I want to talk about.

If you haven’t been keeping up with Kal Penn, actor (Kumar in the Harold & Kumar franchise) and former White House aide, get yourself over to the Bloomberg app for Getting Warmer.

Among the assortment of episodes on topics like methane, carbon offsets, and the challenge of staying cool, is a surprising look at a way to turn an energy-devouring industry into an asset; along the lines of, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.’

How much energy does coin mining take? The Digiconomist's Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index estimated that one Bitcoin transaction takes 1,449 kWh to complete, or the equivalent of approximately 50 days of power for the average US household.

Penn went to West Texas to meet a man with a plan. No spoiler alert, because you’ll want to watch the whole episode to wrap your mind around it, and hear Penn explain the proof of work system and blockchain.

“Bitcoin cowboy,” Justin Ballard believes crypto can be a powerful tool to help people on a global scale. His company, JAI Energy, no longer exists, but his idea lingers.

The pair rode through miles of desert and solar panel arrays that stretched to the horizon, collecting so much excess energy, power substations are sending it into the ground (stranded energy). And in the resource-rich state, natural gas wells are burning off the excess (flare stacks). Yes, there are some painful moments.

It’s a classic dilemma. It’s easy to capture loads of energy in places where few want to live or work ... except for those with warehouses filled with thousands of servers.

But here’s the catch; renewables are intermittent power sources. Bitcoin miners still need to buy power. That means buying directly from the grid, which relies heavily on natural gas and coal. It also means sucking up power residents might need. During unusual demands, like heat waves, mining operations are required to shut down, not ideal for them.

You might remember the 2021 deadly ice storm when demand overwhelmed the state’s power grid. Millions had no heat, power, or water for nearly a week. That was purely a grid issue.

Ballard’s plan is more of a scientific approach; a win-win of accommodating bitcoin mining demand while stabilizing the grid.

As he explains, power grids require a balance, with a very small operational tolerance determined by the baseload that is set. When that baseload is maintained at higher levels – now you see where he’s going with this – there’s plenty of readily available electricity to divert from Bitcoin operations to residential uses.

Penn sought the opinion of Doug Lewin, independent energy consultant and president of Stoic Energy, who offered a “firm maybe,” around the viability of supporting growing crypto demand with large, flexible power loads. Basically, it needs good regulation aimed at balancing supply and demand every second and use of clean energy sources.

We all saw that coming.

But Lewin does believe that a template can evolve here, as the basis for widespread mitigation of the more than 70 million tons of annual emissions.

SAILING TANKER ATTITUDES

MOVING WITH STRONG WINDS AHEAD

A few years ago, the International Chamber of Shipping released a report called Catalysing the Fourth Propulsion Revolution. It looks at alternative energy sources to decarbonize the shipping industry; ammonia, hydrogen, and batteries.

Also considered in the report is the lack of availability at a scale of any zero carbon fuel or technology, the need for an enormous amount of research and development, and a fund to de-risk investment, along with novel propulsion systems, vessel upgrades, and a global refueling network. ICS Secretary General Guy Platten said a “quantum leap” in decarbonized technology was needed, comparing it to the switch from sail to steam, without the luxury of transformation time.

A little background:

Shipping on the open seas is overseen by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), an agency of the United Nations, whose job is to consider aspects like safety and pollution.

The shot across the bow was the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Soon after, an IMO mandate was enacted to phase out single-hull tankers. The timeline was accelerated a decade later when the fuel oil-laden Maltese tanker, Erika, broke in half during a storm off the coast of France, polluting hundreds of kilometers of coastline.

So, we’re on the water, and we’re talking about energy, but the focus here is on the AIR, because while the threat of disasters like oil spills is always real but the impact of carbon emissions is constant.

Container ships release an annual average of 140 million metric tons of CO2, and bulk carriers average a massive 440 million. They are simply heavier, accounting for more than 80% of total shipping tonnage.

The difference with emission impacts is there is no dramatic disaster to move the needle toward better practices. Alternative fuel cargo ships are merely inching into a safe harbor.

But some real implementation targets are on the horizon.

The ICS points us to Wallenius Oceanbird.

The Swedish company “Provides wings for a shipping revolution,” and says a full-scale prototype will be on the water in mid-2024 with the installation of its innovative, foldable wing sail on Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s Tirranna.

Studies of the Oceanbird concept show that it may reduce emissions by up to 90%. A flap on the sail makes it act more like an airplane wing, adding aerodynamic forces. A revised design cuts the wing length in half, to 40 meters. It’s made mostly of recyclable materials.

Each wing sail installed on an existing RoRo (roll-on/roll) vessel is predicted to reduce main engine fuel consumption by 7-10%, saving about 765,000 liters of diesel and 1,920 tons of CO2 annually.

The concept moves the needle further with a specially designed hull, and speed/route recommendations. The plan is to build and sail the Orcelle Wind, with six Oceanbird wings, by 2027. At about 220 by 40 meters, and rising 70 meters above the water line, it will carry up to 7,000 cars.

It’s a part of Orcelle Horizon, a €9 million grant that brings together 11 partners, representing every piece of the wind propulsion puzzle, including vessel design, weather routing, supply chain management, and crew training for test existing vessel installations. It will power five years of planning, building, and operating the Orcelle Wind, with the ultimate goal of preparing it for commercial trading.

Our fingers are crossed Wallenius.

FUNGUS, FUNGUS ON THE WALL …

MYCELIUM TO MEET HOUSING SHORTAGES

From bricks and panels that lock together, LEGO-style, to recycled plastics and hempcrete, dramatically different options for providing shelter are coming fast and furiously from innovators. Every new approach causes a gasp of surprise at the ingenuity.

The next revolution in construction may be here. Mycelium-based products.

They are already replacing unsustainable materials in products such as clothing, shoes, skincare, and packaging.

At Newcastle University in the UK, researchers are turning fungal networks, the root structures of mushrooms, into a building material. These tiny strings form strong, underground networks, enabling trees and other plants to share water and nutrients, and even communicate with each other.

The idea is not to literally grow a building on site – although that seems to be a possibility here – but to create a durable, lightweight material from a fast-growing source that reduces our reliance on wood, steel, and concrete, and their intense environmental impacts. After water, concrete is the most consumed product on the planet. The industry spews 4.4 billion tons of pollution into the atmosphere every year.

Mycelium’s growth properties would be leveraged to make mycocrete. Spores mixed with organic material for food, such as grains, are placed in a mold in a warm, dark, and humid environment. When the mycocrete grows to fill the mold, it is removed and dried. It can be combined with other biobased materials, such as cellulose, sawdust, and wool, to achieve desired aesthetics. The team also developed flexible, tube-shaped molds that hang from a frame to allow better airflow and a faster drying process.

Their concept was proven through the BioKnit build; a freestanding dome demonstrating a biofabrication system that combined mycocrete and a 3D knitted framework. The flexible form allows for one-piece construction, eliminating the weak points and other drawbacks of joints.

The only thing left for the Newcastle team is to optimize the mycocrete mixture for buildings.

What if construction could be done from on-site “starter kits” of fast-growing materials?

Think about the even wider-ranging impact mitigation. It could be a solution for developing areas and affordable housing needs everywhere.

Take Canada, working on an immigration initiative to bolster its workforce and economy, yet realizing right out of the gate it has a massive housing shortage. At the Canadian Finance Conference this week, Romy Bowers, CEO of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, predicted a deficit already at about two million will grow, despite government targets. More relevant here, she called for dramatic changes to the pace at which homes are built, as well as innovation and revised regulatory processes. Nothing has changed since the 1970s, and that sounds like a story that resonates across the globe.

A long list of alternative building materials have translated off the drawing board, but struggle to get a foothold. Let’s think about and discuss why. Are they struggling to scale? For acceptance? For contractors willing to use their products? This is where we should be feeling anxious and frustrated with how great, planet-saving ideas wallow. What can we do to help?

SCARCITY OF WATER

REAL LIVE KNIGHTS ON THE RUN

Unless you live in the U.S. Southwest, you’re probably not hearing much about the fight over the water there. Water rights are not even on the radar for most of us. Yet, water law has been evolving for more than 4,000 years, often characterized by the relationship of the use to the source.

The very basics; the Upper Colorado River Basin is Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico. The Lower Basin includes California, Arizona, and Nevada. The river also provides water to Mexico. Dams at Lakes Powell and Mead are vital contributors to the power grid that supplies places like Los Angeles and Las Vegas. In all, 40 million people count on it.

What plays out there in the near future, and even in the coming days, can provide vital insight across the globe. Water – too much or not enough – is at the core of the climate refugee crisis that is heating up even faster than our atmosphere. We all heard about last winter’s record snow across the Upper Basin - up to 70 feet. Lake Tahoe, which can always be counted on for fresh powder on its ski slopes, saw 240% of its average season. Was it the answer to critically low lake levels?OwlVoices caught up with James Eklund late last March, as that massive snowpack was about to melt. A prediction by the “ranching water lawyer” is as good as it gets. He’s part of a generational beef ranch near the river, a legal mind on water rights, infrastructure, and quality, and directed the Colorado Water Conservation Board during the formulation of the Colorado Water Plan, which set the standard for conservation.

He saw all that snow as a godsend and a curse; sorely needed, but not enough. He envisioned how it would undermine the sense of urgency to address a long-term dilemma and potential catastrophe.

And that’s exactly what’s happening. On December 11, the federal Bureau of Reclamation will close the public comment period ahead of the release of its plan for overseeing dam operations. It’s a fluid proposal and includes an option to conserve three million acre-feet of water in the Lower Basin over three years. (One acre-foot of water supports roughly two families of four to five people for a year.) Or, they could choose to maintain the status quo, essentially hanging their hats on the potential windfall of an El Niño winter. Experts like Eklund say the situation remains on the edge and real action is needed.Sit rep at the lakes?

Only about one-third full.

Also on the table is a plan by the Lower Basin states to make the same proposed cuts, and take federal compensation for most of it. It’s a political football we’ll get into more later. But what it comes down to, Eklund said, is that the lower states had everything to win or lose, so they were paying attention, and “played their hand really well.”While the praying for snow begins, California’s Imperial Irrigation District is growing about 80% of the country’s winter produce. Think about this; that’s the target for about half of water cuts, with those federal funds mainly used to pay farmers not to grow. The impact on water conservation will be dramatic. But so will the impact on food supplies if agriculture does the heavy lifting.

Watch this space for regular updates on the management plan saga, and more from Eklund.

GREEN HYDROGEN

INTO HEAT … WITH NO COMBUSTION

Is there a new climate hero in town?

Could be, the result of a discovery that takes a very promising energy solution to a new level.

Hydrogen Energy Release Optimiser – HERO – has been patented by Australian company Star Scientific Limited because it does something remarkably unique.

It turns green hydrogen into heat ... without combustion.

Let’s say that again. Energy from hydrogen, without burning.

Why does that matter?

Think of the implications for a safer way to use a proven renewable. Star Scientific is convinced this will allow hydrogen energy to scale up and out, opening up sectors such as home heating, desalination, and electricity produced by steam-driven turbines, and even hard-to-abate industries like cement, long-haul shipping, steel, and petrochemicals. The company says equipment, including coal-fired burners, can be retrofitted.

It certainly looks like a solution for the developing world, offering affordable and reliable off-grid power to help raise remote communities out of poverty and disease.

Also, hydrogen doesn’t burn completely free of emissions. It releases nitric oxide, which oxidizes in the atmosphere to become nitrogen dioxide. It’s a highly corrosive pollutant that is part of photochemical smog – that brown haze that envelopes cities when VOCs and nitrogen oxides react to sunlight.

In the lab, Star Scientific and founder Andrew Horvath were working to advance muon-catalyzed fusion as an alternative to thermonuclear fusion, to create energy at much lower temperatures, even below room temperature. They stumbled on a catalyst that prompts hydrogen and oxygen gases to combine. Ironically, the reaction produces an impressive amount of heat.

So much heat that, within a few minutes, HERO reaches more than 700 degrees Celsius. And yet, nothing is burning. The only byproduct here is truly just pure water.

The process can be scaled by increasing the surface area of the catalyst and feeding it more hydrogen. If it can be done efficiently and effectively across that variety of applications, particularly high-emission industry, hydrogen could leapfrog over other renewables.

Star Scientific recently announced plans to start building a $100 million plant next year in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The multi-building complex will include continued research and development and mirror a facility being built in Australia to develop stand-alone (off-grid) power systems and GHG-free process-heat systems for industry.

Why New Mexico?

The state is committed to being part of the hydrogen success equation. Gov. Lujan Grisham was at the Sustainable Energy Council’s Asia-Pacific Hydrogen Summit and Exhibition in Sydney in October, where a letter of intent was signed, adding the Australian company to a list of clean energy producers from Singapore, Taiwan, and Germany that are heading for those open arms.

Incentives include tax credits and assistance from a job-creation fund that includes training.

“From the very earliest conversations, the officials in New Mexico outlined their long-term commitment to hydrogen and the benefits of their state for a company such as Star Scientific,” Horvath said in a press release. “We were impressed by their whole-of-government approach to manufacturing, logistics, higher education, and research and their vision for the role that hydrogen will play in their future.  We were equally impressed that they had holistically planned important human details such as housing for families that will work at our facility, education incentives for their children, and lifestyle and leisure infrastructure. There is also an infectious ‘can do’ attitude which appeals to we Australians very much.”

NOCTALGIA ON THE SKY

THE FADING STARLIGHT

You hear about a chance to look to the night skies and see a meteor shower, northern lights, or even a comet, or you simply want to show your kids the constellations. You’re stuck wondering where you can go to find a sky dark enough.

You are experiencing “noctalgia.”

Light pollution has become such a thing that scientists coined this new word. It means “sky grief,” stemming from solastalgia, “the lived experience of negatively perceived environmental change.”

This past summer, astronomers Aparna Venkatesan, at the University of San Francisco and John C. Barentine, Dark Sky Consulting, commented on this phenomenon in the journal, Science, proposing their new word, explaining why it’s a problem and what we may be able to do about it.

Lighting up our earthly world is, of course, why we can’t readily stargaze. But there’s another reason. We’ve created a blanket of light in space. Almost all of the satellites in low earth orbit are solar-powered, their reflective panels bouncing the sun’s light right into our eyes. There are upwards of 8,000 of them and counting.

A 2021 NPR report states that light pollution affects 99% of people in Europe and the U.S. In North America, 80% cannot look up and see the Milky Way from where they live. We could travel to remote parts of the world, places with no lights on the ground, and find the sky is about 10% brighter than it was 50 years ago.

Does it matter?

Yes, because gazing up and imagining, telling stories around the constellations, and using the stars to navigate is a rich part of every culture. The sky is the one thing we all share. Survival amidst climate change means a very different future. Meeting the challenges of moving forward in dramatic ways requires maintaining connections to the past. We won’t mentally survive if we have to leave it all behind.

Yes, because of the world’s 28 major observatories, only seven can now effectively scan the night sky.

Yes, because animals are feeling noctalgia with circadian rhythms thrown off by reduced contrast between night and day, making it harder to hunt and making them more vulnerable to prey.

Satellites have become essential to our lives in so many ways, among them, tracking what’s happening down here, like wildfires, sources of pollution, and levels of water bodies. Companies like Planet are mapping the entirety of Earth’s land masses every 24 hours. Beyond commercial, agricultural, and government applications, its mission is to reveal and make environmental issues actionable.

So, what’s the answer?

To start, awareness is important to press for more thoughtful use of lighting on the ground and to reduce pollution from incidental sources, such as satellites, assuring governments and companies take responsibility.

The astronomers say domestic and international policies for the protection of the sky could be expanded, and the United Nations could designate it as an “intangible cultural heritage.”

Here’s how to help;

Tell us your thoughts, share this post, and go to the Dark Sky Association’s Get Involved page.

PLANT-BASED MEATS

POSSIBLY IMPOSSIBLE FOODS

We know that raising animals for food is a climate killer. It’s 65% of nitrous oxide emissions, which have three times the impact of carbon dioxide. Add land and water consumption, related emissions, and disease.

Humans will always crave meat. There’s no taking it out of the equation unless things get dicey, planet-wise. What if we could fake ourselves out?

There are two alternatives out there.

Plant-based – “alt meat” – has long been favored by vegetarians. It is gaining a broader audience as a menu option at chains like Starbucks, Burger King, and Applebee’s. Partnerships with Impossible Foods put it in more than 45,000 locations. CEO Peter McGuiness has been very outspoken about the battle to get people to accept plant-based meat. He has been telling news outlets that his company is thriving, even though he doesn’t like where the sector is right now. It can’t shake the narrative of processed food.

Impossible Beef Lite has been designated by the American Heart Association as a heart-healthy food. The upscale Beyond Steak has earned the same certification, and offers up the tantalizing tagline, “Everything bad is good for me.”

Plant-based is healthier, with more protein, less fat and sodium, and no cholesterol. But it’s still mostly consumed by non-meat-eaters, viewed more as a compromise.

The second option is lab-grown meat, also called cultivated or no-kill meat. This takes “processed” to another level, with a shiver of disgust.

Honestly, though, would you rather eat potentially hormone and disease-ridden meat, or real meat grown in a sterile lab?

This is real meat, starting with animal tissue, cells from a fertilized egg, or stored cells. A nutrient broth coaxes them to grow and divide, in the same type of bioreactor used to make vaccines. Triggered cells turn into muscle, fat, and connective tissue. But there’s a but, which we’ll get to shortly.

In the US this past June, the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration gave the industry the green light to sell products. Singapore has also approved it. But scaling to the point where it will make a real impact is far from foreseeable.

Does meat taste different if it never had a face? Most of us will never know.

A brief rundown of the issues:

• Cost to produce can be as high as hundreds of thousands of dollars ... per ounce. Manufacturers will be eating the loss, while billions are poured into continuing research; a scenario expected to last years or even decades. The only realistic goal for startups is to merge with or sell to major food companies.

• Facilities to house those super-expensive bioreactors can cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Investors will need to continue to be motivated.

• There is no current track to this providing an economic/accessibility solution for food insecurity.

• About 80% fewer emissions compared to raising cattle is predicted, but only if renewables are used for the energy-hungry process. Studies show that, if not, climate impact could be as much as 25 times worse.

• Questions remain about health impacts, if cultivated proteins are ultra-processed, as some experts define them.

It sounds like a dead end, but isn’t that how revolutionary things often evolve?

What do you think? Does lab-grown poke your gag reflex? Would you, or do you avoid meat for environmental reasons?

BAOBAB

THE ECO-FRIENDLY SAFARI RESORT

In the intense business of climate change solutions, it can be difficult to drum up resources for marketing. At OwlVoices, we approach innovators all the time, and a clear pattern has emerged. Almost without fail, they either flatly refuse our free and responsible publicity, usually without offering a reason, or they welcome us like long-lost friends. Even those who don’t need to cultivate a customer base understand the importance of building a community and step up to tell their story.

Take a moment and celebrate one that sells itself and raises awareness. It’s an attention-grabber, from first glance to mission statement. Share the heck out of it.

Know that we know your work and solutions are just as spectacular in their own ways, even if you don’t have giraffes and treehouses with swimming pools on top.

It’s marketed (there’s that word) as the world’s first eco-tourism luxury safari resort, and BAOBAB Luxury Safari Resort has a few surprises.

Project designer MASK Architects, Sardinia, Italy, came to this with the goal of more than a vacation destination, although it does serve to refocus on an appreciation for the natural world. It is a model for sustainable communities in Africa. One of its secrets is its air-to-water technology, making it a solution to the continent’s greatest challenge, clean drinking water.

Even now, when tourists are enjoying a safe commune with animals roaming freely in their natural habitat, the resort is collecting enough water for its own needs and the community beyond. Infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, and economies are all expected to be enhanced in a ”wider restorative scheme.”

The idea is that these eco-lodges can be easily replicated using local materials or delivered to the remotest of areas, and become the solution to a particular community’s geological, climatic, and environmental issues. Upping the self-sustaining quotient, the modules can also be used as non-residential spaces like offices, restaurants, schools, and watchtowers, essentially, all the shelter a thriving community needs.

The lodge design is derived from the baobab tree, using local beechwood, and bearing a crown of branches. From a distance, there is little to suggest it is more than teepee-shaped slats of wood, but the tech part starts with transparent solar device-covered curtains to produce electricity. Humidity and optimized dehumidification techniques extract and condense moisture from the air.

The wooden slats cover a passive water collection system of aluminum poles with air intakes and internal air filters. Angled, filament mesh captures water droplets as they travel down the sloping poles and sends them to a tank in the central foundation, and then on to a network supplying the community.

This water will also be used on land set aside for growing produce and raising livestock, and in facilities to make and sell food staples, like bread, milk, cheese, and meat, sustaining the greater community.

The baobab inspiration is poetic. A prehistoric species, it predates the formation of the continents and has survived for more than 200 million years.