pollution

Illuminating the Carbon Footprint of Building Owners: A Revolutionary Algorithm

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Building owners are often in the dark about their carbon pollution. A new algorithm could shed light on itStarting this year, thousands of buildings in New York City will have to start reducing their carbon emissions. There are plenty of tools out there that can convert an electric bill into estimated carbon emissions, but many are based on rough estimates. It’s why Nzero, a carbon-tracking startup, developed a new algorithm, giving building owners reports that estimate carbon pollution down to the hour. From there, the company’s software helps building owners identify upgrades and retrofits that will reduce emissions while also being the most cost effective.

Intelligent Invertebrates: The Solution to 24/7 Waterway Monitoring for Pollution

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But a French startup is going further, allowing bivalves like clams, mussels, and oysters to act as all-natural water quality inspectors. The company began as a research project some 15 years ago at the University of Bordeaux. As largely stationary filter feeders, they are quite in tune with their surroundings, and their habits are affected by things like temperature, pollution, and so on. The molluSCAN-eye system won’t replace traditional water monitoring, but as a living part of the water ecosystem, its health and the health of its surroundings are closely linked. Quinault is hoping that municipalities and natural resource authorities will shell out for the tech as a totally natural, harmless, and low-touch way to watch their waterways.