ENVIRONMENT

Nature

3 Signs Momentum is Building For Business to Act On Nature

World leaders and members of the business and nonprofit communities are meeting in Cali, Colombia, for the U.N. Biodiversity Conference (COP16) through Nov. 2 to discuss progress toward global nature goals. These three takeaways from Climate Week indicate business is ready to their part.

Meryl Richards

October 24, 2024

Energy

New Tech Prepares Energy Storage Companies For Sodium-Ion Batteries

Battery analytics software company Twaice just launched a first-of-its-kind tool to help energy storage companies evaluate, understand and prepare to use sodium-ion batteries. It’s a crucial step for adopting alternatives to lithium-ion and meeting the battery demand caused by the energy transition.

Riya Anne Polcastro

October 18, 2024

Food + Farming

Billie Eilish Fans Take a Bite out of Climate Change with Plant-Based Pledge

Billie Eilish actively engages her fans to act on social and environmental issues. Concertgoers can pledge to eat one plant-based meal a day for 30 days through Support and Feed, for example. Founded by Eilish's mother, Maggie Baird, the organization calls for a shift to an equitable, plant-based food system.

Amy Brown

October 17, 2024

Technology

Brands Taking Stands

The U.S. Faces a Persistent Gender Gap in EV Sales: Here's What Automakers Can Do About It

Women purchased just 33 percent of the electric vehicles sold in the U.S. in the first six months of 2023. Here's how automakers can get more women interested in EVs.

Tina Casey

October 16, 2024

Energy

In Higher Education’s Efforts to Decarbonize, New Jersey Offers a National Model

Academic institutions face many challenges when implementing decarbonization programs. New Jersey colleges are building a blueprint for how schools across the country can collaborate to make progress on shared carbon emission goals.

Terra Meierdierck

October 15, 2024

Food + Farming

A Tough Nut to Crack: Kind Snacks Tackles Sustainability in Almond Orchards

After a year of progress, the Kind Almond Acres Initiative is expanding. The California-based pilot project is a part of the company's plan to source 100 percent of its almonds from farmers practicing regenerative agriculture by the end of the decade.

Ruscena Wiederholt

October 10, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

How Innovators Are Solving the Wind Industry’s Recycling Problem

Thousands of wind turbine blades are piling up in disposal sites across the United States, with many more to come as older wind farms reach the end of their useful lifespans. Fortunately, new tools are emerging to help the industry recover and repurpose more of this material.

Tina Casey

October 9, 2024

Energy

The U.S. Must Combat a ‘Wild, Wild West' of Misinformation to Scale Clean Energy, White House Aide Says

Unsubstantiated claims tying ocean wind farms to the deaths of whales and birds have become a rallying cry during the U.S. presidential election. Against this backdrop, White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi provided a progress report Monday on whether it's still possible to generate 30 gigawatts of clean electricity by 2030.

Dave Armon

October 8, 2024

Technology

An AI Career Coach is Leveling the Playing Field for Job Seekers

Most young people don't have access to a counselor or advisor who can help them enter the workforce. CareerVillage's artificial intelligence-powered career coach is democratizing how people navigate their career paths, especially youth who lack access to traditional career support systems.

Abha Malpani Naismith

October 7, 2024

Technology

The Restor Platform Empowers Communities to Restore the Planet

Part social network, part marketplace, the open-access land restoration platform Restor helps local land stewards reach customers and investors for their products and services. The aim is to support climate change adaptation and mitigation by empowering those who are most vulnerable to its effects.

Ruscena Wiederholt

October 3, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

Wave Energy: An Untapped Resource for Coastal Communities

Generating renewable energy from the motion of waves is an emerging option for businesses in coastal communities where land-based options aren't feasible, transmissions lines for faraway energy are expensive, and residents raise aesthetic objections to offshore wind turbines.

Tina Casey

October 2, 2024

Nature

Student Entrepreneurs Take On Ocean Pollution and Fast Fashion

Each year, college students who are running businesses compete in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards. Two of this year's winners — Logan James from the U.S. and Yara Yousry from Egypt — are focused on bringing sustainability to fashion and fishing with creative ideas that reduce waste.

Gary E. Frank

October 1, 2024

Energy

Electricity Demand is Rising, But Renewables Are Positioned to Help

Electricity demand is surging in the United States. Renewable energy could bring relief. It's responsible for the majority of the country's increasing generation capacity.

Mary Riddle

September 27, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

U.S. Businesses Are Rediscovering Small Wind Turbines

U.S. businesses were using small-scale wind turbines to generate their own electricity long before massive wind farms were commonplace — and new incentives are making small wind projects even more attractive.

Tina Casey

September 25, 2024

Food + Farming

Can Rod and Reel Gear Save Nova Scotia’s Swordfish Harpoon Fleet?

A harpoon fishing fleet that's operated in Nova Scotia for over a century is struggling to catch enough swordfish to stay afloat. Adding rod and reel gear and offering charter fishing trips could increase its annual income by $2.5 million CAD and keep the sustainable fleet in operation.

Riya Anne Polcastro

September 23, 2024

Nature

Nearly a Year Into Whole Foods’ Pollinator Health Policy, Suppliers Share Lessons Learned

Whole Foods announced its pollinator health policy in December. Suppliers are sharing the pollinator-friendly practices that work for them to help others prepare for the 2025 roll out.

Gladstone H Taylor

September 20, 2024

Food + Farming

For MVP Dairy, Regenerative Farming is About Progress Over Perfection

While many wonder if cattle farming can coexist in a world increasingly focused on decarbonization and biodiversity, MVP Dairy believes incremental sustainability gains are important to recognize. It's improving its environmental impact through regenerative dairy farming practices.

Mary Riddle

September 19, 2024

Food + Farming

Brands Taking Stands

The More Farmers Know About Agrivoltaics, the More They Like It

Using the same land to produce crops and solar energy, a practice called agrivoltaics, is gaining popularity among developers and farmers. Will it scale up quickly enough to become a significant part of the energy transition?

Tina Casey

September 18, 2024

Nature

Every Mention of Climate and Environment From the U.S. Presidential Debate

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former U.S. President Donald Trump faced each other on the debate stage for the first time last week. Read on for every time they mentioned climate change and environmental issues, along with fact-checks and commentary from the TriplePundit news desk. 

Mary Mazzoni

September 11, 2024

Nature

Brands Taking Stands

The Numbers Prove That Plastic Bag Bans Work

A new report from the Ocean Conservancy connects recently enacted statewide plastic bag bans to a 29 percent drop in the number of plastic grocery bags cleaned up from beaches.

Tina Casey

September 11, 2024

Energy

How Kore Infrastructure Plans to Reduce Wildfire Risk by Turning Waste Into Energy

Kore Infrastructure uses a closed-loop process to turn the deadwood and brush that create enormous wildfire risks into carbon-negative hydrogen, renewable natural gas and biogas.

Riya Anne Polcastro

September 10, 2024

Nature

Undermining Progress: Human Rights and the Low-Carbon Transition

From the Petri Dish to the Mine: These Microbes Dissolve Minerals

Mining companies are using microbes break up low-grade ores and release the desired metal. It's called biomining, and it can reduce the environmental and social impacts of the process.

Andrew Kaminsky

September 9, 2024

Energy

Undermining Progress: Human Rights and the Low-Carbon Transition

These Plants Are Made of Metal, And They Might Be the Fix the Clean Energy Transition Needs

Scientists discovered a group of plants that accumulate significant amounts of critical minerals like nickel from the soil around them. Now, they're exploring mining plants, a process called phytomining, to help supply the minerals needed to power the clean energy transition.

Andrew Kaminsky

September 3, 2024

Nature

Laws Whiskey House is Promoting Water Conservation in Colorado

Water is a key ingredient in whiskey, but many distilleries are located in areas grappling with water shortages. Denver-based Laws Whiskey House is striving to make a difference with a new whiskey series dedicated to supporting water conservation efforts in nearby rivers, starting with the Colorado.

Ruscena Wiederholt

August 30, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

The Global Clean Energy Transition is Unstoppable, and Green Hydrogen Could Change the Game

Zero-carbon sources now account for more than 40 percent of global energy generation capacity, according to a BNEF analysis released this week. Green hydrogen could be the missing piece to total dominance for the renewable energy sector.

Tina Casey

August 28, 2024

Sponsored

Avocados: The Farm-to-Table Journey of America’s Favorite Fruit

Fair Trade Avocados Are Growing Rural Economies in Mexico

Fair Trade certification helps to foster sustainable development in growing regions and ensure economic stability for farmers. For Carlos Genel, an economist and second-generation avocado grower in Michoacán, Mexico, becoming a Fair Trade organization was a win for his community. 

Mary Riddle

August 27, 2024

Nature

Could AI-Bred Microbes Help Save Our Plastic-Choked Oceans?

Microbes could hold the key to a cleaner and healthier environment. Scientists around the world are discovering tiny living organisms that can biodegrade plastic pollution in the oceans.

Eyal Ronen

August 26, 2024

Nature

New Credit System Encourages Businesses to Halt and Reverse Biodiversity Loss

More and more businesses are setting biodiversity-related targets, but it's often difficult to measure an organization's impact. To increase transparency and encourage action, researchers developed Biodiversity Impact Credits that take into account businesses' negative and positive effects on species and their long-term survival.

Rasha Rehman

August 19, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

Solar Breakthroughs Bring Us Closer To a Renewable Energy Future

The European Union met half its power needs with renewable energy in the first half of 2024, and the bloc's use of solar power in particular increased by over 30% since 2020. With efficiency upgrades and game-changing design shifts on the horizon, the world's love affair with solar is just getting started.

Mary Mazzoni

August 14, 2024

Sponsored

NYC: Leading Toward a Green Economy

New York City Takes Its Biggest Step Yet for Offshore Wind

New York City will soon be home to one of the nation's largest offshore wind projects — which is set to contribute not only clean energy, but also economic development and well-paying jobs for residents and communities.

Phil Covington

August 14, 2024

Energy

Innovators Look to Overcome the Limits of Geothermal Energy in the U.S.

Heat trapped in the ground, known as geothermal energy, is an important clean energy resource, but its use in the United States is limited to naturally-occurring hotspots. Innovators are working to expand its reach with the help of technology used in the oil and gas industry.

Tina Casey

August 13, 2024

Nature

A Firewood Lot is Helping This Timber Town Recover

A local business that processes wildfire and logging debris in Oakridge, Oregon, is the first step in a plan to revitalize the once-booming timber town's economy while improving air quality.

Ashli Blow

August 12, 2024

Energy

Clearloop Bases Renewable Energy Deployment on Environment and Health Impacts

The emission reductions from renewable energy projects vary based on the location and what other energy source they replace. Experts argue development should be based on environmental and social impacts, not megawatt hours, to effectively address climate change and ensure equity.

Mary Riddle

August 8, 2024

Technology

Can Digital Twins and Tree Mapping Help Cities Adapt to Climate Change?

Trees play an important role in cities' ability to adapt to extreme weather and other impacts of climate change. Now, they're using digital twins paired with artificial intelligence to create digital maps of trees, plan green infrastructure projects and monitor tree health.

Riya Anne Polcastro

August 8, 2024

Food + Farming

Should Refillable Packaging Be the New Norm?

The Paris Olympics Prove Reusable Packaging Is Possible On a Massive Scale

The Paris Olympics are the largest sports event ever to replace single-use beverage cups with refillable alternatives, and advocates hope it will send a clear message to event organizers and beverage brands that reuse is possible on a large scale. 

Mary Mazzoni

August 7, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

Carbon Capture Can Compliment the Circular Economy with E-fuels

Carbon capture is often criticized as a way to enable continued extraction of fossil fuels. While simply capturing carbon and storing it underground fails to proactively replace fossil energy with renewables, carbon capture systems can stimulate renewable energy development through innovations like e-fuels.

Tina Casey

August 7, 2024

Energy

The Energy Storage Logjam is Breaking: Sodium-sulfur Batteries Can Help

New, longer-duration energy storage options are an important part of decarbonizing the grid. Sodium-sulfur batteries are an option already on the market.

Tina Casey

August 6, 2024

Energy

Amazon Reduces Packaging Waste with Artificial Intelligence

An artificial intelligence tool developed by Amazon picks the perfect package to safely deliver a product while creating the least amount of waste. It's helped avoid 80,000 metric tons of single-use plastic packaging in the last four years.

Abha Malpani Naismith

August 5, 2024

Food + Farming

Cocoa Prices Are Booming: What's Next?

Commodity prices are soaring as climate change hits key growing regions, but headlines on the subject often miss a crucial factor: Today’s price spikes stem from the longstanding exploitation of farmers, which stripped resilience out of these supply chains years ago, argues the executive director of Fairtrade America.

Amanda Archila

August 1, 2024

Sponsored

Force for Good: Giving Back to Communities Nationwide

From Auto Assembly Plants to National Parks, Zero-Landfill Practices Help to Create a More Sustainable Future

The Zero Landfill Initiative, also known as Don’t Feed the Landfills, aims to reduce the amount of waste entering U.S. national parks and reuse, recycle and compost what is brought in.

Riya Anne Polcastro

July 31, 2024

Technology

Lithium-ion Batteries Could Soon Work Much Better in Extreme Temperatures

The Japanese technology company Asahi Kasei found a way to improve lithium-ion battery performance in temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 140 degrees. It could be a game changer for the electric vehicle industry.

Phil Covington

July 29, 2024

Technology

Harnessing the Oceans to Combat Climate Change: 
The Possible Next Wave in Geoengineering

Solar geoengineering is gaining traction as a potential method to temporarily reduce global temperatures. While some geoengineering techniques could present more unintended consequences than others, researchers think marine cloud brightening is worth a closer look.

Rinaldo S Brutoco

July 26, 2024

Technology

A Coalition of Companies is Replacing Thin-Film Plastic With Seaweed

The Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Accelerator powered by Lonely Whale brought together a group of companies to speed up the adoption of seaweed-based alternatives to the thin-film plastic commonly used to package clothes and other products.

Gary E. Frank

July 25, 2024

Food + Farming

Hybrid Grapes Are Paving the Way for Sustainable Vineyards

An astounding 70 percent of wine-producing regions are predicted to become unsuitable as global temperatures rise. Though often overlooked, hybrid grapes offer a path toward a more resilient, sustainable future for the industry.

Ruscena Wiederholt

July 12, 2024

Technology

Aquacycl Makes Treating Industrial Wastewater Easier and More Effective

The California startup Aquacycl created an on-site way to address hard-to-treat industrial wastewater. The system uses natural, locally-sourced bacteria to consume organic materials in the water while creating electricity.

Carl Nettleton

July 11, 2024

Nature

Preserving Wetlands Could Build Resilience in the Drought-Stricken Caribbean

The Caribbean is facing a severe drought, forcing islands like Jamaica to implement water rationing measures. Protecting natural wetlands could help build up the water supply for local communities.

Gladstone H Taylor

July 1, 2024

Energy

The Solutions Effect

Solutions Journalists Take On the Energy Transition

Solutions journalists are making the energy transition less daunting by focusing their stories on the governments, communities and companies working to make the shift possible.

Taylor Haelterman

June 28, 2024

Sponsored

Avocados: The Farm-to-Table Journey of America’s Favorite Fruit

For These Farmers, Growing Avocados Sustainably is a Family Tradition

Enrique Audiffred, a third-generation farmer and second-generation organic avocado grower in Michoacán, Mexico, is among those turning to technology to produce the prized green fruit in a more environmentally sustainable way.

Mary Riddle

June 27, 2024

Food + Farming

Moving the Breadbasket: Climate Change and the Future of American Agriculture

California is the United States' leading agricultural producer, but as climate change intensifies, growing some of those crops elsewhere becomes an important part of ensuring a stable food supply. The World Wildlife Fund is promoting that transition in the Mid-Mississippi Delta region.

Mary Riddle

June 27, 2024

Technology

Climeworks’ Iceland Carbon Capture Plant is First to be Puro Standard Certified

After rigorous evaluation, Climeworks became the first direct air capture company to receive third-party verification under the Puro Standard for its Orca plant, which captures carbon dioxide straight from the air around it.

Mary Riddle

June 25, 2024

Technology

PetSmart Wants to Turn Your Dog’s Old Toys Into New Ones

Pet parents in four western states can drop off their dog's old rubber and plastic toys at PetSmart to be recycled into brand new toys. The company is partnering with West Paw to expand the toy maker's existing toy takeback program.

Riya Anne Polcastro

June 21, 2024

Energy

Permitting For Energy Projects is Notoriously Slow: Reform is Needed to Put Communities First

The current process for obtaining permits to build energy projects is agonizingly slow. Approvals take an average of four years, but oftentimes that process can take over a decade. Reform is needed to bring more affordable energy to the communities that need it.

Kyle Kammien

June 20, 2024

Technology

B&Q Launches Plastic Plant Pot Recycling Program

The United-Kingdom-based home improvement company B&Q is minimizing gardening waste with a closed-loop plant pot recycling initiative. The plastic pots it collects are used to make new, weather-resistant pots.

Gladstone H Taylor

June 20, 2024

Energy

The Green Hydrogen Industry Needs a Manufacturing Makeover

The systems needed to create green hydrogen, electrolyzers, are expensive and difficult to scale. 3M and the electrolyzer-maker Evoloh are teaming up to introduce roll-to-roll manufacturing to the industry and bring down the cost.

Tina Casey

June 18, 2024

Technology

These High School Scientists Are Building Wildfire Solutions

Two thousand young scientists from around the world just presented their solutions for critical societal issues at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. We spoke to three students who conducted research and created tools to address wildfires.

Mary Riddle

June 17, 2024

Energy

Brands Taking Stands

Solar Power Reaches New Heights in 2024: Some Big News You May Have Missed

The solar energy sector is seeing major global growth, with a host of large-scale projects coming online and new discoveries with the potential to revolutionize the industry even further.

Mary Mazzoni

June 12, 2024

Technology

Brands Taking Stands

How the U.S. Navy is Making Electric Vehicle Batteries Better

Lithium is the material of choice for electric vehicle batteries, but it comes with a set of problems. The U.S. Navy is working with the startup Enzinc to assist in bringing alternative battery materials like zinc into the market to address some of those issues.

Tina Casey

June 12, 2024

Technology

Corporate Composting Could Take Off With New Tech That Removes the 'Ick Factor'

The composting industry is challenged by the "ick factor" that accompanies the idea of keeping food waste around. So, Mill Industries developed a compact, odor-free kitchen appliance that turns food waste into dry grounds with cleanliness and convenience in mind.

Tina Casey

June 10, 2024

Food + Farming

A Free Tool is Bringing Farmers and Buyers Together to Eliminate Food Waste

A sizable portion of the 2.5 billion tons of food that's wasted every year never leaves the farm. A new, free tool from the World Wildlife Fund is helping growers and buyers work together to get more food out of the field and onto consumers' plates.

Riya Anne Polcastro

June 7, 2024

Technology

Phononic’s New Cooling Technology Reduces Grocery Store Emissions

Grocery stores typically use refrigerants that are thousands of times more powerful greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide to keep food cold. Heating and cooling technology company Phononic found a way to do so without using them.

Gary E. Frank

June 6, 2024

Food + Farming

Shaking It Up: Shake Shack Embraces Carbon Neutral Milk

Shake Shack is using carbon neutral milk from Neutral Foods in its namesake milkshakes to reduce its carbon footprint. Meanwhile, Neutral is helping dairy farmers make sustainable changes with technical and financial assistance.

Ruscena Wiederholt

June 3, 2024

Food + Farming

Drink Up for the Planet: How Spirits, Beer and Wine are Going Green

Companies in the alcohol industry are turning to a myriad of novel methods to create more sustainable spirits, wines and beer. Going organic and upcycling food waste are just some of the ways they're reducing the environmental impact of their operations.

Ruscena Wiederholt

May 31, 2024

Food + Farming

The Solutions Effect

The Apps Fighting Food Waste

Entrepreneurs are designing mobile apps to reduce the more than a billion tons of food wasted by households, retailers and food service businesses each year. These forward-thinking founders want food waste reduction to be as easy as ordering takeout or curbside grocery pickup.

Taylor Haelterman

May 31, 2024

Food + Farming

How Agrivoltaics Innovation is Creating New Opportunities for Farmers

The emerging field of agrivoltaics is encouraging solar technology innovation while allowing farmers to take advantage of new clean energy systems that can co-exist with crops and livestock.

Tina Casey

May 24, 2024

Sponsored

Avocados: The Farm-to-Table Journey of America’s Favorite Fruit

On the Move: How Avocado Exports Work

While farm workers play a crucial role in the avocado's journey from orchard to table, thousands of buyers, packers, marketers and logistics professionals are just as critical to the industry’s growing success.

Mary Riddle

May 14, 2024

Food + Farming

This Organization Pays Farmers to Grow and Protect Forests in India

Farmers for Forests is helping to reforest India and sequester carbon by paying farmers to grow fruit trees on historically barren land in a practice known as agroforestry.

Mary Riddle

May 10, 2024

Technology

Artificial Intelligence Helps Restore the World’s Most Biodiverse Coral Reef

Three businesses are teaming up to restore the reefs in the most diverse marine ecosystem on the planet, Malaysia's Coral Triangle, using underwater cameras and artificial intelligence.

Abha Malpani Naismith

May 9, 2024

Food + Farming

Should Refillable Packaging Be the New Norm?

What School Lunchrooms Can Teach Us About Normalizing Reuse

Schools are particularly well suited as testing grounds for budding reuse models. We spoke with Crystal Dreisbach, CEO of Upstream, a nonprofit change agency working to accelerate reuse systems across North America, to learn more.

Mary Mazzoni

May 8, 2024

Energy

Honda Pursues a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Solution to the E-Waste Challenge

Electric vehicle batteries are adding more electronic waste to an already overwhelmed recycling stream. Honda is looking to ease that strain with new hydrogen fuel cell projects.

Tina Casey

May 3, 2024

Sponsored

Avocados: The Farm-to-Table Journey of America’s Favorite Fruit

Meet the Family Farmer Growing Your Avocados

Michoacán, a Mexican state on the western coast, is at the heart of the country's avocado sector and produces 73 percent of all avocados grown in Mexico. It is also where Martin Mendoza calls home and where he has been growing avocados since he was 16 years old.

Mary Riddle

April 17, 2024

Nature

The Political Path Forward on Climate Change

Green investments aimed at tackling climate change could create historic economic growth, but the current polarized political landscape makes common ground increasingly difficult to find. Still, working across political and socioeconomic lines can offer major opportunities, this climate justice advocate argues.

Jessie Buendia

April 16, 2024

Nature

Could Arsenic-Laced Wells Help Protect Indigenous Lands From Wildfires?

Wells with elevated levels of arsenic may sound alarming, but they actually present a wildfire, climate and ecosystem solution for Indigenous lands across the United States.

Taylar Dawn Stagner

April 15, 2024