6/7/24: Cargo ship cleans water, Paris goes green, biochar boom

Planet Health

🚢 CLEANER CARGO SHIPS: Calcarea, a startup, is tackling cargo ship emissions by capturing CO2 and converting it to ocean-safe salts through a nature-mimicking process (biomimicry). This environmental solution could significantly reduce pollutants in the meantime while cleaner fuels are developed. “As the ship is moving through the water, it’s passing that water through our reactors, converting the CO2 into something that’s safe and permanent,” says cofounder Jess Adkins.

🔥 BIOCHAR: Can biochar— a charcoal-like material made from organic waste known for carbon dioxide removal— emerge as a more widespread solution for soil health and fertility? Our film, The Need to GROW, showcased a lot of info about biochar, and now the demand is booming, reaching $600M in 2023 and projected to hit $3.3B by 2025. Read more here about the projected global benefit potential and stats about biochar.

🗼POLLUTION IN PARIS: Road closures to cars, a reduction in 50k parking spots, and increased bike lane coverage (expanded 800 miles!) have led to a 40% decline in air pollution in Paris, just in time for the 15M visitors planning to arrive for the Olympics this summer. Are you up to date on the ways the City of Light plans to “greenify”? Learn more here.

Human Health

🍒 MICROPLASTIC MEN: A new study found high levels of microplastics in human testicles, potentially linked to lower sperm count. This is the first large-scale study on microplastics in male reproductive organs. Though the exact consequences require more data, researchers theorize plastics disrupt sperm production and introduce harmful chemicals. "This is the largest study to measure how much of these microplastics that permeate the water, food and even air end up in the most intimate recesses of male reproductive anatomy."

🍊 HEART HEALTH: How do orange peels benefit your cardiovascular system? According to the lead author of a new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, “within orange peel extracts, we found certain chemicals that can inhibit production of chemicals that can harm your cardiovascular system." Learn all about the health benefits of oranges and the peels!

🌱 NATURE’S MENU: After taking a bicycle trip through 7.2km of natural landscapes and craving healthier food choices on the way, Maria Langlois and her research team formally tested and found "spending time in natural settings or merely viewing greenery can lead to healthier eating decisions compared to being in urban environments or seeing urban scenes." Pierre Chandon, one of the study’s co-authors states “our studies suggest that it was not the urban view that led to unhealthy food choices but rather that nature influenced people to eat healthier.” Is this your sign to go outside? 😉

🧻 “Love at first WIPE”

Conventional toilet paper is full of dioxins, formaldehyde, and PFAS (forever chemicals).

Toilet paper comes in contact with your most sensitive and vulnerable area of the body…multiple times per day! Daily chemical exposure – even in trace amounts – is linked to reproductive issues, birth defects, and cancer.

Not to mention increased risk of yeast infections and UTIs for women.
 
PlantPaper is one of the only lab-tested PFAS-free toilet paper brands on the market. It’s made from organically grown, unbleached bamboo, and void of all toxic chemicals: including formaldehyde, BPA, BPS, dyes, and fragrances.
 
It is the sturdiest, yet softest feeling TP I’ve ever used. A trade up, not a trade-off.

This is the real email I sent the founders after I was so impressed by their ethics and the product performance:

PlantPaper’s entire supply chain, including packaging/shipping, uses NO plastic!

And coming from organic bamboo, when tens of thousands of trees are cut every year for toilet paper…PlantPaper checks about every box I can think of.
 
Protect your family and make the switch to PlantPaper. Use ECL25 and you get 25% off the first purchase in any new subscription - cancel anytime if you’re not convinced.

Creature Feature

🦅 RAISED AS AN EAGLE: This baby bird is one of my favorite animals of all time, and it's being raised in a nest by two eagle parents, like it was their own. Hopefully it doesn't become the eagle family's breakfast which has happened in similar situations, but I'm rooting for adorable success!

Nutrition 101

🐟 DHA (Omega-3): DHA, an omega-3 fat, fuels brain function and eye health. It's found in fatty fish and may help prevent heart disease, certain cancers, and inflammation. Aim for 200-500mg daily from food or supplements, like herring, flax seeds, and walnuts. Click to learn more about DHA here.

Last poll’s results

Have you heard any of my eco/health songs?

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Yes! 🎶 (27%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 I have not (no hard feelings) (73%)

P.S. I’ve always said: the biggest impact we make on the environment or our health is by making adjustments to things we do EVERY DAY. Most of us use toilet paper, so if you’re in the US you need to make the switch to bamboo, which grows ridiculously fast and spares tens of thousands of trees. Better yet, a brand that has none of the many toxins that you are normally wiping with on your most vulnerable parts. Get PlantPaper for 25% off your first order. Use code ECL25 and go HERE. You won’t believe how soft it is.