14 April, 2016
Here at Ben & Jerry’s, we’re constantly inspired by those clever cookies fighting the climate battle each and every day. Yes, climate change can be a pretty gloomy topic, and of course, as with any complex problem, the solution is never going to be simple… but don’t give up! Did you know that switching to renewables and ridding our world of fossil fuels aren’t the only solutions out there? No? Well here are some innovative and inspiring alternatives to get you thinking!
Seaweed farms
It may be slimier than your average slug, but let’s not underestimate the power of seaweed. Did you know that this green substance has the ability to act as a carbon sink? Think of it as the tree’s underwater cousin. According to Tim Flannery, an Australian scientist, we only need to cover 9% of the world’s oceans with seaweed farms in order to draw out all of the CO2 from our atmosphere! And it doesn’t stop there – in addition to this, this seaweed would produce enough biomethane to write off our reliance on fossil fuels AND attract enough prawns and other shellfish to feed 10 billion people… now that’s pretty awesome!
Carbon-negative cement
Did you know that, worldwide, 5% of man-made emissions come from cement production? Finding a replacement to cut these emissions would make a massive impact… and guess what? Carbon negative concretes do just that! Not only are these concretes more durable, flexible, cheaper and stronger, they also absorb CO2! What’s not to like?!
Used Coffee Grounds
Good news coffee lovers… a group of Korean researchers have found a way a pretty cool way to use up all those leftover grounds. By using the grounds to store atmospheric methane, this could be a highly effective solution in helping to combat the mass of greenhouse gases polluting our world… especially when we think about just how powerful this gas is – over 60 times that of CO2!