Fast Company Imperial County happens to be sitting on enough lithium to produce nearly 400 million batteries. Geothermal and lithium operations near Niland, California, and the Salton Sea [Photo: David McNew/Getty Images] Imperial County consistently ranks among the most economically distressed places in California. Its Salton Sea, the state’s biggest and most toxic …
Growing green jobs
Fast Company The increasingly visible effects of climate change—extreme weather, drought, rising sea levels, and other ecological disasters—have driven individuals and organizations around the world to search for solutions. Governments are spending billions of dollars on infrastructure. Consumers are demanding that companies provide more sustainable products. Companies are investing heavily …
The secret ingredient in Biden’s climate law? City trees.
By Matt Simon, Grist Planting trees in cities sounds simple. Here’s why the Forest Service is spending $1.5 billion on it. Citizen of the Planet/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images You’ve probably heard that the Biden administration’s signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, gives people big rebates and tax …
Amsterdam’s gorgeous green roofs have hidden reservoirs to capture rainwater
By Adele Peters, Fast Company The city’s network of blue-green roofs have water-storing technology to help prevent flooding. [Photo: Courtesy of Orbia] If you walk up to the roof of a social-housing apartment building in Amsterdam, you’ll see a sprawling garden covered in plants. Hidden under the flowers and grass is …
Designing with Nature, Not Against – It Takes a Village (or Town)
By Syd Kitson, Sustainable Brands The continued growth and success of Babcock Ranch, the US’s first solar-powered town, serves as an inspiration for communities around the world seeking to leave a positive impact on the planet. When venturing out to create something new, there is no roadmap to follow. When …
In coal-rich Kentucky, a new green aluminum plant could bring jobs and clean energy
By Maria Gallucci, Grist Labor and state leaders wants to land the first new U.S. smelter in 45 years. But the deal won’t happen unless Kentucky can furnish lots of clean energy. When John Holbrook first started working as a pipefitter in the early 1990s, jobs were easy to come …
US lawmakers push to exclude lucrative chemicals from official PFAS definition
By Tom Perkins, The Guardian Language in Senate defense bill is probably first step to shield widely used toxic F-gases from regulation. US lawmakers and the military are pushing for a new definition of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” that would exclude a subclass of toxic compounds increasingly used across the economy and …
As Pennsylvania chooses the next president, its unions are choosing clean energy
By Gautama Mehta, Grist A coalition of trade unions have launched a new advocacy group, Union Energy, to ensure that Pennsylvania’s workers get a “just transition” to a fossil-fuel-free economy. The U.S. presidential campaigns both have their eyes on the critical swing state of Pennsylvania — and Pennsylvania, as ever, …
The astonishing link between bats and the deaths of human babies
By Benji Jones, Vox A frightening wildlife disease is killing millions of bats in the US. Humans are collateral damage. There are a number of well-known ways to keep babies healthy — wash your hands often, get them vaccinated, don’t smoke inside, and so on. But there’s one thing you …
‘Living walls’ are transforming London construction sites
Mashable Right between Whitechapel Hospital and London’s City district, pedestrians pass by a soon-to-be-usual sight: a wildflower meadow growing vertically on the walls of a construction hoarding. Commissioned by the Tower Hamlets council and created by Vertical Meadows, the pilot project aims to bring biodiversity to busy urban areas, while also reimagining the way …