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The Internet of Trees with Dryad Networks
Shaken Not Burned
July 11, 2024
Shaken Not Burned
Highlighting changemakers and solutions
Welcome to another week of Shaken Not Burned!
We are back from our summer break with two encouraging stories to discuss: the UK and French elections.
A week ago, the UK chose the Labour Party to govern the country for the next five years, following 14 years of Conservative ruling. From a sustainability standpoint, this spells an opportunity for change as Keir Starmer’s cabinet seeks to exploit the net zero opportunities to create jobs and improve living standards across the country. With announcements of a UK clean power giant Great British Energy, the launch of a National Wealth Fund to finance the transition and the promise of an Energy Independence Act, things are off to a seemingly strong start.
On the other side of the Channel, France surprised everyone by electing a green-socialist coalition instead of the far-right National Rally party, as had been anticipated. In fact, outgoing president Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, the Ensemble alliance, came second, with Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party came third.
Following our discussion, Felicia speaks to Carsten Brinkschulte, co-founder and CEO of Dryad Networks - an environmental IoT startup that helps landowners to monitor, analyse and protect the world’s largest and most remote forests.
Thanks for joining us and don’t forget to listen to this week’s episode wherever you get your podcasts. We hope you enjoy the newsletter and if there’s anything you’d like to see more information about, myths you’d like dispelled or terms you’d like clarified, you can email us at [email protected].
Glossary - Green hydrogen
Hydrogen is being touted as a decarbonisation solution to replace fossil fuels in certain industries (such as steel and ammonia production), heavy-duty and maritime transport, and heating – although the latter is being questioned as there are more efficient methods to do it.
Hydrogen can be produced through several ways, which have varying levels of carbon intensity. The resulting products are differentiated by colour to specify their energy source. Green hydrogen is made using renewable electricity, therefore it will have the lowest impact on the planet; however, only 1% of the world’s hydrogen is green. Most of it is blue or grey, which use natural gas.
Busting a myth - Glass bottles are more environmentally friendly than plastic ones
According to a study from the University of Southampton, glass and recycled glass bottles cause more negative impacts than their plastic counterparts. This is because glass production needs more resources and energy than plastic, and the energy-intensive recycling processes are often powered by fossil fuels. The final product is much heavier than plastic bottles, which produces more transport-related emissions for the amount of liquid transported.
Of course, this doesn’t mean plastic bottles are the ideal containers, as they are made from fossil fuels, release microplastics and cannot be endlessly recycled. According to the study, recycled aluminium cans are the best single-use container for drinks. Ultimately, limiting the use of single-use containers altogether will provide the best outcomes.
What we’ve been reading this week
The UK’s Labour Party did not waste any time and lifted a ban on onshore wind developments days after taking office. There is much work to do and it’s great to see those quick wins achieved promptly.
In less happy news, we have already crossed the 1.5°C threshold for a consecutive year, the Copernicus Climate Change Service finds. However, it doesn’t mean the Paris Agreement is out of reach, as its target is measured in averages over decades rather than single years.
Ireland cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 6.8% last year, the lowest level in three decades. The country is targeting a 51% reduction by 2030.
Google stopped claiming to be carbon neutral after ending carbon offset purchases. The tech giant says it will shift its strategy to avoiding or cutting greenhouse gas emissions but is also expanding its extremely energy-intensive AI operations, which will prove a challenge in reaching its emissions targets.
Oil giant Saudi Aramco is not giving up on the internal combustion engine. The state-owned company invested €740 million to buy a 10% stake in Horse Powertrain, a company developing engines running on alternative fuels – which, in some cases, are not as green as they sound.
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