Tv24 Desk: More than half of the world’s population currently lives in urban areas. But as the planet’s major cities become denser and more populated, the supply of natural resources is being stretched to the limit. From the air we breathe, to the water we drink and the food we eat, the demand for these basic necessities shows no sign of slowing down. This month, CNN’s ‘Innovative Cities’ explores how innovative new technology is giving new life to these daily essentials.
Fixing Singapore’s water shortage with tech
Singapore may import half of its water supply, but the city-state already has its pulse on a new wave of water technology. Home-grown companies are not only developing solutions to keep Singapore’s taps running, they’re also taking this technology to the world. This includes Eco-Worth, which offers bio-tech solutions to water contamination, and WateRoam, which has designed a portable device that provides clean water to thousands across the Southeast Asia region.
Big data cleaning up London’s skies
Air pollution has been linked to over 7 million premature deaths worldwide per year. Green Tomato Cars, London’s first and largest low-to-zero emission taxi service, has taken to the city streets with 50 hydrogen-powered cars. Instead of emitting harmful chemicals as traditional vehicles do, these cars simply produce harmless water emissions. Meanwhile, Breathe London, the world’s largest air quality monitoring network, has partnered with tech giant Google to collect big data that can help Londoners visualize the impact of air pollution and the solutions.
Silicon Valley’s next big thing: Lab-made meat
Raising animals for food is one of the biggest factors affecting climate change and world pollution, according to the UN. But in San Francisco, innovators are using new technology to combat this growing problem. Start-ups such as JUST and New Age Meats have developed a cell-based meat product that tastes and looks like chicken or pork but, they claim, without any of the harmful farming processes. Instead, they use biopsies to take healthy cells from live chickens or pigs, and then nurture these cells to grow them into meat products in a lab. Source CNN