Colorado-based EnviroTextiles is working to standardize hemp fiber production to improve consistency and better serve clients across 74 countries. "As far as I'm concerned, the hemp industry needs a restart," says owner and CEO Barbara Filippone. "That's why we are working on standards, starting from planting seed throughout the conversion line to a standard raw material for applications in various products."
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's new AI Risk Management Framework is designed to help developers of artificial intelligence minimize the technology's risks of exacerbating bias and inequality. A draft playbook includes examples for implementing the framework's four high-level functions: governance, mapping, measuring and managing.
Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation said the companies are on track to receive certification next year from the Federal Aviation Administration for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. "It's still day zero in urban air mobility," said Archer CEO Adam Goldstein, adding, "We need to build networks to make them useful so people can start to adopt them on an everyday basis. There is a big supply chain that needs to be built out."
The Environmental Protection Agency has reversed a 2021 decision not to take up tougher rules for water pollution from livestock farms and will now evaluate whether stronger regulations are needed, as well as potential cost and technological constraints. Agricultural runoff has been linked to algal blooms and dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Erie and other waterways.
Scientists have designed a new way to retrofit iron and steel furnaces and reduce carbon emissions, outlined in a paper published in the Journal of Cleaner Production. The method uses a "closed loop" carbon recycling system that could cut the steelmaking industry's emissions by almost 90%, and the method is also more cost-effective than phasing out existing plants and replacing them with new furnaces.
The sustainability focus in cities and states is expected to progress from operational energy savings in new buildings to electrification and embodied carbon in their construction, experts say. In addition, retrofits for existing buildings are likely to receive more attention, avoiding the need for virgin materials.
The FDA has given clearance to Wandercraft for the Atalante gait-training walking robot for stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation. The self-balancing and battery-operated exoskeleton surrounds patients and aids in reestablishing walking.
This article lists six podcasts focused on offering career advice, Whether you are in the midst of a career transition, launching a new business or simply trying to navigate your current job. Among them are Jessica Guzik's "The Art of Speaking Up," which addresses issues faced by women in the workplace, and Jonathan Fields' "Good Life Project," which aims to offer a broader perspective on living a meaningful life.
