🌱💡Fighting food waste with electricity

Today's good climate and environment news

September 15, 2025

Here are today’s stories of progress in the fight against the climate crisis and nature loss.

Anthropocene Magazine

www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2025/09/zapping-food-waste-with-a-jolt-of-electricity-could-release-its-true-potential

New research finds that giving food waste a zap of electricity can accelerate its breakdown, meaning less will be sent to landfills. At the same time, the process creates byproducts that can be used by a range of industries, from green fuel to cosmetics. These byproducts, including acetone and butanol, currently stem from fossil fuels, while food waste produces 11% of annual greenhouse gases.

Dialogue Earth

dialogue.earth/en/forests/seed-networks-drive-forest-restoration-in-brazil

Farmer families and people from Indigenous territories in Brazil are among those exploring the Amazon rainforest to collect native seeds that can be used in reforestation projects. 15,000 tonnes of seeds will be needed to meet the country's goal of recovering 12m hectares. This will create 60,000 jobs, many within these communities. 

Seed networks are guardians of socio-biodiversity and the first link in the restoration chain

Thiago Belote, director of forests at Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change

Grist

grist.org/energy/californias-first-solar-covered-canal-is-now-fully-online

The first solar covered canal in California is now operational. The water cools down the solar panels, making them more effective, while putting them over existing infrastructure prevents backlash that centres on preserving natural beauty. It’s estimated that putting panels over 8,000 miles of canals and aqueducts could power 20 million homes. 

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📝 The Green Light is written by freelance writer Molly Millar.