MultiBriefs - Your source for industry specific News Briefs

Good reasons to visit the Badlands

Dave G. Houser Recreation & Leisure

Protected as a national park since 1978, the Badlands are definitely a good choice for visitors. The scenery is mind-boggling, wildlife abounds and there’s plenty of hiking and camping opportunities throughout the 244,000-acre preserve. Native Lakota people named this 400-square-mile maze of buttes, canyons, pinnacles and spires in South Dakota "Mako Sica" or "Bad Land." Too dry and inhospitable for settlement or development, the Badlands eventually gained the favor of conservationists who recognized the striking landscapes and paleontological riches.

A look at food and beverage trends for 2020

Bambi Majumdar Food & Beverage

A report released by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences shows some interesting trends as we step into 2020. This is a varied list of trends, including tea with alcohol, meal kits, online grocery, organic food, and drinkable collagen. Despite the first appearance of not being connected to each other, these trends perfectly represent the lifestyle we lead now. Some of these have been playing out for several years but will show stronger growth in 2020 and onwards.

2020’s recommended countries to visit include sustainability-loving…

Bambi Majumdar Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

During the last two decades, the travel industry has grown both globally and regionally. That growth, however, has seen some downsides, most important of which is the negative environmental impact caused by travelers. From the slopes of Mt. Everest to the beaches of Hawaii, we are now witnessing terrible acts of pollution and damage to nature and property. The travel and tourism industry is closely following ongoing climate talks so that stakeholders can implement eco-friendly steps. The countries on this list are closer to achieving desired sustainability goals than others.

Achieving the promise of reduce, reuse, recycle with chemical recycling

Kate Gaertner Waste Management & Environmental

There’s no consensus yet on whether chemical recycling is the silver bullet for the growing plastic pollution problem. What is clear, however, is that a solution needs to be found — and fast. Plastic and the use of plastic are not going away anytime soon. For the foreseeable future, companies will remain bound to plastics in their production cycles. This article will look at how industry can reduce the environmental impact of plastic, reuse material already circulating in the economic value stream, and create a circular recycling mechanism is at the heart and promise of chemical recycling.

Death of a blacktail

Chester Moore Jr. Recreation & Leisure

The Sacramento River in Northern California is magnificent. With cool waters running from the Klamath Mountains in the shadow of magnificent Mount Shasta, it flows over smooth, gray stones along wooded shorelines. As I made my way up a game trail leading from the main river, a shocking scene unfolded before me. Lying on the edge of the trail was a massive, dead blacktail buck. With antlers that would make any hunter proud, it was evident this buck had died within the last 24-36 hours.

Will climate relief meet prison closures in California’s budget?

Michelle R. Matisons Civil & Government

As the upcoming holiday season promises a new year and new budget proposals, Northern California’s PG&E remains in limbo, with wildfire victims remaining largely uncompensated. The saga involves mismanagement distributing an essential commodity, power, to 16 million people. As climate disasters mount, the world's fifth-largest economy may adopt a publicly owned utility. PG&E remains court-ordered to pay past wildfire victims — customers and insurance companies — back, but company and state officials share the view that customers should pay for (at least some) future damages.

Study: Today’s hurricanes bigger, more destructive than before

Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & Environmental

Hurricanes have become more destructive since 1900, says a fresh piece of research from the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen. The worst hurricanes are more than three times as frequent now than 100 years ago, the researchers found. The researchers report that they’ve calculated the historical damage figures differently than in the past. Doing so makes a comparison between rural areas and more densely populated areas easier.

The environmental impact of unhealthy foods

Bambi Majumdar Food & Beverage

A recent study conducted jointly by the University of Minnesota and Oxford University shows how nutritious food and healthier diets impact the environment positively. Researchers studied the consumption of 15 different food groups to see different health and environmental outcomes. Healthier and sustainable food choices can prevent environmental degradation. Another study conducted by the University of Michigan in partnership with Tulane University shows how climate-friendly diets that lead to lower carbon footprints are much healthier for the human body as well.

California rewards climate-friendly automakers amid NHTSA lawsuit

Michelle R. Matisons Transportation Technology & Automotive

Ford and General Motors (GM) workers have new UAW labor contracts with some reported positive takeaways. But they part ways on a lawsuit contesting national emissions enforcement authority. For decades, California has enjoyed a Clean Air Act waiver to set its own standards. Suffering under pollution from transportation, industry, and wildfires, California is seeking to reduce pollution to 66 million metric tons per year by 2030. The state has joined 23 others as lawsuit plaintiffs against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Travel2020: The rise of green cruising

Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

Carnival Corporation, which holds the tag as the world's largest leisure travel company, is partnering with leaders from the maritime and engineering industries to pilot the world's first fuel cell system designed to power large passenger vessels. As early as 2021, Germany-based AIDA Cruises, which is owned by Carnival, will trial this innovative fuel technology on AIDAnova, becoming the cruise industry's first brand to trial fuel cells on a large cruise ship.

Industries