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7 Game-Changing Green Advancements You Should Know About

7 Game-Changing Green Advancements You Should Know About
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As temperatures rise and populations get larger, it's clear that breakthroughs in green technology hold the key to the survival of Earth and all the species that live on it. Fortunately, innovators throughout the globe are working hard to develop game-changing advancements that will slow or possibly reverse the damage our over-dependence on fossil-fuels has wreaked on our planet.

In the spirit and in celebration of the Huffington Post's 2011 Game Changers program, we are proud to present seven game-changing green advancements, in thinking and technology, you should know about. Each of these promise to advance humanity in its quest to achieve a more environmentally sustainable existence in our fragile ecosystem.

The list is not, of course, exhaustive—so we invite you to discuss and suggest green advancements you believe are (and will be!) truly game-changing.

Electric vehicles(01 of07)
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Not just for the golf course anymore, electric vehicles, or EVs, are the next step in the environmentally-friendly car movement. Expect to see EV-charging stations like this one in the San Francisco Bay Area all over the place from here on out, as people experiment with ways to leave our gas-guzzling cars behind.
Green concrete(02 of07)
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Concrete might not seem un-green at first, but it's actually the third-largest source of man-made carbon dioxide! However, several companies are working on changing that.Enter "green concrete," which not only makes concrete carbon-neutral but even turns it carbon-negative. CO2-absorbing concrete is nothing short of a game-changer.
Cellulosic ethanol(03 of07)
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Cellulosic ethanol is made from wood, grasses, or the non-edible parts of plants -- and commercialization is in a fast growing phase, as companies are shifting to using waste residues and native grasses as the biomass necessary for this biofuel.The U.S. could produce 1.3 billion tons of cellulosic biomass each year which could account for 65% of Americans' current oil consumption.
Underwater kites(04 of07)
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We all know wind power, but have you heard of tidal power? A company called Minesto has secured serious funding from The Carbon Trust to make its "Deep Green" program a reality.An underwater sea-kite project, if successful, it could lead to a larger-scale implementation of underwater kites around the UK coastline. Minesto says that if their technology works, with scale, they could generate enough electricity to power all the homes in small cities. (credit:Image via Minesto )
A new generation of skyscraper(05 of07)
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This isn't a ferris wheel, it's the LO2P: Delhi Recycling Center, a concept by firm Atelier CMJN. Built from parts of recycled cars from local junk piles, this novel greenhouse has wind turbines that serve as bio-lungs. While it's still just a concept, it won first place in this year's eVolo Skyscraper competition, which means that the greenest buildings of the future will be of an entirely different ilk than we're used to.
Tiny eco-friendly homes(06 of07)
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When it comes to green, bigger is almost never better. In that spirit, a new generation of homeowners and homebuilders are focusing on living in tiny eco-friendly homes. Gone are expansive kitchens and bedrooms; instead the focus is on integrating your life as much as possible with the outdoors, and winnowing down your lifestyle in size but not in style. Indeed, many of these tiny homes are very design-focused.
Tianjin Eco-City(07 of07)
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Forget green building--consider entirely green cities. Tianjin Eco-City in China, slated for completion in 2020, will span 30 square kilometers and will include "an advanced light rail transit system and varied eco-landscapes ranging from a sun-powered solarscape to a greenery-clad earthscape for its estimated 350,000 residents to enjoy."
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