Boston-Based Chemical Company Novomer Develops ECo-friendly Polymer

Pictured above: Eco-friendly Polymers. Photograph courtesy of Pixabay.

By Siona Ahuja ’24  

Staff Writer 

This November, the Boston-based chemical company Novomer launched its newest innovation: Rinnovo, a new class of compostable polymers. Conventionally, plastics are polymers made from carbon and a host of hazardous petrochemicals, and its production is extremely energy intensive, meaning it emits large amounts of CO2. Novomer’s technology produces biodegradable and compostable polymers that use almost half the materials that regular polymers require. The other processing ingredient is waste CO2 –– gas waste that is extracted from industrial processes –– which goes through a process that refines carbon molecules for use in manufacturing. This process, using the company’s trademark technology, Novo 22 Catalyst, enables the creation of “high performing, carbon efficient, cost efficient” material. Because of waste CO2’s affordability, the finished polymer is inexpensive, unlike other bioplastics, some of which can be 20 to 50 percent costlier than normal plastics. 

In an interview with Waste360, Novomer CEO Jeff Uhrig talked about Rinnovo’s compatibility with nature. He explained that their polymers are made from a polyhydroxyalkanoate backbone, which is produced by various organisms like algae. Since these are already found in nature, the ecosystem is prepared to disintegrate the final product following its usage. Its biodegradable nature allows it to reduce aquatic toxicity and waste sent to landfills or incinerators, as is routine with non-biodegradable polymers.  

As with Novomer’s polymers, all biodegradable plastics are less harmful substitutes to plastics made from fossil fuels. They can be used in a wide variety of ways, from packaging to waste collection products. Despite rules and bans against certain non-biodegradable plastic, especially single-use plastic, the production and distribution of biodegradable “bioplastics” is very low. According to a 2018 study, only 4,409,245 tons of plastic, just above 1 percent of global annual plastic manufacturing, is biodegradable. More so, a “bioplastic” label does not guarantee eco-friendliness because there are several issues within this family of polymers. 

The term “bioplastic” can mean plastics made out of natural ingredients like sugarcane or naturally made plastics that are biodegradable. However, not all bioplastics are biodegradable, and they leach toxins into the environment for years. Plastics that do biodegrade can also be made from synthesizing fossil fuel products. A rarer subset of bioplastics are compostable, which can be further segregated into home compostable plastics or industrially compostable plastics, the majority of which fall into the latter category.

Out of the 6.3 billion tons of plastic humankind has mass produced and thrown away since the 1950s, only a meager amount — 600 million tons — has been recycled while the rest lies in landfills, on the soil or in the oceans. 

While biodegradable plastics curb the plastic problem on land to an extent, their biodegradable properties are inefficient in seas. Thick plastics that line coffee cups and cup lids, clear plastic tumblers, drinking straws and other food packaging are expected to act like traditional plastic in seawater and won’t break down at all, severely damaging the marine ecosystem. By the midcentury, researchers expect the amount of plastic in the ocean to overtake the fish.

In addition, littered plastics also cause the decay of plastics into microplastics. In an experiment, Imogen Napper of the University of Plymouth concluded that natural factors like UV rays, sunlight, rain and soil can cause bioplastics to break down into smaller pieces that can cause more harm. Animals can unconsciously ingest these pieces and choke or the pieces can block their digestive tracts, resulting in death. 

In 2015, the United Nations Environment Programme published a report on the misconceptions and concerns regarding biodegradable plastics. It concluded that “the adoption of plastic products labelled as ‘biodegradable’ will not bring about a significant decrease either in the quantity of plastic entering the ocean or the risk of physical and chemical impacts on the marine environment, on the balance of current scientific evidence.” 

President-Elect Biden’s Plans on COVID-19 and Health Care

By Nancy Jiang ’23

Staff Writer

After Joe Biden was announced the winner of the presidential election, focus turned toward the policies he will be bringing into office on Jan. 20, 2021. As cases rise around the country, a particular area of interest is Biden’s COVID-19 strategy. 

According to Biden’s Nov. 13 statement, people need to see a change in the approach to the pandemic. Biden said, “I will not be president until next year. The crisis does not respect dates on the calendar, it is accelerating right now.” 

A representative from Biden’s team said that officials from the Department of Health and Human Services have gathered to plan a vaccination campaign for February and March focusing on logistics and policies. They will also consider factors such as prioritizing vaccination and distribution based on socioeconomic and racial equity. 

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have promised that their administration will increase testing sites, supply more personal protective equipment and implement comprehensive guidance on social distancing nationwide. Whether these promises will be effective in combating COVID-19 remains uncertain, as details on policy implementation are relatively unknown.

Aside from issues on a national level, Biden promised to restore the relationship between the U.S. and the World Health Organization to fix issues caused by the pandemic. Biden tweeted: “On my first day as President, I will rejoin the @WHO and restore our leadership on the world stage.” Although there is no formal procedure required for rejoining the WHO, similar to Trump’s withdrawal from the organization, returning would be as easy as an executive action. However, given that many other countries are actively improving their own health care systems and contributing to global wellness, it could be difficult for the U.S. to “restore [its] leadership on the world stage.” The U.S. has been hugely impacted by previous failures in preventing and responding to the pandemic.

Biden’s health care policy, which promotes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has also recently received attention because it relates to COVID-19 vaccine distribution and vaccination costs.

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, requires all U.S. citizens to be enrolled in a health insurance plan approved by ACA guidelines. The ACA is designed to assist both individuals and families who cannot afford a health care plan by reducing their fees. People with preexisting conditions would also have greater options available and would not need to worry about being denied health care by private insurance companies under this plan. Signed by former President Barack Obama in 2010, the ACA has since been challenged as unconstitutional by various district courts. In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the ACA to coerce states into expanding Medicaid programs, though it ruled that the law as a whole was constitutional. Moreover, the ACA received massive opposition from members of the Republican Party. One Republican dissenter called the plan a “welfare program disguised” and cited concerns that under ACA, they would pay more in taxes for strangers who may use their money on medical procedures conservatives oppose, such as abortions. In response, Biden aims to “protect the Affordable Care Act from these continued attacks” and make the system less complex to navigate.

One of the key campaign promises that President Donald Trump ran on in the 2016 presidential election was to repeal the ACA. However, the ACA has actually become more favorable among the public during Trump’s presidential term. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the percentage of those who favor the ACA increased from approximately 40 percent in March 2016 to 55 percent in October 2020. The poll also shows that two-thirds of Republicans, along with 79 percent of all people surveyed, do nott want the court to overturn the protections the ACA gives those with preexisting conditions. Republicans believe that protecting people with preexisting conditions is still important even though they want to overturn the ACA as a whole.

As mandated by Massachusetts law, all Mount Holyoke students are required to have health insurance even if studying remotely. The only exception is for students studying remotely in another country. Mount Holyoke charges all students for the Student Health Insurance Plan, which is ACA compliant. Students whose family insurance meets the Massachusetts state requirements can waive their fees.

Pharmaceutical Companies Release Coronavirus Vaccine Updates

By Lily Cao ’21

Staff Writer

As COVID-19 levels spike across the globe, many places around the world are heading into another round of lockdowns. Along with this growing second wave come announcements from companies working on possible coronavirus vaccinations. 

On Nov. 9, American pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer Inc. and German biotechnology company BioNTech SE shared that their mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, has shown record-breaking early results with over 90 percent efficacy against COVID-19. This finding from Phase 3 of their clinical trial was the first interim efficacy analysis, which tests the vaccine’s effectiveness under ideal circumstances. The vaccine was given in two doses with results collected seven days after the second dose. Even though it is unclear how strong the elicited immune response is and how long it will last in human bodies, this achievement marks a milestone in the vaccine development process and provides hope for the days ahead.

Pfizer and BioNTech SE launched the Phase 3 clinical trial of their vaccine candidate on July 27. As of Nov. 9, they have enrolled 43,538 participants worldwide. This is also the first American trial to have permission to enroll children as young as age 12. On Nov. 8, 94 trial participants had tested positive for COVID-19, enough to allow for the first analysis on all cases.

According to its Nov. 9 press release, Pfizer plans to present a submission for Emergency Use Authorization to the FDA in the third week of November. The FDA requires the safety and manufacturing data of the vaccine to obtain approval. Meanwhile, in order to ensure the safety and long-term protection conferred by the experimental vaccine, clinical trial participants will be monitored for an additional two years after receiving the second dose.

One of the challenges the companies face is the widespread distribution of the vaccine once it is approved. The vaccine requires that the single-stranded mRNA be kept below -80 C to preserve the structural integrity of the genetic material. Consequently, the transportation of the vaccine requires special storage boxes and precise techniques.

Similar to Pfizer and BioNTech SE, Moderna Inc.’s vaccine candidate also uses mRNA technology, and recent results from its trial indicate an efficacy of over 94 percent. Moderna’s vaccine, however, does not require storage at temperatures of -80 C and can be preserved at about -20 C, giving it a slight advantage. At the same time, there are currently 17 vaccine candidates that have entered the Phase 2 safety trials, and 12 have begun Phase 3 trials for large-scale efficacy tests.

If Pfizer and BioNTech SE’s vaccine candidate is approved, the companies expect to manufacture globally up to 50 million doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.

Weekly Climate News

November 12, 2020 

• A community conservation initiative to revitalize mangrove forests, a resource for fish and medicines as well as a natural mosquito repellant, is financing women’s businesses in Kenya. 

• A new research study indicates that hurricanes may be retaining surge strength once they move inland from coastal areas as a direct result of climate change. 

• Hurricane Eta made landfall in Florida, drenching the state in torrential rain and strong winds.  

• Data from acoustic and oceanographic instruments recovered by the Norwegian Coast Guard from iced-over waters north of Alaska will provide essential information for scientists researching Arctic Ocean climate changes.

• A biotech startup in Singapore is making milk without animals or humans. 

• Renewable electricity installation is on track to hit global records in 2020, according to the International Energy Agency. 

• Austin, Texas plans to invest $7 billion on a new transit system which will include a 31-station rail system, rapid bus routes and bike lanes. $460 million will be allocated specifically to infrastructure for enhancing walking and biking throughout the city. 

• Rising sea levels may threaten two-thirds of NASA’s infrastructure, so they are taking steps to prepare. Read about it here.

• Air pollution may cause threats to honey bee populations.

Women’s Scientific Coalition Proposes Marine Protection Areas in Rapidly Warming Antarctic Peninsula

Pictured above: Antarctica. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

By Dnyaneshwari Haware ’23

Staff Writer

Members of the largest all-women’s expedition to Antarctica, organized by women in STEM initiative Homeward Bound, have formed an all-women’s scientific coalition which is offering ways to overcome the negative impacts of climate change on the fragile Antarctic environment. The lack of women in Antarctica’s research and exploratory history makes this coalition an important step toward empowering women in scientific fields. It consists of 289 scientists and includes the European Union, Russia and the U.S. 

Antarctica, which houses unique species, has a highly sensitive ecosystem. Climate change, along with human activity like tourism and fishing, endangers Antarctic organisms from microscopic algae to humpback whales. 

Antarctica’s ecosystem mainly depends on a species of crustacean called krill, which form the basis of the continent’s food chain. Climate change and the negative externalities of human activities have resulted in shrinking sea ice and higher sea levels, leaving krill larvae unsheltered. This could destabilize the entire food chain, affecting species populations faster due to the vulnerability of the ecosystem. 

The western peninsula of Antarctica is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth with a temperature of 20.75 degrees Celsius.  In a two-week-long meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in October 2020, the coalition proposed the western peninsula of Antarctica as a new marine protected area. This was led by Chile and Argentina. Currently, two areas in Antarctica have marine protection: the South Orkney Islands and the Ross Sea. Marga Gual Soler, a Spanish science policy advisor, told Reuters that the protection of this peninsula “would show the international community that collective action to tackle a global problem is possible.”

Climate and Conflict: How Climate Change Will Worsen the Crisis in Yemen

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

By Catelyn Fitzgerald ’23

Staff Writer

The ongoing war in Yemen is considered one of the most complex conflicts and the worst humanitarian crises in world history. The war has raged for around six years and is driven by a myriad of political and religious conflicts. Despite its complex nature, one driving force behind the conflict is climate change. While it is not a cause of the war, climate change has acted as an additional stressor that has worsened the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

The Yemeni Civil War began in 2014 after the replacement of authoritarian leader Ali Abdullah Saleh during the Arab Spring uprising of 2011, which created political weakness and led to a growing number of disillusioned Yemenis. The newly fragile state presented an opportunity for anti-government groups to gain power and territory in support of their various interests. On one side is the Houthi movement, who oppose the Yemeni government in defense of the country’s Zaidi Shia Muslim minority, along with citizens who were disappointed with the new government. Many of these citizens now support the rebellion. On the other side is the Yemeni government, which is joined by Saudi Arabia, a majority Sunni Arab country alarmed by the rise of Houthis and their potential support from Iran. Following the start of the conflict, the Southern Transitional Council, a sepratist movement supported by the United Arab Emirates, also joined the war. The conflict between these groups ravaged Yemen from all sides starting in 2014, causing over 100,000 deaths since 2015, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. 

The fighting in Yemen has recently slowed due to a ceasefire agreement known between the warring parties as the Stockholm Agreement, but the lack of a definitive end to the conflict has thrust Yemen into an indefinite humanitarian crisis. Yemeni citizens currently face extreme food and water scarcities, as well as vector-borne diseases that threaten their lives and health. The United States Agency for International Development estimates that 2 million people in Yemen are malnourished, 1.3 million of who are children and that the country’s water supply will be depleted in as little as 20 to 30 years. In addition to the existing stress on food and water, blockades on outside aid by both Saudi and Houthi forces have pushed the people of Yemen into a desolate state. 

Climate change will only worsen the current situation in Yemen. USAID’s 2016 Climate Change Risk Profile for Yemen states that the country will see an increased mean temperature, sea-level rise and extreme rain patterns as a result of climate change. Increased frequency and length of drought periods will prove detrimental to Yemen’s water supply, where key aquifers like the Arabian Aquifer System, which is already being overdrawn, will be replenished less frequently. Decreasing water availability and unpredictable droughts and floods due to climate change will also damage Yemen’s agricultural sector. Nearly 40 percent of available water resources are used for agriculture, which makes up 11.4 percent of the country’s GDP, according to USAID. Loss of such an important economic sector would add to current political instability and strife in Yemen. 

Sea level rise poses a threat to Yemen’s coastal regions; the country is one of the most vulnerable to coastal damage, according to USAID. Not only would the loss of coastal communities hurt Yemen’s economy, but it would also displace many of its citizens. This displacement would add to the 3.6 million people already internally displaced by conflict, and such a mass internal migration could cause added instability.

While there is a lack of clear evidence to support the idea, the Center for Climate and Security theorizes that water scarcity may have contributed to the rise of political unrest in Yemen, as the decline in the agricultural sector and conflicts over water may have increased recruitment opportunities for anti-government groups. Struggles over water sources will become increasingly likely in the future as water supplies diminish.

Not only does climate change worsen the situation in Yemen, but the war itself has stifled efforts to combat climate change. Plans to increase Yemen’s water supply include the development of desalination plants which convert ocean water into drinking water, but there were fears that these plants may become targets for groups looking to disrupt the country’s water supply. 

Climate change acts as a stressor and, in some ways, a driving force behind the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. As long as both war and climate change are present in the country, the two will result in a vicious cycle with no end in the foreseeable future. In order to alleviate the suffering in Yemen, increased international effort must be made to either remove the blockades on food and water, facilitate the safe relocation of citizens in areas most vulnerable to climate change or protect efforts to increase the water supply such as desalination plants. Before any change can be made, however, a widespread understanding of the links between climate change, war and human welfare must be reached.

International Biodiversity and Conservation Goals Face Significant Challenges in a Post-COVID-19 World

Photo courtesy of Pxhere.com

By Helen Gloege ’23 

Staff Writer

A recent leaked United Nations report showed that governments have failed to meet the internationally agreed-upon 2020 goals regarding biodiversity, along with more specific goals to prevent plant and wildlife loss.

In 2010, predating the Paris Accords, the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Nagoya, Japan. This convention produced the Aichi Targets that consisted of 20 conservation goals to safeguard global biodiversity. Each nation involved was expected to meet the determined objectives by 2020. Another summit was planned for October of this year but pandemic restrictions and COVID-19-related complications forced the summit to be rescheduled for May 2021 in Kunming, China. 

Despite that, data currently indicates that the goals have not been fully met. Of 44 sub-targets assessed by the leaked U.N. report, 20 are ranked as poor, 19 as moderate and only five as good. The report is not final, and the full U.N. report will include suggestions on how to move forward with planned COVID-19 recovery packages expected to help meet targets. The next summit will also include a proposal to protect at least 30 percent of the world’s land and seas by 2030. The proposal comes from a coalition led by Costa Rica and France and endorsed by the U.N. secretary-general, the E.U., the U.K. and Canada, among others.

Not meeting the Aichi Targets will have potentially devastating effects. If the 2020 goals are not met, it is highly unlikely that 2030 goals or any subsequent environmental goals will be met. It is also reported that nearly one-third of all emission cuts required to meet the Paris Agreement could come from nature-based solutions, meaning that not taking action in regard to biodiversity would be a significant barrier in hitting the Paris Agreement goals. 

Despite this outlook, several solutions could be implemented to boost maintenance of biodiversity efforts, including the encouragement of moderating meat consumption, the greening of urban areas and the protection of freshwater ecosystems.

The U.N. highlights a huge funding gap that would need to be fulfilled for significant action to be taken. It is estimated that the world needs to assemble an additional $600 to $824 billion a year. While this seems like a lot of money, in 2019, international actors such as governments, businesses and philanthropic organizations spent between $124 and $143 billion a year on activities that benefit the environment. The world currently spends less than $100 billion a year on nature conservation, which is equivalent to what people spend on pet food globally, according to the head of the U.N. Development Program, Achim Steiner. $700 billion, the amount in the middle of the two monetary targets, comprises less than 1 percent of the global GDP. In comparison, $5.2 trillion is spent on fossil fuel subsidies each year. A study by the Campaign for Nature discovered that only about $140 billion a year is needed to protect 30 percent of the planet.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has reported that governments spend over four times as much money on agricultural, forestry and fishery subsidies that play a role in the degradation of nature than they spend on protecting nature. It is estimated that $274-542 billion is spent on subsidies for these industries annually, and these would have to be cut by $273.9 billion annually to help close the biodiversity payment gap. The subsidies currently pay for incentives for production by companies and consumption by consumers which exacerbate biodiversity loss. 

Individual countries are also committing to biodiversity efforts. Germany’s Minister of Development Gerd Muller said the country is increasing its annual investment of 500 million euros to help protect biodiversity in developing countries. Norway is planning to create a coalition to end tropical deforestation. The U.K. is vowing to double its funding to fight climate change over the next five years and is working to remove subsidies and replace them with a system that rewards environmental progress. 

Part of the struggle to meet biodiversity goals is because many studies fail to listen to women’s voices and account for their experiences. For example, a study of 106 small-scale fisheries worldwide ignored women who harvested invertebrates. This means that data on the total catch and species that are targeted by fishers was incomplete, affecting the outcomes of studies and conservation goals constructed from that data. The role of women in conservation and biodiversity has been historically undervalued. Globally, women tend to play key roles in managing land and resources. 

In many countries, women are involved in small-scale agriculture and don’t have as much of a voice as large-scale agriculture in the decision-making process of land use and access to resources. Indigenous and rural women especially tend to be marginalized in decision-making processes. Biodiversity loss burdens women and girls because it increases time spent obtaining necessary resources, which equates to time lost in generating income or pursuing an education. Research has shown that women in fishery or forest management groups create better resource governance and conservation outcomes. 

There is also the issue of colonial conservation, which impacts who makes decisions and funds initiatives for preserving biodiversity. This refers to the racist misconception that Indigenous peoples cannot be trusted to look over their land. About 80 percent of all of Earth’s biodiversity is in tribal territories. Recently, in Asia and Africa, governments and non-governmental organizations have been taking land from tribal people and local communities claiming it is for conservation purposes. 

These global issues of environmental conservation will be discussed for years to come, and with more frequency as the next environmental conventions begin in 2021.

Weekly Climate News

November 5, 2020

• The Filipino government announced that proposals for coal power plants will no longer be accepted. The significant policy change is aimed to increase involvement in the renewable energy sector.

• The United Nations summit stated that $700 billion will be needed to reverse human-induced destruction of the natural world. 

• Gray wolves will no longer be included on the endangered species lists recognized by the United States government. Read this article on why. 

• Hurricane Eta made landfall in Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane. 

• A decline in air traffic as a result of the pandemic has directly affected the quality of weather forecasts, as the amount of atmospheric data collected by commercial airliners has decreased. 

• Check out these six climate-related art installations referred to as “Artivism.” 

• Two-thirds of Georgetown University’s electricity will now be through solar energy. 

• A new research study found that the United States produces nearly five times as much plastic pollution as previously thought.  

• The United States has been urged to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord by a coalition of international investors. 

• A wind farm in Berlevåg, Norway is being used to produce hydrogen and green ammonia (renewable and carbon-free ammonia) which holds massive potential for renewable energy development.