Sustainability Weekly

SUSTAINABILITY
Written By Dara Magagnoli

Fridays are for…

NYC Climate Week 2024, Wind-powered Cargo Ships, Recycled Tennis Balls, and more!

by Alli DiGiacomo

Happy Friday! Starting this weekend and continuing throughout next week is NYC Climate Week 2024! It is the biggest annual climate event of its kind, including over 600 events around NYC featuring global leaders in business, tech, academia, and more. This years theme is “It’s Time”, highlighting the urgency of action against climate change despite record breaking investments in clean energy and net zero tech, and unprecedented momentum. The goal is to also inspire people and companies hesitant or on the edge to start taking action as we are seeing the effects of climate change everywhere now. 

Although there are many powerful and inspiring events happening all week that I encourage you to attend if you can, see below for a summary of events that may be more relevant to the architecture and construction industry: 

 

NYC CLIMATE WEEK 2024

Sunday, September 22nd: 

Monday, September 23rd: 

Tuesday, September 24th: 

Wednesday, September 25th: 

Thursday, September 26th:

Friday, September 27th: 

Saturday, September 28th:

  • 11:00am-4:00pm, Climate Week Clothing Swap at Maison Jar in Brooklyn. All clothes not swapped can be taken back home or left for donation.

Keep reading for more of this week’s sustainability news!

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

THE WORLDS LARGEST WIND-POWERED CARGO SHIP JUST MADE IT’S FIRST DELIVERY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

Designed by French startup TOWT (TransOceanic Wind Transport), the vessel Anemos sailed from France to New York, carrying pallets of champagne, wine, and cognac. This marks the first time in nearly a century that a large cargo ship crossed the Atlantic using wind power as its primary source of propulsion.

TOWT believes wind-powered cargo ships can compete with fossil-fuel-powered vessels. Modern technology, such as advanced meteorological models, satellite communications, and routing software, helps maximize wind usage. Most of the time, Anemos and its 7 crew members operate using only wind, though it has backup diesel-electric engines for low-wind conditions. On its maiden voyage, the ship relied on wind for the final 10 days of the journey.

Anemos has a smaller capacity than most modern container ships, holding around 1,000 tons of cargo, but it's custom cargo unloading system allows faster delivery times. When the wind is strong, the ship can even generate power through its propellers to power onboard systems electrically. Brands are willing to pay a premium to use TOWT’s service as it aligns with their sustainability goals and offers positive marketing. Customers can even track the carbon savings of each shipment through a QR code. While other industries explore alternative fuels, the argument for wind as an immediate, reliable solution to decarbonize shipping is avoiding the pitfalls of greenwashed options like liquefied natural gas. Six more ships are set to join the fleet by 2026, with the ultimate goal of expanding to hundreds of vessels.

WIMBLEDON’S TENNIS BALLS ARE BEING RECYCLED INTO TINY MOUSE HOMES

Every year, Wimbledon uses over 50,000 tennis balls over the course of the competition. In partnership with the Wildlife Trust, the tennis balls are recycled into homes for tiny, brown mice. The new nests are a perfect fit that can shelter them from predators and the elements, especially since industrial farming methods have compromised some of their habitat. As many as ten young harvest mice can live in a single tennis ball.  

If you are wondering what happens here in the US after the US Open, the USTA collects the Wilson Tennis balls used during matches to reuse in other USTA tennis programs, for donations to various organizations throughout the states, and a portion of the 2024 balls will be donated to Recycleballs. See the other green initiatives of the US Open here.

US POSTAL SERVICE ELECTRIC TRUCKS ARE FINALLY HERE 

The USPS has officially begun rolling out its highly anticipated Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs), starting with a fleet in Atlanta, Georgia. According to an AP report, delivery drivers are praising the new vehicles for their improved features, safety, and overall ease of use. USPS is committed to all purchases after 2026 will be 100% battery electric vehicles. Before then, some fossil-fuel-powered trucks will still be acquired, but USPS also struck a major deal with Ford to purchase 9,250 E-Transits. 

Drivers are thrilled with the new NGDVs, especially compared to the aging Grumman LLVs, which were built between 1986 and 1994. These old trucks are notorious for poor fuel efficiency (9 miles per gallon), excessive noise, lack of air conditioning, and frequent safety issues, including falling mirrors and a record of nearly 100 vehicle fires last year. The NGDVs address all these issues. They have better efficiency, air conditioning, and safety features like around-view cameras, blind spot monitors, and collision sensors. Drivers also appreciate the ability to stand and walk inside the truck.

MORE IN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

  • Zion National Park shuttles are now fully electric . The fleet of 600,000 are now operational, transporting the park’s more than 4 million yearly visitors

  • Thawing Alaskan permafrost is unleashing more mercury, confirming worst fears of scientists.

  • A Palestinian engineer is helping solve the severe water shortage in Gaza using solar power.

  • A new study shows that big cities make their own weather. Specifically, urban areas receive more rain in a year than surrounding rural areas. 

  • A report from the World Bank finds that climate change is disrupting education worldwide. SInce 2022, over 400 million students across the globe have missed school because of an extreme weather event linked to the climate crisis. 

  • Colorado is trying to prevent people from putting plastic forks in their compost.

  • Slaughterhouses to pay for Amazon reforestation. Two beef slaughterhouses will pay $764,000 for environmental damage after being found guilty of buying cattle from a protected area of former rainforest in the Amazon. The money will be used to reforest 573 acres of the converted pasture land.

  • Patagonia gave $1 million to regenerative farms in California. 

  • London saw a surprising benefit to fining high-polluting cars: More active kids.

Dara Magagnoli
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