Beyond Earth Day: 5 Innovative Ideas that Will Help 'Restore Our Earth'

We've seen what happens to the world when all of its inhabitants are unexpectedly stuck inside and after more than a year of lockdown, emissions fell (at least temporarily), animals returned to cities (though not all creatures took advantage of the newfound freedom), and everyone discovered what happens when the world is a little quieter. We've seen a new world; now it's just a matter of putting it into practice.

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Fortunately, the brilliant minds of our generation managed to develop a plethora of ways to aid the planet.

To commemorate Earth Day 2021, here are 5 amazing innovations and initiatives that may help, sticking true to this year's theme, "restore our earth."

Direct Air Capture Technology

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CO2 is captured from the atmosphere using direct air capture technology. CO2 may be contained indefinitely in deep geological layers or used to make oils, explosives, construction materials, and other CO2-containing goods.

CO2 is permanently eliminated from the atmosphere as it is geologically stored, resulting in zero pollution. There are currently 15 direct air capture plants in operation worldwide, catching over 9 000 tCO2/year, including a 1 MtCO2/year plant in advanced construction in the United States. Direct air capture is scaled up in the SDS to capture nearly 10 MtCO2/year by 2030. This is possible, but it will take a few more large-scale demonstrations to fine-tune the technology and lower capturing costs.

Syria's Seed Bank Saved from War

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Thanks to many protection duplicates kept in a doomsday vault on an island in the Arctic Circle, a priceless seed bank from the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East was spared from being lost in Syria. Workers in Morocco and Lebanon will now restore the seed bank, a project that would not have been feasible without foreign alliances and agreements.

Seed banks are rich biodiversity reservoirs that are critical for future food security, especially in the face of climate change.

E-Eggs Saving Turtle Eggs

Loggerhead turtles in Cape Verde.​

New tools against beach poachers and smugglers include decoy sea turtle eggs with tracking technology.

Take care, poachers. If you plan on stealing eggs from sea turtle nests on Costa Rican beaches, be aware that you can end up with more than you bargained for. Since researchers have merged GPS technology with 3D printing to create decoy eggs that look and sound like real turtle eggs...but can watch where smugglers take these vulnerable embryos when they swipe them. The attempts to save eggs are detailed in the journal Current Biology.

Solar Panel in Canals Generates Water and Saves Electricity

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There are approximately 4,000 miles of canals in California that transport clean water across the state. According to new studies, these canals will do far more than provide drinking water to Californians; when combined with solar panels, they may even be used to produce solar energy while conserving water.

A recent report from researchers at the University of California Merced and the University of California Santa Cruz quantifies the economic viability of constructing a "solar canal" scheme in the county.

Civilian Climate Corps

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Over the next five years, a large and inclusive community of 1.5 million Americans will finish publicly financed programs that will assist cities in responding to climate change and transitioning to a clean economy. Civilian Climate Corps programs can help cities mitigate carbon emissions, shift to green energies, create more hygienic and more sustainable communities, incorporate environmental projects with demonstrated climate benefits, and recover from natural disasters.

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