For seven seasons, the Tomorrow’s World Today website and television show have highlighted some of the greatest sustainability efforts from the worlds of Inspiration, Creation, Innovation, and Production. In celebration of Earth Day, we revisit how artists, companies, and industries protect our planet.
The World of Inspiration
In the very first episode of Tomorrow’s World Today titled Amusement Park of the Future, Tamara visited Pittsburgh’s own Phipp’s Conservatory to learn about the world’s most sustainable greenhouse building. Not only are the greenhouses at Phipp’s filled with some of the world’s most beautiful and dynamic flora and fauna, but the facility has also become LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by adding energy blankets and radiant floor heat. They’ve also incorporated an open roof system for heating and cooling, which allows the entire roof system to open up so that, in the summertime, it can’t get hotter inside than outside, eliminating the greenhouse effect.
Our YouTube channel and website highlighted the LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center, located in Texas and contains a mix of gardens, natural areas, wildlands, and an arboretum. It houses approximately 900 species of Texas native plants, 1,800 insect species, 148 bird species, and 15 mammal species. The facility also operates sustainably with a rainwater storage system, solar arrays for power generation, and the use of local materials harvested onsite or nearby.
Additionally, our website continues to provide the latest in nature news coverage. In one of our recent popular stories, we discussed a new snake species discovered in the Amazon that’s rumored to be the largest in the world. We’ve also recently featured pieces about animal behavior during the solar eclipse, tips on growing citrus plants indoors, researchers discovering the oldest forest, and more.
The World of Creation
In our Sustainable Hotels episode of Tomorrow’s World Today, we highlighted how the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City Hotel uses the Winnow System to transform the traditional art of cooking by drastically decreasing food waste. The machine tracks what food items are going to waste so that the chefs can creatively adapt their menu, altering the items to better please guests and allow less food to go to waste.
Earlier this year, we highlighted a Paris-based art project that involved painting different animals and plants on a series of buildings around the city. You could also celebrate Earth Day by appreciating this year’s winners of the International Travel Photographer of the Year awards, which featured a series of photos that highlight both the beauty of nature and conservation issues. We also spotlighted Sangeeta Reddy, who took inspiration from a series of rock formations to create abstract landscape paintings.
The World of Innovation
From the World of Innovation, our TV show Tomorrow’s World Today has highlighted the sustainability efforts of industries all over the world. There are sustainable ways to do just about anything, from cooling and heating our homes and offices to creating an environmentally friendly way of making paper.
In October 2023, we took you to the World of Innovation to highlight how one company keeps our lives cool while minimizing the environmental impacts. Season 6, episode 8 of Tomorrow’s World Today titled Cooling Our World sends Greg to Trane Technologies in the Twin Cities. They show us how they take an innovative and sustainable approach to heating and cooling.
Through their modeling software called Trace 3D Plus businesses can track exactly how much energy and environmental impact the HVAC system has on each room. Additionally, Trane has a system that uses thermal energy storage. The system captures outside energy so they can use it later for heat and AC. Think of it like a battery but for heating and cooling.
Let’s take it back to March 2022 to explore another episode of Tomorrow’s World Today from the World of Innovation. In season 4, episode 3 titled Innovations in Forestry Management, David visits Oregon to meet up with Ponsse North America.
The company takes an innovative approach to processing trees burned in a wildfire in 2020. The family-owned company that started in Finland makes machines that help get that job done. With these machines, they salvage the post-fire lumber. Doing so keeps forests healthy, promotes future forest development, and prevents future fires from happening.
Season 2, Episode 8, titled Paper, Bananas and the Environment, takes us to Jakarta, Indonesia. In this episode, Tamara explores Sinarmas Forestry’s innovative efforts to sustainably produce paper. For example, the company doesn’t use the traditional method of slashing and burning in the forest. This keeps the haze down and lowers the risk of forest fires getting out of control.
Forest fires are a major issue in Indonesia. Sinarmas has a crew of firefighters in the rural Riau province, where they plant the trees, ready to put out the flames when they are called upon. These innovative and sustainable methods prevent haze and promote cleaner air.
The World of Production
Many factors threaten our planet and the environment in the World of Production. However, there are plenty of industries and companies that prioritize sustainability for Earth Day and every day.
In season 6, episode 7 of titled “Barley” Any Waste, Greg goes to the Molson-Coors Beverage company to learn about the sustainable production of the adult beverages that we love. The company’s eco-friendly practices start with one important ingredient—barley. Since 1946, Coors has worked with farmers to grow good-quality barley.
In addition, they have teams that work with the farmers on growing practices and water-use management, among other sustainable efforts. Even the packages are environmentally friendly. 99% of the Coors packaging is recyclable to ensure sustainable practices from start to finish.
Season 3, Episode 13 of Tomorrow’s World Today sent Tamara to Los Angeles to learn more about the production of futuristic cars. Through innovative production, we see how Toyota promotes a sustainable future with its Hydrogen-powered vehicles. We explore the power of fuel cells in vehicles that emit zero emissions. With the power of Hydrogen and oxygen, a chemical reaction produces electricity.
Finally, the World of Production takes us back to season 1 of Tomorrow’s World Today. In the episode, titled Sustainable Cotton, Tamara goes from the field to fashion. From North Carolina to Honduras, she explores how cotton is turned into clothing. The new technology and machines pinpoint the most efficient locations to grow cotton.
That cotton goes from the fields of North Carolina to the factories in Honduras. The process of turning cotton into clothes involves a lot of water. Once the cotton is turned into fabric, the water is squeezed out and eventually treated. Then, it is released as clean water back into the environment.
