Sustainability In Your Ear

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Earth911 Podcast: Dr. Marcius Extavour on the $100M XPRIZE Circular Carbon Network Competition Jun 06, 2022

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Meet Dr. Marcius Extavour, Chief Scientist and Executive Vice President of the XPRIZE Circular Carbon Network, talks about state of the carbon capture industry and winners of the first round of the $100 million circular carbon challenge funded by Tesla founder Elon Musk. They recently awarded $15M, which was split among a group of 15 promising teams working to make carbon capture and removal scalable and efficient at the gigaton level. Marcius shares details about the winners and what technologies appear to be the most promising path to removing 150 years of excess industrial and other human CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. As previous guests have explained, CO2 is a basic building block for fuels, chemicals, construction materials and myriad consumer products. The signs suggest that, if we can end emissions by 2050, the planet's atmosphere could be cleaned up by 2100.
The organization also reports that investments in carbon capture quadrupled between 2020 and 2021, rising by $875 year over year to approximately $3 billion invested in total to date. The XPRIZE study also found that carbon technology companies are already generating revenue — 29% of the companies reported earning more than $1 million in revenue, and 56% of all carbon firms have some paying customers. This is an important industry to follow — it could remove the trillions of tons of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and eventually return us to pre-industrial CO2 levels. You can learn more about the XPRIZE Circular Carbon Network at https://circularcarbon.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Wilderness Defender Doug Peacock on Was It Worth It? Jun 03, 2022

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Meet Doug Peacock, wilderness warrior, author and the inspiration for Edward Abbey’s well-known character in The Monkeywrench Gang, George Washington Hayduke. Doug Peacock’s new book, Was It Worth It: A Wilderness Warror's Long Trail Home, contemplates a life spent in nature as well as the partnerships in wilderness living and defense he had with Abbey and others in the environmental writing world. His 1996 book, Grizzly Years, which recounts his 20-year relationship with grizzly bears, is one of the great books about the misguided relationship people have with apex predator species. Was It Worth It is published by Patagonia; it’s one of the few books that carries an environmental benefits summary — it is printed on recycled, chlorine-free paper, so it’s a book you can feel good about buying.
Doug reads from his latest book and talks about his 50+ years living near and studying Grizzly Bear around the Yellowstone National Park region. He reflects on how, if one doesn't try to control and exploit nature, it provides endless magical experience and the resources necessary for a responsible lifestyle. Doug also discusses the role of indigenous knowledge and the urgent need to respond to the collapse of biodiversity in the American West. You can learn more about Doug Peacock at https://dougpeacock.net/

Earth911 Podcast: Imperfect Foods' Maddy Rotman on Eliminating Food Waste Jun 01, 2022

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Maddy Rotman, Head of Sustainability at Imperfect Foods, a delivery service for sustainably sourced produce and packaged food that would otherwise end up in landfills as food waste, joins the conversation to find an end to one of the largest sources of easily avoided greenhouse gas emissions. More than a third of the food humans grow each year goes unused. Project Drawdown estimates that we could reduce CO2 emissions by 90 to 101 gigatons annually simply by cutting out 50% to 75% of food waste. She explains how the less attractive produce grocers won't sell can save shoppers money while reducing their diet's carbon footprint.
Maddy explains how Imperfect Foods is tackling its own environmental impacdt. The company is building its own distribution system, using local vans and drivers who follow regular weekly routes to reduce the emissions associated with deliveries. By following planned routes, they can use less energy than on-demand shippers that deliver anywhere, every day. Imperfect Foods plans to have an entirely electric delivery fleet by 2027, and it will be staffed by full-time employees with benefits. Sustinability In Your Ear listeners can save of their first purchase by using the code "Earth911" during checkout. You can learn more about Imperfect Foods at https://www.imperfectfoods.com/

Earth911 Podcast: The Ocean River Institute's Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action May 30, 2022

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A lawn may be beautiful but it can take a heavy toll on the environment, accounting for between 30% and 60% of residential water use in the United States. Rob Moir, Ph.D., is president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge Massachusetts. ORI works with residential lawn owners to heal damaged ecosystems by restoring coastal areas to lessen the destructive impacts of climate change. The benefits of a natural lawn reach far beyond reduced local water pollution, eliminating chemicals that can contribute to cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and other cellular diseases. Natural lawns are also better for local pollinators and store much more carbon than heavily fertilized lawns. If you considered removing your lawn to play a part in the battle against climate change, this interview may change your mind -- a healthy lawn is a powerful carbon sink.
The Ocean River Institute is recruiting Massachusetts communities, town by town, to take a pledge to follow natural lawn practices in the Healthy Soils for Climate Restoration Challenge. You don't need to live in Massachussetts to participate and learn about the alternatives to the traditional, chemical-intensive lawn practices that use Roundup, a source of glyphosates that kills soil-dwelling fungi and local pollinators, and fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers. You can learn more about the Ocean River Institute at https://www.oceanriver.org/

Earth911 Podcast: The Ellen Macarthur Foundation Introduces a Circular Economy Glossary May 27, 2022

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Alice Bodreau, Strategic Partners Manager for Europe at the Ellen Macarthur Foundation joins Mitch Ratcliffe to discuss the new Circular Economy Glossary. She led the development of the glossary in partnership with IKEA to help provide a common language for different industries to explore and activate the circular economy. We wanted to learn more about their approach to the building circular systems and future efforts to extend the reference for wider application. Alice also explains how the the Ellen Macarthur Foundation educational programs help to grow the community of companies, governments and non-profits needed to kickstart circular economies for many materials.
The U.S. recycling system is a living example of the consequences of having no shared framework for collaboration. Our recycling system is a complex mix of local, state, federal, private and non-profit organizations that has been knitted together over the past 70 years. It’s no exaggeration to say that those organizations have difficulty communicating clearly, as recycling processes and rules vary by city, ZIP Code or the coverage area of the hauler that picks up your recycling. The result is a U.S. recycling rate in the low 30% range in contrast to Europe's 48% overall recycling rate. With a common language, we may accelerate the emergence of the circular economy. You can learn more about the Ellen Macarthur Foundation at https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

Earth911 Podcast: PFAS Everywhere -- Consumer Reports' Kevin Loria on Forever Chemicals In Food Packaging May 25, 2022

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Kevin Loria joins the conversation to talk about his recent Consumer Reports article about PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), in grocery and restaurant foods, Dangerous PFAS are in your food packaging. The magazine found PFAS in the majority of 100 food packaging materials they tested, including off-the-shelf foods at grocers and Burger King, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and other restaurants to-go packaging. Sometimes the chemicals were introduced in the manufacturing process accidentally but most were intentionally added to prevent grease, oil or liquid leakage. Banned PFAS continue to show up in new products, possibly because they may be picked up from recycled materials, the environment, water supplies or the soil.
Referred to as “forever chemicals," PFAS are everywhere, including nonstick pans, cleaning supplies, shampoos and cosmetics — there will be no avoiding them until consumers demand their use be banned. New PFAS are invented constantly and introduced into the food supply chain despite growing scientific evidence showing that they contribute to cancers, immune system disorders and low birth weights. Kevin explains how to avoid PFAS when shopping and eating out. The article is available free; to learn more, visit Consumer Reports at https://www.consumerreports.org/

Earth911 Podcast: Bridgestone's Bill Niaura on Creating a Circular Tire Recycling Infrastructure May 23, 2022

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Our guest, Bill Niaura, Director of Sustainable Materials and Circular Economy at the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center, is working to create a circular economy in tires. Tokyo-based Bridgestone, the world's largest tire company based on revenue, recently announced a new partnership with carbon recycling firm LanzaTech to introduce a technology that gasifies — breaks down — the rubber in tires to feed to bacteria. The process produces ethanol, a fuel that can also be used to make plastic and other products. They are also working to extract a precursor chemical for use in making new rubber and, by extension, new tires. Bill also explains how Bridgestone is exploring new sources of natural rubber, including the desert plant guayule that the company recently introduced in racing tires.
Even as the automobile changes and becomes electric, some things will stay the same. Tires and the waste associated with them will continue to be a feature of the driving experience. Americans spend approximately $43 billion annually on more than 200 million replacement tires for passenger vehicles, according to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s National Research Council. Globally, more than one billion tires are disposed of each year, and 40% of them end up in landfills. With all the controversy about plastic recycling, we wanted to get the details of this new process and understand how fast it could scale up. You can learn more about Bridgestone's tire recycling efforts at https://www.bridgestoneamericas.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Frank Dalene On Decarbonizing the World With ICEMAN May 20, 2022

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Markets are characterized by competition over exclusive control of resources, but as our guest today, Frank Dalene, writes in his new book, Decarbonize the World: Solving the Climate Crisis While Improving Profits In Your Business, “here’s the problem: we are all part of the same planet. We all live in the same closed environment. We all have the same atmosphere. We all breathe the same air.” Frank joins us to today to discuss how business and regulators need to rethink their approach to markets in order to recognized our shared resources and reverse global warming. Frank is also president and CEO of Telemark Inc., a construction business that pioneered green building practices and helped introduce New York state’s green building standard.
Frank developed the International Carbon Equivalent Mechanism Attributed to Neutrality (ICEMAN) methodology to describe the carbon impact of products, buildings and food — eventually the ICEMAN system will provide a Carbon Factor Index score that can be placed on products and service offerings to make it easier for everyone to make informed, sustainable choices.We discuss how the carbon scoring system might be introduced and what it can account for in easy-to-use consumer labeling. You can learn more about Frank and Decarbonize the World at https://frankdalene.com/

Earth911 Podcast: HowGood Product Sustainability Data Could Unlock A Regenerative Revolution May 18, 2022

Show notes

Alexander Gillett, chief executive officer at HowGood, discusses the 15-year effort that produced the largest database of product sustainability data. HowGood announced a new round of funding today, and Alex shares how they will use the funds to expand their coverage and enable companies to get insights into the Scope 3 CO2 emissions associated with their supply chains. The Stone Ridge, N.Y.-based company's HowGood Latis plaform covers more than 33,000 ingredients, chemicals and materials along with sourcing information — where and how the product is grown or made — and the environmental impacts associated with food and other products. With that kind of information at our fingertips, shoppers are able to make fully informed decisions about what we buy based on how it contributes to climate progress and the rise of a regenerative food supply.
Awareness about the growing impact of climate change has reached a critical mass, and most people now understand it’s important to act. The question is how? Choosing low-carbon and low-environmental impact products, especially food, which accounts for a third of human greenhouse gas emissions according to the United Nations, can help consumers take important steps that protect the environment. HowGood informatoon is currently available to consumers through the HowGood app for iPhone and to product manufacturers, retailers, restaurants and other businesses that use it find more sustainable options for making new products. You can learn more about HowGood at https://howgood.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Tractor Supply Co.'s Roian Atwood on Reaching Carbon Neutrality by 2040 May 16, 2022

Show notes

Roian Atwood, Senior Director of Sustainability at Tractor Supply Company, joins the converstaion to discuss the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the country’s approach to stewardship of the lifestyle it refers to as “life out here,” which could help forge important changes of habit in those communities. Tractor Supply Company has aligned its very aggressive sustainability targets with the Paris goals of cutting overall emissions by 50% by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2040, a decade before most companies that have set goals. Roian also dives into the complexities of recycling packaging and the materials, such as steel palettes used to deliver tractors, that the company uses.
Retailers, as we’ve heard frequently on this show, are keystone influencers in the shape of a new sustainable economy. The choices retailers make when stocking their shelves determine the choices consumers have. Tractor Supply Co. is working to electrify all its operations in a move away from fossil fuels and is already ahead of its original CO2 emissions and renewable energy goals. Founded as a mail order company during the Depression, Tractor Supply is also thinking through how the transition to ecommerce may change its physical interaction with customers, as well as drive the addition of recycling services at stores to bring customers in on a regular basis. You can learn more about Tractor Supply Co.'s sustainability goals at https://corporate.tractorsupply.com/ESG/stewardship/default.aspx

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