Transport makes up a quarter of the world’s carbon emissions, with buses producing an average of 822 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer. This is one of the leading factors inspiring the innovation of electric transport and the rise of the electric bus, or e-bus.
Electric buses can charge throughout their journey with stations at every bus stop, enabling automatic charging whenever the buses pick up or unload passengers. Named “Opportunity Charging” due to the e-bus’s ability to charge whenever it is near a station, this method is more energy-efficient and cost-effective, removing the need for individual buses to leave their routes to refuel at petrol stations.
Generating the required energy through battery charging at stations is obviously much better for the planet, but what about the people who will occupy the seats inside? These buses do not only benefit to the environment, but they can also make your commute a more pleasant experience, as the e-bus makes far less noise and provides a much smoother journey than older petrol-fueled buses with no engine vibration.
The potential for bus routes could also be much greater. A silent electric vehicle opens up possibilities for new bus stop locations. Soon you may not have to step outside a shopping centre to catch the bus, as the smooth and quiet rides could stop indoors with minimal commotion.

Many people may be surprised to hear that poaching - the illegal hunting of wild animals - is still one of the biggest drivers of extinction, despite efforts from governments around the world. From figuring out where illegal hunting is taking place to identifying the source of an animal product, conservationists still face many challenges. That being said, developments in technology are putting new tools into the hands of the law enforcement officials and conservation biologists who desperately need them.
One difficulty faced when illegal bones, horns and skin are seized is knowing where they came from. Fortunately, there are ways that artificial intelligence can help. For example, every tiger has a unique stripe pattern, like a fingerprint. With this knowledge in mind, scientists in India have created a database powered by Al containing images of tigers and their specific stripe pattern, which has been successfully implemented to determine that a piece of tiger skin came from a protected area and thus had been poached rather than farmed. Information like this is hugely valuable for officials, since it allows them to pinpoint areas where there is poaching activity. Currently, efforts are being made to expand the database with images from other countries and regions worldwide.
Taking a different approach is Professor Fritz Vollrath of the University of Oxford, who spent decades studying the properties of various biological materials before turning his attention to ivory. He is now working with researchers in China to develop a man-made version of natural ivory. “Ivory is a nice material that people like to handle - but does it have to come from a dead elephant? What if we can create a mixture of collagen and minerals that has the same qualities?” he says. Likewise, startup company Pembient is trying to produce a synthetic form of rhino horn. They’ve created a few prototypes and expect their final product to be ready for sale in 2022 at only $2.61 per gram.
Meanwhile, Professor Milind Tambe in California, using 14 years of data on poaching activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park, were able to create a system that would predict likely hotspots for poaching and direct patrols there to remove traps before they can kill any animals, plus generate new routes to areas where patrols were often sparse in the past. Perfecting the program day by day, Tambe is now partnering with many wildlife agencies to integrate it into their software “My job is to support conservationists, and to see what I can do for them,” says Tambe.

Vietnam recently agreed to a plan called the Hydrogen Energy Strategy to make cleaner and more (44) ______ energy. With (45) ______ renewable resources like solar and offshore wind power, Vietnam wants to grow the green hydrogen industry. New progress in making hydrogen from seawater gives hope for more opportunities, especially for offshore wind power and hydrogen production. (46) ______ Vietnam mostly uses fossil fuels now, it wants to switch to cleaner hydrogen to meet the needs of things like transportation and big industries. Moreover, Vietnam’s good location means it can sell green hydrogen to other countries. This fits with the goals of the national hydrogen energy plan, (47) ______ aims to promote economic growth and sustainable development.
In addition to these efforts, it’s important for the government and businesses to work together to push forward the use of hydrogen energy. We also need to invest more in research to make green hydrogen technologies better and cheaper. Moreover, public awareness campaigns (48) ______ vital role in garnering support and participation in the transition towards sustainable energy practices.