Money is a powerful force in complex societies. It represents access to food, security, and health. In some cases it represents freedom itself. Money is credit, and in the case of national currencies, a piece of money (whether it be a dollar, a rupee, or a yuan) represents an IOU from the government. Money’s ultimate power lies in our collective faith in its value. The movement of money allows products [...]
WOHA is Singaporean architectural firm that aims to re-invent skyscrapers for dense urban living. Some of their influential projects are The Met Apartments in Bangkok, and the Singapore School of the Arts, and the Parkroyal on Pickering hotel in Singapore. School of the Arts, Singapore designed by WAHO. Photo by wikipedia user Katmorro. WOHA was founded in 1994 by architects Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell. It has designed projects [...]
Big animals regulate many ecological processes and their activities create spaces for others animals to live. Millenia of human action has eliminated most of the these big animals, decreasing their numbers and driving many of them extinct. Can these extinct animals be restored? Revive and Restore is a NGO that aims to promote the use of rapidly advancing genomic technology for biological conservation and rewilding by enhancing the genetic diversity of small [...]
Using urban farming to grow food and promote a beautiful work environment in central city
How can the networking power of the internet be used to leverage more representative democracy? Imagine having a simple, direct way of informing city planners and local decision-makers of your views about traffic, schools, parks, libraries and other issues that affect your life. What if sharing your opinion on municipal planning was as simple as going online? mySidewalk offers online forums for community engagement. All photos from mySidewalk.com [...]
How can new businesses connect the social to the ecological? The Ghana Bamboo Bikes is a social enterprise founded by Bernice Dapaah promotes social development in Ghana. It aspires to reduce climate change while providing rural jobs. Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative has grown from a project idea into an award winning social enterprise. It is one of a number of bamboo bike companies in Ghana, that include Bamboo Bikes Limited, Yonso Project, [...]
Can humans enable organisms to adapt to new conditions in the Anthropocene? What are the longterm implications of this? Can marine life and habitats adapt to the increasing temperatures and acidity of the ocean? Scientists at the research centre on Hawaii’s Coconut Island are hoping to save the coral reefs off the island of Oahu from permanent degradation. Ruth Gates and her team’s mission is to create coral that can [...]
Can aid that focuses on decreasing reliance on traditional energy sources be a sustainable solution? GIVEWATTS is a non-profit organisation / Social Enterprise bringing clean and safe energy to people in developing countries, starting with East Africa. GIVEWATTS distributes solar lamps and efficient stoves in places that would otherwise rely on daylight, firewood and kerosene. The GIVEWATTS vision is to make renewable energy available to all households across the off-grid [...]