Most People Don’t Realize That Conventional Dairy Already Has Been Focused On Sustainability, We Just

Bugs across globe are evolving to eat plastic, study finds

Surprising discovery shows scale of plastic pollution and reveals enzymes that could boost recycling

The increasing amount of plastic being added to our environments has created intense selection pressure for microbes that can break down plastic for energy.

Looking at environmental DNA samples, researchers have found 30,000 different enzymes capable of digesting different types of plastic. Almost 60% did not fit into any known enzyme types.

While previous plastic-eating microbes had primarily been found in garbage dumps or recycling plants (locations with very high levels of plastic), the enzymes in this study were collected from soil and ocean water throughout the world, meaning this phenomenon is even more widespread than we thought.

The goal is to utilize these enzymes for more efficient recycling–essentially breaking plastic down into its basic building blocks to reduce or even eliminate the need for new virgin plastic. An enzyme created in 2020 is already being used to recycle plastic bottles in only a couple of hours.

Thanks to the anonymous individual who sent this in!

Germany has so much renewable energy it is paying people to use electricity

German energy consumers were paid to use power over the Christmas period, thanks to a slump in demand, warm weather and plenty of wind power on the grid, trading data shows. Power prices slipped into negative territory on 24 December and again on 26 December, according to the website of the EPEX Spot, which is Europe’s biggest power trading exchange.

Think twice before you adopt the belief that we live on a planet of scarcity. Abundance exists! My solarpunk novel called The Carbon Coast is set in a future where renewable energies are everywhere and the planet has a chance to breathe. Why am I imagining this future?

Because we can replace fossil fuels with renewable, abundant energy. It will cause growing pains, but we have to make this change, and I hope my novel will inspire people to believe in that future

follow @thecarboncoast for more posts like this and info about the novel

If you’ve been trying to go plastic free for awhile you’ve probably accumulated quite a few jars some way or another. I often buy in jars and will keep them for upcycling, but sometimes I run out of ideas on how to reuse them. These are some good ways to repurpose those jars. In addition to these some zero waste stores will take cleaned jars for people who don’t have containers but are looking for a refill. While some of these are exclusively for glass, some of these ideas work for plastic containers too! Happy upcycling!

photo credit to zerowastenerd on instagram

Blake Zimmerman of Houston, Texas discusses what Liquefied Natural Gas is, how it’s created, and why it’s an essential export for the United States.

Morning Mists ♥

National Park Laguna del Laja, Antuco, Chile.

Percentage of electricity produced by renewable sources, by US state.

Blake Zimmerman of Houston, Texas explains microgrids and the use of them to promote sustainability. https://blakezimmermanhouston.net/