Nature needs Nurture
4 minute read
With the pandemic reminding us just how closely connected we are to nature, this year’s World Environment Day has a certain weightiness to it
In tough times, dropping green commitments and settling for short term, unsustainable ‘quick fixes’ can seem like an easy solve. With a clean and sustainable mobility vision, Hyundai is truly committed to protecting nature for future generations.
Generating #PositiveEnergy
The movement towards more sustainable sources of energy is a goal that much of the world has now committed to. Hyundai Motors, as a part of the action, is trying to find the best way to move us forward in keeping our earth and nature clean by using hydrogen as a positive energy source.
And the science world has duly responded to these commitments by finding creative new ways to power our lives. Recent innovations include fuel created by E.coli bacteria; piezoelectricity (energy created by movement); and even space-based solar power.
Hyundai is focusing its efforts on the development of hydrogen fuel – a positive energy that only emits water vapour and warm, clean air as a by-product.
Their goal is to make it efficient, affordable and available to all, in line with their ongoing commitment to progress for humanity. BTS x Hyundai have introduced hydrogen tech to the world with the next generation hydrogen-fuelled car, NEXO.
They have teamed up several times in the past, most recently with a film release coinciding with Environment Day on 5 June and previous to that, a film celebrating Earth Day.
Upcycling
A sustainable future for everyone is not just about finding new energy sources, but finding new ways to recycle and reuse old materials.
With lockdown making it difficult for people to source products, people as well as brands are finding inventive ways to transform existing materials into unique creations.
And it’s not just clothes and furniture that are being upcycled.
From snack bars made from leftover malt from beer brewing,
to vegetable stem chips, to condiments made from misshapen
or ‘ugly’ fruit and vegetables, edible upcycling is becoming a thing!
Producers are looking ever more carefully at ways to minimise waste in their products and processes. Hyundai’s 2019 ‘Re;Style’ fashion collection, for example, was created using leftover materials, like car seat leather.
This year, as part of the collaboration with BTS around Positive Energy, Hyundai launched an exclusive line of eco bags, key covers, pockets and eco gifts. Some products use repurposed car materials, whilst others utilise innovative new materials like Tyvek, which leaves no environmental impact.
Less is More
Of course, action from manufacturers and organisations is vital, but smaller acts from the masses can have a huge and meaningful impact. Lockdown restrictions have seen a blossoming of new and innovative ways to reuse, recycle and save more.
Instagram organisation @loveyourmutha is sharing tips like DIY bronzer using nutmeg, cocoa powder and cinnamon. @dr.vegan is an athlete who regularly shares his tips on veganism, covering anything from animal welfare, to pesticides, to the best plant based protein.
Hyundai will soon start sharing eco life hacks as part of their ‘Save & Save’ initiative, with tips on how to make anything from homemade compost to eco candles.
Acts such as these may seem small but adopted en masse, they can shift attitudes and create a new normal. One where waste is turned to treasure or eliminated entirely.
Progress Never Stops
Reusing, repurposing and recycling is going mainstream, just at
the time when the planet needs it the most. But if we want to create real progress, we have to keep innovating and thinking bigger.
We have to imagine a future not with less waste, but zero waste. A future where clean energy is not just powering our vehicles but our entire transport systems, factories, generators and even our homes.
This is not the time to give up and count our losses. It’s a time
to explore, innovate and find unusual solutions. It’s time to get ambitious about what we want, both for humanity and our planet.