Sustainable Earth Network

29/08/2021

Did you know the native wasabi plant comes from the Shizuoka region of Japan, where cultivation began around 400 years ago?

Since then, wasabi farmers have been improving their production methods, culminating in the most sustainable, profitable and practical way of farming that is used today: the Tatamiishi style.

The wasabi fields in this traditional cultivation system 👇🏽
1️⃣ are a natural habitat for many endemic fauna and flora species
2️⃣ help regulate water flow & increase the resilience of wasabi plants to flooding and adverse weather
3️⃣ are a key source of extra income for local farmers & help to generate jobs in associated industries for the local communities
📷: ©Shizuoka WASABI Association for Important

19/08/2021

The plastic crisis in India is one of the worst on the planet. ⁠
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The government of India 🇮🇳 announced that they will be banning the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of single use plastics from July 1 2022 onwards. The ban will be rolled out in three phases based on the utility and environmental impact of the plastic.

25/07/2021

Amazon rainforest now emitting more CO2 than it absorbs.

The emissions amount to a billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, according to a study. The giant forest had previously been a carbon sink, absorbing the emissions driving the climate crisis, but is now causing its acceleration, researchers said.

Most of the emissions are caused by fires, many deliberately set to clear land for beef and soy production. But even without fires, hotter temperatures and droughts mean the south-eastern Amazon has become a source of CO2, rather than a sink.

The government of Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been harshly criticised for encouraging more deforestation, which has surged to a 12-year high, while fires hit their highest level in June since 2007.

Some European nations have said they will block an EU trade deal with Brazil and other countries unless Bolsonaro agrees to do more to tackle Amazonian destruction.

18/07/2021

Nearly one-third of all the food produced in the world is never eaten. By some estimates, we waste 30 million tons of food in the U.S. and 1.3 billion metric tons worldwide every year. All this waste has huge economic, environmental and social costs.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 815 million people in the world are chronically undernourished.

Growing food also uses resources: 20 percent of our land, 32 percent of the energy we produce and 70 percent of the water we withdraw from lakes, rivers and underground. When we waste food, we’re wasting those resources. It ends up in our landfills, creating pollution and greenhouse gases.

11/07/2021

The difference between 1.5C, 2C or 3-4C average global warming can sound marginal. In fact, they represent vastly different scenarios for the future of humanity.

The frequency of disasters, the survival of plants and animals, the spread of diseases, the stability of our global climate system and - ultimately - the possibility for humanity to survive on this planet hinge on these few degrees.

Today, we still have the chance to meet the 1.5C goal mentioned in the Paris Agreement. We can still protect ourselves from the worst climate impacts and begin to shape a healthier future. But we are rapidly approaching irreversible climate tipping points.

CC:

05/07/2021

In an effort to reduce the CO2 present in the atmosphere and to increase carbon capture in our soils, NSW-based Soil Carbon is exploring if a fungi called dark septate endophytes can be the solution to these problems.

Co-founded by agronomist Guy Webb and Tegan Nock in 2019, the company aims to arrive at a solution which helps farmers in the the fight against climate change. The team of scientists along with Nock have looked through a library of 1,500 microbes to find which ones will be ideal for sequestering carbon.

Through a fungal treatment, or inoculum the microbes are applied to the crop seeds. In the form of stable sugars, carbon builds up around the roots of the plants. This process builds carbons that can remain in the soil for hundreds or thousands of years.

cc: Green Queen

24/06/2021

is now running off 100% renewables for all business
operations! Reaching this milestone makes ALDI the first supermarket in Australia to have all offices, stores and warehouses powered using only renewable electricity sources, and has reduced the company’s greenhouse gas emissions by 85%.

It's great to see businesses taking climate action into their own hands and leading the transition towards a renewably-powered economy. More of this, please! ☀️🙌😁

14/06/2021

Greenland’s glaciers are melting from the bottom up due to warming ocean waters, and the largest ones are most at-risk. NASA scientists have identified 74 glaciers in deep fjords that account for nearly half of the total ice loss between 1992 and 2017.

📸: To measure water depth and salinity, NASA's Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) project dropped probes by plane into fjords along Greenland’s coast. Shown here is one such fjord in which a glacier is undercut by warming water. The brown water is caused by sediment being dredged up from the base of the glacier by meltwater plumes. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

02/06/2021

Some sneak peaks from our upcoming series “The Whole Thing” 🥬 In this episode we travelled to good ol’ Tasmania to discover the health benefits of h**p. We also visit to find out what makes Tasmania so special 🗺

31/05/2021

The Eiffel Tower illuminated by green hydrogen energy!

To celebrate the opportunities of a shift to sustainable energy, the city of Paris & are lighting up Paris’ landmark sight using an electro hydrogen generator with certified renewable hydrogen.

As countries around the world are working to reduce emissions from the energy sector, green hydrogen is increasingly considered part of the solution. While challenges around cost and infrastructure remain, green hydrogen could help to decarbonize sectors like steel or shipping where electrification isn’t yet technological feasible.

29/05/2021

Swipe to see how far these super corals have come.

A bird’s eye view of largest gene bank nursery where thousands of super corals grow. This is first super coral nursery, built in 2019 with the help of none other than Dr. Austin Bowden-Kerby, reef restoration pioneer. learned to identify and to propagate resistant species of super corals, that have survived bleaching events.

When these super corals will reach maturity, fragments will be sampled and be planted onto damaged areas of the surrounding reefs. goal is to plant up to 10,000 fragments from this nursery by early 2022.

Join their movement. Hit the link in their bio to adopt a coral.

All photos by

01/05/2021

We all know eating less meat and being more conscious about our food choices can help the planet. But do we know exactly how going vegan could save the planet? Find out now 🌍

05/04/2021

“The production and distribution of food accounts for around a third of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions. But as a consumer, it's difficult to measure the climate impact of what you eat. A Dublin-based startup called Evocco could soon make it much easier. Users simply photograph their grocery receipt using the Evocco app, which identifies the food products by reading the printed text and using machine learning. It then calculates the carbon footprint based on the store's location and by checking the type, weight and origin of a food against a database.”

Apps like these make it easier to obtain the data and information needed to empower regular citizens to make changes to their lifestyles. Would you agree?
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(Credit:

30/03/2021

• Asian in its entirety is responsible for generating over 50% of the planets food waste.

• South Korea is now leading the charge against food waste, after managing to pump up its food waste recycling rates from a mere 2% in 1995 to 95% in 2019. But how?

• Households pay US$6 per month for each biodegradable bag of wasted food it throws out – a small fee that had a big impact on the amount of food being thrown out.

• Smart bins are laid out around the country where they weigh residents food waste. The lighter the food bag, the less you pay. And since most food waste is moisture, citizens are encouraged to dry the waste before recycling. Saving Seoul US 8.4 million in processing fees.

• The food waste is then turned into fertiliser for local food production plants and community gardens. The cycle then repeats itself.

24/03/2021

Looking for something to watch tonight? Comment your thoughts down below if you have seen this insightful and eye opening documentary.

launches on Netflix globally on March 24th.

22/03/2021

“Despite the pandemic, the plant-based meat industry in Australia showed no signs of slowing down throughout 2020, says a new report released by Australia and New Zealand based independent think tank Food Frontier on Monday (March 15). Drawing on data and modelling by Deloitte Access Economics, the report showed that retail sales jumped 46% year-on-year, driven primarily by consumer demand for healthier meat alternatives.

Other findings published in the report include the significant ramping up of plant-based products offered by the mainstream F&B industry, with major retailers and restaurant chains nearly doubling the number of plant-based meat brands from 10 to 19 in order to cater to one-third of Australians who say they are now actively limiting their meat intake.”

Source: GreenQueen.com.hk

17/03/2021

Welcome!

This is us, the faces behind the SEN!
There’s Simon, Andrew and Giulia and together were here to bring sustainability into the future!

Over the last few days we traveled to Tasmania, Australia to find local plant based growers with a focus on shaping and changing food culture.

Stay tuned for some of the amazing people we visited!

21/02/2021

On the island paradise of the Maldives, tourists and residents produce 636 million pounds of garbage every year. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Wednesday declared a list of single-use plastics to be banned for import into the country starting from 1st June 2021.

13/02/2021

IKEA now owns and protects 613,000 acres of land in Europe and the US, which they’ve agreed to manage sustainably. They’ve recently bought 10,840 acres of protected land in Georgia.

Late 2020, IKEA explained that in 2021 they will Invest in at least $700 million to reduce its carbon emissions and forming a circular supply chain. This means that IKEA will “buy back furniture you no longer want and recycle or re sell it”.

Furthermore, by 2030 IKEA aims to become “climate positive” through its management of forests by offsetting more greenhouse gas emissions than its producing. (Source: Global Citizen).

01/02/2021

California Distillery is Upcycling Pastries into the World's First Carbon Negative Spirit!
Misadventure & Co., a craft distillery located in San Diego, California, is fighting food waste by rescuing excess baked goods and turning them into a smooth, award winning vodka. Not only do they make an excellent product, but are innovative in that they created the first carbon negative spirit in the world.

This small distillery was founded by Sam Chereskin (an Agricultural Economist) and Whit Rigali (an Artist Bartender) who met by chance at a bar in 2013. With sustainability in mind since the start, they decided to do something no one else in the spirits world has done before: Make vodka from bread and pastries that would otherwise end up tossed into the landfills. With their proprietary technology, they are setting world's best practice in supply chain and production efficiency, all while helping make the world a better place. Every sip of Misadventure vodka is an intoxicating solution to climate change. Join the food waste revolution and order a bottle today. Because saving the world is worth a shot!

26/01/2021

President Joe Biden has reinstated the USA to the Paris climate agreement only hours after he was signed in as president in order to tackle the climate crisis.

Biden’s executive action will prevent “dangerous heating of the planet, following a 30-day notice period”.

21/01/2021

“We are now putting a final end to the fossil era” says Danish Climate Minister. This announcement means that by 2050 Denmark will stop extracting fossil fuels, putting an end to all new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. Greenpeace Denmark describes this announcement as being a “watershed moment” (BBC UK). 👏

16/01/2021

The UK’s first geothermal power plant will begin to power 10,000 local homes for the next 10 years.

This geothermal plant in Cornwall, UK is expected to be fully operational in 12 months’ time. Swipe right to see photo of the plant (📷 Geothermal Engineering Ltd).

Geothermal energy is considered to be more environmentally friendly compared to fossil fuels such as coal, thereby having a lower carbon footprint.

Here’s another win- ‘Ecotricity’ “the world’s first renewable energy company, has signed a deal to buy three megawatts of geothermal power for the area”.

11/01/2021

“The solutions we need for a carbon-zero future already exist”. ⁣
-WWF ⁣
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Upon stumbling across these words it made us think. A shift in perspective or something we haven’t heard before? Well, you decide. ⁣
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According to WWF, solutions such as “wind, low cost solar and battery technologies are on profitable, exponential trajectories that if sustained, will be enough to halve emissions from electricity generation by 2030”. ⁣
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In most parts of the world, currently wind and solar energy are now currently running over fossil fuels. ⁣
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By 2030, the growth for electric vehicles has potential to target a 90% market share. In Australia, there needs to be a stronger policy and commitment from our government for green vehicles over favouring fossil fuels. ⁣
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It’s great that these solutions are available and more to come in future, however thank you for your support in creating this change (and hopefully soon more governments will as well). ⁣
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What are your thoughts? Comment below

06/01/2021

Spain has seen a surge in solar power- they were up 60% in 2020 compared to 2019 and this trend is likely to continue growing. This means that Spain is generating more than 15,000 gigawatts of solar power. ⁣
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While they are still a third of the way compared to Germany, EU leader in solar power, “Spain’s sector is set to grow at about double the Germans’ pace in the next two years” (Bloomberg NEF).

31/12/2020

This year, an ozone hole the size of Greenland appeared over the Antarctic. Without this incredibly important shield blocking UV radiation from entering our planet, temperatures increased dramatically.

However due to an unexpected natural phenomenon called the polar vortex, the hole has miraculously closed.

As per the Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion data of 2018, the ozone layer in parts of the stratosphere has recovered at a rate of 1-3 per cent per decade since 2000. “At these projected rates, the Northern Hemisphere ozone is predicted to recover by around 2030, followed by the Southern Hemisphere around 2050, and polar regions by 2060,” the report said.

Perhaps nature has a way of healing it self? Let us know your thoughts below?

27/12/2020

The new year is almost here, and many of us are making plans to take a month off from drinking or sign up for a gym membership. But your New Year’s resolution doesn’t need to be limited to yourself. This year, why not make a resolution to alter your impact on the world and environment at large?

We’d love to know...what are your sustainable New Years resolutions? Let us know in the comments below 👇🏼

24/12/2020

23/12/2020

Hungry for a healthy vegan Christmas dinner? You’ve hit the jackpot 🎉 Because our co-founder .toohey has just released his brand new YouTube channel featuring ALL his iconic vegetable recipes 😍 Click the link in our bio to start watching! Go go go ⚡️⚡️

22/12/2020

Aren’t they so adorable 🥰

England is predicted to welcome 4,000 new baby grey seal pups thanks to a baby boom!
Numbers are expected to continue rising thanks to “low levels of disturbance, no natural predators and low levels of mortality during the first few key weeks of life”.