By building a closed-loop system, Mango Materials tackles two environmental problems: climate change and plastic pollution — After completing her Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering in 2009 at Stanford University, Molly Morse harnessed her research on the production of PHA (polyhydroxy alkanoate) biopolymers from methane — and its biodegradation — and shaped it into a start-up business in 2010. Where her research at Stanford laid the…

One environmental non-profit aims to change the conversation among conservatives — Conservative activist Benji Backer began the American Conservation Coalition (ACC) in 2017, after first coming up with the idea in a freshman entrepreneurship class at the University of Washington. “He saw this gap in ideas when it came to the environment,” said ACC Communications Director Karly Matthews. “There was a…

Why the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is worth fighting for — Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is witness to the largest land mammal migration on the planet. It sees millions of migratory birds every year that tour through six continents. Some call it the American Serengeti. And it’s currently under threat. As Adam Kolton, Executive Director of the Alaska Wilderness…

L.A. Compost’s Michael Martinez wants to change the way the city thinks about waste — Michael Martinez loves soil — and, as founder and executive director of L.A. Compost, he’s making it his mission to help other people see the value it in too. “There’s a lot of demystifying that needs to take place,” he said. “When we say compost, people think of manure or…

How Friends of the LA River adapts to the times — The Los Angeles River conjures images of a concrete basin filled with water only a couple months of the year. But since 1986, Friends of the LA River (FoLAR) has fulfilled its mission to show Angelenos just how important the waterway is. The organization, founded by rebel poet Lewis MacAdams…

How the Great Green Wall became a pan-African solution — About 60% of the African continent is considered drylands. For people residing in these areas, that often comes with the effects of desertification, land degradation, drought, and climate change. So when politicians in 2005 made the ambitious plan to build a wall of trees across the Sahel, it was embraced…

eXXpedition clocked 10,000 nautical miles before COVID-19 hit— and they aren’t done — When the first leg of eXXpedition’s Round the World mission set sail on October 8, no one could have anticipated the global pandemic that would force the research trip — and much of the world — to press pause. Least of all Mission Leader Sally Earthrowl. “We were out to…

A primer on Bokashi composting at home — The COVID-19 pandemic has flipped the script on sustainability. Where we used to gather and protest and plant and pick up strewn trash, many of us are now spending more time at home than ever. But that doesn’t mean our efforts are put on pause. Climate change protests, for one…

Tracing hemp’s complicated history—and future—with industry pioneer Eric Steenstra — In 1938, Popular Mechanics dubbed hemp the “new billion-dollar crop” with over 25,000 uses and applications. That level of popularity never materialized. “If you look at it, it’s an amazingly beneficial plant. The fiber produces incredibly nutritious seed. You’ve got the cannabinoids. You can make building materials from the woody…