America's cities are succeeding in curbing air pollution, according to data from NASA's Aura satellite. New York City has seen a 32% decrease in nitrogen dioxide since 2005, Atlanta's levels fell by 42%, and Denver scored a 22% decrease.
W Hotels Worldwide has announced a new partnership with global music artist and entrepreneur will.i.am and Coca-Cola to shake up the hotel industry. The partners wil bring the EKOCYCLE brand to W Hotel rooms around the world by re-making their beds with new bed sheets which are made in part with rPET (polyester partially made using recycled plastic).
"Sustainability," says Young, "is not just about running more efficiently or using less carbon. It's about being able to sustain yourself in a future that's going to be defined by disruption and change."
Just a few days after the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, President Obama signed an Executive Order designed to encourage Americans to incorporate climate change awareness into their activities and plans.
In a creative attempt to protect California's waning water supply, Los Angeles released 20,000 "shade balls" into the LA Reservoir. According to researchers, shade balls could reduce surface evaporation by 85 to 90 percent, protect water quality by preventing chemical reactions triggered by sunlight, deter birds and other wildlife, and protect the water from rain and wind-blown dust.
Scientists have developed a technique that could pull the mounting carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and transform it into carbon nanofibers, resulting in raw materials for use in anything from sports gear to commercial airliners.
Knowing how conventional cotton is grown and denim is made, Patagonia has set out to change the industry. The company has partnered with Archroma on a new denim collection, launched this week, which is said to use 84% less water, 30% less energy and 25% less CO2 compared to conventional denim dyeing processes - as well as a campaign telling us all about it.
On Thursday, Sunny Delight Beverages Co. (SDBC) released its fifth annual Sustainability Report, detailing its sustainability goals and progress - including an $85 million investment in new production equipment to improve efficiency, reducing the calorie count for its beverages 50 percent, and sustaining zero waste to landfill for the fifth consecutive year
Unilever launched Me to We-an initiative that enables consumers to collectively facilitate clean water provision in developing communities through their everyday purchases, in partnership with Walgreens. Customers can contribute to the cause by purchasing select Unilever TRESemmé, Suave or Caress products at their local Walgreens through September 30, 2015.
Knowing how conventional cotton is grown and denim is made, always-a-better-way outdoor apparel brand Patagonia has set out to change the industry. The company has partnered with chemical company Archroma on a new denim collection, launched this week - which is Fair Trade certified and said to use 84 percent less water, 30 percent less energy and 25 percent less CO2 compared to conventional denim dyeing processes - as well as a campaign telling us all about it.
China plans to remove over 5 million vehicles from roads this year for failing to meet new fuel standards designed to reduce smog. The plan calls for removing 330,000 cars from Beijing and 660,000 from the surrounding Hebei province.
In the battle to limit the risks of climate change, it has been clear for decades that focusing on the world's immense tropical forests - saving the ones that are left, and perhaps letting new ones grow - is the single most promising near-term strategy.
Here are the clean energy trends that will matter in 2015:
- Moves toward 100 percent renewables will expand
- Energy storage will carve out a competitive advantage
- Low-cost oil could affect clean transportation, but not clean electricity
- Other regions will follow New York's fracking ban
Clean Edge predicts more companies moving to 100 percent renewables for electricity and that low oil prices could affect the market for clean transportation. Find out what else.
Why Dow, Coca-Cola, Google and many other big companies are joining the quest to cut waste by continually cycling materials back through supply chains.