Photo: Upworthy

Germany’s power supply incorporates a serious amount of renewable energy. So much so that it can lower prices significantly to the customer when renewable energy production (such as solar and wind) is high. On Sunday, May 8, though, Germany experienced a first: So much renewable energy was created on a particularly sunny and windy day that energy prices actually went negative. That meant that people who used electricity during that period actually saw their energy bill decrease rather than increase. This is surely a pricing policy quirk that won’t stay in place for long, but it goes to show just how significant a difference incorporating renewable energy into the economy can make. (via Quartz)

Photo: FastCo.Exist

Every day, hundreds of restaurants in Chicago have tons – literally – of food that they can’t use, and would prefer to donate. And every day, there are hundreds of food banks and other nonprofits that would love to accept those donations. The problem is that it’s nearly impossible to coordinate which nonprofits need which foods, which will actually be available, and how to handle the transfer. Enter two computer programmers, who have created machine-learning software to optimize the process, meaning that less food will be wasted and more will reach the people who need it most. (via FastCo.Exist)

Photo: CityLab

The inability to post bail can have enormous consequences on people who, remember, haven’t been convicted of anything yet. They can lose their jobs when they miss work, and their children can become abandoned and end up in foster care. One major barrier to posting bail is that it’s still a cash transaction, despite our modern economy operating increasingly in electronic transfers. So New York City is working to address the issue by placing ATMs in all criminal courthouses and exploring ways to allow bail payments with credit cards. Bail is still a severely flawed system, but hopefully these measures will at least mitigate some of the injustice it imposes. (via CityLab)