​Scotland is generating so much wind energy, it could power all of its homes — twice over

Why doesn't the U.S. generate more electricity from wind?

Image source: Jason Blackeye
  • Wind turbines in Scotland produced more than 9.8 million megawatt-hours of electricity in the first half of 2019.
  • Scotland is a global leader in renewable energies, generating more than half of its electricity consumption from renewables.
  • The U.S. currently generates about 7 percent of its electricity from wind.
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Politics & Current Affairs

Tiny homes and floating apartments: California mayors' reply to the growing homeless problem

Ideas are plentiful; execution is another story.

Photo credit: George Rose / Getty Images
  • As the homeless population soars in California, city mayors are contemplating a variety of initiatives to combat the problem.
  • San Francisco mayor London Breed has published the most extensive list of solutions, including supportive housing, eviction prevention, and rental subsidies.
  • Other mayors are creating tiny home villages and even considering a floating apartment complex in the San Francisco Bay.
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Politics & Current Affairs

Just how big is India's 'Mount Everest of Trash'?

The Ghazipur dump keeps growing and growing every year, catching fire and leaching toxins into the ground. What can be done about it?

PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/Getty Images
  • The Ghazipur dump in Delhi has become so overgrown that locals refer to it as "Mount Everest."
  • In 2017, a landslide from the dump spilled over onto adjacent roads, killing two locals.
  • The dump is a serious health risk and source of pollution, but it also serves as an example of India's broader challenges with waste management.
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Politics & Current Affairs

Cybercriminals are holding Baltimore hostage

Hackers are demanding a bitcoin ransom.

Image source: posteriori/Shutterstock
  • Some 10,000 of Charm City's computers were attacked.
  • Important day-to-day city functions are out of commission.
  • Many municipalities are believed to be under-protected from hackers.
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NYC plans to expand Manhattan to protect against rising seas

The sea levels across New York are estimated to rise between 18 and 50 inches by 2100.

NYC Mayor's Office
  • New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday his $10-billion plan to protect lower Manhattan against sea level rise and storm surges.
  • The plan calls for creating new land that would extend the lower part of the island by about two city blocks.
  • As sea levels rise around the globe, cities are experimenting with various methods to protect themselves.
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Technology & Innovation