Transfernation
By Andrew McMaster
In some ways, New York is a city of excess. From Midtown's tall skyscrapers to Grand Central's arched ceiling to SoHo's hundreds of shops and boutiques, the city always seems to take things to the next level.
More people, more money, more noise, more entertainment, more food.
<p style="">But for some, in fact many, New Yorkers, there is often not enough to go around—at least when it comes to the last of those things: food.</p><p style="">The food charity <a href="http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/new-york/" target="_blank">Feeding America estimates</a> that 1 in 8 New York City residents suffer from hunger. For children, that number is 1 in 5.</p><p style="">But one app is trying to change this.</p><p style=""><a href="http://transfernation.org/index.php" target="_blank">Transfernation</a>, which <a href="http://www.transfernation.org/index.php" target="_blank">brands itself</a> as "NYC's first tech-based, on demand food redistribution system," has been making significant strides to tackle the pernicious issue of food insecurity—by taking it online.</p><p style="">Their online platform allows corporate and social institutions to easily donate excess food from large events to local feeding programs.</p><p style="">Global Citizen spoke with Transfernation Co-Founders Hannah Dehradunwala and Samir Goel to see what's new with Transfernation, and how their work is changing communities for the better:</p>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjUyMjEzMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTQ0ODk5NH0.uLVjWAU6xMmN03uxKP83eoKFK7odAAOUbvRHrsm2BX0/img.jpg?width=980" id="e5877" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bae1087c2a770ee4c67a1b93f0c3e77d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Transfernation</small></p>
<p style=""><strong>It's been over two years since you last spoke with Global Citizen. How has Transfernation changed over time?</strong><br></p><p style="">Our mission, of course, is still the same, but we've almost completely changed the way that we operate. Two years ago, we were using volunteers to complete our pickups and a manual system of communicating with them. Our pickups are now completed by paid, independent contractors instead of volunteers, which allows us to partner with existing transportation networks, work outside of the confines of a 9-5 work day, and facilitates our on-demand pickups.</p><p style="">We also launched our app for iOS! The app works like Uber, but for food instead of passengers. Food donors are able to reach our base of contractors in real-time and schedule pickups on-demand and contractors receive push notifications for pickups in their vicinity. It completely removes the middleman and all of the manpower it takes to coordinate logistics.</p>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjUyMjExMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjI5NTQ0OX0.s-e0X2ocr-adQ_MomWHuLC6jiq1cvpkMPipP25bH180/img.jpg?width=980" id="c1351" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="da0349bd667ea4665ca2880451e32dba" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Transfernation</small></p>
<p style=""><strong>Has the app succeeded at bringing excess food to more people in need?</strong><br></p><p>The number of people requesting food pickups has spiked since our app was introduced. Many food donors don't want to go through the hassle of having to call or e-mail to schedule pickups. Using the app, it takes less than 5 minutes to send out a pickup request.</p><p>The app has helped paid opportunities to do good and reach populations that we could not have reached manually. Many of the individuals completing our pickups on a regular basis are people who have experienced homelessness or major financial setbacks and are actively trying to re-enter the workforce.</p><p style="">The massive amounts of extra food in cities isn't just an opportunity to fuel shelter feeding programs, it's a valuable economic opportunity.</p>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjUyMjEwOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDM5MDE2Mn0.YuH24npJ_mJVdCmx1t5DS1OTF2uA_0WpQWn1QY9p65A/img.jpg?width=980" id="77534" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b1173b3ec9420d99dd3010f633b4cefd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Transfernation</small></p>
<p style=""><strong>How many people have you been able to feed over the last few years?</strong><br></p><p style="">This past year Transfernation has seen exponential growth compared to any priors years. Through our new automated system we have rescued more than 165,000 pounds of food in a single year and provided approximately 140,000 meals in 2017. This is more than triple than what we were able to accomplish between 2015 and 2016 combined! Moving forward we to aim to maintain a similar growth rate.</p>
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<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNjUyMjA2NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTk5ODkwNH0.K3AYjUhcZWTlN0BkAEALORXm86SQ-Bj5oorHTPn32os/img.jpg?width=980" id="dca35" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a1d99ea8e79d775b7b273279639f236c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Transfernation</small></p>
<p style=""><strong>How much do you pay contractors?</strong><br></p><p style="">Today our independent contractors make between $30 and $45 dollars per hour. Many of our independent contractors or "food rescuers" are people that work at or rely upon the New York City shelter system. Transfernation has become an important source of income for them and empowers them to play a critical role in fixing a problem they've experienced first-hand. As a result, we received one of our favorite nicknames at Crossroads Community Center: the People Who Bring the Good Stuff. In total we work closely with eight local New York City shelters of which three rely entirely upon donations from Transfernation.</p>
<p style=""><strong>What have been some of your biggest challenges to growing, and how have you overcome them?</strong><br></p><p>Every phase of growth comes with an entirely new set of challenges. The upside is that these challenges help us think critically about how we can continue to scale in a financially sound, sustainable way.</p><p style="">We recently transitioned our operations from being entirely manual to be being entirely technology-driven. Our approach was to test the app with a small beta group who were part of Transfernation's core contractor base. We've been testing for about six months and it's given us valuable feedback on what works and what doesn't without risking our entire operation.</p><p>Lastly, balancing the logistics of an on-demand pickup service has always been tricky. Because we are currently the only service in NYC that picks up food donations on-demand, we've found that the best way to do it is to partner with existing transportation infrastructures. That way, we can ensure that if a donor requests a pickup, we can be there within the hour to take it to a local shelter.</p><p><strong>What's next for Transfernation? Do you plan on expanding even further?</strong></p><p style="">Right now, we're in the process of launching a marketing campaign for our app, building our food donor base and exploring partnerships with existing transportation companies. As we grow our team, we are looking to expand into other cities where the population and business density and shelter networks can support this model—in short, nearly every urban market globally. As short term next destinations, we're looking at Washington DC and Chicago.</p><p style=""> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/transformation-food-startup-app-waste-hunger/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>.</em></p>
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By Andrew McMaster
There's nothing quite like a cup of coffee in the morning. Whether it's from your local shop, brewed at home or snagged from a tiny cart somewhere, people all over the world start and their days with the centuries-old psychoactive beverage.
And aside from being a the only thing that can drag some of us out of bed on tough mornings, there are actually some more significant reasons—including health, economic and more—why it's a good way to start your day.
<p style="">Check out the list below to see why you should definitely be drinking more coffee.</p><p style=""><strong>1. It has a variety of health benefits.</strong><br></p><p style=""><strong></strong>For starters, coffee is probably, more than likely, almost definitely, great for you. Years ago, research led to the understanding that coffee was <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/04/health/coffee-myth-fact/index.html" target="_blank">unhealthy to drink regularly</a>, raising alarm bells for pretty much everyone everywhere.</p><p style="">But recently, <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/drink-as-much-coffee-as-you-want-world-health-orga/" target="_blank">studies have revealed</a> that the opposite is true: Those who drank coffee regularly were found to have lower instances of liver disease, neurological disorders, heart disease and diabetes.</p><p style="">Less scientific studies conducted in my apartment also showed that drinking coffee significantly increases your chances of not putting on your shirt inside out.</p><p style=""><strong>2. It's helping in the economic empowerment of women.</strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong>All around the world, women provide up to <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/how-coffee-is-creating-a-new-global-womens-movemen/" target="_blank">70 percent of the manual labor</a> for coffee cultivation, though they own only 15 percent of coffee farms and traded beans. However, <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/how-coffee-is-creating-a-new-global-womens-movemen/" target="_blank">efforts are underway to shift this power imbalance</a> so that women receive more of the profits from coffee production.</p><p style="">The International Women's Coffee Alliance is one organization trying to help women in the coffee industry. Their mission is to help women get higher paying jobs and decision-making powers in trade groups. They currently have chapters in 22 countries around the world. The organization also advocates to <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/how-coffee-is-creating-a-new-global-womens-movemen/v" target="_blank">change laws that prevent women from economic independence</a> all over the world.</p><p style="">You can find International Women's Coffee Alliance-approved beans beans from brands like <a href="https://bluebottlecoffee.com/frequency/women-of-kinyovu-station" target="_blank">Blue Bottle Coffee</a> in the U.S.</p><p style=""><strong>3. It's also empowering indigenous communities.</strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong>In Alaska, one company is moving forward with a plan to help empower indigenous cultures through coffee. <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/indigenous-coffee-company/" target="_blank">Global Citizen spoke with the owners of Cafe Vasquez</a>, a coffee shop that buys beans from indigenous farmers in the north of Peru. The shop is operated by the Kitikmeot Heritage Society, an Alaskan indigenous group dedicated to preserving indigenous cultures.</p><p>The collaboration is meant to put money in the hands of farmers and families in indigenous cultures in two very different places across the globe and it provides a model that could be followed elsewhere.</p><p style=""><strong>4. Third-wave small batch coffee is putting power in the hands of small-scale farmers.</strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong>The rise of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/organic-fair-trade-the-truth-about-coffee-labels/2017/11/24/8ec4b726-b42c-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html?utm_term=.fd6a9ebc8840" target="_blank">Fair Trade coffee</a> certification means that the small-scale farmers at the heart of coffee production are ensured a fair wage for their labor. This is important because up to 80 percent of all coffee is <a href="http://www.scanews.coffee/2015/08/04/farmer-profitability-managing-risk-in-the-supply-chain/" target="_blank">produced by only 25 million small farmers</a> across the world. Ensuring that the money you pay for beans directly supports the people that grow them is a form of global consumer ethics.</p><p style="">Now, there seems to be <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/coffee-africa-kenya-direct-trade-third-wave/" target="_blank">renewed interest in the more delicious and unique varieties of heritage beans</a> that can only be grown in specialized parts of the world. This is good news for farmers in Africa and South America, who are beginning to find new markets for their artisanal beans in the U.S. and Europe especially. When you buy fair-trade beans, or even better <a href="http://www.ethicalcoffee.net/direct.html" target="_blank">direct trade beans</a>, you can be sure that the profits are fairly distributed among farmers.</p><p style="">Try new blends each time you buy beans, and support a different group of farmers somewhere in the <a href="https://www.fairtrade.net/products/coffee.html" target="_blank">world</a>!</p><p style=""><strong>5. Its waste can fuel buses.</strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong>Yes, you read that right. At this point, you might be wondering what can't coffee do?</p><p>A partnership between a biotech startup and a major power company in London has resulted in the first ever <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/coffee-buses-london-biofuel/" target="_blank">fleet of public buses that can run on a mix of diesel and new biofuel</a> made from oil extracted from coffee waste.</p><p>Used grounds are collected from shops and restaurants, converted into efficient and clean fuel, then pumped into buses that take busy Londoners from one end of town to another.</p><p>On mornings when you miss you morning cup, you should hope that these buses got theirs.<br></p><p style=""><strong>6. In fact, coffee waste can be used for a lot of things.</strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong>Coffee waste can actually be repurposed for a ton of really cool uses. Maybe you've seen <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/coffee-flour-beer-pizza-on-menu-as-innovators-figh/" target="_blank">coffee flour</a>, made from the unused husks of coffee beans?</p><p>We hear it can make a great batch of cookies.</p><p style="">Your used coffee grounds can also be used as fantastic fertilizer in the garden, an odor neutralizer in your fridge, a skin exfoliant and caffeinated soap. Considering that coffee grounds release <a href="http://www.bio-bean.com/about-us/" target="_blank">methane</a> into the atmosphere when degrading in landfills, finding ways to repurpose them can make you feel a lot better.</p><p style="">You're hopped up on caffeine anyway, might as well do something productive, right? *Watches 3 hours of cat fails*</p><p style=""><strong>7. Climate change could eliminate it soon.</strong></p><p style=""><strong></strong>This is the saddest reason you should be drinking coffee. Scientists have reported that by 2050, <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/coffee-production-climate-change-small-farmers/" target="_blank">climate change will have reduced farmers' ability to grow coffee by half</a>. Half. Imagine getting only half of your daily coffee fix. Not good.</p><p style="">But what's way more serious is the fact that more than <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/coffee-production-climate-change-small-farmers/" target="_blank">120 million people</a> in low-income countries earn their livelihoods from the coffee industry. <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">Climate change</a> will seriously affect the way millions of people live and work every day.</p><p style="">The good news is that you can support these farmers by continuing to purchase ethically produced and sustainable varieties of beans. As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, the future of the coffee industry might just come down to the ingenuity and expertise of small farmers all over the world. Continue to support them, and take steps to reduce your own contributions to climate change however you can.</p><p style="">So now you have no excuses not to take advantage of everything coffee has to offer. Check out our guide to the best ethically sourced coffees <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/ethical-brands-national-coffee-day/" target="_blank">here</a> and get sipping as soon as possible.</p><p style=""> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/coffee-fair-trade-mornings-ethical-consumption/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>.</em></p>
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AdamRadosavljevic / Getty Images
A good backup generator can help you keep your home running smoothly, even in the event of a major power outage. And, when you choose a solar generator, you can power your home using clean, renewable energy from the sun. By contrast, gas and diesel generators burn fossil fuels, and are extremely loud and spew harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Here are the best solar power generators available today that can provide a cleaner alternative for home generators.
<h2>Our picks for the top solar generators</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><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Best Overall - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Inverter-Generator-Generators-Emergency/dp/B08MBDN4VK" target="_blank">Goal Zero Yeti 6000X</a></li><li>Best Portability - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Powerbox-Portable-Outdoor-1075WH-Generator/dp/B01N6BCDZD" target="_blank">Renogy Lycan Powerbox</a></li><li>Best for Camping - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083KBKJ8Q/?tag=best-solar-generator-20" target="_blank">Jackery Explorer 1000</a></li><li>Most Affordable - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-iGen600s-Portable-Generator-Lithium-ion/dp/B08SJ8JBBC/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&m=A2MDFVW08TGIW8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&qid=1614289724&s=merchant-items&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Westinghouse iGen600s</a></li><li>Fastest Charging- <a href="https://www.amazon.com/EF-ECOFLOW-Portable-Station-Generator/dp/B083FR3762" target="_blank">EcoFlow DELTA</a></li><li>Best for Larger Appliac - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/BLUETTI-Portable-Station-Generator-Emergency/dp/B08MZJW9Y5" target="_blank">MAXOAK Bluetti AC200P</a></li><li>Most Powerful - <a href="https://www.pointzeroenergy.com/product/titan-solar-generator/" target="_blank">Point Zero Energy Titan</a></li></ul><h2>How we reviewed the best solar generators</h2><p>There are a number of factors we considered when choosing which solar power generators to recommend, including:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Battery capacity.</strong> Battery storage capacity is an important ranking factor. A greater battery capacity means the generator can store more energy, which ultimately means it will last longer without requiring a recharge. This is measured in watt-hours (Wh).</li><li><strong>Power output. </strong>When your generator is up and running, it will put out a certain amount of energy, measured in watts. It's important to select a generator that offers enough watts for you to power your essential home appliances.</li><li><strong>Inverter rating. </strong>The <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-energy-glossary#direct_current" target="_blank">inverter</a> is a critical part of any backup power generator. Basically, this is the component that turns solar energy into AC (alternating current) electricity. Inverter rating, along with battery capacity, determine how much power you can get from your home backup generator.</li><li><strong>Expandability. </strong>In order for your backup generator to function, you'll need some way of charging it. And if you plan to rely on solar energy, that means using solar panels. Expandability means that you can add solar panels to your generator as needed, making it easier to absorb more sunlight for energy.</li><li><strong>Number of outlets. </strong>How many devices or appliances do you need to charge? The functionality of your backup generator will be determined by how many outlets or ports are available.</li><li><strong>Price.</strong> Of course, as you look for the best home backup generator, one of the most crucial considerations of all is your budget. We've sought to emphasize generators that offer maximum value.</li></ul><p>Based on these criteria, we've determined the solar backup generators that offer the most consumer value.Check out our complete list of recommendations below. You can also read our complete review of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/best-solar-energy-companies-2650809962.html" target="_blank">best solar energy companies</a> for rooftop home solar systems.</p><h2>The best solar energy generators</h2>
<h2>How does a solar generator work?</h2><p>Solar generators <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/how-does-solar-work" target="_blank">capture energy from the sun</a> using photovoltaic solar panels, and store it in a built-in battery. Note that in order to absorb the sun's energy, your portable generator will need solar panels. These are typically sold separately, or as a package with the unit, so you'll need to factor in this additional cost. Solar panels contain solar cells, which are typically made of monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicone that acts as a semiconductor.</p><p>Once the sun's energy is stored in the battery, it is converted into AC energy. This happens via a component known as an inverter. AC power is required for most of your household appliances, as well as for charging devices like your phone, laptop, or tablet that normally require a wall charger or AC outlet.</p><h2>Can a solar generator power my whole house?</h2><p>Generally speaking, a rechargeable solar generator won't be able to power your entire house if you lose power. With that said, even a smaller generator can be used to power key devices or appliances, sometimes for days at a time depending on its power consumption. For instance, you can keep your refrigerator up and running, and/or ensure plenty of sustained use for medical devices, like CPAP machines.</p><p>With an especially robust generator, you may also be able to connect to core circuits, running multiple appliances at one time.</p><p>So, while having an emergency power supply from a solar generator may not mean that you can go about your life just like you would normally, you can at least keep the lights on at home, run your air conditioner, or ensure your perishable food items remain fresh until your electricity comes back on.</p><h2>What are the benefits of a solar generator?</h2><p>There are a number of advantages you can anticipate from an emergency generator, especially when you choose to go solar. Consider:</p><p><strong>You can minimize the disruption of a power outage.</strong></p><p>Again, inclement weather can cause power outages that last for hours, sometimes even days. During that time, you can use a backup generator to keep your essential appliances and devices up and running. This level of preparedness can offer ample peace of mind.</p><p><strong>Solar generators offer a clean alternative to other energy sources.</strong></p><p>Most generators are powered by fossil fuels, which means they emit a lot of noxious emissions. If you want a clean power source and a minimal environmental footprint, these solar solutions are just the ticket. They are also much quieter than traditional gas or diesel generators.</p><p><strong>They can be very cost-effective in the long run.</strong></p><p>While the initial purchase price of a solar generator may seem steep, keep in mind that sunlight is free. You don't have to worry about buying fuel or any additional expenses associated with your solar unit.</p><h2>Find the solar generator that's best for you</h2><p>Disaster preparedness begins by identifying a reliable power source, and if you want that power source to be clean and renewable, solar generators are ideal. Take a moment to explore the options and find the generator that's right for you.</p><p><em><strong>Josh Hurst </strong></em><em>is a journalist, critic, and essayist. He lives in Knoxville, TN, with his wife and three sons. His writing on natural health, nutrition, and supplements has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review.</em></p>
Goal Zero Yeti 6000X
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTIxMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3NDY0MTU0MH0.DESPf736lfPascaXVa9R6mJQNSv5sI8U8yB4gu1tDmM/img.png?width=980" id="534d0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="832f91baeadf06dc4410b8261cf7ef4a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Goal Zero
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Inverter-Generator-Generators-Emergency/dp/B08MBDN4VK" target="_blank">Yeti 6000X</a> is actually a portable power station that can be used for off-grid camping or powering an RV. With 6,000 watt-hours and two 2000W AC charger ports, it will give you plenty of power for your home. With a home integration kit, it's easy to use the Goal Zero Yeti 6000X to power essential circuits.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>Though it isn't exactly cheap, the Yeti 6000X power station is a great all-purpose backup generator, including a top-of-the-line charge controller and two robust AC outlets that make it easy for you to keep your household essentials up and running. It can even power a full-size refrigerator or microwave.</p>
$5000
Renogy Lycan Powerbox
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTIwMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTM3NjI1N30.EDSdmpiGcknKhn94YhJLnyJUEn3zxWo9vGzmT2c4Zcs/img.png?width=980" id="0cab1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c5c9cd60d3ab98503fd3ad5e32909229" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Renogy
<p>Renogy produces several different power stations and chargers, but we especially like the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Powerbox-Portable-Outdoor-1075WH-Generator/dp/B01N6BCDZD" target="_blank">Lycan Powerbox</a>, a solar power solution that's only a little bit bigger than a suitcase. It comes with an easy-grip handle and heavy-duty wheels, making it one of the most portable solar generators around while still offering 1200W of output, which is enough power for most electronic devices and some appliances.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> The Lycan Powerbox can provide 1075 watt-hours of continuous power without the noise or fumes associated with gas generators. It offers great portability and includes an LCD display and easy, intuitive controls that allow you to switch between DC power and AC power as needed, as well USB ports and 12 volt car charger ports.</p>
$1300
Jackery Explorer 1000
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTE3NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTA3MDIwNX0.bTHIOQjgpXbREPl1C9qHAtcXkJ-uKXhWfNZYoD-bjjA/img.png?width=980" id="e2b71" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c5f59c32bc198c9ea57ac1c35a25ec4b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Jackery
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083KBKJ8Q/?tag=best-solar-generator-20" target="_blank">Jackery Explorer 1000 portable power station</a> is one of the best all-around options, equally suited for outdoor activities and for emergency power readiness. Though it's rated for 1,000 watts, it can actually get closer to 2,000. The lithium battery pack offers a capacity of 1,200 watt-hours, and Jackery's professional MPPT technology makes it easy to get your unit fully charged in a relatively short span of time (usually just eight hours if you have two panels going).</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>Jackery is one of the leading names in outdoor equipment and in clean energy products. This portable power station is a great pick for campers and can also be a very effective home backup power solution for small appliances and electronics thanks to its pure sine wave inverter AC outlets.</p>
$1000
Westinghouse iGen600s
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTE2OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0Nzg2OTg0Nn0.gQOrdLgsS7ZBw5ccrVoCXHqYvZ5JZIOA282ltOO8kHY/img.png?width=980" id="f5e59" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="369df3dc290b5be3708f7e424b072f4e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Westinghouse Outdoor Power
<p>Westinghouse is another company that specializes in solar powered generators, most of which are more ideally suited for camping trips. Their <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-iGen600s-Portable-Generator-Lithium-ion/dp/B08SJ8JBBC/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&m=A2MDFVW08TGIW8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&qid=1614289724&s=merchant-items&sr=1-2" target="_blank">iGen600s</a> portable generator, however, offers a wattage of up to 1,200 peak watts, which can certainly function as a decent emergency backup for certain household appliances and small devices.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>For a portable yet still very versatile solar generator, Westinghouse is a company to keep on your list. The iGen600 power system can run a mini fridge for up to 42 hours or a CPAP machine for up to 46 hours thanks to its lithium-ion battery that offers 592 Watt-hours of energy and a long battery life.</p>
$499
EcoFlow DELTA
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTE2MC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3NzYzOTAxNn0.ZFdqRPZfKPd_vOGK8FEUVY_3git-ATlmAvKSqQk47aM/img.png?width=980" id="991f2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e60ae1ca24865db60be46fe486c9c8a9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />EcoFlow
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/EF-ECOFLOW-Portable-Station-Generator/dp/B083FR3762" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EcoFlow DELTA power station</a> is a wonderfully rugged, dependable backup generator that can help meet your power needs during a blackout. For one thing, the charging time is incredible; you can potentially go from zero to 80 percent in under an hour with a wall outlet. Should you ever find yourself facing a power outage, this is an emergency energy solution you'll be really thankful for.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> The DELTA station from EcoFlow offers a lot of value and usability; in particular, it has one of the fastest recharging times of any solar generator, which may be reason enough for you to choose it over the competitors. The DELTA unit offers 13 ports, meaning it's compatible with pretty much any device or appliance you could ever need to charge.</p>
$1399
MAXOAK Bluetti AC200P
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTE1MC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDEzMjAwNn0.qU0EE--tgolDhaaU-EumYLOs_jtFd9L4SWvDhP4PySk/img.png?width=980" id="aa450" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7eb54f1dd0974c5fe4a9920bdbfe98c1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Bluetti
<p>For a heavy-duty emergency power solution, look no further than to MAXOAK, and particularly to a product called the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/BLUETTI-Portable-Station-Generator-Emergency/dp/B08MZJW9Y5" target="_blank">Bluetti AC200P</a>. With a 2000 Watt-hour capacity, this is one of the most robust solar generators you'll find anywhere.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> MAXOAK's Bluetti AC200P is the one you're going to want for really heavy-duty home energy backup. With massive AC inverters that offer up to 4800W surge capacity, it can provide more than enough power to fuel all your most critical home appliances, even some HVAC units. Also note the two-year warranty, a generous consumer protection.</p>
$2000
Point Zero Energy Titan Solar Generator
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTEzMi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NjY5NzcwMH0.urU8n-Yghr4O-LzDr_nAath6k8XMFZrCGU5JISwbwp8/img.png?width=980" id="93ad7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8526191ca3bffa4638b69e80d61809ce" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="349" />Point Zero Energy
<p><a href="https://www.pointzeroenergy.com/product/titan-solar-generator/" target="_blank">Point Zero Energy</a> is one of the foremost names in disaster preparedness, and when you take a look at their product specs, you'll see why. Their Titan model solar generator offers almost twice the storage of similarly priced units with a high-capacity 2,000-watt-hour battery capacity and 3,000 watt high-efficiency inverter.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>On a purely technical level, this is the beefiest generator on our list, though of course, it's also one of the priciest. The unit is made with high-efficiency components, meaning it doesn't waste a lot of energy running the system; instead, it just supplies you with plenty of functional electricity when you need it the most.</p>
$2995
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The 100-meter wide crater on Runit Island was deemed a good place to dump as much soil contaminated with plutonium as possible. Chunks of unexploded plutonium-239 were also disposed of in the hole. Google Earth
By Joe McCarthy
The Enewetak Atoll is all but invisible on Google Maps. Halfway between Australia and Hawaii, the ribbon of land is home to a small indigenous population that has seen their way of life eroded by decisions far outside of their control.
For more than half a century, the atoll, which is part of the Marshall Islands, has been contaminated by nuclear explosions and waste, according to ABC Australia. The decades ahead could leave it submerged by rising sea levels.
<p style="">In this way, Enewetak "is at the intersection of two of the biggest problems of the last century and this century, nuclear weapons and sea level rise," Michael Gerrard, the chair of Columbia University's Earth Institute in New York who has studied the atoll, told Global Citizen.</p><p style="">Both of these problems are at risk of converging, ABC Australia reported, because the main holding container for the atoll's nuclear waste is being compromised by rising waters.<br></p><p style="">The atoll's problems began in the 1940s and 1950s when the U.S. began using it for nuclear bomb tests. The people of Enewetak were evacuated and 67 nuclear bombs were dropped, devastating wildlife, spreading nuclear toxins far and wide, and creating massive craters.</p><p style="">One of those craters was on Runit Island. In the late 1970s, the U.S. began to partially clean the nuclear waste from the island. Some of the radioactive chemicals had relatively short half-lives, Michael Gerrard <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/04/opinion/a-pacific-isle-radioactive-and-forgotten.html" target="_blank">wrote in an op-ed</a>, and were left to naturally decay despite their risks. Another toxin, plutonium-239, has a half-life of 24,000 years and had to be dealt with.</p><p style="">The 100-meter wide crater on Runit Island was deemed a good place to dump as much soil contaminated with plutonium as possible. Chunks of unexploded plutonium-239 were also disposed of in the hole.</p><p style="">When the cleanup was finished—far below standards that would be deemed sufficient in the U.S., according to Gerrard—a massive concrete shell was built to cover the hole.</p><p style="">No reinforcements were made to the bottom and sides of the hole, meaning the waste directly interacts with the soil and a dumpsite for radioactive waste fails to meet standards for normal trash landfills, Gerrard said.<br></p><p style="">The displaced people of Enewetak Atoll were finally allowed to return in 1980, despite the widespread contamination of their home. Traditional forms of fishing, farming and gathering had to be abandoned because the wildlife became too contaminated, ABC Australia reported.</p><p style="">And despite the ongoing threat posed by the non-reinforced radioactive dumpsite, no adjustments have been made to it, ABC noted. That's because the radiation outside the dome exceeds the radiation inside of it, <a href="https://marshallislands.llnl.gov/ccc/Hamilton_LLNL-TR-648143_final.pdf" target="_blank">according to the U.S. Department of Energy</a> report, so the release of the waste wouldn't make a major environmental difference.</p><p style="">Rising sea levels have compromised the dome in the years since its construction, a problem that has only grown worse in recent years, and a powerful typhoon could destroy it, according to the report.<br></p><p style="">The Marshall Islands are around six feet above sea level, and large parts of Enewetak are at risk of being submerged in the years ahead. Current flooding rates are already making the islands uninhabitable once again, according to ABC Australia.</p><p style="">"It's important to recognize that the Marshall Islands are doubly screwed," Gerrard said. "They were the site of nuclear explosions by the U.S., and one of the things that they left behind was this nuclear dome and the other thing is the country is going underwater because of greenhouse gas emissions for which the U.S. is major contributor."</p><p style="">Ultimately, the people of Enewetak may once again be uprooted from their native lands, especially if contamination becomes worse, ABC Australia noted.</p><p>"That dome is the connection between the nuclear age and the climate change age," Marshall Islands climate change activist Alson Kelen told ABC Australia.</p><p style="">"It'll be a very devastating event if it really leaks," he said. "We're not just talking the Marshall Islands, we're talking the whole Pacific."</p><p style="">The threat faced by Enewetak reflects a larger nuclear threat around the world, Gerrard said.<br></p><p style="">Globally, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/nuclear">nuclear power</a> facilities are generally built along coastlines, because of how much water they use and to be close to cities and towns.</p><p style="">The destruction of the Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan made clear just how precarious this arrangement can be—six years after the disaster, <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/11/27/six-years-after-tsunami-debate-on-what-to-do-with-fukushimas-tanks.html" target="_blank">nuclear waste is still pouring out of the facility</a>.</p><p style="">Rising sea levels could put other reactors and dump sites around the world at risk, especially <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/how-cities-adapting-to-climate-change-nrdc/" target="_blank">if extreme weather continues to intensify as expected</a>.</p><p style="">The people of Enewetak know all too well what it's like to live in what is essentially a nuclear dumpsite. Keeping the atoll safe by both mitigating <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a> and further cleaning its islands could show the rest of the world how to navigate a potentially perilous future.</p><p style=""> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/enewetak-atoll-marshall-islands-nuclear-climate-ch/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>. </em></p>
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By Imogen Calderwood
Glitter is great, right? Particularly now that it's getting dark and cold and a bit depressing outside.
But, as much as we love glitter for making everything look festive, a chain of children's nurseries in the UK might actually have a point.
<p style="">Tops Day Nurseries has decided that glitter has to go, for the sake of the environment. </p><p style="">Just like microbeads—which have now been banned in the UK—glitter is a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/microplastics">microplastic</a> that can do "terrible damage" to our seas, oceans, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life">marine life</a> and, ultimately, us too. </p><p style="">Leftovers from children's art projects wash into the water system, and from there can end up in the food chain, according to the nurseries' Managing Director Cheryl Hadland.</p><p style="">"You can see when the children are taking their bits of craft home and there's glitter on the cardboard, it blows off and into the air," said Hadland, who is in charge of 2,500 children in 19 nurseries across Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Somerset and Wiltshire.</p><p style="">"There are 22,000 nurseries in the country," she added, "so if we're all getting through kilos and kilos of glitter, we're doing terrible damage."</p><p style="">But Hadland added that she "loved glitter" and she is trying to find an alternative material for craft sessions.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FEcoWatch%2Fposts%2F1729526673726929&width=500" width="500" height="482" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div><p style=""><a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/" target="_blank">Marine Conservation Society</a> described it as a "proactive approach" and welcomed the nurseries' announcement.<br></p><p style="">Sue Kinsey from the Marine Conservation Society, said: "While glitter is only a small part of the microplastic load getting into watercourses and the sea, steps like these will all add up to something greater." </p><p style="">Alice Horton, from the UK's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, told the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/17/nurseries-ban-glitter-in-pre-christmas-drive-for-cleaner-seas" target="_blank">Guardian</a>: "On a small scale, one nursery banning it is unlikely to have any environmental impact, but it's a good environmental statement to make, like one person choosing not to buy bottled water to reduce plastic bottle waste. [It is] not going to change the world but [it] sets a target for others."<br></p><p style="">Microplastics have become a hot topic in the UK, with <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/microbeads-ban-uk-oceans-environment-pollution/" target="_blank">the government announcing the strictest ban in the world on microbeads</a> to come into force by the end of this year.</p><p style="">The tiny plastics are found in everyday cosmetic products like body scrubs, face washes, toothpaste and cleaning products. And a single shower can result in 100,000 plastic particles entering the ocean. </p><p style="">Once plastic gets into the ocean, it acts as a magnet for pollutants. Toxins that wash into bodies of water—for example, agricultural pesticides and chemicals from industrial plants—latch onto plastic. And plastic in the water is then eaten by marine animals.<br></p><p style="">It is already affecting our food chain. The average person who eats seafood swallows an estimated 11,000 pieces of microplastic every year, according to researchers at the <a href="http://www.ecotox.ugent.be/micro-plastics-mussel-tissue" target="_blank">University of Ghent</a>.</p><p style="">Sir David Attenborough has been championing the fight against plastic pollution—which <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/david-attenborough-blue-planet-ii-2490636664.html">he has described</a> as "heartbreaking."</p><p style="">"We may think we live a long way from the oceans but we don't. What we actually do here … has a direct effect on the oceans and what the oceans do then reflects back on us," he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/15/david-attenborough-urges-immediate-action-on-plastics-blue-planet" target="_blank">said</a>.</p><p style="">"It is one world. And it's in our care," he continued. "For the first time in the history of humanity, for the first time in 500 million years, one species has the future in the palm of its hands. I just hope it realizes that that is the case." </p><p style="">Global Citizen campaigns for the Global Goals, including to protect our oceans and seas. You can take action with us <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/take-action/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p style=""> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/glitter-banned-nursery-uk-microplastic/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>.</em></p>
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Richard Branson Vowed to Rebuild the Caribbean After Hurricanes Destroyed It
02 November 2017
Renewable Energy
After surviving two Category 5 hurricanes this fall, the Caribbean resembled something of a war zone, according to Virgin Group founder Richard Branson.
And so what the island nations of the region need now is a post-war plan for redevelopment—a plan he's calling the "Disaster Recovery Marshall Plan," named after the Marshall Plan that helped rebuild Europe after World War II.
<p style="">The plan will be focused on bringing a "green energy revolution" to the region, Branson told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/caribbean-energy-branson/richard-bransons-green-energy-plan-for-caribbean-may-include-debt-relief-idUSL8N1N27JF" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.</p><p style="">The Caribbean spans 2.8 million square miles and is home to 37 million people—many of whom live in poverty. While poverty levels on islands like Jamaica, Barbuda, Dominica, and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands vary widely, the region as a whole has struggled to build strong economies, according to the <a href="http://www.caribank.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Study_The-Changing-Nature-of-Poverty-and-Inequality-in-the-Caribbean-New-Issues_-New-Solutions.pdf" target="_blank">Caribbean Development Bank</a>.</p><p style="">The billionaire inventor and businessman, who owns a private island in the Caribbean where he rode out <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricane-irma">Hurricane Irma</a> with his staff, is working with global leaders including the International Monetary Fund to help rebuild the islands, according to the report.</p><p style="">Branson is insisting that the islands rebuild their energy grid on sustainable, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable sources</a> rather than fossil fuels.</p><p style="">"Another storm could strike within the coming weeks," Branson <a href="http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/richard-branson-leads-effort-to-create-caribbean-marshall-plan/article/506358" target="_blank">told</a> a meeting of leaders in Washington earlier this month. "The Caribbean must seize the opportunity and take the leap from 20th-century technology to 21st-century innovation."</p><p style="">The Washington meeting was hosted by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery and the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, according to the <a href="http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/richard-branson-leads-effort-to-create-caribbean-marshall-plan/article/506358" target="_blank">Digital Journal</a>.</p><p style="">Branson is the owner of a <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wind">wind energy</a> company that already operates in the Caribbean, according to the UN-backed website <a href="http://www.climateactionprogramme.org/news/richard-branson-leads-green-energy-plan-to-rebuild-the-post-hurricane-carib" target="_blank">Climate Action</a>, which noted that <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a> and wind energy is cheaper and easier for island nations to obtain than importing fossil fuels.</p><p style="">At the meeting in Washington, Branson said the destruction on his own Necker Island and neighboring islands was like that of a nuclear blast, according to <a href="http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/richard-branson-leads-effort-to-create-caribbean-marshall-plan/article/506358" target="_blank">Digital Journal</a>.</p><p style="">Now, the inventor and CEO hopes to forge an international fund for the island nations by working with government and business leaders. Branson already met with the head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, and together the pair are working on debt relief options for the islands, according to the Journal.</p><p style="">The Marshall Plan was a $13 billion plan—or about $132 billion in modern-day money—created by the U.S> to help rebuild Western European countries, the Digital Journal reported.</p><p>"We want to move the Caribbean countries into clean energy and make them more sustainable, which will make dealing with hurricanes much easier," he said. "The Caribbean Heads of State agree with one voice that this is a good idea."</p><p style="">Global Citizen campaigns on the United Nations Global Goals, including bringing sustainable energy to countries around the world. You can take action <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/action/world-leaders-extreme-weather/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p style=""> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/richard-branson-wants-to-lead-a-green-energy-revol/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>.</em></p>
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Transparent panels can be used as windows while they generate electricity. Michigan State University
By Joe McCarthy
There's an estimated 5 to 7 billion square meters of glass surfaces in the U.S. For windows on homes, cars and buildings, these glass surfaces perform a few basic functions—letting light and fresh air in when open, and blocking bugs and keeping the cold out when closed.
Now they could all serve another, altogether revolutionary, purpose—generating electricity.
<p style="">A <a href="http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2017/transparent-solar-technology-represents-wave-of-the-future/" target="_blank">new paper</a> in the journal Nature Energy describes how transparent <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a> panels could be placed over all windows and transparent surfaces in the U.S. to generate energy and decrease reliance on fossil fuels.</p><p style="">If that happens, nearly all the electricity demands of the U.S. could be met in conjunction with rooftop solar panels, and as long as storage capabilities are improved.</p><p style="">"Highly transparent solar cells represent the wave of the future for new solar applications," said Richard Lunt, leader author of the report at Michigan State University, <a href="http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2017/transparent-solar-technology-represents-wave-of-the-future/" target="_blank">in a press release</a>. "We analyzed their potential and show that by harvesting only invisible light, these devices can provide a similar electricity-generation potential as rooftop solar while providing additional functionality to enhance the efficiency of buildings, automobiles and mobile electronics."</p><p style="">Lunt's team at Michigan State University created a plastic technology called a <a href="http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2014/solar-energy-that-doesnt-block-the-view/" target="_blank">transparent luminescent solar concentrator</a>. You simply place the plastic over a glass surface—a house or car window or even a cellphone screen—and it begins to convert sunlight into electricity.</p><p style="">The plastic doesn't obscure visibility because it's harvesting invisible wavelengths from the sun. This energy is then passed onto strips of photovoltaic solar cells that exist on the outer edges of the sheet.</p><p style="">The technology is currently far less efficient than traditional solar panels—5 percent efficiency versus around 15 percent to 18 percent efficiency—and it isn't market-ready, but Lunt and his team believe the technology will become just as efficient and ubiquitous as normal panels in the years ahead.</p><p style=""><span></span>After all, the technology is new and could follow the same rapid arc of efficiency improvement that traditional panels followed.</p><p style="">"Traditional solar applications have been actively researched for over five decades, yet we have only been working on these highly transparent solar cells for about five years," Lunt said in the press release. "Ultimately, this technology offers a promising route to inexpensive, widespread solar adoption on small and large surfaces that were previously inaccessible."</p><p style="">In recent years, advances in <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wind">wind</a> power technology have made <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> more competitive as countries around the world <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/eu-paris-climate-agreement-trump-withdrawal/" target="_blank">strive to uphold the Paris climate agreement</a>. </p><p style="">In the U.S., for instance, the price of solar has <a href="http://news.energysage.com/solar-panel-efficiency-cost-over-time/" target="_blank">dropped by 60 percent in less than a decade</a> and this decrease is expected to continue as <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/china-unveils-blockbuster-361-billion-plan-for-cle/" target="_blank">China invests enormous amounts of money</a> into research and development of solar technology. </p><p style="">Offshore wind power has recently become a viable investment, and has the potential to provide all of the world's energy needs, <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/ocean-wind-farms-energy-for-all-humanity/" target="_blank">according to a recent study</a>.</p><p style="">According to <a href="http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Strong-Outlook-for-Wind-Power.html?soid=1102949362881&aid=SM6Rjo6BDjo" target="_blank">The Global Wind Energy Council</a>, Denmark gets more than 40 percent of its energy from wind power, and China and the U.S. get around 4 percent to 5 percent, which is closer to the global average. Solar, meanwhile, generates <a href="https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy/renewable-energy/solar-energy.html" target="_blank">around 1.3 percent</a> of global electricity demands. </p><p style="">Fossil fuels still account for the vast majority of electricity generation—but with advances like transparent solar sheets, that could soon change.</p><p style="">Global Citizen campaigns on the Global Goals, which call for the use of renewable energy. You can take action on this issue <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/take-action/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p style=""> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/windows-phones-glass-generate-solar-power/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>.</em><em></em></p>
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New Evidence Suggests Ancient Egypt Was Brought Down by Volcanoes and Climate Change
19 October 2017
Climate
Roderick Eime / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Ancient Egypt is often described as an exotic place—pyramids, hieroglyphics, lavishly worshipped kings and queens.
But in many ways, it has a lot of parallels to modern life. It was an economically diverse, culturally vibrant and unequal place.
The millenniums-old society also struggled with a phenomenon that people today know all too well: climate change. And it may have ultimately led to the civilization's demise, according to a new paper by a team of researchers at Yale University.
The team of researchers studied the tail-end of ancient Egypt during the Ptolemaic dynasty between 305-30 BCE.
<p style="">Their research shows how climate change can stress a society, causing a chain reaction of drought, famine, instability and conflict, and it provides useful lessons for the urgency of acting to avert such developments today.</p><p style="">Ancient Egypt was dependent on floodwaters from the Nile River to irrigate crops that could feed society, the report explains. When the region faced drought, crop yields would plummet and cause widespread unrest.</p><p style="">The researchers were able to determine that the worst of these <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought">droughts</a> were caused by volcanic eruptions, which released sulfurous gases into the atmosphere, altering precipitation patterns and disrupting seasonal monsoons.</p><p style="">Because this period of ancient Egypt was well-documented, the researchers were able to correspondingly chart volcanic eruptions with periods of conflict.</p><p style="">"In years influenced by volcanic eruptions, Nile flooding was generally diminished, leading to social stress that could trigger unrest and have other political and economic consequences,"Joseph Manning, a professor at Yale and lead author on the paper, <a href="https://news.yale.edu/2017/10/17/study-reshapes-understanding-climate-changes-impact-early-societies" target="_blank">said in a press release</a>.</p><p style="">This dynamic mirrors on a local level <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/slums-east-asia-climate-change-flooding-poverty/" target="_blank">what's happening on a global level today</a>. More than 70 percent of the world's population is dependent on consistent monsoon seasons, according to the researchers, and the accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere is destabilizing precipitation patterns, putting the livelihoods of billions of people at risk.</p><p style="">As critical resources are compromised through drought, heatwaves, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather">extreme weather</a> and other factors, <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/is-climate-change-really-a-national-security-threa/" target="_blank">military experts fear that the ensuing instability could cause conflict</a>.</p><p style="">The example of ancient Egypt provides a sobering example that such conflict is possible.</p><p style="">The U.S. Department of Defense refers to climate change as a "<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/603440/" target="_blank">threat multiplier</a>," meaning that it can put pressure on existing societal tensions, accelerating the likelihood of conflict.</p><p style="">That's basically what happened in ancient Egypt, argue the researchers.</p><p style="">"Diminished Nile flooding acted to trigger revolts and constrain Ptolemaic war making ... explaining that the shocks from poor Nile flooding would have occurred against a background of multiple socioeconomic and political difficulties that would have compounded the impacts of Nile variability," the press release states.</p><p style="">There's one key difference between now and then, however. The climate change faced by ancient Egypt was caused by volcanic eruptions. Today's climate change is driven by human activities that release greenhouse gas emissions.</p><p style="">And the world's current predicament would be worsened by another large-scale volcanic eruption—which the team at Yale says we're long overdue for.</p><p>"Sooner or later we will experience a large volcanic eruption, and perhaps a cluster of them, that will act to exacerbate drought in sensitive parts of the world," said Manning.</p><p style="">Global Citizen campaigns on the Global Goals, which call for strong climate action. You can take action on this issue <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/take-action/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p style=""> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/climate-change-ancient-egypt-conflict-demise/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>.</em></p>
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On World Food Day, Pope Francis Says Link Between Climate Change and Hunger Is Undeniable
16 October 2017
Food
FAO / Giulio Piscitelli
By Andrew McMaster
Speaking at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on World Food Day, Pope Francis addressed the need for governments around the world to acknowledge that climate change and migration were leading to increases in world hunger.
Francis received a standing ovation after a stirring speech in which he said all three issues were interrelated and require immediate attention.
<p style="">"We are called to propose a change in lifestyle and the use of resources," <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/pope-demands-response-hunger-climate-migration-50503659" target="_blank">Francis told the audience</a>. "We cannot make do by saying 'someone else will do it.'"</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed"></p><div id="132a6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="PWJIYO1576663540"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="919842857107804160" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Ensuring everyone’s right to food and nourishment is an imperative we cannot ignore. It is a right to which there are no exceptions!</div> — Pope Francis (@Pope Francis)<a href="https://twitter.com/Pontifex/statuses/919842857107804160">1508142601.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p>
<p style="">The Catholic leader's words came on the heels of a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/sep/15/alarm-bells-we-cannot-ignore-world-hunger-rising-for-first-time-this-century" target="_blank">recent UN report</a> that showed an increase in people suffering from chronic hunger on account of climate change-related disasters and conflicts.<br></p><p style=""><a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a> campaigns on the <a href="http://www.globalgoals.org/" target="_blank">UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development</a>, including zero hunger and climate action. You can take action on these issues <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/action/world-leaders-extreme-weather/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p style="">For the first time in over a century, the number of chronically hungry people increased, rising by 38 million people between 2015 and 2016. The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/sep/15/alarm-bells-we-cannot-ignore-world-hunger-rising-for-first-time-this-century" target="_blank">UN report noted</a> that 815 million people fit the definition for chronic hunger in 2016, comprising about 11 percent of the world's population.</p><p style="">At the heart of this rise are climate change and human conflict, both of which <a href="http://www.fao.org/publications/state-of-food-security-nutrition/en/" target="_blank">drive food insecurity</a> in poverty-stricken communities around the globe.</p><p>The Pope called on leaders to take immediate and cooperative efforts to <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/pope-demands-response-hunger-climate-migration-50503659" target="_blank">reduce resource consumption and waste creation</a>.</p><p style="">Greed and negligence on a planet with limited resources was harming the world's poorest people, Francis said. He warned against understanding these problems <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/pope-demands-response-hunger-climate-migration-50503659" target="_blank">through the lens of pity</a>, noting that pity "is limited to emergency aid."</p><p style="">Instead, Francis proposed an integrative solution based on love, solidarity and fraternity. Love is a powerful tool for good Francis <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/pope-demands-response-hunger-climate-migration-50503659" target="_blank">said</a>, because it "inspires justice and is essential to bring about a just social order."</p><p style="">In a visceral reminder to world leaders on just how devastating the effects of climate change and conflict caused migration can be, Francis commemorated his visit to the FAO by unveiling a marble statue of three-year old Alan Kurdi, a Syrian-Kurdish migrant who was found dead on the shores of Greece in 2015.</p><p style="">The statue depicts an angel wailing above the boy's corpse. The Vatican said the piece represents represents the <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/pope-demands-response-hunger-climate-migration-50503659" target="_blank">tragedy of human migration</a>.</p><p style=""> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/pope-francis-united-nations-climate-change-hunger/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>.</em></p>
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Greenpeace Canada Oceans campaigner Sarah King with a collection of Coca-Cola bottles and caps found on Freedom Island, Philippines. Daniel Müller / Greenpeace
By Andrew McMaster
Every second, more than 20,000 drinks in plastic bottles are purchased around the globe.
That adds up to more than 1 million bottles a minute and nearly 500 billion bottles per year.
It may come as no surprise then that the largest beverage manufacturer, Coca-Cola, reportedly manufactured more than 110 billion plastic bottles in 2016.
<p style="">The environmental activist group <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/" target="_blank">Greenpeace</a> claims that this number has risen by about 1 billion bottles since last year, despite Coca-Cola's public campaign to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/12/cokes-recycled-plastic-bottle-scheme-criticised-as-pr-spin-by-green-groups" target="_blank">reduce the amount of plastic</a> it uses.</p><p style="">"We have calculated [Coca-Cola] produced over 110 billion throwaway plastic bottles every year—an astounding 3,400 a second," Louise Edge, oceans campaigner for Greenpeace, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/02/coca-cola-increased-its-production-of-plastic-bottles-by-a-billion-last-year-say-greenpeace" target="_blank">told the Guardian</a>.</p><p style="">Greenpeace has been <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/coke-campaign-goes-global/" target="_blank">campaigning</a> for Coke to stop polluting oceans with plastic bottles over the last few months. The organization reports that plastic bottles are one of the most commonly found items on beaches across the world, bringing a litany of environmental hazards with them wherever they pop up.</p><p style=""><span></span>"Once [plastic bottles] are in the environment, they become a hazard for wildlife," wrote Tisha Brown, a <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/coke-campaign-goes-global/" target="_blank">campaigner for Greenpeace's</a> ocean team. "Larger pieces of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics">plastic</a> can become an entanglement or choking hazard for animals. These larger plastics break down over time into microplastics which have been found in everything from seafood, sea salt and even our drinking water."</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed"></p><div id="db80e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="BX4PT41576664139"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="914821030622957568" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">. @CocaCola - Nothing used for 5 minutes should pollute our oceans for centuries. https://t.co/fxKNtIZHAc… https://t.co/YnxLWtaHrI</div> — Greenpeace (@Greenpeace)<a href="https://twitter.com/Greenpeace/statuses/914821030622957568">1506945304.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p>
<p style="">Greenpeace, for its part, has used a variety of tactics to raise awareness of the soda company's pollutive ways, such as posting fake Coke advertisements labeled "Choke" and erecting a sculpture of a seagull vomiting garbage outside of Coke's UK headquarters using plastic bottles.<br></p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed"></p><div id="e0958" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="IO2AJP1576664139"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="851365293582635009" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">[email protected] tableau on @CocaColaCo doorstep - family on beach, seagulls throwing up half-ingested bottles. #Choke. https://t.co/DokhpReSFQ</div> — Lindsay Northover (@Lindsay Northover)<a href="https://twitter.com/LPNorthover/statuses/851365293582635009">1491816278.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p>
<p style="">All of these measures were intended to raise awareness about the growing need to address plastic levels in our oceans. It has been estimated that there could be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans by <a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/EllenMacArthurFoundation_TheNewPlasticsEconomy_15-3-16.pdf" target="_blank">2050</a>.<br></p><p style="">In response to these concerns, Coca-Cola UK announced several measures aimed at reducing plastic use, including a pledge to increase <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/02/coca-cola-increased-its-production-of-plastic-bottles-by-a-billion-last-year-say-greenpeace" target="_blank">recycled plastic</a> in its bottles to 50 percent by 2020.</p><p style="">Many feel this target does not represent a true commitment to fighting pollution by the company. Amid investigations of the size and scope of Coke's manufacturing process, Greenpeace activists see many of the beverage giant's actions as PR moves.</p><p style="">"We were trying to uncover for the first time the true size of Coca-Cola's plastic footprint," Louisa Casson, oceans campaigner for Greenpeace, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/10/europe/coca-cola-greenpeace-protest/index.html" target="_blank">told CNN</a>. "And we are actually seeing them going backwards. Rather than investing more in refillables and reusables, they've increased their use of single-use plastic bottles over the last decade."</p><p style=""><a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a> campaigns on the <a href="http://www.globalgoals.org/" target="_blank">Global Goals</a> for Sustainable Development, and working to achieve healthy oceans is number 14. You can join other Global Citizens to take action on this issue <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/action/protect-the-oceans/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p style=""> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/coca-cola-plastic-greenpeace-pollution-marine-ocea/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>. </em></p><a href="https://twitter.com/LPNorthover/status/851365293582635009/photo/1" title="View image on Twitter" target="_blank"></a>
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Sir David Attenborough’s New Series to Show ‘Heartbreaking’ Examples of Plastic Pollution
28 September 2017
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By Imogen Calderwood
Sir David Attenborough has spoken out about "heartbreaking" examples of plastic pollution that were documented while filming for his new series, Blue Planet II.
Attenborough, the broadcasting legend who brought the world Planet Earth, revealed that teams had recorded seabirds feeding their chicks with scraps of plastic, in the documentary series that will focus on how our oceans are changing.
A serious change has been the dramatic rise in plastic pollution.
<p style="">"Plastics are of crucial importance—it is heartbreaking," Attenborough <a href="https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2017/09/25/david-attenborough-climate-change-science-storytelling-blue-planet-ii/" target="_blank">said, speaking to Greenpeace</a> before the launch of his BBC series <em>Blue Planet II</em>. "Which example do you choose as being most heartbreaking? I would choose, because I feel so strongly for them, a sequence with the albatross."</p><p style="">He continued: "There is a shot of the young being fed and what comes out of the beak of the adult? Not sand eels, not fish, and not squid, which is what they mostly eat, but plastic. It's heartbreaking. Heartbreaking."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image" style=""><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xMTI5MjAyNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTk1MDY2OH0.-oyyT2ko0sllABYCbmR1urTwz6Iu1MTkn4Wmmw50DX8/img.jpg?width=980" id="f2581" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6754478a79efad5fc1a0fb4080cbe27f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kris Krug / Flickr</small></p><p style="">Other footage showed gannets feeding plastic to their chicks off the coast of Scotland, and puffins with scraps of it in their beaks.<br></p><p style=""><a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a> campaigns to achieve the Global Goals, including goal No.14 for life below water. You can join us by taking action <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/take-action/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p style="">Environmental group <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/" target="_blank">Greenpeace UK</a> published the Attenborough interview to coincide with the launch of its investigative journalism project, <em>Unearthed</em>.</p><p style="">The project has documented plastic pollution in the feeding grounds of basking sharks, in the habitats of puffins, seals and whales, and in the nests and beaks of seabirds, in an expedition off the Scottish coast.</p><p style="">In some of Britain's most iconic seabird colonies, in areas such as the Bass Rock, Isle of May and the Shinto Isles, the group found plastic bottles, bags and packaging.</p><p style="">"David Attenborough's words will strike a chord with anyone who has ever witnessed the harm plastic pollution is causing to marine life, whether it's a turtle tangled up in plastic or a whale's stomach full of carrier bags," <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4915874/Sir-David-Attenborough-Seabirds-feed-plastic-young.html" target="_blank">said</a> Greenpeace oceans campaigner Louise Edge. </p><p style="">"With a truckload of plastic being dumped in our oceans every minute, this has now become a global environmental crisis stretching from the Arctic shores to remote islands in the South Pacific and Britain's own coastline," she said. </p><p style="">"Coming from one of the world's greatest living naturalists, Sir David's words should be a wake-up call for governments and corporations that we need real action now to stop plastic waste choking our seas," Edge added.</p><p style="">Attenborough's new<em> Blue Planet II </em>series is coming soon to BBC One 16 years on from the award-winning first <em>Blue Planet</em> series, and is the result of four years filming visiting every continent and ocean.</p><p>But the naturalist has also noted some positive changes. </p><p style="">"My hope is that the world is coming to its senses ... I'm so old I remember a time when ... we didn't talk about <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>, we talked about animals and species extermination," Attenborough told Greenpeace. </p><p style=""><span></span>"For the first time I'm beginning to think there is actually a groundswell, there is a change in the public view," he said. "I feel many more people are concerned and more aware of what the problems are. Young people—people who've got 50 years of their life ahead of them—they are thinking they ought to be doing something about this—that's a huge change."</p><p style="">Attenborough added: "30 years ago people concerned with atmospheric pollution were voices crying in the wilderness. We aren't voices crying in the wilderness now." </p><p>Meanwhile, the UK government has this month set up an inquiry into disposable coffee cups and plastic bottles. </p><p style="">The UK throws away approximately 2.5 billion coffee cups every year, of which fewer than one in 400 are recycled, according to <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/news-parliament-2017/disposable-packaging-coffee-cups-and-plastic-bottles-17-19/" target="_blank">government figures</a>. That's because there are only two sites in the UK that have the capacity to recycle the waterproof card used to make the cups. Just 57 percent of all plastic bottles used in the UK are recycled. </p><p style="">Possible ideas to encourage the recycling of bottles and coffee cups are to set up a deposit and refund scheme (DRS) or taxation. </p><p style="">Michael Gove, the secretary of state for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, has <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/news-parliament-2017/disposable-packaging-coffee-cups-and-plastic-bottles-17-19/" target="_blank">said</a> a DRS would be a "great idea," but said that it's important to make sure it would work properly before guaranteeing its implementation. </p><p style=""><span></span>Other countries such as Germany, Norway and Sweden already have a DRS in place. The German deposit scheme cost around three times as much per container as household-based collection systems in 2015, but the country recycled more than 90 percent of its PET bottles in that year, according to a <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/news-parliament-2017/disposable-packaging-coffee-cups-and-plastic-bottles-17-19/" target="_blank">parliament</a> press release. </p><p style=""> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/david-attenborough-plastic-pollution-oceans-blue-p/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>.</em></p>
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Nike
By Daniele Selby
Nike's new sneakers are pretty fly—and we're not just talking about how they look. The company's new Flyleather sneakers look good, feel great and are less damaging to the environment.
In 2012, Nike introduced its Flyknit technology, which recycled plastic and other material into lightweight shoes, according to GQ. With Flyknit shoes, Nike aimed to make sustainable fashion functional and trendy, and it has applied that same mentality to its new Flyleather shoes, which it unveiled this week to coincide with Climate Week.
<p style="">When creating <a href="https://news.nike.com/news/what-is-nike-flyleather" target="_blank">Flyleather</a>, Nike sought to reduce the amount of leather that gets wasted during the shoe manufacturing process, while maintaining the look and feel of 100 percent leather, <a href="https://news.nike.com/news/what-is-nike-flyleather" target="_blank">according to the company</a>.</p><div id="c8bec" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="S877KC1505848252"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZMBvxinJqH/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
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word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Instagram post by Highsnobiety Sneakers #HSKicks • Sep 18, 2017 at 3:47pm UTC</a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p style="">In order to make Flyleather, Nike takes leather scraps from tanneries that would otherwise go to waste, and reduces them to fibers that it combines with a polyester blend. Then water jets essentially blast the mix with such force that the fibers merge into a sheet, Nike said.<br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed" style=""></p><div id="bba1c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="GIBPRU1505848252"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="909823650181799936" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Nike Introduces Flyleather, a Material That Uses 50% Recycled Leather and 90% Less Water - https://t.co/fu65ECclwQ https://t.co/Qp7BKmBQOb</div> — Nightwing2303 (@Nightwing2303)<a href="https://twitter.com/Nightwing2303/statuses/909823650181799936">1505753836.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p style=""><a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/nike-introduces-flyleather-its-latest-super-material" target="_blank">According to Nike</a>, Flyleather's carbon footprint is 80 percent smaller than traditional leather uses only 10 percent of the water traditional leather uses in the production process. Flyleather shoes have half the carbon footprint of shoes made from traditional leather.</p><p style="">The shoes launched in New York City Monday as part of <a href="http://www.climateweeknyc.org/" target="_blank">Climate Week</a>, but are another step towards achieving the goal Nike set for itself earlier this year—cutting the company's environmental footprint in half while doubling sales, <a href="https://qz.com/1080357/nikes-flyleather-tennis-classic-feels-like-premium-leather/" target="_blank">Quartz reported</a>.</p><p style="">The move also comes as Nike's competitors are rushing to introduce earth-friendly shoes, including <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/adidas-tackle-ocean-plastic-2376567818.html">Adidas</a>, which makes <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/adidas-shoes-made-from-ocean-plastic-are-finally-h/" target="_blank">shoes made from ocean plastic</a> and <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/adidas-biodegradable-shoes-sustainable/" target="_blank">shoes that are completely biodegradable</a>, showing that sustainability is also good business sense in 2017.</p><p style="">"The earth is the athlete's biggest playground, so one of our greatest opportunities is to create breakthrough products while protecting our planet," the company's chief sustainability officer, Hannah Jones, <a href="https://news.nike.com/news/what-is-nike-flyleather" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>. "Nike Flyleather is an important step toward ensuring athletes always have a place to enjoy sport."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed"></p><div id="2dc92" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8FQUB51505848252"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="909765767809441793" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">👀 @Nike introduces Flyleather: 40% lighter & 5x more durable than traditional leather. Made from 50% recycled leat… https://t.co/ZCyDdjF6C6</div> — Complex Sneakers (@Complex Sneakers)<a href="https://twitter.com/ComplexSneakers/statuses/909765767809441793">1505740036.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p style="">With ordinary leather, the best pieces of hide are used, and the rest thrown out. But any leftover pieces of Flyleather are put back into the scrap pile and used to make more of the innovative material, so very little gets wasted in the Flyleather shoe production process.<br></p><p style="">Reducing our carbon footprint and waste output helps protect our environment and prevent climate change. Global Citizen campaigns to save the environment, and you can take action <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/take-action/" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p style=""> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/nike-flyleather-shoes-climate-environment/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>.</em></p>
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Pamposh Raina
This article originally appeared on Women & Girls, and you can find the original here . For important news about women and girls around the world, you can sign up to the Women & Girls email list.
Pinky Munda, 25, is eight months pregnant with her second child. She lives at a tea plantation in India's northeastern state of Assam, where her husband is a laborer.
Six days a week, Assam's tea workers—more than 50 percent of whom are women—have to collect at least 48lb (22kg) of tea leaves to earn 137 rupees ($2.10) for a day's work, well below the 250 rupees ($3.80) minimum daily wage for unskilled labor in the region. Most plantations have no toilets, no drinking water and no running water. Workers are forced to defecate in the tea bushes and have no way to wash their hands before they go back to picking.
<p style="">Of the approximately 1,000 laborers working at Ouphulia Tea Garden, Pinky's husband is one of the permanent laborers, which entitles his family to a house on the estate. But the Mundas' single-room brick house, plastered with an amalgam of mud and cow dung, doesn't have a toilet or bathroom.</p><p style="">The Assam region is known around the world for its tea, found in supermarkets and pricy tea boutiques. The tea grown across the state's <a target="_blank" href="http://ecostatassam.nic.in/reports/economic_survey2014-15.pdf">765-odd estates and 100,000 smaller gardens</a>, mostly concentrated in the eastern part known as Upper Assam, contributes <a target="_blank" href="http://www.teaboard.gov.in/pdf/Area_Production_2015_16_pdf4832.pdf">more than half of India's annual tea production</a> of about 1.2 million tons, making it second only to the world's leading tea producer, China.<br></p><p style="">But the world's thirst for Assam tea has also earned the region a far more dismal reputation. Almost a fifth of the state's population of about 32 million is estimated to be living on tea estates, and most of them are in Upper Assam, the region with the worst maternal mortality ratio in the county. According to the latest national health survey, Upper Assam records <a target="_blank" href="http://www.censusindia.gov.in/vital_statistics/AHSBulletins/AHS_Factsheets_2012-13/FACTSHEET-Assam.pdf">404 maternal deaths for every 100,000</a> live births—more than <a target="_blank" href="http://niti.gov.in/content/maternal-mortality-ratio-mmr-100000-live-births">double the national average</a>.</p><p style="">Health experts say the high maternal mortality rate among tea garden workers is due to a combination of poverty, malnourishment, and a lack of basic sanitation and healthcare facilities.</p><p style=""><a target="_blank" href="http://www.labour.nic.in/sites/default/files/ThePlantationLabourAct1951.pdf">The Plantations Labor Act of 1951</a> mandates that certain basic provisions be offered to plantation workers, including drinking water, separate toilets for men, and women, housing and medical services. But the law does little to guarantee even these basic rights for most of Assam's tea pickers. Without action from plantation owners and the government, rights activists and tea workers worry nothing will improve.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image" style=""><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xMDYwODc1NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzk2MDQ5M30.QmtKu1OUO6NF60Nv_gzw5g-a_UvQ7TpiJFP3pA3mdCQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="0bc9e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="95b96b6baa622bf72f2a54d4184bc74b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><small placeholder="add photo credit..." class="image-media media-photo-credit">Pamposh Raina</small></p><p style=""><strong>Bare-bones Hospitals and Salted Tea</strong></p><p style="">At home, Pinky Munda and her family often drink salted black tea, a vestige of the British colonial era. Colonizers in the 19th century would give laborers salted black tea to help replace the essential salts lost through dehydration. But as each generation born on the plantations produces the next batch of laborers, drinking salted tea has become an everyday habit, even for family members who don't work in the fields.</p><p style="">Dr. Khalekuz Zaman, a maternal mortality specialist with the Assam government, said consumption of copious amounts of salt by female tea workers is one of the reasons for the region's high rates of maternal death. "The nutritional intake of adolescent girls is poor on plantations. They suffer from anemia, and due to their regular intake of salted tea they develop hypertension," he said. "This then becomes pregnancy-induced hypertension or anemia."<br></p><p style="">Every week, Pinky gets a free ration of just 6.7 fluid oz (200ml) of milk, one banana and an egg that the plantation's management gives to pregnant women living on the estate. Every three weeks, she goes to the estate hospital for a free checkup.</p><p style="">The hospital, with its bare-bones facilities, has not had a doctor for the past year. A pharmacist prescribes medicines; nurses deliver the babies. Five to six babies are born at the hospital each month, one of the two nurses on staff told News Deeply. The nurse asked not to be identified because she didn't have her employer's permission to speak to the press.</p><p style="">"We look at the ultrasound results and if a pregnancy seems complicated, we take that woman to Assam Medical College for delivery," the nurse said, referring to the government-run teaching hospital about 35 miles (56km) away.<br></p><p>"Tea garden women come to the hospital at the last minute of delivery," Dr. Ratan Kumar Kotokey, the principal at Assam Medical College, said. "They come with severe anemia, high blood pressure, respiratory and abdominal infections."</p><p style="">Uttam Majumder, senior assistant manager at Ouphulia Tea Garden, acknowledges the estate is falling short on hygiene and medical facilities, but said his company is doing all it can. "The hospital here is not good. But all other tea garden hospitals have similar facilities," he said.</p><p style="">Majumder said drinking water is always available to laborers during their work hours, and every year the estate builds a few new toilets and repairs old ones in workers' homes. "But workers are habituated to defecating in the open. They don't use them," he said. When asked about the lack of toilets for workers out in the fields, Majumder said: "Putting toilets in the field is impossible. If we start doing that we will have to build 100-200 toilets. We are helpless."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image" style=""><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xMDYwODc1MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDM0NTgxMH0.4jh6XGB_IGcCzhtSwTuy8imbXDUTDzZEYWpnMZkIbYU/img.jpg?width=980" id="e7b5a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="28ed0c1f3b932d14d4831f7fa75c7957" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><small placeholder="add photo credit..." class="image-media media-photo-credit">Pamposh Raina</small></p><p style=""><strong>No Place for Pregnant Women</strong><br></p><p style="">About 30 miles (48km) from Ouphulia, the laborers at <a target="_blank" href="http://mktea.co.in/singlijan.php">Singlijan Tea Estate</a> have similar grievances about toilets and drinking water. Singlijan is owned by <a target="_blank" href="http://mktea.co.in/product.php">M.K. Shah Exports</a>, which supplies its teas to leading international chains such as Starbucks, Twinings and Tetley, according to the company's website.</p><p style="">"The limited drinking water we get has tea leaves and salt added to it. It stinks at times," Sangeeta, a tea picker who requested only her first name be used to protect her identity, said. "The groundwater here has high iron content. It changes color and even after boiling looks dirty."</p><p>With no water filters installed in their homes, most of the laborers use a crude contraption that funnels water through a piece of cloth holding sand and crushed bricks, which are supposed to absorb some of the iron. But it doesn't help much.</p><p style="">"That water is harmful," Dr. Kotokey at Assam Medical College said. "It can cause neurological as well as abdominal problems."</p><p style="">When asked to comment on the issues raised by Singlijan tea workers, the manager of the estate directed this reporter to the <a target="_blank" title="Link: https://www.indiatea.org/" href="https://www.indiatea.org/">Indian Tea Association</a> (ITA), an independent body representing the interests of tea producers in India. Madhurjya Barooah, a secretary with the Assam Branch of ITA, did not respond to several requests for an interview, only saying in a brief phone conversation: "MMRin tea gardens is not high."</p><p style="">But Dr. Zaman said that, "except for a few tea gardens, the management at most have done nothing for pregnant ladies."</p><p style="">He agrees the government needs to do more and pointed to the recent introduction of mobile medical vans in Assam as a step in the right direction.<strong></strong>The vans are expected to travel around tea plantations conducting regular free health checks for tea garden workers.</p><p style="">But Sangeeta from Singlijan plantation said it will take more than new toilets and health checks to improve the lives of Assam's tea laborers.</p><p style="">"The real problem of tea garden workers is that we are not aware of our rights and entitlements," she said. "Until that changes, nothing will change for us."</p><p style=""><em>This story has been updated to remove the description of salted tea as a medical treatment in the colonial era and to clarify that the mobile medical vans have not yet started giving free checkups to tea plantation workers. We have also specified that Dr. Kotokey is the only principal at Assam Medical College and corrected the spelling of Madhurjya Barooah's name.</em></p><p style=""><em> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/poverty-workers-tea-assam-india-mortality/" target="_blank">Global Citizen</a>.</em></em></p>
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