Tag: sustainableliving

Sugar close-up
Climate Change, Climate Confident

Sweet Proteins: A Tasty Solution to Climate Change and Health Crises

In the latest episode of my Climate Confident podcast, I had an enthralling conversation with Ali Wing, CEO of Oobli, who introduced us to the fascinating world of sweet proteins. These zero-calorie proteins not only offer a healthier alternative to traditional sugars but also hold the potential to address the growing concerns around climate change and the global health crisis caused by obesity and diabetes.

A Sweet Revolution

Oobli’s innovation lies in harnessing the power of precision fermentation to produce sweet proteins. This process is not only sustainable but also significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and resource usage compared to conventional sugar production methods. Ali explained that sweet proteins have been part of nature for millions of years, and Oobli aims to make them accessible to the masses, offering a sweet solution for people with dietary restrictions, such as diabetics.

Global Impact

One of the most striking takeaways from our conversation is the potential for sweet proteins to revolutionize the food industry and contribute to a more sustainable future. As Ali mentions, “The biggest challenge that our cousins in meat and dairy have, and I’m a huge advocate of all of them, particularly from a climate point of view, is you still don’t have consumers adopting at a fast enough rate. Whereas in sugar and sugar alternatives, you have consumers looking every which way.”

This indicates a unique opportunity for sweet proteins to gain rapid adoption among consumers, leading to a massive shift in the way we consume and produce sweeteners, ultimately benefiting the environment.

Sweet Applications

Oobli is just beginning to explore the potential applications of sweet proteins. Currently, they’re focusing on chocolates and fruity sweet teas. However, Ali believes that sweet proteins have a particularly significant role to play in the beverage industry. She notes that 40% of our daily added sugar comes from liquids, which has been the primary change in our diets over the last 20 to 40 years.

“Taking [sugar] out and just filling the rest with water is a very quick fit. But it’s also a good reminder for everybody when they think about where they are with their overall health equation is really paying attention to the sugar load in drinks.”

Call to Action

I encourage you to listen to the full episode of the Climate Confident podcast to hear more about Oobli’s journey, the incredible potential of sweet proteins, and how they can play a pivotal role in addressing climate change and global health crises.

Listen to the full episode here or look for Climate Confident in your podcast app of choice, and it will be the most recent episode.

Sweet proteins are an exciting innovation that can help us combat climate change while improving our health. It’s time to embrace this sweet revolution and create a more sustainable, healthier future for all.

Finally, if you value receiving weekly actionable insights on sustainability and climate, you can always sign up to be a Supporter of the podcast for less than the cost of a cup of coffee.

Stay climate confident, and let’s make a change together!

Photo credit Tom Coates on Flickr

Nick Lund, National Parks Conservation Association, 2014. Photo courtesy of FracTracker Alliance
Climate Change

Climate Solutions in Action: An In-Depth Look at Tradewater’s Efforts to Combat Greenhouse Gases

The latest episode of my Climate Confident Podcast features a conversation with Tim Brown, the CEO of Tradewater. Tradewater is a company that is focused on collecting, controlling, and destroying greenhouse gases with the goal of making the biggest impact possible, as fast as possible.

During the podcast, Tim explains that as a mission-driven company, Tradewater is particularly interested in non-CO2 gases, which are short-lived climate pollutants that do their damage early on when they are released. The gases that Tradewater is currently focusing on include old refrigerants that are up to 10,900 times as potent as CO2, and methane from abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells that are leaking methane into the atmosphere.

Tim also discussed the scale of the issue, with researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently estimating that there are 9 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent from these gases scattered around the world, most of them already in appliances, foams, building insulation, and other applications. On the HCFCs, which are lower in their global warming potential emissions factor, there are 5 billion metric tons of those gases deployed around the world.

Trade Water’s current goal is to reach a new baseline of 3 million metric tons per year, starting in 2023 and by 2028, they hope to have done 20 million tons of impact. Tim also shared that one of the most interesting aspects of their work has been the global dimension of it and how it has put them in contact with many interesting people around the world. They are always looking for partners and people who are knowledgeable about where these gases may exist, and they have done projects and are working in Honduras, Dominican Republic, Chile, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Thailand and also have intentions to evaluate about 16 more countries this year.

One of the key takeaways from the podcast is that these gases are fungible in the atmosphere and collecting, controlling, and destroying them will benefit everyone. The global nature of this work highlights the magnitude of this problem, but it also presents an opportunity to work in a global context and bring this work up to scale.

The conversation with Tim was both informative and inspiring. It’s clear that Tradewater is making a significant impact in the fight against climate change, and I encourage listeners to check out the full episode to learn more about the work that they are doing. If you’re interested in learning more about the company or connecting with Tim, you can visit their website at tradewater.us or find him on LinkedIn.

And of course, be sure to follow the Climate Confident Podcast to stay up-to-date on the latest developments and solutions in the fight against climate change.

Photo credit FracTracker Alliance on Flickr