The Waterly
"The Waterly" is a weekly all-things-water newsletter we share with our community covering the latest innovations and investment deal flow in the water sector and recent news on climate change and water-related crises.
This week we celebrate the first all-electric cargo ship sailing the open Seas, great job Norway! There is strong momentum in the vertical farming and aquaculture sectors. In the meantime, Earth is experiencing its "worst levels on record" according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. We also learn how climate change is more impactful on women. We are happy to introduce you to our advisor and world records holder, Ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes. Dean was named one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World" by TIME magazine! Dean cares deeply about the health and the well-being of our Oceans and our Planet.
Tech & Innovation
Can This 'Cloud-Brightening' Technique Save the Great Barrier Reef?
Dr. Daniel Harrison, Southern Cross University Senior Lecturer and project leader, said that cloud brightening was one of the most promising potential methods that could protect very large areas of reefs.
World's First Zero-Emission Autonomous Cargo Ship Is All-Electric
The ship is expected to take 40,000 truck trips off the road every year.
This irrigation system talks to plants to find out when they need water
On farms in some drought-stricken areas, some farmers now use drones to fly over fields so they can better see exactly when to water crops. But a technology called GrowStream is even more precise: The irrigation system communicates directly with plants.
Japan targets floating wind farms for its deep coastal waters
RWE Renewables and Kansai Electric Power have signed an agreement that will see the two businesses “jointly study the feasibility of a large-scale floating offshore wind project” in waters off Japan’s coast.
Corporate & Deals
Vertical Farming Corporations Have International Ambitions
Vertical farming giant Kalera AS has agreed to acquire all shares in the Germany-based indoor farm operator & ever GmbH for an enterprise value of 130 million euros. That same week, 80 Acres Farms announced that it had raised $ 160 million in a Series B financing round led by General Atlantic and Siemens.
PepsiCo Chooses CropX to Achieve Global Sustainability Goals
PepsiCo selected CropX's technology to help its potato producers become environmentally sustainable.
NaturalShrimp Closes Acquisition of Hydrenesis Aquaculture, LLC
NaturalShrimp, Inc. (OTCQB: SHMP), a Biotechnology Aquaculture Company that has developed and patented the first shrimp-focused, commercially operational RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture System), closed the acquisition of the aquaculture assets of Hydrenesis Aquaculture, LLC for $12,500,000.
Vinci Partners Announces R$128 Million Second Close for Water and Sewage Strategy
Vinci Partners Investments Ltd. (NASDAQ: VINP), the controlling company of a leading alternative investment platform in Brazil, announced today the closing of R$127.7 million in capital commitments for “VIAS”, a fund managed by the Vinci Partners Infrastructure strategy.
Water & the Environment
Could pulling water from the air be the solution for California’s drought-stricken towns?
In Mendocino, California, where wells are running dry, one resident is pushing for an immediate way to address the water crisis: use machines that convert humidity in the air into potable water.
The Middle East is running out of water, and parts of it are becoming uninhabitable
The ferries that once shuttled tourists to and from the little islets in Iran's Lake Urmia sit rusty, unable to move, on what is rapidly becoming a salt plain. Just two decades ago, Urmia was the Middle East's biggest lake.
These Maps Tell the Story of Two Americas: One Parched, One Soaked
The country, like most of the world, is becoming both drier and wetter in the era of climate change. It depends where you live.
The Climate Crisis Is Worse for Women. Here’s Why.
Although climate change is a collective problem, its burdens — displacement, homelessness, poverty, sexual violence, disease — weigh more heavily on women and girls.
Many measures of Earth’s health are at worst levels on record, NOAA finds
Barely a year after the coronavirus grounded planes, shuttered factories and brought road traffic to a standstill, the associated drop in carbon emissions is all but undetectable to scientists studying our air.
PFAS and Chemicals
How Pollution Makes Covid Cases Worse- The Brockovich Report
Erin Brockovich: “It’s a shit show out there as climate change, toxins, viruses, and bacteria converge to wreck havoc on our well-being."
Orange County receives $131M WIFIA loan for PFAS project
The EPA granted Orange County, Calif. the $131M WIFIA loan for its PFAS Facilities Treatment Project, wherein 35 PFAS treatment systems will be designed, permitted and constructed within two years.
TIME magazine named Dean Karnazes as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World." Men's Fitness hailed him as one of the fittest men on the planet. An internationally recognized endurance athlete and NY Times bestselling author, Dean has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits. Among his many accomplishments, he has run 350 continuous miles, foregoing sleep for three nights.
He's run across Death Valley in 120 degree temperatures, and he's run a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees. On ten different occasions, he's run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of twelve.
His most recent endeavor was running 50 marathons, in all 50 US states, in 50 consecutive days, finishing with the NYC Marathon, which he ran in three hours flat.
Beyond being a celebrated endurance athlete, philanthropist, and bestselling author, Dean is an accomplished businessman with a notable professional career working with Fortune 500 companies and burgeoning startups. A graduate of USF's McLaren School of Business & Management, with additional graduate-level coursework at Stanford University, he uniquely demonstrates how the lessons learned from athletics can be applied to business. Dean conveys with deep integrity, the insights he has gleaned along the way as an outstanding athlete and business professional to the WIA Community. You are our Hero Dean!