Good News for the Biosphere at-a-Glance! The fight to save biological life on Earth.
This email is not a commercial initiative, but a free expression of optimism about the potential of humankind and the progress being made to help regenerate and sustain our biosphere.
A New 3-D Printed Biodegradable Flooring Stronger Than Steel
Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Maine researchers have designed and 3D-printed a single-piece, recyclable natural-material floor panel tested to be strong enough to replace construction materials like steel. The SM2ART Nfloor cassette panel was developed to replace traditional steel-and-concrete surface assemblies as a transformative step for constructing apartment and condominium buildings. The technology has the potential to create strong, biologically based sections that could make multistory buildings more environmentally friendly. Learn more here.
The First Solar Microgrid That Will Directly Power an Industrial Plant
Titanium Metals Corporation, or Timet, recently began construction on a facility that will melt titanium to be shaped into parts for airplanes and other uses. Just next door, BHE Renewables is preparing to install arrays of solar panels and large battery systems, which will form a solar microgrid that connects to the titanium facility. A first of its kind, Timet’s facility in West Virginia will use solar and batteries to make titanium products. The durable metal is used in everything from airplanes to pacemakers. Learn more here.
A Greener Future Made Possible by Finance
In Great Britain, the Green Finance Institute (GFI) is accelerating the transition towards an environmentally sustainable and resilient economy by catalyzing investment in net zero and nature positive outcomes. The GFI is uniquely positioned at the nexus of the public and private sectors, the Green Finance Institute is the UK and Europe’s principal forum for innovation in green finance. Its cross-sector engagement enables fast respond to market barriers and to develop solutions where others can’t. Read the latest issue of the Green Finance Quarterly here.
California Seeks to Seize Big Oil Companies’ Profits in Climate Greenwashing Suit
California seeks to seize the “illegally obtained profits” of several big oil companies, as part of an amended lawsuit claiming that the companies falsely advertised the environmental sustainability attributes of their products, and of fossil fuels generally. Read about it here.
The $25,000 Electric Car is Coming!
Even with falling prices, the cheapest electric vehicles in the United States are outside of the price range of most buyers. But automakers have plans to introduce lower-cost models. Tom Randall of Bloomberg has put together a roundup of which models are coming and when, including a redesigned Chevrolet Bolt next year and an electric version of the Jeep Renegade that is coming “very soon” according to Stellantis, Jeep’s parent company. Tesla and Ford also have plans, but with fewer details.
Our Biosphere - Is defined as that part of the Earth in which living organisms exist (the entire zone of life). As such, it is viewed as all the places that support life and includes the overlapping zones of the atmosphere, the upper part of the geosphere, and all of the hydrosphere. Or more simply; any place on Earth where life can exist. Not protecting our Biosphere is the root cause for most of the critical environmental, social and economic multi-crises we face today in the Anthropocene Era.
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Bill Stough, LLC | 616.889.0640 | PO Box 414, Byron Center, MI 49315