Eco Domes; World's Largest Classrooms

Eden Project, as they call it is composed of giant eye catching open rooms planed to be constructed in South Korea. It will be a series of unique looking structures that are based on world's ecosystems & will provide a place for ecologists and ordinary people to examine the environment.

The "Green Architecture" has seen many things like smog-eating cement and vertical farms, but now green buildings will recreate & simulate entire ecological environments. Developed by SAMOO Architects and Engineers, the EcoriumProject spans 33,000 square meters of floor area. This project will feature an education center, a wild plant area, a wetland reserve, an environmentally-focused think tank, and a large system of interconnected greenhouses.

The scientists at Ecorium will research on multiple different ecosystems that are found in nature and find better ways to preserve them, this project will also offer a perfect point for public expos and education programs on ecology. The National Ecological Institute of South Korea aims to find ways to influence public policy and help environment friendly laws. And I thought my local science center was cool!


A railway track is also being planned to increase public accessibility. The greenhouses will include high tech equipment capable of modifying the internal conditions with the change in the climate outside, thus decrease energy needs. Each structure will be built out of metal panels, wood, and plexiglass, and look like a winding river, if seen from above. Twisting, leaf-like shapes will also be used throughout the architecture.

Genetically Engineered Salmon

New genetically engineered salmon grows two times as fast as its traditional counterpart

Some people can be freaked out on the idea of genetically modified food. But keep in mind that we have been genetically modifying plants & animals for agricultural & livestock purposes for thousands of years via selective breeding and similar techniques. Which means that major portion of the food items that we consume in our everyday lives has seen genetic mutation in one way or another. So now, you may find a fish whose DNA has been altered swimming into your grocery store.

"AquAdvantage" is a new type of transgenic(genetically modified) Atlantic Salmon who's genetic structure has been altered by introducing a growth genes from two other fish; the Chinook salmon & Ocean pout(an eel-like creature). This project has been managed by a bioengineering company named AquaBounty Technologies. The company says that the new product will be cheaper & plentiful than the unaltered fish.

The transgenic salmon grows twice as quickly as old one which takes up to 5 years to fully mature. The reason is that their DNA is joined with the genes of fish that mature all year long, unlike only in warmer seasons. Here’s a graph that compares the growth rates:

The news of this ”super salmon” just like all revolutionary things is also facing controversies and suspicions in many communities. Critics have dubbed it “Frankenfish” & are questioning if its safe for humans to consume. However, even after a lots of testing, the FDA(US Food and Drug Administration) has not found any objectionable health threat, so the suspicions may be unfounded.

Watch this news story covering the debate:

The Dragonfly: A Giant Vertical Farm for New York City

Inspired by the wings of a dragonfly, this astonishing urban farm concept for New York City's Roosevelt Island is a proposed solution for problems of food scarcity & reconnect consumers with producers. Urban farming is a developing idea amongst savvy citizens today, but in a densely packed borough like Manhattan, where there is not much space for growing plants, growth must come vertically. Consisting of 132 floors and 600 meters high, the Dragonfly can house 28 different fields for the production of fruit, vegetables, grains, meat and dairy. Plus a combination of solar and wind power make Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut's Dragonfly concept 100% self sufficient.

In this jaw dropping building offices, research labs, housing, and communal areas are merged    between orchards, farms, and production rooms. In order to reuse bio waste and get nutrients plant & animal are specially arranged throughout the Dragonfly’s steel and glass set of wings.

The spaces between the wings are designed to take advantage of solar energy by storing warm air in the exo-structure during winter. Cooling in the summer will be facilitated through natural ventilation and evapo-perspiration from the plants.

Outer vertical gardens filter rain water which is then mixed with domestic liquid waste. Together they are treated organically and then used in farms, preserving and distributing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. This urban farm, perhaps more appropriate for Dubai than New York, is intended to be cultivated by its own inhabitants, thus closing the loop of self-sustenance.

Houses Can Now Be Powered by Artifical Leaves

Creating electricity out of leaves. Sounds strange, but thats exactly what was presented at the 241^st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

This device is called an artificial leaf, which is powered by an advanced solar cell that is inspired by natural photosynthesis (the chemical process through which green plants convert sunlight and water into energy.)

This invention is the size of a playing card & is made from silicon, electronics & catalysts, materials that aren't very costly are widely available & highly stable. These substances also help to speed up the chemical reactions that don't even occur otherwise.

When placed in a gallon of water in sunlight, the device can generate enough electricity to supply a normal home in a developing country for a whole day. Making every home self sufficient in its electricity needs & become its own power station.

The power comes from splitting water into its basic elements; hydrogen(H) and Oxygen(O). Both these gases would be then stored in a fuel cell located either on the top or beside the house, and it would use the two materials to produce electricity.

Right now the artificial leaf is ten times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural leaf, & scientists believe that they can boost its efficiency in the future.

This innovative research was presented at the 241^st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Earth Day

Earth Day is celebrated every year on 22nd of April. Today's story is about one man, who was dreamed to alter the way we treat our planet, and kept struggling until he converted it into reality in the end.

Making  World A  Better  Place 
In 1963, US Senator Gaylord Nelson wasn't very pleased with the earth's condition. He wished to purify the planet and solve pollution and environmental problems. As a senator, Gaylord Nelson was in position to put some significant efforts in making laws spo he consulted the then Us president John F. Kennedy. Kennedy agreed with him on the point that the earth's environment was a severe problem, so he went around on a five day country wide journey to promote the idea of clean environment. After this people began making small efforts, but they were not enough.
Becoming  an  Official  Holiday
After a few years, senator named Nelson raised a point that every year one day should be reserved for nothing but care of the planet. On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated. Since then, Earth Day has become an international holiday & is celebrated by people all around the world to highlight the importance of making Earth a cleaner & greener place.
Did U Know?

• 1980s rock band, Dramarama, wrote a song about Earth Day in 1993 called What Are We Gonna Do?
• There were more than 20 million demonstrators in Earth Day activities of 1970.
• Today more than 500 million people in 164 countries participate in Earth Day festivities!
• Every year, 14 billion tons of garbage is dumped in the ocean.