The USDA Forest Service provides recreational opportunities for visitors of the Cherokee National Forest. The service has been gearing recreational activities towards a sustainable future. Investments have been made towards sustainability, safety, and meeting the needs of forest visitors. Due to a decreasing budget, there may be some sites that are no longer open or will require maintenance. Many areas that require maintenance and have safety issues will be decommissioned. Some outdated areas on the sites have been updated. User fees are being updated to reflect the changes.

Key Takeaways:

• The Forest Service is increasingly concerned with the problems associated with long-delayed maintenance and diminishing resources.
• The Forest Service will be modifying the recreational programs at Cherokee National Forest in order to improve future sustainability.
• You can inject water into your blast media to make it less abrasive and decrease risk of collateral damage.

“Forest Service managers say they can no longer afford to continue to finance aging facilities, poorly designed trails and underused day-use and camping sites.”

Read more: http://www.clevelandbanner.com/stories/ocoee-sustainable-rec,109719

A Texas A&M student named Broch Saxton has built a vertical hydroponic growhouse. This invention should help people learn to have greater access to quality food. This allows more room for the crops without having to use traditional resources. Saxton has partnered with University Professor Ms. Templin to get a $60,000 grant to build this greenhouse which will help feed students while also being a tool for learning. This is something they envision they could bring to developing countries to help feed many more.

Key Takeaways:

• Templin and Saxton envisioned a project that could feed Aggie students and staff on campus.
• Using the grant funds, they purchased towers and a closed-loop watering system that provides nutrition to the plants.
• The produce harvested by TUFU is distributed by the 12th Can Food Pantry, a student-run program on the Texas A&M campus.

“I want to help people have better access to greater food, all while ingraining hydroponic farming into the university.”

Read more: https://today.tamu.edu/2020/03/10/the-future-of-farming-straight-up/

Chew Jo Han, a former fashion industry professional, created a hydroponic growing system in his office. The small vertical farm used artificial light to grow food. One of this man’s friends took it upon himself to grow an indoor farm as well using balcony and bathroom space to make room for hydroponic plants. Both men found that one road block to growth was the expense of fertilizer. They established CityFarm Malaysia in 2016 to allow for more growth of vertical farming in the country and region.

Key Takeaways:

• Jayden Koay used his balcony and bathtub for his hydroponic planting system.
• CityFarm Malaysia was founded in 2016 to make materials available to urban farmers.
• The company’s sales were impressive, and in 2017 they were invited to join a UN program in Kuala Lumpur.

“the industry was still in its infancy and materials, equipment like hydroponic fertilizers had to be bought from countries like Japan, Singapore, China and Taiwan. And, they were expensive.”

Read more: https://www.hortidaily.com/article/9196727/engineers-believe-vertical-farming-offers-the-answer-to-food-sustainability/

EcoVadis has recently announced the winners of its leadership awards in various areas of sustainability. Recipients include L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, and Henkel, and were recognized at the Sustain Conference. The awards recognize companies that are leaders in the area of sustainability in several different categories, including program leadership and regional performance. They also acknowledge companies that partner with EcoVadis to promote sustainability in general. The companies recognized this year are all leaders in sustainability, and their efforts are reaping great rewards for them.

Key Takeaways:

• The awards serve to acknowledge and celebrate companies partnering with EcoVadis that are driving progress in sustainability through setting bold, ambitious goals.
• This year the judges recognized The Estée Lauder Companies for demonstrating excellence in internal stakeholder engagement among applicants from North America.
• According to the evaluation, highlights of Henkel’s winning program include excellent internal communication, set quantitative targets and goals created jointly with business leaders and more.

“Judges assessed initiatives such as training programs, as well as development program plans and efforts to train and reward suppliers for sustainability and CSR performance.”

Read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/groupe-psa-henkel-l-al-121500703.html

Cannabis is an industry that requires a lot of energy and water to sustain the growth of the plants. The plants require quite a bit of water, twice as much water as a grapevine requires. So, companies are trying to find ways to reduce the amount of water used to grow these plants. Some growers are hanging the plants up by their roots in a moist environment to cut down on the amount of water they are using. There are also some methods that are being used to cut down on energy as well.

Key Takeaways:

• Many growers of cannabis are working to be more sustainable and some have made systems that can reuse up to 97% of the original water used to grow.
• When cannabis is farmed naturally, it can sequester 20 tons of carbon per year from the atmosphere which will help protect the environment.
• We are seeing more cannabis growers implement on site composting and recycling operations to help with regards to waste management.

“Sustainable cannabis farming comes down to three main challenges: water usage, energy consumption, and waste management.”

Read more: https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/environment/how-cannabis-companies-work-to-be-more-sustainable/