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☆ Chocolate, but without the guilt? Why lab-grown cocoa and fermented fava beans could be the future
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

One way to tackle these problems is to make chocolate without using cocoa beans — the fermented seed of the cacao tree. It also makes cocoa powder and cocoa butter substitutes. “Instead of cocoa beans, we use fava beans sourced from farms across the UK and Europe, and then we ferment them in a similar way that cocoa farmers ferment their cocoa beans,” said Ross Newton, CEO of Nukoko, a UK-based startup that aims to launch on its domestic market next year. A study published this year shows it’s possible to make chocolate using only the cocoa pod, by replacing traditional sugar with a cocoa gel. “You make chocolate using only components from the fruit and not conventional crystallized sugar from sugar beets.

Persons: we’ve, ”, Max Marquart, shea, We’re, ” Marquart, Sara, Ross Newton, Newton, Michal Beressi Golomb, we’re, “ We’ve, “ That’s, Beressi Golomb, “ We’re, Beressi, “, “ We’d, Kim Mishra, ” Mishra Organizations: CNN, Planet, Department of Health Sciences, Technology, Swiss Institute of Technology Locations: West Africa, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Africa, Brazil, Swiss, Germany, Czech Republic, Europe, Zurich

☆ Why only 400 people at a time can visit this paradise island
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Emily Blumenthal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Lord Howe Island has the look of a destination ripe for overtourism, with verdant mountaintops, pristine white-sand beaches and clear-blue waters teeming with colorful fish. Atop the summit of Mount Gower – one of the most popular hiking trails on Lord Howe – sits a rare, endangered cloud forest. Beaches are just a few minutes’ walk or bike ride away from the guesthouses, making Lord Howe “the easiest holiday,” said Anthony Riddle, a sixth-generation islander who co-founded Lord Howe Island Brewing Company and Lord Howe Island Distilling Company. “We tell the story about what is it that’s special about Lord Howe Island. Sniffer dogsIan Hutton boating near Lord Howe Island.

Persons: Howe, ”, Lisa Makiiti, Lord Howe, Darcelle Matassoni, Lord, Makiiti, Bowker, Howe Island's Mount, Matteo Colombo, Dean Hiscox, that’s, ” Hiscox, Ian Hutton, David Attenborough, Hutton, it’s, Mount Gower –, Lord Howe –, Anthony Riddle, “, you’re, Hiscox, they’re, ” Hutton, ” Makiiti, Riddle, There’s, ” Matassoni, ” Riddle Organizations: CNN, Bowker, UNESCO, Lord Howe, Board, Howe Environmental, Howe, Museum, Brewing Company, Australian National Maritime Museum, Residents, Sustainability, Islanders Locations: Australia, Sydney, Howe Island's Mount Gower, Mount, Howe’s, Howe

☆ Composting could be set for U.S. boom, and it needs one, decades behind recycling
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Some states, municipalities and private-sector companies are pushing to make composting as commonplace as recycling. Yet data from the Environmental Protection Agency shows little residential food waste is composted in the U.S. — 3.7% as of an April 2023 report. These include at-home options, curbside bins, drop-off locations and private valet services that pick up food waste from multi-family homes. Thousands of composting facilities neededFranciosi said his organization has been fielding more calls from municipalities that are interested in composting, but funding challenges remain. Another challenge is the dearth of composting facilities.

Persons: Scott Smithline, Jenny Grant, Frank Franciosi, Stacy Savage, Franciosi, Grant, Lauren Organizations: PepsiCo, Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of Resources Recycling, Zero, Local Locations: U.S, Vermont, California, Europe, REA, New York City, Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten

☆ Nespresso, Keurig have new coffee pods coming designed to put an end to all the garbage
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Keurig coffee sales in the U.S. reached over $4 billion last year, while Wall Street analysis pegs Nespresso sales at roughly $1.5 billion. The U.S. coffee pods and capsules market is expected to grow to $10.1 billion by 2028 up from $8.4 billion last year, according to market research firm Mordor Intelligence. Environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and compostable coffee pods are increasingly in demand, and have been on the market for a few years, such as NEXE, a packaging solutions supplier based in Canada, which launched a line of compostable coffee pods in the U.S. and Canada in 2021, which it markets as Nespresso-compatible. Getting customer buy-in for new products is also a challenge for companies looking to produce more sustainable coffee pods. Here's a look at what Keurig and Nespresso — the two largest makers of at-home coffee pod systems — have planned for at-home coffee drinkers as part of that push to keep the pods from filling up the garbage.

Persons: Pepper, Joe, Dillon Baxter, Nespresso, Dr, it's, Monique Oxender, Oxender, they'll, Keurig Organizations: Intelligence, National Coffee Association . Companies, Nestle, Recycling Locations: U.S, Canada, there's, North America, Europe

☆ Martha Stewart clarifies her holiday plans: ‘It’s not true that I gave up Thanksgiving!’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Martha Stewart, hostess extraordinaire, is still participating in the holiday most associated with food and entertaining this year. “It’s not true that I gave up Thanksgiving!,” Stewart wrote in a multi-part Instagram post. The lifestyle and food expert also shared that she was “baking lemon tarts, cranberry tarts, chocolate pecan pies, pecan pies and pumpkin pies.”Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Martha Stewart on the 'Today' show last week. Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty ImagesCooking isn’t the only thing that’s keeping Stewart busy. “My colossal chocolate turkey, crafted using my giant antique turkey mold, did not survive storage since October, crumbling into itself,” she wrote.

Persons: Martha Stewart, extraordinaire, Stewart, Kelly, “ It’s, ” Stewart, Stephen Sill’s, Marcus Samuelsson, Nathan Congleton, “, ” Organizations: CNN, NBC

☆ Farms With Thousands of Hogs Are Often a Nightmare for Neighbors
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Shannon Najmabadi | Photographs Kc Mcginnis For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Hogs outnumber residents by about 7 to 1 in Iowa, the top pork producer in the nation. Hog farms and pork processors directly employed 36,070 workers here in 2021, according to the National Pork Producers Council. A typical hog farm in southeast Iowa is capable of producing enough feces and urine to fill one-and-a-half Olympic-size swimming pools a year. The manure breaks down in pits, emitting ammonia, methane and other noxious gases before it's used as fertilizer. Pig carcasses are composted in sawdust at Valley View Swine.

Organizations: National Pork Producers Council Locations: Iowa

☆ Chipotle wants you to think composting before burrito bowl becomes trash
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Composting has been a key part of that for Chipotle, and the fast-casual restaurant chain is expanding that focus this year. In 2023, Chipotle has set a goal to institute composting programs in at least 23% more restaurants, or approximately 234 additional locations. In certain jurisdictions, compostable products have to be fiber-based, while in others plant-based compostable products are accepted. Infrastructure is key for Chipotle, Shibata said, as there are many Chipotle restaurants in areas where there is no facility that can compost certain items. She sees more jurisdictions pushing in the direction of more composting, and said that a focus from companies like Chipotle on composting will help generate momentum.

Persons: Brandon Bell, Chipotle, Brian Niccol, Laurie Schalow, Lisa Shibata, Shibata, We've, Frank Franciosi, Franciosi, Schalow Organizations: Mexican Grill, Getty, composted, Companies, New, New York City, Seattle Locations: Mexican, Austin , Texas, Chipotle, U.S, New York, West Coast, San Francisco

CNN —It’s all systems go for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize lately. Now we’re hearing about a new partnership between the Prince of Wales’ initiative and online video platform YouTube. But away from the glitzy awards ceremony, some have wondered about the real-world impact of innovation prizes like Prince William’s. “Not only because of Prince William but the full Earthshot team that is there in order to support all the finalists. And I think it’s incredibly helpful to share some of the challenges that we have found along the way.”In recent weeks, Prince William even dropped by Notpla’s headquarters in northeast London.

Persons: CNN —, Prince William’s Earthshot, Prince, Prince William’s, William, Prince Philip, King Charles III ., Wales, Alex Bramall, Charles, Prince of Wales, King, Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, Gonzalez, Pierre Paslier, ” Gonzalez, “, Notpla’s, ” William, Jonathan Brady, Prince William, “ It’s, Kin Cheung, William “, David Attenborough, Annie Randall, King Charles, ”, couldn’t, Buckingham, Duke, “ He’s Organizations: CNN’s Royal, CNN, London, Imperial College London, Windsor, Getty Locations: Singapore, Wales, Kensington, Boston, United Kingdom, London, Cornwall, It’s

☆ How PepsiCo is trying to get Doritos and Cheetos bags into compost bins
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But more chip bags and snack containers being sold also means more waste from plastic and other packaging materials, something PepsiCo is aiming to take on. "Two years ago, if you think about our multipack packages, there was one plastic [packaging] outside, and each multipack serving," he said. McDonald's recently agreed under pressure from activist shareholders to produce a report on reusable packaging in exchange for having a shareholder vote on the issue rescinded. As far back as 2019, both Coke and Pepsi had already cut ties with a plastics industry association, and issued previous goals related to recyclable, compostable and reusable packaging. Taking what it learned from creating the Off The Eaten Path's packaging, Frito-Lay has introduced other packaging made from 85% renewable plant materials that produce roughly 60% lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional snack bags.

One company is injecting liquid clay into California desert to trap moisture and help fruit to grow, while another in Malaysia boosts soil with droppings from fly larvae. Biochar, liquid clay and fly larvae droppings are all in limited commercial production. Some, like liquid clay and biochar add nutrients while also improving the ground's ability to retain water, and require fewer applications than fertilizer. Norway-based Desert Control has spent 18 years and $25 million developing liquid clay to boost soil. In Malaysia, Nutrition Technologies produces "soil conditioner" from frass - the waste and skin of Black Soldier Fly larvae.

☆ You can now have your body composted after death in New York. Here's how it works and why it's greener.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

New York recently became the sixth state to legalize body composting after death. Also known as natural organic reduction, the process turns your body into soil that your loved ones can use to grow plants in. We asked Recompose, a Washington-based natural organic service, how it works and why the process is more eco-friendly than a traditional burial. Mat Hayward/Getty Images for RecomposeLoved ones can place flowers or other organic materials with the body before it is transferred to the composting area. And the body itself is burned, so the carbon from the body is also released to the atmosphere," he said.

☆ Nest smart thermostat co-founder is back with a new device for the home, focused on food
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Barbara Collins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Matt Rogers went from Apple to Nest Labs and into many homes with the now-Google smart thermostat. He's looking to get into your home again, this time to solve America's food waste problem. After Nest, Rogers began work on several philanthropic projects, many focusing on climate-related initiatives. "We've kind of gotten used to the way things are, but it doesn't have to be that way," Rogers said. Mill now makes it easy for people to get rid of food waste and reduce their carbon footprint.

☆ Fast-Fashion Brands Like Zara, Shein Create Mountains of Waste From Holiday Shopping, Returns
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Gad Allon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation found that, globally, less than 1% of used clothing is actually recycled into new clothes. Recycling clothes is expensive, and the existing technology isn't adequate to handle the volume needed to make a difference for the planet. While recycling clothing can be expensive, there are some companies that have figured out a way to limit waste by recycling. Time to be honestIn order to fix fast fashion, companies need to start being more transparent about their sustainability practices. It also ensures that the waste companies produce is out in the open.

☆ Human Composting Should Be an Option for New Yorkers - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Caitlin Doughty | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Human composting — or, as it’s sometimes referred to, natural organic reduction — fulfills many people’s desire to nurture the earth after dying. In its place, Ms. Spade founded Recompose, a new for-profit company designed to bring human composting to the public. I have no stake in Recompose or any other human composting company.) Human composting, by Recompose’s reckoning, uses just an eighth of this energy and falls in total price between cremation and conventional burial at around $7,000. Human composting reframes the dead body: not something to be protected from nature and the elements, but something meant to return to them.

☆ Natural vs. artificial Christmas tree: Which option is better for climate?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Christopher Dilts/Bloomber/Getty ImagesIt’s easy to imagine that reusing an artificial tree year after year is the more sustainable option. The American Christmas Tree Association, a nonprofit that represents artificial tree manufacturers, commissioned WAP Sustainability Consulting for a study in 2018 that found the environmental impact of an artificial tree is better than a real tree if you use the fake tree for at least five years. “Planting, fertilizing and watering were taken into account for real trees, which have an approximate field cultivation period of seven to eight years.”What are the benefits of real trees? Nathan Howard/Getty ImagesOn average, it takes seven years to fully grow a Christmas tree, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. About 15,000 farms grow Christmas trees in the US alone, employing over 100,000 people either full or part-time in the industry, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.

A UN study last year found "negligible" correlation between household food waste and gross domestic product, indicating most countries "have room to improve." "We do have a long way to make the goal," said Jean Buzby, the food waste liaison at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration agreed in 2018 to tackle America's food waste together. A spokesman for New Zealand's environment ministry said the country is finalizing its baseline food waste estimate so it can establish a target. SLOWEST GAZELLEIn California, which has America's most ambitious climate policies, officials are trying to ensure food waste goes to composting, not landfills.

☆ ‘I’ve always wanted to be a tree’: Human composting starts to catch on
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The bill took cues from Washington state, where lawmakers in 2019 became the first in the U.S. to legalize human composting and where a nascent industry is growing. Four Washington state funeral facilities are now licensed to perform natural organic reduction, according to Rob Goff, the executive director of the Washington State Funeral Directors Association. California’s law will give regulators with the state’s Cemetery and Funeral Bureau until 2027 to create regulations for a human composting program. The know-how behind human composting began in ranchers’ fields. Human composting could instead help soils sequester carbon and provide nutrients for plant life.

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