Envision a sustainable future
If you’ve driven past a large livestock operation, you’ll recall the ammonia stink from the manure slurry ponds. Even when composted, that waste releases a lot of greenhouse gases. But a Korean team has developed an energy efficient process of turning the waste into biochar which can help soils absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.… Continue reading Koreans turn manure into biochar
Do you member the first time you got a cellphone? You had to learn how often to plug it in to charge. But what if all our devices had a thin solar cell that could charge from ambient indoor light? You could ditch all those chargers and cables. A company in Stockholm is producing thin,… Continue reading Imagine never having to plug in your phone, headphones or tablet
It might be hard to imagine this turning out well: put pro-choice and pro-life people in a room together and get them to talk about abortion. But with proper preparation (readings from both sides to form a common basis of knowledge) and careful facilitation (like that provided by Brave Angels,) this approach has born (sorry,… Continue reading Bridging the political divide on abortion can be a model for resolving other intractable issues
A bill is working its way through Congress that will help to create a circular economy. It’s focused on textiles, building an alternative to cheap Chinese goods. Please let your congressional representatives know if you support the bill. Thank you, Renga S, for sharing this news!
Private equity firms are known for making wealthy people richer, sometimes gutting companies and jobs to make a huge profit. But KKR is now pursuing a model that gives employees a meaningful stake in the transition. Employee ownership can share the wealth. When KKR bought a garage door company, CHI, they gave employees shares. When… Continue reading Private equity firm pushing employee ownership
IKEA has already cut emissions from products their customers use at home by 52 percent over their 2016 baseline. In addition to using their purchasing power to drive suppliers toward greener products that can be sold at no premium, they also funnel customers past “sustainable living” products and messaging. They’ve also increased meatless food items… Continue reading How IKEA plans to cut carbon emissions of products customers buy 70 percent by 2030
Thanks to David S for sharing this story.
Whatever you think of Elon Musk or Tesla, I encourage you to watch this video that explains how do-able it is to get to a fully renewable energy economy. Thank you, Rich F, for sharing this with me!
If you talk to kids these days, most are horrified by the world’s problems and afraid for their future. We're depressing them with all the problems instead of educating them on how to create a sustainable society.
According to a five year study by Argonne Labs, large solar installations can increase biodiversity, especially of pollinators, if the sites are seeded with native plants. Insects tripled and native bees increased twenty times!
Darcy Hitchcock 