There is nothing quite like enjoying the sights, sounds and culture of a city while tasting a cup of coffee outdoors. But it is not that enjoyable when heat waves sweep the city. An outdoor cooling system produced by Kinonko, an Israeli(以色列的) company, appeared to solve the problem in Tel Aviv. The sweltering city is a perfect place to try the new technology.

With global warming heating up the temperature, it will soon be too hot to sit outside in cafes. While outdoor cooling systems have existed for a while, most of them use some sort of water or misting system to cool the air around them, consuming too much water and power. After two years of development, the perfect solution to the problem was found. “We have invented a new generation of air conditioner,” Kinonko CEO Leizer said.

As Leizer introduced, the energy is from the pressure created between liquid nitrogen (氮) and gas nitrogen. When liquid nitrogen at-196 degrees turns into gas, it produces a very strong pressure and the pressure is used to run a mechanical engine. It is that mechanical engine that slowly releases freezing nitrogen gas to cool down the air around it.

The technology is unique and amazing. Beyond the coolness of the concept, it also has other advantages. The work unit doesn’t need to be power-driven, and doesn’t blowout harmful warm air as it works. As for the potential price, it will probably be no more expensive than any other air conditioner. In addition, the liquid nitrogen container will need to be replaced every seven to ten days, depending on usage, which makes it an affordable option for all sorts of businesses. The cooling system is expected to be on the market in 2024.

If you’re in the market for a new food or water dish for your cat, you might want to check out Free the Ocean’s Bamboo Cat Bowls. These are made from bamboo fibers and rice husks(稻壳).

The presence of bamboo—used as a renewable filler in the dish’s composition—is part of what makes it greener. Bamboo, which is technically a grass, grows faster than trees. Not surprisingly, it produces more oxygen and absorbs more carbon dioxide than trees.

Rice husk is a byproduct of rice production that poses a challenge to farmers, due to its resistance to decomposition (分解), digestion, and low nutritional value as animal feed. Its use as a filler provides a purpose for an otherwise useless material and, along with the bamboo, reduces the need for plastic fillers.

While plastic is still needed to make the cat bowl, the rationale behind their increased eco-friendliness is that less actual plastic is required when more natural fillers are used. The total amount of plastic required to make each product is reduced, because the bamboo fibres make up a significant percentage of the overall composite(合成) material.

Plastic cat dishes harbor bacteria even if pet owners clean them regularly, which can put your cat’s health at risk. However, the bamboo cat bowl is BPA-free and will not release harmful chemicals into your pet’s water the way that conventional plastic can. Bamboo is naturally antibacterial. And, of course, you can throw it in the top rack of the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

One customer said, “I prefer these cat food bowls and so do my cats. The cats like the low lip that makes it easy to eat out of and I like the fact that they’re made of bamboo and that purchasing them makes a difference for plastic pollution! Easy to wash in the dishwasher.”

Fashion designers are always looking for new materials to work with. Lately, it’s all about environment-friendly materials — recycled tires, mushrooms, even pineapple fibers! What if you want such a pair of shoes? Thaely is here to help.

This sneaker brand out of Dubai wants to fight the growing problem of plastic pollution. Led by 23-year-old Indian businessman Ashay Bhave, they may have found a winning approach: making shoes out of plastic grocery bags. “Thaely” means “plastic bag” in the Hindi language.

“I was looking to create footwear that is cost-effective and safe for the environment,” Bhave said in an interview with a newspaper. “I needed to come up with something that uses recycled plastic without creating any more plastic waste.” Plastic bags were the perfect solution. He said five trillion plastic bags are used around the world each year. “I was motivated to find a solution to this problem,” Bhave said.

That solution was the fiber called ThaelyTex. Made entirely from plastic bags, the material looks and feels like leather. That sounds promising. Better yet, the production process requires no additional chemicals and produces no poisonous by-products. The result is a smart-looking pair of white low-top sneakers.

Bhave wouldn’t expose the full process for making ThaelyTex, but he said that each pair of shoes was made from up to 15 plastic bags and 22 plastic bottles. Where do they get the materials? Bhave told Elle that was the hardest part. “The biggest challenge we faced was right at the first step of acquiring the plastic bags.”

Finally, they got help from TrioTap Technologies, a waste management plant. Bhave said they offered to collect the bags and also process them into ThaelyTex.

So far, it seems like things are falling into place. There are already hundreds of pre-orders in place. It sounds like they have some plans for the future. “We have a few more colors coming up,” said Bhave. They also plan to put out a high-top model and bring in a line of clothing. Let’s hope their growth is also friendly to the environment.