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Is Glue Sustainable? Glue is a sticky topic for the eco-minded. Is it vegan? Biodegradable? The answer depends on the glue type. Generally, adhesives fall into two main camps: natural and synthetic. Humans have been using natural adhesives for millennia, but in the 20th century, synthetic glues were developed and have over time largely replaced natural adhesives. Much of this was thanks to the aircraft and aerospace industries, which required adhesives with high structural strength and resistance to fatigue and extreme conditions. These high-tech, synthetic adhesives eventually trickled down into more mundane industrial and domestic applications. Here, delve deep into the contents of glue—both natural and synthetic—to decipher which options have the lowest environmental impact, plus learn how to make your own adhesive at home. Ingredients in Synthetic Glues Synthetic adhesives like Gorilla Glue and Elmer's belong in two categories: thermoplastics and thermosets. The resins used in

What Are Rare Earth Metals? They're crucial to hybrid cars, wind turbines and many other green-tech innovations. "Rare earth" metals aren't as rare as they sound—in fact, you're probably using some right now. They're key to a variety of everyday devices, from tablet computers and TVs to hybrid cars and wind turbines, so it may be encouraging to know several kinds are actually common. Cerium, for example, is the 25th most abundant element on Earth. So why are they called "rare" earths? The name alludes to their elusive nature, since the 17 elements rarely exist in pure form. Instead, they mix diffusely with other minerals underground, making them costly to extract. And, unfortunately, that isn't their only drawback. Mining and refining rare earths makes an environmental mess, leading most countries to neglect their own reserves, even as demand soars. China has been the main exception since the early 1990s, dominating global trade with its willingn

Can Carpet Be Recycled? Environmentally Friendly Options Nearly all types of carpet can be recycled, but the process may not be as simple as putting your old carpet out for curbside recycling. Because carpet is made from so many layers of materials, including fibers and plastics, they don’t degrade easily in landfills. Many municipalities won’t even accept carpets if you toss them out with your other household trash for this exact reason. Instead, you may have to take them to a designated waste disposal site. Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), a joint industry-government non-profit whose mission is to develop carpet recycling solutions, estimates that 5 billion pounds of carpet were sent to landfills in 2017. There, they can leach toxic chemicals into the soil and groundwater and release greenhouse gases for hundreds of years until they finally degrade. Recycling carpet is a much more sustainable option. Carpet recyclers break them down into raw materials and process those material

How to Recycle Batteries As the world slowly transitions to cleaner energy, batteries are increasingly in the news. But batteries come with a perplexing twist: What to do with them once they've died? Do you find yourself with a drawer full of loose batteries that you don’t really know what to do with? Whether single-use, rechargeable, or from your vehicle, batteries are recyclable—but it's not as simple as tossing them into the curbside bin.  States have different policies regarding battery disposal. California, for example, considers discarded batteries as hazardous waste, making them illegal to throw into the trash. The state has plenty of resources for ways to safely dispose of batteries, however, from local drop-off centers to mail-in services. In San Francisco, residents who live in single-family homes or small multifamily buildings can put loose household batteries inside a tightly sealed plastic bag, and place them on top of their closed landfill bin, while larger apartm

Dazzling Macro Photographs Reveal the Magic of Tiny Fungi and Slime Molds Special photography techniques capture the magic and beauty of these tiny organisms Fungi are widely misunderstood and often under-appreciated, yet they are a crucial component of the planet's ecosystems. Though they may sometimes look bizarre and otherworldly to us, they are nevertheless unparalleled experts at breaking down organic matter and according to some experts, their latent superpowers may potentially even save the world. Aiming to raise awareness and appreciation of the smallest of fungi, and also mysterious slime molds (also called a variety of monikers like Myxogastria and Myxomycetes), American photographer Alison Pollack uses special techniques to capture the magic and beauty of these tiny organisms. As Pollack explains: "These may look big in the photo, but they are really tiny, barely visible to the naked eye, each less than one millimeter tall. To photograph such tiny fungi with high ma

The Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative Says Nuclear Hydrogen Is a Critical Climate Solution We have seen this movie before and we didn't like the ending. More than 40 global participants announced the formation of the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative, which is described as "a coalition working to advance nuclear hydrogen as a critical climate solution." A statement said: "The initiative will engage policymakers, businesses, investors, and other key stakeholders to raise awareness of the important role nuclear hydrogen can play in delivering carbon-free, secure and affordable energy." "We envision our nuclear plants becoming versatile clean energy centers that not only generate 24/7 carbon-free electricity for the grid, but also bring together clean hydrogen, renewables and other new and emerging technologies to power every corner of our economy," said Colleen Wright, vice president of Corporate Strategy for Constellation, the largest American nuclear operator with

What to Do if You See a Turtle on the Road Turtles are among the most threatened groups of vertebrate animals on earth—and too many are dying on our roads. As the weather warms up, turtles and tortoises are on the move. Especially females, who may be looking for a place to nest—and unfortunately, that place may very well be on the other side of a road. In some areas, turtle habitats are entirely boxed in by roads, meaning that these creatures are at an even higher risk of a vehicle collision. "Because turtles are long-lived species that mature slowly and have fairly low reproductive outputs, the survival and longevity of adults, especially females, is critical to the survival of populations," explains Kiley Briggs at The Oreanne Society. "So the fact that roadkill disproportionately affects mature females means that for some populations, only losing a few turtles per year due to vehicle strikes can tilt the balance toward gradual extirpation (localized extinction)."

The Auto Industry Alone Will Blow the 1.5-Degree Carbon Budget It's making too many cars between now and 2030. A new study from researchers in Australia and Germany, published by Greenpeace in Germany, finds that internal combustion engine (ICE) light duty vehicles (LDVs, or cars, light trucks, and SUVs) alone could pump out as much as 116 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. The report, based on current projections by manufacturers, states: "Phasing out the internal combustion engine and fully electrifying LDV sales is necessary by 2030 to stay within a 1.5°C carbon budget. However, the industry’s plans—at least the plans of traditional manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai/Kia, and GM—lead to projections of only 52% of battery electric vehicle sales by 2030." Cue up the commentariat, who will say, "What 1.5-degree Celsius carbon budget? It's already blown." To which we respond that every fraction of a degree matters, every kilogram of carbon dioxide m

Renewable Energy Sees Strong Growth But Not Enough A coal rebound, high energy demand, lack of ambitious goals, and multiple financial, political, and social challenges threaten clean energy growth. The renewable energy sector saw record growth in 2021 but the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that the ongoing surge in investments won't be enough to put the world on track for net-zero emissions by 2050. The IEA's "Renewables 2021" report forecasts that by 2026, global renewable electricity capacity will reach 4,800 gigawatts (GW), a 60% increase from 2020 levels. That means that over the next few years, the world should be able to produce more than half of its electricity from renewable sources, up from nearly 37% at the end of 2020. However, to avoid a climate catastrophe, renewable energy capacity would need to grow twice as fast and, on top of that, biofuels and the use of renewable space heating would need to grow exponentially. When it comes to growth,

How Much Energy Is in Lightning? And could we use it to power our lives? Lightning is the discharge of electricity caused by an imbalance between the positive and negative charges that build up in a thundercloud. Most lightning flashes occur between or within clouds, but about 40 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks lightning strike injuries and deaths. Is it possible to harness that energy to power entire communities? Here, we explore that question. Amount of Energy in Lightning Lightning produces 10 times more electricity than flows on high-tension wires. It also produces heat energy hotter than the surface of the sun, and sound energy (thunder) that can travel 25 miles. While only lasting a millisecond, a flash of lightning is thought produce up to 10 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, which would be a sixth of the capacity of all the rooftop solar panels in the U.S. in 2021. Ca

Can We Reduce Carbon Emissions by Burning Dead Trees? New research suggests that burning dead trees could reduce coal consumption. A recent study finds that specially treated wood from beetle-killed trees could replace some of the coal in existing power plants, reducing emissions of fossil carbon. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the carbon dioxide emitted from burning wood (biomass) doesn't count. That's because it is not fossil carbon but is biogenic "fast" carbon. The best explanation comes from the International Energy Agency: "Burning fossil fuels releases carbon that has been locked up in the ground for millions of years, while burning biomass emits carbon that is part of the biogenic carbon cycle. In other words, fossil fuel use increases the total amount of carbon in the biosphere-atmosphere system while bioenergy systems operates within this system; biomass combustion simply returns to the atmosphere the carbon that was