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Tag: green entrepreneur

  • The First Solar-Powered Car Comes at a Hot Price

    The First Solar-Powered Car Comes at a Hot Price

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    Imagine an electric car that you can drive for months without charging. That’s the idea behind the Lightyear O, the first solar-powered sedan.

    The brainchild of a Dutch startup company, the Lightyear O is a four-door electric car with over 50 square feet of solar panels on its hood and roof that can generate up to 43 miles worth of electricity per day while you drive.

    While many electric car companies are adding more batteries to increase range, Lightyear takes the opposite approach. They want to harvest the sun’s power to give more range with less battery.

    Production of the first iteration of the vehicle is now underway in Finland by the same manufacturer that makes the Porshe Boxter.

    “Starting production of Lightyear 0, the first solar car, brings us a big step closer to our mission of clean mobility for everyone, everywhere,” Lex Hoefsloot, Lightyear’s CEO and co-founder, said in a statement. “We may be the first to achieve this, but I certainly hope we aren’t the last.”

    The company hopes to churn out five cars per week by the end of 2023.

    Related: The 5 Most Luxurious Electric Cars on the Market That Will Make You Want To Skip On Gas

    Hot price tag

    While the ultimate mission of Lightyear is to bring solar-powered cars to the masses, the initial prototypes do not come cheap. The Lightyear O starts at about $262,000. But the brand plans to introduce a more affordable car, the Lightyear 2, by 2025.

    “Due to the reduced need for charging stations, Lightyear offers a solution that can be adopted worldwide and can scale faster than current EVs. We can reach large parts of the global market years before any other car manufacturer,” the company said on its website.

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    Jonathan Small

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  • Three Letters That Will Make Your Company More Successful

    Three Letters That Will Make Your Company More Successful

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In September 2022, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard gave away his entire $3 billion company to ensure all of its profits would be used to combat climate change. The bold and generous decision represents a corporate shift toward environmental, social, and governance, better known as ESG.

    What is ESG? The term refers to increasingly important company standards in which decision-makers look not only at the company’s balance sheet but also its environmental, social, and governance policies.

    ESG advocates say this approach helps safeguard the planet, paves the way for more diversity in the workplace, and protects fair wages.

    But ESG also makes good business sense. According to PWC, 80% of consumers make sustainability-based purchase choices, while 83% of buyers believe companies should actively shape ESG best practices.

    Because consumers are using their dollars to support responsible businesses, business leaders consider implementing an ESG strategy. Here are five ways.

    1. Be intentional in pursuing ESG operations

    Lots of companies do good things without explicitly aiming to be ESG-focused. But deliberately choosing ESG processes offers a framework for your business’ legacy.

    Take a look at Patagonia. Chouinard decided to make sustainability central to the brand at the outset, mainly by focusing on renewable and recycled materials. Giving away the business to a climate-centered trust and non-profit organization is the capstone of that original purpose.

    Intentionally embracing ESG in your vision and policies means you’ll have a compass to consistently direct your projects, strategies, materials, and goals, which will build employee and buyer trust.

    Related: 3 Steps for Making a Positive Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Impact

    2. Move to electric vehicles

    Think about how you get your packages. Fleets of vehicles typically shuttle your stuff from the store or warehouse to your door. Other vehicles are responsible for transporting materials through the supply chain or getting workers to the office and other work events.

    All these vehicles on the road translate to a big chunk — 28% — of total greenhouse gas emissions. Using electric vehicles (EVs) is a simple way to reduce your carbon footprint, even when you can’t shift much else.

    Light-duty vehicles are the worst offenders and account for 59% of vehicle emissions. So, if it makes sense for your business, focus on switching out those vehicles first.

    Another bonus: EVs can function as mobile billboards for your business. Every time you or an employee takes a company-branded EV for a spin, the vehicle pulls extra weight by advertising for you. That’s significantly more visible — not to mention easier to scale and reassign — than your office building certified in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) but doesn’t have any customers who visit.

    Related: 3 Changes You Should Expect To See in Transportation in 2022

    3. Assess your supply chain

    The supply chain connects everything from your raw materials to distribution. ESG means taking ownership of as many links as possible and asking yourself what you can do to apply it at every point.

    Be transparent as you examine how inventory gets from Point A to Point B. Even though 81% of companies still need complete supply chain visibility, 75% of consumers consider transparency helpful in strengthening customer-business trust.

    When consumers feel like a business has violated that trust, they take action. In 2020, 38% of Americans boycotted at least one company. Communicate whatever you’re doing to keep your operations squeaky clean on your website, in your marketing emails, on your packaging, and anywhere else you can display your messages.

    4. Clean up your power

    Every business uses power to some degree, but the kind of energy you use can impact the environment. Because traditional fossil fuels like coal and petroleum contribute to global warming, companies are looking to transition to cleaner energy sources, such as solar and wind power.

    Yes, clean energy can be expensive. But the costs of green energy were already at record lows in 2019. In 2021, almost two-thirds of new renewable power added was less expensive than the cheapest coal-fired power plants in G20 countries.

    Government assistance can also cut the financial sting. Look into tax credits available through the Build Back Better bill. You may qualify at the local, state, and federal levels.

    5. Bring your employees into the fold

    Your team members are your best brand advocates. But they can’t share what they don’t know. Your first responsibility is to work on your culture so that people feel comfortable asking what you’re doing in different ESG areas. Start conversations about where you’re at and where you’d like to be.

    Then, get creative about how you can make ESG visible in ways that are practical for your business — even beyond the environmental space. At our company, to support diversity and gender equality within ESG, we partnered with an organization that features male and female drivers. We also intentionally ensure half of our leadership team consists of women, and we feature female employees on panels.

    Related: Why You Need to Build Sustainability Into Your Business Strategy

    Customers have moved past the days when a good product or service was enough. Now more than ever, the marketing axiom that consumers buy from brands they trust rings true. Your purpose and values count. Bringing ESG into your business meets people where they are and help you make a lasting difference.

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    Brendan P. Keegan

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  • Scale or Fail: 4 Ways to Run a Successful Social Impact Business

    Scale or Fail: 4 Ways to Run a Successful Social Impact Business

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    One of the first lessons I learned as founder and CEO of Truly Free is that meaning well does not guarantee success. Years ago, when we were a startup, I had it in my mind that all I needed to be successful was an unshakeable vision to make a positive social impact, a must-have product, not a nice-to-have product and an easy-to-use website. Reality dispelled that notion quickly.

    Anyone new to ecommerce learns quickly that having a website doesn’t mean website traffic just appears. Basic logistics, however, forced us to reconsider everything — the cost to ship our natural laundry detergent costed as much as the product itself.

    We went back to the beginning. This didn’t mean simply finding a solution to the immediate problem, although that was central to our effort. We started with our business’s core goal: providing a safe product for families, especially children and those with specific allergic reactions from chemicals and harsh ingredients. The outcome was us completely re-envisioning the modern laundry room and how we did business.

    Four key elements emerged as we scaled our business into a successful social impact brand. These critical components required more than good intentions and a website, but the journey — and more importantly, the results have generated a positive social impact far beyond our original vision. Here are four ways social impact businesses can boost their brand’s purpose and bottom line

    Related: How to Know When to Give Up, When to Pivot and When to Persist

    1. Make relationship building a core competency

    To us, customers are family. This approach is more than simply a way of thinking — it is our way of doing business.

    With every decision, we challenge ourselves to reflect on whether we would do this for our family. Would we want our family to use a product with these ingredients? Would this offer or price be fair and something we would recommend to our families?

    Every detail matters. Attention to detail may be a well-worn idea. Still, when customers actually witness the attention and energy put into every detail — from their experience on the website to the ingredient list on the product — they begin to see your company not just for the products you generate but also for the values and mission you are putting out into the world. These efforts result in authentic transparency and trust, the foundation for a solid and long-lasting relationship.

    For example, we put every ingredient on products, so our customers can research for themselves. Based on customers’ feedback, it has played a major role in creating the long-term relationships we aim to establish with them.

    Relationship building may be a unilateral initiative, but it goes a long way with every customer. We understand transactions pay bills, but our experience proves that relationships build companies.

    2. Connect humans to humans

    Our non-toxic fabric softener dryer sheets are handmade by women rescued from poverty and trafficking. Our customers know this and resonate with this. Our customers also know the money they spend with us goes towards helping free women and children from trafficking, shelter and feed orphans and even a village in Haiti that is hearing impaired.

    We make it a priority for our customers to know the power of their purchase and how it positively impacts other people’s lives.

    Transparency combined with purpose makes for good business. Amplifying the human element of your business right out of the gate can rapidly communicate your mission statement and strengthen your position as a social impact business.

    3. Prioritize convenience

    Everyone’s busy. We don’t want hassles, and neither do our customers. We may have the best intentions, but people won’t subscribe to our offerings if we are hard to do business with.

    Brands must always prioritize convenience for every customer interaction. For example, as an ecommerce, subscription-based business, we thrive on subscriptions. If brands can make a customer’s life easier by automating an offer, like a subscribe and save model, then they should integrate that into their website, promotions and upsells. At the same time, we also recognize that a new customer may not be ready to make a recurring commitment after the first brand interaction. To ensure you’re presenting options that will enable potential new subscribers to familiarize themselves with the brand, businesses should offer a way to buy single transactions at checkout and a compelling offer or bundle that will further entice them to try out the subscribe and save with no strings attached.

    At first, some brands might think this model reduces subscriptions when it results in a “dating” opportunity, where a new customer can get to know the brand without the total commitment upfront. As a result, and if done correctly, your subscription base will likely continue to grow.

    By prioritizing convenience in every customer interaction, you are empowered to reduce friction and ultimately meet every existing and potential customer’s unique and situational needs.

    Related: 4 Suggestions to Improve Convenience for Consumers

    4. Reimagine the business model

    As noted at the beginning, logistics forced us to reimagine our business model for the better. Shipping for laundry detergent costs as much as the product itself. Our original plan was a surefire way to go out of business fast.

    What was the problem? Weight. What could be done about it? This question challenged us to approach laundry detergent in a whole new way.

    Water makes up the bulk of detergent. Removing the water would solve the problem and help us fulfill our mission of eliminating millions of single-use plastics. This solution led us to pioneer an entirely new vision of the cleaning and laundry space for homes. Today, we sell refills, not giant plastic bottles that end up in landfills.

    Business doesn’t have to be business as usual. Taking a closer look at operational challenges introduces opportunities to reconsider product development completely. And when you take a hard close look at the details, you can completely reimagine the direction of your business for the better.

    Related: 8 Ways To Pivot Your Business To Kickstart Growth

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    Stephen Ezell

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  • Human Composting: Is an Intriguing and Popular New Alternative to Burial or Cremation

    Human Composting: Is an Intriguing and Popular New Alternative to Burial or Cremation

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The phrase “human composting” sounds like something out of dystopian science fiction without any context — but it’s a new and green way lay the dead to rest. The term describes turning remains into healthy soil, and it’s legal in Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. In addition, the process was just legalized in California and will soon be legal in New York.


    Mat Hayward / Contributor | Getty Images

    According to Axios, Recompose is a Seattle funeral home leading the way in promoting human composting as a form of interment. Funerals held there have traditional elements; however, rather than taking their final rest in a satin-lined box, the deceased is at the center of a “laying-in” ceremony. In a process Recompose calls “natural organic reduction,” materials such as wood chips, alfalfa, and straw are laid around the body, then sealed inside, launching the process that transforms a corpse into soil.

    Axios’s reporting suggests that human composting may be slightly more affordable than a typical funeral. For composting, transportation, and soil donation, Recompose ceremonies cost $7,000, making the process somewhat more expensive than cremation (median cost: $6,515) and cheaper than a typical burial, which averages $8,805.

    Families can take urns of soil home for ecological use — gardening soil, for example — and anything left is donated by the funeral home to various causes. Katrina Spade, the founder and CEO of Recompose, tells Axios that while “soil is, on the one hand, very sacred and special to the people still living,” it’s also “just soil.”

    “And so to be able to return to the Earth in a meaningful way,” Spade continues, “to the forest, through our conservation partners, I think that’s my favorite option.”

    More than just adding fresh topsoil to areas in need, human composting also reportedly reduces the usual carbon output of traditional processes by 1.2 metric tons.

    There’s probably a much better term for returning to the earth in such a literal manner than “human composting,” but according to Axios, it’s not as off-putting as you’d expect. Katrina Spade tells the site that Recompose has held 200 composting ceremonies, and 1,200 customers are paying monthly installments for future services.

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    Steve Huff

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  • Tyson Recalls Ground Beef for Having ‘Mirror-Like Material’ In It

    Tyson Recalls Ground Beef for Having ‘Mirror-Like Material’ In It

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    Texas beef buyers, beware.

    Tyson Foods Inc is recalling 93,697 pounds of raw ground beef, saying it may be contaminated with a hard “mirror-like material,” according to the USDA.

    The beef was produced on November 2 and distributed to retail locations in Texas, including H-E-B grocery stores. After the company received several customer complaints about glass in their beef, they contacted the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the product was cleared from the shelves.

    Related: Tyson Foods Takes a Lickin’ and Keeps on Tickin’ Lower

    Here’s a list of the products recalled.

    • 10-lb. chubs containing “HILL COUNTRY FARE GROUND BEEF 73% LEAN/ 27% FAT with BEST BEFORE OR FREEZE BY: NOV 25, 2022.”
    • 5-lb. chubs containing “HILL COUNTRY FARE GROUND BEEF 73% LEAN/ 27% FAT with BEST BEFORE OR FREEZE BY: NOV 25, 2022.”
    • 5-lb. chubs containing “H-E-B GROUND CHUCK GROUND BEEF 80% LEAN/ 20% FAT.”

    Thankfully, the FSIS says there have been “no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.”

    The agency urges anyone who thinks they may be ill or injured due to consumption to contact a doctor.

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    Jonathan Small

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  • Avoid Traveling to These Places If You Want to Help the Planet

    Avoid Traveling to These Places If You Want to Help the Planet

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    2022 has been a terrible year for weather.

    In Europe, severe heat waves killed over 16,000 people, nearly 1,700 died in the Pakistan floods, and Hurricane Ian in the U.S. took the lives of 109 people.

    Catastrophic weather events caused nearly $37 billion worth of damage worldwide from January to September 2022, according to insurance broker Aon.

    Many factors contribute to climate change, including travel, which causes about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

    While tourism can boost local economies and, let’s face it, most of us love to go on vacation (especially after Covid), there are certain destinations you should reconsider visiting.

    Fodor’s Travel Guide has come out with its annual No List for 2023, which highlights “natural attractions that could use a break in order to heal and rejuvenate; cultural hotspots that are plagued with overcrowding and resource depletion; and locations around the world immediately and dramatically impacted by water crises.”

    Here’s a look at some of the places they suggest skipping next year.

    Related: Climate Change Almost Threatened the Fate of This Thanksgiving Staple

    Oh, the places not to go

    French cliffs and coastline

    France’s coastline is eroding, thanks to an onslaught of tourists. Places like Étretat, Normandy, a picturesque spot that attracted many Impressionist painters, have been hit particularly hard. Fodor’s reports that regular foot traffic along the white cliffs is causing frequent landslides.

    The situation has become so untenable that even government officials are asking tourists to stay away. “We need tourism, but a balance needs to be found,” said Jean-Baptiste Renié, an Étretat city councilor. Many of them [the tourists] leave angry after having spent several hours in the car without being able to find parking, someplace to eat, or toilets because there isn’t enough infrastructure.”

    Lake Tahoe, California

    During the pandemic, people flocked to this beautiful spot nestled deep in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They didn’t leave. The result has been a mass of humanity and traffic polluting the area and its pristine lake.

    Community leaders and residents have become so concerned they’ve started an organization called The League to Save Lake Tahoe with a mission to protect “the environmental health” of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

    According to their website, “heavy traffic crushes Tahoe’s roads into fine dust and debris and pumps tailpipe emissions into the air. When it rains or snow melts, stormwater transports these fine pollution particles into the Lake, clouding its cobalt blue waters.”

    Related: This Solar-Powered Florida Town Was Built to Withstand Hurricanes. Did It Work?

    Venice, Italy

    With its historic canals, ancient monuments, and fine dining, Venice is one of the most popular destinations in the world. But herein lies the problem. The city in the water was not built for so many tourists.

    Fodor’s reports a ratio of 370 visitors for every resident per year.

    Venice was already prone to flooding and rising sea levels, and the millions of tourists who descend on the city yearly exasperate the problem. Local authorities have introduced laws to keep the hordes away, including banning cruise ships from the city center. And starting next year, Venice will charge an entrance fee just to enter the city.

    Cornwall, England

    Cornwall is popular for its mild climate, spectacular beaches, and unique culture. But like many old cities, the infrastructure can’t accommodate so many visitors.

    “Narrow lanes passing for roads and limited parking at some of the most popular sites in the county combine to create gridlock, pollution, and litter,” a resident told Fodor’s.

    Thailand

    The Fodor’s No List didn’t single out one specific part of Thailand—it warned people away from the entire country. Why?

    “Popular bucket list destination Maya Bay, Phi Phi Leh—made famous by the Danny Boyle-directed flick The Beach starring Leonardo di Caprio—had to close in 2018 due to severe ecological damage caused by the nearly 3,000 daily visitors and mooring boats,” Fodor’s says.

    And it isn’t any better in the north. Chiang Mai, northern Thailand’s tourist-friendly city, ranks among the world’s most polluted cities.

    Maui, Hawaii

    Maui is suffering from a severe water shortage thanks to record-breaking high temperatures, no rain, and tourists, who gobble up a majority of the island’s water supply.

    The island has been in a “Stage 1 water shortage” since June 30 due to dry conditions. West Maui, the home of the popular tourist destination Lahaina, is particularly arid.

    “As dry weather continues, reservoir levels and ditch flows will continue to drop, and it is likely that Upcountry water treatment facilities will not be able to keep up with demand,” said Department of Water Supply Director Helene Kau.

    You can find the complete Fodor’s No List here.

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    Jonathan Small

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  • How Your Business Can Unpack the Importance of Recycling

    How Your Business Can Unpack the Importance of Recycling

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Consumers in 2022 are well aware of the importance of recycling. After all, they have been bombarded with “recyclable” messaging on their products since the 1970s. But even the most optimistic are frustrated with the lack of progress and accessible recycling processes. As climate change increasingly impacts our daily routines, the urgency of these efforts is increasing.


    PonyWang | Getty Images

    Without swift action, the estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic currently entering the ocean annually will triple in the next 20 years. The time is now — and businesses must take immediate steps to understand the realities of recycling, the opportunity to contribute to a circular economy and the necessity to educate consumers.

    Related: How Entrepreneurs Can Turn Trash Into Profit (Literally)

    Recycling needs a reboot

    The data clearly shows just how confused consumers are about recyclability. There is an alarming gap between recycling perception and reality.

    One new report found that out of the 40 million tons of plastic waste generated in the United States last year, only 5% to 6% was recycled. In fact, glass, plastic and liquid cartons all have a much lower rate of recycling than perceived by the consumer.

    The reality is, most of the materials labeled “recyclable” are not recycled, or are recycled only one or two times before they hit the landfill. So while labeling these materials might seem like an easy way to promote recycling, it’s doing little to protect our planet.

    The good news is that consumers still want to be a part of the long-term solution. More than half of consumers are “less likely” to buy products in harmful packaging, and 44% said they “won’t buy” products in packaging that is harmful to the environment, according to Trivium Packaging’s 2022 Global Buying Green Report.

    But just because consumers like to buy sustainable packaging doesn’t mean they are taking the necessary steps to recycle it. This is why brands must do their part to encourage more recycling, including educating consumers on the large gap between perception and reality. Every business must have a hand in changing consumer behavior by creating recycling content across brand channels, communicating messaging about sustainable materials and finding ways to encourage and incentivize the recycling of their products and packaging.

    Related: What Is Sustainable Entrepreneurship, and Why Does it Matter?

    The switch to circularity

    It’s time for leaders to dig deeper and look at materials that recycle forever without degrading in quality and that have high recycling rates. These materials, like metal and glass, stay in the circular loop forever, achieving much higher levels of circularity.

    For example, 84% of steel packaging in Europe is recycled. Once it’s sourced, metal packaging is infinitely refillable and versatile, ultimately making it much more economical and environmental because of its durability.

    Reducing waste and moving away from the culture of disposability is one of the most significant shifts in modern-day consumerism. Brands must get on board. By moving away from materials that have a limit to the number of times they can be recycled and towards materials that can be recycled forever, companies large and small can not only move the needle in their own sustainability goals but contribute to a circular economy and help save our planet.

    Related: Being Eco-Friendly Is Hard. Here, 6 Business Leaders Explain Their Most Effective Strategies.

    Investing in the infrastructure: Public and private responsibility in the circular life cycle

    If businesses believe government policies are supportive of improving their environmental footprint, they’ll be more confident in transforming their manufacturing process to support infinitely recyclable materials. Conversely, there’s much that every brand can do to support a stronger recycling infrastructure.

    In recent years, large consumer brands have banded together for major recycling infrastructure investments. Companies have also worked directly with processing centers to invest in enhanced recycling machinery or partnered with recycling centers to promote new technologies that more accurately and efficiently sort recycled materials.

    No matter what size company, there are ways to participate. There are many examples around the world of businesses, government entities and communities collaborating to keep trash out of landfills. Many offer collection programs, even for hard-to-recycle waste streams, and work with businesses to enhance their circular supply chain, ultimately keeping materials in circularity.

    Related: Why You Need to Build Sustainability Into Your Business Strategy

    Implementation and education

    In a recent study, 88% of consumers said they wanted brands to help them be more sustainable and ethical in their day-to-day lives. And there’s no better platform to communicate important messages to your consumers than the packaging itself.

    Featuring language on packaging such as “metal recycles forever” and “100% Recyclable, Forever” across packaging or point-of-sale materials on digital platforms and social channels will help to both promote eco-friendly credentials and communicate the call to action to the end user.

    Recycling is far from the simple panacea that the advertising spots from the past 30 years wanted us to believe. It’s complex and it takes work. It’s time to take on that complexity and take recycling to the next level — which is circularity. That requires a check of existing sustainability goals. Small businesses that understand how to take advantage of this new circular infrastructure will win — and help save the planet in the process.

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    Rob Huffman

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  • People Keep Licking a Rare Toad in U.S. National Parks

    People Keep Licking a Rare Toad in U.S. National Parks

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    Visitors to national parks in the southwest keep kissing frogs, but they’re not hoping they’ll turn into a prince.

    The rare Sonoran desert toad, also known as the Colorado river toad, naturally secretes a strong hallucinogenic venom called Bufotenin, which is four to six times more potent than DMT.

    Licking the frogs can produce a short but intense psychedelic trip that lasts around 30 minutes.

    But the frog secretions can also be quite dangerous, leading the National Park Service to post a warning on their Facebook page to stay away from the frogs.

    “These toads have prominent parotoid glands that secrete a potent toxin,” the service wrote. “It can make you sick if you handle the frog or get the poison in your mouth. As we say with most things you come across in a national park, whether it be a banana slug, an unfamiliar mushroom, or a large toad with glowing eyes in the dead of night, please refrain from licking.”

    Toad venom is all the rage

    The rare toad venom has become all the rage among celebrities such as Mike Tyson, Chelsea Handler, and Hunter Biden.

    “I died during my first trip,” Tyson told The New York Post. “In my trips, I’ve seen that death is beautiful. Life and death both have to be beautiful, but death has a bad rep. The toad has taught me that I’m not going to be here forever. There’s an expiration date.”

    The toad venom has been used in rituals for its healing properties for thousands of years, but it only recently became mainstream in the last ten years.

    Now vacationers go on retreats to sample the rare toad venom.

    “People pay anywhere from $250 for a ceremony in the East Texas woods to $8,500 for a more gilded beachfront setting in Tulum, Mexico, to consume the toxin,” according to The New York Times.

    Or they can go to a national park in the U.S. Southwest and try to lick a frog for free.

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    Jonathan Small

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  • Video Shows a Possible Meteorite Striking a House in California

    Video Shows a Possible Meteorite Striking a House in California

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    The chances of being hit by a meteorite are astronomically slim, but try telling that to a California man who claims a hurtling ball of fire destroyed his house.

    “I heard a big bang. I started to smell smoke. I went onto my porch, and it was completely engulfed in flames,” Dustin Procita of Nevada County in rural Northern California told KCRA news.

    The Penn Valley Fire Department responded at around 7:30 pm last Friday night to reports of a structure fire near Lake Englebright. It took them around four hours to contain the fire, but Procita escaped alive. Sadly, his dog Tug was trapped in the house.

    “They said it was a meteor. I watched meteor showers and stuff as a kid, but I definitely didn’t look forward to them landing in my yard or through my roof, Procita said.

    Mutliple videos of meteorite activity

    Locals reported seeing a bright ball fall from the sky and land in the same area as Procita’s home. Some of the sightings were recorded on video.

    Meteorites are small rock fragments from asteroids that fall to Earth. When meteorites enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up and turn into fireballs or “shooting stars” called meteors.

    There have been very few instances when meteorites have actually struck a person. In 1954, an Alabama woman named Ann Hodges was napping on her couch when a meteorite tore through her ceiling and hit her side.

    Procita says he feels lucky to be alive.

    “They say it’s a one in 4 trillion chance, I guess I might be buying a lottery ticket today.”

    The fire department is still investigating the cause of the fire and should know in a few weeks.

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    Jonathan Small

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  • Michael Bloomberg Wants to Rid the World of Coal by 2040

    Michael Bloomberg Wants to Rid the World of Coal by 2040

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    Michael Bloomberg is no fan of coal.

    The former New York City mayor and current UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions announced today that his philanthropic organization will work with national and local governments in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to end the use of coal by 2040.

    The billionaire made the announcement at the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit in Egypt.

    Bloomberg has long been an advocate for clean energy. In 2019, he donated $500 million to a campaign that shut down all coal-fired power plants in the U.S.

    “We’ve helped to close more than two-thirds of coal plants in the U.S. and put more than half of Europe’s on track for retirement – and we need to make progress like that all around the world,” Bloomberg said.

    His new venture does not have a price tag, but the initiative has two distinct goals.

    1. Working with national and local governments to develop energy transition plans, implement the necessary public policies, and provide the skills and training to accelerate clean energy development and phase out fossil fuel use.
    2. Partnering with the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) to help mobilize the flow of private capital to clean energy transition projects in emerging markets and developing countries.

    The problem of coal dependence

    Coal is the dominant source of electricity generation in most countries in Africa and Asia. But coal produces more carbon emissions than any other fuel on earth, according to the U.S. Energy Information Associating, leading to poor air quality, health, and climate.

    Still, alternative fuel solutions, like wind and solar, are expensive and often out of reach for developing countries.

    “Overcoming the hurdles that stand in the way of investment – requires partnership across government, business, and philanthropy,” said Bloomberg. “It also requires technical assistance and economic and policy analysis – the side of energy development that doesn’t get a lot of attention but can mean the difference between investment in coal and clean power.”

    Reaching the goals of net-zero emissions requires investment not only from governments but the private sector.

    “We need to mobilize significant private capital to clean energy and the responsible accelerated retirement of coal,” said Mark Carney, Co-chair of GFANZ and UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance. He says the partnership introduced by Bloomberg can “help unlock finance at the scale needed to support the energy transitions of emerging markets and developing economies.”

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    Jonathan Small

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  • An Underwater Property in Florida Is Going for $43 Million

    An Underwater Property in Florida Is Going for $43 Million

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    Four acres of beautiful waterfront land in Boca Raton, Florida, is on the market for $43 million.

    There’s only one issue—it’s largely underwater.

    Image credit: William Swain via The Real Deal

    Giving new meaning to the term “underwater mortgage,” real estate manager William Swaim of Waterfront ICW Properties is offering the submerged land for developing single-family homes.

    Swaim calls the property a “unicorn” due to its location and relatively inexpensive price tag. The parcel sits along the Intracoastal Waterway, a series of inlets and canals that wealthy residents use to dock their boats and yachts. Home prices in the area have appreciated monthly by more than 10 percent over the past 18 months. A mansion can go for as much as $18 million a pop.

    Swaim, who specializes in buying and reselling flooded land, said the area is the “last and largest undeveloped Boca Raton Intracoastal property for sale in 30 years.”

    But he also warns that anyone buying the property will have their work cut out for them.

    “Submerged parcels are a headache,” Swaim told The Palm Beach Post. “It takes years to clean them up, and most people don’t want to take years to clean them up.”

    His company will build a seawall and fill the dirt for an additional $3.5 million.

    Why is the property underwater?

    Swaim’s land wasn’t always beneath the sea. The property was above ground until 1957, but an apparently greedy neighbor stole the dirt to build a nearby subdivision, Swaim told The Post.

    Some local activists are concerned that overdeveloping properties such as these can harm wildlife.

    “Manatees are dying at record rates because of impacts to their habitat, and increasing development on submerged lands is only going to compound that problem,” said Everglades Law Center Executive Director Lisa Interlandi.

    But a 2018 Army Corps review concluded that developing the land would not adversely affect endangered and threatened sea turtles, smalltooth sawfish, or manatees.

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    Jonathan Small

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  • Elon Musk’s New Private Jet Is Something to Behold

    Elon Musk’s New Private Jet Is Something to Behold

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    Turns out that jet setter Elon Musk is quite the jet collector.

    The billionaire (or billion air?) owner of Tesla, Space X, and recently Twitter, has a small fleet of four private aircrafts— three Gulstreams and one Dassault.

    According to a report by news website Austonio, Musk plans to add a new baby to the family. He recently ordered a Gulfstream G700, the latest model from the business jet giant. The plane is expected to be delivered to him in early 2023.

    The Gulfstream G700 has an estimated price of $75 million. That sounds like a lot until you compare it to Saudi Prince Al Waleed’s Airbus A380, which goes for a breezy $500 million.

    Still, the G700 is something to behold. Gulfstream calls it “the most spacious, innovative, and flexible cabin in the industry.” The galley boasts four living areas, seats up to 19 people, and sleeps up to 13.

    The jet’s Rolls-Royce Pearl engines launch it to speeds of 690 mph and can fly 27.5 hours without refueling.

    Not to be left out, the pilots also enjoy a first-class travel experience. The state-of-the-art flight deck boasts ten touchscreen monitors, heads-up displays like you’d find on a fighter jet, and sidestick controls.

    Gulfstream

    Musk is sure to put plenty of miles on his new plaything. According to flight records obtained by The Washington Post, he took 250 trips in 2018 across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Total miles traveled: 150,000.

    Nice wings, bad air

    But not everyone is celebrating Musk’s recent purchase. Scientists and environmentalists say the climate impact of these private jets is enormous.

    A 2021 study by Transport & Environment found that just 1% of people cause 50% of global aviation emissions. The math is not difficult to figure out.

    Fewer people flying in bigger, carbon-emitting planes disproportionately impact the environment.

    Data shows that the wealthiest 10% in the world are responsible for the same amount of carbon dioxide in a year as the poorest 10% are over in more than two decades.

    Hopefully, the jet collector’s next purchase will be an electric- or hydrogen-powered jet.

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    Jonathan Small

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  • PVCs Are Polluting Our Planet. This Startup Has a Solution.

    PVCs Are Polluting Our Planet. This Startup Has a Solution.

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    About 40 million tons of Polyvinyl chloride, most commonly known as PVC, are produced each year. The plastic can be found in everything from tents, toys, pipes, flooring, and billboards.

    But PVC is highly toxic, spewing chlorine into the air and damaging the ozone layer. According to Greenpeace, “PVC is the single most environmentally damaging of all plastics.”

    A startup out of Golden, Colorado, called Renegade Plastics, has invented a new toxic-free, recyclable fabric solution for dangerous PVCs. The polypropylene-based material is free of lead, dioxin, and phthalates and has a 33 to 49% lower carbon footprint than PVC-coated and laminated fabrics. It’s also recyclable.

    National Prize Winner

    Last week, Renegade competed at the Cleantech Open pitch competition in San Jose, CA, and won a $50,000 prize.

    Cleantech Open is the largest clean technology accelerator in the world. More than 90 companies joined their program this year. After six months of mentorship, business training, and networking with investors and partners, eighteen finalists progressed to compete at the national level.

    Renegade Plastics came out on top. “It will set us up for success in building a circular economy for the plastic fabrics industry,” said Tony Ehrbar, CEO of Renegade Plastics.

    The runner-up in the competition was Verde Technologies Incorporated, which develops a thin-film solar panel that is lightweight, flexible, affordable, and easily installable due to its adhesive backing.

    Verde Technologies Incorporated also won the National People’s Choice Award.

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    Jonathan Small

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  • Storms Are On the Rise. But There’s a Solution Under Our Feet.

    Storms Are On the Rise. But There’s a Solution Under Our Feet.

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The past few months have been terrible for farmers across the globe, as crops have been exposed to one extreme weather event after the other.

    Pakistan shouldered a climate catastrophe, with devastating flooding that submerged a third of the country. And hot and dry weather in the U.S., Europe, and China threatens yields and drives up food costs.

    These are the realities of a changing climate. For farmers, the meteorological tumult has profound impacts. Sixty percent of the U.S. plains are seeing severe drought this year, and nearly three-quarters of U.S. farmers expect significant crop and income loss.

    Many are inclined to look to the sky for relief. But there’s an overlooked tool at our disposal to mitigate the worst effects of weather we can’t control —and it’s right beneath our feet.

    Related: This Solar-Powered Florida Town Was Built to Withstand Hurricanes. Did It Work?

    The soil solution

    From killing crops to selling livestock to disaster relief, governments and farmers have taken reactive measures to cope with extreme weather. But many believe in a more proactive approach, using soil to its greatest potential.

    Healthy soil generally has a more robust structure and higher organic matter. These characteristics have water-storing benefits – for each 1% increase in soil organic matter, the soil can hold around 20,000 gallons more water per acre. Even beyond drought, in heavy rainfall or flooding, good soil structure allows for permeable, sponge-like soil, giving the water someplace to go.

    The problem is we have degraded our soil over the last 200 years, killing 30% of the world’s topsoil and 70% of agricultural topsoil.

    In the soil, carbon is an important indicator of soil health. But when farmers use destructive agricultural techniques such as tillage, carbon is released into the atmosphere, which contributes to –– and exacerbates –– the climate crisis.

    But adopting methods that prioritize soil health can keep carbon in the soil where it contributes to a virtuous cycle: not only ensuring more resilient farms in extreme weather but radically improving farmer profits and mitigating the climate crisis.

    A tale of two farms

    This summer, my team witnessed a stark example of what healthy soil can do during a busy wheat harvest with farmers in Kansas and Nebraska. The temperatures were brutally hot, over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and they hadn’t seen rain for weeks.

    On one conventionally farmed field, the soil was exposed and uncovered. The top few inches were so compact it was tough to dig into, and the ground was like powder. When we measured the surface soil temperature, it was 138-140 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Just 20 feet away was a field where the farmer had been trialing regenerative practices. The soil was covered with crop residue from the previous year, and beneath that armor, the soil was porous, moist, and measured just 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

    There’s no quick fix to creating more resilient farms, but what we saw on that field demonstrates farmers can take steps to protect themselves from extreme weather.

    First, we need to stop tilling. We destroy the essential structure to hold and direct water when we turn over the soil. It also exposes the soil to air and sun, which kills the rich network of microorganisms required for healthy soil.

    Second, leaving the ground covered can help increase the carbon in the soil. Armor, like the crop residue on that midwestern wheat farm, can protect soil from the elements that strip it of nutrients. Cover crops protect soil from erosion while increasing photosynthesis by driving more carbon into the ground through living plant roots.

    Lastly, growing a mix of crops is beneficial. Repeatedly planting the same crop drains the soil of the same nutrients. Instead, consider mixed and companion crops or rotating which crops you plant – for example, planting potatoes after harvesting corn is a common practice.

    How to make soil a priority

    These soil-regenerating techniques are widely known. But there are barriers to widespread adoption.

    Education is lacking. Some people still till their soil, for example, because they believe it will help improve the soil’s ability to retain water. Now that we know it has the opposite effects, farmers see that regenerative practices can help them reap dividends.

    We also lack access to affordable tools that provide accurate and reliable soil health measurements. Uncovering how much carbon there is in soil is an expensive process. It’s also slow, and the margin of error can be 40% to 90%.

    The midwest farmer I mentioned earlier who was trialing regenerative practices was able to see the difference between healthy and depleted soil side-by-side— and what it could mean for his yields in a dry year. But he was taking a risk; not every farmer can or wants to undertake the time, effort, and planning of regenerative agriculture on the chance their investment will pay off.

    To build farmers’ trust in soil-boosting regenerative practices, we need better tools to collect and measure soil health data. Our gap in soil data has dire consequences. Soil health is the most important metric correlating to a farm’s profitability and resiliency.

    The world has always experienced weather extremes. But now, nature is out of balance. Climate conditions that challenge the resiliency of our food system aren’t going anywhere. Scientists agree these events will become increasingly frequent and severe.

    Thankfully, it’s within our power to change our practices and prioritize better measurements and data. Ultimately, healthy soil benefits farmers and is our best tool to adapt and withstand whatever meteorological curveballs lie in wait.

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    Karn Manhas

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