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One month into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization warned of impending food shortages across the country.

Speaking to the number of people who may currently be starving in the country, David Beasley, executive director of the U.N.’s World Food Programme, told CBS News in the beginning of May, “You gotta assume that millions are at stake right now. We're reaching about 2 million already. We hope to scale up to 4 million in the weeks ahead and 6 million beyond that.”

Delivering 25 million meals to Ukrainians

In a situation of such great need, World Central Kitchen (WCK) has deployed hot meals, grocery kits, shelf-stable packs and meal vouchers, to name a few examples meeting the needs of the people of Ukraine who have either fled the country or for whatever reasons have had to stay put. The relief organization began its involvement exactly one day following the invasion on February 24. Since then, it has delivered 25 million meals to Ukrainians, becoming, as WCK recently announced in a blog post, “the largest food relief operation in Ukraine.”

“It's a very simple thing when you're a cook. When you're hungry, you gather the food, you gather your helpers, you begin cooking, and then you start feeding people,” Founder of WCK Chef José Andrés told CBS News’ 60 Minutes in 2018. Others may not categorize WCK’s success as simple, but the approach does have an elegance that incites quick and effective action in disaster and conflict zones.

The organization started in 2010 from the sensible idea to send cooks out to feed the world’s hungry. Andrés took $10,000 and whatever his credit cards could hold to bring his wife’s idea to life, he told 60 Minutes. His operation has grown to the extent that it is now featured in a National Geographic documentary directed by Ron Howard called We Feed People.

“Find the kitchens, and you’ll find somebody in the kitchen that wants to join the simple idea of feeding others,” Chef Andrés explains in a new video put out by his organization. He added that you can empower a restaurant to do more than it thinks is possible. If it’s currently making 50 meals, it can make 500.

How WCK’s food infrastructure grows in a conflict zone

Wherever WCK launches an operation, it comes with celerity, as Venezuelan refugees and American schoolchildren can attest. The experience in Ukraine has been no different.

To that end, WCK illustrated its growth in its aforementioned blog post. The team first launched on the Poland-Ukraine border and quickly scaled up to all border crossings in neighboring countries, operating 24/7 at each location. As it scaled at the borders, the organization was also speaking with chefs that remained in the country. Word and willingness spread, with the help of a hashtag (#ChefsforUkraine), and hundreds of Ukrainian kitchens are now preparing hundreds of thousands of fresh meals every day, the organization reports.

WCK says it has now established dozens of warehouses spanning the country and is currently reaching more than 230 cities and towns, with over 4,300 team members (what the organization calls “food fighters”) working on the front lines — cooking, stocking, delivering meals, driving trucks and feeding areas that have been hit as soon as it’s safe to do so.

What feeding millions of people looks like on the ground in Ukraine

The scale of operations that has been set up within mere months is staggering. WCK reports it has set up a central warehouse in Warsaw, where trucks pick up millions of pounds of food to distribute throughout the country. Warehouses in Lviv feed a cargo railway hub. Each day, wagons are filled with food and dispatched across the country.

The nonprofit is also expanding a meal voucher program that started in Lviv. Using their vouchers, individuals can purchase any meal they desire at any time at a local cafeteria. WCK sees this program as not only empowering families, but also stimulating the local economy.

In places that were previously under Russian occupation, ingredients have been hard to come by, WCK says. In those and other places, the organization has been giving grocery kits — 30 pounds of products each, such as flour, pasta, cheese, produce and canned meats. They’ve distributed nearly 11 million pounds of these kits thus far. WCK’s blog post quotes the Kyiv warehouse manager, Tatiana: “I hear stories of survival and how vital the food bags are, they’re lifelines.”

The type of widespread and intimate impact WCK is making becomes clear story after story…and there are many more stories. In eastern Ukraine’s Kramatorsk, rockets left a complex that houses many seniors without power and water. WCK’s Relief Team swooped in to bandage the injured and bring fresh, restaurant-prepared meals to their doors.

Clearly, WCK’s accolades, awards and worldwide respect are hard-won. Andrés concludes WCK’s recent video with, “We’re going to win, because no one’s going to be breaking our spirits.” That’s the sort of fighting everyone can get behind, because, really, when WCK wins, everyone wins.

Image credit: World Central Kitchen/Facebook

As flexible plastics remain the leading source of pollution in the world’s oceans, a company based in Israel is offering a solution and it is right there in its name: TIPA Compostable Packaging.

“For 40-plus years, there has been significant public, private, and personal investment into recycling. And yet, recycling still isn't an effective solution for most types of plastic,” Michael Waas, TIPA’s North American regional director, told TriplePundit. “This is particularly true for flexible packaging, which is the fastest growing type of packaging and also the most challenging to recycle.”

Unlike rigid plastics, flexible plastic packaging does not lend itself to recycling because it is often made by blending several materials, is contaminated by food, and too light for separation and recycling. Compostable materials offer a “uniquely” low-energy disposal with high-value output (compost), Waas explained. Redirecting waste from landfill to compost both reduces plastic waste and increases the volume of organic waste in compost facilities, he said.

With an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the U.S. food supply being wasted each year, and plastics causing severe damage to the environment and human health, composting these items is more important than ever, Waas told 3p. 

TIPA’s compostable packaging products are all certified as compostable and free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), Waas said. PFAS substances, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” are found in nonstick pans, waterproof gear and in the grease-resistant packaging used by takeout food chains and supermarkets. The certification process validates that TIPA’s products will completely break down into compost when disposed of in a proper compost environment, Waas explained to 3p. 

The company has spent several years working on a formulation for flexible compostable packaging that uses certified compostable polymers but provides the same performance of conventional plastic, Waas added, including the key properties of conventional plastic packaging : a moisture and oxygen barrier, shelf-life, lightweight design, and flexibility. 

TIPA’s success in creating its product line of compostable packaging comes at a time when consumers are seeking ways to reduce their environmental impacts. According to at least these surveys, seven out of 10 U.S. consumers try to reduce to their impact on the environment as much as possible, and two out of three go out of their way to recycle.

Food brands of all sizes are looking for sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic packaging, said Waas, but face three significant challenges: performance, availability and price. 

Waas said many companies assume there needs to be a “tradeoff” between sustainable and compostable packaging with conventional packaging, but this “couldn't be further from the truth,” Waas told 3p. Companies are not aware that there are high-performance solutions that offer the same performance and functionality as conventional plastic, he said.

As far as availability goes, not all packaging companies offer sustainable solutions, but all offer conventional plastics, which means brands need to be motivated to find a sustainable alternative, said Waas. TIPA made it a strategic priority that its materials are compatible with existing plastic processing and packaging lines, offering a “plug and play” solution that requires only minor adjustments to existing packaging equipment. 

“This is true for our full range of customizable films, laminates, and packaging applications,” Waas said. “This gives brands and manufacturers the versatility to more easily switch to a compostable solution no matter what product they are packaging.”

Sustainable alternatives can initially cost more than a conventional plastic solution as high-performance compostable packaging is three to five times more expensive than conventional flexible plastic, which is intimidating for some brands, noted Waas. 

“Switching to compostable packaging is an investment into providing customers with the solutions they want because market research shows that consumers are looking for more sustainable packaging and are willing to pay more for it,” Waas continued. “Like any breakthrough technology, the initial price is more expensive, but this is an investment into market leadership.” 

Most of TIPA’s products — including films and laminates — are fully home-compostable, with the ongoing company goal of reaching 100 percent home compostability, said Waas. TIPA’s packaging is designed to be collected and processed along with food and organic waste, and the company encourages consumers to compost its packaging or send it to any composting facility or program that accepts certified compostable packaging. 

Although there is no way to know how much of TIPA’s compostable packaging has been composted so far, Waas said consumers have reached out with photos of TIPA’s packaging in their compost bins and to ask about the best way to compost.

Waas said he expects more legislation requiring brands and consumers to pay for waste treatment, as is already the case in some European countries, as an incentive to encourage recycling. 

“Compostable packaging will have the advantage of having an end-of-life solution built into the package,” he said as he wrapped up the interview with 3p.

Image credit: TIPA
 

Over a fifth of the world’s largest companies have pledged to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Any such commitment to eliminate a company’s emissions within a generation, however, often creates more questions than answers — chief among them: Where does a company and its team of employees even start?

The Netherlands-based health, nutrition and bioscience firm DSM says it has a plan. Based on the numbers it has racked up so far, the company may very well offer others a model on how to craft a net-zero program.

“When we look beyond our current targets, getting to net zero really boils down to process, product innovation and substituting materials, often requiring extensive collaboration across value chains,” said Salla Sulasuo, DSM’s global climate lead.

A starting point on the road to net zero

DSM’s path toward net zero can be traced back to 2018 when the company announced a set of goals designed to tackle its greenhouse gas emissions. Working with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), the company was able to formulate goals for its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, develop rigorous criteria, establish strong internal governance processes, and arrive at an effective monitoring system – all of which allows the company to manage GHG reductions in a systematic way. “We are also constantly updating our targets based on scientific insights from the likes of IPCC [the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change], and in 2021 we accelerated our commitment to reach a 50 percent emissions reduction from operations by 2030 compared to 2016,” Sulasuo told 3p.

In the grand scheme of things, Scope 1 emissions — the direct emissions a company generates from its own operations — lend themselves to a five- or 10-year plan. The same goes for Scope 2, or indirect emissions that result from the generation of the electricity a company purchases.

Where it gets difficult is when it comes to Scope 3 — which encompasses all other emissions across a company’s value chain — and here is where DSM says it has a robust plan and roadmap toward reducing those emissions over the next several years.

Scope 3: Challenges and opportunities

Scope 3 emissions — which stem from a company’s value chain or supply chain, from raw materials sourcing through the end of a product’s life — have proven to be a challenge for any company embarking on a net zero transition. 

DSM is not alone in this challenge, as like many companies its Scope 3 emissions comprise the largest part of its total greenhouse gas footprint. On that point, DSM is working on engaging its supply chain through initiatives such as its CO2Reduce program, which gathers insights and other information such as product-level climate data. The result offers a tool with which DSM can partner with suppliers on various projects to sort out where exactly they can decrease emissions.

“It is important to understand where we can get the lowest carbon footprint inputs. It goes beyond simply collecting information; it is also about knowledge sharing,” Sulasuo explained. “For us, it is important to work upstream and downstream — with suppliers and customers — to genuinely address our maximum impact in the total value chain.”

The close engagement with suppliers and customers, as well as the mining of data while monitoring emissions, generates various benefits. One of them is the ability to roll out more sustainable and climate-friendly products. In addition, DSM can keep honing and improving its methodology for evaluating more accurate lifecycle assessments of farm operations across its value chain. “Close cooperation with customers in a consultative manner allows us to identify hotspots in their emissions footprint and take corrective action,” Sulasuo added.

Energy efficiency can’t be overlooked

Energy efficiency is an important component of reaching any net zero target, and as such it’s a key focus for the GHG reduction team at DSM. In 2021, the company’s energy-efficiency improvement on primary energy was 6 percent compared to 2020, far exceeding DSM’s original goal. That improvement was largely thanks to a portfolio of energy-saving projects the company first piloted at various sites and then rolled out more broadly last year, Sulasuo explained. The company also saw benefits such as cost savings and water savings from bringing these efficiency programs to more of its sites around the world. 

Among some of the projects that witnessed lower energy consumption were improvements in steam and hot oil systems and upgrades for chilling equipment. Last year, DSM accelerated replacements of aged and low-efficiency cooling with state-of-the-art machines, including the installation of low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants in China and France. Other new technologies include the deployment of an industrial heat pump in Exton, Pennsylvania, where heat from a cooling machine is now captured to pre-heat boiler feed water.

For a global company like DSM, it’s indeed a challenge to identify all the opportunities for energy-efficiency improvements across sites. “It can feel like a monumental task, but we have teams in place at each site tasked with leading this issue,” Sulasuo said. “Timing is always part of the challenge to make the business case for certain immediate reductions. But the payback periods for these kinds of projects are typically not very long, particularly at current energy prices, so these investments have ultimately been very well received. What I like to keep in mind is that it is about incremental improvement: All these small streams end up having a big, positive impact in aggregate.”

A net zero strategy can help boost employee engagement

Employees are an important part of any net zero strategy, as such a plan cannot be completed by the work of the C-suite or a company’s sustainability team alone. That is certainly true at DSM.

Making it clear to employees that they are an important part of the company’s net zero plan can also help keep teams motivated, Sulasuo told 3p. “For us, it is not just an effort from a few people, but it is really a large group of individuals working on this,” she explained. “We strive for every employee to have an understanding of what they can do to make this happen, whether it is on helping to reduce emissions at their roles wherever they are, at the office or at the factory or in the laboratory. It is important for them to have this pride and awareness of what we are trying to achieve.”

Bottom line: A net zero plan requires all hands, and all departments, on deck. “We are trying to make sustainability part of everyone's job,” Sulasuo insisted as she wrapped up the interview with 3p. “Within our functions and business groups there is now an individual or team that is responsible for sustainability — whether it is finance, procurement, innovation or production.”

This article series is sponsored by DSM Animal Nutrition and Health.

Image credit: Karsten Würth/Unsplash

From episode 7 in Heartstopper:

Charlie: "You didn't have to do that. I'm used to people saying stuff about me."

Nick: "No. But you shouldn't have to be. People shouldn't be saying stuff about you in the first place. You shouldn't have to put up with anything like that."

But too many of us have put up with it. And many of us have also seen, read and heard the endless messaging surrounding equity, diversion and inclusion, but that doesn’t mean all of us have wrapped our heads around these concepts. Far too many people still feel as if they aren’t been seen and heard, nor respected and valued, whether at school, the workplace or in society. On that very point of being heard and feeling included, the British series Heartstopper has understandably become a sensation across the LGBTQ community since it first launched on Netflix in late April. The eight-episode series has become a thing on social media, especially on Gay Twitter. But the series should resonate with anyone, including those who hold a leadership position. Heartstopper is a must-watch, as it’s about as close as anyone can get to actually being able to step into many of their LGBTQ peers' shoes.

There are countless reasons why it’s easy to get hooked on this Netflix series, which is based on the graphic novels and webcomics written by Alice Oseman. Let’s start with the cast, which shines starting with the chemistry between the two leads, Charlie and Nick, played by Joe Locke and Kit Connor; the stellar supporting actors and actresses, including William Gao’s portrayal of brooding classmate Tao; breakout star Yasmin Finney, who plays a transgender classmate coping with her own challenges; Jenny Walser, hilarious as the spooky yet supportive older sister to Locke's Charlie; and yes, the queen herself, Olivia Coleman, who has a small role in the series but is brilliant as Nick’s at times aloof, often perceptive and, in the end, a tearfully compassionate mum. 

Anyone who’s remembered their years of teen angst and yearning to belong can relate to this series, emotions amplified by a stellar soundtrack that includes the likes of Greta Kline, Smoothboi Ezra, Baby Queen and chloe moriondo. Filmed throughout the U.K., ending with stellar scenes in the final episode at the hamlet of Herne Bay in southeastern England’s coastal Kent, the cinematography and visual effects help yank hard at one’s current or long-faded teenaged heartstrings. And, on the lighter side, Heartstopper lends itself to drinking games, as in taking a shot every time Charlie and Nick say “hi” to each other, or better yet, when Nick says, “yeah:”

Clearly, you don’t have to identify as LGBTQ to identify with several of the series' plot lines. Plenty of people of all backgrounds can relate to the constant micro-aggressions and tones of condescension, as when flirty year-11 Imogen snarks at a lesbian couple, “I’m not, like, homophobic. I’m an ally,” or when the sneering wealthy and entitled bully, Harry, tells Nick, “Maybe listen to your boyfriend; at least he knows his place.”

But the overriding reason why anyone in a position of leadership needs to watch Heartstopper is so they can finally grasp what some of their peers, direct reports and members of the community experience day after day. Many of us within the LGBTQ community are still made to feel invisible, or that our hopes, fears and wishes are less important and noteworthy than those of our straight and cis peers. And years of constant belittling and vile comments can still have their effects long after.

As in the case of Charlie, who for the first seven and a half episodes often feels as if he has to say “sorry” just because he exists, few adults in his life make an effort to make him feel valued, save his parents. One exception is the art teacher, Mr. Ajayi, who finally tells him:

“Don’t let anyone make you disappear, Charlie.”

That message alone could do a lot to so that those in a position of leadership not only stand up for a select few, but for all.

And, they'll be more, as Netflix has confirmed a second and third seasons are on the drawing board for Heartstopper.

Image credits: Netflix Media Center; Netflix Tudum

The business case for a living wage is gaining traction in the corporate world. As the social and economic benefits of higher pay are becoming clearer, so is the understanding that the compounding effects of low wages are felt up the supply chain, according to a report from the coalition Business Fights Poverty. While the present model allows capital, and thereby corporate profits, to grow exponentially, doing so at the cost of the working poor is not sustainable. Corporate responsibility demands change, not just for the purpose of long-term profit preservation, but for the sake of stability, risk mitigation and even branding.

Half of the world’s population controls less wealth than 2,750 individual billionaires. Of course, it isn’t wealth at all when nearly 4 billion people are splitting 2 percent of the planet’s financial resources. In many export-heavy countries (i.e. the supply side), workers are earning less than US$1.90 in purchasing power parity per day. There are currently 630 million people classified as working poor, with working poverty rates in the main exporting countries topping out at 67 percent.

Low wages have a significant impact on health outcomes as well as familial stability and access to resources, which in turn effects productivity and stability in the workforce, while higher wages are linked to improved productivity and attendance. Therefore, paying a living wage goes a long way toward a more stable workforce. 

According to Richard Anker, as quoted in the Case for Living Wages report, the logic for living wages is a succinct one: "The business case stems from the need for the sustainability of the entire economic system.”

Written in part to encourage corporate leadership to stop thinking of labor as a cost and reframe it as an investment, the report points out that the greater the income inequality in a country or region, the larger its social problems tend to be. And that’s simply not good for businesses nor corporate profits in the long run, which is why Business Fights Poverty is hoping to help shift the conversation from one where living wages are considered “nice to have” to one where they are “essential to good business practices and upholding human rights.”

That means extending wage expectations beyond the immediate business to the supply end and holding partners accountable for paying living wages as well. While pushback is to be expected, raising wages to a livable level has the end result of stimulating local economies, which in turn makes them more stable.  That’s imperative considering that wages and working conditions correlate directly with supplier dependability – and, of course, corporate profits.

Investors are likely to perceive increased stability in the supply chain as lower-risk, and therefore invest accordingly. This presents a unique opportunity for those businesses choosing corporate responsibility down the full length of the value chain to outcompete those who continue to insist on paying the bare minimum. Corporate profits and supply chain stability aren’t the only thing that matters to investors, of course. As Gen Z joins the personal investor ranks, they’re doing so with near unanimous agreement that corporations have both social and environmental responsibility. And while they’re still learning to determine which corporate citizens are worthy of their support, Gen Z is already known for aiming to put their money where their morals are.

For all their branding, if businesses truly want to have a positive social impact, perhaps the best place to start would be with living wages for every worker. After all, what is the point of a grand mission statement if a basic opportunity to alleviate the societal problems caused by poverty and inequality is missed? Right now is an opportune time for businesses to get ahead of the curve and implement full-scale living wage policies in order to become part of the long-term solutions needed to eradicate these societal problems worldwide.

Image credit: Tima Miroshnichenko via Pexels
 

As the hydrogen economy heats up, renewable energy stakeholders in the U.S. are banking on green hydrogen from renewable resources to meet the demand. Meanwhile, fossil energy stakeholders are trying to carve out space for continuing to produce hydrogen from natural gas. Whether or not they succeed could come down to Pennsylvania, where policymakers are laying plans for a major new hydrogen hub.

Green hydrogen vs. clean hydrogen

The modern global economy relies on hydrogen for a wide range of goods and industries. In recent years that includes a growing interest in hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles, industrial processes and power generation, leading to a long-term surge in demand for hydrogen.

That should be good news for fossil energy stakeholders, because natural gas is the main source of the global hydrogen supply, along with coal to a lesser extent. 

However, more sustainable pathways have emerged. Most of the activity is centered on green hydrogen, meaning hydrogen gas pushed from water with an electrical current supplied by renewable energy.

Green hydrogen was not commercially feasible until the cost of wind and solar power began to fall. Now that the green hydrogen market is maturing, the cost of electrolysis systems is also falling. 

Green hydrogen has become an attractive pathway for decarbonization, but fossil energy stakeholders are attempting to hold onto a share of the hydrogen market by attaching carbon capture systems to conventional hydrogen production and dubbing it “clean” hydrogen.

The Pennsylvania hydrogen test

It is difficult to see how “clean” hydrogen from natural gas can attract manufacturers and other businesses along the supply chain, when they are straining to shake off their relationships with fossil energy. It would seem that green hydrogen has an unbeatable advantage, but natural gas advocates still have a powerful advantage, and policymakers in Pennsylvania are about to put that to the test.

Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (also known as the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, or IIJA), last February the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched an $8 billion, competitive grant program aimed at establishing at least four “clean hydrogen hubs” in the U.S. Pennsylvania has put in for a slice of the pie, leveraging its considerable natural gas resources.

“My administration has been working closely with energy, labor and industrial stakeholders across all sectors to develop the public-private partnerships needed to address the challenges of industrial sector decarbonization and develop the necessary conditions for the commonwealth to be a leader in deploying clean hydrogen and carbon capture technologies,” Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf emphasized in a May 16 press release.

To make it clear that the “clean” hydrogen referenced by Governor Wolf involves natural gas, the press release also notes that “Pennsylvania is well-known for its bounty of natural resources and is an East Coast leader for natural gas production.”

The fix is in for natural gas

Given the force of the green hydrogen trend, it is tempting to view the Pennsylvania hydrogen hub proposal as a non-starter. However, by law the $8 billion allocated for new hydrogen hubs must include at least two located in gas-rich regions of the U.S.

Aside from the legislative carveout in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, natural gas stakeholders have another advantage in Pennsylvania. The state’s tepid renewable energy profile places green hydrogen stakeholders at a disadvantage.

The trade group American Clean Power (ACP) currently ranks Pennsylvania down at number 27 among the 50 states for installed wind, solar and energy storage capacity. Meanwhile, other states where green hydrogen hubs have been floated include Texas at (number 1 on ACP’s list), California (second, via ACP) and North Dakota (13 on ACP’s list)

More opportunities for green hydrogen hubs

On the other hand, a high ranking does not seem to be a prerequisite for green hydrogen activity. Utah (26 on ACP’s list) has emerged as an early adopter of integrated green hydrogen infrastructure. Proposals have also surfaced in Missouri (24) and Mississippi (44).

Perhaps the most ambitious plan of all is a newly announced multi-state green hydrogen consortium that joins New York State (20) with New Jersey (35), Connecticut (43) and Massachusetts (29). Although none of the four states are currently ranked particularly high, they will begin to tap into their powerful offshore wind resources within the next few years.

All of this green hydrogen activity gives rise to a good question. If Pennsylvania does win funding for a gas-powered hydrogen hub, will it succeed commercially?

After all, just a few years ago gas stakeholders were buoyed by the false promise of a new petrochemical hub for Pennsylvania and the Appalachian region. Promoted by the DOE in 2019, the plan initially called for five new petrochemical facilities in the area. Shell developed the first one, but the others never followed. 

Last month, Yale Environment 360 rendered a gloomy outlook for completion of the vision.

“Obstacles including global overproduction of plastic, local opposition to pipelines that feed such facilities, and public concern about the tidal wave of waste choking oceans and landscapes mean that even the region’s second proposed ethane cracker may never materialize,” Beth Gardiner wrote. “Additional plants look even less likely. The question mark over the industry’s once-grand hopes for Appalachia reflects larger doubts about its plans for dramatically increasing worldwide plastic production.”

That line about overproduction of plastic should send up red flags to policymakers keen on building a gas-powered hydrogen hub in Pennsylvania, considering the potential for competition from green hydrogen hubs elsewhere in the U.S.

A bottom-line twist to the hydrogen tale

So far, the relatively high cost of green hydrogen has provided natural gas stakeholders with a powerful advantage. However, that selling point is likely to evaporate more quickly than energy observers have anticipated.

Last week, the renewable energy industry news site ReCharge News was among those reporting that Bloomberg NEF global head of strategy Kobad Bhavnagri expects that a “tenfold reduction in the cost of hydrogen electrolysers coupled with ever-cheaper renewable energy” will result in a cost advantage for green hydrogen compared to hydrogen from natural gas by 2030.

Hydrogen hub or not, the improved outlook for low-cost green hydrogen could help kickstart more activity in Pennsylvania.

One sign of interest in the state is a proposal by two leading firms, Plug Power and Brookfield Renewable Partners, to leverage an existing hydropower facility on the Susquehanna River for green hydrogen production.

In another interesting twist, Pennsylvania’s nuclear energy industry could also come into play at some point in the future. With five nuclear power plants, Pennsylvania is the second-highest state for nuclear capacity in the U.S. 

The DOE has been exploring systems that deploy thermochemical reactions as an alternative to electrolysis, and they have already identified waste heat from nuclear power plants as a good candidate for thermochemical green hydrogen production, which could put Pennsylvania in the catbird seat.

Pennsylvania may win DOE funding for its gas-powered hydrogen hub, but that may turn out to be a hollow victory after all.

Image credit: Addy Mae via Unsplash
 

First, the good news. According to the latest annual 3M State of Science Index (SoSI), Americans of all ages have exceptionally high trust in science: 89 percent of younger generations (Gen Z and millennials) and 88 percent of older generations (Gen X and baby boomers) agree this is true.

Post-pandemic, there's more respect for science

These numbers also exceed pre-pandemic trust indicators. Pre-pandemic, 86 percent of those surveyed said they trust science, and 79 percent reported a trust for scientists. Post-pandemic, the percentages grew to 90 percent and 86 percent, respectively. 

There is also a trend toward increased expectations in terms of science taking the lead to solve societal issues such as sustainability and healthcare. According to the SoSI, Americans want science in the driver’s seat giving priority to solutions for things like a clean water supply and sanitation (61 percent), air quality (53 percent), equal access to quality healthcare (50 percent) and the effects of climate change (48 percent).

For certain populations within the U.S., these priorities have leaped off the blackboard and occupy concern in their personal lives. Seventy-nine percent of Black Americans and 76 percent of U.S. Hispanics are concerned they or a loved one may be displaced from where they live in the future due to extreme weather related to climate change. 

Threats to one’s local environment can create a health concern for people of color. Urban versus rural populations, asphalt versus "green space" living, are two of many instances of less healthy environments. Often these neighborhoods come with higher temperatures and increased emissions, as well as increased exposure to illnesses due to living in such dense spaces. 

Awareness and its connection to fossil fuel consumption

There is more good news in terms of Americans’ addiction to fossil fuels. Consumption of petroleum, natural gas, and coal dropped by 9 percent in 2019 compared to 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). This is the biggest annual decrease since the EIA started keeping track in 1949.

Still, in January 2022, natural gas consumption in the United States averaged 31.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), the highest January average on record and the highest amount for any winter month.

Ongoing concern over misinformation

But if “knowledge itself is power,” as Francis Bacon said in 1597, then the consequences of lack of information — or worse, false information — can be devastating, as is the opinion of those surveyed in the 3M SoSI. (For the purposes of the SoSI, misinformation is defined as false or inaccurate information, especially that which is deliberately meant to sway views/opinions.) 

Sixty-one percent of those surveyed indicated that false information — whether published online, in print or broadcast or TV news — can contribute to public health crises. Fifty-seven percent believe it creates more division within society, and 53 percent actually think it increases the effects of climate change.

Regardless of subject, 92 percent of Americans say misinformation is prevalent on social media, and 78 percent say that misinformation is prevalent in traditional news. 

Perhaps nothing has tested the science and our faith in it as has the recent and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with all its variants, and the science which proves the value of vaccines. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the unvaccinated have three times the reported rate for COVID-19 than the vaccinated.

From April 4 through Dec. 25, 2021, more than 6.8 million cases of COVID-19 were reported among the unvaccinated, compared to less than 2.9 million among those who received a COVID-19 vaccine. Opposing science became a form of misinformation resulting in tragedy.

But the messages aren't getting through to everyone

During the same period of time, NPR reported a correlation between political party and COVID-19 outcomes in that the reddest tenth of the country saw death rates that were six times higher than the bluest tenth. 

Despite the cautions coming from science, 20 states — all with Republican governors — restricted or banned proof-of-vaccination requirements through passing laws or executive orders. And 36 “red” states have ended mask requirements through executive order.

But did misinformation cause the increase in the COVID-19 rate for infection and mortality in those geographic areas where the disease was more prevalent? Where the media or politicians insist on propaganda in defiance of established medical and scientific data, there must be a contradictory view to go with new messaging. So, to answer that question: probably.

Image credit: Julia Koblitz via Unsplash

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck, right? You could say something similar for burgers, though brands like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have done well in putting such assumptions to rest. But if it looks like a steak, sizzles like a steak and is marbled like a steak, it’s got to be beef from a cow, doesn't it? Well, not any longer, says one startup out of Slovenia that has just brought to market a plant-based filet mignon.

No, Juicy Marbles isn’t the name of a video game that should be vetted to gauge whether it’s appropriate for kids or adults. It’s a legit company out of Slovenia that recently rolled out what its founders say is the world’s first plant-based steak. 

The company’s work has resulted in a product that very closely mimics the texture and marbling of a cut of beef, and the company says its technology will allow it to produce these plant-based “steaks” at scale.

So, what are the base ingredients comprising what the company describes as its patent-pending “Meat-o-Matic 9000” technology? The steaks are derived from a relatively short list, which includes soy protein concentrate, wheat protein isolate, sunflower oil, beetroot powder, kappa carrageenan, methylcellulose, yeast extract, iron and vitamin B12.

As is the case with plant-based products made by brands including Gardein, Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, a tried-and-true meat eater will be able to tell the difference. One isn’t going to be fooled into believing that they are dining on a $100 entre at the likes of Morton’s or Fleming’s. But an exact plant-based imitation isn’t the point, a Juicy Marbles representative told TriplePundit earlier this week. “Some of the founders are meat-eaters themselves, but they are aware of the impacts that the meat industry has on the planet, and they are determined to do something about it,” she said.

The company cites statistics that have been behind its mission, such as estimates that beef production alone uses almost 60 percent of all agricultural land on the planet but provides less than 2 percent of calories consumed across the globe. Further, about 2 billion people struggle daily with food insecurity as a result of systemic inequalities across the world’s food production systems — a number that increased during the pandemic.

Further, critics of the global meat industry have long decried its ties to deforestation worldwide, which certainly applies to Juicy Marbles’ home country. While more than 60 percent of Slovenia’s land is covered in forests, the country has lost approximately 4 percent of its tree cover since the turn of the century. 

“What’s interesting about the challenge of fixing our food system is that solutions need to protect the environment and culinary traditions at the same time," Vladimir Mićković, one of Juicy Marbles’ co-founders, said in an emailed statement to 3p. "The culture around meat is beautiful and needs to be preserved, as it brings us together in celebration of life and just being together, present and alive. If we keep the culture, and just remove current means of production, we’re going to have a good time in the future." 

On that point, don’t expect that exact filet mignon mouthfeel, but if one considers replacing a cut of beef with Juicy Marbles’ plant-based cut for a recipe that usually requires shredded beef, have at it, said the company’s spokesperson.

Currently, the plant-based steaks are available online, and Juicy Marbles expects to launch in restaurants and retailers later this year. Future plans include more “cuts” such as tenderloin, ribeye and sirloin. For the company’s filet mignon, one pack of four, four-ounce steaks retails for about $40. Larger orders come with free shipping. The company’s current capacity explains the price, but within one or two years, Juicy Marbles says it could meet — and even, pardon the pun, “undercut” — the price of conventional meat. 

Consumers have responded in kind: Juicy Marbles sold out its inventory eight hours after the filets launched. The company anticipates its next shipments to drop mid-June.

Image credits via Juicy Marbles

When asking indigenous farmers about food waste, A-dae Romero-Briones, director of programs for the First Nations Development Institute, said they expressed puzzlement. According to Romero-Briones, indigenous farmers didn’t know why they would operate a system that intentionally wasted food. After all, if they were doing things right, they wouldn’t be wasting any resources. Basically, she said that to these farmers, waste was an indicator that the system wasn’t working quite right.

Romero-Briones shared this insight during this year’s ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit in Minneapolis, where farmers, scientists and business leaders came together to share and discuss challenges and solutions to global food waste.

The food system isn’t working as it should

Well, other speakers made it clear: the food system at large certainly does produce waste, at both national and international scales. According to ReFED, a nonprofit that uses data-driven solutions to solve food waste, over a third of the food available in the United States goes unsold or uneaten, with about a quarter of it going to waste. The proportion is about the same across the globe, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports, and produces up to 8 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. In monetary terms, ReFED estimates that this food waste cost the U.S. about $285 billion in 2019.

Dr. Jonathan Foley of the climate solutions nonprofit Project Drawdown emphasized during the meeting that if we are to meet our climate goals, including those outlined in the Paris Agreement, we can’t rely solely on technological innovations, such as advancements coming from the renewable energy sector. We also have to clean up our act and correct the very many foolish little things we’ve built into daily habits and company policies, one of which is wasting food. “New is good, but now is better,” he said.

Leaning into a less wasteful food industry

Taking a look at just part of the U.S. food system, ReFED estimates that more than 10 million tons of surplus produce come from the retail sector, the largest proportion of which ends up in the landfill. In an age of zero waste corporate commitments, though, there is hope. “There’s a lot more leaning in than there used to be,” Suzanne Long, chief sustainability and transformation officer at Albertsons Companies, said during the summit. The grocery retailer, one of the largest in North America, has a goal of diverting all food waste away from landfills by 2030.

Despite challenges to this goal, such as collecting meaningful data and meeting the variety of municipality requirements, Long said she’s found that the paradigm around food waste is shifting, and in a positive direction. Instead of having to automatically default to paying to compost food, Long said Albertsons has been hearing more often from companies that want to take the waste off their hands for free. One example has been Do Good Foods, a new company that turns food waste into chicken feed. Albertsons then buys that chicken to sell in its stores, Long said, and saves money in the process. 

The urgency to find more solutions for stopping food waste

Albertsons’ commitment is a fundamental game-changer, Pete Pearson, WWF’s senior director of food waste, said at the summit, emphasizing how important it is that the company is beginning to cash in on that asset that we call waste. He said every industry has a unique pattern that can turn food waste into profit. “We’re going to look back and say we were silly, because there was so much value in what we waste,” Pearson said.

Our norms are so silly, in fact, that Andrew Shakman, chief executive officer of the B Corporation Leanpath, said many companies have accepted food waste as a given. He went so far as to say that the food waste he’s seen coming from industry is not accidental, and it’s not careless either. Instead, he said food is often treated as a low-cost way to meet rigid business policies. “We don’t have to be solving our problems with food waste,” he noted.

Shakman said leaders tend to bring limiting beliefs to issues around food waste. For a buffet restaurant, he said, the thought tends to run like this: we have to provide the same options to all our customers, so we make more food than will be eaten. The cost to a company’s bottom line is rarely taken into consideration, he said, even though the solution may be as simple as switching to made-to-order during lulls, which not only saves resources but also provides customers with fresh and hot meals.

Executives often fail to see the loss in wasting food, Shakman said, a loss that may be entirely clear to the employee tasked with pushing perfectly good food down the disposal. But there is a real cost. Shelf Engine, an artificial intelligence-based grocery forecaster, has found that in the process of diverting over 4.5 million pounds of food from landfills since 2016, their clients have experienced an average expansion of 15 or so percent of their gross margin dollars.

One thing’s for certain – we can’t claim that our food system runs well until we find a fruitful use for every byproduct…until “food waste” becomes an obsolete term. 

Image credit: davisuko via Unsplash

Despite a strong desire to help the environment by recycling, American consumers are rapidly losing faith that the paper, plastic and metal containers chucked into those blue bins are being recycled, according to research presented at a sustainability conference today.

The growing lack of trust in recycling is a threat to new circular economy business models that are dependent on a steady flow of feedstock from resource-recovery centers, says Suzanne Shelton, founder and CEO of Shelton Group.

“Recycling is our guilt-assuaging system,” Shelton told sustainability professionals attending GreenBiz Group’s Circularity 22 event in Atlanta.  “The context is shifting so that people are beginning to feel uncomfortable participating in a single-use, fast-fashion… economy.”

While 95 percent of Americans believe recycling helps the environment, 49 percent say the current system is not working well, and 30 percent are not confident that what we put in recycling bins actually gets recycled, according to research conducted by Shelton Group in early February.

The skepticism is growing. In 2019, only 14 percent of Americans were not confident their recyclables were recycled. In 2020, it was 23 percent, said Shelton, adding, “The more they learn about the way the recycling system, works, the less confident they are.”

Shelton, whose Knoxville, Tenn., agency promotes itself as the nation’s leading marketing communications firm entirely focused in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) arena, said American consumers are keen to buy products designed to be refilled and reused.

Circularity is the new “virtue signal,” she said. “The brands that figure that out are the brands that are going to win.”

Among the brands lauded by Shelton were Starbucks for refillable cups, SC Johnson for concentrated cleaner refills, Levi’s for making jeans that last longer, Body Shop for adding refill stations to its stores and Eastman for investing in molecular recycling facilities to recycle more plastic waste.

Image credit: Dave Armon