You didn't unsubscribe after the last edition
So I made this decision
I did not get a lot of feedback for the new format that I introduced last week, but…
None of you unsubscribed from the newsletter after I changed the format last week, so I guess, you liked it.😂
And I am going to continue with this format.
You can jump to the sections that you would like to read.
Also, if you’d like to share a particular story with someone, you can do that by clicking the Share this story button at the end of each story.
So for this week, we have-
How did Copenhagen become a cycling paradise?
People in the Danish capital bike to school and work. The city is overflowing with bikes. But this wasn’t always the case.
In the 1950s, there were more cars than bikes. City planning was focused on having more cars. But then the global oil crisis happened in 1973.
Oil prices went up by 4x. And Denmark was importing 80% of its oil needs. It needed to find a way to reduce that.
Copenhagen started taking measures to preserve gas. Driving was banned on Sundays.
Also, there was an ongoing environmental movement. People wanted to see more bikes than cars. They didn’t want to copy the American mindset.
And this was a perfect opportunity for them.
They pushed more. And the city introduced something new- an annual budget for cycling infrastructure. It was introduced in the 70s.
And it has resulted in 250 miles of bike lanes. There are 17 recently built bike bridges.
The city even has cycle superhighways. Where you can ride without stopping at traffic lights.
What a ride!
Something similar happened in Amsterdam as well. I had written about it 2 editions ago. You can read it here
This startup is converting food waste into food packaging
1 kg of plastic for every 3 kg of fish…That’s the amount of plastic in our oceans right now. Plastic takes years to degrade and till then it sits in some part of nature, which in most cases is the oceans. Every year, 100,000 marine mammals are killed because of plastic. We aren’t even counting the sea birds and other creatures. And this plastic comes from packaging, furniture, building material, toys, and many other sources.
Solving 2 problems…Spanish startup Feltwood wants to replace plastic in all of these industries and many more. It has developed a patented technology to manufacture biodegradable industrial materials using vegetable waste. Vegetable waste is agricultural waste or part of the veggies like lettuce or artichokes that we don’t consume. Feltwood converts this into resistant, useful, and versatile materials for different sectors.
The vegetable waste is 100% biodegradable, recyclable, and compostable and so are the products made out of it.
This puts vegetable waste to good use and prevents it from polluting the environment.
They don’t use any plastic, adhesives, or binders which might harm the planet.
Just like plastic… this can be molded into different shapes and sizes. This allows it to be used in a wide range of products, from toys to furniture. It can be a great replacement for wood too and can be painted, cut, or machined like it. Feltwood can manufacture the final product or they can offer the license of the technology to other manufacturers.
This startup is growing real meat for pets but in the labs
The planet and pets are suffering…The main sources of meat in pet foods are chicken, beef, and fish. And we are made to believe that they are good for our pets but studies have shown that these proteins are the leading food allergens in cats and dogs. Also, raising farm animals drives up land and water use, burning fossil fuels, and the use of highly toxic pesticides that can run off from farms into the natural environment.
How bout a mouse cookie?… Because, Meat. wants to replace the existing sources of protein for our pets with meat grown in the lab. Their proprietary technology does not kill any animals to prepare food for pets. For example, to prepare mouse treats for cats, protein cells are extracted from a mouse’s ear by putting it under a mild anesthetic.
The process starts by harvesting cells from an animal.
These cells are then put inside a bioreactor, where they grow and turn into real meat that is animal-free.
The real meat is then made into different animal treats.
The beginning…Before starting Because, Meat. Co-founders Josh and Shannon were volunteering in the same cat shelter in Toronto. And it was there that they bonded over the same problem- how devastating pet food is for the climate, our environment, and the lives of farmed animals. And that’s how Because, Meat. was born.
🙋Trivia of the week
X can be found in many different items that we’re exposed to over the course of a day. X can also be inhaled and ingested with foods or beverages.
While the exact effect of this X is unclear, research indicates that they may lead to increased inflammatory response and toxicity, and disrupt the gut microbiome.
In 2020, scientists detected X in the placentas of healthy women. It’s thought that the particles are probably derived from personal care products, paints, and cosmetics.
Theoretically, X are tiny pieces of Y, usually less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) in size.
Can you guess X?
👂What I’ve been listening to?
I have been trying to better understand the concept of Degrowth and listened to 2 separate experts talking about this-
Timothée Parrique, a researcher in ecological economics at Lund University in Sweden.
Matthias Schmelzer, an economic historian, networker, and climate activist.
Thanks for reading today’s edition. Hope you’re leaving it with something new to process.
Have a great weekend😊
X is microplastics