By Dr. Rohan S. Dassanayake* Capturing water from air is nothing new. It is believed, for instance, that the early Greeks who established Theodosia (currently known as Feodosia) in the 6th century BC utilized bowl-shaped stone condensers to capture water in the air to fulfil their daily water needs. Our circumstances, however, are vastly different. Though over 70% of Earth's surface is covered with water, only a tiny percentage of freshwater available today on the surface of rivers, wetlands, lakes, and swamps is considered potable for humans. Improper management of water reservoirs, contamination of drinking water sources, high industrial and domestic water demand, human conflicts, increasing construction, industrial and agricultural development, and climate change have been continuously contributing to the decrease in drinking water over the last few decades. According to the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), approximately four billion people worldwide encounter severe water scarcity for at least one month each year. Over half of the world's population could be residing in countries where continuous water supply will be inadequate as early as 2025. Water scarcity has become a global challenge and is expected to be exacerbated over the next few years. As a consequence, there is considerable interest worldwide in sustainable solutions that provide safe drinking water for everyone. Several technologies, including wastewater recycling, seawater desalination, and rainwater harvesting, have been investigated for their capacity to alleviate water scarcity. However, each of these techniques possesses its own practical issues. Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technology has recently emerged as a promising alternative that decentralizes water access using the overlooked water available in the Earth's atmosphere. The potential of AWH could be tremendous. Earth’s water cycle plays a crucial role in the biosphere, and the Earth's atmosphere holds approximately 10% of freshwater found in all lakes and rivers, equivalent to 12,900 billion tons of freshwater, irrespective of the geographical area and hydrologic conditions. How Atmospheric Water Harvesting Works The AWH technology is a process of extracting and collecting freshwater from surrounding (ambient) air as water vapor or droplets. This technology is based on a bulk phenomenon where vapor or liquid molecules present in the atmosphere diffuse into solid materials or sorbents, altering the structure and volume of sorbents via physical interaction or chemical reaction with the sorbent. Modern AWH technologies can be divided into three main classes based on their energy utilization: 1) passive water harvesting systems that operate without additional energy input, 2) active water harvesting systems that work with additional energy input such as electricity, 3) and solar-driven hygroscopic water harvesting systems. Generally, passive water harvesting systems are easy to construct, but their water extraction capacity is extremely small. The active water harvesting systems, including systems involving membrane separation and thermoelectric cooling, are sophisticated, larger, and require relatively high amounts of electrical energy. However, their water extraction processes produce a relatively large amount of water. The solar-driven hygroscopic (absorbs water from air) water harvesting systems are considered the most promising due to their simple, easy installation, low cost, and environmental friendliness. These solar-driven AWH generators are based on the adsorption-desorption process, and use hygroscopic sorbents, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)—hybrid crystalline porous materials—polymeric and porous adsorbents and hydrogels. Among the many sorbents, hydrogels have attracted significant attention as atmospheric water harvesters owing to their superior hydrophilicity (readily absorbing or dissolving in water), tunable surface characteristics, mechanical and thermal properties, low cost, easy functionalization, relative abundance of raw materials, renewability, and eco-friendliness. Hydrogels are sorbents with high water absorption capacity, with advantages over other water harvesters in terms of their characteristics, properties, cost, and eco-friendliness. Hydrogels are three-dimensional (3D) cross-linked networks of a hydrophilic polymer that can absorb and retain water without deforming its structure. Generally, a hydrogel consists of approximately 10% water by total weight (or volume). Hydrogels can be categorized based on the source (natural or synthetic), polymeric configuration (crystalline, semi-crystalline or amorphous), polymeric composition (homopolymeric, copolymeric or multipolymeric), network cross-linking (chemical and physical), or network electrical charge (neutral, anionic, cationic and zwitterionic—having both positive and negative charge). Figure 1 shows the conceptual design of the hybrid hydrogel-based AWH. As shown in Figure 1, water can be extracted at nighttime and released during daytime with the assistance of solar energy. Zwitterionic hydrogels are a novel class of hydrogels that possess positively charged cationic and negatively charged anionic functional groups along with their polymer chain. In contrast to other hydrogels, zwitterionic hydrogels contain hygroscopic salts such as lithium chloride (LiCl) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) in their matrix, causing the coalescence of small water droplets into larger droplets. The hygroscopic salt coordinated with the polymer chain could potentially extract moisture via the anti-polyelectrolyte effect, or how a zwitterion’s polymer chains shrink in water but expand in salt solutions. First, the hygroscopic salts present in the matrix extract the water from the atmosphere and facilitate the in situ (on site) liquefaction; subsequently, the water is adsorbed to the hydrogel. The presence of hygroscopic salts also improves the swelling property of the zwitterionic hydrogels, leading to higher water storage. For instance, a zwitterionic hydrogel can expand a hundred to thousand-fold in the presence of desalinated water. The presence of positively and negatively charged functional groups on the zwitterionic hydrogels helps the salt become more stable and prevents leaching from the matrix and deterioration of its structure. Therefore, zwitterionic hydrogels are considered a promising strategy for AWH, as demonstrated by a recent study by Lei and coworkers, in which they achieved an AWH capacity of 0.62g of water vapor sorption per gram of their zwitterionic hydrogel (over 120 minutes at 30% relative humidity), with a daily freshwater production of 5.87L per kilogram of hydrogel. Another study by Aleid and coworkers also devised a solar-driven zwitterionic hydrogel with carbon nanotubes (CNT) as the photothermal component, which achieved an AWH capacity of 1.30g of water vapor sorption per gram of their zwitterionic hydrogel (at 25°C and 60% relative humidity). Figure 2 shows the schematic representation of the water adsorption mechanism of zwitterionic hydrogel loaded with LiCl. As shown in Figure 2, the presence of LiCl enhances the water adsorption and swelling of the zwitterionic hydrogel. Unlike many other hydrogels, zwitterionic hydrogels are suited for all-weather moisture harvesting, and can thus provide freshwater for arid and landlocked regions. The Potential of Zwitterionic Hydrogels In addition to its use in AWH technology, zwitterionic hydrogels have major implications for production of electricity. The zwitterionic hydrogels-based energy generator is driven by the mechanical movement that is based on the anti-polyelectrolyte effect. Hydrogels placed in a cylindrical piston can be continually moved upwards and downwards during the water adsorption and desorption of water by transforming the anti-polyelectrolyte effect into a mechanical force. In conclusion, hydrogel-based AWH technologies, including zwitterionic hydrogels, show great promise in extracting water from humid air, a large reservoir of water that is accessible in many areas of the world. Moreover, zwitterionic hydrogels can be used as all-weather water harvesters. Although hydrogel-based AWH technologies are at the developmental stages and showing significant promise, there is still much work to be performed to establish zwitterionic hydrogels as energy-efficient, sustainable, industrially scalable, and cost-effective AWHs. With widespread attention received, due to their high water-harvesting capacities, polyzwitterionic hydrogels could play an immense role in supplying water for arid regions, potable water production, and emergency post-disaster situations in the future. *Dr. Rohan S. Dassanayake is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Biosystems Technology, Faculty of Technology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Homagama 10250, Sri Lanka.

By Dr. Mahesh K. Gaur and Dr. Victor R. Squires* How Large Reforestation Projects Impact Water Cycles and Local Water Availability The need to reforest portions of Earth has been well documented. The known benefits of reforestation and afforestation are unquestioned and far-reaching, particularly when it comes to impacts on water. Reforestation greatly reduces annual rainwater runoff, for instance, leading to less soil erosion and unexpected flooding. Ample forest cover lowers surface temperatures and cools soils, lakes, rivers and landscapes. Forests also enhance water quality and reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Planting trees can increase carbon sinks that absorb and store carbon. In addition to climate-related benefits, reforestation can potentially protect endangered species. A restored forest can undo habitat loss and improve species health. Still, with all these benefits, Earth’s forested lands continue to shrink. A Crippling Trend According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the total forested area of Earth is about four billion hectares—31% of the global land area—or about 50 x 100m per person. Of this area, only about one billion hectares are primary, native forests that are largely undisturbed. The number of forested hectares is huge, but so is the number of hectares lost. According to the FAO’s 2020 edition of The State of the World’s Forests, the world lost about 420 million hectares (mha)— approximately 10% of its total forest area—to deforestation in the last thirty years. The FAO report estimates that between 2015 and 2020, the rate of deforestation was ten million hectares per year. That is down from sixteen million hectares in the 1990s. Even so, the area of primary forest worldwide has decreased by over eighty million hectares since 1990. Tree Planting has Side Effects The world is planting trees in response. The FAO says that 7% of the global forest area is currently planted. The area of naturally regenerating forests has decreased since 1990—at a declining rate of loss—but the area of planted forests has increased by 123 million ha. It is not easy, however, to successfully create—or recreate—a forest. According to an April 8, 2021 article in Yale 360, scientists and environmentalists have concerns about large-scale tree planting programs, as they can reduce water supplies and negatively impact agriculture and associated livelihoods. How might planting trees dry up water supplies? It has to do with a tree’s ability to absorb and evaporate water at relatively high rates. According to Filoso et al., the authors of a 2017 study inPLOS One, "forests have relatively high evapotranspiration (ET) rates in comparison to most other land use and cover types, which is why water yields usually decrease upon the conversion of different land uses into forests." While it is true that large scale plantings may generate more evapotranspiration and lead to higher rainfall, this is common. To be effective, it needs to cover an area about as big as Switzerland. The major concern is that many plantation species can tap the groundwater and make the conditions less favorable for local native forest species or can lead to creeks and ponds drying up. Water Impacts Can Be Felt Far Away It takes relatively few trees to intensify the water cycle. According to a UN University report, "more than two square kilometers of forest expansion can increase the possibility of rainfall." What's more, when trees, through evaporation, move water vapor into the atmosphere, it can travel far distances through "wind-driven circulation," thus increasing "the possibility of precipitation in another location," states the study’s author. This, the author writes, "indicates that, at a global scale, afforestation can indeed bring benefits to the water cycle." However, this does not take into account losses en route, such as if wind driven rain-bearing clouds pass over parched areas. Dijke et al. (2022) observed that the effects of "directly enhanced ET and indirectly enhanced precipitation" can cause shifting patterns of water availability. They found that "large-scale tree-cover expansion can increase water availability by up to 6% in some regions, while decreasing it by up to 38% in others." Actual decreases have been more commonly reported in places such as India, Ethiopia, and China instead. Large-scale tree-cover expansion can increase water availability by up to 6% in some regions, while decreasing it by up to 38% in others. The effects of drying out local regions and increasing rainfall in other places can be extraordinarily far-reaching, write the authors. "Tree-cover change in the Amazon forest could impact precipitation in Canada, Northern Europe and all the way into Eastern Asia." The study’s authors added that "several so-called hot spots for reforestation could lose water, including regions that are already facing water scarcity today." Such effects may not show up on trees themselves, but they could be impacting the water tables and small streams. Local Winners and Losers Dijke and colleagues predict local water-supply winners and losers (following reforestation), even though they see overall benefits for the planet. They write "that for half of Earth’s surface (47%), the indirect moisture recycling effects of large-scale tree restoration could offset the direct evaporation effects, thus resulting in slight increases in water availability rather than decreases." Where do the authors think local water losses from reforestation will occur? The United Kingdom (UK) is one such place. They write that the UK "has a high tree-restoration potential and therefore a high increase in evaporation." This will result in "low evaporation recycling [rainfall] due to the dominant westerly moisture transport [aided by winds] from the country towards Eurasia." Possible winners? "Low latitudes" enjoy an increase in water availability because local evaporation recycling is high. This is due to "strong convection above the tropical forest [and short] travel distances of the atmospheric moisture," according to Dijke et al. Possible Effects on Rivers Dijke and colleagues predict varying effects on streamflow (following reforestation) by combining the direct effects of reforestation "via increased evaporation" and indirect effects "through increased precipitation" for twenty-one large river basins from the Yangtze to the Mississippi. For all of them, "enhanced evaporation reduces streamflow (up to 9%)," they found. Why the potentially different streamflow outcomes? Some river basins benefit "when evaporated water rains out within the same river basin," say the authors. Those same basins might also recycle rain from regions upwind. For river basins in the tropics that enjoy high local evaporation recycling, the gains could make up for losses via evaporation, they write. What About Arid Regions? River basins with limited water (arid regions} have a low tree-restoration potential because arid regions often lack enough groundwater to support tree growth. In such cases, state the authors, there is likely to be "a small absolute change in evaporation and precipitation" following reforestation. The authors speculate that some arid regions might benefit from tree planting because trees can increase soil porosity and soil organic carbon, thus promoting the infiltration capacity and water storage capacity of local soil. There is also a need to factor in seasonal impacts for arid areas that receive most of their precipitation on a few occasions per year. Despite these factors, the authors affirm their hypothesis that post-reforestation "streamflow will decrease for most of the world’s important river basins despite the indirect effect of evaporation recycling." In the past, afforestation has failed unless it is done with an aggressive weedy tree such as the Acacia nilotica or Prosopis juliflora, which was officially grown in the Thar Desert of India in the 1930s to afforest the desert wasteland. India: Learning from Possible Miscalculations Just because an area is without tree cover does not mean it is time to start planting. According to a 2015 study, The World Resources Institute (WRI) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) once "misidentified nine million square kilometers of ancient grassy biomes as providing ‘opportunities’ for forest restoration." In reality, establishing forests in such grasslands, savannas, and open-canopy woodlands would "devastate biodiversity and ecosystem services," according to the study’s authors. Fortunately, missteps based on miscalculations can be avoided. In the case of India, an Expert Technical Committee constituted by the Madras High Court recently found the Uppanar backwater region unsuitable for mangrove reforestation because of the area’s steep slope and tidal conditions in which mangroves would not thrive. The investigation was ordered to address concerns over reforestation proposals for the area. India’s Rajasthan State: Reforestation Success India has seen hydrological benefits from reforestation, however, even in arid regions such as The Rajasthan State. Rajasthan receives 16.05 billion cubic meters of water from rainfall annually but loses four billion cubic meters of that to runoff. Despite the heavy losses, work done under the Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan—Chief Minister’s Water Self-reliance Campaign (MJSA)—has raised average ground water levels in local villages by nearly five feet in twenty-one of Rajasthan’s non-desert districts. In addition, the need to supply locals with water via tankers has fallen to about 56% due to this project. Soil erosion has also declined and soil fertility has improved in the region, resulting in increased agricultural production. MJSA, which was launched in 2016, has been linked to the "Van Kranti" (Afforestation Mission) and the planting of about 148 lakh (1 lakh=100,000) saplings across the state. Thousands of newly constructed or renovated water structures under MJSA are being covered or surrounded by saplings to retain groundwater levels, reduce soil erosion, and boost biodiversity through the protection of local wildlife. According to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan: "It is a foregone conclusion that MJSA has been a huge success and a trendsetter in the country on [the] water management front. In many ways, MJSA is an important step towards ‘climate proofing’ the State." Conclusion Taking into account both the global benefits and possible negative local water impacts of reforestation, Dijke and colleagues call for more careful planning. "We emphasize that future tree-restoration strategies should consider these hydrological effects." *Dr. Mahesh K. Gaur is Principal Scientist at the ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, India. He specializes in aridlands geography and the application of satellite remote sensing, GIS and digital image processing for natural resources mapping, management and assessment and also researches drought, desertification, land degradation, indigenous knowledge systems, and the socio-economic milieu of the Thar Desert of India. He is author/editor of 8 books on Drylands, Desertification, Watershed, Food Security, Remote Sensing, etc. A member of the Association of American Geographers and the Society for Conservation Biology, and several editorial boards of journals, he has been awarded the Citizen Karamveer Award 2011 by iCONGO; the Millennium Award and recognitions by the UGC of India and Scientific Assembly of the International Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). *Dr. Victor R. Squires is a Distinguished Guest Professor in the Institute of Desertification Studies, Beijing. An Australian with a PhD in Rangeland Science from Utah State University (US), he is a former (retired) Foundation Dean of the Faculty of Natural Resource Management at the University of Adelaide and author/editor of 22 books on Drylands, Desertification, and Ecological Restoration. He has been a consultant to World Bank, Asian Development and various UN agencies in Africa, China, Central Asia and the Middle East. He was awarded the 2008 International Award and Gold Medal for International Science and Technology Cooperation by the Government of China and in 2015 was honored by the Society for Range Management (USA) with an Outstanding Achievement Award and was recognized a member of the Order of Australia for services to ecology, especially rangelands.

By Dilafruz Williams* Every day, the news cycle floods us with stories about dramatic environmental degradation that endangers life on earth. We hear about environmental threats to humanity, the urgency of climate change, and the ongoing pillaging of Earth’s natural wealth—its soils, water, wildlife, air, and more. Earth’s present reality is indeed sobering and daunting. Given the dire situation, it is no surprise that environmental education is surging in popularity worldwide. Knowledge and passion are power in the fight against the vast array of environmental issues we face. Environmental education’s core tenets can be encompassed as: education about the environment, education for the environment, and education in, with, and from the environment. Classroom curricula and studying from books, while important, are simply not enough to bring about changes. Simultaneously, the key is to take learning out of the classroom and into the community and outdoors. Partnering with like-minded public and private organizations opens the door for schools and colleges to create meaningful programs that are mutually beneficial. Done well, environmental education empowers young people with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to tackle environmental issues. Just as important, students cultivate positive, ethical attitudes that are mindful of the plights of nature. Knowledge is not to be limited to the hard sciences. A deeper appreciation for varied cultural understanding and indigenous ecological knowledge enriches environmental education. There is no school or college subject that cannot support the exploration of environmental concepts or problem-solving opportunities and solutions. Over the years, everything from conservation to peace to sustainability to human rights education has been included in the study of environmental issues as complementary elements. These mergers are practical in bringing environmental education into real-world contexts. This inclusivity appeals to a wide range of constituencies committed to dealing with issues related to air, water, energy, soil, food, transportation, waste management, wildlife, biocultural diversity, social justice, and indigenous and native cultures, among others. Effectively engaged students can revitalize humanity’s relationships with nature. Promoting systems and complex thinking, appreciation of the arts through creative ventures, and opportunities to physically experience nature all awaken the senses. Hands-on practical engagement with real-life problems and the outdoors further enriches a holistic approach to environmental education. Through this, students come to appreciate the complexity and interconnectedness of their lives, their communities, and the world. The “environment” in which we learn impacts how authentic we find our engagement with environmental education. For example, the study in and of “green buildings” is a legitimate avenue of environmental inquiry. Their design, construction, and operation encompass environmental, economic, and social impacts. In Portland, Oregon, the Portland State University campus has several “green buildings” that are LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Not only are resources in the construction of buildings used with care, but also how these buildings generate waste and conserve energy is part of the sustainability equation and learning. The study of the life cycle of a building, consumption of resources, conservation, waste management, and issues related to harmful environmental impacts is undertaken out of necessity for the health and well-being of people and the planet. ‘Groundedness’ Inspires Action A sense of place—a “groundedness” in one’s local area—creates reciprocal relationships and critical engagement with the local social and ecological environment. Students with a developed sense of place take action in numerous ways that serve their local communities while supporting nature. In urban areas where access to nature is scarce, students stake out green spaces and community gardens by digging up lawns and de-paving parking lots. They test water quality in local watersheds, monitor their neighborhoods’ air quality, plant native vegetation to restore degraded areas, reduce their waste, use alternative modes of transportation, and become interested in biocultural diversity and indigenous/native cultures in their regions. Students are change-makers. In my experience, one excellent means of engaging students is through cultivating and nurturing gardens. When students actively create healthy soil, grow food with care, and promote wildlife relationships in places where they learn, they experience being active participants in bettering the world. Cultivate Curiosity Children’s latent curiosity and wonder must be nurtured. We all have heard young children and youth ask penetrating questions related to life-giving organisms, ranging from the wriggling of worms to eggs in the chicken coop to dewdrops on leaves. Natural settings motivate endless marvel, wonder, and questions. For adolescents, topics that emerge include global food trade, persistent use of indiscriminate life-killing chemicals in conventional agriculture and on school grounds, the high proportion of corn in the modern diet, and the ubiquity of grass lawns. Many of the questions that students raise have no simple or convincing answers. But questions are the language of wonder, and they are to be encouraged in environmental education. Appreciation of interconnectedness as a defining characteristic of nature, along with realization of our inherent interdependence with one another and with nature, can have significant impacts on our behavior toward others. Understanding our role as part of the web of life binds our human health with that of endangered and polluted ecosystems. Recognizing the social dimension of interconnectedness may inform more peaceful and compassionate ways of relating with one another. The Bright Future of Environmental Action During these dire times of environmental degradation, love, not fear, will motivate humans to act. Successful stories and efforts of the myriad of children, youth, and adults can show us pathways to possibilities and human agency and empowerment. While we cannot expect one mega-formula to deal with global environmental threats, and no single academic discipline can have explanatory monopoly, integration of environmental education into schools and colleges demonstrates promise despite its challenges. Just as the stream has many tributaries, we can submit with humility to the lessons we garner from one another in our quest for a greater quality of life for all of humanity, offering a multitude of commitments to resolve environmental threats. For this, schools and colleges offer a common playing field for the integration of environmental education and developing a sense of urgency and empowerment for action. *Dilafruz Williams, PhD, is the chair of the Educational Leadership and Policy Department in the College of Education at Portland State University in Oregon, USA.

By Dhanada K Mishra* The cycle has come full circle. From competing with increasingly efficient ways of exploiting natural capital and converting it into produced capital (goods and services), mankind is now faced with the challenge of rapidly reversing course or facing catastrophe. In 2019 the treasury department of the United Kingdom commissioned Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta of Cambridge University to carry out a comprehensive global review of the economics of biodiversity. Coming on the heels of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s ‘Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5ºC’ and the onset of the global pandemic, the review couldn’t have been better timed. With the delayed United Nations Biodiversity conference scheduled for later this year, the report assumes even greater significance. It was important that the scope of the review was global and the mandate was for an economic review commissioned by the treasury rather than the environment department. What ecologists and environmentalists have been saying since the 1970s finally had a willing ear among those in power worried about the future risks for global finance. Their time had finally come! Today, we ourselves, together with the livestock we rear for food, constitute ninety-six percent of the mass of all mammals on the planet. Only four percent is everything else — from elephants to badgers, from moose to monkeys.” — Sir David Attenborough The reaction to the 610-page report released in early February has been almost universally positive. Luminaries ranging from Sir David Attenborough to Prince Charles and the Prime Minister of the UK, not to speak of eminent academicians from diverse domains, have praised the report for its depth, vision, lucidity, and courage to prescribe some tough yet much-needed action. The great naturalist Sir David Attenborough captured the crisis well in his foreword. “Today, we ourselves, together with the livestock we rear for food, constitute ninety-six percent of the mass of all mammals on the planet. Only four percent is everything else—from elephants to badgers, from moose to monkeys. We are destroying biodiversity, the very characteristic that until recently enabled the natural world to flourish so abundantly. If we continue this damage, whole ecosystems will collapse. That is now a real risk.” The Dasgupta review establishes the enormity of the crisis beyond doubt, with a mountain of evidence drawn from the best of recent research. Does the report have any weaknesses? Judging by the overwhelmingly positive reaction full of hope and optimism that the report will finally lead to effective action, it would not seem it has. However, there are some voices of concern, particularly regarding the idea of treating nature as capital. ‘Natural capital’ is defined as the idea of natural resource production independent of human intervention. It has been the source for extraction as well as the sink for dumping all of our waste to create much of our ‘produced’ and ‘human’ capital. Yet, its depreciation has never been accounted for. This free ride has been hailed and indeed the efficiency with which humans could exploit natural capital was considered the hallmark of progress and civilization. Therefore, there is a fundamental concern that treating nature as ‘capital’ would not help address the crux of the existential crisis faced by humanity. The Dasgupta review is broadly divided into two major parts. The first part of the review is about establishing in rigorous yet accessible terms the journey to the precipice, particularly in the period starting in 1970. The last fifty years have been epoch-making in human history in the way exponential change has taken place in a very short period. Global gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has increased about four times, average life expectancy from forty-nine to seventy-six years, absolute poverty has fallen from 60% to around 10%, and so on. The list of human achievements is endless in the period we have come to know as the ‘Anthropocene’—an age where the homo sapiens have come to dominate nature in a way unprecedented in the history of life on planet Earth. Between 1992 and 2014, the stock of natural capital per person declined by nearly forty percent, while produced capital per person doubled. Unfortunately, this rise in wealth and development has taken a serious toll on the earth’s natural resources. It is estimated that we currently need 1.6 earths to support the prevailing consumerist economy, notwithstanding the abject disparity that exists among regions. This relationship is elegantly captured in a simple formula N y / α > G (S) where N stands for population, y stands for per capita impact, α stands for efficiency of converting natural capital into produced and human capital, G is a regenerative capacity function representing the rate at which ecosystem services are regenerated by nature, and S stands for the total stock of natural capital. Between 1992 and 2014, in a little over two decades, the stock of natural capital per person declined by nearly forty percent, while produced capital per person doubled and human capital per person increased by about thirteen percent. Clearly, the equation is in imbalance to the detriment of our only home, the biosphere. Articulating ecosystem services as natural capital, whose depreciation is accounted for in the calculation of an alternative ‘green GDP’ measurement (or, as some have started terming it, ‘Gross Ecosystem Product’ or ‘GEP’), is certainly an important idea. However, this is by no means an original or first of its kind proposition. Quite recently China’s high tech city Shenzhen, after many months of experimentation, has formally declared moving to the alternative system of measurement of economic progress in line with the national policy of not pursuing GDP growth per se. It is certainly a welcome move on the part of economics as a discipline to embrace wholeheartedly what had been proposed earlier for decades almost coinciding with the start of the Anthropocene, by the likes of Kenneth Boulding in his famous essay - "The Economics of the Coming Spaceship Earth". Walter Stahel and Genevieve Reday in their report for the European Commission in 1976 introduced the idea of a circular economy by proposing the replacement of the ‘take, use and throw’ model with the ‘take, use and recycle’ model. Even more recently Kate Raworth’s proposal of the doughnut economy has tried to integrate the measurement of economic progress with human well-being and to the extent to which the planetary boundaries are breached. The second part of the report consists of wide-ranging recommendations to arrest the rapid slide in the stock of natural capital. From the inequality between the human impact on the demand side and ecosystem services on the supply side, it is clear that all steps must be taken to reduce demand and increase supply. As Sir David Attenborough rightly points out, by putting biodiversity at the core of economics and thereby bringing ecology and economics together, the review has provided the much-needed compass for urgent course correction. Enforcing new standards for reuse, recycling, and disposal, imposing new taxes on unsustainable activity, and mandating global supply chains to adhere to environmental norms would be important to reduce demand. Demand can also be reduced by boosting investment in women’s education and empowerment, which has proven to reduce fertility rates and population growth pressures. Given that it is far less expensive to conserve rather than restore natural ecosystems, substantial financial incentives must be put in place for communities to preserve life-giving forests, watersheds, mangroves, and the like. Given that the poor are more directly dependent on nature, this will go a long way in addressing the economic disparity between the global north and south. The world has a very poor record in meeting self-imposed targets. Unfortunately, the world has a very poor record in meeting self-imposed targets. The twenty Aichi biodiversity targets agreed on in Japan in 2010 to protect coral reefs, remove government subsidies that damage nature, and tackle pollution come to mind. It was the second consecutive decade that governments failed to meet targets. The UN’s upcoming Kunming biodiversity summit may be humanity’s last chance to set ambitious goals. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that unimaginable action, such as the complete shutdown of economies, is possible in the face of imminent calamity as humanity responded swiftly. Hopefully, the Dasgupta review may be a key driver for such a massive response as warranted to ward off the biodiversity loss disaster. There are success stories from around the world cited in the review that show that it is possible to do many of the things recommended by it. Maybe the same ingenuity and innate capability that first led us to make such large and damaging demands on the biosphere can also be deployed to bring about transformative change. The biggest challenge would be to create a new global system of governance that would ensure foolproof mechanisms so that the goals agreed to are achieved in the designated time frame, so as not to jeopardize the future of our descendants. The need of the hour today is to treat nature not as an asset or capital, but as invaluable and sacred. Our treatment of nature must transcend the asset-centric mindset to realize the true sanctity of nature as the source of all life, nourishment, and our very being. *Dhanada K. Mishra is a PhD in Civil Engineering from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, academic and technologist with strong interest in sustainability of the built environment. He is currently serving as the Technical Director in RaSpect Intelligence Inspection Limited, a start-up based in Hong Kong.

By Dhanada K Mishra* In the aftermath of a global economic crisis, South Korea decided in 2009 to invest two percent of its GDP—close to $38 billion—in what was then known as ‘green growth.’ The National Green Growth Strategy involved investment in environmentally friendly projects such as renewable energy. It was estimated that the plan would create about a million new green jobs and kickstart the economy. While the plan was economically successful, South Korea emitted more greenhouse gases from 2009–2014 than ever before. This raises an important question: Is it really possible to pursue continued economic growth without damaging the environment? A recent study in Nature suggests that balancing these goals is harder than it seems. The authors raise a serious question about some of the underlying assumptions of the highly regarded Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). None of the 222 scenarios modeled by the IPCC in their report included constant or declining GDP growth, whereas all of them included optimistic assumptions that negative emission technologies, such as carbon capture and storage, would be successful on a global scale. Thus, trusting the report’s assumptions without further investigation is risky. One alternative outlook, known as ‘degrowth,’ targets the possibility of limiting GDP expansion in favor of investments in environmental justice and securing the well-being of nature in balance with economic needs. GDP, as a measurement of economic output, only accounts for economic benefits while neglecting costs such as environmental degradation. Even efforts to supplement GDP with so-called Gross Ecosystems Products (GEP)—a measure that includes ‘the value of the contributions of nature to economic activity’— can only partially address the IPCC report’s omission. Rapid Economic Development Sacrifices Environmental Health In just twenty-five years, the Chinese economy has grown tenfold to become the world’s second-largest—accounting for fifteen percent of global GDP. The transformation of China over the last four decades as it embraced consumption-led, market-driven, pro-growth economic policies has lifted millions out of poverty. However, rapid growth has come at a tremendous cost to China’s environment and has led to rising social and economic inequality. China and, to a lesser degree, Southeast Asian countries—including India—illustrate best the strengths and weaknesses of pro-growth policies driven by technological leapfrogging. Growth does deliver much-needed financial resources to the government to take up large-scale environmental conservation, remediation, and social welfare action. However, the results are far from satisfactory in addressing rising economic inequity in developing countries with weak institutional mechanisms and rampant corruption. Even in mature developed economies like that of the United States, economic inequality remains an untamed beast. While the US economy grew three times between 1975 and 2015, the income of only the top 5% of the population grew significantly while the median income grew at a far slower pace and the income of the bottom one-fifth of Americans remained stagnant. Degrowth Shifts Societal Priorities The French philosopher, Andre Gorz, first introduced the term ‘Decroissance’ (French for degrowth) in the early seventies. He asked whether or not capitalism is compatible with an earth in balance with human need. And what if achieving that balance requires no economic growth or possibly even degrowth? Unlike an economic recession or chaotic collapse, degrowth is a controlled contraction of the economy that ensures enhanced socio-economic equality both within and among countries. To that extent, degrowth policy would reject economic growth at any cost while placing environmental sustainability and quality of life at the center of policy making. Degrowth policy would reject economic growth at any cost while placing environmental sustainability and quality of life at the center of policy making. Degrowth policy would consist of programs such as job guarantees, universal minimum basic income and shorter workweeks. High-income, developed countries would be expected to follow degrowth principles to rapidly reduce their unsustainable environmental footprints. Lower-income, developing and under-developed countries would be encouraged to implement green growth policies to ensure growth and employment generation with minimum damage to the environment. Such policies would encourage investment in healthcare, education, public transport, women’s empowerment, environmental protection, and renewable energy. Collective Action Targets Environmental Protection A common thread among environmental advocacy groups and political movements is a growing call for “systemic change.” As perceived, systemic change holds the State and various macro structures, such as mega-corporations, accountable for the current ecological crisis. While systemic change is crucial, only bodies like the State, the UN, and other powerful institutions can hold giant corporations accountable while ushering in policy changes to make future paths more sustainable. This reality raises the critical question of where the responsibility of the individual stands. Is humanity ready to play its role in embracing degrowth? Reconciling the ideas of macro-accountability with micro-responsibility—the role of the individual—requires that individuals envision a role for themselves in holding the state structures and mega-corporations accountable. What might individuals hold the state accountable for? That is where the study of degrowth strategies becomes relevant. Macrostructures like mega-corporations are key instigators of environmental damage. Urgent action at scale requires that individuals devote all their energy to making sure that their voices are heard. Mega-corporations, especially the fossil fuel industry, spend vast amounts on blaming the climate crisis on individual choices and promoting concepts like ‘personal carbon footprint’ as a way of deflecting their culpability. It is clear that an individual’s action, no matter how well-intentioned and practical at the micro-scale, would hardly make a dent by itself. The time for ‘be the change you want to see’ is long past. Urgent action at scale requires that individuals devote all their energy to making sure that their voices are heard, loud and clear. The Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion movements have been compelling recent examples in this direction. Excess Consumption Worsens Climate Change It is becoming increasingly clear from the experience of the pandemic that humanity has serious choices to make in the face of impending social collapse resulting from the climate crisis. Either we face chaotic economic contractions due to climate crises or consider planned contractions of economic activities for the purpose of mitigating climate change and protecting decent living standards for all people. It seems to be the nature of a market-driven, growth-centric economy to adapt and appropriate climate concerns—this nature is visible in the trends of ‘greenwashing’ that we see corporations indulging in today. A growth-oriented, consumption-led economy encourages spending that leads to such outcomes as the commercialization of holidays. Year-end holiday shopping leads to the release of as much as 650kg of CO2 per person into the atmosphere. As this system encourages us to spend and find ways to commodify every occasion, it also appropriates climate concerns by asking us to look to individual responsibility instead of advocacy for a new system. This is where we must turn to the possibility of climate-mitigating degrowth to counter any consumption-driven growth policies that damage the environment. It is well established that the acquisition of material possessions alone does not lead to our happiness. The nineteenth century American philosopher Henry David Thoreau famously said, “Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.” Great thinkers like Leo Tolstoy, Gandhi, and Schumacher were inspired by such thoughts and have shown an alternative to consumerism-driven market capitalism. By taking the path of climate-mitigating degrowth humanity will be returning to the source for the next stage of evolution towards a more evolved and enlightened being. *Dhanada Mishra, Ph.D., is a civil engineer, academician, and technologist with a strong interest in the sustainability of the built environment. He is currently serving as the Technical Director in RaSpect Intelligence Inspection Limited, a start-up based in Hong Kong.

The Real-World Impact of ESG Policies By Dhanada K Mishra* Thirty-year-old Sam Bankman-Fried, popularly known as “SBF” of FTX crypto currency exchange fame, made headlines when he was arrested on December 11, 2022, in the Bahamas on fraud charges. His net worth was estimated to be more than $20 billion, and he had pledged to donate 99% of his income to charity, including toward environmental causes such as global warming. But FTX, the exchange he led, had declared bankruptcy on November 11, 2022. This news surely rocked those who were excited about the prospects of such massive philanthropy benefiting pressing global problems. Sadly, the FTX case has become an extraordinary example of “an utter failure of corporate controls at every level of an organization.” On the face of it, this case seems to support the strong argument made by Tariq Fancy, BlackRock’s ex-chief investment officer, that the rapid spurt in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing could be as dangerous as offering “wheatgrass to a cancer patient.” The FTX collapse and discussions about crypto currencies bear some resemblance to the debate around ESG investing—that ESG, a well-intentioned initiative to tackle the biggest flaws of free-market economic, can also be accused of providing cover for “greenwashing,” or marketing environmental improvements when little or none exist. Greenwashing is a diversion that can delay urgent action to stem global warming. The recent 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, focused again on the goal of the 2015 Paris Climate Accord (COP21) of keeping the long-term global temperature rise to below 2 °C, preferably to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F). Carbon emissions should be reduced by roughly 50% by 2030 and reach “net zero” by the middle of the 21st century to substantially reduce the effects of climate change. Carbon emissions should be reduced by roughly 50% by 2030 and reach “net zero” by the middle of the 21st century to substantially reduce the effects of climate change. UN Secretary-General António Guterres articulated one of COP27’s major concerns: “We must have zero tolerance for net-zero greenwashing and ensure credible, accountable net-zero pledges.” His admonition relates to the central issue of the ESG debate and ESG implementation by big market players and even nations. ESG’s Evolution The idea of ESG was first elaborated in a 2005 study, “Who Cares Wins,” by lead author Ivo Knoepfel. Then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had brought together CEOs of fifty global financial companies, the International Finance Corporation, and the Swiss government, and together they made a case for embedding environmental, social and governance issues into the way capital markets operate. ESG refers to environmental sustainability-related issues, such as greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss; social responsibility towards gender equality and respect for human rights; and good corporate governance practices, such as having a well-balanced board and a whistleblower policy. Before the rise of ESG-driven impact investing, terms like ethical investing, corporate social responsibility (CSR), the triple bottom line of profit, people, and planet, and so forth, tried to capture the same issues but in a more voluntary framework. Many ideas, such as corporate social responsibility, started out as a voluntary initiative of the corporate sector to support promising social causes but have been subsequently mandated and regulated by governments. Many ideas, such as corporate social responsibility, started out as a voluntary initiative of the corporate sector to support promising social causes. In India, for example, a CSR regulation requires companies of a certain minimum size to spend 2% of their net revenue on CSR activities. Ethical investing uses a negative filter to eliminate investment in specific sectors that have a demonstrable negative social impact, such as tobacco. Environmental, social and governance are three dimensions in which the impact of a company, or any other organization, on our society and the environment can be measured. The same set of parameters can also be used to measure the economic sustainability of a business itself, though detractors say ESG can be bad for the bottom line. In any case, the global climate crisis driving disruptive extreme weather events has obvious implications for many businesses. Traditionally, free market-driven economics demanded only return on investment from entrepreneurs and their ventures and paid little attention to whether the enterprise damaged the environment, abided by labor laws, respected human rights, promoted diversity at the workplace, and followed good governance practices. Those issues tended to be considered as externalities, almost like inevitable side issues in the pursuit of profit. Interestingly, it is not concern for the impact of business and industry on the environment and society alone that drove the adoption of ESG policies. The realization that so-called non-financial ESG factors do ultimately have an impact on the bottom line of a company was also a major driver. Investors and fund managers became interested in ESG reporting and ratings for the same reason. Standards and Regulations In an article published in December 2021, Bloomberg Businessweek exposed what it called the “ESG Mirage.” It investigated 155 companies that were given a rating upgrade by MSCI—the leading provider of ESG-based ratings that form the basis of investment funds offered to the public. MSCI looked at the sustainability of the companies and their profits as affected by their governance practices and socially responsible behavior. But it considered environmental factors such as emissions and impact on climate change only as a side issue. Therefore, many of the companies, including McDonald's, got an ESG rating upgrade, despite reporting an increase in emissions. The article exposed many flaws in MSCI’s rating system and how it has been used to mislead gullible investors. There are other examples of this, such as Tesla's recent exclusion from the S&P ESG 500 fund (Exxon Mobil remained in the fund) supposedly due to poor scores on social and governance metrics. Tesla is undoubtedly one of the most important companies contributing to the environment as the largest maker of electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems. However, allegations of racism in the workplace, accidents of its self-driving cars, and malfunctions of its batteries resulted in a poor score overall. Tesla is still included in other ESG funds, which again exposes the inconsistencies in the current ESG rating framework. Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and SASB Standards are three of the most widely accepted ESG standards and frameworks. The GRI—promoted by the UN Global Compact and its 5,800 associated companies—is the oldest default framework. The TCFD framework provides standard disclosures relevant to their impact on the financials of companies and additional disclosures specific to a particular industry. SASB, on the other hand, is industry-specific and is more geared toward US corporations. SASB addresses the various ESG metrics and provide information that helps investors, regulators, and other stakeholders in decision-making. Input from these varied reporting frameworks and the many rating companies like MSCI can be confusing and often contradictory. There is, of late, a move towards unifying the various frameworks under a common globally acceptable standard. Last year's COP26, held in Glasgow, decided to create an International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), subsequently implemented by the reputable International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) foundation. A Question of Survival Since the downfall of Soviet Union-style communism, a thriving free-market capitalism has been fueled by Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization (LPG). Whether it will survive in its current form may largely depend on the impact of ESG investing. Major regulatory reforms would be required to avert the most catastrophic environmental consequences of the current open-ended economic growth model. When companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft declare goals to become carbon-neutral in all their operations, it has huge consequences for the world's net-zero carbon goal. In an era of trillion-dollar companies dominating the world economy, the impact of their business practices on societies and ecosystems is far greater than at any time in history. When companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft declare goals to become carbon-neutral in all their operations, it has huge consequences for the world's net-zero carbon goal. Among the top ESG-rated companies listed on the S&P 500, household names like Microsoft, technology company NVIDIA, and software company Salesforce have achieved MSCI AAA ratings consistently while delivering very good financial performance. Microsoft has been carbon neutral globally since 2012 and aims to be carbon negative by 2030. NVIDIA invests over $25 million in 5,000 non-profits annually while using 65% renewable energy in all its operations. Salesforce has already achieved carbon neutrality when the net sum of emissions and the purchase of renewable energy and carbon credits are counted. A Success Story Despite many associated scandals and flaws, the growth of ESG ratings-driven investment and assets under management remains unaffected ($37.5 trillion and increasing). One clear win for ESG-driven policy outcomes has been the positive change in the gender balance of company board composition in the USA. In 2017, the big three institutional investors, BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, took up the cause of improving corporate board composition, which had female participation at an abysmal 13.1% in 2016. It increased by 50% by 2019 to reach a still low but significantly better 19.7%. Such a significant improvement over a relatively short period of time does raise the hope that ESG-driven policies can indeed affect powerful change. Hope A meta-analysis of 1,000 case studies between 2016 and 2020 by the New York University Stern Center for Sustainable Business found a positive or neutral correlation between ESG focus and financial performance, depending on what ESG initiatives were being assessed. It further observed that improved financial performances were more noticeable over longer time horizons; ESG integration was a better strategy than a negative screening approach; and it improved risk management, drove innovation, and helped mitigate economic downturn and social unrest. ESG disclosure on its own does not help improve financial performance. Still, an honest implementation of ESG-driven policy actions certainly produces long-term financial returns while benefiting society at large. Clearly, a more rigorous adoption of ESG-based policies in business management and corporate governance will help save the planet and make the business world more resilient and sustainable in the process, helping the current form of free-market capitalism evolve into a more benevolent version of itself. *Dhanada K Mishra has a PhD in Civil Engineering from University of Michigan and is currently based in Hong Kong working for an ESG-focused proptech start-up. He has a strong interest in issues around environment, sustainability, and climate crisis.

By Dhanada K Mishra* In recent years, many investors have become increasingly anxious about the dangers of climate change, corporate greed causing environmental damage, and the slow pace of progressive corporate governance practices regarding issues such as flexible work arrangements, gender parity, and whistleblower protection. Therefore, investors increasingly are aligning their financial portfolios with their values and beliefs by choosing ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing. ESG investing considers a company’s environmental impact, social responsibility practices, and corporate governance policies when deciding whether it is worth investing one’s money. ESG investing does not offer a one-size-fits-all approach, and it is essential to understand the potential rewards, as well as risks. Two recent events have highlighted the importance of understanding the world of ESG investing. Adani enterprise, a large Indian conglomerate, has lost over $100 billion of investors’ funds due to a history of bad ESG practices exposed by Hindenburg Research. Also, the Crypto Exchange FTX went bust as egregious corruption was exposed. ESG and the RoR (Rate of Return) on Investment ESG is a risk-mitigation strategy at its core. It helps the investor evaluate the material risks of a company’s future performance based on its environmental, social, and governance practices. For example, a company that doesn’t address its employees’ grievances may lead to a workers’ strike. Poor waste management practices could get a company fined or subject to strict government regulation, not to mention adverse environmental impacts and possible litigation. A Gallup Poll of 953 US individual investors found most “prioritized the expected rate of return and risk for potential losses over environmental and other issues.” On the other hand, investor stances shifted in 2022 to one of “acceptance” (34% vs. 32% in 2021) and “compliance” (29% vs. 24% in 2021). Economists distinguish between institutional investors and individual investors, or so-called “retail investors.” While retail investors tend to prioritize financial rewards, institutional investors take the ESG framework more seriously in their risk-mitigation strategy. ESG investments can potentially exhibit superior risk-adjusted returns when compared to traditional investments. A NYU Stern School study found that among investment studies focused on risk-adjusted attributes, 59% concluded that sustainable options performed as well or better than conventional approaches while only 14% saw a negative result. The study comprised of more than 1,000 research papers published between 2015 and 2020. Evidence suggests that implementing ESG principles can have a positive impact on investment returns. A study by Refinitiv and Probability & Partners found that companies with higher ESG scores had higher returns than those with lower scores. Additionally, a survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) secretariat, “ESG Investing: Practices, Progress and Challenges,” found that companies with higher ESG scores also had higher returns than those with lower scores. ESG investments can potentially exhibit superior risk-adjusted returns when compared to traditional investments. However, the exact rate of return will depend on the specific ESG criteria used, the type of investments, and the markets in which the investments are being made. Additionally, the effect of ESG investing on financial returns can vary depending on the type of investor and the time frame of the investment. [For a discussion about ESG criteria and scores see Dhanada K. Mishra’s article, “ESG—The Greening of Capitalism,” in the December/January issue of The Earth & I.] Does there have to be a contradiction between the rate of return and ESG implementation? According to Svetlana Borovkova, “the investment community is split into two camps: One side believes ESG comes at a cost of financial returns, while the other thinks that good ESG performance promises better returns and lower risk in the future.” ESG Implementation in a Competitive Environment Implementing ESG initiatives in a competitive business environment requires a well-defined strategy and a strong commitment to its principles. Companies should start by thoroughly understanding their current ESG performance and their goals for the future. This includes setting specific targets for the reduction of their environmental footprint, increasing social responsibility, and improving corporate governance. Once a company has identified its ESG goals, it should create a plan to achieve them. This plan needs to include a detailed approach to implementation and monitoring, as well as a timeline for achieving the desired results. Additionally, the company should ensure that its strategies and initiatives are in line with industry best practices and regulations and that they are communicated effectively to all stakeholders. A company needs to ensure that the ESG initiatives are aligned with the company’s core values, vision, and mission. The company should also ensure that its ESG initiatives are integrated into its overall corporate strategy. This includes ensuring that the initiatives are aligned with the company’s core values, vision, and mission. And finally, the company should ensure that its ESG initiatives are integrated into its operations, from production processes to customer service. Regulatory Frameworks and Standards In developed countries, a variety of ESG regulatory frameworks and standards have been established. These include the Basel III framework, which sets out regulations for international banking, as well as the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which are used by many countries as the basis for their accounting standards. In the US, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) takes a principles-based, accounting-focused approach that applies equally to ESG disclosures. In Europe, a more prescriptive disclosure framework is popular, for example, the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Investment Results—With and Without ESG Considerations Investments can yield different results depending on market conditions and timing. Investments in general, and ESG investments in particular, tend to provide higher returns over the long term. According to a study conducted by BlackRock, the average ten-year return of ESG-positive funds was 7.4%, compared to the benchmark index return of 6.2%. The study also found that ESG-positive funds in the US outperformed their benchmark index by 0.5%, while in Europe they outperformed by 1.1% because of strong corporate governance. Higher scoring firms in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) ESG rating outperformed their peers by 1.5%. “Investing in positive, solutions-oriented companies focused on sustainability is where the market is going and where investors will excel going forward.” “By focusing on sustainability, we are able to potentially outperform the benchmark because the benchmark is comprised of the legacy economy, while sustainability-focused funds are looking forward to a new economy,” Peter Krull, CEO of Earth Equity Advisors, said, adding that “investing in positive, solutions-oriented companies focused on sustainability is where the market is going and where investors will excel going forward.” ‘Greenwashing’ and the Reality of ESG Implementation Greenwashing is a serious problem that obscures the true extent of companies’ ESG implementation. Greenwashing means making exaggerated or false claims about sustainability performance to appear more socially and environmentally responsible or ethical. An egregious example is fossil fuel company claims about how environmentally benign they are. Recently, it became known that research conducted as far back as the 1970s by some of the largest oil companies, such as Shell and Exxon, predicted global warming as a likely consequence of their business. They even put contingency plans in place to deal with sea level rise affecting their infrastructure. Today, many companies are not actively working to reduce their environmental impact or improve their social practices but are instead investing in marketing and advertising campaigns to appear more socially and environmentally responsible. This makes it difficult for stakeholders, investors, and customers to accurately assess the true extent of a company's ESG implementation. Benefits and Risks One key benefit associated with incorporating an ESG approach into investment decisions is that it can reduce risk in a portfolio by avoiding companies whose business practices may be seen as unethical or environmentally harmful. For example, by choosing not to invest in fossil fuel stocks due to concerns over climate change impacts, investors would avoid any financial losses should oil prices decline due to market forces or policy changes. Such changes are increasingly likely because governments around the world are setting up carbon emissions reduction targets. In addition, integrating environmental considerations, such as renewable energy sources, into investment strategies can also protect against future regulatory compliance costs caused by legislation designed to tackle global warming issues. Universally accepted ESG scoring metrics are still evolving, and for the investor to understand, evaluate, and select the appropriate ESG methodology can also be risky. On the other hand, some potential risks are associated with implementing an effective long-term strategy based on sustainable development goals (SDGs) principles. Many organizations have publicly committed themselves to achieve SDGs through various initiatives, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions levels. But these commitments often rely upon external factors beyond the control of individual businesses, for example, government subsidies and tax breaks. If these external conditions fail to materialize within the time frame expected, certain investments could become “stranded assets,” losing significant value. In addition, universally accepted ESG scoring metrics are still evolving. For the investor to understand, evaluate, and select the appropriate ESG methodology can also be risky. Unintended Consequences of the “Invisible Hand” The Chicago School of Economics popularized the moral philosopher and economist Adam Smith, whose birth tricentenary falls in 2023. One of the school’s eminent faculty members was Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, who said: “In the economic market, people who intend to serve only their own private interests are led by an invisible hand to serve public interests that was no part of their intention to promote.” However, the “invisible hand” is a much-misinterpreted concept that originated from Smith’s book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments. It was subsequently only once mentioned in a different context in his more famous book, The Wealth of Nations. This misinterpreted idea of Adam Smith seems to have brought forth a form of capitalism with unintended consequences on environmental, social, and governance fronts that need urgent redress. The best tribute to the great thinker would be that ESG could become a framework to rein in the worst aspects of free-market economics and save the planet from a climate catastrophe waiting to happen. *Dhanada K. Mishra has a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan and is currently based in Hong Kong working for an ESG-focused prop-tech startup. He has a strong interest in issues around the environment, sustainability, and climate crisis.

By Deborah Talbot* The world is facing a climate change crisis—and all its repercussions are yet to be felt. It is humanity's predicament to face its role in causing and solving the problem of climate change. Are we equipped for this responsibility? Do we have the knowledge, ethical awareness, and resilience to cope and thrive in the changing natural environment and animal populations around us? The answers to these questions are to come out of our education systems, but those are already flailing under the weight of many problems, including boredom, mental health problems, violence, and pandemic-related stressors. We know our children’s education is not always fit for purpose. Often, there are obstacles to progress, leaving us unable to implement what we know “works” to raise youth to become educated, trained, resilient, and optimistic adults. The Integrierte Gesamtschule Oyten (IGS, or Integrated Comprehensive School), located in Oyten, a small rural town east of Bremen not far from Germany’s North Sea coast, offers a fascinating alternative. Founded in September 2012 and educating youth aged 11 to 19, it aims to implement new thinking around learning delivery that relates to the now. It seeks to foster a sense of responsibility, ownership, and a passion for problem-solving the critical issues of our age, and not least the climate crisis and the implementation of UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework. Integrated Education at IGS Oyten Education research has shown that students learn more through interdisciplinary project work than standalone subject learning. IGS Oyten starts the school day with the “Open Beginning,” during which students may discuss the news, for example. They then progress to the morning “Learning Lab,” during which they take mathematics, German, and foreign languages. Students sit in groups and engage in peer-to-peer learning with individual checklists assisted by teachers’ individual or group coaching. The school diversifies assessment by including written exams and plays, presentations, and dialogues. IGS Oyten’s approach is a very personalized approach to subject learning. Luisa, a sixth-grade student, says, “I can work at my own pace and decide far more freely which tasks I want to work on.” After a short break, learners move on to theme-oriented education, bringing together subjects such as history, geography, and the social sciences in project-based learning. Then students move on to subject-based knowledge in physical education, natural sciences, art, and music. Following lunch, there is an individual study hour, special interest courses, with one-to-one tutorial support, and children working with their checklists. Learners also have tutorial time, class meetings, and presentations during the day. They are developing “Frei-Day [Free-Day] for Future” on Fridays, or Freitag in German, a play on the German word frei, meaning “free.” On this day, children work on their own projects. Other hands-on projects in the pipeline are the school forest, solar initiative, and the model school. Already up and running is the Sustainable Pupils’ Firm, a registered cooperative that hosts different specialist firms to foster vocational skills. One example of this is Make–IT, which does electronics, robotics, and physical computing. Dieter Schmidt, who is Didaktischer Leiter (meaning didactic leader or teacher involved in curriculum development) at Oyten, says, “Our approach is that these topics do meet recent and future questions much better than historically ‘grown’ subjects, which meet the structure of universities.” Why deliver education in this way when it involves a significant structural change to the way education is provided? Schmidt explains that when the school was founded in 2012, the team decided to take the opportunity for the new start by implementing a different structure: “In Germany, there is a saying from the philosopher Christoph Lichtenberg: ‘If you make something different, it may not become better, but if you want to make something better, you have to make it differently.’” Most importantly, integrating education in this way allows children to engage with critical issues, not the least of which is climate change. Delivering Climate Awareness The program complies with ESD goals and the German National Action Plan on ESD’s aspiration for children to become “change agents.” To become a change agent, students need subject knowledge, twenty-first century skills, interpersonal relational skills, and the ability to understand their social and natural environment as a whole. Students meet experts out of school, have greater responsibility and participation within the school, and are part of the local and regional educational landscape. ESD underpins most of what the school does in a “whole systems approach” that affects the administration, building structure, staff, education, and broader stakeholder involvement. Take the content of theme-based lessons described above. One example of this is a project around the North Sea’s Wadden Sea tidelands, where one student looked at how pollution affects the tidelands' ecosystem. The projects involve diverse subject expertise that pupils apply to their specific examples. Another example shows this learning in action. In one project, students looked at the question: “Does production change the world?” They studied the production of chocolate, figured out how it is made (by trying to make it at home) and researched the topic, including climate conditions for growing chocolate, social aspects of harvesting (such as child labor and slavery), and fair trade. Other projects researched the production of mobile phones, jeans, and hamburgers. Another example is “Network Earth—What Can I do?” Pupils choose a specialty based on their own interests; four pupils, for example, are working on photovoltaics. They build models or research problems and solutions for sustainable energy resources. The projects are not just confined to research and interdisciplinary learning. Students also learn the ability to act on their findings. Students give presentations to their classes, and their projects are assessed not only through grades but also learning development reports. They may also discuss the results with local politicians. The Future of Learning Climate change is a highly contested issue in politics, embroiled in culture wars rather than a deliberation based on science and planning for an altered future. It can be challenging for those who are unprepared to look at reality when there is no possibility to practice ownership in school. Implementing ESD into the curriculum of schools can change that. As Schmidt says, “ESD has to become the guiding principle for school and curriculum development to prepare the pupils to cope with their future. The pupils need content knowledge, but they have to have the possibility to realize and get experience with their own projects and reflect those together with their co-pupils and their teachers.” If children can learn that they can effect change to alter and mend the environment, they may create a society that can face the future without fear. *Deborah Talbot is a former academic and journalist with three decades of research experience in sustainability as a concept, focusing on cities, the environment, eco tech and education.

By Deborah Talbot* Environmentally Sustainable Manufacturing Boosts the Bottom Line Environmental sustainability and business success are often seen as being at odds with each other—businesses must choose between being profitable and being green. But growing numbers of businesses are proving that business success goes hand in hand with upholding ecological principles. Sustainability, as company practice and supported by a robust regulatory framework, can pay off in multiple ways. What are the key components of sustainable manufacturing? What do these practices look like? How can it be profitable? What Is Sustainable Manufacturing? The US Environmental Protection Agency says sustainable manufacturing uses “economically sound processes that minimize negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources.” This type of manufacturing also “enhances employee, community, and product safety.” When companies use ecological principles to produce commodities, the design of the commodities themselves, the manufacturing process, and the overall organization of the business are all affected. These companies also observe the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, which address climate change, loss of biodiversity, social inequality, and more (see above). As Kresse Wesling, CBE, co-founder of the successful Elvis & Kresse clothing brand, says, “Sustainability is best defined by what it isn’t.” “The definition of unsustainable is either ‘unable to be maintained in the long term’ or ‘indefensible,’” she says in an interview for The Earth & I. “Something that is sustainable needs to be able to continue to be produced in perpetuity (so think socially, environmentally, and financially viable given climate change, biodiversity loss and rising inequality) and defensible.” Concern For ‘Sustainability’ Growing Sustainable manufacturing is no longer a minority concern. Research by KPMG of the top 100 companies out of 5,200 sampled companies in 52 countries found that 80% now report on sustainability and a growing number—around 40%—acknowledge the financial risks of climate change in their reporting. This finding shows sustainability reporting is more than “greenwashing” or the practice of purporting to be environmentally conscious for marketing purposes. In 2015, the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) was created to assist companies to disclose information related to climate change for investors and others. Free market proponents argue that environmental regulations hinder economic growth and profitability. In the UK, for instance, the government has promised to water down environmental protections and ramp up fossil fuel exploitation to kickstart growth. However, a letter by 100 large companies—including Amazon and Siemens—urged the government not to abandon net zero goals. A survey of 700 CEOs and business leaders across seven major world economies found that 80% believe net zero regulation is needed for their companies and the economy. Seventy percent already had plans, and 80% had earmarked funding to implement net-zero practices. Sustainability has positive impacts on business practice, employees, and product manufacture. But it’s not just a question of risk mitigation. Sustainability has positive impacts on business practice, employees, and product manufacture. A conference paper by Jawahir and Dillon (2007) identified six elements of sustainable manufacturing: manufacturing cost, energy consumption, waste management, operational safety, personnel health, and environmental impact. All these diverse elements of a business operation contribute to sustainability. While the initial outlay to transition to environmentally friendly production might be daunting and require considerable investment, most of these measures also save production costs: Improved employee health and operational safety cut sick pay or absenteeism, and wise energy consumption and waste management practices lower running costs. Being a sustainable brand increasingly has benefits. A McKinsey & Co., survey found that 66% of US respondents (and 77% of millennials) say they consider sustainability when making a luxury purchase. The Economist Intelligence Unit said there has been a 71% rise in online searches for sustainable goods in the last five years. Unilever’s eco-brands grew 46% more than its other products and comprised 70% of its turnover growth in 2017. However, cost is an issue; the McKinsey survey revealed that only a minority of consumers would pay higher prices for sustainability. Environmental Regulation: Helping or Hindering? In some political narratives, environmental regulation is seen as holding businesses back. But for many companies, environmental regulation helps create a stable business environment; everyone knows where they stand, and there is a level playing field. For Wesling, “Regulations are a necessity, but I have never understood why anyone sees them as anything other than the parameters in which you can be truly creative and regenerative.” She cites the theory of “doughnut economics”—which advocates human improvement within an overall boundary of planetary limitations—as a source of inspiration. Citing the 1972 report to the Club of Rome, “The Limits to Growth,” which argued that humans have to work within limits set by nature and natural resources, Burkhard Remmers, head of International Communications for Wilkhahn, says, “[T]here is probably no way around legal regulations to achieve real change." So, what does corporate sustainability look like? Two notable companies have embraced the idea of sustainable business and design. Elvis & Kresse Founded in 2005, Elvis & Kresse rescued the London Fire Brigade's damaged and retired fire hoses from landfill. Over ten years, they have upcycled 300 tons of decommissioned hose, turning them into luxury accessories such as bags, wallets, belts, and notebooks. They donate 50% of their profits to charity. In 2017, they partnered with the Burberry Foundation to tackle the mountain of leather waste. Over five years, they aim to recraft a minimum of 120 tons of leather offcuts to make high-end goods sold through the Elvis & Kresse brand and business model. The brand critically highlights the difference between being a truly sustainable brand and a company primarily delivering profit through greenwashing. For Kresse, it means solving a “crisis level [environmental] problem” for which companies can use the Sustainable Development Goals as a guide. Says Kresse: “It was never enough for us to rescue one fire hose. We had to solve the fire hose problem. It isn’t enough to make a very nice bag. ... You have to do all kinds of things. You have to be really genuine. You have to make a big promise, and then you have to deliver.” Wilkhahn German manufacturer Wilkhahn, founded 115 years ago, makes a range of ergonomic office and conference furniture. In the 1990s, it started integrating the principles of sustainable design and environmental responsibility into its products and production process. Wilkhahn believes design is best understood within an ecological and social context. “In short,” says Remmers, “sustainable design and environmentally friendly production are a constitutive part of Wilkhahn’s corporate culture and sense of purpose.” For example, the ON office chair has two separately moving swing plates (so-called Trimension® technology), encouraging forwards, backwards, and sideways movement, which allows the pelvis to rotate. This functionality is critical to ensure the spine's stability and health. The chair won the German Federal Ecodesign Award 2012 due to its innovation; health impact; capacity for retrofitting and repair; and its 97% recyclability. “Planned obsolescence as an industrial growth strategy must no longer have a future. … Quality of use, durability and repairability will … become the decisive criteria of the circular economy,” Remmers tells The Earth & I. The company also sees its working culture as integral to its success. They consider themselves a “human-centered workplace,” enacting the values of health, collaboration, identity, and a sense of purpose. One example of these values is that teams of employees consider tasks holistically before making decisions, which impacts positively performance and profitability. The Future of Sustainable Production Even if governments lag behind, the corporate world is waking up to the importance of working with the Earth, not against it, for the sake of humankind and the environment. Sustainability need not mean deprivation or negative growth. However, companies must do more than greenwashing. Successful companies that practice sustainability, like Elvis & Kresse and Wilkhahn, show that these practices are good for business. *Deborah Talbot is a journalist with three decades of research experience in sustainability as a concept, focusing on cities, the environment, eco tech and education. Sources: Deborah Talbot interviewed Kresse Wesling, CBE, co-founder of Elvis & Kresse; and Burkhard Remmers, head of International Communications for Wilkhahn.

By Deborah Talbot* “There’s so much nature out here, … I only have two eyes and one brain, and I think it’s going to explode!” exclaimed a six-year-old student at a school in Georgia, US, where a third of class time was spent learning outdoors. The student was quoted in a research report, “From Muddy Hands and Dirty Faces … to Higher Grades and Happy Places,” about children’s growing disconnect with nature, its consequences, and how to remedy it. A Children’s World Without Nature? The research documents how contemporary kids are less likely to roam freely and are more confined to home, the classroom, and scheduled play. As a result, children’s emotional connection to nature is diminished, as well as their emotional wellbeing, creativity, and resilience. 65% of primary school teachers worldwide found children in their care received less than one hour of outdoor playtime a day, with 12% saying children had less than half an hour. The “Muddy Hands” report reveals 65% of primary school teachers worldwide found children in their care received less than one hour of outdoor playtime a day, with 12% saying children had less than half an hour. The trend varies across nations, with 29% of American teachers saying they had outdoor lessons less than once per month compared to 72% of Australian teachers. A study in England, UK, shows that one in nine children had not set foot in a park, beach, forest, or any other natural environment for at least 12 months. From Nature Connection to Climate Awareness A research study by Otto and Pensini (2017) surveyed over three hundred 4th to 6th-grade school children on their ecological behavior, connectedness to nature, and environmental knowledge. They found that by being encouraged through Nature Based Environmental Education (NBEE), connectedness to nature had the strongest (69%) influence over pro-environmental behaviors when compared to environmental knowledge (2%). A systemic review by DeVille et al. (2021) indicates “that overall time spent in nature leads to increased perceived value for connectedness to nature and, subsequently, greater pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors.” Being in nature leads to a detachment from materialistic values. Researchers have found that those with self-transcendent (a focus beyond the self, for example, altruism) and biospheric (valuing the environment) values were more likely to hold pro-environmental beliefs than those with self-enhancement (personally focused) values. Wellbeing, Creativity, Resilience Can environmentalists use this understanding to change behaviors? Perhaps, because most people care about the well-being of their children, even if climate change feels more remote. Given the evidence that engaging with nature enhances wellbeing, creativity, and resilience in children, it can also enhance their—and their parents’—earth-protectiveness. In the UK, over 450 primary school children and their teachers responded to a questionnaire before and after Wildlife Trust events. Personal wellbeing and health increased after the events, alongside nature-connection and pro-environmental values. The children commented: “I enjoy being outdoors more” (83%); “It made me feel calm and relaxed” (81%); “It made me feel refreshed and revitalized” (79%); and “I would like to spend more time in nature in the future” (78%). The researchers observed that children had high levels of enjoyment, curiosity, and observation/engagement with nature. It also enhanced their social relationships. Research found strong positive associations between connection to greenspaces and pro-social behavior, enhanced mood, increased attention and resilience, and a sense of self-determination. Sprague et al. (2022) confirmed these findings on the impact of nature-connection on young people's personality development. They found strong positive associations between connection to greenspaces and pro-social behavior, enhanced mood, increased attention and resilience, and a sense of self-determination. Attention restoration theory teaches that experiences in nature enhance mental focus and concentration and personal restoration to health and wellbeing. We All Need a Forest School Many innovative educators seek to create new modes of schooling to reconnect children with the natural world. Alternative educational systems, such as the Montessori approach, see the benefits of children moving around in and having a tactile relationship with the natural world around them. The risky play movement is predicated on the idea that taking risks builds confidence and resilience in life. Forest schools—where children spend a proportion or, in some cases, all their time outdoors—take tactile, hands-on, and adventurous learning to a natural, outdoor setting. The first formal forest school, influenced by Steiner-Waldorf schools, was set up in Denmark in 1952 by Ella Flautau and other parents after observing the neighborhood children gathering in forests to play. Since then, forest schools have spread worldwide, typically for younger children. When it comes to tweenagers, there are some nature-based Montessori and Steiner-Waldorf schools available that combine nature- and classroom-based learning. However, by the time children reach their teenage years, the majority become “trapped” in formalized education in a classroom with frequent exams and pressure to succeed. The forest school approach can benefit children of all ages. A study in Scotland of adolescent girls’ engagement with a forest school showed that girls at risk of mental health and behavioral problems reported improvements in their mood, confidence, social skills, and relationships. These improvements persisted beyond the setting of the forest school. Forest schools increase children's physical and creative skills because the natural environment provides complex physical challenges and enables free, unsupervised, and “risky” play. Why It Matters All this research matters because children's and teenagers' mental health trends are worsening in many respects. In the US, the number of 12-17-year-olds experiencing a depressive episode rose from 8.1% in 2009 to 15.8% in 2019, before the pandemic. A study of students aged 11-14 in the UK found one-third reported depressive symptoms. War, poverty, socio-political instability, and climate change are causing repeated anxiety, even trauma. Engaging with nature can help young people's mental health and encourages them to care about nature’s health. The future of the world may depend on it. *Deborah Talbot is a journalist with three decades of research experience in sustainability as a concept, focusing on cities, the environment, eco-tech, and education.

By David Dodge* Few may have seen them before; they don’t want to stand out. Hutterites—women in bright colored, plain dresses and men in somber, dark jackets and hats. They’re almost always at a local farmer’s market in Montana, South Dakota, and in Alberta, Canada, on a Saturday morning selling fresh eggs, carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables and products of their farm. This quaint image of a quiet, rural people is challenged by the Green Acres Hutterite solar-powered farming colony in Bassano, Alberta. The pacifist Hutterites emigrated from Eastern Europe to the North American plains during the late 19th century, escaping almost three centuries of religious persecution, like their Anabaptist “cousins,” the Amish. While the Amish eschew modern technology, the Hutterites have become ambitious, industrial-scale farmers. The Green Acres colony has a population of about 80 people. The colony farms 20,000 acres, and powers its hog and chicken operation, its one-of-a-kind plastics recycling plant, Crowfoot Plastics, and its residences exclusively with solar energy. The Brothers Hofer Dan Hofer, the “financial boss” of Green Acres, and his brother, Jake Hofer, Green Acres’ electrician, along with David Vonesch, Chief Operating Officer at SkyFire Energy, the company that installed the colony’s two-megawatt solar system in 2015, are proud to show visitors the solar farm up close. The more than 7,600 solar modules are quite a sight, rows of them all facing south. It’s a field of blue that just sits there, quietly harvesting light from the sun and powering the colony’s future. “It still blows me away to this day,” mused Jake Hofer. “Yes, you look at the system, day after day, and there’s nothing moving, no moving parts, and yet it creates all this energy.” One of the two megawatts (MW) of solar electricity produced supplies the Crowfoot Plastics recycling plant, while the rest powers the farms’ operations and the colony’s residences. “You look at the system, day after day, and there’s nothing moving, no moving parts, and yet it creates all this energy.” Hutterite Culture Once one understands a bit about Hutterite culture, their embrace of solar power makes perfect sense. “Every piece of our colony’s livelihood is an asset and is very important,” said Dan Hofer. “You grow and supply your own meat, you grow and supply your own garden and vegetables as much as possible, so [solar power] falls kind of in the same category. It’s self-sufficient. You’re relying on your own resources; you’re not relying on someone else.” “We did it for economic reasons,” said Dan Hofer. “They [the banks] didn’t have an issue at all. After seeing some of the numbers, how the economics would work out, they were fully supportive.” As for the environment, Dan Hofer said the clean nature of solar energy is gravy: “We’re all polluters of the land, so it’s good to give something back.” For solar project developer SkyFire Energy, the project was a first in terms of scale. “The solar resource here is some of the best in Canada,” said Vonesch. “A system installed right here will produce about 50 or 60 percent more than if the same system were installed in Germany,” the top solar electricity producer in Europe. The wind resource in Southern Alberta is also among the best in Canada. So why did the colony choose solar and not wind? “Maintenance was one of the big issues,” chuckled Jake Hofer. “And I’m terribly scared of heights.” Making an Investment for the Future Thanks to a keen business sense and a DIY attitude, Green Acres pushed the envelope on the cost of the solar. The result should be a payback of their investment in 15 years if electricity prices remain low, or as few as 10 years if they start to escalate, according to Dan Hofer. “I think because of this system, because of Green Acres taking this leap, we’ve seen increased interest in these types of systems, and this scale of project,” said Vonesch. “It’s taken the ‘what’s possible’ to a new level, and lots of people are looking at it and following suit.” Intrigued by the economics, people from all over Alberta have visited and taken a cue from the Hutterite solar farm and started projects of their own. ‘Crowfoot Plastics’ Recycling Plant Green Acres’ commitment to the environment is demonstrated by the plastics recycling plant it owns and operates with electricity sourced from their solar farm. When farmers run out of grain storage space, they like to use gigantic plastic grain bags. These are less expensive than storage buildings. When filled they look like giant “grain sausages” stretched out on farm fields but once they are emptied “these tons of plastic are begging to be recycled,” writes Linda Maendel in her Hutterite blog. The Crowfoot Plastics recycling plant takes those large plastic sheets, cleans them, and turns them into small plastic resin pellets that are used to produce new plastic products, like garbage bags. Solar Pioneers The Green Acres Hutterite Colony was a pioneer in securing solar as an investment. Solar is now the cheapest method of generating electricity in the world, and today solar is booming in Alberta. The Granum Hutterite Colony also got involved with solar by leasing their lands to the Claresholm Solar Project, the largest in Canadian history at the time operations began in October 2021. The Granum colony made the project more cost-effective by doing one million dollars' worth of work helping build the solar farm. They will also benefit from lease payments that stretch well into the future. The colony’s participation in this project is quite an accomplishment for a community that still grazes their sheep on the same lands (underneath the solar panels) as they have always done. *David Dodge is an environmental journalist and a photojournalist who has worked for newspapers, published magazines, produced radio, and was the production manager for a Canadian nature publisher. He produced more than 350 award-winning EcoFile radio programs on sustainability for the CKUA Radio network. Find out more about David Dodge’s visit to the Green Acres Colony at https://youtu.be/ZDW2Yg0SOB0.

The following is an edited talk given by David Blekhman, PhD, Professor for Sustainable Energy and Transportation, who holds the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Alternative Energy at California State University Los Angeles, California, USA, at the 28th International Conference for the Unity of the Sciences, in April 2022. A combination of climate change concerns and attempts to restart the economy after COVID-19 have led to exciting developments around hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The hydrogen economy is far more universal than the economy based on lithium batteries because few countries and companies have access to mining and processing of lithium into battery electrode materials. Many countries and industries can economically benefit from working in the hydrogen space, which is growing from individual deployments to bigger concepts like hydrogen hubs or valleys. For example, Cal State’s Los Angeles hub includes such sustainable technologies as solar photovoltaics (PV) installation, robust electric vehicle (EV) charging, a fleet of fuel cell vehicles, and a Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility. In similar combinations, the concept will continue to repeat in various forms and sizes tapping hydrogen for electric power and transportation. Fuel Cells Are Electrochemical Generators Fuel cells are electrochemical generators that use fuel and oxidizer to produce electricity. Their advantage is that, unlike combustion engines, conversion to electricity is direct and at a higher efficiency than in its thermo-mechanical counterparts. Most fuel cells today concentrate on proton exchange membrane fuel cells utilizing hydrogen for fuel and oxygen from the air as an oxidizer. Conveniently, in addition to electricity, the only other emissions are pure water and heat that are appropriately managed. While the history of hydrogen and fuel cells is 180 years old, the more recent practical application was implemented for space exploration in the Apollo (1966) and then in Space Shuttle (alkaline fuel cells) programs (1981-2011). The advantage of fuel cells was also apparent for the same reasons they are beneficial now: For the long haul, it is a much lighter system than batteries. The Space Shuttle program utilized three 7-kW fuel cells in each shuttle. Systems up to 10 kW can be used in homes, forklifts, or portable generators. New systems have grown to 100 or 200 kW per fuel cell stack and can be chained to any power required. Cal State LA Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility The Cal State LA Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility is the world’s largest campus-based, on-site hydrogen generation station. It uses electricity and water to produce 60 kg/day of hydrogen, which is sufficient to fuel up to twenty passenger vehicles per day. Its Grand Opening was celebrated on May 7, 2014, and it has been providing motorists with hydrogen ever since. While operating as a fueling facility, the goal is to conduct applied research, workforce training, and public outreach. Over the years, the facility has hosted more than 10,000 visitors, of which 85% were K-12 and college students, and the rest were industry and government professionals. Accurate Hydrogen Fuel Metering In November 2014, the Cal State LA facility became the first in the world to demonstrate accurate metering to approve the sale of hydrogen by the kilogram directly to fueling customers. This achievement had a further national impact, as the National Institute of Standard and Technology adopted new hydrogen meter accuracy requirements informed by this experience. (A Cal State LA student created a fantastic 3-min video introducing Cal State LA Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility that can be found on YouTube. More information can be found at www.calstatela.edu/ecst/h2station) In February 2019, Cal State LA unveiled a fleet of zero-emission fuel cell Hyundai Tucson vehicles for use by the university community in an urban, shared-mobility model. Before COVID-19, students and faculty used the service to drive emission-free vehicles free for the first two hours. The fleet of eighteen vehicles had six vehicles deployed in serving Parking and Transportation Department needs and twelve vehicles dedicated to shared mobility service. In the aftermath, the Waive company that managed the program did not survive the pandemic. Eleven vehicles were returned to the manufacturer while the remaining seven continue to serve campus needs. Cal State LA plans to restart some of the shared mobility activities with fuel cell vehicles later in 2022 with another provider. California — Trendsetter in Clean Transportation California has been the trendsetter in clean, sustainable transportation around the world, compelling the mighty and powerful automotive companies to deploy emission-free vehicles. Currently, California boasts the largest fleet of hydrogen-powered vehicles that exceed 10,000 cars on the road. While this is not a large number, it is a start that allows us to break the everlasting chicken-or-egg conundrum. Car manufacturers provide vehicles, and the state takes responsibility for the hydrogen infrastructure. Perhaps, we might see up to 50,000 fuel cell vehicles in a few years. Hydrogen Fueling Stations California has the most operating public hydrogen stations in the US—forty-nine—with 124 more on the way. [See Stations Map | California Fuel Cell Partnership (cafcp.org)] The development process was initially proposed as a cluster model where several stations would be nearby and supporting each other during downtime. The newer models emphasize major corridors with larger stations over 1,000 kg/day retail and smaller, backup stations with about 400 kg/day. In 2020, California awarded a more than 120-station network to be built by three companies in three batches over time. [See: California Hydrogen Station Race Winners: First Element, Equilon, and Iwatani.] Some companies are trying to develop independent hydrogen networks, called Hub and Spoke, with private funding especially for the heavy-duty transport. Where the hub produces hydrogen, it fuels trucks and vehicles on location and delivers hydrogen to nearby stations. Trucks and Buses There are now thousands of fuel cell buses deployed around the world. Multiple manufacturers can integrate fuel cells into their coaches. Fuel cell buses are running in London. Canada was also successful in demonstrating fuel cell buses during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Over the years, there have been attempts to launch fuel cell trucks. The early market introductions have been supported by newcomers like Toyota, Hyundai, Refire, Hyzon, Gaussin, and others. Volvo and Daimler formed an alliance to produce their own trucks. [See: Volvo’s Fuel Cell Truck Alliance With Daimler Is a Return to the Hydrogen Bandwagon.] Hyundai has come out with several projects that deploy hydrogen trucks. Their project in Switzerland, with seven fuel cell trucks, shows their excellent performance in mountainous regions, where their battery counterparts would have had challenging times climbing those peaks over a distance. Thirty more trucks will be coming to Northern California for Glovis America, a logistics service provider, operating at the Port of Oakland. These trucks are equipped with 700 bar storage, allowing them a 500-mile range. Gaussin is a French company that manufactures warehouse and port logistics electric and fuel cell vehicles. It is ambitious and bold. Just to prove their confidence in fuel cells, in less than one year they put together the very first in the world hydrogen racing truck to compete in the 2022 Dakar Rally. The Gaussin team was successful in completing all stages of the race. (More information about Gaussin’s history, aspirations and products can be found in the article Dakar Rally to See Its First Hydrogen Truck Entry by Gaussin in Partnership With Aramco.) Locomotive and Trains A Colorado-based company, Vehicle Projects, was involved in several innovative heavy duty hydrogen projects in the early years of hydrogen. One of them was a switch locomotive by BSNF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway) at its switchyard in the city of Commerce, demonstrated in 2011. The 127-ton locomotive allows transients above 1 MW, while the 240 kW Ballard PEM fuel cell continuously recharged them. Hydrogen storage was 70 kg at 350 bar. The locomotive demonstrated the demanding switching-shunting for up to ten hours per fueling. Light rail has also been very actively pursued by several manufacturers. Fuel cell trains provide convenient, zero-emissions transport without the hassle of costly electrification and thus have a strong advantage, as they require the hydrogen infrastructure only at a few refueling points. Warehouse Logistics Surprisingly, the warehouse logistics industry holds the most hydrogen fuel cell vehicles—tens of thousands of forklifts are deployed. Fuel cell forklifts are a natural fit for this industry: Fuel cells refuel fast and can operate 24/7 indoors with no pollution. Battery-based forklifts need to recharge for hours or require special rooms for swapping batteries and recharging them while taking up valuable space and personnel. Marine Industry In 2017, the marine industry started to think about real projects as well. Concurrently, the fuel cell industry responded by developing fuel cell packages that could be seaworthy like those now available from Ballard and PowerCell. Around the world, several smaller ships, such as ferries and pushers, are under construction or have even recently been completed. The Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority will soon welcome the Hydrotug, the first hydrogen-powered tugboat. The Hydrotug consists of two BeHydro V12 dual fuel medium speed engines that can run on hydrogen and traditional diesel fuel. Other ports around the world are also coming forward with various hydrogen deployments, such as the port of Rotterdam, Netherlands; the port of Valencia, Spain; and the port of Los Angeles, California. After several years of design and manufacturing, San Francisco is to see Sea Change, a hydrogen ferry, operating its routes. Switch Maritime completed construction and started the sea trials of the ferry in November 2021. The ferry has 360 kW of fuel cell power supplied by Cummins and has a capacity to hold 246 kg of hydrogen. (Notable is that the first fueling took place from a hydrogen trailer that contained hydrogen produced at Cal State LA Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility.) Aviation Aviation is also fair game for hydrogen deployment. As other industries turn green, aviation might be accounting for a much larger portion of emissions if it does not change its ways. Thus, ZeroAvia not only imagines but realizes the fuel cell-based propulsion in the air. In recent announcements, Airbus also proposed to use hydrogen planes, but its work is based on using turbines burning hydrogen. In September 2020, ZeroAvia “completed the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered flight, which took place at the company’s R&D facility in Cranfield, England, with the Piper Malibu six-seat plane.” The flight was eight minutes long and climbed to 1,000 feet. Wind and Hydrogen The Norwegian research institute SINTEF is involved in the hydrogen research and demonstration project Haeolus, a 2.5 MW electrolysis production powered by wind. Kawasaki of Japan is designing a liquid hydrogen ship carrier, as Australia and other countries aspire to supply the world with clean fuel. (Australia plans to produce liquid hydrogen for Japan, hence Kawasaki wants to build an LH2 ship carrier to transport that hydrogen from Australia to Japan.) This aligns well with many turbine manufacturers’ efforts converting their turbines to run on hydrogen. The hydrogen hub efforts in the United States are slightly behind those in the European Union. It seems that Europe started later but drives much faster. Germany and Japan already have more than 100 hydrogen stations each. Under the guidance of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, Europe has been funding a relatively large number of Hydrogen Valley projects, descriptions for which can be found on the H2V website. We are to see many hydrogen projects spreading around the world and creating opportunities for many countries and industries. Please extend your warm welcome to the hydrogen economy.