2023 Innovation Issue: Made to last
Chocolate is still a True Essence staple. But in 2021, the company shifted its focus to work on industrial challenges in the food supply chain.
Environment
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Indianapolis Zoological Society awards new prize to Peruvian conservationist
The Emerging Conservationist Award is a new honor affiliated with the Indianapolis Prize, a leading award for animal conservation.
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Hundreds forced from Indiana homes as plastics fire burns
Authorities say an evacuation order continues to affect more than 1,000 people within a half-mile radius of a large industrial fire in an Indiana city near the Ohio border.
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Curbside recycling could bring jobs, business
Moves to finally rid Indianapolis of its distinction as the nation’s largest city without universal curbside recycling will benefit current recycling-focused businesses and could spur economic development.
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GOP critics say politics drives ESG choices for investment firms
Conservative Republican blowback continues to grow against a concept known as ESG investing, which takes environmental, social and corporate governance concerns into consideration when assessing the value of companies.
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Articles
Why birds and their songs are good for our mental health
Birds provide a way to connect us to nature. And even if they are hidden in trees or in the underbrush, we can still revel in their songs
Wetlands protections remain intact after pushback from environmental groups
Indiana lawmakers removed controversial language from a bill that would have effectively stripped protections for certain wetlands, but Republican leadership in both the House and Senate expressed support for reviving the language.
Pilot project to boost Marion County’s low recycling rate getting mixed reviews
In 2020, the city diverted only about 15% of all residential, commercial, industrial and construction waste from landfills, through a combination of recycling and composting. That was far below the U.S. rate of around 35%.
Ag-tech startup Athian secures investors for $5M funding round
Athian expects to begin beta testing for its first product this month. The company was launched last year by Greenfield-based Elanco and Indianapolis-based High Alpha Innovation.
Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ about to get their first US limits
But experts say removing them will cost billions, a burden that will fall hardest on small communities with few resources.
Holcomb orders testing of toxic material from Ohio
The state is contracting with Minnesota-based Pace Labs, which has a location in Indianapolis, to test for “dangerous levels of dioxins” in the toxic materials.
Biden set for first veto on Senate bill opposing climate-related investing
The Senate passed the measure after Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., crossed party lines and joined the Republicans.
Holcomb objects to EPA’s decision to ship toxic materials from train derailment to Indiana landfill
Gov. Eric Holcomb also decried a lack of communication from federal officials, saying he first learned about the shipment on Monday through a third party.
Indiana landfill will take waste shipments from Ohio toxic train derailment
The EPA now is getting close to having enough certified facilities to take all of the waste from the site of the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, said Debra Shore, a regional administrator with the agency.
Spurred by regulators, 3M to phase out ‘forever chemicals’
Tuesday’s announcement comes as 3M is facing an onslaught of lawsuits from states and individuals who are claiming contamination from PFAS harmed their health.
Industry: Advanced recycling is a solution to plastic crisis
Environmental groups say advanced recycling is a distraction from real solutions like using less plastic. They suspect the idea of recyclable plastics will enable the steep ramp up in plastic production to continue.
Environmental group opposes wastewater plant
The Hoosier Environmental Council is now supporting the West Indianapolis Neighborhood Congress in its fight against the wastewater treatment facility the Ben Davis Conservancy District wants to build at 900 S. Tibbs Ave.
Westfield residents seek to save Midland Trace’s trees
Duke Energy Indiana is planning to expand transmission lines, but residents are worried that some routes being considering would spoil the trail and tree-lined neighborhoods.
Steelmaker to use scrap wood to cut its carbon footprint
Fort Wayne-based Steel Dynamics Inc. says a newly announced joint venture with Minnesota-based biocarbon company Aymium will help it meet its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Supreme Court decision might slow transition to cleaner energy
The Supreme Court ruling limiting the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants could have far-reaching consequences for the energy sector.
EPA: ‘Forever chemicals’ pose risk even at very low levels
The Environmental Protection Agency is warning that two nonstick and stain-resistant compounds found in drinking water pose health risks even at levels so low they cannot currently be detected.
Indianapolis-based tech firm Encamp lands $30M investment
Encamp’s software helps its customers fulfill environmental reporting and compliance issues. The company has attracted $47.2 million in investment since its launch in 2017.
2022 Innovation Issue: Insects can be solution to food supply concerns
The protein found in bugs—and their ability to gobble up organic waste—could be key to addressing worldwide concerns over food supplies, greenhouse gas emissions, and land and water utilization.
Colonial Jamestown, assailed by climate change, is facing disaster
At risk of flooding due to rising sea levels, the historic settlement demonstrates the danger that some of the nation’s most important cultural sites face due to climate change.