Mohammed Rezwan: Floating schools

Climate change is exacerbating flooding in waterlogged Bangladesh. Already, hundreds of schools get wiped out during the monsoon season. Mohammed Rezwan builds floating schools, healthcare facilities and libraries.  “If 20 percent of the land goes under water, which may happen in the next 10 to 20 years, where will these people go? We don’t have enough space, enough land. People have to live on the water in some way.”

Andri Magnason: Iceland, human experiment

Andri Magnason

From the Icelandic food store chain, Bonus, to the midnight sun, everyday Iceland inspires activist poet Andri Magnason. His poetry and children's books reflect his deep connection to his homeland as does the way he's schooled himself—and the public—on preserving Iceland’s beauty and natural resources.

John Thackara: The end of endless growth

John Thackara

Social critic John Thackara argues that the current human paradigm of endless growth is obviously unsustainable, so we should consider the brilliance of the Brazilian Jequitiba tree, which soaks up four tons of water a day.

“I am a proper tree hugger, as well as a lichen hugger.”

David de Rothschild: The Plastiki Makes a Statement

David de Rothschild - PopTech 2010 - Camden, Maine

In honor of Earth Day, check out David de Rothschild's incredible story about how he and his team built the Plastiki, a boat constructed from 12,000 plastic bottles. De Rothschild and his crew sailed halfway around the world to bring greater public awareness to the devastating impact of oceanic plastic pollutants and the need to reuse discarded plastics.

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Massoud Amin: Smart Energy

Energy, Form, Motion: Massoud Amin

Dr. Amin has a vision for the future of energy infrastructure in North America – smarter, sustainable, more resilient and secure. We’ve learned a great deal in the last 15 years about complex “lifeline” infrastructures – not just powerlines, but anything that absolutely, positively needs to survive failure.

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