Pressing Pause on Ecocentricity

The most recent edition of the Georgia Climate Conference was a resounding success. All of us at the Ray C. Anderson Foundation are grateful for the work that went into convening it. We came away inspired and reminded of how important it is to gather as a climate community.

In recent years, multiple companies have made promising progress on replacing graphite with silicon in the anodes of lithium ion batteries. In doing so, they are primed to significantly increase the performance of the battery type that is currently driving the transition to electrified transportation.

Whenever Lazard publishes their levelized cost of energy reports, I always dive in. I offer my takeaways below, but the bottom line is clear - the economics of renewable energy look really good.

There is some recent regulatory news out of the EPA, focused on protecting our water supplies from some harmful chemicals. Unfortunately, asking the EPA to regulate these chemicals the traditional way won’t be effective. Instead, chemical manufacturers should be required to prove the safety of PFAS before they are allowed to bring them to the marketplace.

Ray Anderson and the people of Interface were pioneers in creating a model for corporate sustainability. We need corporations to go beyond that benchmark though, seeking ways to be regenerative enterprises. What might that framework look like? Interface and Biomimicry 3.8 have the answer, and it’s called the Positive Performance Methodology.

This blog originally appeared on the Drawdown Georgia website on March 1, 2023. Sue Anne Morgan, an Atlanta-based event planner from idealand shares her secrets and the lessons she's learned while conducting sustainable events, including the Foundation's annual RayDay event.

CHaRM is a remarkable materials collection facility in Atlanta. On a recent visit, I came away not only impressed by how many different types of products they recycle, but by the good work they do in educating people about how to properly keep stuff out of the landfill.

For decades, banana farmers have tried to stay one step ahead of a fungus that is deadly to their crops. As that task becomes more difficult, farms will face the growing risk of the complete loss of their trees. This risk is one of the reasons that monoculture farming may not be the best way to go.

Humans have been making steel for more than two millennia. In its modern form and scale though, steel is responsible for a significant portion of annual carbon dioxide emissions. The whole industry will need to adopt a range of technologies and practices to reduce its negative impact, and steel recycling companies are helping to lead the way.