Pique Behind the Curtain Vol. 32

A newsletter for those who are interested in climate solutions, media and film production

June 01, 2022

Out With the Oil, In With the New

Welcome back to our weekly newsletter, Pique Behind the Curtain. If you’ve come in search of climate content, new film features, and all-around positive vibes, then you’ve come to the right place.

New Release: Ep. 28  Genecis

What do you think of when you picture bacteria? Maybe your most recent case of strep throat?

Bacteria is everywhere - it’s on the surface of a table, in our guts, on our human skin. There are millions and millions of types of bacteria in the room you’re sitting in right now. Genecis has found a way to use the fat of bacteria (wait, come again?) to create rapidly biodegradable PHA plastic.

18 billion pounds of plastic pollute our oceans each year. A new wave of green chemical companies are getting closer to replacing harmful plastics with plant-based alternatives - but they can still take up to 80 years to degrade. Genecis makes compostable plastic that degrades on land and in the sea in under 12 months.

By tapping into bacteria as a resource, they’re kicking petroleum - and its associated environmental impact - to the curb. 

Natural Gas and Induction Stoves

We at Pique Action shun the idea of doomscrolling. Gross. No thank you. And while we believe positivity to be an important pillar of action, we also recognize that, in order to solve the climate crisis, we must acknowledge the not-so-positive areas desperate for improvement.

Welcome to a new series on fixing the planet hosted by our very own Hazel Foerstner. If you’ve ever survived a supremely toxic relationship and thought you’ve moved past manipulation forever, I have bad news for you: gas is gaslighting you.

Natural gas as an industry has run an extensive PR campaign to position itself as clean and green - certainly not as dirty as big oil. But a peer-reviewed study published late last year in the Journal of Climatic Change revealed that energy giants - oil and gas - have used false marketing to improve their environmental image and block climate action. Tactics have included downplaying the severity of the climate crisis and promoting industry-favored solutions (i.e., wholesome, clean, all-natural gas!) as the preferred course of action. 

Basically, we got greenwashed. Hard. The good news is that the country is getting closer to getting off fossil fuels. Renewables made up 19.8% of electricity generation in 2020 and is expected to rise to 35% by 2030. And while we wait for the energy industry to catch up, there are personal actions we can take to lower our environmental impact, signal green demand trends to producers and suppliers, and protect our personal health from the effects of using gas in the home. One example: switch out your stove. 

Hazel explains how and why here.

Good Climate News!

This week in good climate news 🌍:

Making a Waste-Free World

According to the USDA, about 30-40% of the nation’s food supply is wasted every year, making up approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010. (To put it in perspective, just under $1 billion dollars could buy you the Miami Marlins franchise. We’re wasting more than 161 Floridian major league baseball teams every year. Shame.)  

The amount of waste has far-reaching impacts on our society. Not only could it have helped feed families in need, but the waste extends to the land, water, labor, energy, and other inputs that are used to produce and move the food through the supply chain. Berries and salad greens are some of the most likely food products to end up in the trash, as both tend to go bad relatively quickly. The food waste nonprofit ReFed estimates that 20% of strawberries grown in a year are wasted.

But this waste could be significantly decreased with the implementation of California-based startup SAVRpak’s new solution. Their thermodynamic sticker goes inside packages of produce like strawberries and spinach and captures condensation, allowing the food to last longer by fighting off decay. The chemical-free peel-and-stick patch is made from paper and planet-based pulp and is designed to stay cool in order to minimize microbial growth and extend produce shelf life. In tests with produce growers, the patches improved the life of blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries by at least four days. Products like Persian cucumbers lasted as long as 28 days!

SAVRpak began working with food delivery vendors early in the pandemic and is now being used by hundreds of restaurants. The product costs next to nothing, offering an opportunity for suppliers in lower-income countries where refrigeration is less accessible. Globally, the company estimates that it can save up to $78 billion dollars in global food waste.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90753062/a-rocket-scientist-designed-a-solution-for-your-moldy-strawberries

What We’re Watching, Reading, and Listening to

Searching for more positive climate content? Look no further!