Otilia Drăgan
3,816 ARTICLES
A master’s in International Relations, as well as working in online media for more than five years, have given her a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
Homes on wheels, aircraft or boats, these fresh, sometimes quirky, ideas from all over the world are worth sharing.
Carbon Crusher Brings a Fresh Approach to Sustainability, Making Carbon-Negative Roads
18 Mar 2022, 04:50 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Sustainable transportation is mainly about the types of vehicles that circulate and what powers them, but it’s also about the roads. Making and maintaining roads also releases a lot of CO2 into the air, but the solution is not to stop making ...
Former U.S. Diplomat’s Explorer Reached 75 Countries, Boasts a Unique Propulsion System
18 Mar 2022, 03:20 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / For some, the ultimate adventure is sailing away, traveling to some of the most remote locations on Earth while facing the natural challenges of being at sea for extended periods of time. Dorothea III was certainly built for that and proved to be m...
Japanese Shipping Giant Successfully Tests the Use of Biofuel for a Bulk Carrier
17 Mar 2022, 06:59 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / From LNG (liquefied natural gas) and biofuel to hybrid propulsion systems, big names in the global shipping industry are slowly but surely introducing sustainable solutions that will eventually make this sector greener. It takes longer for maritime...
Phoenix E Is the Mighty Electric Towbarless Tractor That Can Move Aircraft at 15.5 MPH
17 Mar 2022, 05:33 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / One of the ways in which aviation operators are supporting a green future is by switching to hybrid or all-electric vehicles for ground operations at airports. Lufthansa Leos, the Lufthansa Group ground handling specialist, has just added to its fl...
Pratt & Whitney Successfully Tests Its Revolutionary GTF Advantage Engine on 100% SAF
17 Mar 2022, 04:33 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Pratt & Whitney claims to have developed the greenest, most efficient engine for single-aisle aircraft, one that will become the basis for future innovations throughout the next decade. A recent milestone took this sustainable engine even furth...
Former U.S. Navy Ship Turned Patrol Vessel for Conservation Missions Attacked by Pirates
17 Mar 2022, 03:22 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / You would think that vessels conducting benign missions meant to help the environment and our planet should be safe from any intentional harm. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Pirates have no moral limitations when it comes to the ships th...
Oil Fillers Refuse to Refuel Famous Oligarch’s Yacht, Even Though He’s Not Even Sanctioned
17 Mar 2022, 02:25 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / The situation regarding Russian-owned superyachts seems to be getting out of control. Even the ones that are not officially on the European Union’s black list are being treated as if they were. A former KGB agent’s massive explorer is s...
Sea Electric’s Cost-Effective Zero-Emissions Technology to Power Electric School Buses
16 Mar 2022, 07:21 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / With today’s electric drive systems having reached such high levels in terms of performance and efficiency, it would seem almost unreasonable to persist in the use of polluting vehicles for public transportation, especially when it comes to c...
GE and Safran Join Forces for a Unique Testing Facility Dedicated to Next-Gen Aircraft
16 Mar 2022, 06:00 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Studies have shown that both commercial and military aircraft fleets will go through a major renewal over the next decades in order to meet increased demand and environmental requirements. But in order for new and advanced aircraft to take to the s...
UK Inches Closer to Launching the First Rocket from British Soil, in a Historic First
16 Mar 2022, 04:53 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / In 1971, the UK conducted its first and only successful orbital launch, using the Black Arrow, but from Australian soil. Now, the country is ready to not only start launching rockets again but to do so from its own soil for the first time in histor...
Falcon 900LX Is the New VIP Transport Jet for UK’s Top Officials and the Royal Family
16 Mar 2022, 03:56 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Already known as a top-of-the-line model in the world of business jets, the Falcon 900LX will now reach the next level, proving that it’s an aircraft truly fit for royalty. “Command Support Air Transport” is the official name g...
Former KGB Spy’s $153M Secretive Superyacht Seized, Doesn’t Seem to Faze Him
16 Mar 2022, 02:44 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Last year, when we were reporting about the gorgeous Valerie superyacht being listed for sale, nobody could have imagined that it would end up being seized by Spanish authorities. In the midst of unprecedented international sanctions targeting Russ...
Former Navy Seal Is Selling His $26.5M Superyacht, on Which He Spent 42 Days in Isolation
16 Mar 2022, 01:33 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Some superyachts were infamously used as luxurious isolation solutions during the lockdown, and that’s when they showed their worth. While most of us were stuck at home during those times, others were experiencing a different type of isolatio...
Shell to Operate Three e-Catamarans, Pioneering Electric Ferry Services in Singapore
15 Mar 2022, 06:20 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Shell Energy is decarbonizing its operations in several ways, one of them is through the use of electric ferries for the transportation of its workers to and from the Chemicals Park on the island of Bukom, outside of Singapore. Through this innovat...
Californian Sustainable Fuel to Power Future Flights From the U.S. to Australia
15 Mar 2022, 05:13 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Airlines in different parts of the world are starting to follow the example of American and European operators regarding the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Even if purchasing SAF from another continent is an expensive option for Qantas, th...
Rolls-Royce to Boost Space Exploration With an Autonomous Nuclear Micro-Reactor
15 Mar 2022, 04:17 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / The UK has taken its mission to become one of the leaders in the space industry seriously. Until the upcoming launch of a rocket from British soil, a historic first, the country’s Space Agency is funding several research projects. A recent ro...
Under-Construction Superyachts Initially Meant for Russian Clients to Sell Like Hotcakes
15 Mar 2022, 03:44 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / These times will certainly be remembered in the history of the luxury yacht industry as a dark period – the sanctions targeting Russian oligarchs’ ultra-expensive toys had ripple effects in the entire industry. One of them is that shipy...
Japanese Company Builds a 3D-Printed Futuristic Tiny Home in Less Than 24 Hours
15 Mar 2022, 02:07 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / The health crisis that shook the world over the last two years has made it clear that people are interested in flexible living solutions perhaps more than ever before. Whether mobile or not, tiny homes are increasingly popular for their multiple ad...
Chinese Air Taxi Developer Scores Another Large Order for Two of Its Aircraft Models
14 Mar 2022, 07:42 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / Chinese AAV (autonomous aerial vehicle) developer EHang plans to become one of the most important names in UAM (urban air mobility), at least in Asia. It seems to be on track, considering that it secured a significant number of pre-orders in Japan ...
Miami to Become the Home of the Largest and Most Advanced Cruise Terminal in the U.S.
14 Mar 2022, 06:39 UTC · By: Otilia Drăgan / More and more companies in the maritime industry, from shipping operators to superyacht builders and cruise lines, are switching to clean energy alternatives, such as the use of LNG (liquefied natural gas) for their next-generation vessels. And, as...