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Preparing your business for hurricane season
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsPerhaps the following bit of guidance only applies to approximately one-third of the United States, but with another storm season upon us, one can never be too prepared. The 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season began on June 1, and with deadly subtropical storm Alberto having moved through the Gulf Coast and the Midwest already, and an extremely deadly storm season only a year behind us, preparation now could save lives and facilities.
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Anti-pollution technology emerges in skin care
Cherie Buziak RetailWhat's the common factor between walking briskly down the street to your next appointment, running on your favorite trail or sleeping restfully at night? It’s exposure to pollution, and it's inescapable. We face pollution whether it is day or night, or if we are inside or outside of our homes and buildings. When it comes to our bodies, our lungs are our best built-in defense against pollution, but skin is the largest organ of the body and the first contact with pollutants. We need personal care products to prevent, protect and repair our bodies from pollutants.
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Nanoplastics consumed by marine life may be harmful to aquatic food chain
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalAccording to a new study by researchers from the National University of Singapore, plastic nanoparticles — extremely small plastic particles measuring less than 1 micrometer in size, the length of a typical bacterium — could pollute food chains and eventually affect human health. The research found that these particles are easily ingested by marine organisms, with a risk of being transferred up the food chain, threatening food safety and posing health risks. This news adds to the ever-growing problem of plastic pollution in the oceans.
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Developing a sustainable cooling industry for the future
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingThe present view from the cooling industry in Europe has something of an air of déjà vu about it. There are tightening markets, and therefore significantly rising costs for higher-GWP refrigerants like R404A. The industry is dealing with general consternation from end-users that they are having to pay more than they forecast even a year or two ago, and mild panic from AC contractors that R410A is no longer available from some wholesalers. These views were all represented, or reported, at RAC’s recent F-Gas Question Time.
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Waterless and low-flow toilets save more water than money
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsWaterless urinals and low-flow toilets are an increasingly pervasive investment being made by facilities managers and building owners throughout the world, mostly because they help save water. However, there are arguments about the amount of money they save. The waterless units really do operate without water, but when making the case for their investment, the best argument might be a green one — as in the environment and not cash — as a corporate responsibility effort.
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Kilauea eruptions pump dangerous mercury into Hawaiian air
Lawrence Lichtenfeld Waste Management & EnvironmentalAs Hawaiian residents scramble to save important mementos from molten lava flows, Kilauea is putting on a spectacular display of Earth’s grandeur. But the red spray of liquid stone and bursts of natural glass shards erupting from the corona of the volcano hint at the dangers the latest activity holds. In addition to the volcano’s visible destruction, the chasm is a bubbling cauldron of chemicals and toxins.
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California’s new home construction law embraces solar power
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalThe year 2020 marks a sunny turn for solar enthusiasts in California. That is the year that solar panels are required for all newly constructed single-family homes and small multifamily apartment-style buildings of three stories or less. When the California Energy Commission recently voted unanimously to make solar panels mandatory for these construction projects, the room was packed to capacity. But there was little debate that this is a good idea.
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3-D printing in the commercial construction world
Miranda Y. Brumbaugh Construction & Building MaterialsBelieve it or not, 3-D printing has been around for nearly 40 years. However, it would take 20 years before the technology involved in 3-D printing became reliable and accessible on a global scale. Today, jet packs, limb replacements, cars and even houses are made using this technology. The commercial construction industry is also utilizing this more-efficient method of building commercial spaces and infrastructure.
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Renewable energy jobs are growing worldwide
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalThe renewable energy sector created more than 500,000 new jobs globally in 2017, with the total number of people employed in renewables surpassing 10 million for the first time. Per the International Renewable Energy Agency’s report, "Renewable Energy and Jobs," jobs in the sector increased 5.3 percent in 2017, for a total of 10.3 million people employed worldwide. China, Brazil, the United States, India, Germany and Japan have remained the world’s largest renewable energy employers, per the report, representing more than 70 percent of all of the sector’s jobs.
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Study shows reducing water use cuts greenhouse gases
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsA new study by the University of California, Davis suggests that the reduction in water consumption in California resulted in a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In 2015, California implemented water-saving regulations, requiring a 25 percent across-the-board cut in consumption. The result of that mandated reduction was a savings of 525 million gallons of water during that one-year period. Good news, but what’s the relation between a drought and a reduction in water use cutting greenhouse gases?
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