Despite one COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/12/17/moderna-vaccine-patent-dispute-nih/" target="_blank">recent announcement</a> that it would suspend its fight with the U.S. government over its mRNA patent dispute, we’re still facing this reality: There’s little hope of stopping the spread of the coronavirus if poorer countries cannot access vaccines safely and cost-effectively, as we can see less than one month after South African scientists first identified the Omicron variant.

To that end, <a href="https://accessibsa.org/about/" target="_blank">AccessIBSA</a>, a project spanning three continents that seeks to expand both access to pharmaceuticals and accelerate the discovery of new drugs in developing countries, has issued a <a href="https://accessibsa.org/about/" target="_blank">list</a> of what it says are 100-plus companies in Africa, Asia and Latin America that can develop mRNA vaccines.

Here’s your quick mRNA primer: These vaccines are possible due to the development of technology that allows a molecule called messenger RNA (ribonucleic acid) to trigger an immune response. Such vaccines transmit these mRNA molecules to immune cells, which then gives the human body the ability to identify, respond and then neutralize the related virus. Such vaccine technology is what allowed for the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines.

But one disadvantage of mRNA vaccines is that many of them require ultra-cold storage after they are manufactured, thereby creating a major challenge in vaccinating citizens of development countries with vaccines that are manufactured elsewhere. Nevertheless, research and development efforts are underway to develop vaccines that don’t require extremely cold temperatures for storage, and some of the current COVID-19 vaccines — including the one Moderna now manufactures — <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/17/935563377/why-does-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-need-to-be-kept-colder-than-antarctica" target="_blank">can be stored</a> in conventional freezers.  

Therein lies another problem: Supporters of the sharing and transfer of mRNA vaccine technology say that such action must be taken now (well actually, yesterday), especially when considering the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. 

“One year after multiple effective vaccines against COVID-19 were brought to market, we have failed to vaccinate the world,” wrote the authors of the AccessIBSA report earlier this month. “The distribution of vaccines remains highly unequal. In Portugal, a high-income country, 87 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated; in Nigeria, the largest country on the African continent, the corresponding figure is less than 2 percent.”

The organization added that, to date, about 74 percent of all COVID-19 vaccines distributed worldwide went to high- and middle-income nations. Meanwhile, less than 1 percent of them made their way to low-income countries, and that latter figure is rounded up, as the World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested the number is <a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-special-session-of-the-world-health-assembly---29-november-2021" target="_blank">0.6 percent</a>. Add the surge in demand for booster shots in wealthier nations, and the Omicron variant poses an even more dire risk for citizens of poorer countries.

To that end, organizations including <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/12/15/us-should-transfer-technology-covid-19-vaccines" target="_blank">Human Rights Watch</a> have <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/12/15/experts-identify-100-plus-firms-make-covid-19-mrna-vaccines" target="_blank">urged</a> the U.S. and German governments to take steps to allow the transfer of vaccine technology to the 120 companies identified in the AccessIBSA report. The bulk of them are in India and China; others are located in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia and Vietnam.

Even before the Omicron variant provoked a new wave of travel restrictions and mandates, the WHO estimated that booster shots were occurring at a rate six times that of first vaccine doses in low-income nations.

Despite promises of delivering vaccines across the globe along with some interest by U.S. leaders to do whatever is possible to inoculate the world, the Omicron variant is proof that such steps are not moving fast enough, say many organizations.

“The development of variants depends on the extent of the spread of the virus. The more people who get COVID-19, the more opportunity the virus has to mutate,” said <a href="https://cepr.net/yes-folks-omicron-can-be-blamed-on-patent-monopolies/" target="_blank">Dean Baker</a> of the Center of Economic and Policy Research earlier this month. “If we had really engaged in an all-out effort to get the world vaccinated, it is likely the vast majority of the world’s population could have been vaccinated by the summer.”

Hence the argument that the sharing of technology, not the sharing of manufactured vaccines, is what needs to be done.

At its conclusion, the AccessIBSA report makes this point: “If a company in Spain such as Rovi, that produces sterile injectables, with no experience making either biologic drugs or vaccines, can make Moderna’s vaccine, then there is no reason why a company with a similar profile based in Morocco, South Africa, Brazil, India or Bangladesh, cannot do the same — should it receive a full technology transfer from Moderna, as Rovi did.”

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/8thMgrYrjLc">Gani Nurhakim</a> via Unsplash

Omicron Variant Underscores Push to Share mRNA Technology Worldwide

“Local Meals on Wheels programs never cease to amaze me,” Ellie Hollander, president and CEO of the nonprofit Meals on Wheels America, told TriplePundit in a recent interview. “Every one of them has gone above and beyond consistently for probably 20 months now.” 

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, Meals on Wheels programs around the country have been feeding <a href="https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/learn-more/research/covid-19-research-portfolio" target="_blank">hundreds of thousands more seniors</a>. At the peak in summer 2020, programs were delivering twice as many meals compared to pre-pandemic times. By July of 2021, programs were still serving an average of 57 percent more home-delivered meals each week. With all that COVID-19 has put us through as a society at large, the eldest among us may have a harder time <a href="https://abc3340.com/news/local/senior-care-expert-offer-ways-to-help-elderly-bounce-back-after-covid-19-isolation" target="_blank">bouncing back</a>, Hollander explains, and an estimated <a href="https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/docs/default-source/fact-sheets/2021/2021-national/2021covid19factsheet_final.pdf?sfvrsn=cf1bb13b_2" target="_blank">80 percent</a> of programs say the new clients they’ve found are here to stay.

That’s a lot to take in, especially as the <a href="https://acl.gov/aging-and-disability-in-america/data-and-research/projected-future-growth-older-population" target="_blank">population of Americans 65 and older</a> continues to rise, and the vast majority of Meals on Wheels programs say they doubt they are meeting all the <a href="https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/docs/default-source/covid-19/make-good-go-further/make-good-go-further_final-report.pdf?sfvrsn=a7d0b73b_4" target="_blank">needs of their communities</a>, even though the programs are already financially strapped. The pandemic has shined a light on the growing epidemic of isolation and hunger in seniors, Hollander said, and Meals on Wheels programs are showing how a simple meal can create ripple effects across these seniors’ lives. 

<h2>Providing for seniors’ increased needs during the pandemic</h2>

Nearly all Meals on Wheels programs <a href="https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/docs/default-source/covid-19/research/covid-19-member-impact-report_executive-summary_final.pdf?sfvrsn=89fb13b_2" target="_blank">reworked their services</a> at the outset of the pandemic. Yes, they had to suspend group dining, but they also put together grab-and-go drive-through sites nearly overnight. Recognizing the broader impact Meals on Wheels has on seniors, many programs also supplemented their meal delivery with friendly phone call check-ins, Zoom gatherings, driveway visits, card writing, and other ways to ensure seniors in their communities knew they weren’t alone and that someone was thinking about them.

One volunteer in Saint Paul, Minnesota, told the <a href="https://www.wilder.org/courageous-stories/meals-wheels-rolls-covid-19-changes-continue-serving-older-adults-and-adults" target="_blank">Amherst H. Wilder Foundation</a>: “Obviously it feels more remote, but I’m really excited that we can still meet the needs of the people in the community. At a time like this we have to remember that we’re human and we have to take care of each other.”

<h2>How is a meal more than a meal for solitary seniors?</h2>

Despite the name, Meals on Wheels gives more than food. There’s more going on than meets the eye, Hollander said, adding that for so many seniors, the individual who delivers their meals is the only person they see during the week. Knowing this, staff and volunteers go above and beyond to be the eyes and ears in a home, making sure to notice if something needs special attention. 

When she asks a client about the impact they feel from Meals on Wheels, Hollander said they often say the meal is important, but the socialization, companionship and check-ins mean just as much. 

In Scarborough, Maine, for example, client Edith hadn't seen family or friends in months amidst COVID-19 lockdowns, but her Meals on Wheels volunteer, Candy, <a href="https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/docs/default-source/covid-19/make-good-go-further/make-good-go-further_final-report.pdf?sfvrsn=a7d0b73b_4" target="_blank">has dropped by regularly for the last eight years</a>. One day last year, Edith had a fall and couldn't pick herself up or reach a phone. Candy knew something was wrong when Edith didn't come to the door and immediately called 911. Edith was rushed to a hospital and nursed to health, filled with gratitude that Candy was there in her time of need. 

Beyond the wellness checks, <a href="https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/docs/default-source/fact-sheets/2020/2020-national/mowa_2020factsheet_deliver.pdf?sfvrsn=4da8b53b_2" target="_blank">90 percent</a> of clients say Meals on Wheels helps them continue living independently. From an economic perspective, helping seniors continue living happily and healthily on their own saves on unnecessary spending. Meals on Wheels calculates that serving a senior meals for a year costs about as much as one day in a hospital or 10 days in a nursing home. The economic burden of <a href="https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/docs/default-source/fact-sheets/2020/2020-national/mowa_2020factsheet_issue.pdf?sfvrsn=75a8b53b_2" target="_blank">senior malnutrition</a> adds up to $51 billion, and Medicare expenditures associated with social isolation in seniors cost almost $7 billion a year. 

"We need to continue to meet homebound seniors where they are,” Hollander said. “And when you give a little bit or a lot to Meals on Wheels, you're actually supporting local programs that brighten these dark days for America’s seniors. This holiday season and all year round, we want to ensure that no senior is hungry and alone, and we need everyone's help to do that."
<figure role="group"><img alt="Subaru donates vehicles to Meals on Wheels" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="88f2bf99-5248-4ae1-b57b-fff271d74ae6" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Subaru%20Meals%20on%20Wheels.jpg" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>On its 50th anniversary, Subaru of America donated 50 Outback SUVs to Meals on Wheels for use as delivery vehicles. </figcaption></figure><h2>Meeting seniors where they are during the holiday season</h2>

The holidays can be <a href="https://www.ncoa.org/article/four-steps-to-combat-loneliness-in-seniors-during-the-holiday-and-beyond" target="_blank">particularly difficult</a> for seniors living alone. During times of high need like these chilly months of winter, longstanding partnerships can lighten a nonprofit’s load. It’s up to each company to decide how they will contribute, but some Meals on Wheels partners provide useful examples. <a href="https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/take-action/donate/corporate-giving/our-partners/the-home-depot-foundation" target="_blank">The Home Depot Foundation</a>, for example, funds home repairs and modifications for veterans and their families, fixing safety hazards, installing wheelchair ramps, and doing critical repairs. The foundation has donated more than $11 million since 2015, alongside volunteer hours.

Subaru of America has included Meals on Wheels as one of the four featured national charities in its annual <a href="https://www.subaru.com/share-the-love.html" target="_blank">Share the Love Event</a> for the past 14 years. During the event, which is still active through the start of 2022, Subaru donates $250 to a customer’s chosen charity for every new vehicle purchase or lease. Over the years, the automaker’s donations have helped deliver <a href="https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/take-action/donate/corporate-giving/share-the-love" target="_blank">over 2.5 million meals</a>. Separate from the Subaru Share the Love Event, on its 50th anniversary, Subaru of America donated 50 Outback SUVs to the nonprofit, recognizing the need for more wheels to deliver more meals, Hollander said. And this year, some Meals on Wheels programs have partnered with local Subaru retailers to create emergency blizzard kits and shelf-stable meals and deliver them in borrowed vehicles.

“I believe, and I've worked for many companies that would agree, that companies that do good and give back, frankly, do well,” Hollander told us. Companies that want to make a difference can donate, volunteer or advocate, she said. With three-quarters of Meals on Wheels programs worrying they’ll lose financial support but maintain the same load of clients after the pandemic, now is the time for businesses to reach out to their local programs as they continue to help those most in need. 

This article series is sponsored by Subaru and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team. 

Images courtesy of Meals on Wheels America

More Than Just a Meal: Solving the Hidden Epidemic of Senior Hunger with Meals on Wheels

The Black Lives Matter Global Network is again promoting Black Xmas which, as <a href="https://blackxmas.org/" target="_blank">more of a movement</a> and less of a holiday, is centered around three pillars: Build Black, Buy Black and Bank Black. 

Much of the <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/black-lives-matter-blm-holds-christmas-boycott-white-companies-1655747" target="_blank">chatter in the press</a> covering Black Xmas sums up its organizers as calling for a “boycott” of “white companies,” but these stories are obfuscating the real message of this movement. Never mind the fact that the movement’s website doesn’t mention a boycott at all, at least one politician has called <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hawley-blm-sponsors-anti-american" target="_blank">ties to the movement</a> “anti-American.” Facts left out of these articles include the reality that as many as <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/black-owned-busineses-close-thousands-coronavirus-pandemic/" target="_blank">40 percent</a> of Black-owned businesses closed for good during the pandemic as federal relief efforts often <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/black-citizens-covid-19-relief/720941" target="_blank">failed to help</a> this community.

The movement takes aim at “<a href="https://blacklivesmatter.com/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=0JIdzhAlNv6dYkbKkTaBFjLjM0XzybJfo4IUE7uFRZs-1640094240-0-gaNycGzNCL0" target="_blank">white-supremacist-capitalism</a>.” For those who may be triggered by the term, take a step back and consider what’s happened to the manufacturing base in cities across the U.S., the financial industry’s contribution to the <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/black-families-intergenerational-wealth-gap/707026" target="_blank">intergenerational wealth gap</a>, and the treatment of frontline and essential workers <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/omicron-frontline-workers/732251" target="_blank">during the pandemic</a>. Meanwhile, many Black business owners felt alone in solving the challenges piling on their businesses, but were still determined to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/black-business-owners-social-change/727041" target="_blank">do what they could to contribute</a> to their local communities.

Bottom line: More than an outright call for avoiding “white” companies, the #BlackXmas call is more focused on learning about Black-owned businesses in communities within the Los Angeles region and beyond. And in the end, the celebration is about giving back to the community. Considering Americans’ penchant to <a href="https://fortune.com/2021/06/15/americans-gave-a-record-471-billion-to-charity-in-2020-pandemic/" target="_blank">donating to good causes</a>, the message behind Black Xmas is about as red-blooded American as it can get.

Prominently displayed among the resources on the Black Xmas website are <a href="https://blackxmas.org/blackxmas-cards/" target="_blank">cards</a> that users can download and then pass on to loved ones urging them to contribute money to a cause instead of buying a gift. Also available are cards that can inform friends and family that instead of a gift, a donation was made in their honor instead.

“This is about building strong Black communities so that we can have a degree of autonomy and self-determination,” said Melina Abdulla, one of the founders of Black Xmas, <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/social-justice/2021/11/26/black-lives-matter-la-holiday-shopping-give-back" target="_blank">during a recent interview</a>. “When we think also about what Black-owned businesses do for the Black community, they — more than any other type of business — also create livable-wage jobs for other Black people.”

Image credits via Black Xmas <a href="https://blackxmas.org/blackxmas-cards/" target="_blank">website</a>

Giving: The Big Takeaway from Black Xmas

New energy storage technologies are on the horizon, promising to solve the largest barrier to renewable energy — short term variability and seasonal imbalance, aka the need for power when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining. Long-term energy storage would ideally store and deliver days’ — or even weeks’ — worth of electricity, rather than just a few hours. For example, storing solar power from August’s sunny days until the overcast tinge of January. But full commercialization of these long-duration technologies is years away, even as the need for energy storage continues to grow rapidly.

Even a few hours of stored electricity can make a significant difference in terms of grid resilience and other bottom-line benefits. Before long-term storage is made widely available, facility managers can — and should — take advantage of energy storage in the form of rechargeable batteries available today.

<h2>The growing need for energy storage</h2>

Climate change, <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/solar-energy-us-2035/728246" target="_blank">renewable energy</a>, and the <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/coalition-electric-vehicles/120836" target="_blank">electrification movement</a> are the intertwined drivers behind the surging interest in battery energy storage systems (BESS). 

Wind and solar power help resolve the climate crisis by replacing fossil energy with zero-emission electricity, but these resources are, by nature, intrinsically variable. BESS can smooth out the gaps between this newly variable supply and traditional variable demand.

Much of the media conversation around BESS has focused on once-upon-a-time startups like the electric vehicle leader Tesla Motors and dozens of other emerging startups among the many technologies. In reality, automakers — including Tesla — have been relying heavily on legacy engineering and technology leaders to supply lithium-ion batteries and related electrification infrastructure.

Global consulting, engineering and construction firm Black &amp; Veatch was very much involved in the initial build-out of Tesla’s Supercharger vehicle <a href="https://www.bv.com/projects/partnering-tesla-construct-largest-contiguous-electric-vehicle-charging-system-world?utm_medium=partner&amp;utm_source=association&amp;utm_campaign=decarbonization&amp;utm_content=triplepundit" target="_blank">charging station network</a>. The partnership,  launched in 2014, provided Black &amp; Veatch with an opportunity to demonstrate its ability to scale up deployment of large-scale battery energy storage systems.

Black &amp; Veatch has also been applying its expertise in BESS to the fields of distributed generation and microgrids. Microgrids are designed to supply electricity to a limited area, such as small communities, military facilities, academic campuses and corporate parks. They incorporate energy storage to deliver power when wind or solar are insufficient or not available.

<h2>Battery energy storage is filling the gaps</h2>

Frank Jakob, technology manager for energy storage at Black &amp; Veatch, notes that a dramatic, ongoing drop in the cost of lithium-ion batteries has made energy storage a mainstream, bottom-line option for facility managers. The same economics driving batteries for electric vehicles is enabling stationary energy storage for electricity. 

Jakob says lithium-ion energy storage passed the cost threshold back in 2015. “Today, it’s now an economical substitute for grid power, for single-cycle gas turbines, and for demand-response elements such as reducing peak load,” he told TriplePundit. “You no longer have to pull down your peak load — you can use a battery to sustain operations.”

Part of the force behind the drop in cost is the scale-up of the battery supply chain, for which automakers can take much of the credit. Currently, the auto industry accounts for about 90 percent of the market for lithium-ion battery cells. 

<h2>Taking battery energy storage to the next level</h2>

Despite a vigorous conversation around introducing more BESS into the grid, energy storage in the power sector currently accounts for only 5 percent of the battery cell market, with the remaining 5 percent taken up by forklifts and mobile electronic gear.

Leslie Ponder, technology portfolio director for global distributed energy at Black &amp; Veatch, notes that market forces can make the case for utilities to adopt more BESS. Energy storage helps utilities add more wind and solar generation to the grid without sacrificing power quality or reliability. Some utilities are also turning to microgrids with BESS as a means of isolating and maintaining critical loads during periods of high fire hazard as long-distance overhead distribution power lines are deenergized to reduce fire risk.

Still, market incentives can vary from one region to another, depending on the cost of energy, Ponder noted. Businesses can use BESS to reduce their costs during peak demand periods. Under a scenario in which energy costs are relatively high, an investment in BESS can yield significant benefits.

BESS can also yield significant benefits in areas where energy costs are relatively low. Energy storage can provide resiliency from grid outages. It can also enable energy users to mitigate capacity hurdles that restrict how much power they can draw from the grid at certain times. Additional usage for electric vehicle charging, for example, can be a key issue for fleet managers seeking to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/fleet-electrification-us-postal-service/722706" target="_blank">electrify their vehicles</a> or provide <a href="https://cleancities.energy.gov/technical-assistance/workplace-charging/" target="_blank">workplace charging</a> for their employees. That consideration applies to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/electric-fire-truck/725266" target="_blank">government fleets</a>, those of other institutions, as well as commercial fleets.

<h2>Beyond market forces</h2>

Overall, the rising cost of natural gas has motivated utilities and energy users to take a closer look at BESS. Even before the current gas price spike, utilities were beginning to develop renewable energy paired with BESS to reduce or eliminate the need to build new gas power plants. Customer sited rooftop solar systems and on-site wind turbines are also becoming commonplace. Meanwhile, the installed cost of wind and solar continues to drop, along with BESS.

A number of different state-based energy policies provide utilities in some areas incentive to move more aggressively toward BESS, Ponder said. “There are different markets in the U.S., different areas of the country, with mandates or incentives that cause battery energy storage solutions to be considered for work as well as being constructed,” she explained. “For example, California and New York require utilities to look at BESS or other non-wire alternatives as options to solve grid problems. States also have incentives around resiliency and reliability needs that are driving the increase in battery energy storage.”

Also helping to drive the market is last year’s rule change by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which enables owners of BES systems and other distributed energy resources to aggregate and <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/ferc-opens-wholesale-markets-distributed-resources-landmark-action-breaks-down" target="_blank">compete in wholesale electricity markets</a>. 

<h2>Beyond lithium-ion storage</h2>

From a facility manager point of view, the case for BESS is strong. On-site energy storage provides for more control over the power supply and enhances the ability to electrify operations. It can also provide facility managers with opportunities to explore new revenue streams for these new technologies and become energy sellers as well as consumers.

As a means of reducing reliance on fossil energy, BESS can also relieve corporations from the policy uncertainty and regulatory stress involved in fossil energy infrastructure, including the controversial area of <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/new-black-eye-keystone-xl-pipeline-covid-19/87136" target="_blank">oil and gas pipeline construction</a>.

In past years, safety concerns may have caused some hesitation around lithium-ion-based BESS. However, technology improvements in recent years have mitigated this issue. Black &amp; Veatch currently recommends the lithium iron phosphate formula, for example, which is considered even more safe than other lithium-ion batteries.

Jakob also points out that system improvements, such as cooling plates, enable BESS systems to operate more efficiently at an optimal temperature, while new predictive sensors and other monitoring equipment enable operators to spot and fix potential problems before there is any impact on the system.

Lithium-ion-based BESS systems still cost more upfront than lead-acid batteries. However, they can easily make up the difference over time because they last about 10 times longer.

Still, the increase in climate-related disasters and the urgent need for additional resiliency are driving interest in technology that can outperform BESS on duration.

Black &amp; Veatch has been tracking the development of long-duration energy storage systems, based on a variety of different technologies. Some are based on new chemistries that can last 10 hours or more, such as flow batteries. Others are based on gravity, temperature, or pressure.

When long-duration technology does hit the market, developers may still need to convince corporate and facility energy planners of their value. Jakob notes that under current conditions, most electricity users do not “value the 10th hour of storage any more than the first hour,” and resign themselves to the current state of lithium-ion-based BESS.

Energy planners will have many more opportunities to adopt new storage systems in the coming years, considering the Joe Biden administration’s focus on clean technology.

The new bipartisan infrastructure bill is already signed into law, along with provisions for <a href="https://www.aip.org/fyi/2021/new-infrastructure-law-provide-billions-energy-technology-projects" target="_blank">significant new investments</a> in energy storage and renewable energy technology. The companion bill, Build Back Better, has already passed the House of Representatives. If it squeaks through the Senate, it will also help accelerate the clean energy transition in the U.S.

Energy users who plan ahead for BESS and other new energy storage opportunities will be all the more prepared to harden their operations against the impacts of climate change, including price spikes and other power system disruptions.

This article series is sponsored by Black &amp; Veatch and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team. 

Image courtesy of Sandia Labs via <a href="https://flickr.com/photos/sandialabs/51729854373/in/photolist">Flickr</a>

Why Battery Energy Storage Is the Solution Everyone Needs … For Now

South Bronx residents may soon be able to breathe again. Nearly six decades after the first drivers entered the Cross Bronx Expressway, the city has received $2 million in funding to devise a plan to “cap” the highway with green spaces, pedestrian walkways and air filtration systems. The study should kick into motion federal funding of upwards of $1 billion with the hopes to depollute an area in South Bronx dubiously dubbed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/apr/04/new-york-south-bronx-minorities-pollution-inequity" target="_blank">“Asthma Alley.”</a>

The Cross Bronx Expressway is likely to meet the same fate as its fellow dilapidating highways across the country: it’s getting capped. Capping consists of building parks and other structures on top of the thoroughfares to push these roads underground, transforming pollutant-generating, <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/-infrastructure-bill-start/728081" target="_blank">neighborhood-splitting highways</a> into green spaces that reduce noise and reconnect communities. Major U.S. cities like Philadelphia, Denver and Dallas have jumped on this trend, capping or lidding their highways with <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/04/more-cities-are-banishing-highways-underground-and-building-parks-on-top" target="_blank">“deck parks.”</a>

<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/30/plan-transform-cross-bronx-expressway-green-space" target="_blank">The study</a> of the Cross Bronx Expressway is the first step in addressing the marred legacy of the New York highway. Though the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway pre-dated the highway building frenzy that followed the passing of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, it shared many of the troubling development patterns that haunt many communities of color still today. Highly populated communities of color were forced from their homes and flattened to pave way for highway construction. Bustling boulevards ripe with shops, music halls, and restaurants that served as the center of Black culture were converted into highways that separated the community. 

Robert Moses, the chief architect and designer of Cross Bronx Expressway (along with many other roads, bridges, parks and pools in New York City), has been heavily criticized for the damage he left behind in many of his development projects. In the Pulitzer-prize winning book <a href="https://www.robertcaro.com/the-books/the-power-broker/" target="_blank">“The Power Broker,”</a> author Robert Caro uses nearly all of his book’s more than 1,200 pages to tarnish Moses’ legacy as a master builder. 

One of the 1974 biography’s most memorable chapters is titled <a href="https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/annb/files/2012/01/The-Power-Broker-Chapter-37-One-Mile.pdf" target="_blank">“One Mile,”</a> and tells the story of Moses’ determination, at any human or financial cost, to build one mile of road on the Cross Bronx Expressway that led to the forced relocation of 1,530 families (figures which are likely to be underestimated). While Caro says the other six miles that make up the Cross Bronx Expressway were designed more or less with “logic,” the sudden bulge that Moses proposes for the one-mile stretch is inexplicable. An alternative option that cuts just south would have required tearing down just six small tenement homes housing 19 families wasn’t given a second thought. 

Despite the protests and cries from the community, Moses got his way: The Cross Bronx Expressway was to run right through the bustling East Tremont, requiring the demolition of 159 buildings, including 54 apartment complexes and 91 or 92 family homes. 

“Neighborhood feelings, urban planning considerations, cost, aesthetics, common humanity, common sense - none of these mattered in laying out the routes of New York’s great roads,” Caro wrote. “The only consideration that mattered was Robert Moses’ will.”

Even those who defend Moses’ legacy as a tactful builder of many New York projects may struggle to defend the route he devised for the Cross Bronx Expressway. Along with displacing more than 1,500 poor families for the construction of one mile of road, the highway, seen by many residents as “America’s Parking Lot,”  is among the most congested and dangerous in the United States. The lasting health effects of the highway may be the worst of all - Bronx residents have one of the <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/columbia-center-childrens-environmental-health/asthma" target="_blank">highest death and disease rates of asthma</a> in the country.

Capping the Cross Bronx Expressway won’t be cheap. Similar projects typically run a price tag in the tens, if not hundreds, of millions, and the New York highway may exceed that given its congestion. But creating deck parks can also yield generous economic returns. Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park, which sits atop Woodall Rogers Freeway, cost $110 million to construct in 2012 but has generated $312.7 million in economic benefits, according to one <a href="https://www.cnu.org/sites/default/files/Spokane%20Case%20Study%204%20-%20Dallas.pdf" target="_blank">impact study</a>. Beyond the financial impact, 90.9 percent of park visitors said the 5.2-acre park improved their quality of life. It’s no surprise then that the city <a href="https://www.klydewarrenpark.org/about-the-park/phase-2.html" target="_blank">approved plans to expand the park</a> an additional 1.7 acres to relocate a popular dog park, enhance a children’s playground and build “an iconic water fountain” which will draw crowds for nightly light shows.

Just three hours south, in Austin, Texas, residents and advocacy groups are <a href="https://www.cnu.org/highways-boulevards/freeways-without-futures/2021#35Austin" target="_blank">pleading with the Texas Department of Transportation</a> to meet I-35’s challenges with anything other than highway expansion. TxDOT has remained steadfast that the only solution for improving the city’s most dangerous road for pedestrians is to use $4.9 billion to build up to 20 additional lanes. Advocacy groups, well armed with data and case studies proving the ineffectiveness of highway expansion, are lobbying hard to cap the highway instead, pointing to their fellow Texans in Dallas as inspiration.

Bronx residents hope projects like Klyde Warren Park in Dallas can be replicated in their backyard. As the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/11/15/1055841358/biden-signs-1t-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill-into-law" target="_blank">$1 trillion infrastructure bill</a> welcomes levels of spending on highways not seen since the Eisenhower-era Federal-Aid Highway Act, cities are clamoring to not only repair their crumbling roads, but also right the wrongs the paving left behind.

While reversing Moses’ <a href="https://pages.vassar.edu/realarchaeology/2019/11/10/the-cross-bronx-expressway-and-the-ruination-of-the-bronx/" target="_blank">lasting and visible legacy</a> won’t happen overnight, rethinking the Cross Bronx Expressway is a first step in hiding the road that US representative Ritchie Torres called “a structure of environmental racism.” 

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/U7_eLkxpmpk" target="_blank">Matthew LeJune</a> via Unsplash

Bronx Highway May Get Capped: Here’s Why It Matters

Maybe it isn’t fair to kick them to the ‘urb when they’re down, but then again, maybe Urban Meyer shouldn’t have kicked his team’s kicker, which earlier in the week led to one of the most vivid late-night firings since President Nixon’s “Saturday Night Massacre” in October 1973. In case you’ve had zero screen time of late, one of 2021’s bigger stories in sports is how Meyer, now the former head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, became an unfortunate gift that kept on giving since the Jaguars made a splash in hiring him 11 months ago.

Speaking of Urban Meyer moments, the world of environmental and social sustainability had its own fair share of face-palming incidents during 2021. This list is by no means an exhaustive list, but the following are some of the more head-scratching moments over the past year.

<h2>As the UN says eat less meat, COP26 rolls out a meat-heavy menu</h2>

While the organizers of COP26 touted a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/23/cop26-menu-plant-based-dishes-scottish-food" target="_blank">largely plant-based menu</a> with the vast majority of food sourced locally in Scotland, some critics were less than impressed. One attendee noted that <a href="https://www.bigissue.com/news/environment/cop26-haggis-the-most-unsustainable-dish-at-glasgow-climate-conference/" target="_blank">almost 60 percent</a> of the menu items available during the annual climate talks were made with animal products. “This is the equivalent of serving cigarettes at a lung cancer conference,” sniffed another COP26 attendee <a href="https://twitter.com/Joelscotthalkes/status/1455828102509117442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1455828102509117442%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Finsideclimatenews.org%2Fnews%2F06112021%2Fwarming-trends-cop26-food-greta-thunberg-vanessa-nakate%2F">on Twitter</a>. Considering the United Nations itself <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/whats-your-burger-more-you-think" target="_blank">has said</a> that “if cows were a nation, they would be the world’s third largest greenhouse gas emitter,” such an oversight is at the very least awkward.

The <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/11/12/1055030272/fossil-fuel-cop26-climate-change-glasgow" target="_blank">heavy presence</a> of the global fossil fuels sector, the amount of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverwilliams1/2021/11/05/118-private-jets-take-leaders-to-cop26-climate-summit-burning-over-1000-tons-of-co2/" target="_blank">private jet travel</a> that took leaders to Scotland and accusations of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/11/cop26-police-tactics-creating-atmosphere-of-fear-protesters-say" target="_blank">heavy-handed police tactics</a> taken toward activists also contributed to the poor optics in Glasgow. 

<h2>John Kerry reminds us why he wasn’t elected president</h2>

While we’re on the topic of COP26, former presidential candidate and secretary of state John Kerry, and currently the Biden administration’s climate envoy, did a fine job reminding us why the latest round of climate talks was weak tea. Call it death by platitudes.

In a Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/03/glasgow-summit-climate-change-john-kerry/" target="_blank">op-ed</a>, he opened up rather awkwardly by claiming the Glasgow event “has already achieved success” while saying that “time is running short.”

It gets worse. Kerry commends the Indian government for its commitment to renewables (but doesn’t mention its ongoing commitment to coal); lauds Saudi Arabia and Russia for their net-zero goals (need we say more?); and continues by reminding us that “We have seen remarkable progress in just a matter of months, but we must all accelerate our efforts.”

As just about every character on Schitt’s Creek said during that show’s six-year run, “I don’t know what that means.”

<h2>Insisting on having its own grid led to a winter mess in Texas</h2>

The February blackout that struck much of Texas evoked gasps of surprise across the U.S., but TriplePundit writer and Austin resident Kate Zerrenner reminded us we should have seen it coming. “The state leadership has resolutely refused to admit that climate change is already wreaking havoc on the state, from droughts to floods, hurricanes to the latest Texas winter storm,” <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/texas-winter-storm-energy-efficiency/719061" target="_blank">Zerrenner wrote</a> on February 26. “They claim they could not have predicted a storm of this magnitude. They also didn’t think Hurricane Harvey would wreak such havoc.”

Naturally, Lone Star State politicians blamed renewables for causing the deep freeze, but the state’s own grid operator said <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/04/28/texas-power-outage-wind/" target="_blank">lost natural gas power generation</a> was the largest culprit.

<h2>California’s governor undercuts wildfire prevention issues</h2>

Among the reasons why the effort to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom failed so spectacularly back in September was that it came across as a crass power grab; the Golden State’s absurd recall laws allowing someone like Caitlyn Jenner to run didn’t help much, either. But while Newsom’s opponents harped on pandemic restrictions and the governor’s ill-timed visit to the hoity-toity French Laundry, they overlooked one of the governor’s decisions that didn’t bode so well during yet another horrid season of wildfires.

In June, <a href="https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/06/23/newsom-misled-the-public-about-wildfire-prevention-efforts-ahead-of-worst-fire-season-on-record/" target="_blank">journalists revealed</a> that not only had Newsom overstated the level of wildfire prevention projects accomplished across California, he also cut $150 million from the state’s wildfire prevention budget. A surprise budget surplus in California’s budget this year spurred the governor to boost spending on wildfire prevention. Granted, climate change, manifested in drought, has been the big underlying factor in California’s wildfires. Nevertheless, try explaining the sudden boost in fire prevention as good news to residents who in recent years have lost just about everything to the fires, including their homes.

<h2>Canada’s PM just can’t quit the tar sands</h2>

It’s not Justin Trudeau’s fault that he reminds many people of that smarmy high school classmate who was captain of the football team, lacrosse team, tennis team, golf team, debate team, Junior UN, Junior OAS, glee club, LGBTQ-straight alliance club, Diner’s Club, future global leaders who sport a tattoo club, and student representative to the PTA – all while (or after?) his mother was partying with the Rolling Stones. He also, unfortunately, reminds us of that annoying colleague or neighbor who harps constantly about their life-changing, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canadian-pm-trudeau-mocked-for-political-fashion-blunders-in-india-2018-2" target="_blank">and wardrobe-changing</a>, trip to India and how they saw the light and found inner peace and fulfillment. 

But it is Trudeau’s fault that when it comes to the environment, he’s trying to have it both ways: <a href="https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2021/11/01/prime-minister-trudeau-announces-enhanced-and-ambitious-climate" target="_blank">positioning himself</a> as a global climate action champion while supporting Canada’s controversial tar sands industry. “Since 2015, Trudeau’s position has been to try meeting Paris Agreement goals while also pumping billions of dollars in corporate welfare to the oil and gas industry,” <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/24/green-canada-trudeau-oil-gas-keystone-xl-energy-sector/">Taylor C. Noakes</a> wrote for Foreign Policy.

<h2>Whatever happened to honoring the legacy of George Floyd?</h2>

Pivoting to social sustainability: Remember all those corporate pledges we heard about in the weeks after the murder of George Floyd last year? It turns out a lot of those financial commitments have fallen short, or even worse, have been outright forgotten. In fact, a Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2021/george-floyd-corporate-america-racial-justice/?itid=sf_business#black-banks" target="_blank">analysis</a> of the financial promises that 50 of America’s largest companies made to Black America last summer shows that those once-bold pledges have so far <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/commitments-black-america/727391" target="_blank">led to questionable impact</a>. 

The fact that many companies have been silent as voting suppression legislation keeps unfolding in statehouses across the U.S. also sows more doubt about whether companies are as committed to social justice as their comms departments makes them out to be. Bottom line, “these pledges ring hollow as state legislatures overturn decades of progress on voting rights, with a ripple effect on women and LGBTQ persons as well as Blacks and other people of color,” 3p’s Tina Casey <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/companies-george-floyd-pledges/723241" target="_blank">wrote back in August</a>.

<h2>And, why you should never, ever fire people using Zoom</h2>

We don’t pile on here at 3p – there are enough news and gossip sites that already do that and do it well. But as for that CEO who <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/10/22827834/better-com-ceo-vishal-garg-fired-900-people-zoom-time-off" target="_blank">fired 900 people</a> via a Zoom meeting earlier this month: What’s up with that? Well, <a href="https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/the-ceo-who-fired-900-employees-on-a-zoom-call-is-out-its-a-tragic-example-of-how-not-to-manage-people.html" target="_blank">karma bit him back</a> and chomped quite hard, but if there is a Razzie award for corporate leadership, this would be the “winner,” big time.

Image credit: <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/boy-facepalm-child-youth-666803/" target="_blank">Anita S.</a> via Pixabay

Seven Urban Meyer Moments in Sustainability That Marked 2021

Whether you're wishing your loved ones good tidings in person or from afar, we've got you covered with our sustainable holiday gift guide. From zero-waste options to gifts that give back, check off your list with these choices that are big on cheer but light on impact. 

<h2>For the most sustainable holiday gift, start by shopping local and buying used </h2>

As we say each year, it's hard to find a more sustainable holiday gift than something that already exists and might otherwise go to waste. Fortunately for waste-free shoppers around the world, a host of top brands are diving into re-commerce and making it easier than ever to shop secondhand without sacrificing style. Check out <a href="https://www.rei.com/used" target="_blank">REI</a> and <a href="https://wornwear.patagonia.com" target="_blank">Patagonia</a> for outdoor gear or brands like <a href="https://www.thenorthfacerenewed.com/" target="_blank">The North Face</a> and <a href="https://www.eileenfisherrenew.com/" target="_blank">Eileen Fisher</a> for clothing and outerwear worthy of a second life. <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/buy-used-secondhand-gifts/85901" target="_blank">Check out more of our favorite re-commerce shops here</a>. 

If you can't buy used, buy local. Most small businesses are still struggling amidst the pandemic, and your support can help them stick around. Even if you're still avoiding in-person shopping, sources like Google Maps and Yelp make it a breeze to find nearby mom-and-pops with online shopping options. To support Black-owned businesses, which have been particularly hard hit, directories like <a href="https://webuyblack.com/" target="_blank">We Buy Black</a>, <a href="https://officialblackwallstreet.com/directory/" target="_blank">Official Black Wall Street</a> and <a href="https://www.eatokra.com/" target="_blank">EatOkra</a> can help guide your way. And don't forget restaurants! Purchasing gift certificates can help your favorite eateries and bars weather the storm and remain part of your community. 
<figure role="group"><img alt="National Parks Wall Calendar - Sustainable Gift" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2de72acd-4818-441a-ab63-b073c9a381c2" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/National%20Parks%20Wall%20Calendar%20-%20Sustainable%20Gift.png" width="1000" height="1157" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of Parks Project) </figcaption></figure><h2>U.S. National Parks wall calendar from Parks Project</h2>

Gift the nature-lovers and art aficionados on your list with this practical and sustainable holiday gift that gives back. Sales of this eye-catching calendar, made from certified sustainable paper and featuring art from Wyatt Hersey of Chico, California, go to support the <a href="https://www.npca.org" target="_blank">National Parks Conservation Association</a>. Parks Project also sells <a href="https://www.parksproject.us/collections/top-holiday-gifts" target="_blank">a bunch of other cool</a> sustainable holiday gift options like puzzles, scented candles and outdoor gear featuring the work of up-and-coming artists and benefiting various organizations that work to protect public lands. 

<a href="https://www.parksproject.us/products/our-national-parks-2022-wall-calendar" target="_blank">Price: $25</a>

 
<figure role="group"><img alt="Sustainable Wood iPhone Charging Dock - Sustainable Gifts" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7afc3555-51d0-40ce-a79d-8fa676d57890" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Sustainable%20Wood%20iPhone%20Charging%20Dock%20-%20Sustainable%20Gifts.png" width="1018" height="1074" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of Oakywood) </figcaption></figure> 

<h2>Handcrafted charging dock from Oakywood </h2>

These smart charging docks for iPhones, Apple watches and Android devices are handmade from <a href="https://oakywood.shop/pages/our-materials" target="_blank">responsibly sourced wood</a>, and this Polish brand <a href="https://oakywood.shop/pages/tree-planting" target="_blank">plants a tree for every purchase</a> in partnership with One Tree Planted. It also sells handcrafted laptop sleeves, cases for phones and AirPods, and sleek work-from-home desks that are sure to make your favorite techie smile. 

<a href="https://oakywood.shop/collections/charging-docks" target="_blank">Price: Starting at $49</a>
<figure role="group"><img alt="recycled plastic cutting board - sustainable gift" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6c9c0fa3-e186-4ba3-b0e1-698688ca025e" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/recycled%20plastic%20cutting%20board%20-%20sustainable%20gifts.png" width="1423" height="1442" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of Material Kitchen)</figcaption></figure><h2>Recycled and renewable cutting board from Material Kitchen</h2>

Boost up your favorite foodie's sustainability chops with this cult favorite cutting board from Material Kitchen. With a modern minimal design made from recycled plastic and renewable sugarcane, the reBoard became a fast social media favorite — and it's easy to see why.

New York City-based Material regularly gives back to hunger relief organizations, and this year 50 percent of the profits from two reBoard colors (a peachy nude called To Pó-Po with Love and a rich green called Reimagine Justice) will support two awesome local organizations: <a href="https://www.heartofdinner.org" target="_blank">Heart of Dinner</a>, a nonprofit meal delivery service for East Asian elders, and <a href="https://www.drivechangenyc.org" target="_blank">Drive Change</a>, which trains formerly incarcerated young people for jobs in the food and hospitality industry.  

<a href="https://materialkitchen.com/products/the-reboard" target="_blank">Price: $35</a>
<figure role="group"><img alt="Ojas and Woo Vegan and Eco-Friendly Candles - Sustainable Holiday Gift" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="809c7c2b-8b4c-4438-86c6-71fcbc6f990b" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Ojas%20and%20Woo%20Vegan%20and%20Eco-Friendly%20Candles%20-%20Sustainable%20Holiday%20Gift.jpg" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of Ojas &amp; Woo) </figcaption></figure><h2>Sustainable scents from Ojas &amp; Woo</h2>

Brooklyn-based Ojas &amp; Woo is an eco-friendly, vegan, and zero-waste scent shop that collaborates with artists and artisans from across the U.S. The brand's small-batch scented candles feature wood wicks, coconut apricot wax, and "nice, natural smells," says our writer who gave them a try in her home this year. The best part is: When the candle is used up, your favorite luxury-lover can <a href="https://ojas-and-woo.com/shop/p/refill-12-oz" target="_blank">send the glass jar back to be refilled</a> at a steep discount compared to the original sticker price. 

<a href="https://ojas-and-woo.com/shop" target="_blank">Price: Starts at $33</a>
<figure role="group"><img alt="GOTBag ocean plastic backpack - sustainable holiday gift" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6c0df757-020a-49eb-825e-41d3cd51a99a" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/GOTBag%20ocean%20plastic%20backpack%20-%20sustainable%20holiday%20gift.jpg" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of GOT BAG) </figcaption></figure><h2>Ocean plastic backpack from GOT BAG</h2>

This German brand <a href="https://us.got-bag.com/pages/about-us#mission" target="_blank">bases its supply chain</a> around a network of around 2,000 fishermen and women in Java, Indonesia, who often get plastic caught in their fishing nets. GOT BAG uses 3.3 to 9.9 pounds of this plastic "bycatch" to produce each of its stylish and functional carry-alls, which range from laptop sleeves up to roll-top travel backpacks. I've been testing out the $99 daypack (pictured above) for the past year, and with a seamless transition from backpack to briefcase and band that easily slips over the handle of rollaway luggage, it's perfect for commuting and traveling alike. 

<a href="https://us.got-bag.com/collections/backpacks" target="_blank">Price: Starts at $49</a>
<figure role="group"><img alt="Honest Company Reusable Sheet Mask - Sustainable Gifts" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1599a379-cee1-4aff-ac69-3cc505994104" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Honest%20Company%20Reusable%20Sheet%20Mask%20-%20Sustainable%20Gifts.jpeg" width="1000" height="1000" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of the Honest Company) </figcaption></figure><h2>Reusable sheet mask from the Honest Company</h2>

It can be tempting to gift your favorite skincare addict with the latest viral product you saw on social media, but let's be real: Chances are you don't know enough about another person's skin to choose what's best, and if it doesn't work for them, your well-intentioned gift may be destined for the garbage.

Instead of adding to the potential waste stream, consider a clever way to cut it down to size, like this reusable silicone sheet mask from the Honest Company. The mask works to lock in any essence, serum, cream or oil, and it can be washed and reused after each use for an effective nightly treatment without the waste. 

<a href="https://www.honest.com/beauty-products/skincare/reusable-magic-silicone-sheet-mask/B0065MRM0000S.html" target="_blank">Price: $15</a>
<figure role="group"><img alt="Cookbook that supports restaurants during COVID-19 sustainable holiday gifts" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bcc066cd-c217-4c05-ba79-cfb9df5fbef4" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Cookbook%20that%20supports%20restaurants%20during%20COVID-19%20sustainable%20holiday%20gifts.png" width="1000" height="961" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of Penguin Random House via Amazon) </figcaption></figure><h2>A cookbook that benefits struggling restaurants</h2>

This digital-only cookbook from Penguin Random House includes never-before-seen recipes from celebrity chefs like Ina Garten and Bobby Flay, and all proceeds go to support the <a href="https://www.restaurantworkerscf.org/covid19faq" target="_blank">Restaurant Workers' COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund</a>, which provides direct crisis relief to restaurant workers, supports nonprofits serving restaurant workers in crisis, and gives out interest-free loans to help restaurants get back up and running. 

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0871LJG1X?linkCode=ogi&amp;tag=oprah-auto-20&amp;ascsubtag=[artid|10072.g.25223818[src|[ch|[lt|" target="_blank">Price: $6</a>
<figure role="group"><img alt="J.Hannah Dune Nail Polish - Sustainable Gift" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2e285674-913d-4034-a27f-e14ff107ec27" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/J.Hannah%20Dune%20Nail%20Polish%20-%20Sustainable%20Gift.png" width="933" height="1238" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of J. Hannah) </figcaption></figure><h2>Universally flattering nail polish from J. Hannah</h2>

This nude nail color with a cause is a good look for any beauty-lovers on your list. All profits from this universally flattering shade from sustainable startup brand J. Hannah are donated to an evolving roster of human rights organizations. This season's recipient is <a href="https://janesdueprocess.org/about/" target="_blank">Jane's Due Process</a>, which helps young people in Texas access abortions and birth control. 

<a href="https://jhannahjewelry.com/products/dune-polish?sscid=c1k5_8zn2p&amp;" target="_blank">Price $19</a>
<figure role="group"><img alt="recycled fiber blanket - sustainable gift" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ae665ffd-5544-4f42-9ac1-a459689b06a5" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/recycled%20fiber%20blanket%20-%20sustainable%20gift.png" width="824" height="982" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of Sackcloth &amp; Ashes) </figcaption></figure><h2>Nature-inspired blanket from Sackcloth &amp; Ashes</h2>

Entrepreneur Bob Dalton founded Sackcloth &amp; Ashes after his mother found herself homeless in 2013. The brand donates one blanket to a homeless shelter for each one sold, and it's on a mission to "<a href="https://sackclothandashes.com/pages/about" target="_blank">blanket the United States</a>" by donating 1 million blankets by its 10-year anniversary in 2024. 

This throw is one of <a href="https://sackclothandashes.com/pages/shop-all" target="_blank">five new designs</a> made in collaboration with National Geographic and inspired by the diverse topography of planet Earth. Like all blankets from the brand, it's made from recycled fibers by workers earning fair wages, and as an added bonus a portion of the proceeds from this collection go to support the nonprofit <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/" target="_blank">National Geographic Society</a>. 

<a href="https://sackclothandashes.com/collections/shop-all/products/national-geographic-dunes" target="_blank">Price: $130</a>
<figure role="group"><img alt="Handcrafted necklace - Sustainable Gift" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8676e662-99fc-492a-b2fe-5937954b67e4" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Handcrafted%20necklace%20-%20Sustainable%20Gifts.png" width="730" height="874" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of Purpose Jewelry)</figcaption></figure><h2>Minimal necklace from Purpose Jewelry</h2>

This lovely drop necklace is designed to train young women who have escaped human trafficking with introductory jewelry-making skills, and all proceeds go to benefit the brand's nonprofit, <a href="https://www.internationalsanctuary.com/" target="_blank">International Sanctuary</a>, which provides women artisans with fair wages, education and  healthcare as they look to rebuild their lives. For other styles to choose from, check out the <a href="https://www.purposejewelry.org/collections/one-day-of-hope" target="_blank">One Day of Hope line</a>, which is made up entirely of "training pieces" made by women who have recently arrived at <a href="https://www.internationalsanctuary.com/sanctuaries" target="_blank">one of the nonprofit's sanctuaries</a>. 

<a href="https://www.purposejewelry.org/collections/one-day-of-hope/products/ava-necklace" target="_blank">Price: $26</a>
<figure role="group"><img alt="Sustainable Bar Soap Set - Sustainable Holiday Gifts" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9d31d081-d618-4e33-bf68-a11767390ecc" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Sustainable%20Bar%20Soap%20Set%20-%20Sustainable%20Holiday%20Gifts.jpeg" width="1000" height="1000" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of Hand in Hand) </figcaption></figure><h2>Assorted soap set from Hand in Hand</h2>

Friends don't let friends have dry, cracked COVID hands. If someone on your list is going through it, reach for this gentle soap bar set from Hand in Hand, which is free of palm oil and made with fair trade, organic and vegan ingredients. The brand <a href="https://www.handinhandsoap.com/pages/story" target="_blank">provides soap and clean water to children in need</a> with every purchase, benefiting communities in over 20 countries to date. (Also available in fragrance-free.) 

<a href="https://www.handinhandsoap.com/collections/bar-soap/products/6-pack-new-assorted-bar-soap-set" target="_blank">Price: $30</a>
<figure role="group"><img alt="Homeboy Industries Gift Package - Sustainable Gift" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cba6e322-003a-4485-9aa7-703f2e01b828" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Homeboy%20Industries%20Gift%20Package%20-%20Sustainable%20Gift.jpeg" width="1000" height="666" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of Homeboy Industries)</figcaption></figure> 

<h2>Tasty gift packages from Homeboy Industries</h2>

If food is your go-to gift, consider swapping out your standbys for a gift package from one of 3p's favorite socially conscious brands. Operating under the motto "jobs not jails," Homeboy Industries offers employment, education, and <a href="https://homeboyindustries.org/stand-heal-invest/#heal" target="_blank">other services</a> to former gang members after they are released from prison. Having served well over 100,000 people in its home city of Los Angeles since 1986, it now powers the <a href="https://homeboyindustries.org/our-story/global-homeboy-network/" target="_blank">Global Homeboy Network</a> of more than 400 organizations committed to giving formerly incarcerated people a second chance.  

Homeboy's selection of gift packages include coffee, snacks, preserves and baked goods, and all proceeds support its re-entry programs. 

<a href="https://homeboyfoods.com/collections/gift-packages" target="_blank">Price: Starting at $35</a>

 

<figure role="group"><img alt="Greyston Bakery brownies" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9f492e79-4ba3-412a-9fa2-e7e6827e2c34" height="618" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Greyston%20Brownie%20pack%20holiday%20gift.png" width="672" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of Greyston Bakery)</figcaption></figure><h2>Sweet treats from Greyston Bakery </h2>

Greyson Bakery is another perennial favorite among the TriplePundit team. The brand's brownies are tasty enough to make an appearance in Ben &amp; Jerry's ice cream flavors like Half Baked, and the social enterprise is also a trailblazer for <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/hiring-formerly-incarcerated-people-good-communities-and-business-leaders-say/85501/" target="_blank">open hiring</a>. Having built its team without interviews, job applications or background checks, Greyston is now primarily staffed by people with criminal justice histories, as well as those experiencing homelessness, substance abuse issues or who, for whatever reason, have trouble finding steady work.

From classics like brownies and blondies to creative flavors like snickerdoodle and cinnamon roll, these socially conscious treats are sure to please any sweet tooth on your list. (And yes, they have vegan options!) 

<a href="https://greystonbakery.com/collections/all" target="_blank">Price: Starting at $25</a>

Image credit: asife/Adobe Stock and <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ffSGBn2xTSI" target="_blank">Priscilla Du Preez</a>/Unsplash

TriplePundit's 2021 Sustainable Holiday Gift Guide

It may seem like magic, but it’s real. The global retailer Inditex is producing a new capsule collection of party dresses for its largest retail branch, the well-known Zara chain of apparel stores, made with fabric sourced from recycled carbon. The new collection is a partnership with the high-tech recycling company LanzaTech.

<h2>Recycled carbon steps into the limelight</h2>

Recycled carbon is beginning to emerge for industrial uses, but so far, the most common area is in fossil fuel extraction, where captured carbon is deployed to enhance production from oil wells.

That’s not exactly a climate-friendly use of recycled carbon. A more helpful approach under development is to cut emissions related to cement production. 

Another emerging example is in the agricultural sector, where crops grown in greenhouses can be stimulated with extra carbon captured from the outside air.

For the most part, this activity has been taking place out of the public view. Zara’s new line of recycled carbon clothing brings it out from behind the curtain.

Introducing the new collection as a line of eye-catching party dresses does not add much volume to the market for recycled carbon fabric, but it adds an audacious twist that could stimulate more interest and help demand scale up quickly.

<h2>This is not your father’s recycled carbon party dress</h2>

As for the magic, that is becoming almost commonplace. <a href="https://www.lanzatech.com/?team=freya-burton" target="_blank">LanzaTech</a> is among a growing number of innovators that have developed technology that can <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2018/lanzatechs-robust-bugs-could-succeed-where-carbon-capture-fails/13396" target="_blank">capture airborne pollutants</a> and deploy them as chemical building blocks.

Much of the technology is still in development, but LanzaTech has been running ahead of the pack with a system that deploys engineered microbes to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2013/cherry-tree-inspiration-wins-start-4-million-energy-grant/48591" target="_blank">digest airborne pollutants</a>, with a focus on harvesting carbon dioxide emissions from steel mills. The system can also apply to agricultural waste among other sources.

The digestion process is more familiarly known as fermentation. Instead of yeast, though, the LanzaTech process deploys waste carbon. The end result is a propriety brand of ethanol, called Lanzanol.

Ethanol is better known as <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2012/poets-project-liberty-corn-ethanol-plant-ready-its-closeup/67711" target="_blank">a fuel for cars</a>, made from corn and other organic matter. It is even better known as the alcohol that makes fermented beverages intoxicating.

Ethanol is also among the most common building blocks for industrial use. It is an intermediate step in many chemical processes, including those leading to the production of plastics.

For the next step in the pathway to recycled carbon fabric, Lanzanol is converted to monoethylene glycol, which is the feedstock for polyester yarn among many other plastics.

The company India Glycols Limited has been topped for that part of the process. Capping off the sequence is Far Eastern New Century, which spins the monoethylene glycol into yarn.

<h2>Group hug for U.S. taxpayers</h2>

If LanzaTech’s partnership with Zara sparks more activity in the pollution-to-fashion field, U.S. taxpayers can give themselves a pat on the back for providing the company with a financial assist. 

In 2013, LanzaTech won a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, for a project under a new research initiative called REMOTE, for "Reducing Emissions using Methanotrophic Organisms for Transportation Energy.” The initiative was aimed at converting waste methane into new fuels and other chemicals.

Michigan Technological University also partnered in the project to assess environmental impacts. Louisiana State University contributed its bio-reactor modeling expertise, and City College of New York contributed design work for the reactor.

<h2>Growing the market for recycled carbon</h2>

The market for recycled carbon could break out of the chicken-or-egg phase, now that the Zara collaboration has demonstrated the potential for demand.

That leaves the supply side to be addressed, and LanzaTech appears to have that in hand as well.

Last week the global steel maker ArcelorMittal announced a $30 million investment in LanzaTech, building on a carbon recycling <a href="https://corporate.arcelormittal.com/media/press-releases/arcelormittal-expands-partnership-with-carbon-capture-and-re-use-specialist-lanzatech-through-us-30-million-investment" target="_blank">collaboration</a> that began in 2015.

The carbon capture side of the project is currently under construction at an ArcelorMittal plant in Ghent, Belgium.

With the addition of LanzaTech’s fermentation technology, ArcelorMittal anticipates that the plant will produce 80 million litres of bio-ethanol per year while reducing the carbon footprint of the facility.

Image credit: <a href="https://stock.adobe.com/search?load_type=search&amp;native_visual_search=&amp;similar_content_id=&amp;is_recent_search=&amp;search_type=usertyped&amp;k=zara&amp;asset_id=319174616" target="_blank">Adobe Stock</a>

With Recycled Carbon, Now You Can Wear Climate Action on Your Sleeve

Toyota recently announced it will invest <a href="https://pressroom.toyota.com/akio-toyoda-shares-toyotas-strategy-for-achieving-carbon-neutrality-through-battery-electric-vehicles/" target="_blank">$35 billion in electric vehicles</a> (EVs) and introduce 30 all-electric models across the Toyota and Lexus lines by 2030. This was one of many announcements Toyota made over the past several months about its electrification strategy.  

An earlier statement this year said the automaker plans to release 15 EV models by 2025. Then, a few months ago, it announced a $13 billion investment in battery technology, which includes a push to reduce the cost of batteries and increase their efficiency. 

<h2>Going all-in on EVs</h2>

Earlier this month, Toyota said it had selected the location for a <a href="https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/corporate/36418723.html" target="_blank">U.S. manufacturing plant</a> for lithium-ion batteries. Once operational in 2025, the North Carolina plant will produce batteries for 200,000 vehicles annually. Also, the company has expansion plans in the works to increase its manufacturing capabilities to supply batteries for 1.2 million vehicles.

Toyota’s recent announcements are similar to one by <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/nissan-electrification/732426" target="_blank">Nissan</a>, which has pledged a $17.5 billion investment over five years and 23 electric models by 2030. General Motors pledged to only sell <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/business/gm-zero-emission-vehicles.html" target="_blank">zero-emissions vehicles by 2035</a> and have <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/gm-electric-vehicles/708701" target="_blank">30 new EV models by 2025</a>. BMW, Kia and Ford have also made significant announcements related to EVs.

The Japanese automaker has been the worldwide market leader in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and its hybrid product portfolio includes the Camry, Avalon, Highlander and Prius. Although Toyota has been <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/reviewing-automakers-sustainability-and-ev-commitments/81991" target="_blank">a leader in HEVs and produced the Prius</a>, the first mainstream hybrid vehicle, it has been sluggish to adopt EVs. In fact, Toyota has yet to release one, so it hasn’t capitalized on its early lead in developing alternatives to the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE). Nevertheless, the company has a number of all-electric models in the works, so let’s explore what Toyota has on deck.

<h2>The 2024 Toyota Compact Cruiser</h2>

The automaker shows it wants to stay competitive in the off-road cruiser SUV market by introducing a <a href="https://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/compact-cruiser-ev" target="_blank">rugged and compact electric SUV within a couple of years</a>. Little has been announced about the cruiser's electric powertrain, but it will likely have a boxy appearance and a starting price of around $35,000.

Numerous <a href="https://earth911.com/eco-tech/new-electric-suvs-and-cuvs-for-2022/" target="_blank">all-electric SUVs</a> are being released in 2022, including the Audi Q4 e-tron, the Chevy Bolt Electric Utility Vehicle, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Mazda MX-30 and Nissan Ariya. Thus, Toyota’s all-electric SUV will join a more crowded space when it first makes its appearance. 

<h2>A new Toyota EV pickup</h2>

Toyota recently <a href="https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a38513569/toyota-electric-pickup-truck-concept/" target="_blank">revealed a concept</a> for an electric pickup that will join the mid-size Tacoma and full-size Tundra in Toyota’s pickup lineup. Although the details are still foggy, including the starting price and release date, it seems to be between the sizes of the Tacoma and Tundra, with a style similar to the Tundra. It has a four-door crew cab with a relatively short bed, off-road tires, and a blocked-off grill found in many battery-powered EVs. 

By the time the new pickup is released, there will be <a href="https://earth911.com/eco-tech/new-electric-pickup-trucks-for-2022/" target="_blank">several electric pickups</a> to compete with, including the Ford F150 Lightning, GMC Hummer Pickup, Rivian R1T and likely the Tesla Cybertruck. Rivian, a California-based start-up, was the first automaker to release an EV pickup, which has gotten a lot of attention for this achievement.

Time will tell if Toyota will be able to catch up in the next few years on the vehicle electrification front, but its recent announcements seem encouraging. 

Image credit: <a href="https://www.toyota.com/electrified/" target="_blank">Toyota</a>

Toyota Invests $35 Billion in EVs, Announces All-Electric Pickup

There’s little dispute about the impact that the global textiles and apparel industry has on the planet. According to at least one source, <a href="https://www.soilassociation.org/media/11662/coolcotton.pdf" target="_blank">the global consumption of cotton</a> alone results in 220 metric tons of carbon emissions while using 4 percent of the globe’s nitrogen fertilizers. Considering more than <a href="https://www.commonobjective.co/article/synthetics-sustainable-synthetics-global-production" target="_blank">60 percent of all textiles</a> manufactured worldwide are synthetic – and the vast majority of that material is produced from petrochemicals – doing the math reveals that the impact of polyester and similar fibers is not too pretty, either. Nevertheless, here at TriplePundit we’ve witnessed more sustainable apparel and outdoor gear coming to market; on that point, we’ve highlighted some of the more compelling developments during 2021.

<h2>Adidas commits to manufacturing more sustainable apparel</h2>

Just days before the new year, Adidas <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/adidas-sustainable-materials/709556" target="_blank">announced</a> it would incorporate more sustainable materials in its gear by the end of 2021 – to the tune of 60 percent, in fact. Included in that effort include vegan alternatives to leather, more circular materials and ocean plastic. We don’t know if this popular athletic brand has hit that mark yet, but in fairness, 2021 still has a couple weeks to go. According to the company, <a href="https://report.adidas-group.com/2020/en/group-management-report-our-company/sustainability/environmental-impacts.html" target="_blank">71 percent</a> of the polyester used in its apparel and footwear is of recycled material in 2020, while 15 million pairs of its shoes contain ocean plastic. Considering the brand’s <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2016/sustainability-about-saving-sport-says-adidas/26586" target="_blank">track record</a> on sustainable apparel and gear over the past decade, don’t be surprised if Adidas meets or even exceeds that goal.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Adidas and Parley for the Oceans collected almost 7,000 tons of plastic last year, which Adidas will use to produce around 17 million pairs of shoes in 2021." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5c17626e-b52c-4363-93c4-24ba204ecac7" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Adidas%20Parley%20for%20the%20Oceans.jpeg" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Adidas and Parley for the Oceans collected almost 7,000 tons of plastic last year, which Adidas will use to produce around 17 million pairs of shoes in 2021. (Image courtesy of Adidas)</figcaption></figure><h2>Backpacks keep going beyond canvas and polyester</h2>

In fairness, the average backpack is used far more times than the typical item of clothing picked up at a fast fashion store. That doesn’t mean progress can’t be made on this front, however.

For example, the German brand <a href="https://us.got-bag.com/" target="_blank">Got Bag</a> has harnessed a network of 2,000 or so fishermen and -women in Indonesia to make its laptop sleeves and backpacks. 3p’s senior editor, Mary Mazzoni, was impressed enough to add Got Bag’s products to her latest annual <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/2021-sustainable-holiday-gift-guide/732851" target="_blank">holiday gift guide</a>. “I've been testing out the $99 daypack for the past year, and with a seamless transition from backpack to briefcase and band that easily slips over the handle of rollaway luggage, it's perfect for commuting and traveling alike,” wrote Mazzoni last week.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="(Image courtesy of GOT BAG)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="172d9f42-1bf6-456f-999e-5fcfce29aa3b" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Got%20Bag%20Sustainable%20apparel.jpeg" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>(Image courtesy of Got Bag) </figcaption></figure>Also check out Fjällräven’s <a href="https://scandinavianoutdooraward.com/fjallraven-tree-kanken/" target="_blank">Tree-Kånken backpack</a>. These 16-liter packs are sturdy, eschew chemicals and according to the company, more than 90 percent of the water used to manufacture them is recycled. The secret? The material used in these backpacks are derived from a yarn derived from spruce and pine trees in Sweden. Yes, it’s true that Nordic country has had its own problems with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2021/apr/16/forests-felling-swedens-ancient-trees-biodiversity-sami-environment" target="_blank">deforestation</a>. Nevertheless, Fjällräven says the fibers needed to make the Tree-Kånken comes from FSC-certified forests. We were impressed enough to tuck into our <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/plant-based-back-school-guide/727471" target="_blank">back-to-school guide</a> this past August.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Fjällräven’s Tree-Kånken backpack comes in four earthy colors (Image credit: Three Trees/Facebook)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73e2719b-118d-44f4-afa2-ff86ac8fccb9" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Fja%CC%88llra%CC%88ven%E2%80%99s%20Tree-Ka%CC%8Anken%20backpack%20comes%20in%204%20colors_0.png" width="720" height="466" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Fjällräven’s Tree-Kånken backpack comes in four earthy colors (Image credit: Three Trees/<a href="https://www.facebook.com/threetreesfoods/photos/1922120951258136">Facebook</a>)</figcaption></figure><h2>More brands are taking on the problem of denim</h2>

It’s a superficial and non-scientific observation, but the chances are high that you’ve witnessed more popular denim brands deploying a blue jeans buyback policy: The typical one involves bringing in an old pair, and then score a voucher to help you buy a new pair. <a href="https://www.ariat.com/gogreen-denim-recycling" target="_blank">Ariat</a>, <a href="https://help.levi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360050122792-Levi-s-SecondHand-Trade-In-for-Gift-Card" target="_blank">Levi’s</a> and <a href="https://shop-eat-surf.com/2021/10/pacsun-introduces-pacdenim-for-a-better-tomorrow-initiative/" target="_blank">Pacsun</a> are among the companies that have dabbled in such programs.

True, developing a strong brand loyalty, and showing they can have a sustainable apparel program together is a part of this push by fashion companies. But these brands are also aware of the evidence that suggests far too much clothing is still ending up in U.S. landfills. Back in 1960, Americans tossed about 1.7 million tons of apparel into landfills. By 2018, that amount had surged to 11.3 million tons, says data <a href="https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/textiles-material-specific-data" target="_blank">coming from the EPA</a>. That same year, of the 17 million tons of clothes Americans no longer wanted, only 2.5 million tons of them were recycled in some form. Denim presents another problem, as in microfibers polluting oceans, as this 2020 article from Wired <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/your-blue-jeans-are-polluting-the-ocean/" target="_blank">had explored</a>.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Madewell is now partnering with the online consignment and thrift shop ThredUP to sell more second-hand Madewell apparel online." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4e99e704-142f-474e-b55b-9b8a55414267" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/madewell%20threadup%20sustainable%20apparel.png" width="610" height="468" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Madewell is now partnering with the online consignment and thrift shop ThredUP to sell more second-hand Madewell apparel online. (Image via <a href="https://madewellforever.thredup.com/">Madewell</a>)</figcaption></figure>Partnerships can help fashion brands take on the sustainable apparel challenge. Madewell, long a pioneer with its jeans buyback program, announced <a href="https://madewellforever.thredup.com/" target="_blank">one such venture</a> this year. <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/madewell-thredup/725846" target="_blank">Working with</a> the online consignment and thrift shop ThredUP, the companies’ goal is to <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/madewell-launches-madewell-forever-an-innovative-digital-resale-platform-powered-by-thredups-resale-as-a-service-301336958.html" target="_blank">collect</a> one million pairs of jeans, which otherwise could end up at the local landfill or incinerator, by 2023. Madewell and its customers, of course, will supply the denim; ThredUP will provide the technology, i.e., the online sales platform. For consumers who wish to clean out their closets, the process will work the same - bring in any brand of jeans for a $20 voucher, and any pair that are deemed prime for another life in a different closet will be sold on Madewell’s resale site.

<h2>Gen Z drives the surge in thrifting</h2>

Speaking of ThreadUp, in its <a href="https://www.thredup.com/resale/#resale-industry" target="_blank">most recent report</a> on resale within the retail industry, it concluded that if sustainable apparel trends hold up, the entire secondhand market (which includes resale and traditional thrift and clothing donations), could become an $80 billion market by 2029. Compare that with fast fashion, which ThreadUp says may be a $43 billion market that same year.

As <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/18/1006207991/when-second-hand-becomes-vintage-gen-z-has-made-thrifting-a-big-business" target="_blank">NPR</a> has <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/18/1006207991/when-second-hand-becomes-vintage-gen-z-has-made-thrifting-a-big-business" target="_blank">reported</a>, Gen Z is driving much of the thrifting bandwagon. The 1997-ish and later crowd has already been <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/3bl-forum-new-report-shows-gen-z-ready-change-world/85451" target="_blank">disrupting norms</a>, including how they view <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2018/millennials-and-generation-z-are-poised-shake-investment-world-study-finds/55491" target="_blank">investing</a>. Now, the evidence suggests they aren’t just <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/thrifting-fast-fashion/86746" target="_blank">transforming fashion</a> — they are owning it, and doing so on their terms. The fashion industry is responding in kind: The ability to show anyone and everyone how thrifting can be cool has led to the popularity of apps such as Depop, on which Etsy plunked $1.6 billion to acquire <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22465048/depop-etsy-1-6-billion-tiktok-youtube-social-media-gen-z" target="_blank">earlier this year</a>.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="A thrift store in Paris, France" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="14b9dd6b-8898-40ee-96d7-6d5689c6439a" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/thrift%20store%20sustainable%20apparel.jpg" width="640" height="425" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>A thrift store in Paris, France (Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ZoSftIGPP0g">Noémie Roussel</a> via Unsplash) </figcaption></figure><h2>How recycled emissions are ending up at the gym or yoga studio</h2>

This summer, Lululemon <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/lululemon-fabric-recycled-emissions/725666" target="_blank">announced</a> that it would partner with LanzaTech to develop yarn and textiles made out of recycled carbon emissions that if not captured, would otherwise be released into the atmosphere as pollution. LanzaTech says it can <a href="https://www.lanzatech.com/2021/07/13/lanzatech-and-lululemon-partner-to-create-the-first-fabric-using-recycled-carbon-emissions/" target="_blank">capture carbon</a> from various feedstocks, including synthetic gas, industrial emissions from industries such as steel, agricultural byproducts and household waste. Microorganisms that the company has developed can then transform those carbon molecules into ethanol and other base ingredients that will eventually become fabric.

Expect to hear more from LanzaTech; this week, the company said it had <a href="https://www.lanzatech.com/2021/12/13/lanzatech-and-zara-collaborate-to-create-a-capsule-collection-made-from-recycled-carbon-emissions/" target="_blank">reached a similar agreement</a> with Inditex, which owns several fashion brands including its flagship retailer Zara.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="A prototype of fabric derived from emissions (Image courtesy LanzaTech)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bfaad112-5181-44fd-9971-d4e4937b836a" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/lululemon%20lanzatech.png" width="869" height="456" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>A prototype of fabric derived from emissions (Image courtesy <a href="https://www.lanzatech.com/2021/07/13/lanzatech-and-lululemon-partner-to-create-the-first-fabric-using-recycled-carbon-emissions/">LanzaTech</a>)</figcaption></figure><h2>Timberland takes a stand on regenerative agriculture</h2>

Timberland has been a trail blazer on sustainable apparel before many of today’s popular brands even existed. But time and again, the company has proven to be an early adopter. This spring, Timberland and parent company VF Corporation <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/regenerative-agriculture-timberland/722251" target="_blank">pushed regenerative agriculture into the spotlight</a> by announcing the first regenerative rubber supply system in the apparel industry. The new initiative could help bring more clarity to the role of organic practices in regenerative agriculture, in addition to providing consumers with a new opportunity to contribute to a more sustainable supply chain.

This initiative is part and parcel of Timberland’s goal of sourcing 100 percent of its natural materials from regenerative agriculture by 2030. “That high-profile leadership role provides Timberland with significant leverage over the extent to which organic and regenerative farming could become one and the same,” wrote 3p’s Tina Casey.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Rubber trees in Cairns, Australia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e44b443f-0ee9-4227-a762-3a97ef0f92f4" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/regnerative%20agriculture%20rubber%20trees.jpg" width="1920" height="1266" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Rubber trees in Cairns, Australia Image credit via David Clode/<a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/Mo8nz3jxMDI">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>Image credit of denim jeans: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/HmgSNpswOxM" target="_blank">Waldemar Brandt</a> via Unsplash

Six Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Trends Defining 2021

In May of 2007, a powerful tornado destroyed the entire city of Greensburg, Kansas, killing 13 people. It was a terrible loss for a community of only 1,400. The surviving residents chose to stay and rebuild, with sustainability and resiliency as priorities. Their decision has provided businesses with a blueprint for green building and construction. However, there are still many lessons yet to be learned about survivability and resilience as extreme weather becomes more commonplace in the age of climate change.

<h2>Building back greener</h2>

The tornado that struck Greensburg destroyed almost every building in town, forcing many residents to relocate. However, others chose to stay. They coalesced around a proposal to reconstruct their town as a “model green community.” The area’s history in sod house construction may have helped promote the idea of a sustainable, energy-efficient community.

In 2013, USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/greenhouse/2013/04/13/greensburg-kansas/2078901/" target="_blank">revisited</a> Greensburg and found town reborn as “the world's leading community in LEED-certified buildings per capita,” including Bucklin Tractor and Implement, the local John Deere dealership.

<h2>The role of public funding</h2>

Public financial resources played a significant role in the city’s green recovery, partly due to the its status as a county seat with an airport, hospital and other buildings eligible for assistance.

The U.S. <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/technology-to-market/greensburg-rebuilds-sustainably" target="_blank">Department of Energy</a> provided expert guidance on renewable energy as well as LEED standards, and the Department of Agriculture financed a 12.5 megawatt wind farm for the city. 

The population of Greensburg remains at approximately half its 2007 level, and its economic recovery has been hampered by the same factors besetting other rural communities. Still, the town’s green reconstruction is considered a success, and the city continues to promote its sustainability profile with the slogan, “Stronger, Better, Greener.”
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="The city hall at Greensburg, KS, built to be LEED-certified after a tornado destroyed the town in 2007" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a926a639-c814-4424-8574-8dbe4a9d4d05" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Greensburg%20Kansas%20green%20building.jpeg" width="1137" height="640" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>The city hall at Greensburg, KS, built to be LEED-certified after a tornado destroyed the town in 2007</figcaption></figure><h2>Building to survive the next tornado</h2>

Greensburg’s efforts to build tornado survivability into its infrastructure have received much less attention, but the risk of future tornados was in mind during the rebuild.

The first “eco-home” built in the city, for example, was <a href="https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/case-study-tornado-resistant-silo-home-debuts-in-greensburg-kan_o" target="_blank">designed to withstand winds</a> of up to 240 mph, and the new LEED buildings incorporate structural elements that improve tornado <a href="https://www.usgbc.org/articles/rebuilding-and-resiliency-leed-greensburg-kansas" target="_blank">survivability as well as energy efficiency</a>.

The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1687404815000395" target="_blank">science</a> of tornado-proof building continues to develop. Meanwhile, though, communities in tornado-prone areas are still at risk, and the risk will grow as the warming climate increases the chance of extreme weather.

<h2>What businesses can do</h2>

Tornado-proofing an entire building is beyond the capacity of many employers. Retrofitting safe spaces into existing buildings is more realistic. However, the experts advise that a safe space is practically useless without a plan for access during an emergency, and there are many other steps employers need to take in order to protect their employees and others on site.

The devastating tornados that struck last week in Kentucky and several other states have drawn renewed attention to the responsibility of employers during extreme weather. Several fatalities were concentrated in an Amazon warehouse in Illinois. Another cluster occurred <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-tornado-mayfield-consumer-products-candle-factory-e0a7a297b607ed701b2555f409d75e90" target="_blank">within a candle factory</a> in Kentucky.

While the details of those two episodes have yet to be confirmed, early reports indicate the lack of an effective tornado response plan.

Editor's note: Be sure to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/category/brands-taking-stands/59911" target="_blank">subscribe</a> to our Brands Taking Stands newsletter, which comes out every Wednesday.

If true, that is a critical lapse without much excuse. Tornado response has been studied extensively, and that knowledge base is reflected in a simple brochure on individual tornado safety produced by NOAA and the National Weather Service.

“Most deaths and injuries happen to people who are unaware and uninformed,” the agencies write, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to weather reports, developing a plan of action that includes access to adequate shelter, and holding frequent practice drills.

In light of the brochure’s advice, some employers may especially need to reconsider restrictions on access to personal smart phones at work.

“Be sure your mobile device is set up to receive warnings,” the brochure advises. “Allow location access to pinpoint if you are in the path of a storm or in a warning.”

<h2>A case study for survivability</h2>

In 2013, researchers analyzed the impact of a 2004 tornado that completely <a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.587.3054&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf" target="_blank">demolished Parsons Manufacturing</a>, a rural factory in Illinois. All 150 people survived with just a handful of minor injuries. The episode provided tornado safety advocates with hard evidence that many tornado deaths are avoidable if employers plan ahead and make the necessary investments.

The researchers distilled lessons learned from the Parsons factory into four areas: planning, practicing/preparing, monitoring and acting.

They emphasized that planners need to account for the manner in which people respond to warnings. Hearing a warning is just the first step in a thought process that leads to understanding the warning, believing it, personalizing it, confirming its validity and finally, deciding to act. 

That final decision will be difficult if not impossible to achieve in a workplace that fails to plan, fails to practice, fails to establish access to a safe space — and above all, fails to establish trust with its workers.

One key way in which to establish trust is to provide workers with hard evidence that an emergency plan exists by having them drill it. Even a tabletop exercise can make a difference.

“Having a detailed emergency action plan is not enough. Participants in the plan must practice sheltering, or evacuation procedures for the plan to succeed,” they write, adding that “the educational background and demographics of the community play a major role in the public’s understanding of a warning.” 

Although the planning stage can take months if not years, the researchers also note that swift, timely communication is critical once such a warning sounds.

“The people receiving the warning information must be monitoring some type of mass media device (e.g. television, weather radio, computer, pager, phone system, etc...) for the message to be received,” they observe, mirroring the guidance in the NOAA brochure.

“Failing to follow this important step will greatly minimize the amount of time the public has to react to the threat,” they emphasize.

<h2>The role of leadership</h2>

There is a personal backstory to the success of the Parsons response. The plant owner, Bob Parsons, had witnessed a tornado years earlier. At the time, he was employed in a business with no plan and no shelter. The experience made a powerful impression on him. He built his factory in 1975 with a reinforced concrete block restroom designated for shelter. By the time the tornado struck in 2004, the facility had established a formal safety plan overseen by an emergency response team, and a total of three shelters were on site.

Tornado planning is not rocket science. A number of <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2011/does-your-business-pass-waffle-housetest/75576" target="_blank">leading employers</a>, most notably <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/climate-data-waffle-house-index/723026" target="_blank">Waffle House</a>, have established a solid track record in <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/why-white-house-and-business-should-heed-waffle-house-index/87031" target="_blank">disaster planning</a>. There is no need for other employers to reinvent the wheel in order to cut the risk of death during a tornado.

Leadership in planning and preparation is the key, and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/kentucky-tornado-factory-workers-threatened-firing-left-tornado-employ-rcna8581" target="_blank">that begins at the top</a>.

As corporate leaders reap media attention for piling onto the sustainability trend, paying attention to workplace safety, worker rights and survivability is just as important.

Image credits: State Farm via <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mayfield_KY_State_Farm_CRU_-23.jpg" target="_blank">Wiki Commons</a>; City of Greensburg, Kansas via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=226711742819213&amp;set=pb.100064411673582.-2207520000..&amp;type=3" target="_blank">Facebook</a>

As Tornado Risks Grow, Emergency Planning Takes Center Stage

As that most difficult year, 2020, extended into 2021, our crew of writers tackled a wide range of challenges, from political polarization to the climate crisis. We crunched the numbers, and here’s one observation: Our readers have appreciated the fact that we have been all over the map on the sustainability front. Unlike previous years, there weren’t a handful stories that jumped out in a crazy way on the page views meter. In fact, more than a dozen stories were bunched up together. We can never quite trust that search engine optimization, can we? So, we arrived at what are the 15 most read TriplePundit stories over the past 12 months. Since the numbers were so close, we're listing them in chronological order.

<h2>The business community’s initial response to the January 6 insurrection</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/trump-insurrection/709776" target="_blank">U.S. Businesses React to Trump Insurrection: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly</a> (Tina Casey, January 2021). The storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6 was a horrible event, one that sparked an impressive corporate response during those first few days in January. That attack appears to have largely been forgotten, but back then, 3p’s Tina Casey covered how companies first responded – and gave a primer as to how businesses can help ensure such an attack does not happen again.

<h2>Nom nom nom for plant-based foodies</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/new-plant-based-foods-2021/717686" target="_blank">20 Plant-Based Foods Coming to Market in 2021</a> (Mary Mazzoni, February 2021) The plant-based food boom is heating up. Growth in the segment outpaced all other food categories amid the coronavirus pandemic, with plant-based meat sales up 148 percent in 2020 compared to the year before. Having surpassed the $5 billion mark last year, the overall plant-based food market is set to <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/08/13/2077824/0/en/Plant-based-Food-Market-Worth-74-2-Billion-by-2027-Growing-at-a-CAGR-of-11-9-from-2020-Pre-and-Post-COVID-19-Market-Opportunity-Analysis-and-Industry-Forecasts-by-Meticulous-Resear.html" target="_blank">top $74 billion by 2027</a>. Our very own Mary Mazzoni summed up trends for this year – give it another read to see which ones became popular, or to get ideas on what to try out.

<h2>One company’s response to the “cancel culture” trope</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/ibm-cancel-culture/717576" target="_blank">IBM Gets It Right on Cancel Culture and Corporate Responsibility</a> (Tina Casey, February 2021) Tossing out the term “cancel culture” had become a damage control strategy for lawmakers facing corporate boycotts or a decrease in donations due to their connection to the failed insurrection attempt. Casey showed how IBM broke free of that debate in the first place – by having a decades-long policy of no making political donations, whether directly or through a political action committee (PAC).

<h2>Diversity should be an immersive experience, David!</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/ew-david-schitts-creek-diversity/718416" target="_blank">Ew, David! Schitt’s Creek Offers Companies A Cautionary Tale on Diversity</a> (Leon Kaye, February 2021) Rehashing one of Schitt’s Creek’s more popular Alexis Rose memes shouldn’t distract from the fact that many organizations still struggle on the diversity, inclusion and equity (DEI) front. During its six seasons, the scrappy Canadian comedy series took its own stands on diversity while ditching common stereotypes. While it all did not go smoothly, how the series’ co-founder, Daniel Levy, handled criticism levied at the show actually could offer organizations some lessons on how to handle this problem.

<h2>ESG funds and sustainable investing are here to stay</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/esg-funds-2020/719066" target="_blank">If You Invested in ESG Funds, 2020 Was a Good Year</a> (Leon Kaye, March 2021) 2020 was a year most of us are now happy to see in the rearview mirror, but last year was kind to one subset of the financial sector: ESG funds. During the pandemic, funds screened for environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors proved to be more resilient than conventional fund counterparts, according to a report from Morgan Stanley. The financial giant’s <a href="https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/institute-for-sustainable-investing" target="_blank">Institute for Sustainable Investing</a> crunched the numbers and found that total returns for U.S. sustainability and ESG equity funds outpaced traditional funds by 4.3 percent in 2020.

<h2>Why Gen X women and their older peers rock</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/choose-challenge-women-over-50/719186" target="_blank">Choose to Challenge? Women Over 50 Invented It</a> (Leon Kaye, March 2021) For this year’s International Women’s Day back in March, the theme was “Choose to Challenge.” Yet if we’re talking about choose to challenge in a wider context, face it: Women over 50 years old wrote the playbook. We reminded you about what many women over the age of 50 have lived through both in their personal lives and professional careers.

<h2>Bringing family forest owners into the carbon market</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/small-landowners-are-untapped-heroes-fight-against-climate-change/722326" target="_blank">Small Landowners Are Untapped Heroes in the Fight Against Climate Change</a> (Kate Zerrenner, May 2021) About 10.7 million ownerships from individuals, families, trusts, and estates account for 36 percent of U.S. forests (approximately 290 million acres). Despite their essential role in the management and sustainability of forested land, these family forest owners are often left out of the majority of carbon reduction schemes. Kate Zerrenner profiled how one CPG company is partnering with them.

<h2>Climate change’s ongoing threat to mental health</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/mental-health-climate-change/722261" target="_blank">It’s Finally Time to Take the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change Seriously</a> (Kate Zerrenner, May 2021) The psychological harm of surviving a natural disaster has been documented for decades. But with climate change, such natural disasters are no longer purely “natural” – in fact, they are becoming more intense, frequent and destructive depending on the event. “Protecting people’s mental health and avoiding the costly effects of trauma is yet another reason we should invest in economy-wide climate change solutions,” wrote 3p’s Zerrenner.

<h2>One brand’s quest to become the world’s most sustainable and just company</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/hp-corporate-transition-equity/723896" target="_blank">HP Leads a Corporate Transition to Equity</a> (Kate Zerrenner, June 2021) Zerrenner spoke with Ellen Jackowski, chief sustainability and social impact officer at HP, about the company’s mission to become "the world’s most sustainable and just technology company.” To that end, the multinational computer, 3D printing and printing company had announced some of the technology industry’s most comprehensive goals that seek to cement its leadership in this space, ones that are centered on climate action, human rights and digital equity. 

<h2>Stop talking about racial equity; take steps and lead</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/authentic-leadership-racial-equity/724286" target="_blank">4 Ways for Business to Show Authentic Leadership on Racial Equity</a> (Mary Mazzoni, June 2021) A bevy of top companies had issued bold statements and significant financial commitments to advance racial equity in 2020. But the hard work still needs to begin. In an interview with Gary Cunningham, <a href="https://prosperitynow.org/" target="_blank">Prosperity Now</a>’s president and CEO, he suggested four steps companies can take to turn allyship into action. “The key here is authentic leadership — in other words, walking the walk, not just talking the talk. It’s easy to say that you’re anti-racist without changing anything about how your organization operates,” Cunningham said during an interview with 3p’s Mazzoni.

<h2>Not a surprise: youth keep coming up with new solutions to further social justice</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/changemaker-challenge-young-leaders/724716" target="_blank">What Do Sustainable Agriculture and Healthcare Equity Have in Common?</a> (Nayelli Gonzalez, June 2021) What do two seemingly unrelated issues, sustainable agriculture and healthcare equity, have in common? Youth-led solutions are the focus of Aqua-Pods and Medicine Encompassed, two organizations launched by young leaders who were recently <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/changemaker-challenge-2021-winners" target="_blank">named winners</a> of the 2021 <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/responsibility/community/education/changemaker-challenge" target="_blank">Changemaker Challenge</a>, a nationwide contest sponsored by T-Mobile, the T-Mobile Foundation, and Ashoka. The competition aims to mobilizes youth who have trailblazing ideas on how to change the world for good with seed money and mentorship. 

<h2>Wut, a plant-based burger actually made of…plants?</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/wendys-plant-based-burger/725186" target="_blank">Wendy’s Plant-Based Burger Is Actually Made from Veggies</a> (Megan Amrich, July 2021). Plant-based foods have long been a popular topic here on 3p, for obvious reasons including the fact that the global meat sector has a largely negative environmental and social impact on the planet. One problem with the emerging plant-based foods industry, however, is that not everyone is fine eating processed or re-engineered soy or pea protein. Hence Wendy’s <a href="https://www.irwendys.com/news/news-details/2021/Wendys-Brings-the-Heat-with-New-Made-to-Crave-Spicy-Black-Bean-Burger/default.aspx" target="_blank">test marketing</a> of a black bean-based burger scored lots of attention – and eyeballs – earlier this summer.

<h2>Finally, more retailers are selling affordable and fashionable adaptive clothing</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/adaptive-clothing-retailers/725971" target="_blank">What Is Adaptive Clothing, and Why Are More Retailers Offering It for Children?</a> (Megan Amrich, July 2021) The timing came in July, which also happens to be <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2021/07/15/5-questions-to-think-about-this-disabilitypridemonth/?sh=6c6a6f2b1417" target="_blank">Disability Pride Month</a>. JCPenney became the latest American retailer to offer its own brand of adaptive children’s clothing, joining the likes of Target, Kohl’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Zappos and Lands’ End. “As the mother of a disabled child, I greatly appreciate the increased availability of adaptive fashion options,” wrote 3p’s Amrich. “Previously, adaptive children’s clothing was only available if you could sew or hire a tailor. There were some small vendors available online (like on Etsy), but there was no economy of scale, so prices were extremely high for many families.”

<h2>So why was Tesla snubbed at that summer White House event?</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/white-house-tesla-ev/726596" target="_blank">Why the White House Banned Tesla From Its Big EV Announcement</a> (Tina Casey, August 2021) President Biden had called leading auto industry stakeholders to the White House last summer for a new announcement on vehicle emissions, and Tesla was conspicuous by its absence. The snub seemed to make no sense considering the Tesla’s lead position in the electric vehicle (EV) field. Some have suggested that Tesla was ghosted for its anti-union position, but other key factors could have been in play, wrote Casey, 3p’s senior writer.

<h2>The business community has become quiet about immigration reform</h2>

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/business-immigration-reform/729296" target="_blank">As the Battle Over U.S. Immigration Reform Heats Up, Business Stays Largely Silent</a> (Mary Mazzoni, October 2021) In January, more than 180 top companies and other organizations <a href="https://immigrationforum.org/article/180-companies-organizations-leaders-uphold-americas-promise-pass-bipartisan-reform/">released a statement</a> in favor of bipartisan immigration reform. A month later, after a bipartisan pair of senators introduced <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/04/dream-act-lindsey-graham-dick-durbin-unveil-latest-version-of-immigration-reform-bill.html">the latest iteration of the Dream Act</a>, another coalition of more than 100 companies and trade associations <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/03/americas-biggest-companies-push-for-path-to-citizenship-for-dreamers.html">urged Congress to pass it</a>. Even as congressional Democrats worked to pass the more robust U.S. Citizenship Act, many kept the door open for a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/27/immigration-biden-bill-faces-uphill-battle-but-these-measures-could-pass.html">piecemeal approach to reform</a>, a sentiment that also seemed to resonate with big businesses. Since those bipartisan talks fizzled out, however, it has been largely crickets on the issue from the private-sector side. Mazzoni had a simple question: Why was that?

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/EcgyryGygeE" target="_blank">Markus Winkler</a> via Unsplash

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Editorial Team

We report the business case for sustainability.

Leon Kaye

Tina Casey

Mary Mazzoni