Now-Empty Office Spaces are Full of Potential
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Now-Empty Office Spaces are Full of Potential

As we pass the one year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic we are reminded that hotels, restaurants, and offices are much emptier than they were a year ago. What should be done with all of this underutilized real estate? 

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Adaptive Buildings: Innovating Away Demolition Waste
Jennifer Hill Carrigan Jennifer Hill Carrigan

Adaptive Buildings: Innovating Away Demolition Waste

Construction and demolition account for a large proportion of the total global waste produced. In order to reduce this burden on the environment we need targeted solutions. Material reuse has been identified as a possible solution but current practices fall short of efficient reuse of construction and demolition byproducts. To overcome this obstacle we must prioritize building materials and designs that plan for efficient end of life reuse (Principle 1 of circular economy).

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Cities That Hardly Sleep Need Rest
Jennifer Hill Carrigan Jennifer Hill Carrigan

Cities That Hardly Sleep Need Rest

Even if we replace the entire American fleet of gas-powered cars with electric ones, the power plants needed as a power source to produce that electricity would still emit greenhouse gases. While this wouldn’t equate to the amount produced under the current gas automobile regime, just flipping the switch to electric wouldn’t result in a carbon-neutral auto industry. 

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A journey to zero waste for RTP
Jennifer Hill Carrigan Jennifer Hill Carrigan

A journey to zero waste for RTP

The journey to zero waste requires targeted approaches designed to eliminate specific sources of excess. While it can be difficult to identify the changes that need to be implemented, there has already been significant work in the field across the United States and around the world that we can learn from. 

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A circular solution to the tragedy of the commons
Jennifer Hill Carrigan Jennifer Hill Carrigan

A circular solution to the tragedy of the commons

The “rational man” is exhausting the planet’s life support systems, leaving humanity short of materials essential to health and quality of life. If we care about future generations, we have to care about sustainability of the commons.

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The elephant in the room: Capitalism is not sustainable
Jennifer Hill Carrigan Jennifer Hill Carrigan

The elephant in the room: Capitalism is not sustainable

“Capitalism cannot function without growth and so here is the big thing that nobody wants to talk about and yet we have to, which is, if we can’t have growth we have to change capitalism.” - Dirk Philipsen

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Delivering the Plastic Pandemic Into a Circular Paradigm
Jennifer Hill Carrigan Jennifer Hill Carrigan

Delivering the Plastic Pandemic Into a Circular Paradigm

The pile up of plastic has been a long-standing environmental issue for quite some time now, with the world producing almost 300 million tons of plastic a year—most of it single use. With recycling out of the question as an efficient solution for various plastic types, there must be other solutions. That is where Crystal Dreisbach, Executive Director of Don’t Waste Durham and Founder of GreenToGo, comes in.

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The future marketplace is circular
Jennifer Hill Carrigan Jennifer Hill Carrigan

The future marketplace is circular

Materials marketplaces are novel technology-based platforms pioneered by the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development to encourage collaboration between different business sectors. They effectively identify uses for waste generated by one industry and facilitate its redistribution among many other businesses. This model generates value for all parties involved by allowing waste from one industry to be purchased and used as input material for another.

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“Climate change is a waste issue”
Jennifer Hill Carrigan Jennifer Hill Carrigan

“Climate change is a waste issue”

“If we don’t address the underlying problem, we’re going to move from one huge crisis to another,” says Don Addu, Southeast Director of Citizen’s Climate Lobby.

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Reckoning with Environmental Racism
Jennifer Hill Carrigan Jennifer Hill Carrigan

Reckoning with Environmental Racism

“The systems of oppression that have led to the deaths of so many Black people were the same systems that perpetuated environmental injustice,” says Intersectional Environmentalist, Leah Thomas.

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Stormwater Flooding: Reduce for a Greater Use
Jennifer Hill Carrigan Jennifer Hill Carrigan

Stormwater Flooding: Reduce for a Greater Use

As climate change increases the chance of stronger storms and heavier rainfall, the occurrence of harmful flooding events becomes more frequent as well. The three principles of circular economy can help us manage this problem.

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Design out waste for food security with CSAs
Jennifer Hill Carrigan Jennifer Hill Carrigan

Design out waste for food security with CSAs

The agriculture industry faces an endless list of challenges. COVID-19 placed increased and unexpected pressure on our food systems. Some farmers have resorted to dumping milk and plowing over crops because restaurants, hotels, and schools that typically purchase large quantities of food are closed, drastically increasing food waste. However, despite these incredibly uncertain times, farms participating in community-supported agriculture (CSA) are managing to thrive without wasting food.

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