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Looking for quick, daily news updates on climate & sustainability? Check out the Sustainable Review news page.

     Latest

Looking for quick, daily news updates on climate & sustainability? Check out the Sustainable Review news page.
  1. Climate Change
  2. Energy and Environment
  3. Planet
  4. Science

You may find it interesting how space planes emit carbon…
Space plane projects have bigger issues than climate.

Written by
carbon emissions from space plane

The scoop: Two billionaires flew into space this week, neither of which contributed to scientific research. We want to know... how much carbon does a space plane emit?

Key talking points:

  • traditional rocket fuel depletes the ozone, but bezos used a liquid form of hydrogen and oxygen that is more sustainable.
  • one atmospheric scientist reported that bezos's rocket emitted nothing more than "water and some combustion products".

Bottom line on billionaires in space: It's not necessarily a climate problem, but the world is in no shape to spend that much money on vanity projects.

Dig deeper → 1 min
  1. Energy and Environment
  2. Planet
  3. Science

How Nikola Tesla embodied sustainability in the early 1900s
His vision for global energy extended far beyond the commercialized 'direct current' of Edison electricity.

Written by
Busy? Try the speed read.

The scoop: Tesla is probably the most famous and influential inventor/scientist you never heard of.

A few things Tesla did:

  1. In 1904, Tesla invented an efficient bladeless turbine.
  2. Tesla proposed electric power generation through geothermal, solar and wind energy.
  3. Tesla speculated on the existence of the ionosphere years before we discovered it.

Bottom line: Tesla imagined the world in many ways more like a philosopher than a scientist. But his scientific mind was as infallible as any. One thing is for sure: the modern world would be far behind without Nikola Tesla.

Dig deeper → 5 min.
  1. Cities and Communities
  2. Federal
  3. People
  4. Politics and Policy

America’s aging infrastructure is a really big problem
Disasters in Detroit and Miami are the latest features of a deteriorating American city.

Written by
america's aging infrastructure

The scoop: American infrastructure is aging and the problem is two-fold. Large cities need federal funding to support ambitious projects, while small cities can't afford any new projects.

Disaster in Miami, Detroit: As the story unfolds, it appears the Surfside condo tower likely collapsed from deteriorating infrastructure. In the Midwest, Detroit suffered from unprecedented rain, but also decades of underinvestment.

Rising cost of construction: US infrastructure rebuilds are extremely expensive, 6th highest in the world. Despite that, we dedicate a lower percentage of our GDP to infrastructure than the EU or China.

One solution: Prioritize domestic infrastructure projects over foreign interventionism to fund new projects. Don't just use deficit money to fund it. In fact, money alone will not be sufficient to ensure new construction is a success.

Successful federal projects require careful planning, strategic management and people-first politics. America needs to rebuild itself bearing both today's economy and future economies in mind. It's important we don't forget either.

Dig deeper → 4 min
  1. Better Business
  2. Business
  3. Profit

1 on 1 Special with Mount Founder Madi Rifkin
The innovative amenities platform offers guests and tenants a new way to travel.

Written by
Madi Rifkin from Mount

This week, I had the chance to sit down with Madison Rifkin, founder of Mount. Mount is a SaaS platform that enables private property (think airbnb) to launch, track and monetize their guest amenities. Those amenities can include things like bikes and e-scooters.

Mount allows travelers to use more sustainable modes of short distance travel in place of ubers or car rentals. And it accomplishes this without causing a scooter-frenzied-tourist headache for city administrators, because all of the equipment is completely owned and controlled by the host.

If you'd like to learn more about Mount and how they're disrupting the hospitality industry, check out the full Q&A below.

Check out our full interview.
  1. Federal
  2. People
  3. Politics and Policy

What happens when El Salvador offers bitcoin with geothermal energy
Keeping up with Bitcoin may become more about infrastructure than energy.

Written by
Geothermal Energy Plant in El Salvador
Busy? Try the speed read.

The scoop: El Salvador announced that Bitcoin is now legal tender. Citizens can pay taxes with it and stuff.

Why it matters: El Salvador is the first country to recognize a cryptocurrency as a legal form of currency. This marks a major shift toward government's view of decentralized financial systems, and a potential shift away from central banks.

The energy problem: We all know Bitcoin has an energy problem. To combat that, El Salvador plans to use geothermal energy from its volcanoes to produce cheap, clean energy for bitcoin mining. Let's see if they can build sophisticated infrastructure to match pent-up demand.

Bottom line: In the rush to make bets on the future of finance, governments around the world are responding with crypto plans for citizens.

Question: Will this push for legal forms of cryptocurrency help or hurt its climate impact in the long-run?

Dig deeper → 2 min
  1. Energy
  2. Energy and Environment
  3. Planet
  4. Water

10 myths about sustainability, solved by seaweed farms
Seaweed and kelp can fuel and feed the world in the most practical way imaginable.

Written by

10 reasons why seaweed farms are both sustainable and practical:

  1. Seaweed farms require no land.
  2. Seaweed farms are quite efficient, and can be harvested for commercial use within 90 days.
  3. Seaweed farms by-pass negative side-effects like deforestation or pesticide-use.
  4. Seaweed farms work in harmony with surrounding wildlife.
  5. Seaweed farms don't interfere with boats or ships, and create economic opportunities where none exist.
  6. Harvesting seaweed requires very little biofuel; it is a scalable process.
  7. Seaweed has multiple uses: it can produce both food and fuel.
  8. Seaweed is biodegradable, unlike solar panels and wind turbines that require heavy metals and create waste.
  9. Seaweed yields 30x more energy per acre than biofuel land crops like soy or corn.
  10. Only 2% of the fertile ocean is covered by kelp forests, so there is much more room to grow.

Dig deeper → 2 min
  1. Climate Change
  2. Energy and Environment
  3. Planet
  4. Science

You may find it interesting how space planes emit carbon…
Space plane projects have bigger issues than climate.

Written by
carbon emissions from space plane

The scoop: Two billionaires flew into space this week, neither of which contributed to scientific research. We want to know... how much carbon does a space plane emit?

Key talking points:

  • traditional rocket fuel depletes the ozone, but bezos used a liquid form of hydrogen and oxygen that is more sustainable.
  • one atmospheric scientist reported that bezos's rocket emitted nothing more than "water and some combustion products".

Bottom line on billionaires in space: It's not necessarily a climate problem, but the world is in no shape to spend that much money on vanity projects.

Dig deeper → 1 min
  1. Energy and Environment
  2. Planet
  3. Science

How Nikola Tesla embodied sustainability in the early 1900s
His vision for global energy extended far beyond the commercialized 'direct current' of Edison electricity.

Written by
Busy? Try the speed read.

The scoop: Tesla is probably the most famous and influential inventor/scientist you never heard of.

A few things Tesla did:

  1. In 1904, Tesla invented an efficient bladeless turbine.
  2. Tesla proposed electric power generation through geothermal, solar and wind energy.
  3. Tesla speculated on the existence of the ionosphere years before we discovered it.

Bottom line: Tesla imagined the world in many ways more like a philosopher than a scientist. But his scientific mind was as infallible as any. One thing is for sure: the modern world would be far behind without Nikola Tesla.

Dig deeper → 5 min.
  1. Cities and Communities
  2. Federal
  3. People
  4. Politics and Policy

America’s aging infrastructure is a really big problem
Disasters in Detroit and Miami are the latest features of a deteriorating American city.

Written by
america's aging infrastructure

The scoop: American infrastructure is aging and the problem is two-fold. Large cities need federal funding to support ambitious projects, while small cities can't afford any new projects.

Disaster in Miami, Detroit: As the story unfolds, it appears the Surfside condo tower likely collapsed from deteriorating infrastructure. In the Midwest, Detroit suffered from unprecedented rain, but also decades of underinvestment.

Rising cost of construction: US infrastructure rebuilds are extremely expensive, 6th highest in the world. Despite that, we dedicate a lower percentage of our GDP to infrastructure than the EU or China.

One solution: Prioritize domestic infrastructure projects over foreign interventionism to fund new projects. Don't just use deficit money to fund it. In fact, money alone will not be sufficient to ensure new construction is a success.

Successful federal projects require careful planning, strategic management and people-first politics. America needs to rebuild itself bearing both today's economy and future economies in mind. It's important we don't forget either.

Dig deeper → 4 min

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0 K

Hectares of mangroves lost every year

0 K

Tons of plastic on ocean's surface

0 B

Humans able to make a difference

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