
'They Want to Rewrite Nature With Cement': CO₂-Eating Buildings Backed by Elites While Workers and Architects Call It a Dangerous Scam
is evolving towards sustainability by embracing buildings that can absorb their own CO2 emissions. 🚧 The industry faces challenges such as high costs and lack of regulatory push, but eco-friendly materials and technologies are emerging.
🏗️ Graphyte's carbon casting technology utilizes waste biomass to create carbon-rich blocks, making construction projects carbon neutral or negative.
carbon casting technology utilizes waste biomass to create carbon-rich blocks, making construction projects carbon neutral or negative. 🏢 These innovations promise a future of self-sustaining cities, transforming construction from an environmental liability to an asset.
The landscape of construction is on the brink of a monumental shift. As society and government bodies increasingly acknowledge the urgent need for decarbonization, new technologies are emerging to reshape the industry. One transformative idea comes from a well-known American tycoon who has introduced a groundbreaking concept: buildings that not only reduce but actively absorb their own CO2 emissions. This innovation promises to revolutionize urban environments by mitigating pollution and fostering a sustainable future. The journey towards this vision is filled with challenges and opportunities, as the construction industry grapples with its environmental impact and the path to net-zero emissions.
Construction's Journey Toward Net Zero: The Road Ahead
Construction activities have long been recognized as significant contributors to environmental pollution. From particulate emissions and water pollution incidents to noise complaints, the industry faces numerous challenges. Dust from land clearing and the operation of diesel engines contribute to air pollution, while demolition activities and toxic substances exacerbate these issues. These emissions not only pose health risks but also fuel climate change, highlighting the need for proactive measures to reduce environmental harm.
The transition toward net-zero emissions in construction is fraught with difficulties. Despite growing awareness of environmental issues, the implementation of green technologies is progressing slowly. High costs, industry inertia, and a lack of regulatory impetus for sustainability pose significant barriers. However, the tide is turning. The emergence of eco-friendly construction materials and innovations in technology, coupled with increasing stakeholder pressure, are driving change. As regulations improve and awareness spreads, the construction industry is gradually adopting practices that will reduce its carbon footprint and pave the way for a greener future.
Revolutionizing Construction: Buildings That Absorb Their Own CO2
Enter Graphyte, a startup funded by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, co-founded by Bill Gates, which is at the forefront of a revolutionary technology. By utilizing waste biomass such as wood residue and rice hulls, Graphyte's carbon casting process produces carbon-rich blocks capable of absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. This innovative approach aligns with international efforts to combat climate change and represents a significant shift in the construction industry's role in environmental sustainability.
Graphyte's carbon-storing materials enable construction projects to achieve carbon neutrality or even become carbon negative, effectively offsetting their emissions. This paradigm shift transforms construction from an environmental liability into a valuable asset in the fight against climate change. With buildings that can absorb their own CO2, the industry is poised to make a substantial contribution to global sustainability efforts.
The Advantages of Graphite: A Game-Changer for Construction
Carbon removal is a crucial component of achieving global decarbonization, and Graphyte's carbon casting technology offers a cost-effective solution for large-scale carbon storage. Unlike other methods such as direct air capture, Graphyte's approach leverages waste plant matter, eliminating competition with food production and land use. This makes it a sustainable and scalable solution for carbon removal.
Beyond carbon sequestration, Graphyte's carbon-storing materials offer additional benefits. The carbon-dense blocks enhance structural strength and insulation, improving building durability and efficiency. By using waste biomass as feedstock, Graphyte mitigates fossil fuel dependency and addresses waste management issues related to organic materials. The flexibility of these materials allows for their use in residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects, significantly reducing their environmental impact and advancing the construction industry's role in combating climate change.
The Future of Self-Sustaining Cities
Graphyte's innovation heralds a new era for urban environments, where buildings actively contribute to reducing pollution. By absorbing their own CO2, these structures exemplify the potential for self-sustaining cities of the future. This concept underscores the transformative power of construction in addressing environmental challenges. As the industry evolves, it has the potential to automatically eliminate pollution, paving the way for cleaner, more sustainable cities.
As we look to the future, the question remains: How will the construction industry continue to innovate and redefine its role in the fight against climate change? The possibilities are vast, and the journey is just beginning. With continued advancements in technology and a commitment to sustainability, the construction industry can lead the charge toward a more sustainable and environmentally responsible world. What steps will be taken next to ensure buildings become allies in the battle against climate change?
This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies.
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France 24
5 hours ago
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Fashion Network
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The label soon caught the eye of LVMH, who recruited Marc Jacobs in 1997 to launch Louis Vuitton 's ready-to-wear line. The French luxury goods group subsequently bought a majority stake in the brand. That same year, the label opened its first boutique in the SoHo district of Manhattan. Buoyed by the ebullient talent of its creator, who stands out for his free-spirited, eccentric, and playful fashion, Marc Jacobs expands on all fronts with his recognizable pop, cool and chic style, blending retro and vintage seventies influences, a touch of punk, and daring couture creations. The brand broadened its audience, notably with its young and accessible Marc by Marc Jacobs line launched in 2001, while multiplying its lines and diversifications (accessories, beauty, perfume, watches, children's). But the company began to run out of steam after the designer left Louis Vuitton in 2013, after sixteen years as artistic director. Marc Jacobs restructured, returning to its fundamentals to refocus on a more coherent and simplified offering. Marc by Marc Jacobs is discontinued in 2015, integrating an entry-level and high-end range into its core brand. At the same time, Robert Duffy left the company. In 2017, the men's line was discontinued. It was at this point that former Kenzo CEO Eric Marechalle, who is still in place, took the helm. The manager will have to face, among other things, the Covid-19 crisis, which led Marc Jacobs to resize by closing a series of boutiques and reducing its teams, before putting the brand back on track. Today, the brand has 130 mono-brand boutiques worldwide and is distributed through a selection of top multi-brand retailers. The house continues to parade in New York, winning press acclaim each time, while consolidating its creative image and reputation. Since 2021, this "Runway" couture line has been distributed exclusively by the American chain Bergdorf Goodman, and since this year in Japan by Isetan department stores. In parallel, in 2019 the company introduces The Marc Jacobs, a more affordable contemporary line with ready-to-wear and accessories, and in 2020 launches Heaven, a more commercial, youthful, and inclusive line of clothing and accessories that breaks away from genres and surfs on nostalgia for the 1990s and 2000s and the craze for grunge style, of which the designer was a precursor. Success followed, resurrecting the brand's coolness. During the pandemic, the New York designer also reviewed his approach to digital and social networking. He was one of the first to capitalize on his community on TikTok, giving free rein to the platform's young influencers to create their own content and make the brand their own. It managed to engage the youngest with all kinds of initiatives, while relying on feedback from the Chinese app's followers to adjust its offering and better target Gen Z. Alongside its more accessible clothing offer, the company counts on licenses and above all accessories and beauty products. Very early on, it diversified into the jewelry segment, with fragrances (2001), watches (2004), eyewear (2004) with Safilo, which last year renewed its licensing agreement until the end of 2031, and children's fashion (2005), while in 2010 the Bookmarc bookstore was inaugurated in New York. Launched in 2007, the Daisy fragrance is a hit, as is Perfect (2020). In 2014, the label makes its debut in cosmetics with Marc Jacobs Beauty via LVMH subsidiary Kendo Brands. Discontinued in 2021, this beauty line has just been relaunched under the aegis of Coty, the label's perfume licensee from the outset, which has renewed its contract for a further 15 years in 2023, adding the cosmetics component. Last June, when he left the company to take up the presidency of Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs merchandising director Robert Rizzolo described his four years at the house as "one of the most profitable and transformative periods of the company." "I witnessed Marc's creative genius behind the scenes every season and helped shape some of the brand's great moments - the meteoric rise of Tote Bag, the revival of Stam and Beauty, the relaunch of ready-to-wear, shoes, and jewelry, the cultural impact of Heaven," he wrote in a post on LinkedIn. While waiting for a change of ownership, the brand should be in the news again soon with the documentary on Marc Jacobs directed by his long-time friend Sofia Coppola, which will be presented at the Venice Film Festival in September.


Fashion Network
9 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Marc Jacobs: What are the strengths of the American brand today?
The potential sale of Marc Jacobs by is back in the spotlight. According to the Wall Street Journal, the No. 1 luxury goods group is in talks with a number of possible buyers, including American groups Authentic, owner of Reebok and Champion, WHP Global, owner of Bonobos and Vera Wang, and Bluestar Alliance. The deal could be worth a billion dollars (850 million euros). But, what is the American brand, founded almost 40 years ago by Marc Jacobs, really worth, and what are its strengths? In the spring of 2024, the first indiscretions circulated about a probable contact with interested investors, but LVMH firmly denied at the time that it was considering selling Marc Jacobs. Today, with the luxury goods market in sharp decline, this hypothesis seems more than plausible, especially as the group has already recently sold Off-White and Stella McCartney. Moreover, the investments made in Marc Jacobs over the past ten years do not seem to have yielded the expected results. The luxury house has lost ground "in terms of relevance to the consumer," according to Bernstein analyst Luca Solca, who believes that "the market would favor greater concentration of LVMH's activities. Especially at a time when even the main houses seem to be suffering, Dior in particular." In almost four decades, the label has had its ups and downs. In the 2010s, in particular, it experienced a decline that led it to restructure in depth and focus on more commercial products. But today, its aura remains intact and it has succeeded in renewing its customer base, appealing to Gen Z. In 1986, the eponymous designer launched his brand with Robert Duffy via the Jacobs Duffy Design company, backed by the Japanese Onward Group. But it wasn't until a little later that he took off, co-founding his own Marc Jacobs International design and licensing company with Robert Duffy at the end of 1993, followed in April 1994 by his first collection, described as "grunge, trash and chic." The label soon caught the eye of LVMH, who recruited Marc Jacobs in 1997 to launch Louis Vuitton 's ready-to-wear line. The French luxury goods group subsequently bought a majority stake in the brand. That same year, the label opened its first boutique in the SoHo district of Manhattan. Buoyed by the ebullient talent of its creator, who stands out for his free-spirited, eccentric, and playful fashion, Marc Jacobs expands on all fronts with his recognizable pop, cool and chic style, blending retro and vintage seventies influences, a touch of punk, and daring couture creations. The brand broadened its audience, notably with its young and accessible Marc by Marc Jacobs line launched in 2001, while multiplying its lines and diversifications (accessories, beauty, perfume, watches, children's). But the company began to run out of steam after the designer left Louis Vuitton in 2013, after sixteen years as artistic director. Marc Jacobs restructured, returning to its fundamentals to refocus on a more coherent and simplified offering. Marc by Marc Jacobs is discontinued in 2015, integrating an entry-level and high-end range into its core brand. At the same time, Robert Duffy left the company. In 2017, the men's line was discontinued. It was at this point that former Kenzo CEO Eric Marechalle, who is still in place, took the helm. The manager will have to face, among other things, the Covid-19 crisis, which led Marc Jacobs to resize by closing a series of boutiques and reducing its teams, before putting the brand back on track. Today, the brand has 130 mono-brand boutiques worldwide and is distributed through a selection of top multi-brand retailers. The house continues to parade in New York, winning press acclaim each time, while consolidating its creative image and reputation. Since 2021, this "Runway" couture line has been distributed exclusively by the American chain Bergdorf Goodman, and since this year in Japan by Isetan department stores. In parallel, in 2019 the company introduces The Marc Jacobs, a more affordable contemporary line with ready-to-wear and accessories, and in 2020 launches Heaven, a more commercial, youthful, and inclusive line of clothing and accessories that breaks away from genres and surfs on nostalgia for the 1990s and 2000s and the craze for grunge style, of which the designer was a precursor. Success followed, resurrecting the brand's coolness. During the pandemic, the New York designer also reviewed his approach to digital and social networking. He was one of the first to capitalize on his community on TikTok, giving free rein to the platform's young influencers to create their own content and make the brand their own. It managed to engage the youngest with all kinds of initiatives, while relying on feedback from the Chinese app's followers to adjust its offering and better target Gen Z. Alongside its more accessible clothing offer, the company counts on licenses and above all accessories and beauty products. Very early on, it diversified into the jewelry segment, with fragrances (2001), watches (2004), eyewear (2004) with Safilo, which last year renewed its licensing agreement until the end of 2031, and children's fashion (2005), while in 2010 the Bookmarc bookstore was inaugurated in New York. Launched in 2007, the Daisy fragrance is a hit, as is Perfect (2020). In 2014, the label makes its debut in cosmetics with Marc Jacobs Beauty via LVMH subsidiary Kendo Brands. Discontinued in 2021, this beauty line has just been relaunched under the aegis of Coty, the label's perfume licensee from the outset, which has renewed its contract for a further 15 years in 2023, adding the cosmetics component. Last June, when he left the company to take up the presidency of Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs merchandising director Robert Rizzolo described his four years at the house as "one of the most profitable and transformative periods of the company." "I witnessed Marc's creative genius behind the scenes every season and helped shape some of the brand's great moments - the meteoric rise of Tote Bag, the revival of Stam and Beauty, the relaunch of ready-to-wear, shoes, and jewelry, the cultural impact of Heaven," he wrote in a post on LinkedIn. While waiting for a change of ownership, the brand should be in the news again soon with the documentary on Marc Jacobs directed by his long-time friend Sofia Coppola, which will be presented at the Venice Film Festival in September.