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☆ The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now so huge and permanent that a coastal ecosystem is thriving on it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Haram and her colleagues examined 105 items of plastic fished out of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch between November 2018 and January 2019. Courtesy Linsey Haram/Smithsonian InstitutionCoastal aggregating anemones found on a black floating plastic fragment collected in the garbage patch. Oceans of plasticThe Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is twice the size of Texas, is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world. If you look up at night, you see all those white dots, that’s essentially what you see in the garbage patch. A bag of plastics and debris collected in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is unloaded in Sausalito, California in July 2022.

☆ How Tupperware went from American kitchen icon to the brink of collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Tupperware was developed by Earl Tupper, who founded a plastics manufacturing company in Leominster, Massachusetts, during the Great Depression. TupperwareTupper was born in New Hampshire in 1907. While he wasn't a great student, he spent a lot of his early life sketching out inventions in a notebook, such as a comb with a belt clip and a fish-powered boat, according to PBS's "American Experience." His inventions didn't lead to financial success, so Tupper started a landscaping business to support himself and, later, his wife and children, per "American Experience." Then, during the Great Depression, he started working in the plastics industry and eventually founded his own company in Leominster, which was a manufacturing hub at the time.

☆ Fire at Georgia Plastics Plant Prompts Evacuation Order
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A fire at a plastic resin plant in Brunswick, Ga., on Saturday prompted officials to issue an evacuation order for people within half of a mile of the facility, the authorities said, as billows of dark smoke rose and spread through the city. The Brunswick Fire Department and Glynn County Fire Rescue responded to the Pinova plant around 7 a.m., the authorities said. Firefighters contained the fire within hours but around 3 p.m. it had reignited, the Glynn County Board of Commissioners said on Facebook. The board issued a shelter-in-place order for those living within half of a mile of the plant and an evacuation order was issued about an hour later. There were no injuries reported as of Saturday afternoon, the board said.

☆ Risks of Tupperware and other plastic containers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Figuring out the answer to that question for any type of reusable plastic food storage products — not just Tupperware — often comes down to understanding what they’re made of. Risks of container wear and tearPutting stress on plastic food containers by washing them in the dishwasher or with rough scrub brushes “increase the ability of that plastic to leach whatever it was made out of,” Vandenburg said. The “microwave safe” label on some plastic containers doesn’t mean the product is totally safe from a health standpoint, she added. “Some of the plasticizers and chemicals can transfer from the plastic containers into the food during heating,” Rogers said. “If you can’t afford to replace everything all at once, replace them one at a time.”Glass food storage containers are a safer option.

☆ How Electrifying Everything Became a Key Climate Solution
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Nadja Popovich | Brad Plumer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

Water heating Air conditioning Space heating Refrigeration Washing and dry. Refrigeration Air conditioning 16% electric Water heating 99% Refrigeration Air conditioning Residential Cooking Space heating Refrigeration Other 96% Lighting and electronics Lighting and elec. Cooking 2021 Current Electricity Use Electricity as percent of total energy consumed in 2021 36% Water heating Space heating Washing and dry. Cooking 2050 Net Zero Pathway Electricity as percent of total energy consumed in a high-electrification scenario Water heating Space heating 63% Washing and dry. Air conditioning Refrigeration Other Air conditioning Water heating 99% Refrigeration Space heating 96% Other Lighting and electronics Lighting and elec.

☆ Indiana industrial fire nearly extinguished but smoke still poses danger
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 12 (Reuters) - A raging industrial fire in eastern Indiana is expected to be almost entirely extinguished by Thursday evening or Friday morning, officials said, after days of thick smoke shut down schools and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate. Firefighters have successfully prevented the flames from spreading beyond the property, and about 90% of the fire is out. But the smoke contains particulate matter, which can cause respiratory and other health problems. Officials again warned residents who smell or see smoke to shelter in place, keeping windows and doors shut and turning off their heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. "I'm exaggerating, of course, but don't discount the seriousness of the smoke."

☆ Indiana Residents Evacuated After Large Plastics Fire Pumps Out Toxic Smoke
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Gareth Vipers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/indiana-residents-evacuated-after-large-plastics-fire-pumps-out-toxic-smoke-8657e9e1

☆ Column: Industrial heat set for major energy source overhaul by 2050
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

While all manufacturing bases are equally reliant on heat during industrial processes, the source of energy used to generate that required heat varies greatly by region. Hydrogen will also become more widespread in industrial heating in China, and grow from less than 1% by 2025 to 10% of total industrial heat generation by 2050. Electricity's share of Europe's industrial heat generation is set to grow from around 4% in 2025 to 17.5% by 2050, DNV data shows. Made from an array of natural matter ranging from wood chips and crops to municipal waste and forestry residue, biomass currently generates around a quarter of Europe's industrial heat, but will generate 57% of industrial heat by 2050. In all, industries in every major economy will make significant changes to their fuel sources for industrial heat over the coming decades.

NEW DELHI, April 6 (Reuters) - Singapore's imports of Russian naphtha nearly tripled in the first quarter of 2023, government data showed, after the European Union banned oil products imports from Russia. The Asia oil hub imported 741,000 tonnes of Russian naphtha in the period, accounting for about 23% of Singapore's total imports of the refined product, a Reuters calculation based on Enterprise Singapore data showed. The EU banned imports of Russian oil products from Feb. 5 and the Group of Seven Nations, EU and Australia imposed a $45 cap on Russian naphtha trade using western ships and insurance. The limitations, which have changed global oil trade flows, are aimed at curbing Moscow's revenues, while allowing Russian supplies to stay in the market and keep world oil prices low. The key buyers of naphtha from Singapore are South Korea, China, Taiwan and Japan, the data showed.

NEW DELHI/LONDON, April 6 (Reuters) - Global fuel suppliers are turning to longer and costlier routes that produce more carbon emissions to move their diesel and other products as Western restrictions on Russian cargoes have reshuffled global energy shipping patterns. The ban comes on top of a halt late last year on Russian crude sales into the bloc as well as Western price caps. Also in March, Russian clean products shipped to Togo reached 973 million MT-NM, up from zero in November. Conversely, Russian exports to the Netherlands dropped to 238,200 tonnes in February from 1.15 million tonnes in September. Those longer distances are being done at higher costs for Russian products than for typical shipments from Europe.

Now is the time to buy shares of Sealed Air , according to UBS. He maintained his price target of $59 per share, suggesting a 28.8% rally for the stock from Tuesday's close price. Shares have tumbled 30% during the past 12 months, as the company struggled with supply chain issues, a post-pandemic demand reset and industrial destocking. Roughly three-fifths of analysts covering Sealed Air rate it a hold, Refinitiv data shows. The average price target on shares, however, implies 24.5% upside over the next 12 months.

☆ This start-up makes coffee pods you can safely throw away
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThis start-up makes coffee pods you can safely throw awayCNBC's Diana Olick reports on a coffee start-up doing away with single-use plastics in coffee pods.

☆ Northvolt, a $12 billion startup founded by an ex-Tesla VP, thinks crushing and shredding old batteries is the way to make electric vehicles truly sustainable
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

NorthvoltHow Northvolt's process worksNorthvolt's recycling process, which was dreamed up in 2018 and planned and tested in the following years, involves crushing, shredding, and filtering dismantled batteries. Northvolt is left with a black powder called black mass, which contains nickel, manganese, cobalt, and lithium. Once Northvolt's latest venture, Revolt Ett, is up and running at full capacity, it's expected to recycle 125,000 tons of battery materials each year. Cylindrical cells; shredded pieces of steel, copper, aluminium, plastic, and black mass from mechanical recycling; black mass; and a mix of nickel, manganese, and cobalt sulfates. The Hydrovolt pilot runs Northvolt's recycling process up to the black-mass stage.

☆ Why skinny soda cans are everywhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Drink manufacturers are aiming to distinguish their products on crowded shelves and save money on shipping and packaging with skinny cans, say analysts and drink makers. The can, presented at New York’s Fashion Week, had the tagline: “The New Skinny.” It was widely criticized as offensive and the National Eating Disorders Association said the company’s comments were both “thoughtless and irresponsible.”White Claw's skinny white cans have brought along copycats. Red Bull was one of the first brands to popularize slim cans, and White Claw saw success with its hard seltzer in thin white cans. skinny cans on store shelves, warehouse pallets and trucks than wider cans, said Dave Fedewa, a partner at McKinsey who consults for retail and consumer packaged goods companies. But the key, Fedewa said, is that skinny cans catch the eye: “It’s funny how much growth that can drive in retail.”

☆ Kia just unveiled its Telluride-sized EV
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The big Kia Telluride SUV, with three roomy rows of seats, has been a major hit for the South Korean car brand. So, for those ready to switch to electric vehicles, KIa just unveiled its all-electric big SUV. The Kia EV9, like the Telluride, has lots of seats and they can also do some neat tricks. More powerful versions will also be available, including an all-wheel-drive version with two motors capable of a combined 282 kilowatts, or 378 horsepower. Kia’s two current electric models, the much smaller Kia Niro EV and EV6, start at about $41,000 and $50,000, respectively.

☆ Column: China's Q1 coal imports jump to new highs as factories throttle up
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Total thermal coal imports through March soared 81% from the same period a year ago to 65.7 million tonnes, according to ship-tracking data from Kpler. SOUTHERN SURGEPorts feeding China's south coast saw the largest year-over-year increase in thermal coal imports. China's coal imports hit new highs in Q1 2023While China as a whole uses domestic coal production for over 90% of its coal needs, most of Southern China's coal-fired power plants rely overwhelmingly on imports. The region imported over 106 million tonnes in 2021, indicating a quarterly pace in excess of 25 million tonnes can be maintained if power needs dictate. In combination, all of China's main economic hubs are on track to steer the country's thermal coal imports to new heights in 2023, reversing the slump seen in China's coal use in 2022.

☆ The banking crisis is doing Fed's work and creating a window for stocks to rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +19 min

Work from home has in part jacked up food prices, and the increase is about 14% above just last year. The only bank that looks like Silicon Valley Bank is First Republic Bank (FRC) because it, too, has suffered huge deposit withdrawals. Nike (NKE)said China orders were good, so did Club stock Starbucks (SBUX). As counterintuitive as it is, the banking row will give the 4.8% fed funds rate a chance to cool consumer spending. This gives stocks a window to advance until we begin earnings season with what will no doubt be a cautious banking sector.

"So far, we have recycled more than 5 million plastic bags, but this is just the beginning," TileGreen co-founder Khaled Raafat told Reuters. "We aim that by 2025, we will have recycled more than 5 billion plastic bags." At the company's factory, on the outskirts of Cairo, workers carry large barrels loaded with mixed plastic waste to be melted down and compressed. An Egyptian start-up, TileGreen, is manufacturing interlocking tiles from recycled plastic and waste in an effort to reduce dependency on cement, which is a major polluter in the country. Plastic waste is often discarded in the street or disposed of in informal dumps or burned.

☆ How an often overlooked World War II-era shipbuilder designed the boat that Eisenhower said 'won the war for us'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Katie Sanders | Mara Storey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Higgins boat is one of the iconic vessels of World War II. Andrew Higgins, center, developed several kinds of landing craft that were invaluable during World War II. His landing craft were used in every major amphibious assault of World War II, from the shores of Europe to the Pacific islands. National World War II MuseumBorn in Nebraska in 1886, Higgins ran newspaper routes and started a lawn-mowing company as a child. In one instance, Navy officials expressed interest in seeing a design for a new 56-foot tank landing craft three days before a scheduled visit to see another type of landing craft.

Two of the sources linked the increased Russian interest directly with reported Turkish plans to crack down on the transit of sanctioned goods. Some Russian firms have sought to establish long-term sanction-busting partnerships, the sources said. Under Russian law, it is an offence to comply with the Western sanctions and sanctions-busting has become a profitable boom industry for some entrepreneurs. Ankara also said it would not allow Western sanctions to be violated in or via Turkey and was taking steps to prevent this. Kazakh exports to Russia rose by a quarter to $8.8 billion last year and sales of some items surged.

☆ The Next Frontier in Farming? The Ocean.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

For centuries, it’s been treasured in kitchens in Asia and neglected almost everywhere else: Those glistening ribbons of seaweed that bend and bloom in cold ocean waves. Far beyond South Korea, new farms have cropped up in Maine, the Faroe Islands, Australia, even the North Sea. But even as its champions see it as a miracle crop for a hotter planet, others worry that the zeal to farm the ocean could replicate some of the same damages of farming on land. “Seaweed is not going to replace all plastic, but seaweed combined with other things can tackle single use plastic,” he said. Seaweed farms are a far cry from the rows of corn and wheat that make up monoculture farming on land.

☆ Brazilian researchers find 'terrifying' plastic rocks on remote island
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sergio Queiroz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] "Plastic rocks" found on Trindade Island in the state of Espirito Santo is seen at the laboratory of the Federal University of Parana, in Curitiba, state of Parana, Brazil March 7, 2023. REUTERS/Rodolfo BuhrerTRINDADE ISLAND, Brazil, March 15 (Reuters) - The geology of Brazil's volcanic Trindade Island has fascinated scientists for years, but the discovery of rocks made from plastic debris in this remote turtle refuge is sparking alarm. Melted plastic has become intertwined with rocks on the island, located 1,140 km (708 miles) from the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, which researchers say is evidence of humans' growing influence over the earth's geological cycles. Trindade Island is one of the world's most important conservation spots for green turtles, or Chelonia mydas, with thousands arriving each year to lay their eggs. The only human inhabitants on Trindade are members of the Brazilian navy, which maintains a base on the island and protects the nesting turtles.

☆ Union says Lyondell misled it about possible Houston refinery buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HOUSTON, March 11 (Reuters) - The United Steelworkers union (USW) said in a letter to members it was misled by Lyondell Basell Industries (LYB.N) about possible buyers for the company’s Houston refinery, which the company has set for permanent closure late this year. The letter was sent on Friday to members who work at the Lyondell refinery. According to the letter, the union said it would contact government officials about the would-be buyers of the refinery and take further actions involving union members in the future. Offers made on the refinery when Lyondell was weighing a possible sale in 2021 fell short of the refinery's value, he said. Sources familiar with the matter said Kinder Morgan Inc (KMI.N), which operates a terminal near the refinery, approached Lyondell about a possible sale.

☆ How this former Adidas executive is tackling the biggest problem in footwear with biodegradable sneakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"It's a first of its kind," Liedtke told Insider. The Unless shoe, which retails for $139, was made in partnership with Natural Fiber Welding, which makes various materials from natural products, including plants and minerals. Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for ADIDAS"This is a game changer," industry analyst and ARCH-USA founder Chris Burns previously told Insider. "What's unique about what Eric has done in the footwear industry is paid attention to every single component of the shoe," Natural Fiber Welding President Steve Zika previously told Insider. Last April, Natural Fiber Welding announced an $85 million Series B investment round.

☆ Plastic entering oceans could nearly triple by 2040 if left unchecked -research
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Antonio BronicSINGAPORE, March 8 (Reuters) - Plastics entering the world's oceans have surged by an "unprecedented" amount since 2005 and could nearly triple by 2040 if no further action is taken, according to research published on Wednesday. Marine plastic pollution could rise 2.6 fold by 2040 if legally binding global policies are not introduced, it predicted. "We need a strong legally binding U.N. global treaty on plastic pollution that stops the problem at the source," he added. Experts said the study showed that the level of marine plastic pollution in the oceans has been underestimated. Environmental group Greenpeace said that without a strong global treaty, plastic production could double within the next 10 to 15 years, and triple by 2050.

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