Month: October 2021

Understanding soil biodiversity driven processes function, and delivery of ecosystem services, are crucial to promote knowledgeable functional diversity management to prevent crossing tipping points. We discuss options to prevent passing tipping points, by the governance of “functional diversity” across the biophysical, economic, and societal levels using southwestern Amazonia as blueprint. One of the main challenges to prevent crossing ecosystem thresholds of one state to the other is the rapid and often irreversible nature of tipping points. Additionally, in coupled natural and human systems, the impact of tipping points is not always recognized as a threat, and people usually see no reason to change their behavior towards ecosystem degradation as long as their livelihood, health, or economy are not impaired perceptibly. As such, addressing tipping points is complex, and requires a multi factorial analysis, and integration of natural and social sciences to understand the underlying processes governing ecosystem health and good science communication to engage society.

KEEN, Inc., the footwear brand on a mission to make outside inclusive and accessible to all, today announced that Good Housekeeping awarded the brand the Good Housekeeping 2021 Sustainability Innovation Award for its Detox the Planet initiative that keeps perfluorochemicals (PFCs) and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) out of its footwear. PFCs/PFAS, a class of about 5,000 fluorinated chemicals also referred to as “forever chemicals” are often used in water repellent finishes in every-day products. These toxic chemicals enter the environment where the chemicals, components and finished products are manufactured, through contaminated water or waste, and spread easily, posing health risks to humans and animals.

Like many good things in life, wind turbines don’t last forever. But disposing of retired turbine blades has become a headache for the renewable energy industry. They’re made of materials that can’t easily be recycled.  But from cycle shelters to bridges, life-expired blades are finding innovative new uses around the world. And the first 100% recyclable turbine blades have just been produced in Denmark.  Up to 85% of an existing wind turbine, including the steel mast and electrical components made of metals like copper, can be recycled, but not the turbine blades, which already account for 10% of Europe’s fibre-reinforced composite material waste.

RWE, Germany’s largest power producer, announced it’s investing $21 billion in the UK by 2030 to accelerate its transition. The announcement comes as CEO, Markus Krebber is taking part in the Global Investment Summit in London. Firstly, the announced investment includes the already announced investment of five billion pounds into two offshore wind parks; one of which started the construction phase back in June. Those are the Triton Knoll and the Sofia offshore wind parks, the latter being the one that began construction recently. Indeed, much of the activity of RWE in the UK focus on offshore wind. Apart from the projects mentioned above, the company is currently developing four new offshore wind farms, representing a combined potential installed capacity of around 2.6 GW.

From ageing electric batteries to old engines to rearview mirrors, the auto industry is revving up its recycling efforts as it faces pressure to reduce its colossal carbon footprint. The world’s automakers are investing in facilities to salvage old parts but the industry is also looking to recycle the millions of electric batteries used for the cars of the future. While electric cars are cleaner than their fossil fuel forebears, the raw materials needed for their batteries are extracted from mines in Africa that are often accused of environmental damage and using child labour. “As demand for these materials increase, the pressures on these (economically marginalised) regions are likely to be amplified, risking the goals of a socially and ecologically sustainable renewable energy system,” according to the Institute for Sustainable Futures at University of Technology Sydney.

Athens Services has been presented the Legacy of Hope Award from St. Francis Center for the company’s support of the social services agency. The award was presented at the 12th Annual Friends of St. Francis Center Gala in Los Angeles on Oct. 2, 2021. Since 2017, Athens has worked with St. Francis to expand food rescue opportunities in Los Angeles, specifically in the North Central, West LA, and Harbor areas. Athens’ infrastructure grants have supported the collection and distribution of 82,000 pounds of edible food to those in need. The grants also funded the installation of refrigerators and stoves at the center.

Progress towards regenerative textiles. The Code Red warning for humanity from the recent UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report requires us all to take action to reduce the intensity of resource and energy use, and shift to more regenerative technologies and lifestyles. Jane Milburn believes in the power of adaptation in the natural world and her own. After agricultural science and leadership study applied to a career in rural communications and advocacy, Jane set up Textile Beat and wrote the book Slow Clothing before doing permaculture design and teaching courses to strengthen her focus on regenerative systems. Jane will discuss progress towards regenerative textiles and why we need to be living simply in a changing world.

The lack of reliable power is sparking a political crisis on the island territory of Puerto Rico, where years of neglect, a string of severe hurricanes and a shaky takeover by a private contractor have resulted in the most expensive and unreliable electricity in the U.S., according to The New York Times. And attempts to rebuild or patch a grid that was ailing even before the storms hit risk making things worse, University of Puerto Rico professor Agustín A. Irizarry told the Times.