1. Houses in the air

The pods were designed to address the lack of space in desirable seaside destinations. They can be installed in the ocean, floating, or on land. Both the SeaPod and the GreenPod come with an even more sustainable version, the EcoPod, and all have similar characteristics.

Every day thousands of people all over the world move closer to the top 15 major metropolitan cities which are within 50 miles of a coastline – a trend that will continue to grow.

Grant Romundt,  CEO Ocean Builders

The pods offer 73 m² of living space, spread over 3 half floors, with panoramic views from the huge windows. They are fit for 2 residents and the interior is completely customisable based on the customers’ desires. Depending on the finishing touches and upgrades, a pod can cost from $295,000 to $1.5 million.

Currently, the pods are only in Panama, but Ocean Builders claims it will have the first 100 custom pods either in production or delivered by the end of 2023, with a second rollout of 1,000 pods beginning in 2024.

2. Sustainability

The team is developing a solid waste incinerator that will turn toilet waste into a tablespoon of harmless non-toxic ash. Waste heat from the incineration process will then be used to heat the water for showers, baths and sinks. Liquids from the toilets will go to a blackwater storage tank for further treatment or periodic removal. A waterless urinal will also be offered to further reduce unnecessary water usage.

As for water waste, Ocean Builders partnered with ShowerLoop to work on reducing shower water consumption by up to 90%. This is done using a continuous active 3 step water filtration process. They also recommend using a Nebia shower head, which creates micro fine streams of water that increase the water pressure, reducing consumption 60%.

3. Smart home

The pods also function like a smart home, everything being controlled by a ring on your finger. Each ring is securely provisioned to just one owner and can unlock the front door, automagically configure any compatible Pod to pre-set preferences, activate the shower or bath to custom pre-set temperature and pressure, turn on music or playlists, configure custom light scenes and more.

Invisible wireless charging pads are built throughout the home, hidden under the surface of counters in each room with an indicator light that activates when charging has started.

L’article These smart elevated pods could be the homes of the future est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The Greta Thunberg frog (Pristimantis gretathunbergae sp. nov.) belongs to the rain frog group of the genus Pristimantis, Family Strabomantidae. The article in which the new species is described and officially named was published in the scientific journal ZooKeys.

Greta’s actions in front of the Swedish parliament has inspired students around the world to hold similar strikes called Fridays for the Future. She has impressed world leaders and her work is attracting others to climate action the official information indicated.

Panama’s Ministry of the Environment

The amphibian has black eyes, a trait unique among Central American rain frogs, and its closest relatives inhabit northwestern Colombia, Panama’s Ministry of Environment said. Authorities emphasized that the habitat of the discovered species is very restricted, so climate change places it in a vulnerable situation.

Rising temperatures threaten to destroy its reduced mountainous habitat in an area where forest cover has already decreased by 30% in recent years. The newly discovered rain frog species could also be affected by the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), which causes deadly skin diseases in more than 700 species of amphibians. Globally, this threat has already resulted in the reduction of populations and the disappearance of nearly 200 species.

The Panamanian Ministry of Environment highlighted “the grim situation of Greta Thunberg’s frog is closely related to climate change. Rising temperatures would destroy its small mountain habitat, since the region around Cerro Chucanti has already lost more than 30% of its forest cover in recent years,” the ministry released in a statement.

Another threat to the new frog species is the deadly chytrid fungus, which affects the amphibians’ skin, the two agencies said. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is the name of the fungus that causes the skin disease that already affects more than 700 amphibian species and has led to the decline of populations worldwide, as well as the extinction of nearly 200 species.

In 2018, Rainforest Trust, is a US-based non-profit organization, celebrated its 30th anniversary by organizing an auction where they offered the rights to name some species new to science. The winner of this auction proposed naming the new frog discovered in Darien to honor Greta Thunberg and her efforts in the face of the climate crisis, said the Panamanian Ministry of Environment.

L’article New species of frog found in Panama named in honor of Greta Thunberg est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.