Theresa Carter launched an online petition calling on Target Stores to eliminate single-use plastic bags that has gathered more than 310,000 signatures. She explains how she got the petition started.
Source: earth911.com
Green buildings and sustainable cities – news and views…
We’re in a crisis that is also an opportunity.
In March this year, the European Commission released its new Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe. The aim is to encourage sustainable use of resources, reduce waste and build a “climate-neutral, resource-efficient and competitive economy.”
A majority of UK consumers believe personal care and beauty brands should put more effort into manufacturing products in an ethical and sustainable way, and this isn’t just a passing fad, says Leatherhead’s head of consumer and sensory insight.
Increasing the lifespan of different tribosensitive components while reducing environmental impacts is becoming a more important area of research. A possible approach to solving this issue is the use of solid lubricants to enhance the wear resistance of different components. Another approach is the use of “green or environmental” fluids for enhancing lubrication where removing or decreasing the use of ecotoxic oils for lubrication is the goal. Another answer is by using components that are wear-resistant through enhanced microstructure design.
Challenges facing the use of solid lubricants include:
• Low mechanical strength
• Limited temperature applicability
• High application costs.
Andy Nieto, assistant professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., says reducing friction and effectively dissipating frictional heating are key mechanisms in reducing wear. Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials are one possible approach for solid lubricants that create protective surface layers as solid-state lubricants.
Addressing the members of industriAll Europe’s Executive Committee today, Commissioner Breton expressed confidence in the capacity of European industry to emerge stronger and more resilient from the current crisis.
To achieve this, lessons must be drawn from the crisis, stressed the Commissioner. Several essential pre-conditions for a sustainable recovery are already evident: Europe’s strategic independence, a well-functioning internal market, accompanying Europe’s workforce through the green and digital transition through skills development, differentiated strategies for each industrial ecosystem that consider specific challenges as well as co-designing these strategies in a broad and inclusive dialogue with stakeholders, including trade unions.