24th April 2019
In the news today: Forty-three percent of Americans live in places where they’re breathing unsafe air; the fashion industry is still failing on transparency; and Labour endorses Extinction Rebellion activists after week of protest.
Millions more Americans breathing dirty air as planet warms - report
Forty-three percent of Americans live in places where they're breathing unsafe air, according to American Lung Association
Fashion Industry Still Failing on Transparency
Source: Fashion Revolution By Sarah Kent April 24, 2019 05:53 Fashion's annual transparency scorecard has come back, and the industry's been awarded a failing grade. Non-profit Fashion Revolution's review of 200 major brands and retailers' public disclosures gave the companies an average rating of 21 percent for the transparency of their supply chains.
Labour endorses Extinction Rebellion activists after week of protest
Shadow health secretary pledges to make climate change a central policy focus
Can renewable energy sector drive further cuts in UK emissions?
Over Easter the UK set a new record for coal-free power, with the country running for more than 90 hours powered by gas, nuclear, hydro, renewables and imports. The milestone, which beat the 76 hours set last April, comes as the government prepares to ditch coal completely by 2025, and aims for wind generation to provide a third of the country's electricity by 2030.
Asperger's is a gift, says Greta Thunberg, the child behind climate protests
A 16-year-old climate change activist who helped inspire the protests that have paralysed parts of London for the past eight days has described how having Asperger's has allowed her to "see things from outside the box". Greta Thunberg met Jeremy Corbyn, Sir Vince Cable and other party leaders in Wes
Promising or Problematic? Agri-Waste Fibers Emerge as an Eco Alternative
Waste not, want not. More than a maxim for picky children, the phrase has become a kind of raison d'etre for a new breed of textile manufacturer that is spinning agricultural castoffs into business gold. Certainly the strategy has its environmental appeal. Millions of tons of fibrous crop residues are chucked after every harvest, according...
23rd April 2019
In the news today: a new study finds that the global wealth gap would be smaller today without climate change; the warming Arctic could cost the world trillions of dollars; and a Judge delivers major setback to Trump policy to increase coal mining on federal land.
Global Wealth Gap Would Be Smaller Today Without Climate Change, Study Finds
Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd: , our email newsletter. Climate change creates winners and losers. Norway is among the winners; Nigeria among the losers. Those are the stark findings of a peer-reviewed paper by two Stanford University professors who have tried to quantify the impact of rising greenhouse gas emissions on global inequality.
A warming Arctic could cost the world trillions of dollars
Scientists have long warned that climate change is likely to bring expensive impacts, from rising seas to stronger storms. And a new study comes with a hefty price tag. A warming Arctic is shifting from white to dark as sea ice melts and land-covered snow retreats, and that means it can absorb even more of the sun's heat.
Judge Delivers Major Setback to Trump Policy to Increase Coal Mining on Federal Land
Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd: , our email newsletter. WASHINGTON - A federal judge late Friday delivered a significant setback to the Trump administration's policy of promoting coal, ruling that the Interior Department acted illegally when it sought to lift an Obama-era moratorium on coal mining on public lands.
Doutzen Kroes Wants You To Become A Global Goals Ambassador
Fashion is finally waking up to sustainability - but the lexicon surrounding eco-friendly and ethical fashion is fraught with inaccuracies. In 'Get Your Greens', Vogue explores how the industry is advancing towards a greener future. Humanium. It sounds like something from a comic book - and its composition is almost as mind-bending.
Corporations and private investors are backing new "green" deals as climate worries mount
In the nine years since private equity and venture capital investments into sustainable technologies last crossed the $6 billion threshold, the problems caused by global carbon emissions have only intensified. Now, as the world confronts the reality that there's not much time left to reverse ...
The sky's no limit for Phoenix, the solar aircraft that propels itself
Scientists have developed a solar-powered aircraft that uses an innovative propulsion system to stay in the skies indefinitely.The pilotless Phoenix aircraft stays aloft using helium and pumps compressed air out of a rear-facing vent to generate thrust. A prototype completed test flights in Portsmo
The time for denial is over. Conservatives have to take the climate crisis seriously
No one sits up to listen more than I do when a 16 year old activist takes the stage, in this case the climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg speaking on Sunday to Extinction Rebellion protestors in London. After all, I was that age when, 42 years ago, I caused a stir by telling the Conservative conference to roll back socialism.
€3.7m funding for closed loop fibre business
HELSINKI - A Finnish tech business which produces a cotton-like fibre from recycled fibres and cellulose has announced it has raised €3.7m in funding from investors H&M Group, Fortum and Virala. Infinited Fiber Company (IFC) currently runs a 50-tonne pilot plant in Finland and plans to ramp up annual production to 500-tonnes to meet demand from brand.
At TED 2019, Dystopia and Misinformation Mix with Joy and Inspiration
VANCOUVER, Canada - Each year at TED, there is one talk that sets the tone for the more than 60 talks that follow afterwards, jolting the more than 2,000 conference attendees to attention, working its way into conversations over the rest of the week, and garnering media coverage around the world.
From Digital Design to Upcycling: Meet the Students Pushing for More Sustainability in Fashion
From Digital Design to Upcycling: Fashion Students Push for Sustainability - WWD clock 6h * Joelle Diderich Amber Slooten, Amsterdam Fashion Institute (Netherlands) Amber Slooten graduated from AMFI in 2016 with a minor in Hypercraft, the school's virtual design section, which was launched 10 years ago.
Uplifting News
Sometimes it can feel like the news is all doom and gloom, so we're highlighting the most positive and uplifting news stories relating to sustainability, social justice and the environment each Monday for a little #MondayMotivation
The bees living on Notre Dame's roof survived the fire
The bees that live on the roof of Notre Dame are alive and buzzing, having survived the devastating fire that ripped through the cathedral on Monday, the beekeeper Nicolas Geant confirmed to CNN.
How Native American tribes are bringing back the bison from brink of extinction
The continent's largest land mammal plays crucial role in spiritual lives of the tribes
A new adidas shoe uses just one material - and is fully recyclable
Running is a wasteful sport. Each year billions of shoes are manufactured, worn until they start to fall apart and chucked into landfill. It's estimated that 300 million pairs of running shoes are thrown away each year in the UK alone.
This scientist thinks she has the key to curb climate change: super plants
Dr Joanne Chory hopes that genetic modifications to enhance plants' natural carbon-fixing traits could play a key role - but knows that time is short
Giving children a taste for fresh food is recipe for long-term health
A scheme that assisted parents in cooking healthy family dinners for only three months helped to keep their children slimmer for years afterwards, a study has found. Supplying free, nutritious meal kits to low-income families for 12 weeks appeared to influence the eating habits of young chil
18th April 2019
In the news today: 400 arrested at Extinction Rebellion protests; New Zealand's environment is in serious trouble, and can super plants help kurb climate change?
More than 300 arrested at Extinction Rebellion protests in London
Police cells filling rapidly, with reports of people being taken to Luton, Brighton and Essex
Goodbye to bacon: is it really time to give up meat?
The timing could hardly have been worse. Yesterday, just as every cook in the land was kicking off preparations for their Easter family feast, we were presented with another frankly terrifying report about red meat and cancer. Oxford University research on half a million people found that eating red meat just once a day increased the risk of bowel cancer by a fifth.
Can Recycling Fix Fashion's Landfill Problem?
LONDON, United Kingdom - For nearly 20 years Adidas AG has pursued an environmental and technological holy grail: a sneaker that can be recycled and reused in new shoes without any waste. It's a feat of design and engineering that has proved elusive. A typical sneaker is made up of multiple different materials stuck together with glue.
Cotton Apparel Sustainability Must Start With the Soil
With all the efforts made toward apparel industry supply chain sustainability, it really has to start at the beginning-which for natural fibers like cotton, means with the soil. Speaking on the topic, and more broadly on "How Climate Change and Agricultural Practices Intersect," at the Cotton Sustainability Summit in San Diego, two experts, each with...
A new adidas shoe uses just one material - and is fully recyclable
Running is a wasteful sport. Each year billions of shoes are manufactured, worn until they start to fall apart and chucked into landfill. It's estimated that 300 million pairs of running shoes are thrown away each year in the UK alone.
Plastic bag bans are spreading. But are they truly effective?
This article was created in partnership with the National Geographic Society. In the open-air Wakulima Market thin plastic shopping bags have disappeared, banished by Kenya's national bag ban. Produce sellers in this busy agricultural hub 95 miles northwest of Nairobi now pack perishables in thicker bags made of synthetic fabric.
Light pollution hurts urban bats. Trees can help.
You'd think Halloween would be the battiest time of the year, but these winged mammals merit a second annual celebration. In honor of National Bat Appreciation Day, we're taking a look at urban bats and how they manage to live among us. ( Get the truth behind six bat myths.)
We can only fight climate change if we also focus on the mundane
I'm a climate scientist. Every day, I look at how our energy sources and our consumption habits are affecting our planet. And every day, I'm frustrated by how many people consider the idea of factoring climate change into their decisions to be an unaffordable luxury at best, and an unnecessary evil at worst.
Opinion | How Climate Became Germany's New Culture War
For years, migration tore the country apart. Now it's the environment. BERLIN - When Christian Lindner, the head of Germany's Liberal party, recently said that there was a "culture war on cars" in his country, people laughed it off as an exaggeration.
This scientist thinks she has the key to curb climate change: super plants
Dr Joanne Chory hopes that genetic modifications to enhance plants' natural carbon-fixing traits could play a key role - but knows that time is short
'Decades of denial': major report finds New Zealand's environment is in serious trouble
Nation known for its natural beauty is under pressure with extinctions, polluted rivers and blighted lakes
17th April 2019
In the news today: Extinction Rebellion climate protests continue; Mark Carney tells global banks climate change dangers can not be ignored; and early ocean plastic traced to 1960s.
Mark Carney tells global banks they cannot ignore climate change dangers
Financial sector warned it risks losses from extreme weather and its stakes in polluting firms
Tube wifi turned off as protesters 'plan to glue themselves to trains'
The Tube network's wi-fi was switched off by police this morning to impede a planned climate protest that could cripple London's transport network. Commuters complained of a total lack of wi-fi and reported seeing a heightened police presence on platforms. Activists were thought to be planning to glue themselves to trains during the third day of the Extinction Rebellion climate protest in London.
Extinction Rebellion keep control of major London sites into a third day
TfL turns off wifi on tube in bid to thwart group's plans to disrupt public transport network
Aquafil USA Will Commence Operations at an Anticipated Second Carpet Recycling Plant - Waste Advantage Magazine
Growing switch to polyester carpets puts recycling at risk. Irwin Rapoport Aquafil USA, part of Italian-based Aquafil S.p.A. (Trento, Italy) will open production of second carpet recycling plant in the U.S-in Woodland, CA soon to harvest Nylon 6 from nylon-based carpets to regenerate the nylon fraction into new ECONYL® yarns for new carpets.
How green is your lipstick: can beauty brands reduce plastic waste?
Makeup and personal care companies produce a huge amount of packaging - much of which cannot be recycled. But companies like Lush and Garnier are trying to do better
Light pollution 'not improving'
Just one in 50 people in England experiences nights that are free from light pollution, according to the results of a survey. The work, carried out for the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), suggests the situation has not improved since it raised the issue 12 years ago.
Early ocean plastic traced to 1960s
Old-fashioned metal boxes that have been dragged around the ocean since 1931 have accidentally created a record of the history of ocean plastic. The devices - known as continuous plankton recorders (CPRs) - first ensnared a plastic bag off the coast of Ireland in 1965.
16th April 2019
In the news today: A study shows how microplastics are blown across the world; giving children a taste for fresh food is recipe for long-term health; and the EU's carbon market is being roiled by Brexit.
Winds carry microplastics 'everywhere' - even on to remote mountaintops
Study finds even supposedly pristine region of the Pyrenees is polluted, but impact on human health remains unknown
Why the EU carbon market is being roiled by Brexit
It seems that nothing can escape the claw-like grasp of Brexit: it is now the turn of the European carbon market to be roiled by Britain's stuttering attempts to leave the EU.
Giving children a taste for fresh food is recipe for long-term health
A scheme that assisted parents in cooking healthy family dinners for only three months helped to keep their children slimmer for years afterwards, a study has found. Supplying free, nutritious meal kits to low-income families for 12 weeks appeared to influence the eating habits of young chil
How to Make Sustainable Fashion People Will Actually Buy
PARIS, FRANCE - In fashion industry circles, Veja has a reputation as the "green" luxury sneaker, made with sustainable materials in a transparent supply chain. But when sales took off a few years ago, thanks to better distribution and some prominent admirers, most of the new customers didn't have a clue about how the shoes were made.
Brands want sustainability - but who will fund it?
BUDAPEST - Unit prices for apparel imports to the US from Bangladesh fell by 7 per cent between 2014 and 2018 and by 3.6 per cent from the US to the EU over the same period.
Everlane's founder vowed to remove all new plastic from the brand's supply chain by 2021. Now he has to figure out how
The Everlane Sustainability Committee gathers in San Francisco on a bright Thursday morning for its weekly meeting. Three dozen staffers take seats around a white conference table in the middle of the company's open-plan headquarters. Dressed in a white T-shirt, high-waisted jeans, and blockheeled sandals (a variation on the company's signature normcore-basics look), marketing head Ayni Raimondi calls the meeting to order.
These are the most endangered U.S. rivers
These ten U.S. rivers are particularly endangered, according to a new report from the conservation group American Rivers. For the past 34 years, the organization has advocated to protect major rivers from threats like dam construction, pollution, and climate change. This year, New Mexico's Gila River (pronounced hee-la) was chosen as the most endangered.
Indonesian Nike supplier leaves workers with US$3m shortfall
WASHINGTON - A leading US labour rights group is urging Nike put its weight behind the claims of Indonesian workers who were left with a US$3m shortfall in severance pay when the Korean-owned factory they worked in relocated. PT Kahoindah Bekasi is a garment factory in Indonesia which, prior to its closure in October 2018, supplied university logo goods to Nike.
All Welsh school children will get access to free sanitary products thanks to a groundbreaking new government scheme
During your school years, it's likely that getting your period was a little restricting, but for some teenagers it's completely debilitating. In the UK, 49% of girls have missed an entire day of school because of their period, whilst 1 in 10 young women (aged 14-21) have been unable to afford period products.
15th April 2019
In the news today: Billions of paper receipts put straight in bin; garment factory workers in Vietnam forced to rely on excessive overtime; and one of last four giant softshell turtles dies in Chinese zoo.
Billions of paper receipts put straight in bin
Britons threw away or wasted almost ten billion receipts last year - the equivalent of destroying Sherwood Forest, according to campaigners. Two out of three receipts are put straight in the bin, with a further one in five lost or too faded to use, amounting to 53,000 trees, researchers found.
Garment factory workers in Vietnam forced to rely on excessive overtime
Garment factory workers in Vietnam are not able to earn a living wage without working excessive overtime, according to a report published this week by the Fair Labor Association (FLA), based on data collected over three years from 13,000 workers
One of last four giant softshell turtles dies in Chinese zoo
Death of Yangtze giant softshell turtle came a day after artificial insemination attempt
A deposit scheme for drinks containers, and recycling paper cups | Letters
Letters: Maddy Haughton-Boakes calls for a UK-wide deposit return system, Richard Ali explains how paper cups can be recycled relatively easily, while Ian Grieve says he knows when he is near a McDonald's on the waterways
Only rebellion will prevent an ecological apocalypse | George Monbiot
No one is coming to save us. Mass civil disobedience is essential to force a political response, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
Everlane x 'The New York Times' Climate Collection: Shop Here
Brands: Everlane x The New York Times Season: SS19 Key Pieces: Both tees and crewneck sweaters are solid, especially the grey-colored iterations, and the teal tee. Editor's Notes: In celebration of Earth Day (April 22), Everlane and The New York Times have teamed up on a small capsule of apparel to raise awareness on climate change journalism, as continued studies showcase the effects it has worldwide.
How to Make Money From the Wardrobe Pieces You Never Wear
So how to sell clothes online? Aside from Ebay, specialist fashion resale websites are a relatively new concept. However, because competition has fired up quickly, we're already spoilt for choice. Well, a so-called investment buy can really prove its worth when your taste changes-including those lime-green Prada wedges you only wore once.
DNA Testing Could Help Hemp Growers Save on Time, Costs and Labor
A California-based genetics company has developed a proprietary test it claims will identify with 99.9 percent accuracy the gender of a hemp plant in as little as two weeks after germination. Like humans, Cannabis sativa, the herbaceous flowering annual that is grown for anything from industrial fiber to recreational drugs, carries sex chromosomes that manifest...
To achieve gender equality, it's time to blow up masculinity
It is time to give men as much choice in how they want to balance care and career across their lives as we are trying to give women. This isn't just about toxic masculinity, but the more conventional good-provider kind.
Uplifting News
Sometimes it can feel like the news is all doom and gloom, so we're highlighting the most positive and uplifting news stories relating to sustainability, social justice and the environment each Monday for a little #MondayMotivation
China Will No Longer Require Animal Testing On Cosmetic Products
With a booming beauty industry worth some £28 billion, China has been a tantalising prospect for beauty brands wanting to crack a more global market for years - except for one thing. Historically, the Chinese government has required all cosmetic brands to submit their products for animal testing if they want to sell them in China, despite how safe they may have otherwise been proven to be.
Taylor Swift Revived Her Political Streak By Donating to a LGBTQ Equality Organization
Taylor Swift has been keeping a low profile as of late, keeping details of her relationship with Joe Alwyn private, and has only released tiny snippets of information regarding her forthcoming musical film, .
Slovakia elects first female president
Environmental and anti-corruption activist Zuzana Čaputová wins runoff election
Rare UK butterflies enjoy best year since monitoring began
Hot summer of 2018 boosted large blue, and black hairstreak, but small tortoiseshell declined
Poll shows 50% of Australians support shifting all sales of new cars to electric vehicles by 2025
Transition to electric vehicles to cut carbon emissions has dominated climate policy debate in the Australian election campaign
Starbucks spearheads £1m initiative to boost paper cup recycling
Grants of up to £100,000 available to increase number of drop-off points and cut waste
12th April
In the news today: Ex-oil lobbyist confirmed to lead US interior department; Poll shows 50% of Australians support shifting all sales of new cars to electric vehicles by 2025; andCO2 variations from plants overwhelmed by traffic emissions.
Senate confirms ex-oil lobbyist to lead embattled US interior department
Senate voted 56-41 to approve David Bernhardt's nomination as critics say he is a 'walking conflict of interest'
Poll shows 50% of Australians support shifting all sales of new cars to electric vehicles by 2025
Transition to electric vehicles to cut carbon emissions has dominated climate policy debate in the Australian election campaign
CO2 variations from plants overwhelmed by traffic emissions
Fossil fuel emissions are exceeding what natural systems can absorb, as year-on-year comparisons attest
One Thing You Can Do: Reduce Your Lawn
Climate Fwd: Also this week: How our reporters solved a mystery in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Welcome to the Climate Fwd: newsletter. The New York Times climate team emails readers once a week with stories and insights about climate change. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
Fresh wave of youth climate action protests expected across Britain
Dozens of demonstrations due on Friday as report shows UK set to miss emissions targets
A carbon tax is the nudge the world needs
You can't please everyone, it seems. Royal Dutch Shell has announced plans to plant trees in order to absorb some of the carbon dioxide produced when we burn the fossil fuels it sells. What's more, it plans to invite motorists to chip in at the pump by buying "carbon offsets": a clever way to help the planet, raise cash, and spread the blame around.
'No rules in this job': Cairo's violent waste wars pit sorters against startups
Rise of recycling firms has led to friction with the Zabaleen, the city's informal garbage collectors
Phillip Lim Talks Sustainability, Presence and Brand Transformation
Phillip Lim Talks Sustainability, Presence and Brand Transformation - WWD At the recent Sustainable Business and Design Conference, held by the Fashion Institute of Technology, speakers dissected what it takes to deploy sustainable practices. It's a challenge that often requires soul searching for brands and retailers. To continue reading this article...
Allbirds Goes All-in on China
Allbirds Bets Big With Major Retail Expansion Into China - WWD SHANGHAI - Allbirds opened its first China store in Shanghai last week, in tandem with its launch on Tmall and the unveiling of its dedicated Chinese web site.
Sustainable fashion: 10 recent milestones
Sustainability seems to be the redemption song nowadays that is turning from a mere buzzword into a flourishing movement. In view of the growing knowledge also among consumers that the fashion industry is most likely the second most polluting in
Why fast fashion should slow down - Science Weekly podcast
Science Weekly teams up with the Chips with Everything podcast to examine the environmental price tag of our throwaway culture and how tech may help create a more sustainable model
Earlier this week...
Vehicle pollution 'results in 4m child asthma cases a year'
Equivalent of 11,000 new cases a day occur worldwide due to toxic air from traffic, researchers say
March Temperatures in Alaska: 20 Degrees Hotter Than Usual
By local standards, Alaska has been sweltering this spring. Temperature records have been set across the state, including in Kotzebue, where the thermometer reached 42 degrees Fahrenheit on the last day of March - 30 degrees above normal.
Starbucks spearheads £1m initiative to boost paper cup recycling
Grants of up to £100,000 available to increase number of drop-off points and cut waste
China Will No Longer Require Animal Testing On Cosmetic Products
With a booming beauty industry worth some £28 billion, China has been a tantalising prospect for beauty brands wanting to crack a more global market for years - except for one thing. Historically, the Chinese government has required all cosmetic brands to submit their products for animal testing if they want to sell them in China, despite how safe they may have otherwise been proven to be.
The U.S. Immigration System May Have Reached a Breaking Point
For years, there have been warnings that America's immigration system was going to fail. That time may be now. Migrants in Matamoros, Mexico, line up for food donations last week as they waited to cross into Brownsville, Tex.
The Easiest Way To Practice Sustainable Fashion - And Make Money Doing It
Changemakers is a content series produced by Cole Haan and Forbes. It provides a platform for industry leaders who are disrupting business and society by combining their professions with their passions. For more information, visit ColeHaan.com and follow . By Deb Landau The hallmarks of modern environmentalism may be plastic straw bans and metal water bottles.
Automakers Plan for Their Worst Nightmare: Regulatory Chaos After Trump's Emissions Rollback
Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd: , our email newsletter. WASHINGTON - As the Trump administration prepares to drastically weaken Obama-era rules restricting vehicle pollution, nervous automakers are devising a strategy to handle their worst-case scenario: a divided American auto market, with some states following President Trump's weakened rules while others stick with the tougher ones.
