In honor of Earth Day 2020
By: Sandra Ponce De Leon
Tags: Earth Day, Innovation, Ocean, Startups, Cleantech

It almost feels like humans are getting their karma and the earth is having a good laugh while also healing. By no means do I mean to diminish the human tragedy and suffering so many are going through with our current pandemic, but I am lifted by the thought of our Earth is healing if only just a bit from so much of the human abuse we’ve imposed on her.

In honor of Earth Day 2020, I’ve made a compilation of all of the articles that I’ve written to support positive ocean and earth technologies and solutions. This is a salute to the innovators and entrepreneurs committed to Earth’s health and healing.

Many of these companies are young startups in search of funding —it is my hope that in amplifying their stories, we help get them noticed and in front of the right eyeballs with the funds and abilities to invest. What the earth needs now more than ever are viable solutions to climate change and investment in the right technologies that can accelerate positive ocean and earth impact.

Happy Earth Day 2020!

Ocean Spray Embraces Regenerative Agriculture And Goes 100% Sustainable

Eat Cranberries and Feel Good

Now you can eat cranberries year-round and feel great, not only because cranberries are a superfruit rich in antioxidants, vitamins B, C, and E and carry many other health benefits such as improving blood pressure and are anti-inflammatory, but also because they are great for the environment!

Ocean Spray’s cooperative farmers are committed land stewards, conserving an average of 5.5 acres of natural lands for every 1 acre of cranberry bog, the name for the sandy beds in which cranberries grow. In fact, their farmers have adopted and are committed to the following sustainability principles:

Farm productivity for generations

Soil health and responsibility

Fertilizer management

Water stewardship

Ecosystem conservation and biodiversity

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Wellbeing for workers and the community

… all of which make regenerative agriculture so important.

Can Technology Save the Ocean?

Can Technology Save the Ocean? It’s a provocative question and one with many answers.

I recently hosted a virtual conversation with three ocean tech entrepreneurs who are looking to deploy their technologies to help tackle some of the biggest issues the ocean is facing.

Hyper Moves With Ben Lamm Of Hypergiant

In the age of Coronavirus, ocean acidification, plastic overload, and insect apocalypse what does the world need to think more boldly and optimistically about our future? Some say its more entrepreneurs like Ben Lamm, whose company Hypergiant recently announced its EOS algae bioreactor that is 400 times more effective at sequestering CO2 as trees.

I recently sat down with Ben to talk about his journey as an entrepreneur, what drives him and what keeps him optimistic in these apocalyptic times. It was an insightful conversation and an encouraging window into the brain of a hyper-focused man looking to leave his mark on humanity in a positive way.

Hypergiant Is Using AI And Algae To Take on Climate Change

Algae, that green scum often seen on the surface of ponds, and credited with harmful ocean algal blooms that kill ocean life might just hold an important key to addressing climate change. Algae, much like trees, uses carbon dioxide to conduct photosynthesis, sequestering CO2 as it grows.

Hypergiant, an AI products and solutions company, is harnessing this unique power of algae in its latest technology, the EOS bio-reactor which uses AI to optimize algae growth and carbon sequestration.

Its bio-reactor is built to hook up to HVAC systems found in large industrial buildings, skyscrapers and apartment buildings which are some of the biggest contributors to global warming from the CO2 emitted through their energy usage and air conditioning systems.

Profit Meets Purpose at Latest “Tech4Nature” Encounter

Are we entering a new era of innovation where profit meets purpose?

In Silicon Valley and beyond the world of technologists are turning their attention to the critical issues our earth and oceans face, ushering us into a new era of innovation. An era with a purpose and an intention to remedy much of the damage we’ve caused to the Earth as a result of industrialization and unchecked corporate growth.

Adrian Grenier on Why Environmentalism is a Spiritual Journey

Adrian Grenier shares how environmentalism is a spiritual journey.

I had a lovely sit down with Adrian Grenier at the recent Planet Home event in San Francisco. Adrian and I have a shared passion for saving the ocean and his organization The Lonely Whale is focused on saving the oceans in three ways:

Bringing scalable solutions to market that are creating new business models that minimize environmental impact.

Empowering youth through education and community activism.

Sparking viral global movements that create positive and measurable impact.

Can AI Save Our Oceans? Let’s Start With The Data.

The ocean is in a dire crisis that puts the entirety of humanity at risk. The gravity of its issues range from climate change to plastics pollution to overfishing, all of which are overwhelming issues to tackle individually, and seemingly insurmountable when looked at together.

Scientists have noted that even if we were to halt all of our fossil fuel activity today, we are still on track to lose 90% of the ocean’s corals by 2050. Coral is the ocean’s life system and without it, we will soon also have an ocean without life.

In spite of the terrible news, there are some glimmers of light and hope spots that we can point to, especially in the areas of AI for the benefit of the ocean. This will be the first in a series of articles that puts a spotlight on the top innovators and innovations that are using the power of technology, and specifically AI to restore and regenerate our precious oceans.

How thredUP is Driving the Circular Fashion Movement with AI

Fresh on the heels of a $175 million raise, thredUP is poised to capitalize on the growing $24 billion second-hand market through its use of artificial intelligence to bring efficiencies and scale to every area of its operations , while fueling the circular fashion trend among traditional retail brands with the launch of its “resale as a service” offering.

The company’s mission is to inspire a new generation of shoppers to think second hand first, keeping clothing out of landfills so that people can look great without being part of the problem.

Jeremy McKane Using Superpowers for Ocean’s Good

What happens when the artist can no longer sit back and play the passive observer in his creations but becomes compelled to become part of the art itself?

That much happened to Jeremy McKane, a former startup executive, turned artistic photographer that realized creating stunning photography was not enough, he had to do more to inspire action, create innovative solutions and unite a fragmented ocean community to work together to improve our oceans’ health. I had a chance to speak with Jeremy McKane as a cohost on the Break it Down Show, here’s what we discussed.

Alternatives To Plastic Are On The Rise

Alternatives to plastics are on the rise, and that’s a good thing!

We’ve all heard the sobering and depressing statistic that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, which is not surprising considering we are dumping the equivalent of one garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every minute.

Annually, over 300 million tons of plastic are produced and 50% of that is meant for only a single use, such as the plastic utensils used for a take-out meal or the top of a coffee cup. These objects are in use for just a few moments, yet because they are non-biodegradable, they will exist on the planet for hundreds of years. The amount of plastic production this requires means that by 2050, the plastics industry will consume 20% of total oil production, and be responsible for 15% of the annual carbon budget.

National Science Foundation Awards Litterati Grant to Advance its AI for a Cleaner Planet

On Earth Day, 2019, the National Science Foundation has awarded Litterati a second grant in the amount of $750,000 to advance its machine learning and further its mission to create a litter-free world by using data to plot and identify litter across the planet. The grant is part of the National Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Award and is the second grant awarded to Litterati, bringing the total amount of the award to $1 million.

We are pleased to accept this grant from the National Science Foundation. To many people, litter is someone else’s problem to solve, but unfortunately, it is something that impacts us all — from degrading our environment to killing wildlife and infecting our food supply,”

said Litterati Founder and CEO, Jeff Kirschner.

Are we Entering a New Era of Regeneration?

Regeneration is a relatively recent idea that has been gaining traction amongst climate action circles worldwide.

In contrast to sustainability, which aims to maintain a state that avoids continued depletion of natural resources in order to keep ecological balance; regeneration refers to restoration, renewal, and growth.

In other words, regeneration does not sustain, but rather improves upon the previous state.

The Role Of Smart Grids And AI In The Race To Zero Emissions

The term “smart grid” encompasses much more than just power delivery, though that is an important factor. At its core, the main pillar of a smart grid is a two-way connection of energy and information, but it goes much deeper than that. For maximum effectiveness and efficiency, a smart grid infrastructure should also include two more pillars: distributed generation and AI.

According to Harvard’s Science in the News, the current power plant system in the US was “not built to accommodate the diversification in energy sources, especially not the rise in renewable resources.” In our current system, when demand outpaces supply, utility providers source energy from ‘peaker plants’ (backup fossil fuel-powered plants) at a minute’s notice — just barely avoiding catastrophe.

Why It’s Time to Abolish Marine Theme Parks

Caging the Ocean’s Wild, a film presented by the International Ocean Film Festival is a tough, but important film to watch. The barbaric practice of putting the ocean’s most majestic creatures into small tanks for our enjoyment must stop.

In the US, the movie Blackfish, as well as activist groups like PETA have created awareness about the cruel practices of this industry. This consumer awareness has impacted Seaworld’s bottom line, its former CEO resigned and the company has been trying to improve its image by focusing on animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts, as well as announcing that it would stop breeding orcas.

Innovation drives the Blue Economy at Oceanology International 2019

Last week’s 50th anniversary Oceanology International conference in San Diego hosted a unique gathering of scientists and technologists working in partnership to preserve and grow “The Blue Economy”.

The economic activities that create sustainable wealth from the world’s oceans and coasts. — Center for the Blue Economy.

And the World Wildlife Fund estimates the total value of the blue economy to come in at over $24 trillion. This is the frontier of ocean research — which builds upon and integrates our digital understanding of the ocean into an understanding of how humans can interact with the oceans in positive economic ways.

Ocean Economy Takes Center Stage at Davos

The “ocean economy” was on center stage last month at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting at Davos — arguably the most important economic conference in the world — this year.

While scientists have been sounding the alarm about climate change for awhile, it seems the world is suddenly taking notice. Perhaps it was last year’s report from the IPCC that laid out a bleak future for humanity if we don’t change our ways, with the alarming reality that we have less than 12 years for humanity to turn the tide.

https://gritdaily.com/ocean-economy/