Nzambi Matee told reporters she was "tired of being on the sidelines," and decided to create a solution of her own for commercial plastic waste. Gjenge Makers Ltd.
Nzambi Matee is an entrepreneur with an incredible goal -- to turn plastic destined for the landfill into sustainable, strong building material. Her company, Gjenge Makers, uses the plastic waste of commercial facilities to create bricks that can withstand twice the weight threshold of concrete.
<p>Gjenge Makers is based in Nairobi, Kenya, where plastic waste pollution has become a <a href="https://theintercept.com/2020/04/19/africa-plastic-waste-kenya-ethiopia/" target="_blank">severe problem</a>. A <a href="https://lrrd.cipav.org.co/lrrd30/11/clang30182.html" target="_blank">study</a> supported by the <a href="https://www.nema.go.ke/" target="_blank">National Environmental Management Agency</a> (NEMA) found that more than 50% of cattle near urban areas in Kenya had plastic in their stomachs. To combat this issue, the Kenyan government <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/kenya-announces-breakthrough-ban-plastic-bags" target="_blank">outlawed the use</a> of plastic bags in 2017, and imposed a ban on all single-use plastic in protected natural areas last year. However, these bans only address the issue of consumer single-use plastic. Commercial waste is still a deep-seated <a href="https://www.rd.com/article/kenya-plastic-bag-ban/" target="_blank">problem</a> within the country.</p><p>Nzambi Matee <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-environment-recycling/kenyan-recycles-plastic-waste-into-bricks-stronger-than-concrete-idUSKBN2A211N" target="_blank">told reporters</a> she was "tired of being on the sidelines," and decided to create a solution of her own for commercial plastic waste. With a career in materials engineering, she was able to design a brick made of recycled plastic and sand, compressed and heated to create a strong and sustainable alternative to concrete. The fibrous structure of the plastic makes it not only more lightweight but also less brittle than concrete. </p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="30defee8576f58ba0b3d8996ba9a55ce"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QbZKP4UAtL8?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>"Our product is almost five to seven times stronger than concrete," Matee <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-environment-recycling/kenyan-recycles-plastic-waste-into-bricks-stronger-than-concrete-idUSKBN2A211N" target="_blank">told Reuters</a> about the current line of Gjenge Makers pavers and bricks. While she purchases some plastic from recycling companies, she also receives free shipments of plastic waste from local packaging factories. Currently, the Gjenge Makers factory can produce up to 1,500 bricks each day, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-environment-recycling/kenyan-recycles-plastic-waste-into-bricks-stronger-than-concrete-idUSKBN2A211N" target="_blank">Reuters</a>. </p>
<p>The company offers pavers for residential and commercial uses. The heavy-duty 60 mm paver is strong enough to be used for parking lots and roads, while the 30 mm light-duty paver can be used for household patios and walkways. The light-duty paver is twice the strength of concrete and comes in a variety of colors.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY2OTI5My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzY4NTc1MH0.MzS3hZtGuJNCfLtQCS53LQuPFy3LyczHVyWOCJsHcXc/img.jpg?width=980" id="bdcbe" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d090f0615b8f45eb014f02b5e049667c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1920" data-height="1000" />
Gjenge Makers Ltd.
<p>The factory is only in its beginning stages, but it has already <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kenya-environment-recycling/kenyan-recycles-plastic-waste-into-bricks-stronger-than-concrete-idUSKBN2A211N">recycled 20 tons</a> of plastic since 2017 and created 120 jobs in Nairobi. In addition, Gjenge bricks are also one of the more affordable options on the market. They cost approximately $7.70 per square meter, as opposed to <a href="https://www.remodelingcalculator.org/concrete-calculator/" target="_blank">$98 per square yard</a> for concrete produced in the U.S.</p> <p>However, it hasn't been an easy road. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbZKP4UAtL8&feature=emb_title" target="_blank">Matee says</a> about the founding of her company, "I jumped in, off a cliff without even a parachute. I was building it as I was falling down. But isn't that how great things are done?" </p> <p>With entrepreneurs like Matee, there is a beacon of hope for the worldwide plastic pollution crisis. To learn more about Gjenge Makers process and impact, you can visit their <a href="https://gjenge.co.ke/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">website</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH7ahGR28JP4Gy47CGhCZTg/featured" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube channel</a>. Or, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/stop-plastic-pollution-2649324134.html">read this</a> to learn more about ways you can help fight against plastic pollution in your community. </p>From Your Site Articles
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Private Planes, Mansions and Superyachts: Calculating Billionaires' Massive Carbon Footprint
16 February
Climate
A recent study finds that superyachts emit the most carbon emissions. xefstock / Getty Images
By Richard Wilk and Beatriz Barros
Tesla's Elon Musk and Amazon's Jeff Bezos have been vying for the world's richest person ranking all year after the former's wealth soared a staggering US$160 billion in 2020, putting him briefly in the top spot.
<p>Musk isn't alone in seeing a significant increase in wealth during a year of pandemic, recession and death. Altogether, the world's billionaires <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2020/12/16/the-worlds-billionaires-have-gotten-19-trillion-richer-in-2020/?sh=c44b6de7386f/" target="_blank">saw their wealth surge</a> over $1.9 trillion in 2020, according to Forbes.</p><p>Those are astronomical numbers, and it's hard to get one's head around them without some context. As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=d8efMHsAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">anthropologists who study</a> energy and consumer culture, we wanted to examine how all that wealth translated into consumption and the resulting carbon footprint.</p><h2>Walking in a Billionaire's Shoes</h2><p>We found that billionaires have <a href="https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gases-equivalencies-calculator-calculations-and-references" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">carbon footprints</a> that can be thousands of times higher than those of average Americans.</p><p>The wealthy own yachts, planes and multiple mansions, all of which contribute greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. For example, a superyacht with a permanent crew, helicopter pad, submarines and pools emits about 7,020 tons of CO2 a year, according to our calculations, making it by the far worst asset to own from an environmental standpoint. Transportation and real estate make up the lion's share of most people's carbon footprint, so we focused on calculating those categories for each billionaire.</p><p>To pick a sample of billionaires, we started with the 2020 <a href="https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Forbes List</a> of 2,095 billionaires. A random or representative sample of billionaire carbon footprints is impossible because most <a href="https://www.lovemoney.com/gallerylist/87931/the-most-reclusive-rich-people-ever" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wealthy people shy away from publicity</a>, so we had to focus on those whose consumption is public knowledge. This excluded most of the superrich in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2020/04/08/the-countries-with-the-most-billionaires-in-2020/?sh=2fcc19024429" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Asia and the Middle East</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY1MzM0OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDYzODQ1OX0.B3RKerhnVPVwJH0A-Wnrhincu1euyaQGzPqBJi04J1Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="7d8d9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ccf752fa355466aae39048641a3e4da3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1000" data-height="1000" />
<p>We combed 82 databases of public records to document billionaires' houses, vehicles, aircraft and yachts. After an exhaustive search, we started with 20 well-known billionaires whose possessions we were able to ascertain, while trying to include some diversity in gender and geography. We have submitted our paper for peer review but plan to continue adding to our list.</p><p>We then used a wide range of sources, such as the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Energy Information Administration</a> and <a href="https://www.carbonfootprint.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Carbon Footprint</a>, to estimate the annual CO2 emissions of each house, aircraft, vehicle and yacht. In some cases we had to estimate the size of houses from satellite images or photos and the use of private aircraft and yachts by <a href="https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:0f4b102a-c077-4568-993b-e01fd0f67268?collection=education" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">searching the popular press</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2019.102775" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">drawing on other studies</a>. Our results are based on analyzing typical use of each asset given its size and everything else we could learn.</p><p>We did not try to calculate each asset's "<a href="https://circularecology.com/embodied-carbon.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">embodied carbon</a>" emissions – that is, how much CO2 is burned throughout the supply chain in making the product – or the emissions produced by their family, household employees or entourage. We also didn't include the emissions of companies of which they own part or all, because that would have added another significant degree of complexity. For example, we didn't calculate the emissions of Tesla or Amazon when calculating Musk's or Bezos' footprints.</p><p>In other words, these are all likely conservative estimates of how much they emit.</p><h2>Your Carbon Footprint</h2><p>To get a sense of perspective, let's start with the carbon footprint of the average person.</p><p>Residents of the U.S., including billionaires, <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/co2/country/united-states?country=%7EUSA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">emitted about 15 tons of CO2 per person</a> in 2018. The global average footprint is smaller, at just about 5 tons per person.</p><p>In contrast, the 20 people in our sample contributed an average of about 8,190 tons of CO2 in 2018. But some produced far more greenhouse gases than others.</p><h1>Billionaire Emissions</h1><p>Some of the biggest polluters have relatively little wealth, while the two richest – Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos – have relatively small carbon footprints. Yachts make up most of the emissions of those who have one. Mansions and other dwellings make up a very minor share of their carbon footprints. Values are in terms of tons of CO2 equivalent.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY1MzM1My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODMyNDk2Nn0.ojrhbNpCPgK5Ei3-10QH7dsDLXQFCC85v72sL3EV_Pw/img.png?width=980" id="098eb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fedacfd7013a8dedb6a4cfadbab3ac5f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1240" data-height="1252" />
<h2>The Jet-Setting Billionaire</h2><p>Roman Abramovich, <a href="https://www.headspacegroup.co.uk/orphan-to-billionnaire-roman-abramovich/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">who made most of his $19 billion fortune</a> trading oil and gas, was the biggest polluter on our list. Outside of Russia, he is probably best known as the <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1296796/Chelsea-News-Roman-Abramovich-Contacts-Kai-Havertz-Transfer-Rumours-Gossip" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">headline-grabbing</a> owner of London's Chelsea Football Club.</p><p>Abramovich cruises the Mediterranean in his superyacht, <a href="https://www.autoevolution.com/news/roman-abramovichs-eclipse-holds-its-own-as-worlds-most-expensive-superyacht-141067.html" target="_blank">named the Eclipse</a>, which at 162.5 meters bow to stern is the second-biggest in the world, rivaling some cruise ships. And he hops the globe on a <a href="https://luxurylaunches.com/transport/inside-chelsea-owner-roman-abramovichs-80-million-private-jet.php" target="_blank">custom-designed Boeing 767</a>, which boasts a 30-seat dining room. He takes shorter trips in his Gulfstream G650 jet, one of his two helicopters or the submarine on his yacht.</p><p>He maintains homes in many countries, including a mansion in London's Kensington Park Gardens, a chateau in Cap D'Antibes in France and a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204518504574418871692477730" target="_blank">28-hectare estate in St. Barts that once belonged to David Rockefeller</a>. In 2018, he left the U.K. and <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/chelsea-owner-roman-abramovich-immigrates-to-israel-after-uk-visa-woes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">settled in Israel</a>, where he became a dual citizen and bought a home in 2020 for $64.5 million.</p><p>We estimate that he was responsible for at least 33,859 metric tons of CO2 emissions in 2018 – more than two-thirds from his yacht, which is always ready to use at a moment's notice year-round.</p><h2>Massive Mansions and Private Jets</h2><p>Bill Gates, currently the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/#6280bc883d78" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">world's fourth-richest person</a> with $124 billion, is a "modest" polluter – by billionaire standards – and is typical of those who may not own a giant yacht but make up for it with private jets.</p><p>Co-founder of Microsoft, he retired in 2020 to manage the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest charity, with an endowment of $50 billion.</p><p>In the 1990s, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/crazy-facts-about-bill-gates-house-2016-11" target="_blank">Gates built Xanadu</a> – named after the vast fictional estate in Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" – at a cost of $127 million in Medina, Washington. The giant home covers 6,131 square meters, with a 23-car garage, a 20-person cinema and 24 bathrooms. He also owns at least five other dwellings in Southern California, the San Juan Islands in Washington state, North Salem, New York, and New York City, as well as <a href="https://therealdeal.com/miami/2019/07/02/trust-tied-to-bill-gates-drops-21m-on-wellington-horse-farm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a horse farm</a>, <a href="https://www.superyachtfan.com/yacht-owners/bill-gates/private-jet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">four private jets, a seaplane and "a collection" of helicopters</a>.</p><p>We estimated his annual footprint at 7,493 metric tons of carbon, mostly from a lot of flying.</p>
<h2>The Environmentally Minded Tech CEO</h2><p>South African-born Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, has a surprisingly low carbon footprint despite being the world's second-richest person, with $177 billion – and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/12/elon-musk-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-a-carbon-tax.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he seems intent on setting an example for other billionaires</a>.</p><p>He doesn't own a superyacht and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/02/why-elon-musk-says-taking-vacations-will-kill-you.html" target="_blank">says he doesn't even take vacations</a>.</p><p>We calculated a relatively modest carbon footprint for him in 2018, thanks to his eight houses and one private jet. This year, his carbon footprint would be even lower because in 2020 he <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/01/elon-musk-sells-all-california-real-estate-moves-to-texas" target="_blank">sold all of his houses</a> and promised to <a href="https://www.gq.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/elon-musk-now-says-he-wants-to-sell-his-possessions-and-go-homeless/news-story/34573e982b338480ed52817bd98f395d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">divest the rest of his worldly possessions</a>.</p><p>While his personal carbon footprint is still hundreds of times higher than that of an average person, he demonstrates that the superrich still have choices to make and can indeed lower their environmental impact if they so choose.</p><p>His estimated footprint from the assets we looked at was 2,084 tons in 2018.</p><h2>The Value of Naming and Shaming</h2><p>The aim of our ongoing research is to get people to think about the environmental burden of wealth.</p><p>While <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/world/carbon-emissions-richest-1-percent-more-double-emissions-poorest-half-humanity#:%7E:text=The%20richest%2010%20percent%20(approx,of%20humanity%20(7%20percent)." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plenty of research</a> <a href="https://wid.world/document/chancel-l-piketty-t-carbon-and-inequality-from-kyoto-to-paris-wid-world-working-paper-2015-7/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has shown</a> that rich countries and wealthy people produce far more than their share of greenhouse gas emissions, these studies can feel abstract and academic, making it harder to change this behavior.</p><p>We believe "shaming" – for lack of a better word – superrich people for their energy-intensive spending habits can have an important impact, revealing them as models of overconsumption that people shouldn't emulate.</p><p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/5-celebrities-busted-as-part-of-droughtshaming-1882065398.html" target="_self">Newspapers, cities and local residents made an impact</a> during the California droughts of 2014 and 2015 by "drought shaming" celebrities and others who were wasting water, seen in <a href="https://pagesix.com/2015/05/09/3941513" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">their continually green lawns</a>. And the Swedes came up with a new term – "<a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/esmagazine/flight-shame-europe-sweden-a4120231.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">flygskam</a>" or flying shame – to raise awareness about the climate impact of air travel.</p><p>Climate experts say that to have any hope of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-08/the-world-is-moving-toward-net-zero-because-of-a-single-sentence" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">countries must cut their emissions</a> in half by 2030 and eliminate them by 2050.</p><p>Asking average Americans to adopt less carbon-intensive lifestyles to achieve this goal can be galling and ineffective when it would take about 550 of their lifetimes to equal the carbon footprint of the average billionaire on our list.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/richard-wilk-368097" target="_blank"><em>Richard Wilk</em></a><em><strong> </strong>is a </em><em>Distinguished Professor and Provost's Professor of Anthropology; Director of the Open Anthropology Institute, Indiana University.</em>
</p><p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/beatriz-barros-1208262" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Beatriz Barros</a> is a </em><em>Ph.D. Candidate in Anthropology, Indiana University.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: </em><em><em>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em></em>
</p><p>
<em><em></em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/private-planes-mansions-and-superyachts-what-gives-billionaires-like-musk-and-abramovich-such-a-massive-carbon-footprint-152514" target="_blank">The Conversation.</a></em>
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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Left: vkyryl / iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus, Right: Stacy Funderburke / The Conservation Fund
When you think of wooden furniture, you probably think of forest destruction, not conservation.
But furniture giant IKEA is trying to reverse that assumption. The Ingka Group, the franchise's largest owner, just bought 10,840 acres of forest in southeast Georgia, Reuters reported. The purchase comes with legally-binding commitments to restore native trees and protect habitat for a unique species of tortoise.
<p>"The acquisition strengthens Ingka Group's commitment to responsible forest management, as conservation measures are fully included in the forest management plans," the group wrote in a Jan. 14 press release <a href="https://www.conservationfund.org/impact/press-releases/2391-ingka-investments-acquires-forestland-from-the-fund" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announcing the deal</a>. </p>
<p>Ingka bought the land from the Conservation Fund. This is a group that works to preserve working forests that would otherwise be fragmented and sold off in parcels, <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90594218/why-ikea-just-bought-an-11000-acre-forest-in-georgia" target="_blank">Fast Company explained</a>. The organization buys forest land and puts in place requirements that it be kept intact, that native species be restored and preserved and that the public have access to hike on the land. Then it resells the forests to owners who promise to abide by these requirements.</p><p>In the case of the Georgia forest, the press release explained, the Ingka Group has legally pledged to restore longleaf pine forest and protect habitat for the gopher tortoise, the only species of land tortoise native to the southeastern U.S., according to the <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ga/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=stelprdb1047006#:~:text=The%20gopher%20tortoise%20is%20state,Mississippi%20and%20Alabama)%20in%201987." target="_blank">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a>.</p>
<div id="a311f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="98585a725e14c29d846fc4dda4bb52a3"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1349716316022824961" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">A partnership with IngkaGroup & @IKEA will complete our efforts to conserve & responsibly manage 10K+ acres of work… https://t.co/pQZfTwOSZv</div> — The Conservation Fund (@The Conservation Fund)<a href="https://twitter.com/ConservationFnd/statuses/1349716316022824961">1610632420.0</a></blockquote></div><p>"We are honored to work with Ingka Group and applaud its dedication to preserve and enhance forest quality in the U.S. and Europe," Conservation Fund President and CEO Larry Selzer said in the press release. "Well-managed forests provide essential benefits, including clean water and important <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> habitat, as well as mitigating <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate change</a>."<br></p><p>The purchase of the Georgia forest is part of IKEA's wider goal to be climate positive by 2030, Fast Company explained. This means the company will draw down more carbon dioxide than it emits.</p><p>The Ingka Group also owns other forested land in the U.S. and Europe. With the Georgia forest, it now owns 136,000 acres in the U.S. and 613,000 acres total, according to the press release.</p>
<p>An Ingka spokesperson told Fast Company that "no significant amount" of its U.S. forest holdings go towards making IKEA furniture. The group works to ensure that tree growth in its forests exceeds harvesting every year.</p><p>"We are committed to managing our forests sustainably while at the same time meeting our business objectives. In all our properties, we pay special attention to ensuring environmental protection, so we are happy to see that our efforts in working with responsible forest management are being seen and trusted," Krister Mattsson, the managing director of Ingka Investments, said in the press release.</p><p>Also this month, IKEA <a href="https://newsroom.inter.ikea.com/news/all/ikea-launches-new-2030-forest-agenda-to-push-for-improved-forest-management-and-biodiversity-globall/s/027f441f-53c8-4d4d-9032-310f626f4cc4" target="_blank">announced</a> that it had reached a goal of ensuring that 98 percent of its wood was either recycled or came from sources certified by the <a href="https://us.fsc.org/en-us/certification" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forest Stewardship Council</a> as being responsibly managed. The company launched a new Forest Positive Agenda for 2030 that includes commitments to making sure one-third of its wood is recycled and promote responsible forest management beyond its own supply chains.</p>
<div id="f3b23" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9acecab3095afa8758c61f99c68d29c6"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1353718899704008704" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">By working together with our suppliers and partners, we reached our 2020 forestry goal – more than 98% of the wood… https://t.co/L9vKq9eWc8</div> — IKEA (@IKEA)<a href="https://twitter.com/IKEA/statuses/1353718899704008704">1611586711.0</a></blockquote></div><p>"At IKEA, we want to make responsible forest management the norm, to stop deforestation, enhance biodiversity and support people who depend on forests for their livelihood," Inter IKEA Group CEO Jon Abrahamsson Ring said in the announcement. "Responsibly managed forests also play a vital role in climate change mitigation. By enforcing strict requirements, and partnering with different organisations across the world, we have contributed to moving the forestry sector forward. Still the pressure on the world's forests and the surrounding eco-systems is increasing. Now it is time to take an even more holistic approach to protect and support these important resources for generations to come."</p>
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Trending
In December of 1924, the heads of all the major lightbulb manufacturers across the world met in Geneva to concoct a sinister plan. Their talks outlined limits on how long all of their lightbulbs would last. The idea is that if their bulbs failed quickly customers would have to buy more of their product. In this video, we're going to unpack this idea of purposefully creating inferior products to drive sales, a symptom of late-stage capitalism that has since been coined planned obsolescence. And as we'll see, this obsolescence can have drastic consequences on our wallets, waste streams, and even our climate.
<p>Corporations create obsolescence through two main avenues: planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence. Both practices are meant to make a product seem useless or actually useless in order to drive sales. Planned obsolescence occurs when a company manufactures a device to fail before its realistic lifespan. This usually means a weaker filament, plastic encasement, or a fragile glass screen that limits the durability of the good. In the case of the collection of 1920s electricity companies known as the Phoebus cartel, they applied this principle to lightbulbs. The Phoebus cartel collectively cut the lifespan of their products in half from 2,000 to 1,000 hours, so that consumers would have to buy twice the amount of lightbulbs that they did previously. </p><p>On the other side of obsolescence, there's the more amorphous phenomenon of perceived obsolescence. Think of that new phone you bought or that new style of clothes you've been eyeing or even this year's new line of pickup trucks. All these are instances of perceived obsolescence. When companies release their new line of products, their older products quickly become unfashionable or less desirable. In order to get you to keep buying their goods corporations consistently market their new lines to make it seem like that new gadget you just bought a year ago is an antique, even though, in most cases, the older product still works. This kind of perceived obsolescence is especially prevalent with cars, technology, and fashion because these consumer goods have been transformed into status symbols. If you want to keep up appearances, you grab the newest model of the iPhone. If you want to look good, you buy the latest style from that Instagram ad. </p><p>But how and why do planned and perceived obsolescence work on us? Go watch the full video to find out the answer.</p><p><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXvxXpDJXp-mZu3pFMzYHQ" target="_blank">Our Changing Climate</a> is an environmental YouTube channel that explores the intersections of social, political, climatic, and food-based issues. The channel dives into topics like zero waste and nuclear energy in order to understand how to effectively tackle climate change and environmental destruction.</em></p><p><em><span></span>To receive all the latest videos produced by Charlie subscribe to his YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXvxXpDJXp-mZu3pFMzYHQ" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
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Online meetings have become the norm during the Covid-19 pandemic. fizkes / Getty Images
Taking business trips – or even just commuting to work – can produce a lot of carbon pollution. But for a long time, many people resisted the alternative of remote work and virtual meetings.
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<p>Elise Keith is the founder of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lucidmeetings.com/">Lucid Meetings</a>, an online meeting management and consulting company.</p><p>"People enjoy coming and being together in the same place whenever possible, in fact to the degree that everybody believed that that was really the only way to have an effective meeting," she says.</p><p>But the COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to give virtual meetings a serious and sustained try.</p><p>Keith says that after people got comfortable with the technology, they started realizing that with good planning and organization, online meetings can be effective. They can even help build community.</p>
<p>"The CEO would show up from their home just like they were and their kids would walk in," Keith says. "And people began to look at that and connect, like, 'Oh these are real people I work with who really care about what we're doing.'"</p><p>So Keith expects that even after it's safe to meet in person again, many companies will choose to rely more often on virtual meetings.</p><p>She says employees enjoy them, they can save companies money, and they're better for the climate.</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/01/covid-19-pandemic-may-lead-to-wider-acceptance-of-online-meetings/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>
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U.S. returns create about 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. manonallard / Getty Images
Many people shop online for everything from clothes to appliances. If they do not like the product, they simply return it. But there's an environmental cost to returns.
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<p>Meagan Knowlton is a sustainability manager at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.optoro.com/impact/environmental-impact/">Optoro</a>, a company that helps retailers process and resell returns. Optoro estimates that each year, returns in the U.S. create about 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.</p><p>That's about the same amount of carbon pollution produced by 3 million cars during an entire year.</p><p>"And that's just from putting returns in trucks and moving them around, back from the consumers … and then on to their next homes," Knowlton says.</p>
<p>That home might be another customer. But sometimes retailers cannot resell returns at a profit and unsold items may end up in landfills.</p><p>"We estimate that at least 5 billion pounds of landfill waste are created every year in the U.S. from returns alone," Knowlton says.</p><p>To reduce that waste, Optoro helps retailers find new places to resell or donate returned merchandise.</p><p>Knowlton says consumers can help by considering the environmental costs of returns before they buy.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/11/free-returns-come-at-a-cost-to-the-climate/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The Built Environment and Fashion Industries Are Primed to Lead the Recovery
20 November 2020
Business
A woman is seen shopping in a boutique. Thomas Barwick / Getty Images
By Amol Mehra
Set against rising calls for action to combat growing inequality and the climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of the key drivers of industry and economic reform: workers, communities and the environment.
<p>The crisis has laid bare the perils of relying on purely market-based approaches. This should not be a surprise to those who have long railed against the free market, shareholder-centric approach, derived from current neoliberal economic narratives.</p><p>The tide is turning, however, and business leaders are starting to understand that their legitimacy may hinge on how they respond. Those who seize this moment will surely benefit from the swing in momentum towards a more human and environment-centered approach to doing business.</p><p>Take for example the calls to "Build Back Better" from the "We Mean Business Coalition" – a group of over 1000 companies with a market cap of over $24 trillion who are organizing to support climate action and just economy approaches.</p><p>Through setting commitments for companies and building collective power to lobby governments and policy-makers, this group is joining the chorus of human rights, labour and environmental movements which have been ringing the alarm for change for some time. Together, the approach has huge potential to shift the debate – and to lead to meaningful action on the part of policy-makers to commit to tackling the threats posed by the climate crisis.</p><p>These two industries – the built environment and fashion – are sectors that are ripe for transformation and where even subtle shifts have potential for wide-reaching transformation. Here's why:</p>
The Built Environment
<p>The built environment – the physical places and structures that we inhabit – is a huge potential change agent in this regard. Buildings and construction account for massive amounts of energy usage and about 40% of global CO2 emissions, providing a clear pathway to shift current consumption and production pathways.</p><p>The construction sector accounts for around <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Industries/Capital%20Projects%20and%20Infrastructure/Our%20Insights/Reinventing%20construction%20through%20a%20productivity%20revolution/MGI-Reinventing-Construction-In-Brief.pdf" target="_blank">13% of the world's GDP </a>and<a href="https://iloblog.org/2020/05/11/the-construction-sector-can-help-lead-the-economic-recovery-heres-how/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> for 7.2% of the global workforce</a>. Many of the jobs linked to these sector have a negative history of labour rights, especially with respect to <a href="https://laborrights.org/issues/migrant-labor" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">migrant laborers</a>. As <a href="https://iloblog.org/2020/05/11/the-construction-sector-can-help-lead-the-economic-recovery-heres-how/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experts have noted</a>, the scale of the industry and its relative impacts on labour markets and the environment make it a prime agent of transformation of the broader global economy.</p><p>By prioritizing approaches that focus on decarbonization and the promotion of labor rights protections, we can create economic opportunities that promote healthy, regenerative structures. Efforts are starting to seed in this regard, with <a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/1/15/21058051/climate-change-building-materials-mass-timber-cross-laminated-clt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">increased attention</a> being placed to mass timber and other wood products in construction, as well as the use of natural materials in buildings.</p><p>At the same time, leading human rights organizations are looking more closely at promoting <a href="https://www.ihrb.org/focus-areas/built-environment/commentary-linking-climate-human-rights-built-environment-lifecycle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rights-based approaches</a>.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc5Njg3OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2ODY2ODIxN30.DdMP_t-06f1kheN1d9k2tV6MHLQA_9MyXP9nNjNP-q8/img.jpg?width=980" id="668e9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a60d36e164c6ca1a4fd961adf50569ef" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="850" data-height="805" />
Not all industries are equal. ourworldindata.org
Fashion
<p>But this isn't the only sector with transformative power. The fashion sector produces <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/fashion-industry-carbon-unsustainable-environment-pollution/" target="_blank">nearly 10% of the world's carbon emissions and is the second largest consumer of the water</a>, all while employing between <a href="https://www.ilo.org/global/industries-and-sectors/textiles-clothing-leather-footwear/lang--ja/index.htm" target="_blank">60 and 70 million</a> workers in garment supply chains.</p><p>While there have been laudable innovations in recent years towards adopting circularity and increasing the use of organic materials, there is still huge potential to promote transformative change in protections for workers.</p><p>Workers in the sector are often left without social protections, exposing them to vulnerability. In recognition of this need, the International Labor Organization, business actors and labor rights leaders have <a href="https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---dialogue/documents/statement/wcms_742371.pdf" target="_blank">committed to take</a> action to protect garment workers' income, health and employment, and to work together to establish sustainable systems of social protection for a more just and resilient garment industry.</p><p>This "Call to Action" launched in April 2020 and now needs steady implementation. The effort should seek to cast a wide tent, bringing in other industry players and leveraging development actors as well.</p><p>What's clear from the examples above is that critical, much needed efforts are starting to emerge and that these efforts need to be encouraged and accelerated. As social movements, consumers, investors, regulators and businesses themselves start to realize the value of transforming practices, the momentum will increase for other sectors to follow suit. This domino effect will spur the economic transformation that is so desperately needed to ensure that the environment, and the people who inhabit it, can live in a healthy, just society.</p><p>There can be no doubt: transformation of our economic system is imperative. The moment is now for businesses, and the industries they are part of, to seize it.</p>
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New Report Shows Banks Loaned $2.6 Trillion Linked to Biodiversity Loss in 2019
28 October 2020
Business
A baby orangutan displaced by palm oil plantation logging is seen at Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Center in Borneo, Indonesia on May 27, 2017. Jonathan Perugia / In Pictures / Getty Images
The world's largest financial institutions loaned more than $2.6 trillion in 2019 to sectors driving the climate crisis and wildlife destruction, according to a new report from advocacy organization portfolio.earth.
<p>For some perspective, portfolio.earth notes that $2.6 trillion is more than the entire GDP of Canada. The paper, Bankrolling Extinction, found that the world's largest banks funded an acceleration toward mass extinction in 2019 without trying to limit their impact on ecosystems, <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-biodiversity-banks/bank-loans-scrutinized-for-harm-to-wildlife-as-well-as-climate-idUKKBN27D001" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported.</p><p>The top 10 banks implicated are Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, Mizuho Financial, Wells Fargo, BNP Paribas, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, HSBC, SMBC Group and Barclays, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/28/banks-lent-1-9tn-linked-to-ecosystem-and-wildlife-destruction-in-2019-report-aoe?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco&fbclid=IwAR2EberDUKgkfo7DFK19vxuZL3kBj8tzeIcnsBXG6ZjzxFOXUTQjOG07Jys" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>The authors of the report note that not only do the banks lack an internal system to limit, monitor or measure the impact of their loans on biodiversity, but the current financial system rules protect the banks from any consequences.</p>
<p>To determine how much money adversely affected the natural world, the researchers matched the loans and underwriting services from 50 large investment banks to areas the United Nations has identified as driving biodiversity loss, The Guardian reported. The most threatening sectors are food and agriculture, forestry, mining, fossil fuels, infrastructure, tourism, transportation and logistics.</p><p>For example, Bankrolling Extinction stressed the outsized role that industrial agriculture plays in biodiversity loss, especially when tropical forests in the Amazon and Asia are cleared to make way for cattle ranches and commodity crops.</p><p>Some banks have responded to pressure from investors and limited investments in Arctic drilling, coal and new oil exploration, The Guardian reported. </p>
<p>"Banks are starting to realize that if they invest in sectors that cause climate change, that will hurt their returns," Liz Gallagher, director of portfolio.earth, told Reuters. "Banks need to understand that the same holds true for destroying biodiversity."</p><p>However, The Guardian reported that an analysis by Rainforest Action Network found that the world's leading banks had not aligned their investments with the goals of the 2016 Paris climate agreement.</p><p>"This report from portfolio.earth confirms what our research also shows, that banks globally still need to step up their game and develop an approach to protect biodiversity," Peter van der Werf, senior engagement specialist at Netherlands-based asset manager Robeco, told Reuters.<br></p>
<p>If banks changed their lending patterns, that money could prevent mass extinction and tackle the climate crisis.</p><p>"Imagine a world in which projects can only raise capital when they have demonstrated that they will contribute meaningfully and positively to restoring the planet's bounty and a safe climate for all? That's the future this report envisions and builds toward," Professor Kai Chan of the Institute of Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia told The Guardian.</p>
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Tesla has more than doubled its third-quarter profits, delivering a record number of electric automobiles despite the pandemic. Tesla
By Kristie Pladson
U.S. electric carmaker Tesla has more than doubled its third-quarter profits, the company has announced, delivering a record number of electric automobiles amid a pandemic that has crippled fellow automakers.
<p>In a letter to investors, the company said it delivered 139,300 vehicles in the third quarter, a new quarterly record. It aims to have produced and delivered 500,000 cars by the end of the year.</p><p>Net profits in the third quarter reached $331 million, more than twice the $143 million posted at the same time a year earlier. Revenue went up nearly 40% to $8.7 billion, exceeding analysts' expectations.</p><p>The value of Tesla shares — which have increased fivefold since the beginning of the year — were up 4.3% to $440.81 in extended trading, news agency Reuters reported. </p><p>This marks the fifth straight quarter of profits for the company. As of September, Tesla reported making $451 million in 2020 and seems on course to post its first annual profit.</p>
CO2 Offset Sales Still Key
<p>An uptick in demand abroad countered a drop in US car sales of nearly 10% over the last year; global deliveries increased 44% in the third quarter.</p><p>But Tesla still partly owes its success to competitor carmakers: as in past quarters, the electric car company's profits relied on the sale of CO2 credits to fellow carmakers, which allow them to offset their emissions and reach government climate targets. Valuing $331 million in the third quarter, Tesla would not have been profitable otherwise. </p>Competition Heats Up
<p>While traditional automakers are suffering in a global economy marked by a pandemic, Tesla is no longer alone in its electric ambitions.</p><p>"The company is still incredibly highly rated, as if it were working in a vacuum. But the competitors are working like mad to catch up," said analyst Craig Irwin of Roth Capital Partners, pointing to hundreds of new battery-powered vehicles that are expected to be released by 2024.</p><p>Volkswagen group is investing over €40 billion ($47 billion) into developing an electric car portfolio, and other competitors have announced similar initiatives.</p><p>"With more electric vehicle launches on the horizon, Tesla has a big red target on its back," said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights for the Edmunds.com auto website.</p><p>In its letter, Tesla admitted that reaching its production targets "has become more difficult" and it will rely on of its Model Y small SUV as well as greater activity at its China plant.</p>
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About EcoWatch
27 June 2016
A Stop the Money Pipeline protester holds a banner outside JP Morgan headquarters in NYC on Feb. 25, 2020; JP Morgan is a top contributor to the fossil fuel industry. Erik McGregor / LightRocket / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
Green groups applauded Sen. Jeff Merkley on Wednesday for introducing a pioneering pair of bills that aim to "protect the long-term health and well-being of the American people and their economy from the catastrophic effects of climate chaos" by preventing banks and international financial institutions from financing fossil fuels.
<p>"How we invest our money reflects our values today and will drive our future tomorrow," the Oregon Democrat <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-introduces-pair-of-bills-to-protect-american-lives-and-livelihoods-from-climate-chaos-2020" target="_blank">said</a> in a statement about his new legislative proposals, citing a September report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/09/while-trump-commission-warns-climate-risk-financial-system-recommendations-fall" target="_blank">warning</a> that the human-caused climate crisis endangers the U.S. financial system.</p><p>"Fossil fuel investments play a key role in accelerating climate chaos, which continues to spiral further and further out of control and claim lives and livelihoods in the process," Merkley added. "It's time to prioritize the interests of the American people and the planet above the wishes of fossil fuel CEOs who want to hold our economy hostage."</p><p>The <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/20.10.21%20Protecting%20America's%20Economy%20from%20the%20Carbon%20Bubble%20Act%20of%202020.pdf" target="_blank">Protecting America's Economy from the Carbon Bubble Act of 2020 </a> "would help safeguard the economy by prohibiting financial companies from making new investments in fossil fuels," according to his office. The <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/20.10.21%20Sustainable%20International%20Financial%20Institutions%20Act%20of%202020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sustainable International Financial Institutions Act of 2020</a> "would elevate that priority to the international stage by ensuring that the United States uses its voice and vote in international financial institutions to divest from fossil fuel investments."</p>
<div id="815e9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="eb5133bc08c84a247e6c577bb4c4ba59"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318967338482364416" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Yes! @SenJeffMerkley just introduced new legislation that would stop banks and other financial institutions from fu… https://t.co/Bk15N9Sewk</div> — Stop the Money Pipeline (@Stop the Money Pipeline)<a href="https://twitter.com/StopMoneyPipe/statuses/1318967338482364416">1603301293.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The legislation was enthusiastically endorsed by members of Stop the Money Pipeline, a coalition of over 130 advocacy organizations that <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/01/09/climate-movement-takes-aim-wall-street-because-money-only-language-fossil-fuel" target="_blank">launched</a> in January to pressure asset managers, banks, and insurance companies to "stop financing fossil fuels and deforestation and start respecting human rights and Indigenous sovereignty."</p><p>"Sen. Merkley is showing real leadership by introducing the first-ever bills to cut the money pipeline fueling the climate crisis," declared David Arkush, director of Public Citizen's Climate Program, in a coalition statement Wednesday.</p><p>Kelly Martin, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign, similarly said that "we applaud Sen. Merkley for his leadership in working to cut off the flow of money to dirty and destructive fossil fuels."</p><p>"Investments from major financial institutions are driving the climate crisis and environmental injustice worldwide," Martin added. "In order to tackle this crisis, we need to put a stop to business as usual and reinvest in a clean energy economy that works for all of us."</p>
<div id="f84b7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f6742078b73d4f72ad0cdb0b28c45bf8"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318975843717287936" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">"When there’s an out of control fire, the worst thing you can do is pour more gas on it. It’s time for Congress ste… https://t.co/YfjbtiWeRY</div> — 350 dot org (@350 dot org)<a href="https://twitter.com/350/statuses/1318975843717287936">1603303321.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Sue Stafford and Toby Woll of Mothers Out Front Corporate Responsibility Team called Merkley's legislation "important and necessary" while Nikki Reisch of the Center for International Environmental Law said that "ending financing for fossil fuels should be a no-brainer."</p><p>"As this year has made abundantly clear, fossil fuels are not just terrible for people and the planet, they are terrible investments, too," Reisch continued. "Sen. Merkley's bills would finally require financial institutions to do what they should have long since done on their own: stop bankrolling climate catastrophe."</p><p>While welcoming the senator's bills, campaigners also slammed financial institutions for "driving the destruction of the climate, deforestation, and furthering harms to public health and communities" by "pouring billions into the dying fossil fuel industry," in the words of Osprey Orielle Lake, executive director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network.</p><p>Lake urged Congress to urgently enact the measures—a call that was echoed by Lukas Ross from Friends of the Earth U.S., who warned that "whether it is Wall Street behemoths or public institutions like the Export-Import Bank, financial institutions are lending the climate over a cliff."</p>
<div id="f35ca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f0306ad9e315c3763299c349c4056f90"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318969691767930880" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">BREAKING: @SenJeffMerkley just introduced new legislation that would help end the financing of fossil fuels! 👏👏👏 W… https://t.co/831xi0UPfo</div> — Moira Birss (@Moira Birss)<a href="https://twitter.com/moira_kb/statuses/1318969691767930880">1603301854.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"Public and private banks are squandering over $4 trillion annually subsidizing the destabilization of our global climate by the fossil fuel industry," noted Daphne Wysham at the Center for Sustainable Economy. "Finally, in Sen. Merkley, we have a climate champion willing to stand up to this madness and call for banks to invest in a liveable future."</p><p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/03/18/banking-climate-change-report-reveals-banks-funded-climate-chaos-trillions-paris" target="_blank">According to</a> a report released in March by climate advocacy groups, 35 global banks have collectively poured more than $2.7 trillion into the fossil fuel industry since the Paris climate agreement was finalized in late 2015. The four top spots were all held by U.S. institutions: JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi, and Bank of America.</p><p>"Sen. Merkley's new divestment bills are exactly the sort of real climate leadership we need from our elected officials and regulators," said David Turnbull of Oil Change International (OCI). "If banks won't stop funding climate devastation, our government must force their hand, and Sen. Merkley's bills would force the action we need."</p><p>In addition to helping to ensure a habitable planet in the years to come, 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben pointed out that there could be some added benefits for lawmakers. As he put it: "Fighting the climate crisis and saving big money at the same time—a few more laws like this and people may start liking Congress!"</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/21/merkley-unveils-pioneering-bills-make-financial-institutions-stop-bankrolling?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank"> Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A Subway sandwich. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
The bread used to make Subway sandwiches isn't legally bread.
<p>At least that's what Ireland's Supreme Court <a href="https://www.courts.ie/acc/alfresco/fad40678-a172-44c7-9f84-66f8c102c0f0/2020_IESC_60%20%28Unapproved%29.pdf/pdf#view=fitH" target="_blank">ruled Tuesday</a> after an Irish Subway franchise tried to get out of paying value added tax (VAT) on its foodstuffs. The franchise, Bookfinders Ltd, argued that its bread was a staple <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/food/" target="_self">food</a> and should therefore be exempt from the tax, <a href="https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/01/irish-court-rules-subway-bread-is-not-bread" target="_blank">The Guardian explained</a>. But Ireland's Value-Added Tax Act of 1972 has a very clear definition of bread: It can't contain more sugar than 2 percent of the weight of flour in its dough.</p><p>Subway's bread, however, contains five times more sugar than that.</p><p>"In this case, there is no dispute that the bread supplied by Subway in its heated sandwiches has a sugar content of 10% of the weight of the flour included in the dough, and thus exceeds the 2% specified in subpara," the court ruled.</p>
<p>In fact, a six-inch Subway roll contains the same amount of sugar as two digestive cookies and slightly less than a Big Mac bun, The Guardian calculated.</p><p>Subway pushed back against a literal interpretation of the ruling and said it was reviewing the decision.</p><p>"Subway's bread is, of course, bread," the U.S. company said in a statement reported by <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/01/919189045/for-subway-a-ruling-not-so-sweet-irish-court-says-its-bread-isnt-bread?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2ijoqsVYvE6ukloiKvKbvdxhXtXXVaSGxIGvfeQzlTv7MS9Wm2Ob_OuCo&fbclid=IwAR3Ke3wyXbU1i0Dsdjkaeci3GSL6CB--SRdpdDGMtMbcJlfF9f-NSar-T2k&fbclid=IwAR3sb5Cg2_ArJ4NWoT4utsC_1fE4xPubOwlPbxDXm8_-QqD8rDzFLxd8vtk" target="_blank">NPR</a>. "We have been baking fresh bread in our restaurants for more than three decades and our guests return each day for sandwiches made on bread that smells as good as it tastes."</p>
<p>The case came about when Bookfinders appealed a 2006 decision by the Revenue Commissioners not to refund it for VAT it had paid between 2004 and 2005, <a href="https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/sandwiches-in-subway-too-sugary-to-meet-legal-definition-of-being-bread-39574778.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Irish Independent reported</a>. Bookfinders had been taxed at a rate of 9.2 percent but argued it should have been taxed at zero percent because it was selling staples. By ruling Subway's "bread" was too sweet to be a staple, the court rejected the franchise's appeal.</p><p>This is not the first time the content of Subway's sandwich bread has caused controversy. In 2014, the sandwich chain was the target of a petition urging it to stop using azodicarbonamide in its bread, <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/news/subway-bread-sugar-content-ireland-court-ruling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Food & Wine pointed out</a>. Azodicarbonamide is a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/chemicals" target="_self">chemical</a> used to whiten flour and condition dough, but it is also used in yoga mats and fake leather. It is still approved for culinary use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but is banned from food in Australia and the EU.</p><p>Subway decided six years ago to honor the petition and ditch the ingredient.</p><p>"Even though this ingredient is safe, we are removing it from Subway bread," the company said at the time.</p>
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People protest coronavirus working conditions outside of an Amazon warehouse fulfillment center on May 1, 2020 in Staten Island, New York City. Stephanie Keith / Getty Images
Online retail giant Amazon, which has seen its profits soar since COVID-19 lockdowns began, announced Thursday that nearly 20,000 of its employees either tested positive or have been presumed positive for the coronavirus, CNN reported.
<p>Amazon revealed 19,816 COVID-19 cases, or roughly 1.44 percent of its front-line workforce, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/10/01/amazon-workers-covid-positive/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported.</p><p>In a corporate blog post, Amazon said it examined data for about 1.37 million front-line employees who worked at Amazon and Whole Foods from March 1 to September 19. Amazon then compared the results to the official statistics reported by the <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins University</a> coronavirus tracker. If Amazon's infection rate were commensurate with the general population, it would total almost 34,000 cases, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-amazoncom-inc-whole-foods-market-inc-a9e270b8991d13d21516728ae6b58477" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AP</a> reported.</p><p>However, Amazon claims that its numbers are 42 percent lower than expected based on that comparison, CNN reported.<br></p>
<p>When CNN asked Amazon for a breakdown between Whole Foods and Amazon employees, the company declined to provide that information.</p><p>Another caveat to the data is that it does not include the company's large pool of delivery drivers, who are usually independent contractors, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Cheeseman told The Washington Post.</p><p>Health officials have had a difficult time obtaining accurate data from Amazon about infection rates at its facilities. An <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/lack-oversight-transparency-leave-amazon-employees-dark-covid-19-n1241549" target="_blank">NBC News</a> investigation revealed earlier this week that managers at a Wisconsin warehouse pushed hundreds of employees into a windowless room during a tornado warning back in August — just a day after employees learned about more of their coworkers testing positive. Afterward, the company refused to provide data on how many new cases resulted from the incident. </p>
<p>The county health director in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Dr. Jen Freiheit, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6961783-Amazon-Redacted.html#document/p20/a578637" target="_blank">described</a> Amazon as "less than easy to work with," NBC News reported.</p><p>Amazon has received pushback from its employees who have criticized working conditions. In March, more than 1,500 employees across the U.S. and Europe signed a petition asking the company to adopt and enforce stricter safety protocols. At the time, one employee called the working conditions "totally insufficient" to keep people healthy, The Washington Post reported.</p><p>Despite efforts to improve safety conditions, including increased cleanings, temperature checks and mandatory face masks, some employees believe the company still has a long way to go.</p>
<p>Amazon's disclosure "is the most damning evidence we have seen that corporate America has completely failed to protect our country's front line workers in this pandemic," Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, said in a statement in The Washington Post.</p><p>Meanwhile, the company's profits have soared as demand for online shopping increased during the pandemic, The Washington Post reported. Amazon's stock price has almost doubled, adding tens of billions of dollars to founder Jeff Bezos' net worth in 2020, reported CNN.</p>
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