The latest news about safe, sustainable and bio-based materials and products

Genetically Engineering Coral for Conservation: Psychological Correlates of Public Acceptability

By using synthetic biology, scientists are working to isolate and cultivate strains of coral that can naturally withstand higher sea surface temperatures associated with climate change.

Environment, InnovationLeslie HockmanMarch 11, 2022coral conservation, Genetically Engineering Coral, synthetic biology, coral bleaching, reef loss, climate changeComment

State of knowledge of soil biodiversity - Status, challenges and potentialities

A report by FAO’s Global Soil Partnership and its Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, and the European Commission presents the state of knowledge on soil biodiversity, the threats to it, and the solutions that soil biodiversity can provide to problems in different fields.

EnvironmentLeslie HockmanMarch 9, 2022soil biodiversity, FAO, FAO's Global Soil Partnership and its Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, European Commission, food security, nutritionComment

World's underground fungal life to be mapped for first time

Researchers in Brussels will collect 10,000 samples of underground fungal networks over the next 18 months from around the world, using machine learning to seek out the most biodiverse hotspots and map global fungal networks.

EnvironmentLeslie HockmanMarch 4, 2022underground fungal network, biodiverse hotspots, phosphorus, carbon dioxide, natural ecosystems, Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental TrustComment

The EPA Proposes Regulations for PFOA and PFOS

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to propose enforceable limits on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in drinking water; replacing the EPA’s 2016 advisory level of 70 parts per trillion for these chemicals (individually or combined).

Environment, Regulation, Policy, SafetyLeslie HockmanFebruary 23, 2022EPA, PFOA, PFO, US Environmental Protection Agency, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), Superlaw fund, drinking waterComment

The rise of lab grown foods

In the early part of the last century, Sir Winston Churchill made a prediction: “We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable medium”.

After record low, monarch butterflies return to California

Experts are reporting an estimated 50,000 monarchs at overwintering sites in California.

EnvironmentLeslie HockmanJanuary 7, 2022monarch butterflies, climate change, drought, CaliforniaComment

This new biodegradable glitter is made entirely from plants

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have created a cellulose-based glitter which is sustainable and biodegradable.

Bio-Based, Environment, Sustainability, CelluloseLeslie HockmanDecember 9, 2021biodegradable, glitter, University of Cambridge, cellulose-based glitter, cellulose, Sustainability, wood pulp, waste productComment

Court blocks a vast Alaskan drilling project, citing climate dangers

A large Alaskan oil drilling project by oil giant ConocoPhillips called “Willow” has been shut down by a federal judge.

EnvironmentLeslie HockmanNovember 11, 2021Environment, oil drilling, Alaska, climate, Interior Department’s Bureau of Land ManagementComment

The Team at Vireo Advisors, LLC Celebrates Earth Day 2021

The team at Vireo shares how we are celebrating Earth Day this year, with contributions from the team: Jo Anne Shatkin, James Ede, Kimberly Ong, Megan Roberts, Shaun Clancy, Jerry Liu, Ana Diges, Patricia Hodgkinson, and Leslie Hockman.

Environment, Events, Leadership, Nanomaterials, NanotechnologyJames EdeApril 21, 2021earth day 2021, Vireo Advisors, composting, yoga, meat-less dinners, bat houses, thrifting clothes, pollinators, Nelson Institute Earth Day, global pandemic, green spaces, “How to Save a Planet”Comment

New Tool For Environmental Health and Safety Evaluations of Cellulose: Fluorescently Labeled Fibrillated Cellulose!

Vireo Advisors is a proud contributor to the newly published “Fluorescently Labeled Cellulose Nanofibers for Environmental Health and Safety Studies”.

Environment, Leadership, NanoEHS News, Nanomaterials, Cellulose, Risk Analysis, Safety, SustainabilityJames EdeApril 20, 2021Environmental Health and Safety, Cellulose EHS, Fluorescently Labeled Fibrillated Cellulose, Vireo Advisors, CNF, US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, carbon-based material, boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) reactive fluorescent probe, meso-DichlorotriazineEthyl BODIPY (mDTEB)Comment