Green Futures

Sustainability is the new digital revolution

“Reinvent products

Sustainable innovation is creating new products that can be produced with fewer carbon emissions, less waste and an emphasis on enhancing wellness. For instance, Unilever makes toothpaste tablets in reusable containers, and Procter & Gamble sells soap swatches that become cleaning products (hand soap, shampoo, laundry detergent) when you add water.”

Sustainability is the new digital revolution
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/davos-agenda-sustainability-digital-revolution/
via Instapaper

How Germany and Costa Rica are putting nature at the heart of their recoveries: a balanced relationship with nature

“First we need to understand the direct relationship between pandemics and zoonosis (transmission of animal-human diseases),” says Rodriguez. “Only by establishing a balanced relationship with nature can we see key benefits such as improved quality of jobs, food and water security, as well as improved human health.””

How Germany and Costa Rica are putting nature at the heart of their recoveries
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/09/costa-rica-germany-nature-based-policy/
via Instapaper

September was the world's hottest on record

The last five calendar years were the world’s warmest on record. Average global temperatures have already climbed to roughly 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial times.

Full story here.

This department store in Berlin sells only recycled and second-hand goods

B-Wa(h)renhaus forms part of the city’s Zero Waste policy, endorsed by Berlin’s senate. Tidow’s initial plan is to open four more "department stores of the future", selling good-quality second-hand goods at attractive prices.

Full story here.

4 ways our COVID-19 recovery can tackle climate change and global inequality

In the second quarter of 2020, the world lost the equivalent of about 400 million fulltime jobs, a devastating drop that has damaged the livelihoods of families everywhere. Investment in green, resilient activities like sustainable infrastructure, clean energy and ecosystem restoration is fundamental to sustainably bring jobs back in the wake of the pandemic. The International Energy Agency has proposed a Sustainable Recovery Plan for energy sectors that would save or create 9 million jobs a year over the next three years.

Full article here.

Climate change is a choice

“Climate change is a choice, not some unstoppable disaster we just have to accept will happen. Our biggest enemy might very well be apathy – us not caring while millions of species are going extinct.”

Apocalypse never: why climate catastrophe won’t make us change
https://thecorrespondent.com/329/apocalypse-never-why-climate-catastrophe-wont-make-us-change/43555204231-a33f6054
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Tackling pollution and climate change in Europe will improve health and well-being

COVID-19 has been yet another wake-up call, making us acutely aware of the relationship between our ecosystems and our health and the need to face the facts – the way we live, consume and produce is detrimental to the climate and impacts negatively on our health.

Full article here.

1 in 8 deaths in Europe are linked to pollution, says EU

Environmental factors such as air pollution and heatwaves exacerbated by climate change contribute to around 13% of all deaths in Europe, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Full article here.

How do we move around in a zero-carbon world?

“So, how exactly do we fuel our need to move around without emitting greenhouse gases? The answer is simple, even if making it happen won’t be: use clean electricity to run all the vehicles we can, and get cheap alternative fuels for everything else.”

How do we move around in a zero-carbon world?
https://www.gatesnotes.com/Energy/Moving-around-in-a-zero-carbon-world
via Instapaper

COVID-19 lockdowns will have a negligible effect on climate change, study finds

While the COVID-19 restrictions on travel and work did lead to a sudden reduction of both greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollutants, this brief spell will have little impact on the wider climate crisis, according to a new study. However, a post-lockdown economic recovery plan that incorporates and emphasises an environmentally friendly future could help significantly in the fight against global warming.

https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/421940-covid-19-lockdowns-will-have-a-negligible-effect-on-climate-change-study-finds