6 Things You Need To Know Today (May 22, 2018)
1. Is the future of public transit totally free?
Paris has long been a leading force when it comes to reimagining transportation. Now, the city has started to devise a plan to make public transit totally free for passengers. The new system could cost the city up to 6 billion euros, but experts say that the price might well be worth it in the long run when it comes to cleaner air and reduced carbon emissions. (City Lab)
2. This is the first airline to go strawless.
Alaska Airlines has teamed up with environmental nonprofit Lonely Whale to ban plastic straws on all flights, which could save up to 44 million straws from going to landfill per year. Let's hope this is just the start of a movement to green up our airlines. (USA Today)
3. Parents, here's what you should know about the fruits and vegetables you're giving your kids.
According to a new report from the EWG, there are a few things parents should keep in mind when it comes to pesticides in fruits and vegetables. First, kids eat more fruits and vegetables compared to their body weight than adults do, which increases their exposure to pesticides. And yes, when kids ingest pesticides, it is associated with long-term damage—so beware of particularly pesticide-laden produce, like strawberries, spinach, and as of this year, apples and pears. (EWG)
4. A new way to prevent migraines has arrived.
Aimovig was approved by the FDA on Thursday and will be the first medicine designed to prevent migraines. It comes in the form of a monthly injection that blocks the protein fragment that is known to contribute to the onset and severity of migraines. (NYT)
5. There's now a beer that breast cancer patients can drink.
Mamma Beer has created an alcohol-free beer that is made with vitamin B and potassium to help provide nutrients for cancer patients. Because chemotherapy can affect taste and appetite for many, it can also make food and beverages tasteless. Mamma Beer's alcohol-free alternative has a sweeter flavor to counter patients’ changing taste buds. (Food Dive)
6. The royal newlyweds were making a point with their getaway car.
The car, a silver Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero that Enzo Ferrari himself called "the most beautiful car ever made," was converted to electric energy. This is just one of many outwardly progressive symbols from their special day. As if we could like them even more. (Fast Company)
Emma Loewe is the Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen and the author of Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us. She is also the co-author of The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care, which she wrote alongside Lindsay Kellner.
Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She's spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.