🌍 Did you know buildings are behind 39% of global emissions? And 11% of that is just from the materials and construction process alone! Smart material choices can make a huge difference.

We're bringing together some top minds in sustainable building to break down how to actually reduce carbon emissions in construction. Check out the lineup:

♦ Mark McKenna, Global Sustainability Director at Arcadis
♦ Matthew Redding, European Sustainability Lead at Gensler
♦ Matilda Isaksson, Group Sustainability Manager at Lindab Group
♦ Dr. Ana Pavlović, Lead R&D Engineer at Laing O'Rourke
♦ Jack Burvill, Principal Engineer at Laing O'Rourke
♦ Scott Norris, P. Eng., Director of Engineering Solutions at Steelcon
♦ Ronald Chan, Associate Director at WSP Hong Kong
♦ Arpan Pal, Principal Consultant at WSP Middle East
♦ David Bertel, EMEA Environment Coordinator at Aliaxis
♦ Panu Pasanen, CEO & Founder of One Click LCA

They’ll be talking about low-carbon materials, energy-efficient designs, and new construction methods that are pushing our industry forward.

If you’re ready to step up your sustainability game, grab your spot here: https://oneclicklca.com/event/winter-sustainability-summit-2024/

Despite having no plans to move away from fossil fuels and continuing to engage in destructive mining practices within its own borders, Turkey is signing one agreement after another with African countries to explore for oil, natural gas, and minerals.

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Turkey is increasing energy and mining cooperation and trade agreements with African countries.

Having signed agreements with nearly 20 African countries on mineral exploration, oil, and natural gas cooperation, Turkey most recently sent the Oruç Reis research vessel to the Somali coast of the Indian Ocean last week. Oruç Reis will conduct seismic research to explore for oil. At the end of this year, Turkish companies will begin gold exploration in Niger.

In the early 2000s, Turkey launched an "Africa Initiative," which was transformed into the "Africa Partnership Program" in 2013. The first results of these steps were seen with military and defense cooperation agreements. In recent years, energy cooperation, especially focused on fossil fuels, has come to the fore.

According to a BBC compilation, Turkey has begun to implement concrete cooperation processes with nearly 20 countries, including Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Angola, Niger, Nigeria, Morocco, Djibouti, Egypt, and Algeria, with which it has signed agreements in the fields of mining and energy. Turkey's claim: We are not colonialists, we will establish equal relations

The African continent, with its hydrocarbon resources and rare minerals such as diamonds, gold, uranium, cobalt, and lithium, has attracted the attention of major economies like the US, Russia, China, France, and Germany. While competing with these countries, Turkey emphasizes that it has no colonial past and that it establishes equal relations with African countries.

Somalia: Oil exploration and production Relations between Turkey and Somalia intensified with the visit of then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the country in 2011. Deep relations have been established between the two countries since that visit to a country that is one of the poorest and most insecure in the world. The Defense and Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed in February 2024 gave Turkey the right to "contribute to the development of marine resources" in return for protecting Somali waters for 10 years. Subsequently, a "Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production Agreement between Turkey and Somalia" was signed between Turkish Petroleum Corporation and the Somali Petroleum Authority, and the Oruç Reis research vessel docked at Mogadishu Port on October 25."

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated, 'In the upcoming process, the participation of international companies in these operations may be possible. Both we and the Somalis have expressed their openness to this. In other words, no one should feel left behind. We are taking on a pioneering role.' Turkey, which will conduct three-dimensional seismic activities in a 15,000-kilometer area in three blocks off the coast of Somalia, will also have the authority to produce any oil found. The agreement includes drilling not only in the sea but also in terrestrial regions where oil is expected to be found. In October 2022, Somalia had granted a petroleum exploration license to the American company Coastline Exploration in seven blocks. Energy experts predict that Somalia may have around 30 billion barrels of oil and natural gas reserves, according to geo-seismic surveys.

Niger: Gold Production Niger is another important country in terms of Turkey's investments in Africa. Last July, a high-level Turkish delegation consisting of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, National Intelligence Chief İbrahim Kalın, Defense Industry President Haluk Görgün, and Deputy Trade Minister Özgür Volkan Ağar visited this country and met with officials of the junta government that seized power in a military coup in 2023. Niger is a country rich in natural resources such as gold and uranium. While no clear statements were made regarding the results of the discussions on cooperation in the military and defense industry during the visit, the two countries signed a declaration of intent on oil and natural gas cooperation. The energy ministers of the two countries also signed a cooperation agreement in the field of mining in Istanbul on October 22. In 2019, Niger licensed three areas with high potential for gold mineralization in the southwest of the country to MTA International Mining Inc. (MTAIC). Production in these areas is expected to start by the end of this year. It is stated that the security of the sites will be provided by Niger soldiers."  

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Egypt and Nigeria: Hydrocarbon Cooperation

Turkey signed a "Concession Agreement for the Exploration and Operation of Gold and Related Metals" with Sudan in 2018. However, technical studies have not yet reached the stage of concrete production. Mining agreements have also been signed with countries such as Morocco, Djibouti, and Nigeria, but no concrete developments have been recorded yet. In Libya, one of the world's leading oil producers, significant licenses have been granted to Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) in both onshore and offshore areas. The maritime jurisdiction agreement signed between Turkey and Libya in 2019 disrupted the balance in the Eastern Mediterranean and drew criticism. Turkey also has plans for liquefied natural gas trade and finding new production fields with Egypt and Algeria. The latest agreement with Egypt was signed during Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's visit to Turkey on September 4. This 17-article agreement aims to strengthen energy cooperation between the two countries, develop joint projects in areas such as electricity infrastructure and trade, renewable energy, energy efficiency, hydrogen, and nuclear energy. The three separate agreements with Nigeria also include energy efficiency, renewable energy cooperation, and hydrocarbon and mining cooperation. Nigeria has approximately 3% of the world's oil reserves. Turkey and Angola also signed a cooperation agreement on hydrocarbons and mining in 2021. Angola has approximately 13 billion barrels of oil reserves."

Translated from Türkiye, fosil yakıt ve vahşi madencilik politikasını Afrika'ya ihraç ediyor - Yeşil Gazete

In the production of paper cups and plastic cups, which is worse for the environment? Which uses more chemicals? Which uses more energy and water to manufacturer?

Do paper cups cause trees to be cut down, or are they only made from fibers that are “scrap” from wood production?

I’m only asking about the pre-consumer impact, not about the harm from a landfill/litter standpoint. It’s my understanding that virtually no paper cups are compostable due to their plastic lining.

Essentially, if I have to choose between buying paper or plastic disposable cups, which is overall better for the environment?

Hi all! I plan on adopting a dog in the new year so I am looking at all the stuff I will need. So far I see plastic toys, plastic poop bags, dog food/treats in plastic. Any recommendations on how to be/buy sustainable products for a pet?

recently came across some staggering numbers: when Windows 10 reaches its End of Life in October 2025, it’s estimated that around 500 million devices won’t be able to upgrade to Windows 11 due to hardware limitations like unsupported CPUs, lack of TPM 2.0, or missing Secure Boot.

This got me thinking—is Microsoft effectively forcing perfectly good hardware into obsolescence? 🤔

•	Is this a fair move to enhance security and performance, or does it place an unnecessary burden on consumers and the environment?
•	How do you think this will impact users who can’t afford new hardware?
•	What are the broader implications for e-waste and sustainability?

I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this. Do you feel pressured to upgrade your hardware, or are you considering alternative operating systems? Let’s discuss!

I need to replace the deck on my house. I have been going back and forth on the environmental pros and cons of wood and composite decks. For our situation we are between pressure treated pine and Trex composite decking.

Wood:

Pros: Renewable, biodegradable

Cons: impact of forestry, pressure treating, staining, won’t last as long

Trex Composite:

Pros: claims less carbon emissions, lasts longer, made from recycled plastic bags and waste sawdust

Cons: mixture of materials, likely not able to be further recycled so will go to a landfill. Spreading microplastics in cutting and weathering

So Wood is natural, renewable and biodegradable. But with composite, using landfill recycled waste instead of new materials sounds like a pretty big pro. Plus the extra longevity. The ending up in a landfill aspect seem like the biggest thing against composite, but the plastic was going to head there anyway unless there was another use (know now it’s a mix of materials).

It doesnt seem like a clear cut answer but hoping for some thoughts from others. Sorry for the long post and thanks!

Trex page on environmental impact:

https://www.trex.com/why-trex/eco-friendly-decking/

Pro wood site:

https://www.thinkwood.com/blog/why-lumber-is-the-better-environmental-choice-than-composite-decking

Wont they release chlorofluorocarbons too?

Hey everyone,

I’m working on lowering my environmental impact and living more sustainably, but one thing I’m struggling with is actually understanding my personal footprint. I know the average American emits around 16 tons of CO2 per year, and while I try to make conscious choices, I really have no reliable way to measure how I’m doing.

I’m interested in a service or app that can help me get an accurate estimate of my emissions and guide me in reducing them over time. I’m not just looking to donate to a charity without knowing where my money’s going—I want something that lets me track my progress, ideally with a subscription that allows me to offset or reduce my impact on a regular basis.

It’d be a huge relief to have a clear, reputable way to manage this without stressing over every little thing. My goal is to focus on areas I can control, like reducing waste and lowering my footprint gradually, so I can live a bit more sustainably while still enjoying life.

Does anyone know of any apps out there that do this, ideally one that’s well-reviewed or recommended by people here? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

clothes that are too worn to donate/sell. i have some shirts with holes and bras with the wire sticking out, but i don’t want to just toss them. would appreciate any ideas for where to recycle them 🩷

I keep seeing posts discouraging individual actions toward sustainability and placing all the blame on corporations. While corporations certainly play a huge role, I believe our individual actions significantly impact the system as well. Our habits and consumption choices create the market demand that corporations respond to.

Did you know almost 70% of the GDP is made up of personal consumption expenditures? Our spending habits play a big role in shaping the market, and ignoring this makes the problem feel untouchable and out of our control. Corporations produce goods to meet demand, and when that demand shifts, so do production practices and pricing. It’s basic economics, right?

I find it empowering to think that we, as consumers, can influence corporate practices by changing our habits. Every sustainable choice we make adds up, encouraging companies to adopt greener methods. Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts!