DENR order banning single-use plastics out soon
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is poised to issue an order banning single-use plastics nationwide.
Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is poised to issue an order banning single-use plastics nationwide.
Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers are leading analyses of recycling, repairing, and reusing solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in support of NREL’s mission to incentivize a circular economy for energy materials. According to NREL, the increase in the installation of PV systems is leading to environmental and supply chain concerns because the technology relies on imports and mining of raw materials to meet domestic demands. NREL predicts that, by 2030, decommissioned PV modules could total a million tons of waste in the United States or one percent of the world’s e-waste. Concerned by these facts, NREL researchers have been leading ongoing analyses of the end-of-life management of PV modules in the current market. Taylor Curtis, an NREL sustainability analyst, highlights that “[r]epair, reuse, or recovery of this equipment would reduce negative environmental impacts, reduce resource constraints, and stimulate U.S. economic growth.”
As we enter the new year and the world begins year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, we find ourselves in a decade that proves the adage, “The only constant is change.” The food system is hardly immune to turmoil. The causes and consequences include persistent disruptions in global supply chains, new perspectives on worker welfare and safety, and a renewed focus on food insecurity. In addition, climate change continues to be a major concern. Despite these challenges, innovative approaches that harness the power of science and technology continue to emerge. To help make sense of it all, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) — drawing on its credentialed experts and wealth of consumer survey data — once again offers a forecast of food trends for the upcoming year.
Canopy is an idea for a sustainable community with shared wellness, workshop and garden spaces. The vision is that these will be modular homes, using modern methods of construction. The goal is to form a community which tackles the socio-environmental challenges of today. Canopy will do this by building zero-carbon homes, powered by renewable energy sources. SHOW MORE
American Airlines’ CEO Doug Parker told employees the industry “fully believed by Oct. 1 this would be over with. I know that sounds insane now.”
Tomorrow’s chemical industry will use platform molecules (raw materials) produced from agri-food waste. The realization that oil resources are limited is reviving interest in not only biomass as a source of molecules for the chemical industry, but also in industrial biotechnology. The Move2chem project, which began in 2014, has been used to develop an alternative biotechnology pathway for extracting value-added chemical molecules (organic acids) used in particular in the manufacture of preservatives, solvents, paints and polymers (plastic, rubber, polystyrene, etc.) from effluents or industrial co-products (rarely or not recovered).
Associate Professor Masatoshi Kondo (Laboratory for Advanced Nuclear Energy, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology) spoke at a press webinar hosted by the Japan Association of Communication for Science and Technology. Kondo presented findings on the theme of “Going sustainable in construction – Using ‘liquid metal’ to make eco-friendly concrete.” Kondo explained the cutting edge of research on reinforced concrete made with fusible metal fibers to realize a resource-recycling society.