Upcycling and sustainability
Working towards a sustainable future – an interview with Sarah Page, managing director of Plumbs.
Source: theecologist.org
Working towards a sustainable future – an interview with Sarah Page, managing director of Plumbs.
Source: theecologist.org
Globally, sustainable exchange-traded fund (ETF) assets hit $150 billion last year, vaulting 25 times higher than in 2015. Yet despite this growth, sustainable ETFs—baskets of investments that focus on environmental, social and governance issues—account for roughly 5% of the entire ETF universe. What makes up this rapidly growing market? Where are the most common areas for investment? To answer this question, this infographic from MSCI breaks down the sustainable ETF universe.
Deforestation Efforts Not Making Needed Progress – The New York Declaration on Forests reports that national and global programs to prevent deforestation are falling short of their goals because of a lack of transparency. The nonprofit says, “Progress toward Goals 3 and 4 — reducing deforestation from infrastructure and extractive developments, while supporting sustainable livelihoods — is too slow to protect remaining intact forest landscapes.” Infrastructure projects account for 17% of deforestation, mainly due to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The organization argues that accountability combined with transparency is required to force economic planners to acknowledge their words and deeds are not aligned. Arctic Thaw Awakens Ancient Microorganisms – As permafrost melts in Siberia, Alaska, Canada and Iceland accelerate, humans are at risk from microbes that have remained frozen for millennia. For example, anthrax broke out in Russia after the disease was released by melting permafrost due to higher ocean temperatures. We cannot know the consequences that will come to pass, but working to prevent the thawing of Northern permafrost by restoring the climate to pre-industrial CO2 levels does offer a path to avoid the risk. Human Pollution Includes Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria – The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to human use of drugs and chemicals in medical and industrial waste is a growing threat to nature. As humans enter the third century of industrialization, the consequences of drug-resistant bacteria impact species worldwide, from Tasmanian devils and flying-fox bats to Australian sea lions. Researcher Michelle Power writes at Phys.org that “we need to use…
All England Lawn Tennis Club move means there will be 4,500 fewer plastic bags this year…
Carbon Trust certified that Evian met the PAS 2060 standard by light-weighting the bottle packaging, using recycled plastic, and reducing production waste and energy usage.
A little-known magazine from the 1970s is worth a flip-thru as it focused on a subject that we are still urgently wrestling with today: sustainability.
That Which Sustains Us is a long-term exhibition that explores the convergence of different knowledge traditions in the Vancouver area through an examination of people’s interactions with forests and their natural environment. It does so by showcasing traditional ecological knowledge related to forests; consequences of the deforestation and urbanization of Vancouver; and the possibility of returning to sustainable land use practices in the Greater Vancouver area. The thread that connects these narratives is the idea that culture ultimately shapes how people choose to interact with the natural world. Teachings that embrace stewardship leave less obvious traces on the land, when compared to historical viewpoints that commodified “natural resources” like wood and promoted the clearing of land as a pre-requisite of “ownership”.