New Book – Food for Thought
In his new book, Food for Thought, photographer Kadir van Lohuizen captures the food industry’s struggle with these challenges, taking a whistlestop world tour of how the sausage, quite literally, gets made.
Bathed in a ghostly purple-red light, these floating lettuces are barely distinguishable from those grown outdoors but require one-tenth as much land. The high-tech greenhouse where they live, in Maasbree in the Netherlands, is one possible remedy for a global food industry in crisis, facing a shortage of land due to climate change and conflict.
Cheaper lithium iron phosphate batteries are reshaping EV market
A new wave of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries is gaining traction in the electric vehicle industry, offering cost, safety and sustainability advantages over traditional options.
In short, 1) LFP batteries are increasingly used in EVs due to their lower cost and avoidance of materials like nickel, manganese and cobalt, which are environmentally damaging to mine, 2) These batteries provide greater thermal stability and durability, making them ideal for fleet vehicles but offer less energy density, leading to shorter ranges, and 3) Despite challenges like cold-weather performance and lower recycling value, major automakers like Ford and Mercedes-Benz are embracing LFP for specific applications.
Furthermore, cell degradation is lower than other batteries, ensuring durability and low maintenance requirements at the very same time as well. It’s ideal for light commercial vehicles.”
This matters because, shifting to LFP batteries reduces reliance on ethically and environmentally harmful mining practices while lowering EV costs. As manufacturers expand their EV offerings, LFP technology could make sustainable transport more accessible.
Concrete industry seeks to curb emissions in pursuit of net-zero targets
The global cement industry, a major CO2 emitter, is adopting new technologies and materials to reduce emissions and move closer to carbon neutrality by mid-century.
In short, 1) cement production contributes 5-8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from heating limestone to form clinker, the key ingredient in cement, 2) Germany’s Holcim plant aims to be carbon-neutral by 2028, using carbon capture, alternative fuels and renewable electricity to reduce emissions, and 3) emerging alternatives, such as carbon-free silicate rock and recycling methods, could cut emissions, though carbon capture remains essential to net-zero goals.
It seems reasonable that we should build a circular carbon economy and use CO2 as much as possible as a resource.
This matters because with cement foundational to global infrastructure, decarbonizing its production is critical to meeting climate targets. Carbon capture and innovative materials could reshape this industry, though balancing economic feasibility with meaningful emissions reductions remains a challenge.