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53 Results
plastic+waste+and+recycling
Disentangling Circular Economy, Sustainability and Waste Management Principles
The term “sustainability” is a frequently misconstrued descriptor, oftentimes used synonymously with the concept of a circular economy. In this issue brief, energy fellow Rachel Meidl explains the distinction between circularity and sustainability and how a systems-level approach to waste management can build an economy that is resilient to future global disruptions.
Rachel A. Meidl July 29, 2021
An upward view of Houston's skyscrapers.
The Future of Houston as Energy Transitions
This report explores Houston's substantial comparative advantage in finding and developing low-carbon solutions and creating opportunities to efficiently and effectively deploy the region’s vast resources to produce and deliver cleaner, greener fuels to the nation and the world.
Kenneth B. Medlock III May 13, 2021
SF6: The Little Gas That Could ... Make Global Warming Worse
The atmospheric concentration of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) — the most potent greenhouse gas known to humanity and a chemical that is frequently used as an electrical insulator — is growing and thereby contributing to global warming. In a post for the Baker Institute blog, experts from the Center for Energy Studies explain whether we should be worried and what can be done to mitigate the risks.
Rachel A. Meidl, Michelle Michot Foss March 25, 2021
Pile of trash
How High-Income Countries Can Contribute to a More Sustainable Plastics Economy: Using the “What We Know Works” Approach
With the cost of virgin plastic directly affected by oil and natural gas prices, the global plastics economy is highly vulnerable to shocks. The authors argue that in order to advance sustainability and solve existential crises like resource depletion and the environmental and social impacts of climate change, high-income countries should take the lead on the development of transparent, closed loops for plastics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25613/JXVH-K250
Rachel A. Meidl, Vilma Havas, Brita Staal January 21, 2021
Plastic bottles of various colors.
Is the Foundation of the Circular Plastics Economy About to Go Up in Flames? A Cross-Atlantic, Interdisciplinary Perspective in Europe and the U.S.
The authors assert that the time is ripe for the United States and Europe to take the lead on shepherding a systems-level change in the recycling market, strengthened by government regulation and legislation. They examine the economic, social, and environmental impacts of mismanaged waste and argue that the Covid-19 pandemic could serve as a catalyst for action toward a global, circular economy.
Rachel A. Meidl, Vilma Havas, Brita Staal, Amy Brooks September 18, 2020