Brian Spaen
Brian is a staff writer for Green Matters.
More From Brian Spaen
Apple Launches First Store Fueled 100% On Renewable Energy
The first Apple store powered by 100% renewable energy has launched in Singapore.India Cancels Big Initiative For Coal Power Stations
With solar prices falling, India has decided to invest into solar technology and not go through with planned coal stations.Tesla Unveils New Details Of Model 3 And Model S
Tesla has dropped some information on their highly anticipated model 3 sedans which will be a lower price point.Elon Musk Shares Vision For How To Run The US On Solar Energy
Tesla founder Elon Musk shared his vision on how the United States could run on Solar Energy.Chef Uses AI Software To Create Recipes For Vegan Comfort Food
Chilean startup NotCompany looks to shake up the food industry with their new software, called “Giuseppe.”Wineries Go Green To Meet Consumer Interest In Organic Products
Trash Tiki has put in tremendous effort to recycle bar waste into cocktails. Wineries are also taking steps by practicing sustainable farming to create their product.'Mitte' Allows You To Ditch Bottled Water With Easy Home Purification
Mitte has been in development for two years with a goal in mind to create a process to purify water while still retaining its minerals like calcium and magnesium.Amazon Recycles Excess Energy From Data Center To Heat Headquarters
Amazon has been committed to reducing their carbon footprint. 50 rooftop solar systems will be installed on the corporation’s fulfillment centers by 2020 and they’ve dabbled into wind energy generation.Belgium Officially Started Building Their Biggest Offshore Wind Farm Yet
Belgium is building a massive offshore wind farm.Michigan's Biggest Utility Company To Shut Down Coal Power Plants By 2040
Michigan's largest public utility company, Consumers Energy, has pledged to stop burning coal by 2040 — reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent.Peru Saves 2 Million Acres Of Rainforest With New Yaguas National Park
Peru officially established the Yaguas National Park, a massive rainforest that stretches over two million acres — and is the the home for over 1,000 indigenous people.These Paper Fuel Cells Are Way Cheaper And Greener Than Regular Batteries
Juan Pablo Esquivel created a new paper battery, Fuelium, used for single-use in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) applications, such as portable diagnostic tests.Portland Is The Latest City To Ditch Plastic Straws
Portland is the latest city to ditch plastic straws — with bars and restaurants joining the #StopSucking movement and joining other eco-friendly cities like Seattle.BMW Is Planning To Build New Electric Mini In China
BMW has signed an agreement with Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motor to locally produce a new electric Mini Cooper in China.Qatar Will Feature Stadium Made Of Shipping Containers At World Cup
Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, is planning to build a stadium from recycled shipping containers.UCLA Creates Device To Make Hydrogen Cars A Serious Possibility
Hydrogen cars have been gaining steam recently with auto manufacturers picking them as alternatives to their battery electric options.McDonald's Already Sold 150,000 Vegan Burgers In Limited Release
McDonald's has been rolling out the new "McVegan" burger in Finland and Sweden, and 150K burgers were sold in January alone.'Crowd Cow' Lets You Buy Meat From Local Farms Without Leaving Home
Buying local can be hard for meat consumers, especially if they don't have a nearby farmers market, but Crowd Cow is an app that connects omnivores to local farmers.Google Transforms Army Training Base Into Self-Driving Test Course
Waymo, a self-driving technology company under Google, has implemented infrastructure that will fully test self-driving vehicles.Cummins Reveals New Electric Semi-Truck That Boasts Zero Emissions
Cummins' new electric semi truck boasts zero emissions and could completely revolutionize long-hail trucking. Find out the details on this exciting development in green transport.NYC's Air Quality Is Cleaner Than Ever Since Monitoring Began
New York City has the cleanest air quality since it began monitoring results a decade ago.Target Is Adding EV Charging Stations To 100 Stores By 2020
Target is supporting electric vehicle drivers by adding EV charging stations to 100 stores.Waterfront Arch Will Generate Solar Power For This Surprising Town
Rio Iluminato is a reclaimed waterfront and piece of art in Willimantic, Connecticut that will generate energy for the town.Leonardo DiCaprio Becomes Major Investor For Off-Grid Energy Startup
Leonardo DiCaprio just became a major investor for Kingo, an energy company in Guatemala.'Village Vertical' Boosts Sustainability In This Paris Suburb
'Village Vertical' is being biult at the Rosny-sous-Bois suburbs of eastern Paris.'Project Hesla' Is The World's First Hydrogen-Powered Tesla
The Holthausen Group was able to supplement a Tesla Model S with hydrogen power, calling it “Project Hesla.”Tesla Powerpack System To Power Nantucket With Green Energy
Nantucket, which is home to over 10,000 people, is powered by two submarine cables that pushes electricity from a mainland energy system in Cape Cod.South Korea Opens Test 'City' For Self-Driving Cars
The entire ground, which is called “K-City,” will feature all the elements of a traditional bustling city, so researchers can better predict how these cars would manage in real life.Watch How A Driverless Car 'Sees' The Road
Watch how a driverless car sees the road via software and 360 degree cameras.UPS Makes Plans To Convert Delivery Trucks In NYC To Electric
The United Parcel Service will be upgrading their delivery trucks in New York City over the next five years.Vegan Restaurant In NYC Donates 100% Of Profit To Charity
P.S. Kitchen offer a variety of small and large plates and also feature a brunch menu.Geothermal Greenhouse Lets You Grow Sustainable Crops In The Cold
A former mailman from Nebraska is using geothermal heating to keep greenhouses growing sustainable crops all winter long.Australia Can Now Power 70 Percent of Homes With Renewable Energy
Talk about green goals — Australia's renewable energy capabilities have expanded to power more than 70 percent of homes on the contienent.Texas Wind Farms Test Their Limits And Survive Hurricane Harvey
Most wind farms are built to make it through hurricanes up to the Category 3 level. Harvey was a category higher, but there weren’t any wind turbines destroyed according to the Southern Alliance For Clean Energy (SACE).Zero-Waste Store In UK Sells All Products Without Plastic Packaging
Imagine if you could easily buy all your favorite produce and pantry items without a bunch of harmful plastic packaging. You can at Earth.Food.LoveStanford Sends Heat Into Space To Cool Buildings Without Electricity
Stanford is using radiative sky cooling technology to keep their buildings cool without the use of electricity. Learn more about the process.'Make America Green Again' Is A New Campaign To Bring Back 'Victory Gardens'
The 'Make America Green Again' campaign hopes to bring 'Victory Gardens' from World War I and II back.Babcock Ranch Becomes First Solar-Powered Town In United States
Babcock Ranch is a new town in Florida that is going to run on 100 percent solar power — and has the potential to power cities surrounding it.San Francisco Food Banks Now Offer 100% Plant-Based 'Impossible Burger'
The Alameda County Community Food Bank and Second Harvest in San Francisco will now offer the Impossible burger at meal centers.First All-Vegan Cruise Prepares To Set Sail In Australia
An all-vegan cruise is coming to Australia thanks to The Whole Connection, which plans to launch a nine-day trip from Sydney.This U.S. City Is About To Become The Largest To Run On Green Power
Denton is about to become the biggest U.S. city to run on renewable energy — joining Georgetown as the second city in Texas to commit to sustainable energy.This Solar-Powered Sidewalk Can Charge Electric Cars
New company Platio is on a solar sidewalk that is paired with an electric vehicle charging station — and the sidewalk can also help power buildings.Chile's Stalled Solar Plant Works Toward 2019 Completion Date
Completion of Cerro Donimadar, Chile's solar plant, has been stalled but it appears the financial issues that stymied development will soon resolve and allow for completion in 2019.Minneapolis Will Run On 100% Renewable Energy By 2030
Minneapolis is the latest U.S. city to commit to a goal of running on 100 percent renewable energy.New Lamborghini Concept Puts New Spin On Electric Vehicles
Lamborghini has released a concept model of their new Terzo Millennio sports car, and it could revolutionize how we look at electric vehicles.This Winnebago RV Is 100% Electric And Zero-Emission
Winnebago just rolled out a new RV that produces zero emissions.Chinese Company Invests $1.8 Billion In Solar Cell Production
The country has already passed their solar energy capacity goals for 2020 and this would further catapult them as a worldwide leader.California's First Electric Highway Is Finally Open
California is the newest destination for a Siemens’ eHighway system.Coal Plant Owners Invest In Upstate New York's Biggest Solar Farm
A coal plant company is trying to change it up by investing into solar farms throughout upstate New York.Missouri Utility Companies Hope To Transition From Coal To Wind Energy Early
Empire District Electric Company will be retiring the Asbury Power Plant well ahead of schedule.