Circular Economy and Waste
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is the go-to resource for information on the circular economy and climate change, where we transition away from the traditional take-make-waste consumption patterns. The potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through circular economy initiatives is huge:
Today’s efforts to combat climate change have focused mainly on the critical role of renewable energy and energy-efficiency measures. However, meeting climate targets will also require tackling the remaining 45% of emissions associated with making products. A circular economy offers a systemic and cost effective approach to tackling this challenge. This paper shows that when applied to four key industrial materials (cement, steel, plastic and aluminum) circular economy strategies could help reduce emissions by 40% in 2050. When applied to the food system the reduction could amount to 49% in the same year. Overall such reductions could bring emissions from these areas 45% closer to their net-zero emission targets.
In such an economy natural systems are regenerated, energy is from renewable sources, materials are safe and increasingly from renewable sources, and waste is avoided through the superior design of materials, products, and business models.
Built in to the circular economy is the reduction of waste, and therefore more efficient operations and lower costs.
Life Cycle Analysis – Coal produces 25 times more greenhouse gases than solar photovoltaics
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has performed a "harmonization," or a further refinement, of hundreds of studies of life cycle analysis of solar photovoltaics, and compared it to the life cycle analysis greenhouse gas emissions of coal. The image above from...
Metro East Kickoff – Regenerative Organic Agriculture – May 13 2020 – And Funding Resources
Much appreciation and thanks goes out to our esteemed presenters and panelists! Presenter L. Hunter Lovins Natural Capitalist Solutions, President, Founder, Author Watch the video on YouTube. Hunter talks about regenerative agriculture, gives examples of...
Stop Using Oil – A Spreadsheet
Recently, a bunch of oil blew up in Saudia Arabia, so suddenly US shale oil producers are all: OK let's ramp up production, more oil and natural gas! How about an alternative to that option, since: Nearly half of U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions are from petroleum...
Key Takeaways, Presentations, Videos from June 12 2019 Event in Carbondale
Fifteen presenters helped to set the stage for community resilience in southern Illinois. One senior executive from St. Louis said: This is the best networking I've ever had. Panel discussions provided ideas and perspectives on energy, economic...
Innovation Panel – June 12 2019 – Carbondale, Illinois
The Innovation Section, with keynote and panelists, will wrap up the day's events at The Climate Economy in Southern Illinois - Creating Resilient Business, Jobs and Communities. The cultivation of southern Illinois' rich natural resources and waste streams are...
Biochar – Expanding Our Economic Choices
Biochar is an example of flipping our traditional way of thinking on its head. There are so many crazy things that humans do in mindless ways that result in damages to the environment. All we have to do is think differently. We have a choice before us now,...
Shop Local – Unleash Your Inner Entrepreneur
Since it's Labor Day, we're going to talk about how the shop local movement is not just about shopping; it's about people doing jobs that are rewarding, useful, entrepreneurial, and less impactful on the environment, while contributing to community growth and...
EcoTourism
With summer upon us, you may be looking for vacation ideas. Not to rain on your parade, but your vacation is probably not going to be great for the environment. Most mass-market tourism, the way we often practice it nowadays with no-holds-barred travel, accommodation,...
Biochar: Resurrection
Biochar is something you make out of dead organic stuff (e.g., wood waste), by bringing it back to life with a new purpose. Biochar has been around for a long time. It's been found in ancient forests, responsible for maintaining the health and productive capacity of...
Natural Climate Solutions: Trees, Water, Land and More for 37% of GHG Reductions in Near Term
Building on the soil theme, there's a fabulously detailed new study on "natural climate solutions" (NCS); it tells us how to use conservation, restoration, and land management actions across forests, wetlands, grasslands, and farmland. The actions will increase carbon...
Why the Climate Economy #6: For Future Generations
We are optimists at TheClimateEconomy.com, but we deal with reality and facts. We look at the facts, sometimes unpleasant, right in the face to understand what we need to do. This post is a reality blast in the face. It's alarming, but there's hope. If we...
Labels for Impact
The world needs a meaningful measure developed for products (and services) that provide information about life cycle environmental/social impact. How much energy is used, how much waste is produced, water used, if they stay under a certain carbon footprint (or zero...
Fossil Fuels Aren’t Cheap
Do you want cheaper energy? Maybe you need to go clean. Google "fossil fuels aren't cheap" (with quotations) and you get something like 300+ results. Why is that? Lots of fossil fuel folks say we need to keep them around because they're so cheap. Who's right? Well,...
A Fashion Transformation
"One truckload of clothing is wasted per second." Are you kidding me? This is from the findings of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's (EMF) new report on the textile industry. Also this: "If the industry continues on its current path, by 2050, it could use more than 26...
Soil: The Next Carbon Frontier?
Have you heard about the permafrost melting? This is soil or ground that's been frozen for sometimes thousands of years, and it covers one quarter of the land in the northern hemisphere. As recently reported, in places like Alaska and others, we're finding out that...
Waste Not Want Not
Waste is a huge opportunity. We're talking mainly here about waste from human consumption and daily activities (food, shelter, clothing, etc.). Humans produce it daily by the bucket loads (about 4.4 pounds per day per person according to most estimates). According the...
Why the Climate Economy #5: Um, Climate.
We humans kind of need planet Earth to be healthy so that we can all, well, survive. If the planet gets really sick, the only ones who will survive will likely be those hydrothermal vent creatures and super rich who can escape to the moon or Mars. Do you fall into...
Why the Climate Economy #3: Jobs
The Climate Economy is an infinite and transformational opportunity for jobs. You can pursue your passions and develop your own business, develop your community, or you can participate in may of the industries at the helm of the Climate Economy. For example, energy:...
What is the Circular Economy?
The Circular Economy takes the old fashioned linear take-make-dispose model and turns it circular, designing out waste and optimizing resource use. It's not just recycling, it's more like designing the product from the start to be zero-waste. Businesses save money by...