U.S. Becomes World Leader in Oil Production, Innovations in Materials to Protect Forests and New Doc
As the Director of Sustainability at the Smeal College of Business, it is my responsibility to keep my mind constantly steeping in a solution of: 1 part business, 1 part technology, and 1 part each of environmental and social impact, including emerging science, news and events. (Stir together and steep for years until it reaches desired level of understanding).
In "That's News to Me" I share what I am reading with the growing Triple Bottom Lion community. The current books I am reading The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen.
U.S. Now the World's Biggest Oil Producer and Transportation Exceeds Energy for the First Time Ever in GHG Emissions
According to new information from the Energy Information Agency (EIA), the U.S. has reached two important data points. The U.S. has become the largest producer of oil in the world and transportation has (at least temporarily) overtaken the electric power sector as the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions (see below).
And finally, EIA estimates that in 2017, wind produced an average of 697,000 megawatthours per day (MWh/d). Moreover, "EIA forecasts that wind generation will rise to 741,000 MWh/d in 2018 and to 766,000 MWh/d in 2019. This would make 2019 the first year that wind generation would exceed hydropower generation in the United States.
This Eerily Real-Looking Fake Wood Is Stronger Than The Real Thing
"Joe Luttwak wanted to create a wood substitute to beat carbon fiber–one that would more closely resemble old-growth wood, both in terms of strength and performance and biodegradability. What they landed on is something called Ekoa–a material made from just two carbon-negative materials: flax linen fiber and plant-based resin. The material is highly moldable, and both lighter and more sustainable than carbon fiber."
Luttwak founded Lingrove as a "materials and design firm focused on plant based fibers and resins."
New Documentary "Life on Wheels", the Story of the Coming Mobility Revolution
"Life on Wheels tells the urgent story of a culture on the verge of a revolution that will transform our economy, our environment, and the rhythms of our everyday lives...The subject of mobility has vast implications. It touches our core values of freedom, health & safety, and happiness. It hits our pocket books and impacts how we spend our time and energy. It literally shapes our landscapes and cities and it drives our economy."