This Week in Sustainability Podcast

9: Bury, Recycle, or Compost?

In which we discuss the relative merits of burying, recycling, or composting plastic waste, in particular, packaging. We distinguish biodegradable from compostable. Jamie describes Eastman Chemical Co.’s new process to take any plastic and break them down into their small molecule components and resynthesize new plastics, a true recycling process. We decide burying plastics is not so bad because it keeps carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Finally, we discuss the idea of geoengineering the atmosphere with sulfur dioxide to reflect sunlight back into space, which is terrible because sulfur dioxide becomes acid rain. Produced, edited and posted by Felicia Etzkorn, with co-host Jamie Ferguson. Music created and performed by Wendy Godley.

Waste by Katie O'Neill: 

https://earthbound.report/2019/08/19/book-review-waste-by-kate-oneill/

Eastman Unveils Recycling Solution to Combat Global Plastic Waste: https://www.waste360.com/plastics/eastman-unveils-recycling-solution-combat-global-plastic-waste

8: Firing Flame Retardants

In which, with our guest, Dr. Arlene Blum (www.arleneblum.com) of the Green Science Policy Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, we discuss the toxicity of flame retardants in children’s products, furniture, and her success in changing the standards for these products so that flame retardants are unnecessary to prevent the most common smoldering fires. Flame retardants are still found in TVs. Then host Felicia Etzkorn and co-host Jamie Ferguson discuss a paper about the flammability of cotton and synthetic fabrics, including the limiting oxygen index (LOI), the heat release capacity (HRC), and the peak heat release rate (PHRR), as well as a potential less toxic flame retardant, sodium hypophosphite with succinic acid.

Green Science Policy Institute: https://greensciencepolicy.org

Six Classes Videos: https://www.sixclasses.org/videos

Stapleton HM, Klosterhaus S, Keller A, Ferguson PL, van Bergen S, Cooper E, Webster TF, Blum A (2011) Identification of Flame Retardants in Polyurethane Foam Collected from Baby Products. Env. Sci. Tech.45:5323-5331. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es2007462

Blum A, Gold MD, Ames BN, Jones FR, Hett EA, Dougherty RC, Horning EC, Dzidic I, Carroll DI, Stillwell RN, Thenot JP (1978) Children absorb tris-BP flame retardant from sleepwear: urine contains the mutagenic metabolite, 2,3-dibromopropanol. Science 201:1020. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/201/4360/1020.full.pdf

Yang CQ, He Q, Lyon RE, Hu Y, Investigation of the flammability of different textile fabrics using micro-scale combustion calorimetry, Polym. Degrad. Stab. 95 (2010) 108e115. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141391009004108

Post-note: N-methylol containing flame retardants like MDPA are associated with formaldehyde release. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017SRL....2450114Y/abstract

7: Charging Ahead with Batteries

In which we discuss safer, more efficient, and better rechargeability batteries with two experts, Professors Feng Lin and Lou Madsen of Virginia Tech. We discuss the basics of how electricity and batteries work, the components of a battery, the problems of conventional nickel-cadmium and lead-acid batteries, and the advantages of lithium ion batteries. Feng Lin describes his recent work on oriented microparticles for lithium ion batteries that lead to faster recharging and longer lifetime. Lou Madsen explains his invention of a solid-state electrolyte for lithium ion batteries that is more durable and non-flammable. Hosted by Felicia Etzkorn (Virginia Tech) and Jamie Ferguson  (Emory & Henry College), with music by Wendy Godley of The Kind.

Feng Lin’s paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13884-x

Lou Madsen’s paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/adma.201505183

6: Chill with Refrigerants

In which we discuss refrigeration, how it works (more or less), and the history of refrigerants, with their various advantages and disadvantages for the environment. Ammonia is toxic. Propane is flammable. Freons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) destroy the ozone layer and contribute to global warming. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are also greenhouse gases, except for (HFO)-1234yf, which has a global warming potential (GWP) lower than carbon dioxide, but it is flammable and produces highly toxic and corrosive hydrofluoric acid (HF) or toxic trifluoroacetic acid. Finally, the greenest alternative is carbon dioxide itself, non-toxic, non-flammable, non-ozone depleting, and a relatively low GWP. The supercritical form of carbon dioxide is discussed, as well as its engineering advantages and disadvantages as a refrigerant. Hosted by Felicia Etzkorn (Virginia Tech) and Jamie Ferguson  (Emory & Henry College), with music by Wendy Godley of The Kind.

5: Sunny Vitamin D3

In which we discuss vitamins to sustain ourselves, fat-soluble and water-soluble, and the foods rich in certain vitamins. Then we take a deep-dive into Vitamin D3––the 7-dehydrocholesterol precursor, the UVB light required to synthesize it in our skin, dosage recommendations from the Institute of Medicine vs. the US Endocrine Society, health effects of not enough and too much. Finally, we talk a little about the biochemistry and testing methods. Stay for the haiku reading at the end! Felicia Etzkorn and Jamie Ferguson, with music written and performed by Wendy Godley.

Most of this information can be found on Wikipedia and the references therein.

US Endocrine Society Vitamin D Recommendations:

https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/96/7/1911/2833671

Testing methods: https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/articles/vitamind/

4: Shoe News - New Shoes

In which I very briefly describe the sustainable features of a new brand of shoes from Brazil called Cariuma. Solo effort by Felicia Etzkorn.

https://cariuma.com/pages/about-us-sustainability

 

3: Hot Windows & Cool Roofs

In which we discuss transparent wood windows that are 90% as clear, much stronger, and insulate 6 times as well as glass with Prof. Liangbing Hu of the University of Maryland and Invent Wood. Then we discuss radiative cooling thin films that can be used to reflect heat back into outer space in the frequencies not blocked by greenhouse gases, day or night, to pre-cool air-conditioning fluid with Prof. Shanhui Fan of Stanford University and Sky Cool.

Transparent Wood: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/clear-wood-architecture/index.html

Invent Wood: https://www.inventwood.com

Radiative Cooling: https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2020/08/rooftop-radiative-cooling-system-produces-renewable-power-at-night/

SkyCool Systems: https://www.skycoolsystems.com

 

2: Disinfectants-Keeping it Clean and Green!

In which we discuss different methods of disinfecting surfaces: UV light, quaternary ammonium salts, alcohols, chlorine bleaches, hydrogen peroxide and oxygen with an iron catalyst, ozone, and grapefruit seed extract.

Far UV light for disinfection: https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-666/

Quaternary ammonium disinfectants: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/cen-09830-cover

Dioxins: https://www.epa.gov/dioxin/learn-about-dioxin

Iron-TAML oxidants, Terrence Collins: https://www.cmu.edu/chemistry/people/faculty/collins.html

Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation by Dan Fagin: https://www.amazon.com/Toms-River-Story-Science-Salvation/dp/055380653X

Living Downstream by Sandra Steingraber: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=living+downstream+sandra+steingraber&hvadid=77653144573568&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=mh0b-20&ref=pd_sl_2p3lc51fzf_e

 

1: Sustainable Clothing

In which we discuss the merits and demerits of various materials that go into making our clothes, from renewable resources to biodegradability.

Coca Cola's 100% Plant-based Bottle: https://www.packaging-gateway.com/projects/-coca-cola-plant-based-bottle/

Waste by Katie O'Neill: https://earthbound.report/2019/08/19/book-review-waste-by-kate-oneill/

Tencel(TM) - lyocell: https://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2005/11/tencel_sustaina.html

Cariama Shoes: https://cariuma.com/pages/about-us-sustainability

Blue River Documentary about blue jean production: http://riverbluethemovie.eco

iPhone down-cycling, The One Device by Brian Merchant: https://www.amazon.com/One-Device-Secret-History-iPhone/dp/031654616X

Natural Fiber Welding: https://naturalfiberwelding.com/technology/