Kauffman, J. (2019, February 07). Plant-based burger battle heats up as culinary rivals roll out new products. Retrieved February 24, 2019, from https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Plant-based-burger-battle-heats-up-as-Impossible-13596414.php

There are two major companies that are dominating the food industry specializing in mimicking meat to create the taste and look, but not actually using beef. They are Impossible Foods, which originated in Redwood City, California and Beyond Meat from Los Angeles. The article says that “Beyond Meat has dominated the grocery market and Impossible Foods has owned restaurant sales”. Both companies are working on more versions of their meats and trying to get closer and closer to the real thing. The article says “According to David Lee, chief operations officer of Impossible Foods, his company continues to test 100 prototypes a day”, but they “ trying to be thoughtful about how we increase capacity, but we have enough demand to want to sprint”.

This is related to environmental science because this could change the way people and restaurants sell and eat meat. Lots of us already know the costly effects of real meat in burgers: the unethical farming, the amount of water and food, and effort it takes to raise cows and the toll that has on the environment. So with the technology of creating “meat” that is plant-based, and looks and tastes like real meat is a game changer. It can possibly convince people to switch to vegetarian. I wonder if more meats can be adapted this way. The article mentions that both companies are working on new products. As far as the competition I think it’s good. While it might be bad for the companies, it means both companies are working to create better and better products.

Magner, E. (2019, January 22). You’re not imagining it-so many cool, sustainable fashion lines are coming out of California right now. Retrieved February 24, 2019, from https://www.wellandgood.com/good-looks/sustainable-ethical-clothing-los-angeles/

Some fashion companies and labels in California–specifically LA and San Francisco– are following a trend to produce environmentally-friendly, ethical clothing. Even though the main focus is producing sustainable clothing, stores are also working on selling more local brands and names, as well as educating people about what is going on in terms of the how items are made and where they are coming from and what is happening in the fashion industry. Stores and brands want people to understand their impact and by doing that it can really encourage people to change their shopping ways. Lots of environmentally-friendly technology goes into this such as using fabrics like  “recycled cotton, deadstock, and vintage fabrics, tencel (a super-sustainable fiber made from wood pulp) and Refibra (a newer take on tencel that also includes upcycled cotton scraps from garment production.)”. Designers are particularly excited about using “bio textiles that are using food crop waste like banana and pineapple”.

This relates to environmental science because it focuses on making fashion and clothing more environmentally-friendly, ethical, and sustainable. And it’s all in a way where you don’t have to sacrifice great style and clothing for being environmentally friendly. I think that it can be a big concern for people into fashion and its industry is finding a way to be environmentally-friendly, ethical, and sustainable, but still have style. I think another important part is education because, as the article mentions, can get more people on board with shopping more environmentally-friendly, ethical, and sustainable products. Like the solar panels, cost does present problems. Lots of these products are more expensive, which could prevent people from spending their money on say an environmentally-friendly $40 white t-shirt versus a $10 one from a chain store.

Anapol, A. (2018, December 06). California officials give final approval to requiring solar panels on new homes. Retrieved February 24, 2019, from https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/420022-california-officials-give-final-approval-to-requiring-solar-panels

In another effort to reduce greenhouse gasses and additionally generating energy without using fossil fuels, California, as of May 2018, has implemented a new policy that solar panels have to be built on all new houses in 2020 or later. The only biggest concern is that it adds about $10,000 to the cost of the building. But  “commissioners estimated that homeowners will save about $19,000 in energy costs over 30 years by having solar panels”. Kent Sasaka, who voted for this policy says that “these provisions really are historic and will be a beacon of light for the rest of the country”. Hopefully, other states and even countries will be encouraged to take similar actions.

The relates to environmental science because by requiring newly built homes to have solar panels it generates renewable energy and decreases the dependency on using other sources of energy like fossil fuels. I think that like the zero-emissions buses, this is a good step in the right direction for trying to make a positive change with greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and renewable energy. It just raises a question of how can we make it more affordable, especially for low-income families.

California mandates 100-percent zero-emission bus fleet. (2018, December 14). Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2018-12-california-mandates-percent-zero-emission-bus.html

To reduce greenhouse gases and improve air quality, California is moving in a direction where there are zero-emission transit buses. Currently, there are 153 zero-emission buses and “the California Air Resources Board voted to require that all new buses be carbon-free by 2029”. This is just another step to helping with climate change. There are some concerns such as the cost, but advocates of the mandate say they have lower maintenance and fuel costs.”

This relates to environmental science because this is an effort to help with climate change. Just the fact to encourage people to use public transportation helps with climate change because fewer people would use their individual vehicles and in the end produce fewer emissions. But then this is going one step further and making the buses zero emissions. This idea maybe could be extended to other vehicles like delivery or garbage trucks. I wonder though how much of an impact this would create for reducing greenhouse emissions from vehicles and if it would be significant. Also, would this encourage more people to use the zero-emission buses?

Westly, S. (2018, November 23). California Wildfires: It’s Time to Tackle the Root of the Problem. Retrieved February 24, 2019, from https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/california-wildfires-climate-change-renewable-energy-environment-news-18171/

As Californians all know by now, wildfires are a very serious issue. The areas, and communities it can destroy as well as the budgets and savings it drains to deal with and rebuild, it has become clear that more prevention and preparation needs to happen. There are a couple suggestions that the article suggests such as improved forest management, smart watershed management, and common sense and preventative solutions. Another was new technologies such as LiDAR, which detects fires within minutes as well as drones providing surveillance.

This relates to environmental science because if more forest fires can be prevented that means fewer habitats and homes destroyed, and many more benefits. While the drones could impose a privacy issue the LiDAR could work very well and possibly save lives and homes. Maybe more technology like using heat detectors could be developed as well.

Bonnington, C. (2018, September 02). Move Over, Straws. This Startup Wants to Make Smartphone Chargers the Next Eco-Friendly Product. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://slate.com/technology/2018/09/iphone-android-nimble-chargers-eco-friendly.html

The company Nimble is working to build more environmental friendly smartphone chargers. The article makes a good point that “consumer gadgets haven’t historically been environmentally friendly, and that Nimble wants to change that. They have launched a series of chargers and cables. Their products are said to be made from materials like “petroleum-based plastics in favor of plant-based ones and use fabric blends made from recycled plastic bottles. Its packaging is made from biodegradable recycled scrap paper free of harmful inks or dyes”. Their efforts will hopefully inspire other tech companies to think about making their products more environmentally friendly.

This relates to environmental science because companies are trying to figure out ways to make the products already in the market less harmful and more eco-friendly. The products made by Nimble share the issue of the highway article above: the cost. The article mentions that their products are twice as much, even though they are more environmentally friendly. I think taking this project further and finding a way of making it just as cheap as other tech products would be beneficial to the company because I think that most people are more interested in things being cheap.

Hall, E. (2018, August 02). How The Ray is building a greener highway. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/the-ray-green-highway-georgia-environment-solar/

The Ray “a non-profit foundation” is looking for ways to build “efficient infrastructure and sustainable highways”. They have developed “WheelRight drive-through tire safety system” to read tires and then give data in terms of that car’s tread depth. The Ray isn’t only focused on a system for looking at your tires, but they have also created solar roads. This road is able to power a visitor system which will have electric vehicle chargers,

This is related to environmental science because “there are just over 220,000 miles of national highways throughout America, and every single one of them contributes to our global warming problem”. If we find a way to make highways more environmentally friendly then global warming could be helped in the process. One concern that the article brings up is the cost. The Ray is in the process of creating these systems and infrastructures. They are only testing and building on smaller planes so they aren’t sure how much it would cost to install on miles and miles of highways and also more than one highway. If they can only install on a couple highways, is that worth it and will it make a difference?

Kovner, A. (2018, July 23). This Scientist Has Invented An Eco-Friendly Plastic Alternative Even Better Than The Real Thing. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www.iflscience.com/environment/ecofriendly-replacement-for-plastic-wrap-made-from-crab-shells-and-wood-pulp/

Scientists have found a way to make a plastic wrap that is made from crab shells and pulp. Thay have been looking for ways to stop the ever-growing waste. Currently, “the film still lets too much water vapor through for it to be commercially viable”, but the article says scientists will continue to work on it and hopefully find a way.

This is related to environmental science because future generations could find ways to produce less waste by using the biodegradable plastic. I think if they are able to find a way for it to work for consumers, then that would be really cool and have a large impact on the world and its environment. I wonder though how sustainable the crab shells and wood pulp is. It is biodegradable which conquers a big problem with plastics, but are these material easy to get and make? Wood pulp uses wood which means trees are still being cut down and deforestation continues.

Milnes, H. (2018, November 13). How Allbirds plots international growth. Retrieved November
16, 2018, from https://www.glossy.co/ecommerce/how-allbirds-plots-international-growth

Allbirds is a brand, from the Silicon Valley, that sells shoes made from materials like “wool, trees, and sugar”. In other words, they are environmentally friendly and sustainable. Being made from these materials has also helped them become popular because “it gives people something to talk about, and so we’ve benefited a lot from word of mouth”. Currently, they are branching off into international markets. They are also featuring information for every pair of shoe regarding where it has been made and where the material where the materials are coming from as well.

This relates to environmental science because a company has figured out how to create an essential product using sustainable materials. As a consumer, it gives me a piece of mind not only knowing that the product is environmentally friendly but also where everything to make that product is coming from. I wonder if this will inspire big chain shoe companies to rethink the materials and also where their shoes are being made.

Early, C. (2018, September 11). Blockchain is revolutionizing your ability to make environmentally friendly purchases. Retrieved November 17, 2018, from https://ensia.com/features/blockchain/

Blockchain is a new app emerging that people can use to “authenticate a product’s story”- like to find where a product has come from. This will make shopping ethically easier and open to more people. This app is actually a solution from business leaders to have more proof who is manufacturing their goods, who produced, etc. rather than just having claims on the label. From a 2016 survey by Label Insight, found that 75% of participants don’t trust the information put on labels.

This relates to environmental science because it might create more of an honest industry in shopping– from food to clothes. Businesses, markets, shops from small to big, will have to share where their product comes from and how it is created. More stores that use unethical practices, like child labor or unfriendly environment production, will be brought out and might even lose business.  It will help make information regarding the products more accessible and create more awareness. I wonder how secure this system and its certification will work out. In the article, it mentions that “each participant in the chain would submit the information for its respective part in the process to the blockchain as a block of data”, but what if the parties don’t agree?