July 31, 2021

Weekend Reads: The Real Carbon Footprint of Electric Vehicles; Seattle's Tech Taco Truck

It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web.

Three Steps Toward Sustainability That Every Business Should Be Taking (Forbes) There’s a misconception that sustainability is bad business. This simply isn’t the case. A 2020 IBM study found that nearly 80% of consumers say that sustainability is important to them. We also know that a considerable segment of consumers will pay more if they know goods and services are provided sustainably. Sustainability isn’t bad business, it’s good business. As Norway’s prime minster, Erna Solberg, told former President Trump when they met in January 2018, green is good business! Embracing clean energy and other sustainable initiatives will also be critical to global financial recovery. Furthermore, the European Green Deal and similar policies affecting American businesses may soon make sustainability less of a choice than a necessity.

Are electric cars ‘green’? The answer is yes, but it’s complicated (CNBC) As electric cars become more popular, some question if they are as environmentally friendly as advertised — with some saying that greenhouse emissions during the manufacturing process and battery-charging have to be considered. The number of electric cars, buses, vans and heavy trucks on roads is expected to hit 145 million by 2030, the International Energy Agency predicts. Experts broadly agree that electric vehicles create a lower carbon footprint over the course of their lifetime than do cars and trucks that use traditional, internal combustion engines.

The US’s largest solar farm is canceled because Nevada locals don’t want to look at it (Electrek) The 850 megawatt, 9,200-acre solar farm, which would have been constructed in southern Nevada’s Moapa Valley, was to sit on 14 square miles on the Mormon Mesa, a flat-topped hill around 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas. California-based Arevia Power and Solar Partners VII LLC withdrew their application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) last week in the face of opposition from a group called Save Our Mesa. The group, which is made up of residents, environmentalists, and others, feels that the solar farm would hinder hiking, camping, driving off-highway vehicles, and horseback riding and deter tourists from visiting artist Michael Heizer’s environmental sculpture, “Double Negative” (1969).

'Tech Taco Truck' in Seattle's Central District provides much more than just food (K5 News) Seattle’s Central District is turning some heads with the “Tech Taco Truck” that’s been charging the community for several weeks. Moises Santos has been running the El Costeno Taco Truck at an old gas station for years and said he had been dreaming about reviving the location that has been neglected for decades due to systemic issues. Recently, Moises made a move towards his dream of fusing sustainable tacos with community service. He is now empowering the community through powering the community, literally. A grassroots effort has led to a 10kw local solar power grid and the addition of WiFi and 5G service has enabled more local kids to access online learning. They offer mentoring for kids looking to develop technology of their own and host weekend tech workshops for locals.

Climate Change-Themed Mini Golf Course 'Putting Green' Opens in Williamsburg (Untapped New York) This summer, Two Trees Management will oversee Putting Green, a climate change-themed 18-hole mini golf course. Through Putting Green, Two Trees Management hopes to spark conversations with players of all ages on the importance of taking action against climate change and the pressing environmental issues affecting our world. As David Lombino, Managing Director with Two Trees stated, “We’re confident that Putting Green will help facilitate much-needed conversations about how to protect the environment and, even more specifically, the Williamsburg waterfront while still providing a beautiful open space for everyone.”

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