Carlsberg and Coca-Cola Back Pioneering Project To Make Plant-Based Bottles

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: A biochemicals company in the Netherlands hopes to kickstart investment in a pioneering project that hopes to make plastics from plant sugars rather than fossil fuels. The plans, devised by renewable chemicals company Avantium, have already won the support of beer-maker Carlsberg, which hopes to sell its pilsner in a cardboard bottle…

Oxford Dictionaries Declares ‘Climate Emergency’ the Word of 2019

Oxford Dictionaries has declared “climate emergency” the word of the year for 2019, following a hundred-fold increase in usage that it says demonstrated a “greater immediacy” in the way we talk about the climate. From a report: Defined as “a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from…

E-Bikes Are Now Allowed In US National Parks

The National Park Service has expanded the use of e-bikes to allow pedal assist models on the same roads and trails as conventional bicycles so long as they cut off assistance at 28MPH. Officials contend that the policy shift could make parks more accessible and “mitigate” environmental damage while ensuring uses similar to traditional bikes. Engadget reports: E-bikes make it easier…