The Universe and Me

Thursday, July 27, 2017

I love the java jive and it loves me

Here's another gem of an idea that makes me wonder, "Why aren't we doing this in America?" The UK company bio-bean® takes waste coffee grounds and recycles them into bio-fuels and biochemicals. Rather than disposing used coffee grounds in landfills where they emit methane gas which harms the environment, bio-bean® collects them from coffee shops, restaurants, offices, factories, etc... Then they recycle them into bio-fuels like biomass pellets. Biomass pellets make excellent fuel for heating buildings. Ten million kilograms of pellets can power up to fifteen thousand homes. In the future, bio-bean® plans to expand into biodiesel production for transportation use. One ton of pellets could run a London bus for an entire day. The Cambridge bio-bean® factory can produce fifty thousand tons of biomass each year and is looking to expand their business to other European countries.

Sweet dreams are made of these

Places in Asia have sleep capsules for cheap overnight stays but China has tried capsule hotels so workers looking for a little snooze to revitalize themselves can use their phones to book time for an afternoon nap. Half an hour costs around $1 or $1.50. Each capsule, designed to resemble a space pod, has air conditioning/an electric fan, a reading light and disposable sheets and blankets. The pods are disinfected by ultraviolet light in between uses.

Lately they have shut down the capsule nap hotels due to concerns about them becoming shelters for criminals and the possibility of such confined spaces being a fire hazard. Adjustments, such as a smoke detector, are in the making so they can reopen before too long. It would sure be nice to have such a space where I work so I wasn't tempted to fall asleep on the couch in the break room after lunch!

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Separated at birth GBBO 2

Jane from The Great British Bake Off and singer Dusty Springfield.