SUSTAINABILITY 2021 by STUDIO Gannett

SPECIAL EDITION

SUSTAINABILITY

2021

Renewable INNOVATION Tech leads the way for green energy

RESPONSIBILITY Companies advance climate missions

EDUCATION Colleges model eco-conscious lessons

CREATIVITY Beer, bottles and bags help the Earth

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CONTENTS

202 1 S PECI A L E D ITI O N

SUSTAINABILITY

NET ZERO Experts explain the math behind carbon emissions goals

GETTY IMAGES

FEATURES

28 RYAN WAKEFIELD

SILVER AND SOLAR

PINT POWER

The metal has a key role as a renewable energy source

Craft breweries pour efforts into saving the planet

34 GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CONTENTS This is a product of

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jeanette Barrett-Stokes jbstokes@usatoday.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jerald Council jcouncil@usatoday.com

MANAGING EDITOR Michelle Washington mjwashington@usatoday.com

ISSUE DESIGNER Debra Moore

72 PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

OVERVIEW

INNOVATION

CRISIS CHECK World needs to do more to stem global warming

SUSTAINABLE SOURCES

CREATIVE CONTAINERS

Technology critical to new methods of producing renewable energy

NEWS CORPORATE CITIZENS

14 ON THE COVER Actions help combat climate change.

CLIMATE CHAMPIONS Corporations are stepping up to meet sustainability challenges

RESPONSIBLE REVENUE Environmental focus evolves for businesses’ bottom lines

PHOTOGRAPHS:

Companies reimagine better boxes, bottles and bags

BUILDING THE FUTURE Inventive techniques are shaping a more sustainable construction industry

CLOSE TO HOME

GETTY IMAGES

EDITORS Amy Sinatra Ayres Tracy Scott Forson Harry Lister Deirdre van Dyk Debbie Williams DESIGNERS Hayleigh Corkey David Hyde Gina Toole Saunders Lisa M. Zilka CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Matt Alderton, Karen Asp, Sarah Bowman, Melody Burri, Jennifer Bradley Franklin, Stacey Freed, Carli Pierson, Camryn Rabideau, Tom Samiljan, Adam Stone

ADVERTISING VP, ADVERTISING Patrick Burke | (703) 854-5914 pburke@usatoday.com

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Vanessa Salvo | (703) 854-6499 vsalvo@usatoday.com

CONSUMERS

PLANET-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

GREEN LIVING These cities rank high for eco-friendly appeal

BILLING COORDINATOR Julie Marco

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

ISSN#0734-7456

Add these Earth-conscious items to your shopping list

Environmental activist builds home with bales of straw

EDUCATION PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: HAYLEIGH

CORKEY/GETTY IMAGES

FINANCE

ENVIRONMENTAL LESSONS Colleges offer opportunities for next-gen green thinkers

THE FUTURE

A USA TODAY Network publication, Gannett Co. Inc. USA TODAY, its logo and associated graphics are the trademarks of Gannett Co. Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Copyright 2021, USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. Editorial and publication headquarters are at 7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA 22108, and at (703) 854-3400. For accuracy questions, call or send an email to accuracy@usatoday.com.

SAMSUNG

TIME TO SHINE Magazine names teen scientist “Kid of the Year”

PRINTED IN THE USA

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

OVERVIEW

Climate Crisis U.N. reports world is not doing enough to stop global warming

By Doyle Rice

NEW REPORT, RELEASED in December

2020 by the United Nations (U.N.) and several research groups, says the world isn’t doing nearly enough to rein in fossil fuel production to the level needed to halt “catastrophic” levels of global warming. In fact, countries around the world are poised to

CONTINUED

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: DEBRA MOORE/GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

OVERVIEW pump out more than 120 percent more fossil fuels than needed to meet the Paris Climate Agreement. The report says that to meet the Paris goals, countries would need to reduce fossil fuel production by 6 percent a year over the coming decade. “Five years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the world is still far from meeting its climate goals,” Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, says in the report. “This year’s devastating forest fires, floods and droughts and other unfolding extreme weather events serve as powerful reminders for why we must succeed in tackling the climate crisis,” she says. Former President Donald Trump formally withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement last November, but President

FOSSIL FUEL PRODUCTION DROPPED

7% IN 2020 SOURCE: United Nations Environment Program (due to pandemic; might not be sustained)

Joe Biden signed an executive order to rejoin the accord Jan. 20, his first day in office. The report measures the gap between Paris Agreement goals and countries’ planned production of coal, oil and gas. Burning those fossil fuels produces emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Instead of reducing production, many countries are projecting an average annual increase of 2 percent, which by 2030 would result in more than double the production needed to reach the 1.5-degree Celsius limit set by the Paris Agreement. “The research is abundantly clear that we face severe climate disruption if countries continue to produce fossil fuels at current levels, let alone at their planned increases,” says Michael Lazarus, a lead author on the report and director of the Stockholm Environment Institute’s U.S. Center. “The research is similarly clear on the solution: government policies that decrease both the demand and supply for fossil fuels and support communities currently dependent on them.” Experts agree that the longer countries burn fossil fuels, the more warming will be “locked in” as emissions stay in the atmosphere for years or even decades. Even though the U.S. is undergoing a major shift away from coal — production estimates are dropping by 103 million tons a year compared with 2019 estimates — these decreases are offset by large increases in projected oil and gas production.

As for the coronavirus pandemic, the report says COVID-19 stimulus and recovery money has been disproportionately allocated to fossil fuel development rather than boosting the clean energy industry. As of 2020, the G-20, comprised of leading wealthy and developing nations, had committed approximately $83 billion more to fossil fuel production and related activities than for clean fuels. Like many sectors, oil and gas have been affected considerably by the pandemic, but the production drop is probably temporary unless countries and industry players change their ways. “This report is a vivid reminder that we are far off track for averting the worst impacts of climate change,” says Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

THE G-20 COMMITTED

$150B

“We can and must use less fossil fuels, not more.” A separate U.N. report released last September indicates that climate change has not stopped because of COVID-19. Emissions are heading in the direction of pre-pandemic levels following a temporary decline caused by the lockdown and economic slowdown, the report says. The burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal produce greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and methane, which are responsible for global warming. “Greenhouse gas concentrations — which are already at their highest levels in 3 million years — have continued to rise,” World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas notes in a statement. “This has been an unprecedented year for people and the planet. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives worldwide. At the same time, the heating of our planet and climate disruption have continued apace,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres says in a foreword to the report.

TO CLEAN FUELS DURING PANDEMIC SOURCE: United Nations Environment Program

GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

OVERVIEW

It All Adds Up Experts explain the math behind net zero carbon emissions

GETTY IMAGES

By Frank Jordans and Seth Borenstein

ORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES —

responsible for about two-thirds of the world’s heat-trapping gases — have announced plans to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to net zero in coming decades to help curb human-induced climate change. The target has also been embraced by companies, states and cities wanting to help stop the planet from getting too hot for human comfort. China made a splash last September promising carbon neutrality by 2060, and President Joe Biden has promised America will be there by 2050. But what does net zero mean?

WHY NET ZERO? Carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping gas, is produced by animals, including humans, when they breathe and is absorbed by plants and the oceans. But the burning of coal, oil and natural gas since the late 19th century has far outstripped what plants and the oceans can remove from the air. The Paris Agreement stipulates that global warming needs to be kept below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), ideally no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit), by the end of the century compared with the pre-industrial level. But the Earth has already warmed 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 Fahrenheit), so countries want to prevent a few tenths of a degree of further warming. The way to do that is to reduce the

amount of carbon being added to the atmosphere by 2050, scientists say.

ZERO MEANS ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION It will be next to impossible for the world to wean itself off all fossil fuels because they are used in products such as plastics and in aviation, meaning some emissions of greenhouse gases likely will continue, says climate scientist Zeke Hausfather of the Breakthrough Institute, an environmental research center located in Oakland, Calif. The math is simple for reaching net zero. If you are adding to pollution, you also need to subtract an equal amount. Almost all natural solutions rely heavily on planting forests. But when trees are cut or

burned down, the carbon dioxide they absorbed is released again. “To have a good net zero you should not rely too much on forests,” says Niklas Höhne of the New Climate Institute in Germany. That leaves technological remedies. Direct air capture sucks carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to bury underground. It’s expensive and only being done on an extremely small scale.

NOT ALL ZEROS ARE EQUAL Some governments have interpreted net zero to mean cutting back only on carbon dioxide emissions. While carbon dioxide is the main global-warming greenhouse gas, others such as methane also contribute. So instead of

going carbon neutral, experts recommend that countries aim to become “climate neutral.” They also argue that countries should take responsibility for emissions from international shipping and air travel which, though technically outside their borders, still needs to be counted. Governments have yet to agree on how to ensure the integrity of international markets that will be used to offset emissions caused in one country against carbon captured elsewhere. Preventing offsets from being counted twice will be key to the integrity of such a system and the global effort to curb emissions. Frank Jordans and Seth Borenstein write for The Associated Press.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CORPORATE CITIZENS

Climate Champions Companies are making measurable commitments to corporate sustainability

By Tom Samiljan

ONE ARE THE DAYS when many

major companies’ primary nods to sustainability were a small department focused mostly on philanthropy and ensuring there were enough recycling bins in the office. Today, sustainability is an essential division of almost any corporation. Thanks to a mix of renewed pressure under

CONTINUED

GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CORPORATE XXXXX CITIZENS a more environmentally conscious administration, global goals of reducing emissions by 50 percent by 2030, market research that indicates a majority of consumers make purchasing decisions based on climate impact, or actual news about sea levels rising faster than initially predicted, many companies — from retail and technology to food and finance — are pursuing sustainability as a business component. Here are some of those initiatives:

GREEN GOALS Retail supply chains including fashion, food, electronics and fastmoving consumer goods are among the categories that generate more than 50 percent of global emissions, according to a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Boston Consulting Group. That’s why in 2017, Walmart CES launched the Project Giga“The goal ton initiative, which aims to ... is to give take 1 billion back in a way metric tons of carbon emisthat we start sions out of its supply chain to reverse by 2030. Given that what’s hap89 percent of pening on our the retailers’ emissions planet.” comes from its supply — DOUG MCMILLON, chain, the Walmart president project is and CEO focused on encouraging Walmart suppliers to implement sustainable reforms and practices in areas such as packaging, waste, deforestation and energy use, to name a few. More than 3,000 suppliers have joined Project Gigaton, which has led to a reduction of 230 metric tons of emissions since 2017. In 2020, the company announced its intention to transform into a regenerative enterprise that goes beyond mere carbon offsets, which by definition only neutralize emissions, and move the needle in the

other direction to proactively reverse climate change. In addition to direct updates to its business operations — converting to 100 percent renewable energy at its facilities by 2035 and an all-electric truck fleet by 2040 — the company is also working with suppliers to more directly adopt strategies that incorporate reforestation, natural habitat preservation and sustainable farming and fishing into their day-today business practices. As Walmart president and CEO Doug McMillon said during his CES 2021 keynote interview: “The goal for Walmart ... is to give back in a way that we start to reverse what’s happening on our planet, and to heal, because of the work that business is doing.”

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS The Paris Agreement was signed five years ago, and despite the disruption caused by the United States’ absence until earlier this year, it has created climate change awareness and driven more than 1,000 corporations to commit to carbon reduction, but commitments are just the tip of the iceberg. “The global community has dithered for so long in tackling climate change, we no longer have the luxury of doing what we can — we have to do what is necessary,” says Tom RivettCarnac, a co-founder of political and communications strategy organization Global Optimism, which in 2019 teamed up with Amazon to launch The Climate Pledge, a global initiative banding together companies from various industries to collectively and aggressively fight to reach net-zero emissions by 2040. To date, 53 companies — Unilever, Microsoft, Uber, Jet Blue, Best Buy and IBM, to name a few — have signed on and agreed to track and report their greenhouse gas emissions, modify their manufacturing practices and resource usage, and offset any remaining emissions. “I am incredibly energized by the strong momentum building behind The Climate Pledge,” says Kara Hurst, Amazon’s vice president of worldwide sustainability. “By uniting to fight climate change, we send an important signal that it’s time to invest in the products and services the pledge signatories will need to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040.” In June 2020, Amazon launched the $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund, with CONTINUED

57%

OF CONSUMERS ARE WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR SUSTAINABLE BRANDS SOURCE: National Retail Federation

COMPANIES HAVE SIGNED THE CLIMATE PLEDGE SOURCE: Amazon

WALMART SUPPLIERS HAVE REDUCED

230

METRIC TONS OF EMISSIONS SINCE 2017 SOURCE: Walmart

GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CORPORATE CITIZENS the aim to invest in decarbonizationfocused startups such as CarbonCure, which has developed a system that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emissions during the production of concrete on construction sites. In addition to the Climate Pledge Fund investing directly in Rivian, the world’s first all-electric SUV manufacturer, Amazon purchased 100,000 Rivian vehicles, 10,000 of which the company plans to use to deliver packages as soon as this year.

TECH SUPPORT As part of Dell Technologies’ Progress Made Real social impact plan, which aims to ensure that at least 50 percent of its products are made of renewable materials by 2030, the company is introducing a new bioplastic polymer to be used in the lids of its latest line of Latitude 5000 and Precision 3560 commercial laptops. “We push a lot for circularity, but so many of the big players are stuck in their linear business models,” says Sören Enholm, CEO of TCO Development, which provides sustainability certification for enterprise IT hardware. “We instead tend to push for durability and longer battery life, so that equipment doesn’t need to be replaced as often.” CarbonCure carbon dioxide reduction system

PHARMACEUTICAL STRATEGIES Not only has Pfizer been at the forefront of the fight to defeat COVID-19, teaming up with the German biotechnology company BioNTech to develop one of the first two vaccines authorized by the Federal Drug Administration to guard against the coronavirus, the company is also committed to battling environmental challenges. “At Pfizer, we’re applying scientific innovation to help fight climate change by reducing our carbon emissions and the environmental impact of our medicines,” says chief sustainability officer Caroline Roan in an article posted on LinkedIn. “To that end, we commit to developing sustainable medicines criteria to help demonstrate the social and environmental value of our products and allow for targeted goals to facilitate transparency and accountability.” As part of its reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 60 percent in the past 20 years, CONTINUED

CARBONCURE

“By uniting to fight climate change, we send an important signal that it’s time to invest in the products and services ... to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040. ” — KARA HURST, Amazon vice president of worldwide sustainability GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CORPORATE CITIZENS according to Roan, Pfizer installed a 2-megawatt wind turbine at its Puurs, Belgium, facility and solar panels at several global and U.S. locations including Groton, Conn.; La Jolla, Calif.; and Puerto Rico.

SUSTAINABILITY SELLS Last summer, consumer packaged goods conglomerate Unilever launched its Future Foods drive, which aims to cut its operations’ food waste by 50 percent and increase the number of plant-based dairy and meat substitute products such as The Vegetarian Butcher, as well as vegan versions of Hellmann’s, Knorr and Ben & Jerry’s. Other strategies to drive awareness around food waste include a Hellmann’s ad starring Amy Schumer that ran during Super Bowl LV. “Unilever has been a leader in sustainability for years,” says Dr. Deborah Brosnan, whose eponymous scientific consulting firm brings together government, business and communities to address environmental and climate change crises. “They started this years ago with the belief that they could be sustainable in their products and practices and still make a lot of money.” Indeed, Unilever’s purposedriven, eco-friendly Sustainable Living Brands, which include such well-known products as Lipton tea, Dove soap and Vaseline, are responsible for 75 percent of the company’s growth. The company also works on reducing water consumption in its manufacturing and supply chain, as well as fostering a rainforest around tea plantations to increase biodiversity.

CHANGE AGENTS With environmental practices a top priority for most companies big and small, sustainability is now finding its way into higher levels of corporate management. These chief sustainability officers at three leading companies weigh in on the most important Earth-saving issues facing corporations:

CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL

Caitlin Leibert Head of sustainability, Chipotle Mexican Grill Since launching the sustainability department 10 years ago, Leibert has worked to minimize Chipotle’s environmental impact and plays a key role in developing new company practices, including waste reduction, energy management and water stewardship. “The impacts of climate change present high-level business risks as well as opportunities, so awareness across an organization is critical.”

WALMART

Kathleen McLaughlin Executive vice president and chief sustainability officer, Walmart McLaughlin joined the retail giant in 2013. She spearheads the company’s sustainability investment and outreach to Project Gigaton suppliers. “The most significant sustainability issues facing business today are similar to the issues facing all of society: managing COVID-19, addressing climate change, reversing nature loss and advancing racial and gender equity and opportunity. The question is how best to bring business capabilities to bear, in collaboration with government and civil society, to accelerate progress together.”

HAPPY FAMILY ORGANICS

Katie Clark Director of sustainability, Happy Family Organics Clark has helped implement initiatives across the organic food company and its supply chain to reinforce the mission of designing for a cleaner planet and advocating for a healthy world. “One of the biggest opportunities for corporate sustainability is to embrace climate justice. Climate change is already having a disproportionate impact on people of color and low-income communities around the globe, yet our commitments and programs often fail to center the needs of the people most affected. Climate justice takes social justice and environmental action as equal efforts — it’s not about people and planet considered separately. It’s blending them together equally into one movement.” — Tom Samiljan

GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CORPORATE CITIZENS By Matt Alderton

Responsible Revenue In corporate America, sustainability has evolved from business cost to business driver

T’S A BUSINESS TRUISM: You have

to spend money to make money. For decades, however, the perceived cost of sustainability was too great and the return too little. Even though many companies understood the need for eco-friendly practices, they turned a blind eye to one type of green — conservation — in the interest of another type: cash. A 2009 study by MIT Sloan Management Review and The BCG Consulting Group surveyed more than 1,500 corporate executives and found that more than 92 percent of companies were addressing sustainability in some way, but that the vast majority of efforts were limited to satisfying regulatory requirements. Nearly 70 percent of survey respondents said their company had not developed a clear business case for sustainability, and many cited cost as a major barrier to implementing sustainable practices. “Sustainability issues normally need huge and expensive investments first,” wrote one survey respondent. “(It’s) not clear how to monetize sustainability,” wrote another. “(It) puts us at a cost disadvantage versus competition,” shared a third. Although they weren’t entirely wrong — eco-friendly materials and practices often come at a premium — the economics of sustainability are rapidly changing. And more importantly, so are consumer attitudes, suggests a 2020 study by IBM and the National Retail Federation. The study found that nearly 8 in 10 consumers (78 percent) prefer to do business with environmentally responsible brands, and that nearly 6 in 10 (58 percent) are willing to change their shopping habits to reduce environmental impact. Because sustainability is becoming more affordable and more popular, instead of viewing it as a business cost, corporate America is increasingly seeing it as a business driver. Here, four company executives explain how their businesses embrace that mindset:

WERNER ENTERPRISES: DELIVERING A HEALTHY PLANET Anyone who’s driven behind one knows that trucks are major polluters. If you ask transportation giant Werner Enterprises, however, the time has come for trucks to deliver not only cargo, but also a healthier planet. That’s why it WERNER ENTERPRISES

CONTINUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CORPORATE CITIZENS unveiled last year its first electric truck, which was tested in Los Angeles. “We have always been conscientious about trying to consume less fuel. What’s changed is some of our motivations,” explains Derek Leathers, Werner’s vice chairman, president and CEO. “Early on, it was about saving money by not spending more fuel than you have to. Now, we understand that there are other factors we need to embrace relative to the environment.” That realization resulted in the electric vehicle pilot program as well as the company’s first corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, which it plans to publish this year to share its environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and achievements. Since 2007, for example, Werner reports it has eliminated more than 300 million gallons in fuel consumption, improved fuel efficiency by more than 29 percent and reduced more than 3.3 million tons of carbon-dioxide emissions. “Most of our ESG initiatives are things we’ve been working on a for a long time. What we didn’t fully appreciate until now was the need to articulate our strategic plans in that area to our associates, as well as our investors and customers,” continues Leathers, who says both internal and external stakeholders now demand sustainability. To satisfy them, Werner’s forthcoming CSR report will include forward-looking goals to easily measure progress. For example, Werner wants to reduce its carbon footprint by 55 percent by 2035. “We’re drawing a line in the sand by measuring our efforts,” Leathers says. “Because if you don’t measure it, it’s hard to improve it.”

FRANK & EILEEN: FORWARD-LOOKING FASHION When she launched fashion brand Frank & Eileen in 2009, founder and CEO Audrey McLoghlin didn’t set out to make the business sustainable. However, that’s exactly what it became, thanks to her obsession with quality. “My focus was 100 percent on making the best products,” says McLoghlin, whose inspiration for Frank & Eileen was a luxurious fabric sample she found in a swatch book; although the fabric was for menswear, she wanted to use it to make women’s workwear. “I found the Italian mill that was responsible for making this fabric, and they’ve been my partner for 12 years. We inadvertently became committed to sustainability and traceability because that’s how they did business already; it just happens to be how you make the most beautiful product in

FRANK & EILEEN

Frank & Eileen’s sustainably sourced clothing is produced without the use of harmful chemicals.

the world.” Every fabric Frank & Eileen sources from Italy can be traced to its field of origin and is certified for the absence of harmful chemicals. This, along with other responsible practices, recently helped the company attain B Corp certification from the nonprofit B Lab, which according to McLoghlin will help the company tell its story to consumers who care about the Earth. “We started out as a wholesale business, but thanks to e-commerce we have been transitioning more and more to becoming a direct-toconsumer brand,” continues McLoghlin, who says social media has created a direct line between brands and buyers. “Consumers have a much louder voice now. They can speak to companies about what they want, and what they want is transparency, traceability, sustainability and authenticity. ... Because of that, we see a larger opportunity and responsibility to communicate what we’re doing to our customers.”

COLGATE-PALMOLIVE: PURPOSE-DRIVEN PRODUCTS Colgate-Palmolive is more than 200 years old. One reason it’s survived so long is that it has learned to tell the difference between passing fads and future fundamentals. Sustainability, it believes, is the latter. “We’re the oldest consumer goods company in the United States, and we fully intend to be around for another 200 years,” says Chief Sustainability Officer Ann Tracy. “We recognize that if we want to keep going, (sustainability) is a barrier to entry.” When Tracy joined Colgate-Palmolive 30 years ago, sustainability was focused on compliance with environmental regulations. Now, the practice isn’t about things the company has to do, but rather things it FRANK & EILEEN

An Italian mill provides much of Frank & Eileen’s fabric.

CONTINUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CORPORATE CITIZENS

“We’re drawing a line in the sand by measuring our efforts. Because if you don’t measure it, it’s hard to improve it.” — DEREK LEATHERS, CEO, Werner Enterprises

DOLE FOOD COMPANY

Dole uses solar panels to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations.

aspires to be. On that note, last November Colgate-Palmolive introduced a 2025 Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy to pursue environmental objectives across its brands. Among its ambitious goals are transitioning to 100 percent recyclable, reusable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025; promoting water conservation awareness to 100 percent of its global consumers, also by 2025; sourcing 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030; and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. “This new strategy is about applying sustainability across all functions in the company to drive business growth,” explains Tracy. One example is Colgate’s new recyclable toothpaste tube, which it launched in July 2020 after five years of research and development. “Investors, retailers like Walmart and Target, the consumers who buy our products and our employees are all getting more vocal about sustainability. ... There’s a clear recognition that we need to be a purpose-driven company, because purpose-driven companies are companies that will win and succeed in the future.”

DOLE PACKAGED FOODS: PROMISING PROGRESS Although the fruit it grows on its plantations is sweet, its history of colonialism and greenwashing have sometimes earned Dole Food Company a sour reputation. After being acquired in 2012 by Japanese firm Itochu, Dole’s packaged foods business decided to reinvent itself around the Japanese business philosophy known as sanpo-yoshi, which translates to “three-way satisfaction.” Conceived in the 18th century by Japanese merchants, the idea is to do business in a way that benefits the buyer, the seller and society at large. “We found ourselves in a space where ... volumes and profits and revenues were declining. So we decided to transform our business and

DOLE FOOD COMPANY

Workers distribute meals in Jackson, Miss., as part of Dole’s Sunshine For All program, which provides fresh and packaged produce to underserved communities.

reset the company for growth,” says Pier Luigi Sigismondi, president of Dole Packaged Foods. “That transformation requires us to create a completely renewed brand that is focused on consumer needs. And those needs today are all about being sustainable.” The embodiment of Dole’s transformation is an ESG initiative known as The Dole Promise. Launched in June 2020, it encompasses tangible goals in the areas of sustainability, social responsibility and nutrition. Objectives include reaching zero fruit loss from Dole farms to markets by 2025; moving toward zero

fossil-based plastic packaging, also by 2025; and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. “As a food company, we believe not only that we have an obligation to be carbon-neutral, but that we have an obligation to actually sequester carbon from the environment,” Sigismondi explains. “If we do that by helping communities and working harmoniously with partners, startups, suppliers and customers, we can satisfy the interests of our shareholders for the long term, which will trigger a virtuous circle of growth that makes us sustainable and successful for many years ahead. That’s the Dole Promise.”

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

Solar Synergy

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

Silver has a complicated but key role as a renewable energy source BY CARLI PIERSON

hen people think of mining precious and semi-precious metals, they don’t usually associate it with solar panels and electric cars. But, in fact, silver is a critical element for the construction of renewable energy sources, including solar energy, because it shares electrons easily, making it a highly conductive material for the flow of electricity. Mining has gotten a bad reputation because of historically dangerous working conditions and its contribution to environmental degradation. For example, the industry has been criticized for excessive use of water and destruction of natural habitats. But mining today isn’t what it was a century ago; it is now heavily regulated and those working in the mining and green energy industries are quick to point to technological innovations created in response to the environmental challenges the two sectors have faced. Silver and other metals like gold and copper are vital to the future of renewable energy sources that in turn are critical for managing the climate crisis. For many governments around the world, including the U.S. — with President Joe Biden looking to the Green New Deal as part of his plan to provide clean, sustainable energy for a growing population — the private and public sectors are working together in what is a necessary pact between the mining and solar industries.

MATERIALS OPTIMIZATION According to Yogi Goswami, director of the Clean Energy Research Center at the University of South Florida, “For solar energy systems, you need materials that are mined. You also need energy to mine and refine them to bring them to a level to be used in those technologies. In solar panels, we use silver for metal mesh on the cells to collect electrons and channel WERNER SLOCUM

Silver is a key component in solar arrays like these near Poncha Springs, Colo., that pivot to produce power from both sides.

CONTINUED

them into the grid. As we increase the production of these panels, we will need an increased amount of silver.” Keith Neumeyer, president and CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp., a Canadian mining company with operations in Mexico, points out, “Silver is in practically every appliance and technology you use on a daily basis: Your microwave, cellphone, computer, car, refrigerator and lots of other items use this metal.” Neumeyer also notes that worldwide, government demand for renewable technologies exceeds the amount of silver currently being mined. Researchers are working on optimizing the use of materials such as silver in renewable energy products. “The photovoltaic (or solar) industry has had success in what’s called dematerialization,” says Garvin Heath, a member of the Resources and Sustainability Group in the Strategic Energy Analysis Center at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where he researches the environmental and health impacts of energy technologies. Heath says solar modules have grown in size, but the volume of materials used per unit of power output has been drastically reduced in the past 20 years thanks to dematerialization and increased energy conversion efficiency. In other words, we are using less of a given material as well as getting more energy out of it for a longer period of time.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

DENNIS SCHROEDER

Solar, or photovoltaic, cells convert sunlight into electrical energy.

RECYCLING FOR RENEWABILITY Today, a typical solar panel’s payback period — the output that equals the energy that went into producing it — is about a year, but a typical lifespan of a panel is 20 to 30 years. To extend the payback period, Goswami says, “Recycling will be the sustainable way, and since silver is costly, economics will tell the industry that they should recycle.” “A lot of factors go into what we consider sustainability,” says Heath. “The circular economy speaks to an efficient use of resources. We think about ways to reduce the quantity of materials or reduce toxicity of materials we choose. At the end of life, we can also think about whether the technology is still usable to be sold or given away. Can it be repaired? Can it be remanufactured? When there is no more use for its intended function, we have a choice between recycling and landfilling and of course we want to CONTINUED

FIRST MAJESTIC SILVER CORP.

Flecks of gold are visible in this core sample from First Majestic Silver Corp.’s Springpole Gold Project located in Ontario, Canada.

SHANE MCLENDON/UNSPLASH

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

“Silver is in practically every appliance and technology you use on a daily basis.” — KEITH NEUMEYER, president and CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp.

SHANE MCLENDON/UNSPLASH

Mining is necessary to extract the amount of metals needed to produce enough renewable energy sources to offset fossil fuels.

recycle to recover valuable materials and prevent hazardous materials from getting into the environment.” But Neumeyer points out that most silver isn’t currently being recycled because it is too expensive to extract, for example, from a computer circuit board. He says that in order for solar and other companies to have an economic incentive, the price of the product will have to increase to make it worth the cost of recycling. As the demand grows for renewable energy, Neumeyer believes the price of silver will go up, which will in turn increase recycling and help make green energy products more sustainable. And as the demand for silver rises, mining companies are doing their share to make their processes more sustainable. For instance, according to its 2019 sustainability report, First Majestic recycled 80 percent of the water used in mining operations and is involved in massive reforestation projects of native plant species in the regions where the company is currently operating. As the world population grows to a projected 10 billion people in 2050, there will be more demand for resources and less to go around. “Fossil fuel resources won’t be available for too long except coal. We will have no choice but to switch to renewable energy sources. At the same time, people are also finding out the negative consequences of fossil fuels on the environment and their health — and it’s the health part that is moving people more toward renewable resources,” Goswami says. According to Goswami, the biggest misconception about renewable energy is that “there is not enough of it to fulfill our global energy needs.” To provide for all the electrical power needed in the U.S. for one year, he says, “We only need (a) 100 miles-by-100 miles area (for solar production). The major issue is that solar energy is available only during daytime when it’s not cloudy. In order for solar energy to fulfill its promise you need energy storage, and a lot of research and development work is going on to meet that challenge.”

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

Pints AND THE

Planet

Craft breweries commit to fighting climate change one beer at a time

GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

By Karen Asp

Climate change is not only real, it’s coming to a brewery near you. Let this sink in: The effects of long-term changes to the Earth’s weather patterns may affect natural resources to the point that, in 50 years, a six-pack of beer could cost $100 as a result of disruptions to global agriculture, according to calculations New Belgium Brewing gleaned from a 2018 report in the online journal Nature Plants. To boost awareness of the climate change impact, the Fort Collins, Colo.-based brewery hypothetically hiked the six-pack price of its signature beer, Fat Tire Amber Ale, to $100 on International Beer Day last August. And breweries aren’t just being affected by climate change, they’re also contributing to it. That’s prompted many to lean on their eco-conscious backbones to come up with creative ways to lessen their impact on the environment. From creating more eco-friendly brews to repurposing food in their beers, breweries are becoming climate leaders to protect their product and the planet.

Brewing climate-friendly beer At face value, beer is a relatively simple product. It has four primary ingredients — hops, barley, yeast and water. But all of these products come from the land, and with natural disasters like droughts and wildfires becoming more prevalent, beer-specific crops can be decimated or severely limited. “Climate change is disrupting agriculture, which affects breweries,” says Katie Wallace, New Belgium’s director of social and environmental impact. In fact, New Belgium has come close to not being able to brew certain beers because it couldn’t source specific ingredients — oranges in one case. On the flip side, brewing has a significant impact on the Earth, starting with its water use. A 2012 paper in the Journal of Cleaner Production identified breweries as one of the largest industrial users of water. Water makes up 90 percent to 95 percent of beer, plus it is involved from the growing of the ingredients to the brewing process. That process, however, represents only a small percentage of beermaking’s environmental impact, something New Belgium has been hyperfocused on studying. In the mid-2000s, the brewery conducted its first carbon footprint study for beer to understand its sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the results were surprising. “Over 85 percent of our emissions are outside of our direct control,” Wallace says. While cans and bottles were identified as the largest source of GHG, other factors included growing and harvesting ingredients, electricity,

manufacturing, packaging materials and distribution and retail activity, which includes keeping beer cold through refrigeration. Although New Belgium is a larger craft brewery, it doesn’t have worldwide pull to demand change across its supply chain. So it started evaluating what it could do within its walls to reduce its carbon footprint, and since then, the brewery has become a leader in sustainable brewing. For example, it helped co-found the Glass Recycling Coalition, now made up of numerous industry partners. It’s also transitioned to renewable energy and is funding research into climate-resilient crops. However, with climate change accelerating more rapidly than expected, New Belgium knew it had to act more quickly. In 2020, the company achieved a first in the American brewing industry when SCS Global Services certified its Fat Tire beer as carbon neutral. “Carbon neutral certification means that we have reduced GHG emissions going into the atmosphere where possible and then purchased carbon offsets to remove GHGs from the atmosphere, thereby neutralizing the climate impact of Fat Tire beers,” Wallace says, adding, though, that offsets aren’t a viable long-term solution on their own. “We must also cut back our GHG emissions across the globe to avoid climate catastrophe, so we strategically select offsets that are transformative in nature.” For example, New Belgium is buying offsets from Indigo Ag, a Boston-based agricultural technology company that helps drive revenue to farmers who adopt regenerative farming practices. Additionally, as a part of the certification, New Belgium must prove an ongoing reduction in its own emissions over the years, which it plans to do by investing in clean energy and other carbon-cutting technologies. It also hopes to certify all of its beers as carbon neutral by 2030. In Portland, Ore., Hopworks Urban Brewery has been creating sustainable beer in partnership with Patagonia Provisions. Patagonia wanted to bring an innovative, regenerative grain called Kernza to market through beer, and knowing Hopworks’ track record in sustainable practices, it reached out to the brewery. The first beer, the Long Root Pale Ale, debuted in 2018, and the Long Root Wit has since followed. CONTINUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

Kernza not only has a flavor akin to the spiciness of rye that pairs well with hops, it also offers a “wealth of sustainable attributes that make it a wonderful substitute for brewers’ favorite cereal grain, barley,” says Christian Ettinger, Hopworks founder and brewmaster. “Kernza’s long root allows it to sequester carbon deep in the soil, and its regenerative nature eliminates the need for annual tillage, which is responsible for releasing carbon.” Drawing water deep in the soil also cuts the watering requirements for the plant. While Kernza is neither easier nor harder to brew with, it does require that Hopworks adapt its process to its unique shape and flavors. Patagonia and sustainable agriculture nonprofit The Land Institute are working to make more Kernza available, and Ettinger’s goal is to widen its distribution and usage within the industry.

New Belgium Brewing’s Fat Tire Amber Ale is the first carbon neutral beer in the U.S. Toast Ale brews craft beer using bread that would otherwise be thrown away.

Finding new ways to use waste Americans are wasting food at alarming rates, and breweries produce a large amount of waste. “Food production is the biggest impact humans have on the planet, but we waste one-third of the food produced,” says Shannon Flannigan, USA chief toaster for Toast Ale USA, which brews craft beer using unsold bread and donates its profits to charities fighting food waste. When Toast’s founders learned that, because of bakeries’ production overages and short shelf life, bread is one of the most wasted foods in the Western world, they saw an opportunity. Why not brew with bread that would otherwise go wasted? That mission has given the Earth a powerful lifeline. By Earth Day 2021, the brewery will have utilized approximately 2 million slices of bread that would have otherwise been thrown away, saving more than 42 tons of GHG. “In the brewing process, the second-biggest opportunity to reduce greenhouse gases is the grain bill; first is packaging,” Flannigan says. “By using surplus bread, we reduce the demand for land, water and energy that would have been necessary to produce virgin barley.” Although every can of Toast Ale contains about a slice of bread, the brewery uses only a small portion of the total bread waste. “Even if you serve Toast at every bar and restaurant in America, there would still be surplus bread,” Flannigan says. Yet Toast is determined to do its part

Hopworks Urban Brewery produces its Long Root Pale Ale and Wit beers using a sustainable wheat-grass called Kernza that requires less water to grow.

ReGrained’s savory snacks are made with upcycled spent grain.

NEW BELGIUM BREWING; TOAST ALE USA; HOPWORKS URBAN BREWERY; REGRAINED; GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

90 95

A typical beer is to percent water, making breweries one of the largest industrial users of that natural resource.

to slow the damage to the planet. But what about the waste produced from the beer itself, namely the brewer’s spent grain? Its environmental impact is jaw-dropping. “It takes 330 gallons of water to produce one pound of malt, which equals one six-pack,” says Dan Kurzrock, CEO and co-founder of ReGrained, a sustainable food company dedicated to upcycling food waste. In other words, producing one six-pack is the equivalent of taking a two-hour shower. Worse? All of this water is being used for a product that’s used solely for its sugar. “If you can put that to second use, you’re not using virgin resources,” says Kurzrock. While some breweries donate spent grain to farmers, compost it or turn it into dog treats, there’s now another option, thanks to ReGrained, which uses spent grain to create what it calls SuperGrain+. Ironically, Kurzrock and

his partner were planning to open a brewery that doubled as a bakery. But they realized they could have a bigger impact by working with upcycled ingredients, in this case, spent grain. “With a mom who’s a dietitian, I know the benefits of the fiber in spent grain,” Kurzrock says. Located in the San Francisco Bay area, with hundreds of breweries within a 10-mile radius, ReGrained partners with local establishments to pick up their spent grain. That grain is taken to ReGrained’s factory in Berkeley, where its patented technology dries and mills it into a powder that can be used for food products such as pancakes, ice cream and breads. SuperGrain+ consumer products can be found in stores around the country — in 2020, the company launched a line of savory snacks — and Kurzrock hopes they raise awareness of the importance of upcycled products.

SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY So what can beer lovers do to help reduce the beverage’s carbon footprint? Follow the advice of Katie Wallace of New Belgium Brewing and drink sustainably. Besides buying climatefriendly brews, Wallace also encourages beer drinkers to recycle all cans and bottles. To be even more eco-friendly, use a refillable bottle (like a growler) or buy a keg. And petition elected officials to support action on climate change and carbon sequestration.

GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CONSUMERS

Sustainable Shopping Feel good about using these eco-friendly items By Camryn Rabideau

ARTH DAY IS THE perfect opportunity to take a look at your lifestyle and assess how you could be more eco-friendly. Many people think that has to involve huge, inconvenient changes, but in reality, even small swaps can make a big difference in the overall health of our planet. Here are some products that will help you reduce waste, keep plastic out of landfills and support environmentally conscious brands:

PARISIAN-STYLE PRODUCE BAG Who knew reusable shopping bags could be so stylish? This cotton market tote bag comes in three pretty colors and it’s machine-washable. The mesh design is perfect for carrying produce and other groceries. $20, anthropologie.com TRAVEL-FRIENDLY COFFEE MUG Yeti products are made to last, and with the14-ounce Rambler Mug, you won’t ever need a one-time-use coffee cup again. These mugs feature a vacuum-insulated double wall that will keep your drink warm for hours, and they can be tossed in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. $24.98, rei.com REUSABLE FOOD STORAGE BAGS With a thoughtful design and cute patterns, Lunchskins reusable food storage bags manage to keep food fresh for longer than your average sandwich bag, and they are dishwashersafe. $10.99 for a two-piece set, amazon.com

GETTY IMAGES; PROVIDED BY THE COMPANIES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CONSUMERS

STRETCHY SILICONE LIDS Unwasted’s silicone stretch lids come in multiple sizes, and the material fits tightly over the top of bowls, cups and more, providing an airtight, leak-proof seal. And they’re microwave- and dishwasher-safe. $14.99 for a set of seven, amazon.com

COLORFUL WATER BOTTLE Stainless steel Hydro Flask water bottles keep drinks cold for up to 24 hours or warm for up to 12 hours. They come in a rainbow of colors, and the brand has compatible tops, to boot. $29.95 for 18-ounce size, amazon.com

SMART NOTEBOOK The Rocketbook smart notebook is actually quite ingenious. After you fill up its pages with your work or school notes, use the Rocketbook app to scan and save all the content. Then, you simply wipe the pages clean with a damp cloth and reuse it. $29.99, amazon.com

ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANING KIT Instead of buying a new bottle of cleaner every month, Blueland will send you three reusable containers that you fill up using its special tablets. When mixed with water, the tablets become powerful cleaning agents, and there are different formulas for multipurpose, bathroom and glass and mirror cleaning. Plus, after you invest in the initial kit, refill tablets cost $2 or less. $29, blueland.com

TASTY MEAT AND SEAFOOD The Crowd Cow meat and seafood delivery service will ship 100 percent grass-fed, pastureraised beef, free-range chicken and sustainably farmed seafood right to your door. The packaging is entirely recyclable and compostable, and all orders are 100 percent carbon neutral. $159 for the Steak Lover’s Share bundle, crowdcow.com

Camryn Rabideau writes for Reviewed, a USA TODAY content partner offering product testing and recommendations at reviewed.com.

PROVIDED BY THE COMPANIES; GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

INNOVATION

Innovative Energy Technology fuels advances in renewable power production

PROVIDED BY TURNER & TOWNSEND

Advances in blade size and turbine outputs are helping to make wind power more efficient.

By Adam Stone

RIVEN BY TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, alternative

forms of energy just keep getting better. “We have made tremendous progress in renewable technologies, and it has resulted in dramatically more efficient forms of energy, delivering power at less cost,” says Gregory Wetstone, president and CEO of the American Council on

Renewable Energy. People are eager to see such advances. In a recent study, business consulting firm Deloitte found 68 percent of consumers are very concerned about climate change and their personal carbon footprint. Nearly 6 in 10 businesses say they see the need to address climate risk. Across the renewable-energy landscape, technological innovation is at work in five key areas: wind, solar, biopower, hydropower and geothermal.

WIND At the American Wind Energy Association, vice president of research and analytics John Hensley sees significant advances in wind power production. “There has been a real effort to increase the efficiency of wind turbines, to enable (them) to capture more of the wind resource that flows across the blade and to convert that CONTINUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

INNOVATION

“A smart system could understand what the grid needs, and can operate the hydro plant in the optimal way to respond to those needs.” — David Samuel, International Hydropower Association

MATHIAS MAGG

Electricité de France’s Vogelgrun hydropower plant demonstrates smart controls as part of the International Hydropower Association’s XFLEX HYDRO research project.

to electricity,” he says. “That includes outfitting wind turbines with longer blades to enable the turbine to operate at their maximum capacity and to convert more wind to electricity, even at lower wind speeds.” Turbines are also getting bigger and more powerful. Hensley pointed, for example, to the GE Haliade-X 13MW wind turbine, which produces a massive 13 megawatts of power per hour, versus older technologies that produced less than 2 megawatts.

Other rewable energy experts point to the development of innovations such as “floating foundation” turbines that could be established at sea. While present-day rigs can only be built in maximum water depths of 60 meters, a floating foundation “provides a route to opening the 80 percent of the world’s available area for offshore wind resources that are currently out of reach,” says Murray Rowden, managing director and global head of infrastructure for international consultancy Turner & Townsend.

SOLAR Solar cells can’t get much more efficient because of the physics involved. But there are still ways to improve on the conversion of sunlight into energy, says Bart Onsia, a business development manager for energy storage at Imec, a research and development hub for nano and digital technologies. “One way is to top the silicon solar cells with an additional light-sensitive layer in another material — (adding) a second solar cell,” Onsia says.

Engineers also are looking at ways to boost energy production by incorporating materials that are sensitive to different parts of the light spectrum. In this scenario, “they don’t scavenge on each other’s conversion potential,” he says. “The material that captures the shortest wavelengths — blue and green — will be on top, while the bottom material converts the longer wavelengths, the red and near-infrared.” CONTINUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

INNOVATION XXXXX Association. “Hydropower is naturally flexible. You can vary the amount of water that goes through the turbines. You can turn them off and on when you need them.” To maximize this potential, the association is working on a project called XFLEX HYDRO. Funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, the initiative is looking at ways to improve hydro energy production. “For example, it is looking at faster-response turbines, as well as smarter operations,” Samuel says. These advanced systems would leverage automation to make hydro energy more responsive to surges in demand. “They could react to different conditions on the grid,” Samuel adds. “A smart system could understand what the grid needs, and can operate the hydro plant in the optimal way to respond to those needs.” Such “smart controls” would enhance the role of hydropower. “It would make it more competitive, especially for short-term, fast-response services,” he says. “And it will allow plant operators to run their facilities in a more efficient and flexible way.”

DANDELION ENERGY

Improvements to pump-monitoring data and subsurface mapping are making geothermal power more efficient and less expensive.

With this approach, Imec has fabricated small solar cells surpassing 27 percent efficiency, versus the industry standard of 22 percent. “For 2035, we envision large, long-lasting cells with an efficiency of up to 35 percent,” Onsia says.

BIOPOWER The biopower industry burns agricultural waste to generate electricity. It can be a dirty process, and it’s not particularly efficient, but recent advances are driving improvements. “The most important developments in bioenergy are the move away from direct combustion toward noncombustion conversion of organic waste,” says Julia Levin, executive director of the Bioenergy Association of California. “The first generation of bioenergy facilities just burned waste: waste that would go to a landfill, or agricultural waste, or sawdust from a sawmill,” she

68% OF CONSUMERS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE SOURCE: Deloitte

says. “Combustion causes some pollution and is not very efficient, and the end products can only be electricity or combined heat and power, also known as co-generation.” A newer approach known as “anaerobic digestion” overcomes these limitations. In this model, the waste

goes into a sealed container. Bacteria eats the organic material and produces biomethane, which can be used as a replacement for fossil fuel gas. Unlike the outputs of combustion, the gas can be stored for later use. The process is also far less polluting. “The newer technologies are much more efficient and much cleaner,” Levin says.

HYDROPOWER In the world of alternative energies, wind and solar have a drawback: They are variable. Sometimes the sun doesn’t shine, or the wind doesn’t blow. Advocates of hydropower say new advances could help to even out the availability of renewables. “As the use of wind and solar increases, this will pose a challenge for grid operators to keep the system stable,” says David Samuel, a senior analyst at the International Hydropower

GEOTHERMAL Geothermal heating and cooling systems, also called ground source heat pumps, work by exchanging heat between a building and the ground. It’s efficient and emissions-free. For this to work properly, though, engineers need to align the ground portion of the system with the needs of the building. Advances in heat pump-monitoring data and subsurface mapping are driving advances in the field, says Kathy Hannun, co-founder and president of Dandelion Energy, which develops geothermal heating and cooling systems. These advanced systems enable geothermal engineers to “optimize the ground loop to the local geology, ensuring the customer gets high performance at an affordable price,” she says. These technologies could also make geothermal more widely available. In the past, the cost of installation has limited geothermal’s appeal. “Using the best data and scientific models available to size this ground loop correctly saves customers thousands of dollars, and ensures their system will work well for decades to come,” Hannun says. Over time, this could make geothermal “not just affordable, but the most affordable heating option for many homeowners and building owners in cold climates.”

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

INNOVATION

GETTY IMAGES

Creative Containers Companies are reimagining better bottles, boxes and bags By Tom Samiljan

ROM BIG-SCREEN TVS AND

beer to soap and supplements, almost everything we buy comes in a package. For years, eco-conscious consumers put cardboard boxes, glass bottles, plastic containers and paper coverings in the recycling bin. But with the global recycling infrastructure well over capacity,

even this taken-for-granted wastereduction method is no longer an easy sustainability practice. Coupled with increased sustainability regulation and consumer demand — nearly 60 percent of consumers are ready to make shopping decisions based on environmental impact, according to a 2020 study by IBM and the National Retail Federation — companies are adapting to the need for circular packaging practices. This means

packaging that’s not only easier and less costly to recycle, but is also reusable, compostable and biodegradable — all criteria that have led creative minds to devise innovative and intriguing solutions. Here are some examples:

THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX Among the more ubiquitous packages CONTINUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

51 ADVERTISEMENT

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

INNOVATION to end up in the recycling pile or on the street are cardboard TV boxes. To address this, Samsung now ships its entire line of TVs in corrugated cardboard “ecopackaging” boxes, which are designed to be converted into useful furniture such as storage shelves, sneaker racks, end tables and pet houses. Consumers scan QR codes to receive directions on how to build more than a dozen diﬀerent designs by using a series of dot-matrix grids emblazoned on each box as measurement tools and road maps. Samsung’s eco-packaging is a sustainable solution to an environmental and business burden. “It’s important to remember that our industry uses packaging because we have to, because it’s a necessary element of getting our products safely and undamaged to our consumers,” says Walter Alcorn, vice president of environmental affairs at the Consumer Technology Association. “We’re not using packaging to sell to the people or to sell anything, frankly.”

REDESIGNING WITH SHIPPING IN MIND The consumer packaged goods industry has a diﬀerent challenge, given that so many of its products — food, household cleaning supplies, shampoo, drugs — have for many years come in single-use plastic bottles and containers. Procter & Gamble recently partnered with Amazon’s Certiﬁed Frustration-Free Packaging program to design the Tide Eco-Box, a sealed bag of liquid detergent inside a Tide-branded cardboard box that doubles as the shipping container. Gone is an extra external packing box, plastic bottle and Bubble Wrap. In its place is a container that’s 4 pounds lighter, uses 60 percent less plastic and 30 percent less water, and provides for 37 more loads of laundry than its 150-ounce plastic predecessor. GOODBYE, PLASTIC BOTTLE? Big users of plastic and glass bottles — the Coca-Cola Company, Denmark-based beer brewer the Carlsberg Group, The Absolut Company owner Pernod Ricard and L’Oreal — recently joined forces with Paboco to develop bottles and containers made entirely out of paper, although the initial prototypes still use bio-based plastic closures and linings to contain and keep the products fresh. As part of a pilot program last year, Pernod Ricard released 2,000 of its 57 percent paper and 43 percent plastic bottles containing either Absolut Vodka or Absolut Mixt in CONTINUED

SAMSUNG

Samsung’s eco-friendly packaging of three TV models allows users to upcycle instead of discard corrugated cardboard.

PROCTER & GAMBLE

The Tide Eco-Box contains 60 percent less plastic than the company’s 150-ounce detergent packaging.

THE CARLSBERG GROUP

The Carlsberg Group has produced a prototype paper beer bottle made from sustainably sourced wood fibers.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

INNOVATION Sweden and the United Kingdom, with plans for a second run this spring.

BUSINESS WIRE

Burger King has partnered with Loop to test a new service in which food packaging is sanitized and reused.

GERBER

Gerber’s first-of-its-kind single-material baby food pouch is designed for easier recycling.

SEED

The packaging for Seed’s products are either reusable or biodegradable and can be composted.

PLANET-FRIENDLY PACKAGING Another solution is mono- or singlematerial packaging. Most baby food, for example, comes in pouches made of multiple materials — namely two layers of plastic with a strip of aluminum in the middle. “This makes them difficult to recycle,” says Katie Clark, director of sustainability at baby food company Happy Family Organics. “Right now, there’s a lot of momentum and progress around monolayer pouches.” Happy Family is currently developing new single-material pouches with its packaging partners, while Gerber, the world’s oldest baby food company, last year launched the first monolayer baby food pouch. “Designing with a single material creates greater value for the recycling industry, promoting the development of better recycling infrastructure,” Tony Dzikowicz, associate director of packaging at Gerber, said in announcing the product. Seed, a probiotic supplement subscription service, uses an intriguing mix of reusable and bio-based materials in its packaging. The welcome kit includes a reusable glass jar, which customers keep for monthly refills, packed in a tray made of renewables such as starch, natural fibers and water that’s designed to decompose in soil in 30 days. Monthly refills come in a compostable pouch with biodegradable foam that dissolves in water as insulation. Shipping boxes are made of biodegradable algae paper. Loop is a circular service offered by recycling company TerraCycle that delivers its groceries, health and personal care products, and cleaning supplies in reusable metal, glass and plastic containers, which are retrieved after use, sanitized and returned to circulation. This year, Loop is launching a zero-waste program at select Burger King restaurants. Diners leave refundable deposits on their reusable Whopper containers and soda cups, and instead of tossing them in the garbage, they return the containers and get their deposits back. In November 2020, Tupperware became the first reusable plastic brand to partner with Loop. When the service launches this year, consumers will have the ability to purchase products from leading consumer brands and retailers packaged in reusable Tupperware products. The partnership is part of Tupperware’s No Time to Waste initiative to significantly reduce single-use plastic and food waste by 2025.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

INNOVATION

GETTY IMAGES

Building the Future Green innovations are helping create a more sustainable industry By Jennifer Bradley Franklin

EHICLES OR OTHER MODES of transportation

are often cited as main greenhouse gas producers. However, according to a 2019 report by the United Nations Environment Program, buildings and the construction industry also account for 36 percent of energy use and 39 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. Forward-thinking architects, builders and manufacturers around the world are working toward the 2030

Challenge, an initiative by nonprofitArchitecture 2030, to make new buildings and renovations carbon-neutral by 2030. “We all are stewards of our environment. (Sustainability is) going to become more and more important,” says Scott Shell, a principal at Durham, N.C.-based Duda Paine Architects. “We need to do everything we can. Buildings use the majority of energy. As architects, we bear some responsibility to help mitigate those things.” While some manufacturers engage in greenwashing — exaggerating the sustainability of a material — decision-

makers need tools to help them make informed choices. “Trillions of square feet of construction will be built over the next 30 years, and all that construction takes materials that have to be manufactured,” says Stacy Smedley, executive director of Building Transparency. The Seattle-based organization created the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3), a free online tool that catalogs third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) so that designers and CONTINUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

INNOVATION purchasing managers can choose low-carbon materials based on their goals. At its launch in 2019, EC3 had 1,000 users; Smedley says it now has more than 10,000, with more than 43,000 currently available EPDs. Sustainable building solutions may come with a higher price tag, but Shell encourages clients to consider costs over the life of a building. “You have to look at the return on investment. A lot of these things will end up making buildings cost less,” he says, noting that operating and maintenance expenses could be lower, and may even result in more productive employees. A 2015 study by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that staff in “green” environments had cognitive performance scores 61 percent higher than those who worked in conventional buildings. Here are some of the building innovations primed to help builders, architects and their clients construct a cleaner, greener future:

SELF-HEALING CONCRETE It may sound like science fiction, but researchers have been experimenting with materials that can repair themselves without human intervention, saving time and money and creating longer-lasting structures. Traditional concrete is a mix of cement, water and other additives like sand or gravel. Though sturdy, concrete can develop cracks over time. And, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, cement production is the third-largest industrial source of pollution, emitting toxins such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. An enterprising team of microbiologists in the Netherlands discovered two kinds of limestone-producing bacteria. They’re mixed into concrete and, when a crack forms, water seeps in, activating the bacteria to fill the cracks with sturdy limestone in as little as three weeks. The beneficial organisms can lie dormant for up to 200 years, increasing the potential life of the concrete and reducing the need for future maintenance. Researchers around the world are investigating similar approaches to fine-tune this idea and make it affordable. SMART GLASS If you’ve ever sat in front of a window in full sun, you’ve felt how it can magnify heat. Companies like window manufacturer View are producing a new breed of glass with electrochromic coatings and programmable sensors that adjust the tint to reduce the need for heating and cooling. “(With View glass,) you don’t need blinds or shades to control the light coming in, the glare or the heat. There are a lot of studies about letting in visible light and how, from schools to offices, that increases productivity,” says Shell, whose company has used the hightech glass in recent projects including two office buildings in the Durham (N.C.) Innovation District. Here’s how it works: A small amount of electricity is applied, causing the ions to move between the layers of the glass, tinting it. It’s controlled from a remote panel, organized into zones, so different parts of a building — or even different rooms or parts of floors — can allow varying amounts of light in to maximize efficiency based on the occupants’ needs. It’s also been installed at San Francisco International Airport’s Harvey Milk Terminal and Uber’s 23-story regional hub in Dallas. LAMINATED TIMBER Wood was one of civilization’s first building materials, and now it’s getting a modern upgrade. “Wood is one of the most renewable resources that we have,” Shell says. “It has the ROBERT BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Emory University’s student center includes numerous green technologies that boost its energy efficiency.

CONTINUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

INNOVATION

TZU CHEN PHOTOGRAPHY

Brick cladding, one of the oldest building materials still in use, is incorporated in the Durham.ID office building in Durham, N.C. It has a 100-years-plus life span and thermal mass properties.

ROBERT BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Advance Auto Parts’ headquarters in Raleigh, N.C., uses electrochromic View glass, which controls natural light and ensures thermal comfort.

BUILDINGS AND THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ACCOUNT FOR

36% 39%

OF ENERGY USE AND

OF CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS SOURCE: United Nations Environment Program DUDA PAINE ARCHITECTS

Duke University’s student wellness building is designed to promote energy conservation.

lowest impact on carbon emissions in manufacturing new structural materials, compared with concrete or steel.” Laminated timbers — dowel laminated and cross laminated — are strategically layered and bonded for strength and water- and fire-resistance. Not only do buildings constructed with timber often have a more organic aesthetic, “(Timber is) a carbon sink. Trees are always soaking up carbon. It’s the only building material that does that,” says Shell, who is working with timber manufacturer StructureCraft on a pair of office buildings in Raleigh, N.C.

OTHER CREATIVE SOLUTIONS It seems innovation is only bound by the creativity of scientists, inventors and tinkerers around the world. A team of university scientists in Morelia, Mexico, has created bioluminescent cement. It absorbs solar light and re-emits it, reducing the need for electronic illumination, a concept that could be useful in remote areas where electricity is scarce. Researchers around the globe are also getting creative with traditional bricks. A team at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, has found that bricks made with

recycled cigarette butts (which can leach out harmful traces of arsenic, chromium, nickel, cadmium and other chemicals when they are dumped into landfills) are just as strong as traditional bricks but utilize less energy to produce. A recent project by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain, infused bricks with a material called hydrogel, which absorbs water from the air. The bricks then release the water into the building’s interior systems to cool the air on hot days, resulting in a 41-degree temperature difference.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CLOSE TO HOME

Green Living These cities get high marks for environmental appeal

Raspberry Island on the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minn. VISIT SAINT PAUL

By Michelle Washington

HERE ARE MANY WAYS to

live a more sustainable existence: taking public transportation instead of driving; buying reusable products to reduce landfill waste; planting trees to help clean the air. But where you live can also play a big role in your impact on the environment. Large amounts of park space, a low percentage of driving commuters, ac-

cess to farmers markets and minimal waste per capita are traits green cities have in common. What are the most eco-friendly cities in the U.S.? It depends on who you ask. In 2020, career research company Zippia compared 99 cities based on their walkability, car ownership, commute length, tons of waste per person and acres of parkland per 1,000 people. The company used data from the U.S. Census, Save on Energy and the Trust for Public Land to compile its rankings.

Landing in the No. 1 spot is St. Paul, Minn., a port city located on the Mississippi River. “Minnesotans are some of the least wasteful people in the United States — only tossing out 12 tons of waste per person. That’s about 26 less tons than everyone in Nevada,” Zippia says in its report. “St. Paul may not be the most walkable city, with only some errands being walkable. However, average commutes are short, making St. Paul the greenest city in the U.S.”

Home to more than 308,000 people, St. Paul ranked high for its low waste per person and residents’ access to parkland. Chief Resilience Officer Russ Stark says the city, of which 16.6 percent is parkland, has emphasized access to green space with an initiative that has resulted in 95 percent of residents living within a 10-minute walk to a park — and efforts are underway to reach 100 percent. CONTINUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CLOSE TO HOME Making streets safer for residents to bike and walk is an active goal for city planners, says Stark. “We are making improvements to infrastructure to make it easier for people to move around St. Paul without a car,” he says. “In 2020, we built out 20 new miles of protected bikeways. That’s key because it helps people adopt biking not only for recreation but for transportation.” Other top city priorities include a sustainable building policy that calls for new developments that receive public financing to meet higher standards for energy efficiency and green design, and completion of an electric-car-sharing project that will offer better transportation access for residents. Earning the top spot for the city’s environmental appeal is not surprising to Stark. “We are in Minnesota, the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes,’ where I think the presence of all that water and outdoors is a constant dating back to our indigenous and tribal communities who have been here for thousands of years,” he says. “The way they valued this land; combine that with our relatively cold climate that we’re known for ... folks here need to be prepared for whatever’s happening climatologically, and I think that probably has something to do with why people here tend to be pretty conscious about sustainability.” San Diego ranked No. 5, with Zippia highlighting its low car ownership rate (56.6 percent) and high amount of parkland per capita (34.9 acres). Mayor Todd Gloria says sustainability has been a long-standing priority. He points to the city’s climate action plan, which focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, utilizing renewable energy resources, reducing landfill waste and more. “Quality of life is one of the things San Diegans cherish the most,” says Gloria of the city’s 1.4 million residents. “Ties to sustainability, climate and the environment are built into our DNA as a people.” San Diego also landed in the No. 2 spot on WalletHub’s greenest cities list in 2019. Rounding out the top five were San Francisco (No. 1); Irvine, Calif. (No. 3); Washington, D.C. (No. 4); and San Jose, Calif. (No. 5). To determine the cities promoting an environmentally friendly lifestyle, the personal finance website compared the 100 largest cities across 28 key “green” indicators and four major areas including environment, transportation, energy sources, and lifestyle and policy. San Diego ranked high on the Zippia and WalletHub reports for transportation, including commuting, bike lanes, walkability and low car ownership. Gloria

Honolulu, Hawaii, skyline along Waikiki Beach GETTY IMAGES

welcomes the praise, but says there is room for improvement. “San Diego can’t just get by on its good looks,” says Gloria. “We need to do more. We are working to let go of a 20th-century transportation plan and look forward to a 21st-century plan. That includes electric buses, biking year-round and providing infrastructure that gives San Diegans real choices in that.”

GOOD TO BE GREEN Being environmentally focused and helping to save the planet are beneficial for cities and residents, says Raphael Calel, assistant professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., who served as an expert panelist for WalletHub’s report. “The biggest benefits from going green are improvements to health,” Calel says in the report. “Cleaner air and water result in substantial health gains. This allows people to be more productive and lowers health care spending. Better air and water quality and more green spaces also generally make people happier and more satisfied with their communities.”

BUSINESS BENEFITS WalletHub also asked experts to weigh in on the advantages of cities being eco-friendly when it comes to attracting green-minded businesses. Cutting-edge companies are more likely to operate in places that have policies that mesh with their business practices, says Robin Rothfeder, assistant professor of natural resource planning at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. “In the case of renewable energy, state and local governments can offer subsidies, tax rebates or other incentives to residents and businesses; this in turn creates a more robust market base for renewable companies,” Rothfeder told WalletHub. “It is also the case that green investments lead to higher quality of life, which helps to attract and retain the labor force needed to operate green businesses; mixed use developments, transit-oriented developments, active transportation infrastructure, high quality public open space and other strategies create a context for green businesses and their employees to thrive.” Here’s how Zippia ranked other top cities:

HONOLULU (NO. 2) Walkability score (out of 100): 65 Tons of waste per person: 15.4 Parkland per 1,000 people: 34.1 acres Average commute: 29.1 minutes Car ownership: 69.7 percent “Honolulu is the second greenest city in the U.S. Only 69 percent of Honolulu residents own a car. This is particularly impressive because Honolulu is not super walkable. Many residents take advantage of a good public transport system cutting down their emissions. Combine that with the plentiful parks and beautifully preserved nature, and Honolulu is a pretty green city.”

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CLOSE TO HOME

ST. LOUIS (NO. 3) Walkability score (out of 100): 65 Tons of waste per person: 22.3 Parkland per 1,000 people: 11.7 acres Average commute: 20.1 minutes Car ownership: 72.4 percent “St. Louis is known for their impressive parks, with Forest Park being the crown jewel of their collection. But they should also be known for their low amount of waste per person. Residents of the arch city have some of the shortest commutes of major metro areas. That’s pretty environmentally friendly.”

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis

MADISON, WIS. (NO. 4) Walkability score (out of 100): 48 Tons of waste per person: 26 Parkland per 1,000 people: 26.1 acres Average commute: 20.2 minutes Car ownership: 75.5 percent “Madison, Wisconsin, is the fourth greenest city in the U.S. Madison residents could own less cars and have a bit too much Midwestern sprawl to be higher on the list. But all things considered, Madison is doing pretty good.” Madison, Wis., Capitol building and skyline GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CLOSE TO HOME

Climate-Friendly Construction Environmental activist builds sustainable house from scratch

Story and photography by Melody Burri

HEN NEW YORK’S BLUSTERING winter winds

or sizzling summer heat strike, Kathleen Draper will be unbothered. The Gorham, N.Y.-based climate change activist has constructed a 1,500-squarefoot low-embodied carbon home out of nontraditional materials such as straw bales and other carbon-sequestering materials that she says will help reduce global warming and keep her comfortable inside, despite the weather outdoors. “I call it my ‘dwelling on drawdown’ project,” she says, referring to the future

point at which the atmosphere’s greenhouse gas levels stop climbing and start declining, halting climate change. Draper is U.S. director for the Ithaka Institute for Carbon Intelligence, a nonprofit focused on the use of biochar, a charcoallike substance that results from burning organic material from agricultural and forestry waste. She is incorporating biochar into her home’s construction. The more than 200 straw bales Draper used were the waste product of 2 to 3 acres of wheat harvested locally. And much of the structure’s white oak, cherry, ash and hemlock lumber was cut nearby. Why did Draper decide to build a CONTINUED

Kathleen Draper, shown here with volunteer Dave Vail, is using more than 200 straw bales to build her low-embodied carbon home in Gorham, N.Y.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CLOSE TO HOME

“Half of this effort is about showing people what’s possible, and helping local economies and doing the right thing by the climate.” — KATHLEEN DRAPER, climate change activist

Truth window

Last fall, volunteers installed straw in the eastern wall of Draper’s home. Loose straw will be milled and mixed with plaster to cover walls. A view of the great room, right, shows construction progress.

home made with straw? Last year, New York state passed some of the strongest climate change legislation in the country, she says. “And if we’re serious about obtaining those targets, we have to change the way we build houses and the way we use energy,” she says. “This is my attempt to minimize the amount of energy needed to keep a house heated and cooled.” The home will use no fossil fuels but instead will be heated and powered by electricity, she says. Eventually, Draper plans to create her own renewable electricity. An air source heat pump will eliminate the need for fossil fuel. “I think it can be done cost effectively,” she says. “So it’s smart on many different levels — economically, environmentally, and it’s very nontoxic.” Many people have adverse reactions to toxins inside traditional homes, as well as

to their poor ventilation, Draper says. “This house has hardly any toxins — we couldn’t do it 100 percent, but to the extent possible, we minimized that,” she says. The plaster breathes so mold issues are less likely than with dry wood, Draper says. And the paints are free of volatile organic compounds. South-facing clerestory windows on a split roof will limit sunlight in the heat of summer and welcome it in the cold of winter. What if guests have wheat and straw allergies? No problem. Draper says they will be able to breathe freely, because the house will be fully plastered and sealed. And even the traditional “truth window” included in most straw bale structures to prove they were built with straw will have glass or plastic over it. The cement blocks used in the basement contain half the concrete as regular

cinder blocks and are prefilled with fiberglass insulation. Does a straw bale house present a greater fire risk than traditional stickbuilt homes? Draper says no. “Believe it or not, straw bale houses are some of the few that survived some of the California fires,” she says. “Because they are so tightly packed, it’s very hard for a fire to start. It will have an inch and a half of plaster on each side. So it’s hard to get fire in it. And once it’s in it, there’s not a lot of air to help combustion.” Draper hosted a workshop last fall for about a dozen local and out-of-state participants, many of whom hope to build straw bale abodes of their own. The two-day event allowed volunteers to hone their skills on Draper’s home while taking a bite out of a sizable project. Draper estimates her new home could ultimately cost upward of $250,000,

including architect fees. Draper had hoped to be in her new home in time to celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas in 2020, but the project faced seasonal and pandemic-related delays. As eager as Draper is to move in, expected in late spring, she’s even more excited to see her first electric bill. “My passive house guy has 2,400 square feet, and his average heating and electrical bill is $80 a month,” she says. She would like her homebuilding project to be a positive example for others. “Half of this effort is about showing people what’s possible, and helping local economies and doing the right thing by the climate. I really hope it will stand as something that will inspire people to do something similar or even better.” Melody Burri writes for the (Canandaigua, N.Y.) Daily Messenger.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

71 ADVERTISEMENT

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

EDUCATION

Studying Sustainability

Cornell University’s Cascadilla Community Solar Farm

Cross-disciplinary offerings, local partnerships and living laboratories mark next-gen environmental education By Stacey Freed

N PORTLAND, ORE., UNIVERSITY

students are working with the U.S. Forest Service to research climate scenarios and wildfires to help regional managers and planners

develop risk mitigation strategies. In Ithaca, N.Y., Cornell University is working to install an innovative system to harness the Earth’s heat to provide 100 percent renewable heat for buildings on its 2,300CONTINUED

Solar-powered trailer

CORNELL UNIVERSITY Ithaca, N.Y. To reach its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035, Cornell has “infused sustainability into every college and program,” says Sarah Brylinsky, sustainability communications and business integration manager. While there are 37 majors and minors and more than 40 student clubs and organizations focused on the subject, Brylinsky says that there is a “sustainability-driven learning outcome for every college at Cornell. We offer over 800 classes with sustainability content, and it’s in every single department, in every major at every level.” The school has 26 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings, and 20 percent of the campus gets its electricity from the school’s solar farm.

uSustainability awards and recognitions: 2020 Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) platinum rating

CORNELL UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

EDUCATION

DUKE UNIVERSITY Durham, N.C. Duke University is on track to meet its carbon neutrality commitment for 2024. Duke already has decreased the campus’ greenhouse gas footprint by 34 percent since 2007. It has a carbon offset initiative and has invested in renewable energy. In 2019, it completed construction on a 750-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system on a parking garage, which provides 1.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year and is in the process of building a 101-megawatt solar farm that, “when operational, will produce half the electricity the university and health system need. It’s a big part of our climate action plan,” says McDaniel Capps. While the university has a top-ranked graduate program for a degree in environmental management, and overall more than 175 course offerings with a sustainability focus, McDaniel Capps says, one goal is to incorporate the core concepts of sustainability into every field and research opportunity. For example, she adds, a decade ago the business school began integrating impact investing and corporate sustainability into its curriculum.

uSustainability awards and recognitions: Second Nature’s Mark of Distinction for Climate Action Progress

Duke campus farm

acre campus. Across the nation, colleges and universities — large and small, state-run and private — have been leading the charge to develop a more sustainable world and mitigate climate change. The schools are doing their part with large-scale facilities and operations projects, curricula and degree offerings, but the movement is also driven by student demand. “More and more students are saying that (the ability to study) sustainability issues, climate change, biodiversity, renewable energy (and) the Green New Deal are entering into their choice of college,” says Neil Leary, associate provost and director of the Center of Sustainability Education at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa.

A 2018 survey conducted by the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom bears this out: 91 percent of students canvassed worldwide said their place of study should actively incorporate and promote sustainable development. The trend for top schools when it comes to sustainability is not just a numbers game on programs offered and siloed degrees. All are integrating aspects of sustainability into each discipline. “Knowing how to think about sustainability and how different parts fit together is a skill that all of our graduates will need,” says Tavey McDaniel Capps, Duke University’s sustainability director. These schools are walking the talk when it comes to sustainable curricula, campus facilities and operations:

Bryan Center student union

Water reclamation pond

DUKE UNIVERSITY

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

EDUCATION

DICKINSON COLLEGE Carlisle, Pa. In 2020, this 200-year-old liberal arts college reached its carbon neutrality goal, becoming one of the first 10 colleges or universities in the U.S. to produce net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases. Leary admits that the school created “an aggressive timeline” for itself when it made the commitment in 2007, but it was able to reach its goal by increasing energy efficiency in its buildings; switching to renewable energy sources; promoting behavior changes; and buying carbon offsets. Seven of Dickinson’s buildings have earned LEED gold certifications, and it has a three-star certified green restaurant on campus. Dickinson’s sustainability education is cross-disciplinary. “We offer 44 different majors, and out of those, 30-plus offer courses that are related to or deeply about sustainability in some dimension,” Leary says. Not only is it the education the students want, “but the knowledge they glean helps with critical thinking, systems thinking and problem-solving that will prepare them for the future. Sustainability education is broader than just an environmental concern. It looks at addressing social justice issues, racism, economic access and the environment.”

Organic campus farm

uSustainability awards and recognitions: Association for Advancement for Sustainability in Higher Education’s No. 2 ranking for overall top-performing baccalaureate institutions in the 2019 and 2020 Campus Sustainability Index

DICKINSON COLLEGE

PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY Portland, Ore. Located on 50 urban acres, Portland State University (PSU) is “very connected to the city of Portland,” says Fletcher Beaudoin, director of the Institute for Sustainable Solutions, which works to unite faculty, students, government agencies and businesses around pressing sustainability issues facing cities and regions. “We define our mission on building a resilient and just Portland, and we look for opportunities that can make demonstrable, significant progress toward that future.”

The college has a climate action plan and is committed to achieving campus carbon neutrality by 2040. There are 15 LEED certified buildings on campus. This year PSU “should have one-quarter of campus electricity powered through a new regional solar program. This project came about as a direct result of student research,” Beaudoin says. The school maintains a sustainability dashboard, which shares metrics in campus electricity and gas consumption, water use, building efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainability programs are woven into the edu-

cational offerings and into all of campus life. Students can pursue a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, and all students can choose among the hundreds of cross-disciplinary courses including ethnic and gender studies, activism, pedestrian bicycle planning and business ethics. The school also offers graduate certificates in topics such as energy policy and management and sustainable food systems.

uSustainability awards and recognitions: STARS gold award

Research greenhouse

PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

Give them tomorrow Premature birth is the #1 killer of babies. Every baby deserves a ﬁghting chance. DO SOMETHING TODAY

Shop to support our partners

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

THE FUTURE

Young Minds Matter Teen scientist and inventor named Time’s first ‘Kid of the Year’

Time aimed to recognize “the rising leaders of America’s youngest generation” with its “Kid of the Year” title.

The Associated Press

15-YEAR-OLD COLORADO HIGH

school student and young scientist who has used artificial intelligence and created apps to tackle environmental issues and social problems can now add Time magazine “Kid of the Year” to her résumé. Gitanjali Rao of Lone Tree, Colo., a sophomore at STEM School Highlands Ranch in suburban Denver, was selected from more than 5,000 nominees for the first-ever title for the magazine. Rao’s innovating started early. At age 12, she developed a portable device that could detect lead in water. She told actress, activist and Time contributing editor Angelina Jolie in a Zoom interview that her goal is to improve social conditions. The ongoing drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich., inspired her work to develop a way to detect contaminants and send those results to a mobile phone, she says. “I was like 10 when I told my parents that I wanted to research carbon nanotube sensor technology at the Denver water quality research lab, and my mom was like, ‘A what?’ ” Rao told Jolie. Rao says that work “is going to be in our generation’s hands pretty soon. So if no one else is gonna do it, I’m gonna do it.”

SHARIF HAMZA FOR TIME VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

The sensor technology involves molecules of carbon atoms that can detect chemical changes in water. “And currently, I’m looking back at water, looking at moving things like parasitic compounds in water and how we can detect for that,” Rao says. In addition to her environmental interests, Rao created a device called Epione that detects prescription opioid addiction at an early stage and an app called Kindly that uses artificial intelligence to help prevent cyberbullying.

Rao insists that the pursuit of science is an essential act of kindness, the best way that a younger generation can improve the world. Science and technology are being employed as never before to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, global warming and a host of other issues, she notes. “We have science in everything we’re involved in, and I think that’s the biggest thing to put out there, that science is cool, innovating is cool, and anybody can be an innovator,” Rao says. “Anybody can do science.”

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION