Month: October 2021

Boris Johnson has been accused of having ‘completely lost the plastic plot’ after telling schoolchildren that recycling ‘doesn’t work’ as a means to ease the climate crisis.  The Recycling Association reacted with astonishment at the Prime Minister’s remarks during a Downing Street press conference for pupils, saying they were ‘very disappointing’.  Number 10 had to tell the public to continue recycling after Mr Johnson said ‘recycling isn’t the answer’ and stressed the need to reduce the amount of plastic that is used.  The PM said: ‘It doesn’t begin to address the problem. You can only recycle plastic a couple of times, really. What you’ve got to do is stop the production of plastic.’

Here’s a recent news headline: “Bear attacks couple, dog on Blue Ridge Parkway, officials say.”  Here’s a second headline covering the same incident: “Spots along Blue Ridge Parkway closed after bear attacks 2 during picnic in NC mountains.”
But if you take a quick glance at either story, it’s clear that the headlines and the coverage are a fair bit misleading.  The couple was picnicking with their large German Shepard, when the unleashed dog charged the bear and started barking.  As one news report notes, “The bear acted defensively toward the dog and the couple, likely aggravated by the dog, officials said.”  It’s also worth noting that the couple and the dog are perfectly safe.

On October 21, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn joined Knouse Foods Cooperative officials, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and a host of partners for the kickoff of a streamside forest buffer planting at the fruit grower owned cooperative operations in Biglerville, Adams County.  The planting is designed to improve the water quality of an unnamed tributary to the Conewago Creek, and eventually the Chesapeake Bay.

It has become even more apparent that millennials and Gen Z are the driving force behind the plant-based movement. They are creating a much higher demand for products that were once a very small portion of the food market. The pandemic highlight just how popular a plant-based diet is among many millennials and generation Z people are, through media and market trends. The demand for plant-based foods is expected to continue to grow even more through 2024, as gen Z and millennials continue to choose plant-based options for health, environmental, and animal welfare reasons.

Hair extensions are becoming as normal as throwing some mascara and blush on before running out of the house. It feels like you can buy them anywhere nowadays, from at your local corner shop in the form of a thin ponytail to at the beauty salon for hundreds of dollars. While synthetic hair has its issues (it’s made from plastic and cannot biodegrade), human hair isn’t any better. Where is all this hair coming from? And is it just another example of exploiting women desperate to support their families? 

Paper Round are charging ahead with the first electric recycling trucks to service commercial customers in London.  Climate change is one of the greatest threats of our time. The evidence is clear and there is no doubt that emissions of greenhouse gases from human activity are impacting our climate.  In May 2019, the UK Government declared a climate emergency, committing the country to net zero emissions by 2050.  Here in Bankside, we work hard to improve air quality for our neighbourhood and achieve our goal of a net zero by 2030. This is why we teamed up with Paper Round, to offer subsidised recycling for businesses, helping to consolidate vehicle movements and improve our environmental impact.

In an effort to identify plastic accumulation and leakage hotspots along the Ganges river, a recent project in three north Indian cities found that roughly 10%-25% of all the plastic waste generated was littered and was not routed into recycling or appropriate waste disposal channels. This litter, which is either generated in or accumulates in the different cities’ hotspots is a major source of plastic leaking into the riverine system in the area, especially during the rainy season. Much of the litter was multilayer plastic packaging, disposable bottles and cutlery, nylon sacks, and polythene bags.

One of the world’s largest oil producers, Saudi Arabia, announced Saturday it aims to reach “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2060, joining more than 100 countries in a global effort to try and curb man-made climate change.  Although the kingdom will aim to reduce emissions within its own borders, there is no indication Saudi Arabia will slow down investments in oil and gas or relinquish sway over energy markets by moving away from the production of fossil fuels. Energy exports form the backbone of Saudi Arabia’s economy, despite efforts to diversify revenue as the world increasingly looks to transition away from reliance on fossil fuels. The country is forecast to make $150 billion in revenue this year from oil alone.

Scientists said on Thursday the fossils include more than 100 dinosaur eggs and the bones of about 80 juveniles and adults of a Jurassic Period plant-eating species called Mussaurus patagonicus, including 20 remarkably complete skeletons. Big John – named after the owner of the land where the dinosaur’s bones were found – roamed modern-day South Dakota more than 66 million years ago.  Goodbye, Columbus: Vikings crossed the Atlantic 1,000 years ago – Long before Columbus crossed the Atlantic, eight timber-framed buildings covered in sod stood on a terrace above a peat bog and stream at the northern tip of Canada’s island of Newfoundland, evidence that the Vikings had reached the New World first. But precisely when the Vikings journeyed to establish the L’Anse aux Meadows settlement had remained unclear – until now.

HM Treasury has published its roadmap for the transition to a greener financial system. Importantly for the accountancy profession, it sets out plans for implementing sustainability disclosures. Large businesses must report on their green credentials to the investment community, says the UK Chancellor. With a whole chapter on getting the right information to market participants, ‘Greening Finance: A Roadmap to Sustainable Investing’ focuses on ensuring the UK’s ambitious climate-change targets are not only written into law, but the financial system that will support the transition is equipped to play its part.

At a time when there is an urgent need to act more transparently, organizations across the globe are under mounting pressure to integrate more sustainable practices throughout their supply chains to limit unnecessary waste and conserve the use of resources. Doing so is no easy feat. In a world that is undeniably reliant on expansive, complex supply chains, embedding end-to-end sustainability is a major undertaking. That said, those that do so successfully are likely to create long-term value by better enabling productive and efficient operations.

Honda Motocompo reviewed into a more modern café racer avatar is what urban motorbike enthusiasts would drool over thanks to the Motocompo XL bike concept. Remember the cult favorite Honda Motocompo scooter from the early 1980s? The two-wheeler that could fit in the boot of a car? The box-shaped rectangular plastic body with handlebars, seat and foot-pegs folded perfectly into the frame for a clean look. After selling fifty-three thousand-odd units, Honda discontinued the compact scooter in 1983, but couldn’t wash away its memory with concept vehicles like the 2001 e-Dax, e-NSR and the 2011 Motor Compo electric scooter.

A 15-pound Congestion Charge in central London also applies between 0700 and 2200 BST, although exemptions apply. Cities and nations around the world have plans to ban, restrict or impose levies on combustion engine-powered vehicles to cut pollution.  London on Monday widened the area motorists with older and more polluting cars will have to pay 12.50 pounds ($17.25) to drive in, as part of efforts to improve air quality. The Ultra Low Emission Zone has already been operational in the city centre and will now apply up to the North and South Circular roads, stretching to Tottenham in the north and Brixton in the south.  The charge affects petrol cars that do not meet at least Euro 4 standards, which became mandatory in 2005, and diesel cars not at Euro 6 levels or higher, in place since September 2015. A 15-pound Congestion Charge in central London also applies between 0700 and 2200 BST, although exemptions apply.

As we embark on a new year (a new decade, in fact!) and look ahead to next week and another National Retail Federation conference and expo, I am inspired to pause and reflect for a bit on the successes of the past year. And the highlights that first come to mind are not from Microsoft but rather from our customers and partners – those retailers and companies supporting the retail industry with technology that have truly embraced our industry’s new normal – constant disruption – with fresh thinking and innovation. We often hear that every company is becoming a software company, and this feels especially true for the retail industry right now, as many across fashion, fast-moving-consumer goods, food service and more are building their own net new digital capabilities. We refer to this concept as tech intensity – not only using technology for technology’s sake, but also using it to build net-new capabilities to propel your business forward.

NASA has confirmed that it has completed stacking the Orion spacecraft aboard the Space Launch System rocket that will push it into orbit in the future. With the stacking of the rocket complete, it’s ready to be transferred to the launchpad for its long-anticipated trip into orbit. Along with the completion of stacking the rocket, NASA has also now confirmed a potential launch date for the uncrewed Artemis I mission.

As part of our Mission Possible campaign, edie brings you this weekly round-up of five of the best sustainability success stories of the week from across the globe. Published every week, this series charts how businesses and sustainability professionals are working to achieve their ‘Mission Possible’ across the campaign’s five key pillars – energy, resources, infrastructure, mobility and business leadership. As November approaches, momentum continues to build towards COP26. Businesses, governments and regions alike are all keen to showcase their green credentials in the meantime.

If the local maritime industry fails to adjust to the changing global landscape, jobs could be lost and products could become more expensive, according to economists. Last week, in a BBC report, major firms Amazon, Ikea and Unilever pledged to support zero-carbon shipping by 2040. They intend to only ship goods through shipping lines that use zero-carbon fuel in two decades. Former Dean of the University of the Philippines School of Economics Ramon L. Clarete said changes that could lead to greater trade costs could impact jobs, such as those of seafarers, and the cost of goods. “Seafarers are employees of international shipping companies. The latter will have to adjust. If they can, seafarers would have to retrain themselves based on how shipping firms adjust,” Clarete told this newspaper.

Sea-level rise is not a major threat in South Africa but, tied with other climate crisis consequences, it can become one. Here’s how higher sea levels could affect the country’s coastal cities. With the world heating up, countries are expected to make ambitious efforts to keep global temperature rise below 1.50C at the upcoming COP26 negotiations. Africa, one of the most vulnerable regions to the climate crisis, is likely to get hotter at twice the global rate, with sea-level rise a consequence. For a long time, global warming was almost solely a phenomenon associated with melting glaciers. Alongside this notion were images of polar bears stranded on cracked-off pieces of ice — and land expected to almost disappear as it was swallowed by sea-level rise.

United Phosphorus Limited has taken refuge behind a legal laager, refusing to disclose a raft of regulatory and safety documentation to Durban residents. It has also refused to fund or to take part in a new public forum to access more information about the Cornubia chemical disaster. United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) and its media consultants ventured out to the frontline of public opinion last week, but very soon the company beat a hasty retreat to its legal redoubt where it invoked its “right to silence” and the “right against self-incrimination”.

The Green Blue and the Final Straw Foundation joined forces at the Southampton International Boat Show  to launch a Single-Use Plastic Free Accreditation. Aimed at inland and marine clubs, training centres and boating businesses, the new standard will highlight the responsible and innovative products and practices by organisations in the recreational boating industry. The Green Blue’s Kate Fortnam and the Final Straw Foundation’s Bianca Carr launched the accreditation on the Foredeck Stage of the world-renowned Southampton International Boat Show. Members of the audience were given an overview of the accreditation criteria and the long-term impact that single-use plastic can have on both our inland and coastal waterways.