Sustainable news development (environment,agriculture,energy,clothing,travel,food)

How to Be Zero Waste at Home — Tips for Reducing Waste Around the House

Once you become aware of our overconsumption of single-use plastic, the abundance of trash humans are producing, and how all that affects the climate crisis, you may start feeling really overwhelmed. Luckily, there’s a pretty great way to combat that — going zero waste.

But wait — isn’t living trash-free even more overwhelming than just ignoring the trash problem? I totally feel you. Scaling 4.4 pounds of trash a day (what the average American produces) to zero pounds a day sounds like a lofty task. However, if you gradually ease yourself in, you’ll find that producing less trash is a lot easier, more accessible, and cheaper than you may think.

Plus, it’s important to remember that producing “zero waste” is just

Scottish school climate strikers limited to one day off for protests annually

The City of Edinburgh Council has brought in new measures to prevent schoolchildren from taking more than one day out of lessons per academic year for climate strikes.

A spokesperson for the council said the move would widely be regarded as a “reasonable compromise”

Earlier today (16 August), the local authority’s education committee met to discuss plans to limit the number of authorised absences which children at primary schools and secondary schools could take per academic year, for the purpose of joining the #Fridays4Future movement.

Started by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg last year, the movement has grown from a one-person protest to an international movement. The biggest school climate strike to date, on 15 March 2019, garnered the support of 1.4 million

Reef-Friendly Sunscreen — Why It’s Important, Plus Our Recommendations

If you’ve been soaking up every moment of summer, you’ve probably already gone through your fair share of sunscreen bottles this year. Keeping your skin protected from the sun is super important — but so is protecting our oceans and their coral reefs. Luckily, there are plenty of sunscreens on the market that are labeled as reef-safe or reef-friendly, which are formulated to protect your skin as well as the environment.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about reef-safe and reef-friendly sunscreens, plus a few sunscreen recommendations.

Faraday Grid enters administration after research budget runs dry

Tech start-up Faraday Grid has entered administration after the firm drained its research budget and failed to secure further funding.

UK Power Networks has confirmed that Faraday Grid’s proposed pilot project is no longer going ahead

Grant Thornton has announced it was appointed as the administrator of the company on 8 August.

Faraday Grid was formed in 2016 to develop its Faraday Exchanger technology for use by electricity networks.

The company claimed the hardware could combine the functions of multiple existing devices – converters, inverters, rectifiers and transformers – and autonomously maintain a target voltage, frequency and power factor when combined with its namesake software platform.

UK Power Networks announced plans in October to trial the technology across London starting in spring 2019.

“The

20 Best Small Ship Cruises for Your World Travel Bucket List

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Cruises have gotten a bad rap lately: One recent scientific study found that air quality on a cruise ship deck was “worse than the world’s most polluted cities.”

But not all cruise companies feature gigantic cruise ships carrying 5000+ passengers. In our eyes, small ship cruises are much better for travelers, locals, and the environment alike.

The best small ship cruise lines typically have less than 300 passengers, a lower guide-to-passenger ratio, and expert local guides. These small luxury cruise ships have become increasingly popular in recent years, offering a more intimate and immersive travel experience.

Some small luxury cruises focus squarely on nature and wildlife, while others focus more on the history and culture of a destination. But

Edible drinks bottles backed by Government funding

Oohos, the edible, plastic-free packaging capsules trialled by companies such as Lucozade Ribena Suntory, have received more than £300,000 in Government funding that will help boost daily manufacturing outputs.

More than 36,000 Lucozade Sport Oohos were sampled at the 2019 Virgin Media London Marathon

The sachets, created by packaging firm Skipping Rocks Lab and made by manufacturing firm Notpla, is a seaweed extract that is used as edible packaging for drinks under 100ml. The plastic-free packaging can be eaten, composted or disposed of in normal household bins. Once discarded, they take around six weeks to decompose.

The Oohos capsules have already been trialled by Lucozade Ribena Suntory, the Vita Mojo restaurant and Just Eat, and have now received more than £300,000 in Innovate UK

Thyssenkrupp targets 'climate-neutrality' after setting new science-based targets

German industrial giant Thyssenkrupp has had its new emissions goals approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), shortly after pledging to become climate-neutral by 2050

Thyssenkrupp is one of just four German firms to achieve SBTi approval

While ‘climate-neutrality’ by 2050 is, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), what is necessary to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5C, the SBTi approval is for the company’s medium-term targets, which are aligned with the Paris Agreement’s 2C trajectory.

These include a target of reducing direct (Scope 1) and power-related (Scope 2) carbon emissions by 30% by 2030, against a 2018 baseline, and of cutting indirect (Scope 3) emissions by 16% by 2030, against a 2017 baseline. Thyssenkrupp believes its largest

Episode 184: Coca-Cola's packaging pledge, Organic Valley gets creative

Week in Review

Tune in around 10:53 for commentary

Features

Cooperation was central to Organic Valley’s clean energy milestone (23:18)

Organic Valley, the U.S. dairy collective, got creative to meet its goal of being powered by 100 percent clean energy thanks to a series of community solar deals it helped spearhead through municipal utilities. Sarah Golden, GreenBiz Senior Energy Analyst and chair of VERGE Energy, recently spoke with two people involved with Organic Valley’s unique arrangement: Stanley Minnick, Organic Valley’s energy services and technology manager, on the

These rock climbers are approaching a new summit: energy for all

“There’s no point supporting environmental causes that don’t support standards of living to help people.” Adventure rock climber Alex Honnold came to that realization in 2010, when he traveled to Chad on an expedition. Struck by local communities’ lack of access to power, Honnold began to think about how he could affect global inequality while addressing climate change.

Two years later, when Honnold and fellow climber Maury Birdwell founded the Honnold Foundation, they came to another realization: Solar power is the solution. Today, the foundation addresses inequality by supporting solar

Living homes for all

Editor’s Note: The Affordable Housing Pilot Program at the International Living Future Institute, made possible with initial funding by the Kresge Foundation and current and ongoing funding by the JPB Foundation, includes the development of industry-specific resources, such as The Living Building Challenge Framework for Affordable Housing, as well as working with pilot projects that are registered under the Living Building Challenge.

Why we need affordable housing

After this year of bleak climate reports and unprecedented wildfires, the need for a regenerative built environment has never been clearer. The need

New climate change report underscores the need to manage land for the short and long term

In its latest report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change describes how agriculture, deforestation and other human activities have altered 70 percent of the land on Earth’s surface.

These changes are significantly adding to climate-warming emissions. They are also making forests and other natural systems, which can store key greenhouse gases, less able to do so.

Many calls to limit emissions focus on those from energy and transportation. But as the IPCC report points out, agriculture and land use are also major greenhouse gas sources. In the past decade, land

Unilever's vegan mayonnaise and 'smart' e-bikes: The best green innovations of the week

Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.

This week’s innovations could drive significant change in the transport, fashion and food sectors

Here in the UK, our MPs are on summer recess and our schools are closed for summer – but by no means does that mean that sustainability trailblazers are resting on their laurels.

The past seven days have seen big business set bold new carbon reduction and renewables targets, rework their packaging portfolios and make sizeable investments into the next generation of innovative products and systems.

In this series, edie’s editorial team rounds up some of these innovations,

Simple Ways To Make Sure You Have An Eco-Friendly Pool

More people have started to pursue a green lifestyle in recent years, since increased awareness has been spread on the matter. Living an eco-friendly life means more than just recycling your waste or using star-rated appliances, you should consider every possibility you have to reduce your carbon footprint.

If you’ve recently installed a swimming pool, this backyard addition might be currently consuming higher levels of energy, which is not good for the environment.

Having a swimming pool can be great. You have the perfect spot to cool off during hot days of summer, it can add to the visual appeal of your outdoor setting, and it’s something the entire family can enjoy together. However, if you want to maintain an

Do Chesterfield Sofas Mesh With Living A Sustainable Lifestyle?

When you are buying new furniture, you need to consider the impact it is going to have on the environment. Of course, your sustainable lifestyle goals aren’t the only thing to consider. You also need to consider the benefits of it as well. Architectural Digest talked about the quandaries that people face when trying to buy eco-friendly furniture.

Chesterfield sofas are among the most popular sofas on the market. But are they also good for the environment? We decided to take a closer look.

Chesterfield Sofas for Eco-Friendly Lifestyles

The Chesterfield sofa takes a prominent position within the ranks of different sofa styles. The classic design of the Chesterfield sofa and its longevity make it one of the most enduringly

Try These Simple Changes To Slash Your Carbon Footprint Overnight

We are witnessing a perennial problem with our environmentally destructive lifestyles. Many people claim to care about saving the environment. Polls have shown that around 60% of Americans report wanting to do more to help the earth and live green. Unfortunately, the percentage of Americans that are actually willing to make the necessary changes is much lower.

In 2018, only 28% of Americans have reported making major lifestyle changes to live green and save the planet. Anecdotal observations suggest this figure has not risen much since.

The truth is that there is a lot of resistance to living green lifestyles. Harvard Business Review discussed this in a 2018 article. Author Art Markman said that the biggest reason more people aren’t

It’s Raining Plastic, Study Finds — And Here’s Why

This study found that it’s raining plastic — here’s why.

UK water companies to plant 11 million trees to assist carbon-neutral aims

A host of major UK water companies, local authorities and NGOs have today (15 August) teamed on a new tree-planting initiative that will assist the delivery of a carbon-neutral water industry by 2030.

Tree planting above Gorpley reservoir in Calderdale where up to 200,000 trees will be planted Image: Yorkshire Water

The UK’s nine major water and sewerage providers, including Yorkshire Water, Anglian Water and United Utilities have committed to planting 11 million trees in order to improve the natural environment across 6,000 hectares of English land.

Original woodland will be restored alongside new projects on land owned by the water companies. Local authorities, The National Trust, The Wildlife Trusts and The RSPB are also part of the initiative and will provide

Reports: Sustainable finance 'growing rapidly' in Europe

Europe’s sustainable finance market experienced “rapid” growth during the first half of 2019, despite a challenging end to 2018, new analyses have concluded this week.

H2 of 2018 was widely regarded as a difficult period for green finance, but the market is showing signs of resurgence

The first of these analyses comes from Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s (BNEF) Sustainable Finance Market Outlook for the second half of 2019. According to this report, Europe accounted for almost half (48%) of global sustainable debt insurance between January and July this year, with growth driven by both the corporate and government sectors.

Indeed, BNEF is predicting that at least $380bn of sustainable debt finance will be provided during 2019, after a record H1.

“The sustainable debt finance

MPs join calls for onshore wind policy overhaul

A coalition of 130 MPs, including 35 from the Conservative Party, has called on Boris Johnson to alter the UK’s planning and energy policies to better support the growth of onshore wind.

Pictured: The Scout Moor Wind Farm is England’s second-largest onshore wind array

In a letter sent to the Prime Minister this week, the MPs state that “onshore wind energy is vital to our aim of achieving our climate targets at least cost and the inspiring vision of a before-2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target”.

The document highlights the decision taken by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in 2015 to exclude onshore wind assets from the Government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) process – a move which industry

Coca-Cola unveils 'largest sustainability initiative' to date for water packaging

The Coca-Cola Company has unveiled a string of updates to the packaging used across its Dasani water brand, in a bid to minimise its plastic footprint.

The new packaging formats include recyclable aluminium cans, bottles made using bioplastics and recycled PET, and a packaging-free dispenser option

The updates, which Dasani has described as the “largest sustainability initiatives in the history of the brand”, include a pledge to switch all 20-oz bottles sold within the US for those made with a mix of 50% plant-based bioplastic and recycled PET plastic. This shift is expected to be completed by mid-2020.

Elsewhere, Dasani will also launch its first water in aluminium cans in some North-eastern states this autumn, and its first water in larger-format aluminium