Good News Notes: “By combining a CeO2 catalyst with atmospheric carbon dioxide, researchers from Osaka City University, Tohoku University, and Nippon Steel Corporation have developed an effective catalytic process for the direct synthesis of polycarbonate diols without using dehydrating agents. Their method, published in Green Chemistry, does not rely on toxic chemical feedstock like phosgene and carbon…
Just Salad Poised to Take Zero-Waste Dining Nationwide
Good News Notes: “Just Salad — a US-based, fast-casual restaurant chain with a commitment to healthy, sustainable food and zero- waste practices — today announced an infusion of capital, courtesy of circular economy-focused investment firm Closed Loop Partners and returning investor Panda Restaurant Group, parent company of Panda Express®. Just Salad will use the capital to expand its geographic footprint and…
LanzaTech Makes Products From Carbon Dioxide
Good News Notes: “Climate technology developer and commercializer LanzaTech has been awarded $4.1M from the Department of Energy (DOE) for a project leveraging technology that uses carbon dioxide (CO2)-rich gas, such as from corn grain ethanol refining, to make chemicals and fuels. A major benefit is that the CO2 is captured before it is released to the…
Check out Boston’s first — and only — one-stop-shop for zero-waste products
Good News Notes: “In Boston’s North End, you can get cannolis, fresh pasta, and now, a wide selection of zero-waste products. Though Maria Camila Vasco, 23, originally founded Uvida as an online store while she was a senior at UMass Boston, Uvida now occupies a quaint, colorful storefront on Atlantic Avenue. Vasco is an immigrant and first-generation…
UMass Medical School drama therapy mental illness patients
Good News Notes: “In the play “Lost & Found,” there is a king, a queen, a princess and a wise man. The characters are reading the lines on their scripts. But those “actors” are not real actors from a drama series. They are a group of people struggling with mental illness who are either stuck in the dark or in the process of recovery, going through a…
‘Living shorelines’ becoming more common in CT for erosion control
Good News Notes: “Visitors to East Shore Park in New Haven aren’t easily able to stroll along the beach there. It’s not closed; it’s being physically cut off from the rest of the park by erosion. Getting to the beach requires getting down a steep slope, and there’s a good chance of slipping on the loose sand…
Rhode Island man swimming 19 miles for ocean research, preservation nonprofit
Good News Notes: “As the sun rises Saturday morning, Ben Tuff will do something not out of the ordinary for him: hit the water. But this time, it’s not just for a couple of laps. He plans toswim 19 miles from Block Island to Jamestown. “I think that’s a lot of what drives me,” Tuff said,…
Brother International Partners with Clean Ocean Action for Sandy Hook Beach Sweeps
Good News Notes: “Employees Volunteer In-Person for the First Time Since Pandemic to Clean Up New Jersey Beaches BRIDGEWATER, NEW JERSEY – July 14, 2021 – Today, Brother International Corporation’s New Jersey headquarters office announced its first in-person volunteer activity since the start of the global coronavirus pandemic. On July 19th and August 19th Brother…
Mussels can be a natural filter to remove microplastics from the ocean
Good News Notes: “In the waters of a marina near the Plymouth Marine Laboratory in England, a group of mussels are busy at work: filtering the water for microplastics. As the bivalves feed, they suck bacteria, algae, and anything else in their surroundings, including microplastics, out of the water and into their gills. When they…
Local Nonprofit Female Empowerment Organization Expands Mentoring Program
Good News Notes: “What Makes You Feel Beautiful, a Maui-based nonprofit female empowerment organization invites Maui County women ages 18 to 35 to sign up for a free, six-month mentoring program. “We’re looking for young women interested in receiving support in achieving their personal and professional goals in life,” said Monica Marrow, Executive Director of…