Sustainable America

Companion plants can make your veggie garden more sustainable and your food more plentiful by naturally preventing pests, improving soil health, and more. https://buff.ly/44ogBmR

"Battery factories, and the electric vehicles they equip, are going to require a lot of electricity." And so far, very little of it is from renewable sources. More from James Morton Turner

Don't let your food waste go down the drain! Here's why in-sink disposals might not be as eco-friendly as you think. #CompostHero #FoodWasteSolutions

Cities get all the micro-mobility love, but what about suburban and rural America? Supportive infrastructure, shared options, and on-demand transit services can help bridge the gap. #MicromobilityForAll #Micromobility

In November 2023, the USDA released a new plant hardiness zone map for the first time in a decade. The new map shows a 2.5 degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature overall, with about half the country moving up a half zone. This influences what plants can be grown where, and may herald broader shifts for food production in the U.S.

Is the humble bean the key to feeding the world? Many experts think so. Pulses are a nutrition powerhouse, packed with protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. They’re also affordable and easy to prepare, with uses across cultures and contexts. Plus, pulses are easy to grow, emit fewer greenhouse gasses, and use way less water than other protein sources.

Agroecology is an approach to transforming food systems, making them more beneficial to people and the planet. It provides a framework to address the ecological and societal harms of our current food production, distribution, and consumption practices. By focusing on sustainably producing healthy, culturally-relevant food, proponents feel that agroecology can reduce hunger, increase biodiversity, cut back on pollution, and even mitigate climate change.

Earlier this year, engineers at Columbia University unveiled a 3D-printed cheesecake, a feat achieved after seven failed attempts and several design iterations. Marrying culinary artistry with cutting-edge technology, 3D-printed food is the latest innovation in food science, yet under the allure lies prohibitive costs, material constraints, and the lingering uncertainty about its true potential and impact on food systems. To understand the future of this technology, let's delve into its current applications and future implications.

The rise of e-bikes has been an exciting development to see. They offer a convenient, eco-friendly way to get around, and their popularity is only growing. But many are wondering about one crucial element: charging infrastructure.

As electric vehicles (EVs) charge into the mainstream, the United States is paving the way for a more sustainable future. However, while President Biden set ambitious EV targets for the nation, the focus has primarily been on cars even as studies show that electric car adoption alone isn't enough to meet climate goals. Micro-mobility options such as e-bikes are crucial to reducing car dependency and states and metro areas are primarily leading on this front.