A Farmer's New Climate-Smart Tool
Ryan Nelson, a farmer near Culross, Fife, is trying out an innovative approach to capture carbon and boost crop growth. He's spreading crushed basalt, a volcanic rock, across his fields. This "magic dust" is part of a process called enhanced rock weathering.
The rock dust is provided free by a company aiming to remove large amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. When it rains, the water absorbs CO2 as it falls. The raindrops then react with the crushed rock, locking away the carbon.
Nelson learned about this method from a farming magazine and remembered seeing it demonstrated on a gardening TV show years ago. Besides capturing carbon, the basalt has shown promise in improving crop yields and grazing quality in trials.
A firm called Undo is offering the rock dust to farmers and handles the spreading. They're funded by carbon credits bought by big companies like British Airways and Microsoft to offset their emissions. Undo hopes to remove a million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere by next year through this method.
Saving America's Slimy River Giants
In the chilly waters of North Carolina's Watauga River, a group of dedicated scientists is working to protect the Eastern hellbender; an ancient and unique creature. This giant salamander, nicknamed the "snot otter" or "lasagne lizard," is facing a tough battle for survival.
These amphibians can grow up to 29 inches long and have been around for millions of years. They're perfectly adapted to life in clear, cold rivers, with flat bodies that help them hide among the rocks. But it’s sad that they face threats from habitat loss to pollution and climate change that lead to their numbers dropping by nearly 80% across their range.
Andy Hill and his team from MountainTrue are leading efforts to save these elusive animals. They dive into rivers at night, searching for hellbenders to relocate them away from dam removal sites. It's challenging work, but every hellbender found is a small victory.
Stella McCartney's Bold Stand Against Leather in Fashion
Stella McCartney made waves at New York Fashion Week with a striking campaign against animal leather. The British luxury brand partnered with PETA to create a fresh twist on the iconic "I'd Rather Go Naked" ads, featuring nude activists holding "No Leather Ever" signs in the SoHo flagship store.
This eye-catching display launched both McCartney's Fall/Winter 2024 collection and PETA's pledge to avoid real leather. Actor Caylee Cowan, one of the campaign models, expressed pride in supporting cruelty-free fashion.
Stella McCartney herself emphasized her longstanding commitment to leather-free designs, declaring it's "about f*cking time" the fashion industry moved away from animal skins. This sentiment echoes the campaign's slogan, inspired by a tank top the designer wore to her father's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1999.
PETA's president praised McCartney for pushing fashion forward with compassion and creativity. The campaign aims to highlight the environmental and ethical costs of leather production, urging both consumers and brands to reconsider their choices.
Predator Comeback Sparks Debate Across Europe
Europe's forests are once again alive with the sound of large predators. Bears, wolves, and lynxes, once on the brink of extinction, are making a remarkable comeback. This revival, a testament to successful conservation efforts, is now sparking heated debates across the continent.
In Slovakia, hunter Soňa Chovanová Supeková recounts a tense encounter with a bear's scent, highlighting the growing tensions between wildlife and people. Across Europe, from Sweden to Romania, countries are grappling with how to manage rising predator populations.
Some nations have responded by increasing hunting quotas, sparking heated debates between conservationists, farmers, and politicians. The issue has even reached the European Commission, with discussions about potentially downgrading the wolf's protection status.
Conservationists argue for coexistence strategies like fences and guard dogs, warning that large-scale culling could backfire. They emphasize that deaths from predator attacks are rare compared to other causes.
Keurig's Coffee Pod Controversy Brews Up a Storm
Keurig Dr Pepper has been charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over claims of its K-Cup pods' recyclability. The beverage giant agreed to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty to settle charges of making inaccurate statements in their 2019 and 2020 fiscal reports.
While KDP reported successful testing of K-Cup recyclability at municipal facilities, they omitted crucial feedback from two major recycling companies. These unnamed recyclers, who handle a third of U.S. recycling, expressed significant doubts about the pods' curbside recyclability.
Interestingly, this controversy comes years after the K-Cup inventor himself expressed regret over the product's environmental impact. KDP has since been working to improve sustainability, even introducing plant-based, potentially compostable pods.
As the dust settles, KDP remains committed to advancing recycling solutions. This case serves as a reminder of the complex relationship between convenience, sustainability, and corporate responsibility in our daily cup of joe.
