We thought we’d kick off 2021 by sharing advancements in our space. Today, Radicle looks at ten sustainability innovations from around the globe. From raving over personal care items made with captured carbon to gushing over robotic dogs that can sniff out methane, we’ve curated a pretty fascinating list.
1. Environmentally friendly soap made with captured carbon
CleanO2 is a Calgary-based soap company changing the way consumers think about environmentally friendly soap products. They are founded by inventors that saw a problem with carbon emissions and decided to roll up their sleeves to make a product that truly makes a difference.
Formulated using the company’s very own trade-marked carbon capture units (aka “CARBiN-X™”), CleanO2 brings a new meaning to “made-in-house.” These carbon capture units convert CO2 captured from heating system exhaust into the carbonate used in their soaps.
In addition to providing the market with some great soap, our environment also benefits from its purchase. Now that’s a brand that epitomizes sustainability!
2. Electric boating
X Shore combines new technologies with boating craftsmanship to deliver 100% electric boats.
Born on the Swedish coast, X Shore is being coined as the Tesla of the boating industry. The company does an excellent job of describing the electric boating experience: “explore the oceans, lakes, and nature without the harmful noise and fumes a fossil-fuel engine emits. Knowing that you are connecting to and blending in with your surroundings while travelling in time, without harming the environment, instills a great sense of liberty and harmony”.
Wouldn’t you want to take a ride in one of these? We certainly would!
3. Electric-powered de-icer trucks
Have you heard of the Danish company, Vestergaard, which manufactures, distributes, and supports state-of-the-art equipment for the aviation industry? They recently collaborated with Montreal-based de-icing company Aéro Mag to bring a new product to the market.
Electric de-icer trucks. Yup, you heard that right. This hyper-focused partnership has resulted in the world’s first electric-powered de-icing truck!
In addition to leading in innovation, the truck produces 87% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to Aéro Mag’s strategic objective of becoming a carbon-neutral company by 2035.
4. Robotic dogs
Now, robotic animals can automate processes, enhance sustainability, and increase safety. Boston Dynamics and their premier robotic dog, Spot, is available to construction, oil and gas, utilities, and public safety industries.
As explained in this Reuters article, not only can Spot “read gauges, look for corrosion, [and] map out the facility” of an oil rig (as is the case with one operated by British Petroleum), but Spot can “even sniff out methane”!
A proof point that the technologies we use to identify and reduce methane emissions are becoming man’s best friend!
5. Robots to automate farming
Alberta’s post-secondary institution Olds College has its very own living agriculture lab. The “Smart Farm” bridges the gap between technology and the sustainability of agriculture-food production. Olds College is also the only post-secondary institution in the world to deploy fully autonomous equipment on the Smart Farm to measure agriculture’s economic and environmental footprint. A number of Canadian funders and partners are behind the DOT Autonomous Platform at Olds College, including Saskatchewan-based autonomous agriculture start-up Dot Intelligence Inc.
We call this one the intersection of farming practices and technology, and it signifies real transformation for agriculture.
6. Solar-powered autonomous boats
What do you get when you put together solar power, autonomous boats, and real-time information? The perfect solution for protecting our oceans.
Whether it’s identifying at-risk whale species, cracking down on illegal fishing, or data monitoring to better understand climate change (and its impact), Open Ocean Robotics covers it all.
How’s that for a cleantech solution to collecting ocean data?
7. Technology for reducing GHGs in the oil and gas sector
Researchers from the Portable Methane Leak Observatory (PoMELO) at the University of Calgary brought actionable mobile technology solutions to the Stanford University Mobile Monitoring Challenge through their efforts to detect leaks of a potent GHG from oil and gas facilities.
Take a read about the achievement here, part of Stanford’s Natural Gas Initiative and the U.S.-based Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). We bet you’ll find it as interesting as we do.
8. Making ethanol from consumer packaged waste
Louisville Parallel Products creates ethanol from discarded consumer goods, paving the way to renewable energy and biofuel innovation within the recycling community.
Their environmentally sound model and solutions give real alternatives to hazardous waste disposal for beverage, chemical, health and beauty, as well as pharmaceutical industries. Each year, Parallel Products produces over 6.5 million gallons of waste-derived ethanol from the fermentation of sugar-laden liquids and the distillation of alcohol-based products.
Now that’s impact if we have ever seen it!
9. Reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere using carbon engineering
1PointFive focuses on climate stabilization through the rapid deployment of carbon engineering.
How? By developing the largest Direct Air Capture facility in the world. The facility alone is projected to capture one million tons of CO2 each year.
We can’t wait to watch this one unfold. It’s expected to be in full operation within a few years.
10. Carbon markets offset trading
It wouldn’t be a Radicle blog about cleantech without a small plug for ourselves, right? As part of our Radicle Financial Services, we offer companies and people the ability to invest in innovative and sustainable practices through carbon markets.
Each offset (or carbon credit) generated through reducing or avoiding GHG emissions is assigned a financial value through an exchange between buyers and sellers.
We think it’s pretty neat.
To re-cap
Each innovation mentioned above proves sustainability is becoming the foundation for technological advancement. Do you know of a technological advancement that benefits our planet’s future while creating prosperity for generations to come? Reach out to us. We’d love to hear about it.