Good News Notes: “In recent weeks, a crew of staffers from a company called Charm Industrial have been working on the edge of Kansas corn fields, moving rolled bales of stalks, leaves, husks, and tassels up to a white semi-trailer. Inside, a contraption called a pyrolyzer uses high temperatures in the absence of oxygen to…
Category: plant-based
Wireless Heater Made From a Leaf Skeleton Is Fully Biodegradable
Good News Notes: “We’ve gotten very, very good at making things that are cheap and durable. Unfortunately, there are some deleterious side effects. Among them: Our society generates massive amounts of waste that is going to remain in landfills for a long time. What’s more, the process of making these goods is also bad for…
Giant sinkhole with a forest inside found in China
Good News Notes: “A team of Chinese scientists has discovered a giant new sinkhole with a forest at its bottom. The sinkhole is 630 feet (192 meters) deep, according to the Xinhua news agency, deep enough to just swallow St. Louis’ Gateway Arch. A team of speleologists and spelunkers rappelled into the sinkhole on Friday (May…
How the No Mow May environmental movement spread
Good News Notes: “A super green, perfectly manicured lawn has long been the vision of American landscaping. But a growing number of homeowners are letting their lawns evolve into a more nurturing habitat for the whole month of May. The “No Mow May” movement originated in the UK in 2019, but now includes dozens of participant cities in…
Nonprofit creating more sustainable Sioux Falls through composting
Good News Notes: “For those interested in composting food in Sioux Falls, there hasn’t been an opportunity to do so outside of their home. That is, until SoDak Compost came along. When Deirdre Appel moved to Sioux Falls last summer, she immediately began looking for ways to compost her food scraps while living in an apartment complex…
New restrictions could see L.A. go plastic-free
Good News Notes: “A new “zero waste” policy in Los Angeles could see the city go plastic-free in the near future. L.A. city officials say it’s time to lead by example and continue phasing out plastic items and products that are wasteful and detrimental to the environment. This includes utensils, polystyrene or styrofoam food containers,…
Virgin is helping Grove Collaborative go plastic-free by 2025
Good News Notes: “Sir Richard Branson opened his first record shop in London in 1971. Reminiscing at Fast Company‘s Most Innovative Companies Summit, he described it as a hippie’s dream: “Cushions on the floor, headphones, a joint or two in most people’s hands,” he said. “It was those days when you could pick up a Dark Side…
Meat Alternatives Made From Fungi Could Cut Deforestation by 50%
Good News Notes: “Researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) have found that substituting just 20% of beef with a fungi-based meat alternative could decrease deforestation by 50% by 2050. According to the researchers, microbial protein, as the fungi-based “meat” is called, can replicate the taste and texture of real beef. But microbial proteins require far…
Coles introduces own-brand home compostable coffee pods
Good News Notes: “Australian supermarket chain Coles has launched home compostable coffee capsules under its Coles Urban Coffee Culture brand. The compostable pods are made with bio-sourced cellulose and vegetable oils. Coles claims that the sustainable capsules take around as much time to decompose in home compost bins as orange peel does. The pods are certified by…