Hemp transforms into textile fiber through a multi-stage process. Initially, harvested hemp stalks undergo retting, where moisture and microbes break down pectin, separating the long bast fibers

Hemp transforms into textile fiber through a multi-stage process. Initially, harvested hemp stalks undergo retting, where moisture and microbes break down pectin, separating the long bast fibers from the woody core. This crucial step can occur naturally in fields (dew retting) or in controlled water tanks.

Following retting, mechanical decortication further separates and cleans the fibers. These refined fibers are then scutched and hackled to align them, preparing them for spinning. Finally, the processed hemp fibers are spun into yarn, which is subsequently woven or knitted into durable textiles.

Policymakers face a critical challenge: electrifying the U.S. vehicle fleet while establishing stable transportation funding, as traditional fuel taxes become obsolete. This event explores new

Policymakers face a critical challenge: electrifying the U.S. vehicle fleet while establishing stable transportation funding, as traditional fuel taxes become obsolete. This event explores new models like mileage fees or carbon taxes. An electronic program detailing the event and panelists is available here.

Supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute, the program features U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, and Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. The Commonwealth Club of California, the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, hosts this discussion.

Transportation policymakers face a critical dual challenge: electrifying the nation's vehicle fleet and establishing a stable funding source. As the U.S. shifts to electric vehicles, the

Transportation policymakers face a critical dual challenge: electrifying the nation's vehicle fleet and establishing a stable funding source. As the U.S. shifts to electric vehicles, the traditional reliance on motor fuel taxes is unsustainable, necessitating new models like mileage fees or carbon taxes.

This vital discussion features U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Senator Alex Padilla, and other experts. The program is supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University.

The Commonwealth Club of California, the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, hosts this event. For more information and upcoming events, visit: SUBSCRIBE | UPCOMING EVENTS | BECOME a MEMBER | DONATE NOW | Watch & Listen | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Explore Catholic presentation strategies and the Pope’s 7-year journey to total sustainability, inspired by Laudato Si’. Roger Ingersoll will share insights from over 20 presentations to

Explore Catholic presentation strategies and the Pope’s 7-year journey to total sustainability, inspired by Laudato Si’. Roger Ingersoll will share insights from over 20 presentations to diverse Catholic and secular audiences, including conservative groups. His extensive experience includes arctic and offshore projects, where he witnessed significant climate changes firsthand.

Juan Rios, a member of the Latinx Catholic Action Team, will discuss effective outreach to Catholic Latinos, leveraging his bilingual skills and commitment to diversifying climate advocacy. Sr. Ricca Dimalibot, a General Councilor with the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, will detail climate advocacy within her religious community and their initiation of Pope Francis' 7-year journey to integral ecology. Her congregation has taken a public stand on climate and sustainability, serving communities globally.

Preserving biodiversity and avoiding climate tipping points necessitate critical changes in land management and food systems, requiring us to work with nature. The Amazon, vital to Earth's system,

Preserving biodiversity and avoiding climate tipping points necessitate critical changes in land management and food systems, requiring us to work with nature. The Amazon, vital to Earth's system, is losing its carbon sequestration capacity due to logging and cattle ranching. Peatlands also face threats; their delicate hydrological balance is disrupted by drainage (emitting CO2) or excessive wetness (emitting methane), further imperiled by permafrost melt.

This discussion was recorded on November 16, 2024, at COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, hosted by journalist Nick Breeze, with experts from the World Resources Institute, University of Leicester, and University of Cambridge. For more information on climate change, visit the FacingFuture Library.

August 2020

Will COVID-19 change our food system for good? Increased coronavirus outbreaks in food markets, food plants, and farmworker communities have impacted food access and put a

August 2020

Will COVID-19 change our food system for good? Increased coronavirus outbreaks in food markets, food plants, and farmworker communities have impacted food access and put a spotlight on food insecurity. Farmers are hurting as supply chains for fresh, perishable foods shrivel. Meanwhile, food banks have seen a surge in demand that has required distribution support from the National Guard.

What does COVID-19 mean for agriculture, our food supply systems — and our diets? Join us for a conversation with Lisa Held, senior reporter at Civil Eats and Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, on feeding a nation under quarantine.

-www.commonwealthclub.org/covid19support

-Subscribe for more Videos here. 

Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac outline two distinct futures for 2050: one if we fail to meet Paris Agreement climate targets, and another if we achieve a carbon-neutral, regenerative

Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac outline two distinct futures for 2050: one if we fail to meet Paris Agreement climate targets, and another if we achieve a carbon-neutral, regenerative world. They emphasize that immediate action is crucial to address our climate emergency, presenting this as our final, defining choice.

Figueres, a Costa Rican diplomat with 35 years of experience, served as Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change from July 2010. Her extensive background highlights the urgency of this pivotal moment.

Source: The RSA, March 4, 2020.

Regenerative agriculture offers a powerful solution to global challenges like biodiversity loss and climate change, demonstrating how food production can actively regenerate nature. The Ellen

Regenerative agriculture offers a powerful solution to global challenges like biodiversity loss and climate change, demonstrating how food production can actively regenerate nature. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation highlights the critical role food manufacturers and retailers play in this transition, urging them to redesign product portfolios, foster new farmer dynamics, utilize innovative on-farm metrics, and advocate for supportive policies.

Tune in to discover examples of innovative farming practices and gain perspectives from industry leaders. Speakers include Karen Cooper (Nestle) and Gabriella Galindo Hernandez (Danone).

The closing segment featured Kandi Mossett sharing online participant comments. Renee Gurneau then discussed the emerging discourse on the Rights of Mother Earth, emphasizing the importance of

The closing segment featured Kandi Mossett sharing online participant comments. Renee Gurneau then discussed the emerging discourse on the Rights of Mother Earth, emphasizing the importance of ancestral wisdom and power in future work.

Tom Goldtooth offered final thoughts and acknowledgments. Karen RedHawk Dallett, Project Coordinator for Pachamama Alliance, concluded the three-day Rights of Mother Earth gathering. She thanked all contributors, highlighting the event as a successful first step in defining and promoting these vital rights.