Sustainability Weekly
Fridays are for…
Supercool Cement, Battle of the Plastics, Phytoplankton, and more!
by Alli DiGiacomo
Happy Friday and September! The weekly is back on Friday’s now that we are back to our regular non-summer hours. This time of year is arguably the best time of year here in New York (feel free to prove me wrong). September is a transitional month and is also known as “harvest” month, which checks out because of all the produce in season! The seasonal produce this month includes apples, mushrooms, pears, kale, chives, figs, green beans, cauliflower, grapes, and more! Check out the studied health benefits of eating in-season here.
Also coming up this month is NYC Climate Week from September 21-28th. More to come on this as it gets closer, but there are so many cool events happening all around the city (and remotely) that you can find here.
Incase you didn’t know, there are 3 SAFE (Solvents, Automotive, Flammable, Electronics) Disposal Events happening this month:
Manhattan: Union Square, 10am-4pm on 09/07 (this weekend!)
Brooklyn: Floyd Bennett Field, 10am-4pm on 09/21
Staten Island: Midland Beach, 10am-4pm on 09/27
Things such as household cleaners, pesticides, e-cigs, medications/needles, old computers, batteries, etc are included in this. See a complete list here. Please do not put these things in your everyday trash! It is dangerous to you, your neighbors, the environment, and all the workers involved in waste management.
Keep reading for sustainability news…
T H I S W E E K ’ S T O P S T O R I E S
USING A NEW KIND OF CEMENT TO KEEP BUILDINGS COOLER
Scientists in China have developed a new “supercool” cement that looks and acts like regular cement but keeps buildings cooler by 10°F. Normally cement absorbs heat from the sun, heating up our buildings and causing us to crank up the A/C’s. This is a problem because not only to A/C’s contribute to the climate crisis, but they are expected to triple by 2050. The scientists at Southeast University have found a way to tweak the chemistry of cement by increasing the amount of reflective crystals inside. This causes sunlight to reflect off the material more and radiate heat back into space. Tests show it can drop indoor temperatures by nearly 10°F, which in some hot, dry regions could eliminate the need for A/C altogether, and in other climates still significantly cut energy use.
The cement is also more sustainable to produce because it requires less heat and energy in production than standard Portland cement, lowering carbon emissions by about 25%. This could even turn carbon-negative over its lifetime thanks to energy savings. This is a BIG deal because cement is currently one of the largest sources of emissions in the world. On top of that, it’s cheaper, stronger, and more durable than standard cement, making it perfect for large-scale construction or retrofits. Unlike reflective paints or coatings (such as cool roofs) that can wear down, this cooling ability is built directly into the cement itself. Pilot production is already happening, and researchers see this as a scalable, low-cost way to build cooler, climate-friendly cities.
THE BATTLE OVER PLASTICS CONTINUES BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND EXXON MOBIL
Exxon Mobil and California are locked in a major legal fight over plastic pollution, and things have gotten messy. California’s attorney general Rob Bonta, along with groups like the Sierra Club and Surfrider Foundation, sued Exxon last year for billions of dollars in damages, accusing the company of misleading the public by “promising that recycling could and would solve the ever-growing plastic waste crisis,” while knowing it wasn’t enough. Exxon has now hit back with a countersuit in Texas, claiming th lawsuit last year defamed the company and conspired to wreck its plastics business. In court, Exxon’s lawyer even used a slide showing a missile fired from California to Texas and compared the plaintiffs to The Sopranos (drama!).
All of this is about Exxon’s “advanced recycling” technology, which it says is effective but some people argue hasn’t lived up to the hype. Legal experts say Exxon’s aggressive countersuit is unusual, especially against a state attorney general, and may be an attempt to intimidate other states from filing similar lawsuits, similar to other ones over climate change. The judge in Texas hasn’t yet decided whether the case should stay there or move to California, but the outcome could set a precedent for future battles over plastics and corporate accountability.
STUDYING PHYTOPLANKTON’S ROLE IN CARBON SEQUESTRATION
Phytoplankton, which are the tiny ocean organisms that already produce half of Earth’s oxygen and absorb huge amounts of CO2, are being studied in the Southern Ocean as a possible climate solution through ocean fertilization. By adding nutrients like iron, cobalt, zinc, or silicon, scientists can encourage bloom growth that pulls carbon from the air and sinks it into the deep ocean. Models suggest targeting diatoms, which are larger, shell-building phytoplankton that sink faster and store more carbon, might be especially effective.
But at the same time, researchers warn this approach could have unintended ripple effects, such as fueling toxic species that poison marine life and alter ecosystems, or creating oxygen-depleted “dead zones.” It’s also unclear how much of the captured carbon would stay locked away long-term. Natural experiments like Australia’s wildfire smoke or volcanic ash fertilizing the seas show the process can work, but scaling it up costs a lot of money and is risky. A recent study found that 39% of iron in seawater sampled there came from human activity, supercharging phytoplankton growth. The U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that countries will have to deploy these sorts of negative-emissions techniques, but they must first and foremost stop burning fossil fuels. “None of these things are useful at all if we don’t first get control over our climate pollution.”
MORE IN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
Scientists have discovered over 40 new sea creatures in Argentina, including a pastel pink lobster, a goofy-looking squid, and a sea star resembling Patrick Star from Spongebob.
Over 85 scientists challenge the U.S. Department of Energy’s misleading climate report.
“Alligator Alcatraz” was ordered to be shut down by a federal judge because it never undertook an environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act. Florida officials never sufficiently explained why an immigration detention center needed to be located in the middle of sensitive, protected wetlands. This is not the final decision as Florida officials are fighting back.
MrBeast, Mark Rober, and other YouTubers raised over $40 million for #TeamWater to fund clean water projects, which will supply an estimated 2 million people with access to clean water for decades.
Spain unveiled a comprehensive Climate Action Plan that includes a national civil protection agency, climate refugees, and more.
According to Bloomberg, global investment in renewable energy has hit a record high of $386 billion in the first half of 2025.
Despite slow growth in the U.S., global EV sales are already up 27% this year.
In this all-women tiny home neighborhood, rent starts at $450. Residents want it to be a nationwide blueprint
The Environmental Protection Agency and Lee Zeldin in Florida are getting sued for not updating the pollution limits of nearly 80 toxic pollutants after promising clean water.
Greenpeace activists have covered a Shell oil rig in the North Sea with an artwork by Anish Kapoor called "Butchered."
Incoming students at a college in Virginia are moving into solar-powered shipping container dorms.