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Should Wealthy U.S. States Learn From Poor U.S. Territory Puerto Rico?

Positive Future #392 (Feature photo – A Puerto Rico Town – Public Domain) The damage that Hurricane Maria unleashed on the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico has become legendary. However, how Puerto Rico is responding in the aftermath may also become legendary. Despite immense financial and economic limitations, Puerto Rico is trying to get rid of big energy companies and build smaller more resilient alternatives. You can read the full story here: https://www.energycentral.com/c/cp/six-takeaways-puerto-rico-grid-revitalization-investment-forum-pr-grid Want More? – Sign up below Special Deals Ahead…Sign up!

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Very Fast Semi-Truck

Positive Future #391 (Feature photo – Tesla Semi Trucks – By Korbitr – https://imgur.com/a/INiuj, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67201963) As technology improves, so does the acceleration of semi-trucks. In this case it is electric Tesla semi-trucks. We are all used to watching freight and refrigerated trucks hauling food creep slowly on highway ramps to get up to speed. Recently, someone was able to take a video clip of a Tesla Semi as it accelerated on the ramp before getting on the highway. Tesla claims its semi-truck can go from 0 to 60 in five seconds. You can read the full story here: https://electrek.co/2019/02/21/watch-tesla-semi-electric-truck-accelerate-ramp/ Want More? – Sign up below Special Deals Ahead…Sign…

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Oklin Kitchen Food Composter – Can This Be A Game Changer?

Touch the Soil News #1258 (Feature photo – Food Waste – GNU Fee Doc License) Coming from one of the most populated metro areas – Hong Kong – the company called Oklin has developed an in-kitchen food composter. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world with 7.5 million people and a crowd density of 17,500 people per square mile. That equates to about 2.5 square feet per person. The Oklin CG-02 utilizes special microbes that can compost food waste into nutrient-rich soil in just 24 hours. The kitchen appliance (18 inches wide and 30 inches tall) can process 2 tons of food waste a…

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Kroger Foods Takes on Amazon

Touch the Soil News #1257 (Feature photo – Kroger Foods Headquarters – Public Domain) We all know Amazon is king when it comes to automated warehouse technology and shipping orders. However, there is another online company called Ocado from Great Britain that has developed rivaling technology. What’s more, Ocado has partnered with Kroger Foods (America’s largest grocer) to build and bring into operation 20 customer fulfillment centers over the next three years. With the first one already in operation, Amazon has some competition. Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods and its attempts to bring food into its mix of products has awakened a tremendous level of new competition. You can read…

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Three Ways to a Better Food Future

Touch the Soil News #1256 (Feature photo – Fruits and Vegetables – CCA SA 4.0 International) Phil Lempert (https://www.supermarketguru.com/) brings us a report from the World Economic Forum on three ways to fix our food system. One must wonder, if the world Economic Forum brings ways to fix our food system, how broke is our system? Want More? – Sign up below Special Deals Ahead…Sign up!

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Cargo Bikes – The Silent Game Changer

Positive Future #390 (Feature photo – Cargo Bike – GNU Free Doc License) Cargo bikes have become popular for households taking short trips to the grocery store and picking up children from school. However, commercial applications for cargo bikes in cities is growing as congestion grows. You can read about the 14 reasons why cargo bike are better than delivery trucks here: https://www.icebike.org/cargo-bike-delivery/ Want More? – Sign up below Special Deals Ahead…Sign up!

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Re-inventing the World at School

Touch the Soil News #1255 (Feature photo – Oroua Downs School – courtesy of Oroua Downs School) In the modest town of Manawatu, New Zealand, young students decided to change their environment. At the Oroua Downs School, students could look out the windows and see an abandoned plot of land that was overgrown with weeds. The students and teachers decided to clear the lot and turn it into a food garden. Cameron Pederson, a 10 year old student, is leading the green team responsible for keep the garden in tip-top shape. You can read the full story here:   https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/110466360/pupils-turn-overgrown-wasteland-into-community-vegetable-garden-at-oroua-downs-school Want More? – Sign up below Special Deals Ahead…Sign up!

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Here Comes the NURO Food Delivery

Touch the Soil News #1254 (Feature photo – The NURO – courtesy of NURO) The company Nuro builds a small autonomous car that delivers groceries. Headquartered in the Silicon Valley in California, the company is making news with its partnership with Kroger Foods and its recent new funding of almost $1 billion ($940 million to be exact) from SoftBank. Reuters provides the inside story here: https://in.reuters.com/article/us-nuro-funding-softbank/driverless-delivery-startup-nuro-gets-940-million-softbank-investment-idINKCN1Q01MI Want More? – Sign up below Special Deals Ahead…Sign up!

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Early 2019 Recap of the Electric Vehicle Industry

Positive Future #388 (Feature photo – 300 Car Chargers in Zeebrugge, Belgium used to charge Tesla cars coming in by freighter – Tom Randal) Most folks are unaware that there are 43 different models of cars for sale in the U.S. that have plug-in capability. 12,000 of all of these different electrified cars were sold in the U.S. in January. CleanTechnica journalist Zachary Shahan explores how much change is going on in the electric vehicle industry and it is significant. Recapping the major highlights for January, Shahan covers a broad range of events that are changing transportation as we speak: https://cleantechnica.com/2019/02/13/what-changed-in-the-electric-vehicle-industry-in-january/ Want More? – Sign up below Special Deals Ahead…Sign up!

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Is 100% Renewable Energy Inevitable?

Positive Future #387 (Feature photo – Ivanpah Concentrated Solar Facility – CCA SA 3.0 Unported) States, counties and cities are working together to do what the Federal Government is balking at – transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy. The most recent news comes from North Carolina where 19 cities and counties have adopted resolutions favoring 100 percent clean energy. These cities and counties include sparsely populated areas to some of the most populated areas in the state. You can read the full report here: https://energynews.us/2019/02/13/southeast/n-c-cities-want-to-lead-on-clean-energy-but-theyll-need-help-to-meet-goals/ Want More? – Sign up below Special Deals Ahead…Sign up!

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