For many of us the pandemic caused a rebirth of our relationship with the planet. Climate change has always been a big issue but it’s not the biggest news of the last year like Covid-19. 2020 was one of the worst years for climate change with extreme environmental disasters and harsh weather. It is Earth month this April and so I’m highlighting some of those who have thought ahead to create a more sustainable tomorrow. 

Amusement parks have a long history of attracting a lot of people, and that trend has not stopped. People go to these parks to have fun and look at the scenery. However in Sweden amusement parks have started to look a lot different. Liseberg, the largest amusement park in Sweden, with 40 rides and actions, was ranked as 4th best theme park in Europe. The difference with Liseberg is that all the rides and attractions are powered by renewable wind energy. Technology in parks is seeing a big rise in demand and application. An example of this is the new Star Wars park, which has launched an app with AR technology, that makes the experience overall amazing. What Liseberg will look like in the future is not fully clear but it is certain that the numbers of visitors is consistently strong with at least 3.1 million visitors every year.

The World’s first 3D printed Neighborhood is being built in Mexico. In Tabasco, Mexico a community of 50 3D printed houses is now under construction. The machine that is used first lays out the cement then works its way through two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Each one of these 3D homes will be about to withstand hurricanes and are seismic approved. Seismic approval means that it will withstand and operate after an event such as an earthquake. These houses are starting to change the way people live who have just been hit with devastating weather. Currently people are living in these houses for less than $3 a day.

From Sweden’s renewable energy theme park, to a 3D printed neighborhood, to Copenhagen ski slope atop a waste-to-energy plant, to vertical farms coming to Compton, California, these are sustainable innovations that will help make our planet a better place and more resilient for the future.