Humans will have to call on all their ingenuity to get through the climate crisis. The good news is, many of the mind-boggling inventions we’ll need… were invented a long time ago. Here’s our guide to the underappreciated brilliance of stuff we already have.
The bicycle
Close your eyes and imagine an exercise bike, only instead of being stuck in one place, the wheels can roll along the ground. That’s the idea behind this wacky and surprisingly fast invention.
Two thin wheels are connected to a chain, which is connected to some pedals, which is connected to… you.
The only downside is that you will no longer be able to join your friends in bitching about the price of gas, since your bicycle requires none to make it go. Simply eat a normal balanced breakfast, and with some help from your thighs and your perky can-do attitude (plus a motor, if you get an electric bike), the bicycle will convert it into movement.
There’s even a little bell to let people know you’re coming. Cute!
The secondhand store
Imagine a store, only instead of containing brand-new items, it contains items that have existed for some time.
In the same way that we don’t build a brand new house every time we come home from work, we also don’t need everything we buy in stores to be sparkling and wrapped in cellophane.
Buying used stuff means we get the stuff, but the planet doesn’t have its resources depleted or get lumbered with pollution. Nice!
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The reusable container
You probably have a kitchen drawer bursting with these.
To the untrained eye, it’s simply a molded piece of plastic. But by combining ti with a lid, scientists have harnessed the power of freshness, so you can keep leftovers edible for much longer than you would think, and reduce food waste.
To extend the life of your food even further, simply lower your standards. Bon appetit!
The solar panel
Remember that time you were on vacation and the power of the sun made you feel all warm and vacation-y? Well, imagine taking a drop of that solar magic and using it to power your microwave, your vacuum cleaner, hell, even your smoothie blender. Now you can.
No matter how filthy your home is, with solar panels your energy will always be clean.
The dream of a coal or nuclear power station on your roof remains out of reach for most people. But solar panels? That’s more realistic.
The sweater
Heating engineers said it couldn’t be done. Now, knitologists have proved them wrong.
Introducing the sweater: a personal heating system.
Want to be warmer? Simply put the sweater on, and it’s automatically activated. No password, no six-digit code. It just works.
But here’s where it gets really cool – and we mean literally cool. When you take the sweater off again, your temperature drops.
Removing the sweater slowly and gracefully can even be part of a healthy seduction ritual. When you’re done, check the label for cleaning instructions.
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The train
Now departing from Platform 3: low-carbon travel!
Imagine a plane, only instead of using jet engines to hurl it through the air, you use electricity to push it along the ground. It’s called a train – a sort of wingless, earthbound plane that travels on metal rails, often with sandwiches available on board.
Trains use way less energy than planes and can run easily on electricity, so they’re much better for the planet.
History tells of how the Wright Brothers took their first flight – but what history doesn’t record is that afterwards, they took the train home again.
The screw-cap bottle
Remove the cap by turning it one way. Drink the water.
Now, refill the bottle from the tap, and – here’s the science bit – put the cap back on by turning it the other way.
Once it’s closed, you can even turn the bottle all the way upside down, and thanks to physics, your drink will remain inside the bottle, and not in your lap. Now that’s innovation.
The tree
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air, helping keep the climate in check.
Great minds are trying to work out how to use technology to mimic trees by absorbing carbon.
Even greater minds have realized that, well, trees already do it. And preliminary experiments suggest that by taking a “seed” from a tree and “planting” it, it’s possible to create a new tree.
It’s a bit like right-clicking on a folder on your computer and selecting “copy”, only with trees.
The wallet
A wallet can be used to pay for things you want. But the really clever part is that it can also be used to not pay for things that you don’t want.
If you find yourself in a store, and see something that you don’t want, simply leave your wallet in your pocket, and say, “Goodness me is that the time” or, “Your product or service does not seem to align with my values and aspirations for a healthy planet, so I’m going now, bye.”
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CULTURE FOR CLIMATE
