Sustainability Weekly — CTA Architects P.C.

**Fridays are for…**

The Last Of August Produce, Satellite Launches, Plastic Treaty Support, and more!

by Alli DiGiacomo

Happy Friday! As August comes to an end and we have our last Summer Friday today, we are all preparing for this year's end of summer picnic next week. If you haven’t signed up to bring a dish yet, consider bringing a dish using August seasonal produce while you still have the chance! Some produce you can currently find at New York’s local farmers markets includes juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, peaches, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplants, sweet bell peppers, green beans, and a variety of herbs. There are endless fresh dishes that can be made with all these options! Plus, supporting local businesses and buying seasonal produce is a good way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Keep reading below for more sustainability news!

T H I S W E E K ’ S T O P S T O R I E S

NASA LAUNCHES TANAGER-1, A METHANE-HUNTING SATELLITE, INTO SPACE

A new satellite named Tanager-1 was launched on August 16th as part of the SpaceX Transporter-11 Rideshare mission. This satellite is the first in a series developed by the Carbon Mapper Coalition and will be able to spot methane leaks from individual facilities such as oil refineries and landfills. Methane is a particularly potent greenhouse gas, over 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in its first 20 years in the atmosphere. Detecting and addressing these leaks is crucial for reducing emissions and mitigating climate change. Tanager-1's advanced technology will allow it to pinpoint methane emissions from individual facilities, and the data collected will be made available through a public online portal.

The Carbon Mapper Coalition plans to launch additional satellites to monitor up to 90% of the world’s large methane emissions daily, addressing the gaps in global methane and CO2 monitoring. The launch took place from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The coalition, formed in 2021, is a partnership that includes NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Planet Labs, RMI, and Arizona State University, with financial support from various philanthropic foundations, including Bloomberg Philanthropies.

U.S. SUPPORTS A GLOBAL TREATY CALLING FOR LESS PLASTIC POLLUTION

The United States, one of the world's largest plastic producers, has announced a significant policy shift in support of a global treaty aimed at reducing the annual production of new plastics. The U.S. now also supports the creation of a global list of chemicals used in plastic production that should be phased out, as well as setting criteria to identify avoidable plastic products. This move aligns the U.S. with a group of high ambition countries, including EU member states, South Korea, Canada, Rwanda, and Peru, which advocate for capping and phasing down plastic production.

This policy shift comes ahead of the U.S. presidential election and places the U.S. in direct opposition to major plastic and petrochemical producers who have resisted production caps. Previously, the U.S. had pushed for each country to make its own decisions regarding plastic production, a stance that put it at odds with nations like Saudi Arabia and China. These countries prefer that the United Nations treaty, expected to be finalized in November in Busan, South Korea, focus on downstream measures such as recycling rather than production limits.

POWERING ELECTRIC CARS WITH SOLAR PANELS

While several electric cars equipped with solar panels are available today, none are fully powered by solar energy. These solar panels primarily serve to recharge smaller 12-volt batteries that power accessories like air conditioning or to provide a minimal boost in driving range, usually just a few miles per day. Examples include the Fisker Ocean, which offers up to 2,000 miles of range annually from its solar roof, and the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which can add around 3 miles of range per day under ideal conditions. Other models, like the Toyota Prius Prime and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, use solar panels to power accessories or slightly recharge the main battery. However, the efficiency of current solar panels and the limited surface area on cars make it impossible to fully power a vehicle with solar energy alone.

The concept of a fully solar-powered vehicle faces many technical hurdles, primarily due to the inefficiency of solar panels and the limited amount of energy they can capture. Despite the sun's immense energy, by the time it reaches Earth's surface, only a small fraction is usable, and current solar panel technology captures just 22.8% of that energy. For an electric car to run solely on solar energy, it would require far more solar panels than can fit on the car's surface. However, there are niche markets where solar-powered vehicles are more feasible, such as microcars in urban environments or specialized vehicles like the Squad solar-powered car, which can add up to 18.6 miles of range per day. Companies like Aptera, Lightyear, and Mercedes-Benz are also exploring the potential of solar-powered vehicles, with concepts that maximize efficiency and range, hinting at a future where solar-powered driving could become more viable.

MORE IN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

Enormous hidden ocean discovered under Mars could contain life.
Check out the world’s largest Passive House, San Verdero, completed in 2024 in New York City. It was designed by Handel Architects.
NASA’s methane hunting satellite has launched. The satellite, called Tanager-1, will be able to spot methane leaks from individual facilities such as oil refineries and landfills.
Hurricane forecasters warn of ‘supercharged September’ in the Atlantic.
Terrasmart introduces a new tool to prevent hail damage at solar farms. This is important because insurance industry reports indicate that “hail accounts for less than 2% of solar project insurance claims by volume – but more than 50% of total dollar losses.”
A cutting-edge new community center in Tanzania will be 3D-printed using locally sourced soil all from within 15.5 miles.
When art meets activism, you get a whole new look at the impacts of climate change.
Dogs with backpacks full of wildflower seeds are helping rewild England. The scheme in an urban nature preserve in England is mimicking an ecological role left vacant by now-extinct UK wolves, who unwittingly collected seeds in their fur and spread them.