Implementing renewable energy strategies in city environments is rapidly becoming energetically imperative. Making the transition involves not only switching the energy source, but making sure it is cost-effective, sustainable and beneficial for development.
Source: www.un.org
Fifteen young, junior staff recently considered the subject of sustainability at a workshop at the Hard site. Linda Mauksch from the Corporate Strategy, Sustainability & Circular Economy department passed on valuable knowledge on the subject and discussed current and highly contentious issues surrounding the sustainability of plastic with the trainees.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a technology that attracts a lot of attention and debate. Large investments and initiatives are underway from politicians and industry alike, to capture carbon dioxide emissions and tackle climate change.
Safe reuse of human waste helps save water, reduces and captures greenhouse gas emissions for energy production and provides agriculture with a reliable source of water and nutrients. Climate change is accelerating. Flood, drought and rising sea levels are threatening sanitation systems, from toilets to septic tanks to treatment plants. Floodwater can contaminate wells used for drinking water. Flooding can also damage toilets and spread human waste into communities and food crops, causing deadly and chronic diseases, and posing risks to crop and food safety. Today, 4.2 billion people live without access to safely managed sanitation. Instead they often use unreliable, inadequate toilets or practice open defecation. Open defecation and unimproved sanitation are one of the main factors leading to malnutrition, being major contributors to water and soil pollution. In rural areas, polluted waters are used for crop irrigation and other agricultural activities such as livestock watering, bringing pathogens and other contaminants into contact with crops and animals. Globally, 80% of the wastewater generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused, as well as untreated human waste gets out into the environment and spreads deadly and chronic diseases. When water is exposed to untreated human excreta, it becomes a breeding ground for parasites and, soil and water-borne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, E. coli, salmonella and soil-transmitted intestinal worms (helminthiases). Everyone must have sustainable sanitation that can fight climate change and keep communities healthy and functioning. Sustainable sanitation systems also make productive use of wastewater and bio solids that contain valuable water, nutrients and energy, to safely boost agriculture while reducing and capturing greenhouse gas emissions. FAO is supporting member countries to adopt the circular economy approach applied to agriculture, making it environmentally friendly, sustainable and more resilient to shocks such as COVID-19. It is…
Marymount Manhattan College (MMC) Biology Professor Matt Lundquist, Ph.D. and alums Madison Weisend ’20 and Hope Kenmore ’20 recently co-published a research paper in the peer-reviewed journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. The paper “Insect biodiversity in urban tree pit habitats” was the culmination of a faculty-student collaborative project examining the biodiversity of insects within street tree pit habitats in Manhattan.
In June 2021, Aura implemented the first-ever livery PVC recycling programme in the UK. The brand-new programme involves the recycling of PVC vinyl and waste from livery wraps, saving it from ending up in landfill or incineration. A major milestone in branding! Aura consistently challenges our suppliers to develop sustainable solutions, so when our suppliers, Metamark, came to us with the first recyclable self-adhesive PVC vinyl, we were delighted! After exploring the idea, we took it to DPD as we knew it would be ideal for our upcoming project.
As political and business leaders gather for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week, a roster of the most sustainable companies is also enjoying a moment in the spotlight. The list, the Global 100, ranks large corporations across the globe on their performance reducing carbon and waste, their gender diversity among leadership, revenues derived from clean products, and overall sustainability. In its 15th year, the ranking is compiled by a Canada-based sustainability-focused financial information company and magazine, Corporate Knights, beginning with a list of about 7,500 companies, all of which generate more than $1 billion in annual revenue.