Free-range cows are a modern invention | Letters
The overarching assumption in Joanna Blythman’s anthropomorphic article on “free range” milk (1 March) is that it’s better for cows to graze on pasture than be kept, milked and fed in a closed environment. That grazing is more “natural” (and so better) is a silly assumption. None of our domesticated beasts have led a “natural” […]
Autolivery: The delivery drones and autonomous cars of the future
A fleet of electric and autonomous vehicles and drones seamlessly respond to and deliver products ordered via online platforms, their routes and energy optimised through intelligent data. It isn’t a vision that will necessarily excite everyone, but as the technologies continue to develop and the cost saving potential is quantified, it is becoming increasingly likely […]
Reversible reaction: Even chemicals can be leased
At least 140,000 chemicals are used globally in a wide variety of products and processes. While they largely contribute to the economy, they expose human health and the environment to major risks. Image: Dipali S / stock.adobe.com For a long time, organisations have undertaken incremental measures to marginally reduce those risks, but are often bumping […]
Circulate on Fridays: IDEO explore car sharing, Coca-Cola target re-use, and the tiny ocean plastic problem
Rounding out the week with Circulate on Fridays, featuring four of our favourite circular economy stories from the past seven days. We get caught up in the cool tech, the cute cars and the controversy, but how will self-driving cars really affect the way we live? In 2015, design agency IDEO explored this with The Future of […]
How computing is evolving and could enable a better understanding of our economy
Microchips and the broader technology world may soon experience a significant shift. Moore’s law, named after Intel founder Gordon Moore, is slowing, while increasingly complex microprocessing demands are accompanied by the rise of tech trends including machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). This may be especially relevant in the context of the shift towards a more […]
The Bank of England is unlikely to successfully predict the next economic crisis
Successfully predicting the next financial crisis is unlikely, a Bank of England official has admitted, leading to questions about mainstream economic forecasting and raising a further challenge to existing paradigms that depend upon modelling and running economies mechanistically. Do we need to a new kind of economics? Martin Sandbu undoubtedly asked the right question in […]
Is the US nearing its “potential GDP”? And what might that mean for a circular economy?
Closing in on what economists believe to be its full productive capacity, questions are being asked about the direction of the United States’ economy, and with the subject of idle capacity featuring significantly in the conversation, the circular economy approach may soon be a part of the agenda. Hidden beneath the daily social media driven […]
Circulate on Fridays: Energy, manufacturing and money ripe for disruption
Every week, Circulate HQ puts our top selection of articles, videos and more on the circular economy and related subjects into one beautiful Friday gift! This week, we’re sharing pieces from some of the biggest business and technology online publications, including focuses on the latest disruptions in manufacturing, money flows, energy and plastic. The Economist […]
Australian consortium aims to put digital solar marketplace into practice
Homeowners in Australia will soon be able to trade in and sell electricity generated by rooftop solar panels with batteries in a digital marketplace developed by a consortium of tech startups, energy agencies, retailers and electricity providers. The Distributed Energy Exchange (deX) was launched on Thursday with the mission to fundamentally change how energy is […]
Do we need a post-animal bioeconomy?
The linear model of animal agriculture isn’t working and has proven to be detrimental to public health and the environment, according to Isha Datar, CEO of New Harvest. Watch this video to learn about a new way of producing animal products that are genetically unchanged, but do not require vast amounts of land, chemicals, or even […]