• Sustainability

North Carolina Plans For Green-Infrastructure To Counter Storms

• #30x30
• Flooding
• nature based solutions
• rainfall
• sea level rise
• storm surge

North Carolina Coastal Federation has a nature-based plan for dealing with heavy rainfall that captures and filters water instead. Green infrastructure includes solutions like rain gardens, restoring wetlands, and permeable pavement. The state plan calls for comprehensive incorporation of nature-based stormwater strategies across roadways, farmland, and in new building construction. 

Why This Matters: It’s not just sea-level rise that causes increased flooding and infrastructure damage: heavy rains can be just as disruptive. Using plants, dirt, and other natural ways to handle excess water is often simpler and more cost-effective than their conventional counterparts.

• Sustainability

Scientists Develop Wearable Electric Generators, Harness the Power of the Human Body

• batteries
• Chemicals
• lithium
• mineral
• rare earth
• recycling
• wearable

The world is becoming more and more like The Matrix every day, at least in one particular way: scientists have figured out how to use the human body as a battery. No, your body can’t produce enough energy to create a global simulation, but it can produce enough heat to charge wearable devices like smartwatches and implants like pacemakers. 

Why This Matters: Battery production and disposal have been problematic for decades. Mining for rare earth metals like such as cadmium, mercury, lead, and lithium threatens environments and communities across the globe.

• Sustainability

We Can’t “Build Back Better” Without Addressing Plastic Pollution

• Build Back Better
• circular economy
• plastic
• plastic pollution
• recycling

by Erin Simon, Head of Plastic Waste and Business, World Wildlife Fund   After a year of unprecedented devastation and loss, the arrival of 2021 has shown us at least a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Our top priority remains the immediate health and safety of our fellow citizens, but we […]