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Over One Million Homes Were Lost After Catastrophic Flooding *By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe Designing safe, sustainable dwellings for those without means or access is beginning to have its day. One determined Pakistani architect is at the forefront of this response. The 'Barefoot Architect' After a storied career as a pioneering Pakistani architect, Yasmeen Lari pivoted away from designing glitzy modern architecture—with its high carbon footprint and other drawbacks—to address the plight of Pakistan’s disaster-plagued poor. Lari has turned her focus to designing environmentally friendly disaster-relief dwellings for a populace that faces periodic earthquakes and flooding. Known today as the “barefoot architect” for the “poorest of the poor,” Lari repurposed her professional career—she calls her former self a “starchitect”—and set up Barefoot Social Architecture (BASA), which, according to Dezeen magazine, works to “uplift impoverished communities without impacting the planet.” Descended from a compassionate, public-minded father who sheltered Muslim refugees at the time of Partition, Lari has long been committed to the preservation of her heritage, having set up the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan in 1980 with her historian husband. With the same determination that led young Lari to study architecture and succeed as the first woman to register as an architect in Pakistan, Lari’s foundation set about preserving historically important architectural treasures, such as those of the once-prosperous Sethi family in Peshawar, among many others. The foundation’s urgent work to address disaster relief housing for the poor followed later—with a particular concern for women and children whose lives in Pakistan have traditionally revolved around the home. Empowering people to create their own safe, affordable, nature-based housing and communal structures—carrying “the sweat and pride” of the community—eventually became more important to Lari than designing prestigious commercial structures. Since her career pivot, considerable attention has been paid to her work. In 2023, at the age of 82, she was awarded the Royal Gold Medal, considered one of the world’s most prestigious architectural accolades. Sustainability In Service to Women and Children Yasmeen Lari’s designs prioritize using locally sourced, renewable materials and incorporating traditional techniques and vernacular architectural styles. In an interview with BBC Urdu in 2020, she described her design motto as “low-to-no cost, zero carbon, and zero waste.” (See video) Her approach is highly regarded by architects, environmentalists, and humanitarian organizations. With many women and children in Pakistan spending much of their lives near the home, designing disaster-resistant homes with natural, nontoxic materials is a necessity. Disaster mortality rates are generally higher for women and children. [See The Earth & I, April, 2021]. Feminist architect Nourhan Bassam, founder of the think-tank GamingX, spoke with The Earth & I about the importance of Lari’s work in addressing this need. “By acknowledging the distinct impact of these disasters on women, we understand that ‘disasters are a feminist issue’,” Bassam said. “Through her foundation, Lari has not only influenced architectural practice but also inspired a broader conversation on intersectionality and cross-cutting topics of sustainability, feminism, and disaster resilience in the field of architecture,” said Bassam. Strong Collaboration Required Providing adequate safe housing for a population as large as Pakistan’s is not easy. “Designing disaster-resistant, affordable housing from local and sustainable materials is a complex process that requires a holistic approach,” Maulik Patel, managing partner at UniquesCadd, an architecture firm focusing on disaster-resilient architecture, told The Earth & I. Various stakeholders need to be involved. “Addressing these challenges requires interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and innovative approaches to design and construction,” Patel added. Dezeen reported that from 2012 to 2014, [Lari’s] foundation provided 40,000 new shelters that housed about 300,000 people following severe flooding in Sindh Province. Lari’s track record suggests that her foundation is uniquely qualified to help address the disaster housing challenges of Pakistan’s poorest populations. Dezeen reported that from 2012 to 2014, her foundation provided 40,000 new shelters that housed about 300,000 people following severe flooding in Sindh Province. Addressing Pakistan’s Floods Lari’s foundation was severely tested when heavy rains led to catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022. A third of the country was submerged and 33 million people were forced from their homes or otherwise impacted. (See video here). According to UNICEF, half of those affected were children. A total of 1.4 million homes were destroyed in what the World Economic Forum (WEF) described as a “climate-fuelled catastrophe” that claimed at least 1,700 lives. In the aftermath of the devastating floods, Yasmeen Lari and the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan launched a plan to build a million flood-resistant homes throughout the country by 2024. The initiative also aims to ensure that every affected household has essential resources. While Lari’s plan addresses the urgent need to focus on disaster relief, it also emphasizes the need for disaster preparedness—such as safety shelters for communities. Video on shelter assembly. ©2024 Heritage Foundation of Pakistan The shelter project draws heavily on Lari’s expertise and experience working closely with local communities and utilizing indigenous, renewable materials—such as lime, mud, and bamboo—to create durable, yet easily replaceable structures. In a 2023 interview with RIBAJ, Lari said the know-how to complete one of her shelters was already freely available through a YouTube channel that had over 5,000 subscribers at the time. Through the channel, anyone can learn to build one of the foundation’s houses via detailed step-by-step instructions. Lari envisions positioning shelters on elevated roads that normally are not submerged during flooding. These structures can be relocated to permanent foundations for long-term use. Durable, sustainable, personalized—Heritage Foundation shelters. ©2024 Heritage Foundation of Pakistan Lari said it is possible to construct 25 shelters a day wherever the foundation has people “on the ground.” In the RIBAJ interview, Lari said it is possible to construct 25 shelters a day wherever the foundation has people “on the ground” to facilitate skill-sharing among villages. The WEF reported that about 1,000 homes had been completed in heavily stricken Sindh province as of September 2023. In addition to providing basic shelter, Lari also aims to provide water, toilets, and Lari’s “eco-alternative” Pakistan Chulah Cookstoves, which are self-built from local mud and CO2-absorbing lime plaster. The stoves, which are fueled by agricultural waste, cut wood use by 50% to 70%, Lari told Dezeen magazine. The result was a healthier cooking environment compared with the traditional Pakistani wood-burning chulah. According to Dezeen, the health benefits of replacing open fires with Lari’s cookstoves include reduced air pollution, skin burns, and likely lowered rates of respiratory or heart diseases. The reduced need for firewood also impacts deforestation rates and time spent searching for firewood. Resting on a solid raised platform, they are also less likely to be swept away during a flood. Traditional indoor (left) and outdoor (right) wood-burning chulah cookstoves. Progress and Frustration The WEF reported that Lari’s foundation had, as of November 2023, helped 2022 flood victims build approximately 4,500 homes with the goal of doing so for “at least 350,000 households.” According to the WEF report, Lari has been frustrated by the UN’s humanitarian system “and institutions like the World Bank” for handing out aid “without building the capacity of the people,” and for constructing concrete structures in Pakistan following disasters. The WEF report included responses from a World Bank representative and the Sindh People’s Housing Foundation (SPHF), set up by the Sindh government to address the province’s flood disaster housing needs. Mariam Altaf of the World Bank of Pakistan told WEF the bank preferred permanent “brick and mortar” houses, which she said “are more resilient housing options than mud-based ones.” The SPHF told WEF they were aware of Lari’s work, but preferred “burnt brick and cement” structures over mud-based, which they said had been the majority of those washed away during prior flooding. *Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe is a freelance journalist and editor. Over the past 10 years, Natasha has reported for a host of publications, exploring the wider world and industries from environmental, scientific, business, legal, and sociological perspectives. Natasha has also been interviewed as an insight provider for research institutes and conferences. Editorial notes Sources: Interview with Nourhan Bassam, architect, feminist urbanist and founder of GamingX, a think-tank focusing on community development and empowerment. Interview with Maulik Patel, managing partner at UniquesCadd.

Research Says Being in Nature Counters Perceptions of ‘Not Enough Time’ *By Julie Peterson “There isn’t enough time in a day.” “I ran out of time.” “Who has time for that?” Does this messaging sound familiar? In today’s stress-fueled world, a shortage of time is part of life for most people. But new research says simple relief may be available for humanity’s disordered sense of time. The solution could be as simple as stepping into the sunlight. Time in Nature is Different A recent article published in the British Ecological Society’s journal, People and Nature, proposes at least two ways nature affects people's sense of time: altered perception and altered perspective. Author Ricardo Correia examines and contributes to a considerable body of scientific evidence regarding the mental and physical health benefits associated with nature immersion and being away from the hustle and bustle of urban settings. Correia, an assistant professor of the Biodiversity Unit at the University of Turku in Finland, says the concept of “time scarcity” is diminished when people do things in a natural setting—and this contributes to one’s overall well-being. Altered Perception Most people have experienced an altered sense of time while immersed in an activity they love; the phrase “Time flies when you’re having fun” is more than a cliché. In contrast, when someone is anxious, bored, in pain, or otherwise uncomfortable, time seems to drag. Of course, measured clock time is moving at the same rate in all instances, but human perception of time changes based on what a person is doing. Correia explains, “Time perception is shaped by various contextual factors, including the contents of the time period and the cognitive, emotional, and bodily characteristics of the experiencer.” In other words, a person’s perception of time is subjective, depending on how and where they are—both inside and out. “People who spend time in nature tend to overestimate the duration of that experience and show a more positive outlook of the past, present, and future.” The reasons behind the phenomenon of an altered sense of time while in nature are not completely understood, but it has been shown that “people who spend time in nature tend to overestimate the duration of that experience and show a more positive outlook of the past, present, and future, with less focus on a single time perspective,” writes Correia. In a 2015 study of 45 college students who were asked to complete certain tasks while exposed to images of natural or urban settings, those who were exposed to natural settings estimated the duration of the session to be longer. The authors suggested that the differences may be due to shifts in attention or arousal between urban and natural places. A similar study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology in 2017 asked participants to walk in an urban setting and in a natural setting. The perceived duration of a walk in an urban setting was mostly accurate, while the length of the nature walk was overestimated. The authors similarly proposed that shifts in attention and mood explained observed differences. Different Perceptions of time.  ©pexels Taking into account other comparable studies, Correia sees an indication “that time is experienced differently and is perceived as longer in nature compared to urban environments.” Altered Perspective Besides altering a person’s perception of time duration, being in nature also affects their time perspective. A 2015 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences compared participants who took a 90-minute walk in nature with those who took a similar walk in a city. The participants were then asked about their feelings of rumination (focusing on negativity from the past). Those who walked in nature reported decreased rumination. Brain scans of the nature-walk participants also showed reduced neural activity in the part of the brain linked to risk for mental illness as opposed to those who walked through an urban setting. Mental and Physical Health A United Nations report has projected that up to 70% of all people will be urban dwellers by 2050. While city life has its advantages, it corresponds to less time spent in nature. The results of urbanization have been associated with increased levels of anxiety disorders and depression. On the other hand, there are numerous studies showing measurable health benefits after time spent in nature, which may be one of the most significant findings of these types of studies. The results of urbanization have been associated with increased levels of anxiety disorders and depression. The mental health benefits of time in nature include superior attention, memory, and impulse inhibition, along with increased feelings of subjective well-being. Researchers have also characterized the ways in which images and sounds from nature can lead to decreased stress and negative emotions after being exposed to stressful stimuli. There is ample scientific evidence to support what people who camp, hike, garden, forest bathe, and seek green spaces for relaxation already know—time in nature bestows psychological benefits. Time spent in nature offers psychological and physical benefits.  ©pexels The therapeutic benefits of time in nature also extend to our physical bodies. An article from UC Davis Health points out that being in nature can reduce cortisol levels, muscle tension, heart rate, and blood pressure, and can increase vitamin D levels that boost blood cells, bones, and the immune system. Park Prescriptions Thanks in part to the evidence such studies have provided, medical doctors are even giving out “park prescriptions“ to encourage patients with frenetic lives and myriad ailments to soak up some of nature’s benefits. But how much time does the prescription take from an already hectic schedule where “time deficit” is one of the ailments? It turns out that the benefits of natural spaces come with small doses. Dr. Brent Bauer, a general internal medicine physician at Mayo Clinic, suggests two hours each week. In a 2021 article published in Prevention, Dr. Rachel Hopman-Droste, a neuroscientist at Northeastern University, was interviewed about her “20-5-3 rule” for spending time outside to reduce stress and be healthier. She recommends 20 minutes outside three days a week (with no cell phone); 5 hours in semi-wild nature every month; and 3 days off the grid each year. Green Spaces Most people spend the majority of their time in buildings or vehicles and it may not feel convenient to carve out time and get out into green spaces. The hope is that enjoying the benefits of nature in small chunks will help make it a way of life. This may be achieved by walking down the tree-lined side of the street or putting those toes in the grass. Taking time to sit outside and listen to birds sing or watch clouds could help alter a mood. What about popping outside during a break from work or taking lunch outside under a tree? Find a grassy, tree-filled park for the family to play in and explore (a pond or stream is a plus). Find nearby hiking trails, botanical gardens, and nature conservancies. Go camping. No matter how one gets out there, it’s important to exhale deeply and connect with surroundings through all the senses. Be mindful. As relaxation and rejuvenation kick in, see if there’s a sense within of slowing down, almost as if time grows on trees. While researchers continue to investigate what it is that links time in nature to wellness and a person’s sense of time, there is enough evidence to inform city planning and infrastructure design. More green spaces and easily accessible natural experiences are needed to ensure whole health for an increasingly urban society. Oneness It is essential to unplug from technology and envision bridging the gap between one’s hurried self and the rhythm of the natural world. Not just for the boost to mental and physical health, but for a higher understanding of human consciousness and connectedness to all things. Professor Chris Laszlo at Case Western Reserve University pointed out in a 2022 article that quantum physics suggests that “at the most infinitesimal level of the universe, there is a connected and coherent unified field, a field of energy and information that connects everything. … Along with these fields of energy, vibrational fields of energy connect everything, not just metaphorically—but actually.” One hypothesis of Laszlo’s research is that people who experience a greater sense of connection to nature are more likely to care for others and future generations. They might gain stronger pro-social and pro-environmental behaviors. If this is true, it has much deeper implications for the need to get outdoors—it not only changes a person’s health in this lifetime, but the wellness of everyone around them, those that will come after them, and Earth. *Julie Peterson writes science-based articles about holistic health, environmental issues, and sustainable living from her organic farm in Wisconsin.

Scientists Tell Conference How Everyone Can Help Revive Soil, Build Ecosystems By The Earth & I Editorial Team Two of humanity’s most pressing environmental crises—soil degradation and biodiversity loss—can be resolved with bold actions and by nurturing universal “environmental stewardship,” two eminent scholars told a conference held recently in a suburb of Washington, D.C. The Earth’s environment is “everybody’s responsibility,” and there is no other choice but to work together, said Dr. Rattan Lal, a renowned soil scientist and 2020 World Food Prize Laureate, and Dr. Douglas Tallamy, a leading expert on species invasion and entomology at the University of Delaware. The scholars gave their remarks at a June 15 conference in Gambrills, Maryland, with the theme, “Rejuvenating Our Ecosystems,” held in honor of UN World Environment Day (June 5) and sponsored by the Hyo Jeong International Foundation for Environmental Peace (HJIFEP), publisher of The Earth & I.* Partnering organizations for the event included the Universal Peace Federation (UK and USA), the Interfaith Partnership for the Chesapeake, University of Maryland Extension Anne Arundel County Master Gardeners, The Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy, and the Women’s Federation for World Peace (USA). The Threat of Soil Degradation “About 40% of global soils are degraded,” which impact “about 50% of the world’s population,” said Dr. Lal, founder and director of The Ohio State University’s Rattan Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration. (See The Earth & I, August 2021.) Soil is Earth’s “negative emissions entity,” and if humanity continues to take more from soil than it puts into it, environmental degradation will only worsen, he said. Soil degradation results in biodiversity loss and reduced agronomic production, which affects economic prosperity and people's health. Soil degradation also reduces access to clean water, worsens drought, and, of course, aggravates food insecurity,” Dr. Lal added. The professor reviewed the many ways soil can be degraded, such as “compaction; erosion; runoff; drought; and chemical degradation, which includes acidification, salinization, elemental imbalance, and nutrient mining.” Biological degradation includes “depletion of soil organic matter content and increase in pathogens.” There are also types of land misuse like excessive tillage, overgrazing, residue removal or burning, excessive water use, and war and political instability. The Biodiversity Crisis In addition to soil degradation, there are also global challenges with biodiversity, especially insect loss, said conference co-presenter Dr. Tallamy, author of  Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants. “We're going to have to save functioning ecosystems on at least half of the planet, or they will disappear everywhere.” “We're going to have to save functioning ecosystems on at least half of the planet, or they will disappear everywhere,” Dr. Tallamy said, referencing Edward O. Wilson’s book, Half-Earth: Our Planet's Fight for Life, which calls for half the planet to be dedicated to nature. Functional ecosystems are “built from a series of very specialized interactions, largely between animals and plants,” said Dr. Tallamy. But today, many of these ecosystems are in trouble as the result of what is called “human-dominated landscapes” or places where nature “hangs on by a thread.” Human development has even led to an “insect apocalypse,” or massive loss of insects due to human activities to remove the weeds that insects and pollinators need to thrive. “It turns out pollen specialization is very common in our native bees,” Dr. Tallamy explained. “We've got between 3,600 and 4,000 species of native bees, and over a third of them can only reproduce on the pollen of particular plants.” Moreover, insect loss is deadly to bird populations, since they feed their young with insects, Dr. Tallamy said. The US and Canada alone have lost a total of “3 billion breeding birds in the last 50 years” or one third of the North American bird population. Bold Solutions One bold solution is to become serious about building public and private landscapes that embrace the whole picture in ecosystems—including the needs of insects, plants, and birds—with each part contributing toward the life of the whole, Dr. Tallamy said. “We need a new approach to conservation here in the US," Dr. Tallamy said. “We have to go beyond conservation into restoration. We have to rebuild the nature that we have destroyed.” “It's going to take an army of private citizens to do it, but we have an army of private citizens to do it,” he added. “I think the solution is to start to practice conservation outside of parks and preserves—on [privately held] landscapes.” “Where should we start?” Dr. Tallamy asked the audience. Since large swaths of land are in private hands, “I think the solution is to start to practice conservation outside of parks and preserves—on [privately held] landscapes,” he said. “Seventy-eight percent of the lower 48 states is privately owned, and 85.6% of the land east of the Mississippi is privately owned. If we don't practice conservation on private property, we're going to fail, and failure is not an option.” To those who think what they do on their property is no one else’s business, Tallamy responded, “What happens in our yards does not stay in our yards. And this is where people who think they have the right to do whatever they want on their property are wrong. Does my neighbor have the right to kill [or] destroy my watershed? Does my neighbor have the right to destroy the pollinator communities that I need for the plants on my property? To destroy my food web? [Or] to not sequester carbon?” He added that having incentives may be more effective than penalties for changing people’s minds: “If we change the tax incentives, you actually get a tax break for having less lawn or having keystone plants, [for example]; that changes minds ... quickly.” Plant Choice Matters The “building blocks” of these new ecosystems must be their most important contributors, Dr. Tallamy cautioned, noting that not all species contribute equally. Flowering plants are essential as are the pollinators that allow those plants to reproduce. Laying out his plan, Dr. Tallamy said: “So now we have the food that animals need tied up in [these] plant tissues,” mostly in leaves where photosynthesis takes place. Animals are needed to disperse seeds, pollinate, and provide pest control. But to complete the picture, plants that attract the right insects must be present because most invertebrates don’t eat plants—they eat other invertebrates that eat the plants. Caterpillars Are Key Dr. Tallamy knows the right insects for the job. “Caterpillars turn out to be enormously important in transferring energy from plants to animals. Caterpillars are transferring more energy from plants to other organisms than any other type of plant eater,” he said. Citing his own experience feeding seed to Carolina chickadees in his backyard, Dr. Tallamy said only about 50% of their diet is seeds, even in winter, with the other 50% being insects and spiders. And, he noted, “when [the birds] reproduce, their babies can't eat seeds at all.” In a healthy environment, Dr. Tallamy said, “96% of our terrestrial birds rear their young on insects, and most of those insects are caterpillars.” So, how many caterpillars does it take to raise a nest of chickadees? “It takes 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars to get one clutch of chickadees to the point where they leave the nest.” Responding to a question from the audience, “What is the best way to count and identify the number of caterpillar species on my oak tree?” Tallamy said, “You have to look at the right time of year. Looking at night with a flashlight is the best way [since] the caterpillars are hiding during the day [and] the birds are very good at finding them.” He added that the birds have “eaten just about everything that’s out there” during their reproduction phase, so that the end of July, early August [Mid-Atlantic region, USA] is “a very good time to look for caterpillars.” But there is a drawback. Most plants do not support many caterpillars. “So, we have to be fussy about which plants we’re landscaping with,” said Dr. Tallamy. He cautions that one can try to landscape to attract monarch butterflies, for instance, “but they only like one of the milkweeds.” “We are not going to rebuild functional ecosystems if you don't have functional food webs within those ecosystems, and that's not going to happen if we don't choose the right plants.” “We are not going to rebuild functional ecosystems if you don't have functional food webs within those ecosystems, and that's not going to happen if we don't choose the right plants,” he emphasized. Balancing Give and Take in Nature Circling back to solutions for soil degradation, Dr. Lal unveiled a simple principle that guides his work with soil: “Soil organic matter is the heart of soil health.” This is why it is so important, he repeated, to not take more from soil than is put into it. Otherwise, the soil becomes degraded, and the only carbon negative entity (soil) and industry (farming) on the planet is thrown out of balance. And far worse, he said, “you are degrading all forms of life.” Dr. Lal said this thinking comes from the “One Health” concept, rooted in Vedic literature, which recognizes the five elements of “soil, water, air, energy, and space” that constitute the human body. This is why “the health of soil, plants, animals, people, the environment, and the planet is one and indivisible.” Dr. Lal emphasized the need for policy innovations, such as establishing a Soil Health Act (SHA) to protect the sustainable management of soil. Why, he asked, is there a Clean Air Act and a Clean Water Act but no such act for soil? “We must also promote education on soil and the environment and the law of return that I mentioned,” he advised. “The law of return states that any substance we take from nature must be returned to the place from which it was taken.” Self-Sustaining Solutions Also vital to Dr. Lal’s plan is rewarding farmers for ecosystem services. “The word is not subsidy. You're not providing a handout, a donation, no! You are providing farmers with additional income to promote essential ecosystem services. That's a big difference,” he explained. Humanity must focus on the re-carbonization of the terrestrial biosphere, he urged. Why re-carbonization? “We lost carbon from [wild] vegetation and soil when we converted to agriculture,” he said. “We must put it back.” This, he said, is the “bedrock” of sustainable development for which there are many practices. “We have a moral duty to increase economic productivity from existing land, restore degraded land, and convert some agricultural land back to nature,” Dr. Lal added. By 2100, Dr. Lal’s goal is to return half of all crop land, which is 750 million hectares (1.85 billion acres) back to nature, as well as 3,700 million hectares (9.14 billion acres) of all grazing land. Why do we keep on emphasizing greater food production when there is so much food waste? The world produces enough food to feed 10 billion people.” “Why do we keep on emphasizing greater food production when there is so much food waste?” he asked the audience. “The world produces enough food to feed 10 billion people.” Food and nutritional security must be achieved, he said, but not necessarily by producing more commodities. A promising avenue is to cut back food waste, which is conservatively estimated to be 30%, including in the US. “Food,” Dr. Lal said, “should be considered as God's gift.” He added, “To a hungry man, God can appear only in the form of a loaf of bread, and that made from grains grown from a healthy soil. And therefore, wastage of that gift from God, which is essential to maintaining the good health of everybody concerned, is not acceptable.” Dr. Lal also pleaded to stop using food as a weapon. “We increase access to food by addressing poverty, inequality, and war, especially war,” he said. Therefore, governments and organizations should improve food distribution and increase consumption of pulses [lentils, chickpeas, beans, and the like] and plant-based dishes while moderating consumption of meat. Both scholars pointed to the necessity of people around the world collaborating to resolve these challenges. Restoring the environment is “everyone’s responsibility,” said Dr. Tallamy. “Therefore, we must all work together,” Dr. Lal said. “Each of us is a victim and a culprit, so we all have a moral responsibility” to protect the environment. *HJIFEP, publisher of The Earth & I, is a non-profit environmental service organization that sponsors environmental science conferences, including the ICUS and ICSG conference series. HJIFEP conferences feature presentations from eminent scientists on pressing global environmental issues and solutions. HJIFEP’s mission is to build a world of peace in which all people live in harmony with the Creator, with one another, and with the natural environment. HJIFEP serves under the motto, “Loving Nature, Healing the Earth.” Attendees of the "Rejuvenating Our Ecosystems" conference joined the event in-person and virtually from over 10 nations, including the UK, South Korea, Japan, The Netherlands, and Australia and included concerned citizens and environmental scientists alike, as attendance was open to all. The conference featured a vigorous global Q&A session with each of the scientists.

With Millions More Batteries in Production, Diverting Them From Landfills is a Priority *By Robin Whitlock The global electric vehicle (EV) industry boomed last year, spurring demand for more than 750 gigawatt hours (GWh) of battery output, with EVs accounting for 95% of that growth. This has led to more mining of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other minerals to feed the battery production sector. Global demand for batteries is expected to grow 30% annually, reaching 4,500 GWh a year by 2030, according to global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. However, the fate of the lithium-ion batteries (LIB) that currently power the EV industry remains a compelling topic. The batteries are estimated to last eight years or 100,000 miles and then die, after which they are most often destined for landfills or incineration. Recycling LIBs has not yet caught on—in 2019, only 5% of LIBs were recycled, according to Chemical & Engineering News. As a result, “[b]illions of dead lithium-ion batteries, including many from electric vehicles, are accumulating because there is no cost-effective process to revive them,” said a writer from Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment in 2022. Helping consumers recycle these devices is an environmental priority. “Recycling used lithium-ion batteries (and the devices that contain them) will help address emerging issues associated with the clean energy transition and prevent problems caused by inappropriate battery disposal,” said the US Environmental Protection Agency. Earlier this year, the Biden Administration announced $62 million to support 17 projects “to increase consumer participation in consumer electronics battery recycling and improve the economics of battery recycling.” “Capturing the full battery supply chain—from sourcing critical materials to manufacturing to recycling—puts the U.S. in the driver’s seat as we build our clean energy economy,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said as part of the White House’s announcement in March. Among the advantages of LIBs are their usable cycle life, extended cycle life, fast charging speed, and high energy efficiency. These make them suitable for a wide range of consumer electronic applications such as EVs, energy storage, laptop computers, mobile devices, medical devices, smart watches, and drones. Fire Risk Although EVs are significantly less likely to catch fire than gasoline-powered vehicles, there are alarming reports, especially via social media, about sudden and spontaneous combustion of EVs. At the heart of this phenomenon is something called “thermal runaway”—a chain of exothermic (heat-releasing) reactions, increase in reaction rate, and increased heat for more exothermic reactions, forming a positive feedback loop. If LIBs are damaged or overcharged, they may overheat and catch fire via thermal runaway. These fires can also generate emissions of toxic fluoride gases, particularly hydrogen fluoride (a hazardous gas) and phosphoryl fluoride. To enhance safety, LIB manufacturers incorporate at least two safety devices into the batteries—a current interrupt device (CID) and a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device. The electric resistance of the PTC device rises sharply when the temperature rises. This increased resistance reduces the rate of current flowing through the battery. A 2021 study in the Journal of Energy Chemistry said enhancements in cooling and cell balance were among the many strategies to improve LIB safety. Production Issues There are various concerns around the production of LIBs, including sourcing of lithium from salt flats in South America, energy intensive production in China and Australia, and cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The US was the largest miner of lithium in the 1990s, but it was overtaken by Chile in 2010, making Chile one of the current top three global extractors of lithium alongside China and Australia. There are various concerns around the production of LIBs, including sourcing of lithium from salt flats in South America, energy intensive production in China and Australia, and cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lithium extraction poses additional problems: It requires excessive water consumption in arid areas. It can be fatal to marine life when it becomes a source of water pollution, and byproducts of lithium extraction can include large amounts of magnesium and lime waste. Another core EV battery component—cobalt—may even be turned into a so-called conflict mineral. “Although cobalt has so far not been included in supply chain legislation among the raw materials defined as ‘conflict minerals,’ such as tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, it has attracted attention,” Prof. Jana Hönke and Lisa Skender said in a 2022 blog post reprinted by Infraglob website. “Due to the surging global demand for cobalt, there are increasing reports of poor working conditions, child labor and exploitation in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” they wrote. “As a solution to increase the enforceability of human rights in the context of an ‘ethical’ cobalt trade is being discussed.” Currently, only the aforementioned minerals, known as 3TGs, are considered by the European Union to be mined using forced labor or used to finance armed conflict. But there is fresh concern about the armed forces in DRC and their massive cobalt mining operations. Moreover, China controls seven of DRC’s largest mines, raising concerns about a monopoly on the precious metal. End-of-life and Recycling Issues Car manufacturers, such as Nissan and Tesla, estimate that the lifespan of LIBs will be eight years or 100,000 miles,  Tobias Walker wrote on AZOCleanTech website. However, he wrote, “[u]sing today’s methods, reusing batteries for another five to seven years offers a cleaner environmental solution. For example, using second-life batteries could reduce the gross energy demand and global warming potential by up to 70%.” Using today’s methods, reusing batteries for another five to seven years offers a cleaner environmental solution. For example, using second-life batteries could reduce the gross energy demand and global warming potential by up to 70%. This is because end-of-life LIBs are a resource of highly enriched materials that can be recovered and reused, reducing the need for exploration and mining. Recycling LIBs could also reduce the amount of devices that area sent to landfills. This in turn could reduce metals, such as cobalt, nickel, manganese, and others, from leaking into the soil and polluting groundwater. Furthermore, recycling LIBs could reduce raw material imports from countries with armed conflict, illegal mining, human rights abuses, and harmful environmental practices. Meanwhile, fluctuations in the prices of battery raw materials can adversely affect the economics of recycling LIBs. This is especially true for cobalt, the price of which fell drastically in 2019, thereby incentivizing manufacturers to choose newly mined materials over recycled materials. These challenges have encouraged a search for alternatives, such as non-lithium-based battery chemistries like iron-air batteries and sodium-ion batteries. Other research topics are on improved mineral efficiency and increases in energy density, improved safety, cost reduction, and increases in charging speed. There are also attempts to produce LIBs with reduced flammability and volatility using aqueous lithium-ion batteries, ceramic solid electrolytes, polymer electrolytes, ionic liquids, and heavily fluorinated systems. ‘Black Mass’ Some LIB components—iron, copper, nickel, and cobalt, for example—are safe for incineration and in landfills, but they can also be recycled. Cobalt is the most expensive, and thus its recovery is a major focus of recycling. Recycling of LIBs involves numerous stages, including collection, evaluation, disassembling, and separation of components. The batteries are very often shredded. This process creates “black mass,” or granular material from the shredded cathodes and anodes, along with copper and aluminum foils, separators (thin plastic), steel canisters, and electrolyte. Black mass can be recycled further and made into material for new cathodes and anodes. It is often sent to another facility where the valuable metals within it, such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium, are recovered. The most commonly used approach is pyrometallurgy, a smelting process that utilizes a high-temperature furnace to reduce the components of the metal oxides to an alloy which can then be separated into its various components by hydrometallurgy. The remaining slag can be reused in the concrete industry. Pyrometallurgy furnaces operate at temperatures approaching 1,500°C (2,700°F) to recover cobalt, nickel, and copper, but they cannot recover lithium, aluminum, or the various organic compounds that are burned in the process. These plants also operate at a high capital cost because of the need to treat the toxic fluorine compounds that are emitted during the smelting process. The second process, hydrometallurgy is a less expensive and less energy-intensive leaching process using strong acids to recover lithium and other metals (recovered by pyrometallurgy) at temperatures below 100°C (212°F). However, it requires the use of caustic materials such as hydrochloric, nitric, and sulfuric acids and hydrogen peroxide. Currently, researchers are experimenting with a third, direct recycling process, called “cathode-to-cathode” recycling, in which energy is saved by preserving the cathode structure, thereby reducing the amount of manufacturing needed in further recycling. Pyrometallurgy … recover[s] cobalt, nickel, and copper, but … cannot recover lithium, aluminum, or the various organic compounds, … [while] hydrometallurgy … recover[s] lithium and other metals … [but] requires the use of caustic materials such as hydrochloric, nitric, and sulfuric acids and hydrogen peroxide. Lithium-Ion Battery Reuse and Recycling Companies Canadian LIB recovery company Li-Cycle managed to produce 6,825 tons of black mass and related material in 2023. The company operates a two-step process in which LIBs are shredded without the need for dismantling or discharging, and processed with minimal solid and liquid waste, zero combustion risk, zero discharge of wastewater and reduced emissions into the atmosphere. In Massachusetts, Ascend Elements focuses on the production of cathodes from discarded batteries and manufacturing scrap using their Hydro-to-Cathode process. This delivers precursor and finished cathode materials that can subsequently be used by other manufacturers for LIB production. Redwood Materials, founded by Tesla co-founder JB Straubel, recovers metals from batteries and produces anodes and cathodes for electric vehicles. The company is developing a complete closed-loop, domestic supply chain for LIBs, including collection, refurbishment, recycling, refining, and remanufacturing of battery materials. It claims 95% recovery of key battery materials and aims to produce enough anode and cathode for 1 million electric vehicles annually by 2025. The company’s hydrometallurgy facility was the first commercial-scale nickel production plant to open in the US for a decade and is the only commercial-scale source of lithium supply to come online in the US in decades. While traditional mining projects often take more than 10 years to become operational, Redwood took around two years to build and activate its facility. Opportunity for Higher Efficiency and Sustainability in the Years Ahead Given that the global market for battery recycling is expected to reach $13 billion by 2030, there is an increasing opportunity to grow the battery supply chain. The recycling market is currently dominated by China and South Korea while in other countries, particularly in the West, expansion of the market will depend on the provision of subsidies and on government regulation. Manufacturers outside of Asia have decided that entry into this market is not currently feasible. In order to change that perception, governments will have to ramp up technology and investment opportunities in order to remain competitive with China and South Korea in a range of electronics sectors, particularly electric vehicles. Meanwhile, in addition to its March 2024 announcement, the US Energy Department has already pledged to spend more than $192 million in new funding for recycling batteries, according to Industry EMEA, a website that curates news for international engineers. The Energy Department is also launching an advanced battery research and development (R&D) consortium and continuing the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize. This supports the Biden Administration’s goal to achieve a US net-zero carbon economy by 2050. Another boon to LIB recycling industries are studies showing that batteries manufactured from recycled materials are even more efficient than those utilizing newly mined materials. The promise of improved EV charging and longer-lasting batteries will help develop a more sustainable and efficient global clean energy system in the years ahead. *Robin Whitlock is an England-based freelance journalist specializing in environmental issues, climate change, and renewable energy, with a variety of other professional interests, including green transportation.

Managing Products with Refrigerants (HFCs) *By Gordon Cairns What is cool and causes warming? This may sound like a children’s joke or riddle aside, the answer itself is dry: hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a man-made compound used primarily as a refrigerant. Created to replace chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), HFCs help keep food fresh in the refrigerator and indoor spaces temperate through air conditioning. However, HFCs account for a small but significant share of global greenhouse gases emissions. Anthropogenic emissions of fluorinated gases rose to around 2.3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 from around 1% in 1990, according to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Sixth Assessment Report, published in 2021. Slow Leaking of HFCs In a recent podcast on Resources Radio, Lisa Rennels, a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, and an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Fellow with the National Center for Environmental Economics at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), explained why HFCs are such a potent contributor to global warming. “While they're in the atmosphere, they have a much larger impact on temperature than a gas like carbon dioxide,” she said. “We see this when we compare what we call ‘temperature impulse responses,’ which is the response of the global temperature to a pulse of a greenhouse gas emission.” “While they're in the atmosphere, [HFCs] have a much larger impact on temperature than a gas like carbon dioxide.” She added: “While carbon dioxide is emitted from activities like fossil fuel combustion that happens all at once, HFCs are integral components to technologies like air conditioners, and they tend to leak out slowly over time at a much lower rate. These different factors are relevant when we try to project their emissions and the impacts on climate change.” Rising Air Conditioning and Energy Demand More than 90% of the 780,000 tons of high-GWP HFCs manufactured annually are used for making necessities of life—refrigeration and air conditioning, Dr. Ashley Woodcock, professor of respiratory medicine at University of Manchester in the UK, wrote in a 2023 article in the New England Journal of Medicine. As the world continues to get warmer—2023 was the warmest year on record, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—life in urban and other communities would become increasingly difficult without indoor cooling. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that two out of three households in the world will have an air conditioning unit by 2050, doubling the amount from today and increasing the demand for greenhouse gases if unabated on the same path. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that two out of three households in the world will have an air conditioning unit by 2050, doubling the amount from today and increasing the demand for greenhouse gases if unabated on the same path. Meanwhile, the IEA also projected that space cooling in the buildings sector will account for 16% of global electricity consumption and just under 30% of total electricity in the buildings sector. Yet ensuring that cooling needs are met does not necessitate having to solely focus on manufacturing more air conditioning units. New buildings can be constructed in a way that prioritizes passive solutions for keeping temperatures comfortable and building occupants can be educated about setting the air conditioner temperature to a lower power output point. Furthermore, new air-conditioning equipment built in the future will have better energy efficiency than the units being made today, the IEA said in its 2018 report, “The Future of Cooling.” Smuggling of HFCs Ironically, HFCs were introduced to help save the ozone layer by replacing hazardous chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) per the Montreal Protocol of 1987. Now HFCs are deemed too hazardous to the environment too, and their use is being gradually reduced by the Kigali Amendment of the Montreal Protocol which will see their use cut by 85% by 2036. The Kigali Amendment was signed in 2016, went into effect on January 1, 2019, and was ratified by 157 countries as of April 10, 2024, including by the United States on September 21, 2022. Changing heating and cooling systems is neither cheap nor easy. Grocers may face costs of more than $1 million a store to convert to non-HFC cooling, the Food Industry Association has predicted.  Moreover, as the Kigali Amendment restrictions come into force, those in need of HFCs are resorting to desperate measures. Earlier this year, Michael Hart of San Diego, California, became the first person to be charged with smuggling HFCs into the United States from Mexico, the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of California said in March. The indictment alleges Hart carried the refrigerants across the border into California in his vehicle, hiding them under a tarp and tools. Now HFCs are deemed too hazardous to the environment too, and their use is being gradually reduced by the Kigali Amendment of the Montreal Protocol which will see their use cut by 85% by 2036. A few weeks later, Resonac America in San Jose, California, was caught illegally importing approximately 6,208 pounds of these gases into the Port of Los Angeles, according to an article in Scientific American. Resonac America agreed to pay a penalty of over $400,000 and has been ordered to destroy 1,693 pounds of HFCs, said the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. If these chemicals had been released into the atmosphere, this would have been about 41,677 metric tons of CO2e, or the amount of emissions from powering 8,225 homes with electricity for one year, Scientific American said. Alternative Refrigerants Available There are a variety of climate-friendly, energy-efficient, safe and proven HFC alternatives already available. These alternatives include natural refrigerants, HFCs such as R32, Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), and a blend of HFC and HFO. Another climate-friendly alternative to HFCs in a number of supermarkets’ large refrigeration systems are CO2 cascade systems. They have at least two refrigeration systems connected in series, with a higher-temperature side and a lower-temperature side. In these cycles, refrigerants with different freezing and boiling points are used, and these systems are more efficient than conventional refrigeration systems. Natural refrigerants, including hydrocarbons and ammonia, are also considered, given their low GWP and low ozone-depleting properties. However, ammonia is hazardous and corrosive despite its high energy efficiency, and hydrocarbons such as R-600a (isobutane) and R-290 (propane) are highly flammable and unfit for retrofitting. Careful consideration is thus necessary when implementing alternative refrigerants. Consumers can help reduce HFCs by researching whether the air conditioning in the new car or refrigerator they are considering to buy uses greenhouse gases and if there is an HFC-free alternative. Furthermore, by regularly maintaining the equipment in cars and houses, one can also help reduce leaks of these chemicals as well as ensure their proper end-of-life recycling. Respiratory Inhalers and HFCs In addition to refrigerants, HFCs are used as a propellant in the respiratory inhalers that tens of millions of people use to treat their asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. [A]t least 800 million to 825 million inhalers [with HFCs] were made in 2021 alone. Their usage translated into the release of around 10,700 tons of HFC-134a and HFC-227ea into the atmosphere. While inhalers comprise a small percentage of the world’s HFC use, each asthma inhaler releases HFC—and based on HFC manufacturing industry estimates to the UN Environment Programme’s Ozone Secretariat, at least 800 million to 825 million inhalers were made in 2021 alone. Their usage translated into the release of around 10,700 tons of HFC-134a and HFC-227ea into the atmosphere. According to Dr. Woodcock, inhalers that use HFCs as propellants generate the same carbon footprint emissions as a small family car traveling 200 miles. In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advises patients about how different inhalers have different carbon footprints—including being comparable to long car drives—and suggests the patients consider “dry powder” inhalers. In Dr. Woodcock’s article in the New England Journal of Medicine, he said that a campaign to promote “greener” inhalers to the public and clinicians in Greater Manchester, England, helped reduce the inhaler carbon footprint by 10%, equivalent to taking 3,400 cars off the road. Moreover, In November 2022, the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership stated that over 300,000 inhalers (with carbon emissions equivalent to 28,000 cars) were prescribed every month, indicating a switch to dry powder inhalers can help reduce carbon footprint to less than 1kg (2.2 lbs) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per device. There is also guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for making a decision based on the type of inhaler, whether the inhaler contains HFCs, and its carbon footprint. The Montreal Agreement has been successful in reaching its targets to eliminate use of CFCs, and there’s reason to believe that, with the wider public’s assistance, the Kigali Amendment’s phase out of HFCs can also be achieved. *Gordon Cairns is a freelance journalist and teacher of English and Forest Schools based in Scotland.

How NYC Restauranteurs and Chefs Are Turning the Tables on Food and Plastic Waste *By Jerry Chesnut A decade ago, New York City was eager to do its part to help the environment by using its new regulations to reduce food and plastic waste generated by the city’s thousands of restaurants. Then COVID-19 struck and eating out came to a halt. Virtually all restaurants closed, many temporarily and many forever. Takeout—or dining at home—became the norm. And all this in a city that experiences an 80% fail rate for newly opened eateries even in good times. Today, things have turned around, not only for the NYC restaurant industry, but also for the city’s conscientious diners, chefs, and restaurant owners who care about reducing restaurant waste. Dining out is thriving again, and the city has unveiled plans to renew enforcement of older waste regulations while also introducing new (2023) regulations to curb plastic use in takeout food orders. For instance, plastic straws and beverage stirrers are now available to restaurant patrons but only upon request. Plastic carryout bags are still allowed, but restaurants that once bagged and piled up their trash overnight for sidewalk pickup must now use rat-resistant containers. Meanwhile, diners who support efforts to curb both food and plastic waste are starting to frequent a small-but-growing number of “zero waste” establishments that claim to generate no food or plastic waste whatsoever. Recovery Means More Trash For some, these welcome changes could not have come too soon. An estimated 22 billion to 33 billion pounds of food are wasted annually by US restaurants, according to the FoodPrint project. An estimated 22 billion to 33 billion pounds of food are wasted annually by US restaurants, according to the FoodPrint project. Moreover, those staggering numbers do not include plastic waste. According to NBC News, the NYC mayor’s office reported an estimated 18 million tons of single-use plastic eating utensils had been extracted in 2019 from the city’s residential waste stream. Citing a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center reported in 2020 that 68% of all discarded food in New York and two other major US cities is still edible, and that in New York City alone, 20% of this edible waste was generated by restaurants and caterers. What NYC Does About Food Waste NYC currently requires restaurants to separate their organic food waste and to “arrange for collection by a private carter.” Alternatively, eateries can self-transport organic waste or process it on-site. Enforcement, though relaxed during the pandemic, was re-established in mid-2022 to dole out a $250 to $1,000 fine to eateries that do not follow the separation rules. There have been accounts by dedicated scavengers (so-called “dumpster divers”) that few restaurants follow these rules, but these same accounts noted that the waste-separation rules do not apply to smaller establishments. Takeout food discarded at home is also being impacted by a city initiative, introduced in 2023, to collect curbside residential food waste for composting. The city’s capacity to fully compost that waste is still in development. Zero-Waste Dining on the Rise From chef Mauro Colagreco’s renowned three-Michelin-star Mirazur in France to restaurants scattered throughout New York City and the world, zero-waste dining and waste reduction strategies are establishing themselves as potentially profitable trends in the restaurant industry. One review of 114 restaurants in twelve countries found that almost all establishments “achieved a positive return” on their waste reduction investment, and an average of 75% of the sites recouped that investment within a year. In addition, none of the places reviewed spent more than $20,000 on waste reduction efforts. According to Barron’s, Mirazur became “the world’s first restaurant [Jan/2020] to receive “Plastic Free” certification,” inspiring over 500 inquiries from other restauranteurs interested in going “plastic free.” In London, chef Doug McMaster’s Silo claims to be the “world’s first zero-waste restaurant.” In January 2020, just prior to the pandemic-related restaurant lockdowns. Bon Appetit reported how west~bourne, an “LA-inspired all-day café” in New York’s Soho neighborhood, competed to be the city’s first “certified” zero-waste restaurant. The magazine noted that a restaurant manager would take pictures of the “compost, recycling, and trash accumulated” in a single day. The bags would then be weighed and documented on a spreadsheet as evidence of their zero-waste effort. By 2018, a few NYC restaurants were already featuring their versions of “zero [food] waste dishes.” These offerings included often discarded food parts, such as “broccoli, cauliflower and mushroom stems,” in the dishes. Other excess food parts were turned into vinegars or sent off to farmers for their pigs to eat. Blackbarn Shines with Peat Creativity and innovation continue to drive the city’s waste-reduction trend as restaurants, such as Blackbarn in Manhattan, find inventive, tasty ways to keep conscientious diners coming. CBS News reported in 2023 that Blackbarn's menu, co-created by executive chef Brian Fowler and chef/owner John Doherty, benefited from a relationship with Peat, a provider of “food waste upcycling” in the borough of Queens. Peat delivers Peat-grown mushrooms to Blackbarn (via low carbon e-bike) at a reduced price in exchange for Blackbarn’s compostable food waste (which Peat e-bikes haul away). Today, even New York’s waste-averse home cooks can shop instore or online from Brooklyn-based Precycle for bulk food supplies with a zero-waste footprint. Zero-Waste Exemplar One of today’s leading examples of zero-waste dining in New York City—not to mention overall commitment to sustainability—is Rhodora Wine Bar in the borough of Brooklyn. Rhodora’s owner, Henry Rich, and director, Halley Chambers, have pledged to send “absolutely nothing” to landfills. According to Bon Appetit, their approach to outlawing plastic and food waste in their operations is comprehensive. Single-use plastics are forbidden on-site, and suppliers must meet the expectation that everything incoming is to be “recycled, upcycled, or composted.” This means that incoming packaging materials can be composted or recycled or delivery packaging can be returned and reused. Single-use plastics are forbidden on-site [at Rhodora Wine Bar], and suppliers must meet the expectation that everything incoming is to be “recycled, upcycled, or composted.” As a wine bar, Rhodora’s menu consists of conservas (tinned fish); hard, aged cheeses; and antipasti (pickled vegetables) meant to complement their wines. This menu helps minimize food waste and unnecessary cleaning products, and the foods’ tin and aluminum packages are easily recycled and of relatively high value. The wine comes from “small-farm, natural winemakers” that share Rhodora’s commitment to the environment and aversion to what they describe as the often-harmful processes of “large-scale wine manufacturing,” according to Bon Appetit. Rethinking Food Waste The city’s growing zero-waste zeal is inspiring some restauranteurs and chefs to both reduce waste and deliver food to needy neighbors—and do so off the clock, for nothing. Non-profit Rethink Food—founded by culinary veteran Matt Jozwiak and pioneering chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park—is passionate about upcycling nutrition that is normally lost through tossing out good food. They are creating meals for disadvantaged New Yorkers who have no access to healthy food, not to mention gourmet dining. Serving haute cuisine to those “last” in the food line is probably unprecedented, but Rethink Food’s track record is impressive (having] put together over 14.8 million locally prepared, gourmet meals, rescuing more than 1 million tons of food. Serving haute cuisine to those “last” in the food line is probably unprecedented, but Rethink Food’s track record is impressive. Founded in 2017, the organization is on the threshold of serving over 24 million locally prepared gourmet meals and rescuing more than 2.4 million pounds of food. Rethink Food wants more New Yorkers to get involved. Its newly opened facility (March 2024) in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan features a “street-facing space” for the public to learn about and engage in their work. Innovative “dinner series with chefs” and community events and programming are being designed and scheduled to teach ways of fostering food security and reducing waste. Rethink Food founder and CEO Matt Jozwiak says the new space “reflects our culture of centering community leaders, culinary professionals, and hospitality at the heart of our approach to creating a more sustainable and equitable food system.” Six Years to Zero-Waste Dining According to the Sustainable Restaurant Association, restaurant waste reduction involves five action points: to measure “how much and where food was wasted,” to get staff on board, to control portions (avoid “overproduction”), to review inventory and purchasing procedures, and to find ways to repurpose excess inventory and any food that could go to waste. With growing support from the city and its diners and restauranteurs, New York City appears committed to keeping the zero-waste restaurant trend going and meeting its ambitious goal of sending no waste to landfills by 2030. *Jerry Chesnut. Jerry Chesnut has pursued a lifelong interest in the role of diet in physical and mental well-being. Having lived more than half of his life in and near New York City, he maintains an avid interest in the city’s sustainable food scene.

By Mal Cole* To imagine the coastline without the calls of seabirds ringing out above the waves as they search for prey and protect their young would be to imagine a true climate disaster. Though this extinction scenario seems far-fetched, seabirds face more threats than any other group of birds. Dangers include competition from invasive species, commercial fishing, and especially climate change because they rely both on delicate coastal habitat (for breeding) and the open ocean (for food). Changes in either habitat can threaten their survival. Many seabird species also rely on arctic habitats, which are some of the most threatened by climate change. Some birds have long migrations that can be made more difficult by unpredictable weather events. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) now lists 31% of seabirds as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. Several seabird species—including kittiwakes, petrels, puffins, and terns—face particular threats from climate change. Kittiwakes The black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), known in the United Kingdom simply as "kittiwakes," are a species of gull reminiscent of the more common ring-billed gull, except it is smaller, with a large head in proportion to its body and black legs and feet.  Its name comes from its characteristic call that sounds like “kitti-weeeik.” Kittiwakes use several cliffside sites in the UK, such as the Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire, as their breeding grounds. They typically rear one to three fluffy, grey chicks each year. Since a 2018 assessment by BirdLife, the kittiwake has been listed as “vulnerable to extinction” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which was a stark change from their 2016 assessment that placed them at “least concern.” According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RBSP), overfishing and changes in ocean temperatures have eroded the populations of sand eels, which form a large part of these nesting birds’ diets. Kittiwakes also face threats to their breeding grounds. In February 2024, the kittiwakes suffered a crushing blow to their habitat when a cliff face holding 383 kittiwake nests fell into the sea in Sussex, England. The Sussex Ornithological Society had already observed a decline in kittiwake nests on the cliff face, with numbers at their lowest since 2011. This cliff face was the only known nesting site for the kittiwakes in Sussex, and it’s unclear if they will be able to adapt and return to the area. Petrels The decline of the kittiwake population is part of a larger trend in the population decline of seabirds. A long-term study that followed Wilson’s Storm Petrels in Antarctica showed a massive 90% decline in population over a forty-year period for two colonies. Like the kittiwakes, petrels are pelagic seabirds and spend most of their lives in the open ocean. They only return to land for breeding and rely on specific nesting sites for nesting.  Petrels are also facing loss of food due to warming oceans. The melting of sea ice reduces the number of Antarctic krill that the birds rely on. (To learn more about krill, see the E&I article “Antarctic Krill: An Ecosystem Powerhouse Caught Between Humans and Nature.”) Cloudier seas may also make it difficult for pelagic seabirds to find food. Researchers at University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland observed Manx shearwaters, a seabird in the petrel family with gray color and white bellies, to understand how the cloudy ocean waters affected hunting conditions. The UCC researchers found that when sunlight penetrated the water, the shearwaters were able to dive deeper and collect more prey. The study suggests that as the oceans get cloudier due to climate change, it will be more difficult for pelagic seabirds to find food. Puffins In 2016 and 2017, researchers estimated that thousands of birds, many of them tufted puffins, died of starvation in the Bering Sea. The research team suggested that warming seas impacted the availability of the birds’ traditional food sources in the molting season, a stressful season during which the birds need extra energy and lose some of their ability to fly and dive. The puffins, which are colorful seabirds with upright penguin-like postures, were not able to find enough fish to sustain themselves, and the bodies of emaciated puffins washed up on the northwestern coast of North America, including St. Paul’s Island in Alaska. More recently, the tufted puffin’s cousin, the Atlantic puffin, suffered from the effects of warming seas and heavy rains in the Gulf of Maine. A study noted that the sea surface in the gulf was warming 99% faster than the global ocean. This has led to changes in available fish for the puffins to feed their chicks. This, plus heavy rainfalls, contributed to a disastrous 2021 for the puffin population—90% of the nesting puffins on the Island of Petit Manan, a ten-acre island refuge for nesting seabirds, failed to raise chicks to adulthood. Fortunately, by 2023, these puffins saw a second year of population rebound, Popular Science reported. Terns Even subtle changes in weather and climate can have negative impacts on seabirds with long migratory routes. Arctic terns fly to both the North Pole and South Pole, the longest migration of any animal at 100,000 kilometers (over 62,100 miles). Terns rely on wind support to help with their migration, but changes in windspeeds due to climate change could negatively impact their journey. A 2023 study found that climate change could affect prevailing winds along the terns’ migration route, which may require them to change course. Due to the length of the journey, even minor wind pattern changes can have negative impacts for these long-distance avian athletes. In addition to changes in weather, disappearing sea ice may influence the arctic tern’s breeding and foraging grounds. The terns rely on Antarctic sea ice for raising their chicks, and the loss of sea ice has likely led to devastating effects on other arctic seabirds such as the Ivory gull, which has lost 70% of its Canadian population since 1980. “[C]ontaminants and illegal harvesting in Greenland during migration” are likely contributing factors. Beacuse of their sensitivity to the effects of climate change, seabirds can indicate the general health and well-being of the ecosystems they inhabit. For that reason, it’s important to protect seabirds, not just for their own sake but for the sake of marine ecosystems. A 2019 study found that 380 million seabirds would benefit if the top three threats to seabirds could be controlled: the proliferation of invasive species, bycatch (unintentional trapping as a result of commercial fishing), and climate change. Countering these threats is an intimidating, long-term task, but researchers are also working to save several individual seabird species. In 2023, conservationists made an international effort to create a new colony of threatened black-footed albatrosses on the Mexican island of Guadalupe. And Audubon’s Seabird Institute is working to restore seabird populations worldwide, including seven in the Gulf of Maine. There is hope for seabirds as long as commitment to their conservation continues. *Mal Cole is a freelance science and nature writer based in Massachusetts.

Biologist Wants People to ‘Eat the Invaders’ When University of Vermont conservation biologist Dr. Joe Roman is not studying invasive species, endangered species, and marine ecology, he is running a website called Eat the Invaders. Its premise is as simple as the website’s name: If invasive species, which have no natural predators, can become part of the human diet, it can decrease their numbers while feeding hungry diners. Roman’s website provides information for anyone interested in pigging out on wild boar or cooking up green crab or armored catfish. It offers colorful images of select invasives in the US with a brief description of each invasive, its territory and behavior, and any known history of when and how it arrived in the US. Roman is under no illusions that “invasivorism” (eating invasives) will eliminate these problems. “To be clear,” he says in a recent SciLine interview, “it’s unlikely that this type of harvest is going to result in the complete eradication of a species; we’re just not going to be able to work that hard. There’s always going to be one last animal out there.” But Roman and his allies do believe human consumption of invasive species can help reduce the $20 billion in damage they cause each year in the US. “Getting fresh-caught green crabs when they’re soft shells are easily as good as blue crabs,” Roman says “Same can be said about lionfish. It’s a firm white meat,” he adds, noting that he and others are encouraging chefs to explore using these species in dishes worldwide. There is already some proof that “eating the invaders” works, Roman notes. He cites studies on lionfish in the Bahamas that show that lionfish populations declined when efforts were focused on harvesting them for food. In addition, “the native fish biomass in the Bahamas increased as those [invasive] populations started to decline,” he says. “The key here is that eating invasives is fun, it’s delicious, it might have an impact, but it’s the last line in the sand,” Roman adds. The first line of defense is “stop the introduction of new species …  we’re not going to get anywhere if a new species comes in every year.” But “in the end, you know, when they’re here, and they’ve been here for a while, we can enjoy a good meal.” Sources: https://www.sciline.org/environment-energy/eating-invasive-species/ http://eattheinvaders.org/

World Reaches 30% Renewable Energy Milestone in 2023 In its fifth annual Global Electricity Review, London-based nonprofit and energy think tank Ember has produced the first comprehensive overview of changes in global electricity generation in 2023. A key finding is that renewable energy sources produced a record share of global electricity. Global electricity reached a record high in 2023 of 29,471 terawatt-hours (TWh), largely due to electric vehicles, heat pumps, electrolyzers, air conditioning, and data centers. The 627 TWh increase in electricity demand from 2022 was mostly from China (606 TWh) and India (99 TWh). These increases were mostly offset by decreases in the EU and US. Global electricity shares from renewables reached a record 30% in 2023, compared with 19% (15,277 TWh) in 2000. Electricity generation from solar (5.5% or 1,631 TWh) and wind (7.8% or 2,304 TWh) comprised close to half of the 30%. In 2023, global hydropower generation reached a five-year low of 4,210 TWh, partially due to droughts. Global electricity generation shares from nuclear remained unchanged in 2023 at 9.1% (2,686 TWh). Global electricity from coal increased modestly to 10,434 TWh in 2023 from 10,288 TWh in 2022. Around 95% of this increase came from countries severely affected by drought, including China, India, Vietnam, and Mexico. The world average of global electricity consumption per capita was 3.7 MWh in 2023. Canada and the US had the highest electricity consumption per capita, at 15.9 MWh and 12.7 MWh, respectively. South Korea was third at 11.8 MWh. The carbon dioxide intensity of global power generation reached a record low of 480 gCO2/kWh, down from 486 gCO2/kWh in 2022. Global power sector emissions were 14,153 million tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) in 2023. China had the highest emissions of 5,491 MtCO2 (39% of total), followed by the US at 1,570 MtCO2 (11% of total). In 2024, global electricity demand is projected to rise by 968 TWh (a 3.3% increase) to 30,439 TWh. Note: 1 MWh = 1 megawatt-hour; 1 TWh = 1 terawatt-hour Sources: https://ember-climate.org/insights/research/global-electricity-review-2024/supporting-material/

More Europeans Using ‘Plug-and-Play’ Solar Energy Systems to Electrify Their Homes *By Richard Kemeny A new green energy craze is sweeping through Germany. Tiny solar power plants are popping up on balconies across the country, giving citizens the ability to take power directly from the sun and into their homes. According to data from Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), demand is soaring for these plug-in balcony photovoltaic systems. Official figures suggest the number of registered systems has grown in the country from around 137,000 in 2022 to well over 400,000 in 2024—and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down. This surge in balcony voltaic systems is thought to be spurred by several overlapping drivers, including climate change, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and skyrocketing energy prices. Given the right support and conditions, this simple, effective energy source could soon become more than a German zeitgeist (“the spirit of the time”) phenomenon and spread to homes around the world. What Is Balcony Solar? Much like solar farms and rooftop panels, balcony solar devices use photovoltaic cells to capture energy from sunlight and convert it to electricity. Also known as plug-in solar devices, they consist of small solar panels installed on available balcony space, either directly onto the railings or on stands. These plug-and-play systems do not need professional installation, giving an opportunity for those living in apartments or without access to a roof or large outdoor space to join the solar revolution. The panels gather energy from sunlight to generate direct electric current. This is then converted via an inverter into the alternative current used in major energy grids. The system can then be plugged into an electrical outlet, adding solar-generated electricity straight into a household’s electrical system. Electricity created by these devices [balcony solar panels] can be used to power or charge appliances directly, which helps to bring down electricity costs. Electricity created by these devices can be used to power or charge appliances directly, which helps to bring down electricity costs. It gives everyday citizens a way to make their own lives less reliant on fossil fuels. In some cases—depending on local regulations and grid systems—electricity can even be fed back into the grid for a financial reward. What About Efficiency? Of course, the efficiency of solar panels depends on the amount of accessible sunlight. This means the energy generation capacity of balcony solar panels is necessarily limited, compared to rooftops, which can generally accommodate larger and greater numbers of panels. Solar panels are able to produce around 15 watts (W) on average per square foot. A 10-square-foot balcony could therefore produce around 150W during “peak sun hours”—where sunlight intensity is an average of 1,000W per 10.5 feet. Balcony solar systems can also be combined with battery storage packs to store excess electricity for use during cloudy weather or at night—or if the electricity grid fails. Balcony solar systems can also be combined with battery storage packs to store excess electricity for use during cloudy weather or at night—or if the electricity grid fails. There are other factors to consider. Balconies that are partially shaded by natural or man-made structures will see their energy production reduced. The orientation of an apartment can drastically affect how much sunlight it receives and how much electricity it can produce. In Germany, a 400W balcony solar system facing southwards at the right angle will generate around 320W on average; yet this would fall to half in slightly cloudy weather. As is the case with many renewable energies, shifting weather patterns affect how much electricity is generated. In British summers, which can provide around five peak hours per day, this balcony could produce 750 watt-hours (Wh) though this figure would fall dramatically during the winter. Moreover, even though solar panels on balconies may not be as exposed as on rooftops, they are still vulnerable to strong winds and must be secured. Snow and hail can affect both balcony solar panels and rooftop panels. Cost Considerations If well maintained, solar panels usually last around 25 years. Ideally, one would want to recuperate one’s investment in the balcony power plant beforehand to make it worthwhile economically. Costs for solar panels and balcony solar systems vary. But if a 360W capacity balcony solar power system costs around $2,000 in the US, it could take up to 25 years to break even, depending on energy prices and weather conditions over that period. In Germany, economic incentives appear to be a major driver behind the success of plug-in solar plants. In January 2023, the German government made balcony generators exempt from VAT (value-added tax). In Europe, the average costs of these systems can range between €1,500-3,000 (about $1,630 to $3,261), some are available for less than €300 (about $326).  Many of the costs are heavily subsidized by German states and/or municipalities (with direct subsidies of up to €500, or about $543) and can range up to €1,450 (about $1,576) per system depending on size and capacity. Another reason behind Germany’s balcony solar boom is that many citizens live in apartments, making small solar systems an enticing option. Compared with US residences, German  homes demand far less energy: On average, German families use around 3,500 kWh of electricity per year while in the US, electricity demand is roughly triple that per household. Ironically, US electricity costs are a lot less—$0.13 / kWh compared with $0.52 / kWh in Germany. Streamlining Solar Regulations Germany has relaxed legislation surrounding balcony solar systems to further boost uptake, setting an example for like-minded European countries like Austria and Switzerland. In April 2024, the German government passed “Solarpaket 1,” a set of legal reforms including a simplified grid connection procedure for balcony power systems. The energy threshold for registration of balcony plants has also been raised from 600W to 800W. The German government passed … a set of legal reforms including a simplified grid connection procedure for balcony power systems. Regulations can be more complex elsewhere, however. In the US, balcony power systems can require the same permits as large rooftop systems, making the whole process more onerous. In New York, height limits for balcony systems are set at 10 feet due to citywide building restrictions. While planning permission generally isn’t required, state and local restrictions may apply, which could be the deciding factor in whether someone chooses to invest in such a system. That being said, people wishing to install a balcony solar system in the US may be eligible for a federal solar tax credit. But the potential is staggering for an American balcony solar revolution similar to that seen in Germany. Some estimates suggest plug-in balcony systems in the US could generate over 108 million MWh/year— four times the amount generated by the country’s solar industry in 2015—and offer somewhere in the order of $13 billion per year in energy savings. The case of Germany shows how political will, funding, and the relaxation of red tape can dramatically increase uptake in this new, clean energy source. Inviting citizens into the energy creation process could transform consumers into “prosumers” who are more environmentally minded. While a country’s energy consumption profile doesn’t turn on one system, balcony solar systems could have a measurable impact if their adoption could reach a critical mass. *Richard Kemeny writes about archaeology, marine biology, oceanography, ecology, technology, and the environment

New York’s Rethink Food Solves Food Insecurity with Nutritious, Culturally Celebrated Meals Ken Baker is the Culinary Director for Rethink Food (RF), a New York City-based non-profit that delivers sustainable solutions to the city’s problems of food insecurity and food waste. A nourish-your-neighbor evangelist of sorts, chef Ken shared with E&I Editor Jerry Chesnut about his team’s success in bringing nutritious, restaurant-quality, culturally celebrated cuisine to New Yorkers in need. Together with RF Founder and CEO Matt Jozwiak and co-founder Daniel Humm (chef/owner of Eleven Madison Park), Baker and a small, innovative team have come up with a unique strategy that has already laid the groundwork—and the track record—to achieve RF’s vision of a nourished, neighborly New York. RF’s “stewardship of care” culture has led to a partnership with the city, helped raise private funding from philanthropic sources, and attracted various “restaurant partners” that raise funds for RF via each restaurant’s ongoing marketing strategies.  Earth & I: Ken, to my knowledge, Rethink Food’s approach to sustainable food security is unprecedented. How would you respond?  Ken Baker:  I'm sitting here in our beautiful, sustainable community kitchen at 116 West Houston Street [in the Greenwich Village neighborhood in lower Manhattan]. My team here makes beautiful meals to the tune of 18,900 meals a week from this space, and the balance of our meals—we do almost 400,000 meals a week as an organization—are created by our restaurant partners, these beautiful, diverse, primarily women- and minority-run small businesses that we are empowering to be micro-commissaries, just like we are in this space. We raise funds and give them to these restaurants to empower them to be of service to their communities. This creates jobs too. All that we endeavor to do is create a broader community for greater human impact. We are all culinary/hospitality professionals that know the industry, so we've leaned into the [typical] operations where restaurants, between lunch and dinner service, may only do a dozen covers [meals/customers] but still have a culinary team and staff on hand.  Earth & I: Brilliant.     Ken Baker: It's brilliant and simple at the same time. It's like, “why hasn't anyone else done this?”    Earth & I: So many of New York’s great minority-owned small restaurants serve diverse ethnic cuisines from around the world. Is partnering with them how you're able to offer a wide variety of meals?    Ken Baker:  It’s a combination of our diverse restaurant partners and the diverse team here that I have the honor to lead. We intentionally have a diversity of people that reflects the diversity of the population we're serving. The 15,450 meals that go out the door here every week—which ramped up last week to 18,900 meals—that’s all powered by just 15 individuals, including drivers, a culinary team, and management. We intentionally create a variety of meals that celebrate ethnic identity. That's our unique space. Just as people want to be spoken to in a preferred language and identified by preferred names, they also want to be eating food that's culturally celebrated, including our newest New Yorkers due to the migrant crisis.   “With our [food collection and delivery] trucks we’re capturing excess from our food ecosystem and adapting [our recipes] to what's coming off our trucks.                     We don't want to make one [meal] and blanket the city with it. This is New York and we're chefs who take pride in our ability to adapt within a sustainable model of zero excess waste production. With our [food collection and delivery] trucks, we’re capturing excess from our food ecosystem and adapting [our recipes] to what's coming off our trucks.   Our first investment in operations as an organization was into our refrigerated [delivery] fleet. That demonstrates the stewardship of care we want to ensure for our neighbors and partners, a level of dignity through intention that we here at Rethink talk about. We are very intentional about what we're doing.   If we're going to collect excess food from all these disparate partners—our retail partners, wholesale manufacturers and growers, big distributors, regular mom-and-pop restaurants, corporate cafeterias, academic cafeterias, and so on—we want to give that stewardship of care to our donors who are donating the food, particularly our retail partners like Whole Foods  and Trader Joe's  who have very high brand recognition and are incubating their brand in a certain light. We want to ensure that we can lend them that same level of stewardship that they espouse within their own operations but lend it also to our communities [who are receiving our restaurant-quality meals]. We're going to ensure stewardship of care in every process. As our logo suggests [see image above], the process starts with people and ends with people.     Earth & I: Everyone should have a beautiful life.    Ken Baker:  Absolutely. I anchor my team—as leader of all internal operations, leader of the culinary team and the trucking logistics team—to the idea that we're just people feeding people. It's that shared sacred humanity. We all have to eat. Marginalization shouldn't dictate the quality of food you receive, particularly here in New York City, a food capital with food excess and, yet, where 1 in 7 New Yorkers and 1 in 4 children are food insecure.   We exist for those unseen communities. Our location here at 116 West Houston in the Village is in the 22nd wealthiest postal ZIP Code in America. With us being in this street-facing location surrounded by all this excess and luxury, we are a lighthouse speaking for broader New York, reminding everyone that part of the magic of New York City is community, this neighborliness that we've gotten away from.   The secret sauce of how we are able to grow is stewardship of care. For instance, we're collecting all this excess, but there are entrenched stigmas around what we do. People have this notion that we're “dumpster diving” or that we are just opening up bags and cans and reheating food. No! We are curating nutrient-dense, restaurant-quality meals. That stewardship of care starts and stops with our logistic teams who have the most external engagement with our Rethink Food network.    “Capturing that excess, making meals and delivering them to New York's most needy individuals with no cost to them—it's beautiful.”    The amazing, donated abundance that we're able to get allows us to provide diverse meal applications because we're picking up and collecting from  Eleven Madison Park , for instance, our co-founder, chef Daniel Humm's famous three-star Michelin restaurant. There's something beautiful about those pristine ingredients—whatever they use in their tasting menu—that we are also utilizing.    Capturing that excess, making meals and delivering them to New York's most needy individuals with no cost to them—it's beautiful.    Earth & I: What comes to my mind is “golden rule gourmet.”   Ken Baker:  Exactly. I think what you're alluding to is making something that you would want to make [for yourself], treating people the way you would want to be treated. Our family meal where we all sit down for lunch as an organization—even our support team in our headquarters on Sullivan Street—the whole organization sits down at noon, and we have a meal comprised of the production my culinary team has been making that morning. That's our commitment to communities that we serve; if it's good enough for us chefs, then it's good enough to go out to our communities.   People often ask me what makes Rethink Food different. Our unique currency in this space is that we are delivering a nutrient-dense, restaurant-quality meal that is anchored on a protein component, a carbohydrate component, and a vegetable component that goes out to every community. We're not dumbing down food for any arbitrary KPI [key performance indicator] or arbitrary price point.  Earth & I: How do you get all those meals to all those people?   Ken Baker:  I have the honor of leading our amazing trucking logistics team. Those are the mighty men that move our mission. They're the ones collecting the excess and bringing it back here to our sustainable community kitchen on Houston Street. That allows us to make meals here, but they also move the meals to our CBO [community-based organizations] partners from either our site here or from our restaurant partners.  We lean into our delivery model of partnering with CBOs because it is hyper-efficient for our operation and allows us to have multiple impacts across the city.   “You'll hear chef Daniel [Humm]—our co-founder—always talking about the power of food and how it's this powerful language. We want our food to sing a lullaby of love and compassion and community.”   You'll hear chef Daniel [Humm] —our co-founder—always talking about the power of food and how it's this powerful language. We want our food to sing a lullaby of love and compassion and community. So, we partnered with community-based organizations—institutions like nonprofits, faith-based institutions, schools, rec centers—that have already established themselves as an anchor in their community and have credibility in the community as neighbors.      When Henry calls me up from St. John's Bread and Life  during Lent and says, “Hey, can you make our menu on Fridays reflect the Lenten traditions of fish and no meat?” “Absolutely,” we say, because that's what dignity looks like. Some of our religious CBO partners … are kosher and practicing Jews themselves. Their services are open to everybody, but they want to have the time to celebrate Passover themselves, so they call us up and say, “Hey, Ken. You know, it's Passover this week. Can you partner us with somebody who can run our services this Wednesday and Friday so that we can celebrate the Passover holidays?” “Absolutely.” That's all about the broader community we're creating; that's where we allow for the needs of the operators, mostly volunteers, of a CBO. We want to allow them to celebrate. It’s very important to me to be defensive of our vast volunteer network. We need them. That's how we amplify our impact and provide capacity for our partners.    CBO Partners Determine Service Models The CBOs dictate the unique service to the community. Some of our CBO partners will reheat our food—coming to them in hotel aluminum pans—and put it out buffet style, for instance. Others will take the pans and create individual meals, which allows them to move the meals beyond their location.   Oftentimes, CBOs will have their own logistic services. For example, one of our CBOs, North Brooklyn Angels  (NBA), retrofitted a defunct food truck to literally take the service to the community of North Brooklyn. Not being affixed in a location also allows them easy access to the church from which NBA distributes.    “We want to put ourselves in that single mom's shoes who has to work 50, 60 hours a week to be able to pay rent.”   CBOs are giving those meals out free-of-cost with no barriers to access. People often ask, “How does one qualify for a meal?” We don't do that. The moment you qualify for a meal, it feels like a government program. We want to put ourselves in that single mom's shoes who has to work 50, 60 hours a week to be able to pay rent. If she has multiple children in various schools, after she's done working overtime and then corralling all her kids from various locations, by the time she gets home, the one thing that money can't buy is time. And so, we give space for that. There's a lot of working-class people receiving our services, just trying to make ends meet. We try to eliminate barriers to access because we want to create a level of dignity because there's a lot of stigma and shame to asking for help, especially if you are working full time and can't make ends meet.    We want to create a space where mom doesn't feel bad to take her kids to St. John's Bread and Life to have a meal because she knows it will be just as good as a nutrient-dense, healthy meal that she’d prepare for her kids.    So, what I'm doing here is pulling back that veil and showing people the truth about this notion that we're back to normal, that we've gone back to this pre-COVID normalcy. This is far from the truth. Rethink Food’s culinary team makes meals it would serve at home.  ©Rethink Food Another secret to our sauce is our beautiful team. Individuals on our team are either coming from those communities or they have that same compassion. There’s Rebecca, who is the only single mom on our team, or chef Arturo, who leads the culinary team on a day-to-day managerial level. They are parents curating meals like they would for their children.    We probably have the marquee wage on the market. Those individuals on my team coming from the community, we are empowering them through our partnerships with workforce development programs like Project Renewal and giving them dignity and confidence that come with work. It's a skill set that's affecting other individuals.   “We enjoy this amazing environmental upside of collecting viable excess and saving millions of gallons of water on an annual basis. We are [also diverting] tons of CO2.”   But in all that we are doing, we enjoy this amazing environmental upside of collecting viable excess and saving millions of gallons of water on an annual basis. We are [also diverting] tons of CO2. That fleet that we are invested in that goes out and captures all this excess, brings it back here, and then moves our meals [has a carbon footprint]. We will [reduce] our carbon footprint and preserve our natural human habitat just by the work that we're doing feeding people.    Earth & I: Any last thoughts?   Ken Baker:  I often tell people that I grew up food insecure in Baltimore, but it was different. We didn't have much, but we didn't feel like it. There was a lot of love.   My grandmother is why I'm in this space. God rest her soul. The archives of history would never speak about Deborah Jones, but the impact she had on me, how she would always have a kind word for our mailman and would make him a cake or give him a plate of food. There's something very powerful about breaking bread with somebody. It breaks down the barriers of separation. That resonates with the broader sacrifice we need to have for each other. That's the secret sauce at Rethink Food. We all are centered on our four core values that guide everything that we do. First, our mission is to create a more sustainable and equitable food system, but the core values of the organization are kindness, thoughtfulness, inventiveness, and vulnerability.   That is why we exist.

Students Attend Classes in a Net-Zero Energy Building with a Hydroponics Unit Discovery Elementary School is a public K-5 school in Arlington, VA, named for astronaut and Sen. John Glenn, who once lived near the park where the school now stands. Opened in 2015, Discovery was the largest net-zero energy elementary school ever built in the United States and the first net-zero energy school of any kind in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The 97,588-square-foot school, which has around 700 students, is a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School and a National Wildlife Federation Eco-Schools USA Green Flag School. Recently, The Earth & I conducted an interview with Discovery Principal Dr. Erin Healy. E&I: Dr. Healy, you were hired as the principal one year before the opening of the Discovery Elementary School. Could you please tell us what steps you took to prepare the teachers, staff, and PTA to create a green sustainability-centered school. Dr. Healy: When we first opened, we had to build community. We were pulling students from three overcrowded elementary schools …  We had to come together and decide: “What do we want Discovery to be?” We screened a movie about some outdoor school in Europe (School’s Out: Lessons from a Forest Kindergarten.) They have kids go outside—in the sunshine, rain, and snow—from ages two to seven. Every day, they're just outside. They're using knives, building fires, and doing all of the things that American schools are not doing. Those kids don't come inside and learn letters and how to read and write until age seven. And we're kind of forcing it on our students at age five. And it all meters out, right? It inspired the parents to think outside the box and know that active, outside play is important. We also screened another movie that was about all the plastics in the ocean. The marine biologists who created that documentary were able to interact with our students, and our students were able to ask them questions. Again, any normal elementary school might not watch a movie about plastics in the ocean, but because this is central to what we do—it becomes part of our community. E&I: Yes, education should prepare students to solve these critical problems. If they know about such issues, they can think about solutions. Dr. Healy: Yes. Our students also do research projects. Second graders, for example, are located in the “ocean” wing of our school, so everything that they see is about the ocean. When the teachers said, “Let's do a research project. What do we want to educate people about?” They decided they wanted students to learn about the importance of rainwater. So, on the caps of the public rainwater sewer system [in the school’s driveway and parking areas], they drew animals, like fish and frogs, with a paint that only shows up when it rains. When it rains, the paint shows up and you can see a frog or a fish. They were just raising awareness about the rain, what the water does, and who it affects. E&I: You mentioned the fifth-grade research project and how they created a trap for the sewers? Dr. Healy: Yes. We did a “design thinking challenge” and had every grade level do something related to the hallway that they were in. Fifth grade is in the “galaxy” hallway, so it's all about energy, but they were struggling to figure out what they should do and they came up with an idea not related to energy. They were concerned about the amount of trash that was in the school parents’ car loop and falling into the local water system because there's a huge gap where all the rainwater flows. They said we should put a net or something there to stop that, and so they designed it, built it, and set it up. It was wonderful. Then they graduated, and we were like, “Okay, goodbye fifth graders.” Four days or so later, summer school started. And then this happened on the first day of summer school: We in Arlington, Virginia, had never seen the amount of rain that fell. The first forty-five minutes were crazy. It was an absolute deluge. Well, the turf field that has the crumb rubber covering, it all lifted, came down the hill into that school parking loop, and was about to be swept away into the local sewer, but the net was there that the kids had built, and it stopped all that crumb. After the sun came out, the crumb dried up, and there was a layer of it several inches deep. The Arlington County public service system came out and was able to vacuum it up and put it back in the field. It never got into the sewer system. I was thinking, “I need to go find those fifth graders and thank them each individually” because all of it could have just polluted our sewer system. But their net system stopped it—it was just spectacular. E&I: What would you recommend to other schools who would like to develop their environmental education? Dr. Healy: I think for another school or school system to replicate this, it's really important that people have time together to plan. None of this happens without planning, but it’s all extra for our teachers on their own time—like what the art teacher and the advanced academic teacher do … running the eco-action team. There's no time in the day for them to formally plan for that, so they're doing it on their own time. We’re the only school in the county that's so focused on sustainability. Any time that we use for this is done on our own time. We don't have the time, so we make time. …  I am so grateful for all the people that do it on their own time, but it would be lovely and better for students if it could be planned and purposeful. E&I: By planned and purposeful, do you mean it would be part of the curriculum? Dr. Healy: Yes. As if the county could say, “You have this one day; how much could we actually get done in planning the different types of activities that are already happening for our students?” It's on the backs of teachers who care and love it, and it's their passion. And, if you think about the busy work week, it would be great if there was support in that area. E&I: In your networking with other schools do you see the same issues? Dr. Healy: Yes, I do. I am in communication with the principal of a school in Fairfax. They have a lovely garden system and all sorts of things, but they also struggle with finding the time for their teachers to prepare for the activities, for the students, and for outside learning—it's just hard. E&I: So, in a sense, education is backward. It has not caught up with today's needs. On another topic, are there different things in the kitchen that can save energy? Dr. Healy: Yes. Our kitchen doesn't have a deep fat fryer, which most elementary schools have. It's all electric and modular, so that every piece in the kitchen can be taken out if it doesn't work and a new element put in. I think that was new when they were building this school. One other thing I'll say is that we can feed the students with everything that we grow and produce, which is awesome. I don't know if all schools do that. “We can feed the students with everything that we grow and produce, which is awesome.” E&I: You harvest enough to be able to use it in the kitchen? Dr. Healy: We harvest enough lettuce, if you can believe it, for use in the kitchen. We also donate extra [lettuce] to the local food bank because we have so much. When the hydroponics unit is full, it overflows with lettuce. There's just so much there, and the second graders get to harvest it, which they love, and we serve it to the staff and students. And while talking about donating, every student is required to take a piece of fruit and a carton of milk at lunch. But many don’t consume them. So, we collect them and put them in a special refrigerator to be given to the food bank as well. Last year, we donated 600 pounds of food to local food banks. E&I: The school was built as a green school, but it was still within the budget, right? Dr. Healy: Yes, one of the main reasons that the county board gave VMDO Architects the bid to build the school was because they said that they could come in under budget and make the building sustainable. The architects said they could do it, and they did it. It was a win-win situation. “[W]e produce so much extra energy that the school is able to offset the cost of other schools’ electric bills. E&I: Where is your energy stored and how much does it cost to store it? Dr. Healy: We don't have the exact information right now, but from what I heard from the county energy manager, we produce so much extra energy that the school is able to offset the cost of other schools’ electric bills. [As part of Discovery’s eco-friendly elements, the school has 1,706 rooftop photovoltaic (PV) solar panels generating 496 kW of power.] Kathy Lin, who's the Arlington County Energy Manager, actually advocated at the state level to change a law to allow us to offset our energy. … [S]he advocated and helped pass a bill so that now we can offset the [electricity] cost for other schools. E&I: Another issue is character education. You said a lot about collaboration. Dr. Healy: Collaboration is the backbone of the school. If you don't believe in collaboration, don't come here. Every staff member knows that. Regarding character education, we follow something called "The Responsive Classroom." We send our teachers to a four-day training for level one and another four days for level two. It's about whole-school character education. Every classroom in Discovery starts with a morning meeting, with four components: the greeting, the sharing, the group activity, and the morning message. It’s about logical consequences, redirecting language, and it clarifies a lot of the expectations we have for students. Together, we talk about CARES. That's cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control. We're teaching all those things daily in morning meetings and in “closing circles.” E&I: One of our recent articles for the Earth & I was on Green School Bali. A couple times a day they ring a gong and have a minute or so of “mindfulness” or meditation. Dr. Healy: It's so funny that you bring that up because I was hired a year before the school was opened. I was sitting in an office, and I was thinking, “How am I going to make this a sustainable school? How am I going to do this?” I did research, and Green School Bali came up. I couldn't believe how cool it was, and I reached out to them and was in communication with their "sustainability director." I asked, "Hey, I'm in Virginia, we're opening a new school, and I've never done this before. I've never been a principal. How do we make it sustainable?" And we talked. The PTA for our building actually formed before I was hired. … It turned out that the PTA president was a roommate in college with someone who worked at Green School Bali! I thought this is kismet, this is fate, because I reached out to them just from my research indicating they're a great school. I had no idea what I was doing, and then she was telling me this—all these connections, that's what it takes. It takes learning from others, learning how to do this. I joke with my staff all the time. “We need to take a trip there. We need to do a vacation to Bali, Indonesia, because it's work related.” E&I: Thank you very much. For The Earth & I, Marion Warin Miller spoke with Dr. Healy. She is a French bilingual researcher, writer, and editor now residing in Northern Virginia.