Smoldering Swedes Heat Building?

A typical day at Stockholm's Central Station.

A Swedish company has found a new use for some of Stockholm’s hottest bods — that is, heating big buildings, of course!

The hustle and bustle of a quarter-million passengers through this European city’s rail hub, Central Station, generates a lot of juice – enough electricity to lower energy costs at a nearby 13-story building by up to 25 percent, according to a BBC News report.

Who’d have guessed that body heat could be such a potent source of renewable (dare I say clean) energy? Apparently, the idea’s been around for a while. According to Time, the Mall of America in Minnesota also captures body heat to help keep shoppers toasty warm in winter.

But this story offers a fresh reminder that smart, renewable energy possibilities are all around us… from solar panels covering parking lots to that bloke brushing by on your morning commute.

The more creative solutions we use, such as capturing body heat, the less pressure energy development will place on wildlife like threatened desert tortoises and their habitat on public lands.

Learn more about large-scale solar energy development’s impacts on wildlife and public lands.

Members Project

We found this great story through our Members Project partners, TakePart.

The American Express Members Project has selected Defenders as a a candidate to receive $200,000 in funding, but only if we get the most votes.

Help us win the contest. Two hundred grand will go a long way to help save our wildlife and wild places. And all YOU need to do is vote!