Nathalie Voit writes about energy, environmental innovation, and emerging technologies for C3 Journal. A University of Florida graduate and alumna of The Heritage Foundation’s Young Leaders Program, she has covered topics ranging from battery technology and geothermal power to agriculture and sustainable materials.
Agriculture
Dutch food technology developer The Protein Brewery is shaking up the European food market with the launch of Fermotein, its flagship fungus-derived protein powder innovated through biomass fermentation.…
Agriculture
Tech giant Google has agreed to purchase one million carbon credits from Indian startup Mitti Labs to offset methane emissions from rice farming. As one of the world’s staple grains, rice cultivation accounts for approximately 12 percent of methane emissions worldwide. Unfortunately, its presence in every kitchen cabinet also means that reducing the crop’s carbon footprint is no simple task.
Infrastructure
Leveraging Xylem's 'smart sewer' technology, the community of South Bend, Indiana, was able to save around $400 million in planned infrastructure spending... roughly one billion gallons of polluted water are now prevented from contaminating the St. Joseph River every year.
Conservation
Instead of reacting after a fire breaks out, public agencies and utility providers must detect dangerous fires before they ignite. This is where companies like Overstory are trying to make a difference.
Infrastructure
Recent heatwaves across Western Europe are highlighting the growing need for reliable and efficient climate-control infrastructure. limate infrastructure firm Trane Technologies is helping address this challenge through its energy optimization services powered by artificial intelligence. A leading provider of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, Trane’s innovative roster of energy-efficient technologies reduce energy consumption, improve efficiency, and enhance operational resilience across a wide array of facilities, from data centers and hospitals to residential buildings.
Infrastructure
Developing and commercializing new metal alloys is a slow and expensive process. As a result, companies in sectors such as aerospace, defense, and energy often rely on established materials, even when they lack the performance required to build next-generation products. To address this challenge, Foundation Alloy is developing a new class of advanced alloys based on metals.
Environment
Across the United States, billions of tons of industrial waste could hold the key to revitalizing the country’s struggling critical metals sector. PHNX Materials is unlocking that opportunity by transforming waste into high-value materials for the agriculture, semiconductor, and building materials industries.
Energy
The Department of Energy’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) is allocating $14 million to fund field-testing of next-generation geothermal technologies. According to an announcement on April 14, the Pennsylvania-based enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) pilot project will reuse existing oil and gas infrastructure to test the potential of geothermal energy in the eastern U.S., where resources are less accessible due to the region’s unfavorable geology.
Energy
The fallout in global energy markets from the ongoing conflict in Iran demonstrates the perils of overrelying on a single energy source like oil to meet America’s energy needs. As countries are forced to ration fuel and subsidize energy costs, sustainable alternatives like geothermal power are receiving renewed and well-deserved attention for their ability to deliver reliable, always-on power without the risks of price volatility or supply disruptions.
Environment
ZymoChem, the San Leandro, California-based chemical biomanufacturer creating sustainable alternatives for everyday products, announced that its bio-based and biodegradable Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP), BAYSE, now matches or exceeds key performance metrics of conventional fossil-fuel based SAPs, according to company data.
Environment
First commercially introduced in the 1940s due to their water-, stain-, and grease-resistant properties, they are commonly found in clothing, non-stick cookware, and other everyday household items. Because they persist for long periods in the environment, PFAS have been found in drinking water across the country.
Agriculture
As the global population grows, bio-innovative solutions capable of meeting rising food demand will be critical to sustainably safeguarding the global food supply and mitigating environmental risks. Among the companies contributing to global crop protection efforts is Eden Research, a UK-based developer of sustainable fungicides.
