3 questions that reveal if a green idea will actually work | Patricia Stathatou | TEDxAtlanta

Environmental Impact of Ethanol - Converting land for corn ethanol production can generate 25% more carbon emissions than gasoline [1] - Producing enough compostable plastics to replace current packaging would require over half the world's corn supply and more water than all of Europe uses in a year [5] Sustainability Assessment Framework - A product's environmental sustainability should be evaluated based on its resource consumption (water, land, energy, raw materials) [8] - Disposal methods and potential long-term waste or toxicity issues must be considered [8][9] - Solutions should be better than the current practices or doing nothing at all, acknowledging trade-offs [4][9] Electric Vehicle (EV) Evolution - Manufacturing an EV can generate up to 80% more carbon emissions than making a conventional car, primarily due to battery material mining and processing [17] - Early EVs in the 1990s required the same energy to drive one mile as heating a one-bedroom apartment for 15 minutes [12] - On-road emissions of EVs depend on the electricity source, with lower carbon footprints in regions dominated by hydropower [18] - Repurposing old EV batteries for stationary energy storage (e g, powering street lights, stadiums) is emerging as a valuable application [16] Achieving Sustainable Solutions - Lasting change requires alignment among policymakers, industries (automotive, battery, electronics), academia, investors, and consumers [21][22] - Applying the sustainability assessment framework early on can accelerate the adoption of sustainable technologies like sustainable aviation fuels and biodegradable plastics [23]