<ul class="summary-list"><li>In the US, the volume of plastic waste hit 44 million metric tons in 2019. </li><li>Some beauty companies are ditching plastics in favor of aluminum, glass, or plant-based materials.</li><li>Consumers are willing to pay a higher price for sustainable products.  </li></ul><p>Retail buzzwords like clean, green, and sustainable are the face of consumer-product goods today. But for the beauty industry, they're becoming an identity — for the companies creating their products and to the consumers who use them in their everyday routines. </p><p>As more people seek out smaller, purpose-driven companies — i.e. companies whose missions go beyond products and services to making a positive impact on the larger world — <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/beauty/best-beauty-brands-with-sustainable-refillable-packaging">sustainable packaging</a> can make or break a user's loyalty to the brand. </p><p>"Beauty products come in bottles and pots with pumps and lids, and we're noticing the first question a consumer asks is, 'Is this all recyclable?'" Michelle Brett, the CEO of <a href="https://usa.renskincare.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiArNOeBhAHEiwAze_nKKGN5MBwiDdZaPa7pcVzEZ-ym2zlZMtkauHvGM6I1wTDxxPlm1Sg8hoCRgoQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">REN Clean Skincare,</a> told Insider.</p><p>Single-use-plastic packaging, especially in the beauty industry, has long been under scrutiny. <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GPUS_FinalReport_2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A 2022 report by Greenpeace</a> indicated that most of the plastic items we're encouraged to wash and recycle actually end up in landfills. In the US alone, the volume of plastic waste reached <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GPUS_FinalReport_2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">44 million metric tons</a> in 2019, and only about 5% to 6% was recycled in 2021, Greenpeace found. </p><p>That's where smaller beauty brands come in. These companies are on the cutting edge of the industry, making real changes to their products, and paying attention to what consumers want: an unboxing experience that aligns with their identities — sustainable packaging included.  </p><p>Purpose-driven beauty companies are ditching plastics in favor of aluminum, glass, or plant-based materials. If they use plastic, they're trying to ensure that it's designed to be recyclable (mindful of inks and coatings). And some companies are using refillable packaging, so after consumers finish using the product, they can send back the bottle to be washed and refilled. </p><h2><strong>Consumers are more informed than ever</strong></h2><p>Denise Masi, the founder of <a href="https://maed.co/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MAED</a>, a lifestyle website devoted to natural and alternative beauty and lifestyle content, said today's consumers are smarter than ever about their purchases. "They want to know their purchase isn't contributing to a problem," she said. "If a brand is going to make a sustainability claim, they need to lay it out and explain where and how they are making a positive impact."</p><p>Consumers aren't just more knowledgeable about eco-friendly products — they're willing to pay a higher price. A study conducted by First Insight and the Baker Retailing Center at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania found that <a href="https://160569.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/160569/docs/The-Sustainability-Disconnect-Between%20Consumers-and-Retail-Executives-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">72% of consumers</a> say sustainability is important to them when making a purchase. "Consumers are absolutely proving that they're voting with their dollars," Angela Ubias, the cofounder and CEO of <a href="https://commonheir.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Common Heir</a>, told Insider. </p><p>Lindsey McCoy, the CEO of <a href="https://www.plaineproducts.com/shop/?gclid=CjwKCAiArNOeBhAHEiwAze_nKGkbgEy9mYyXVh6BvsKaw7SnVEZ3ICTgxBww6DtxffVa1ZejCnan5BoCyYQQAvD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Plaine Products,</a> told Insider that today's consumers are savvier at picking up on when a company might be "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tell-if-companies-greenwashing-investments-2022-2">greenwashing,</a>" or trying to appear more environmentally friendly on the surface. And they're demanding more transparency because of it. </p><p>Being able to give consumers an inside look at sustainability efforts is a competitive edge for smaller, purpose-driven beauty companies, McCoy said, adding that her company puts out annual <a href="https://www.plaineproducts.com/sustainable-products/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sustainability reports</a> for customers to understand how Plaine Products cuts packaging waste, eliminates greenhouse gas, and more. </p><p>"We are transparent and have an honest understanding with our customers," she said. "I absolutely think it's helped with our growth."</p><h2><strong>Some beauty brands have already made the switch </strong></h2><p>Embracing consumer demand for more sustainable packaging — and leaning into it as a brand — is a way for smaller companies to stand out in the crowded beauty field. </p><p>Brands like <a href="https://us.gisou.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gisou</a>, for example, package some of their products in glass that's sourced from a <a href="https://us.gisou.com/pages/our-sustainability-promise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solar-power-dependent manufacturing site</a> and include recycling instructions. And <a href="https://helloeverist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everist</a>, a hair and body brand, said it's gone "zero-waste" with the entire product experience, including 100% recycled aluminum tubes and a <a href="https://helloeverist.com/pages/zero-waste" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CapBack program</a> that covers postage costs for customers to return their used tube caps. </p><p>Brett's REN Clean Skincare is also a <a href="https://usa.renskincare.com/blogs/clean-thoughts/ren-clean-skincare-sustainability-stats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">major player</a> in the sustainable beauty industry. The brand's bottle is made from 80% recycled plastic and 20% plastic debris reclaimed from the ocean. For every 150,000 bottles that are made, about 1.5 tons of waste is removed from the ocean.</p><p>The growing interest in sustainability — with a push for fewer plastic products — is also drawing attention from lawmakers at all levels. </p><p>Last June, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/06/30/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-cutting-harmful-plastic-pollution-to-protect-communities-oceans-and-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed a law requiring packaging</a> to be recyclable or compostable by 2032. The <a href="https://www.state.gov/u-s-actions-to-address-plastic-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal government</a> has also taken action with initiatives like the National Recycling Strategy and the WasteWise Program. Internationally, countries like <a href="https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/national-plastics-plan-2021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a>, <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/managing-reducing-waste/reduce-plastic-waste/single-use-plastic-overview.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canada</a>, and <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/india-ban-policy-single-use-plastic-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India</a> are working to minimize <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/paper-forest-products-and-packaging/our-insights/the-drive-toward-sustainability-in-packaging-beyond-the-quick-wins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">packaging waste.</a> </p><h2><strong>Online spending brings sustainable shipping into the equation</strong></h2><p>Ubias, Masi, and other beauty experts interviewed by Insider say that while the push for sustainable packaging in the beauty industry has been ongoing, the pandemic accelerated the discussion as people stayed home, consumed more health-and-wellness information on social media, and prioritized self-care routines. </p><p>As a result, shoppers, namely millennials and Gen Z, are skipping the store and <a href="https://www.powerreviews.com/insights/2021-beauty-industry-consumer-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordering their beauty products online</a>. This means beauty companies need to consider the sustainability of their shipping materials, too. </p><p>The <a href="https://facts.usps.com/total-shippingpackage-volume/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Postal Service</a> reported it shipped nearly 8 billion packages in 2021, with the vast majority packed in plastic or cardboard. When you add other shipping companies like UPS and FedEx into the mix, the numbers increase significantly.</p><p>Some purpose-driven beauty companies are switching to recyclable or reusable shipping materials. <a href="https://boox.eco/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAic6eBhCoARIsANlox87lPeV7QAbKGMR7XhnyMOIpM732t4z3dywO2eulSeCPAEyIG7JmPWwaAjBPEALw_wcB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boox</a> is one startup that works with smaller companies, some of them beauty brands, to provide reusable packaging. </p><p>Boox told Insider it's grown its business from providing 75,000 packages a year to 2 million in 2022. Matt Semmelhack, the company's cofounder and CEO, told Insider it's a drop in the bucket now, but a wave is coming. </p><p>"It's going to seem like overnight to the average consumer, but there will be a big shift in the next 10 years with more sustainable, reusable packaging," Semmelhack said.</p>

More beauty brands are ditching plastic packaging — and consumers are buying in

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Protests by Amazon workers and allies were planned in 30-plus countries on Black Friday.</li><li>Campaign concerns include competitive wages, safe working conditions, and carbon emissions.</li></ul><p>Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season. For Amazon, it's already off to a rocky start.</p><p>Today, Amazon workers and activists are protesting to secure better working conditions across the globe. The campaign is led by Make Amazon Pay, a coalition of 70 trade unions and organizations including Greenpeace, Oxfam, and Amazon Workers International. </p><p>"The pandemic has exposed how Amazon places profits ahead of workers, society, and our planet," Make Amazon Pay wrote in a list of demands <a href="https://makeamazonpay.com/" rel=" nofollow">shared on its website</a>. "Amazon takes too much and gives back too little. It is time to Make Amazon Pay." </p><p>Protests were planned in more than 30 countries, including India, Germany, and Japan, according to Make Amazon Pay. In the US, protests are expected in more than 10 cities from coast to coast at Amazon's main headquarters in Seattle, Jeff Bezos' penthouse in New York City, Whole Foods stores, and Amazon warehouses.</p><p>Strikes are planned at 18 warehouses in France and Germany that were coordinated by trade unions, and several in the US, such as STL8, Amazon's warehouse in St. Peters, Missouri.</p><div type="image" title="Make Amazon Pay strike" height="1303" width="1742" msid="95773360" hostid="261" sizebytes="56464"></div><p>"Amazon workers need higher pay. We need safer work," stated Jennifer Crane, who works at the Missouri warehouse, in a <a href="https://twitter.com/BAmazonUnion/status/1596126565686906880?s=20&amp;t=r_LZzfaXOAIuASZgSParXA">video</a> made by Make Amazon Pay. "Things don't have to be this way. Amazon can afford to give us a living wage and to provide us a rate of work that doesn't lead to injuries of death."</p><p>Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/make-amazon-pay-campaign-staffers-will-strike-on-black-friday-2021-11">previously</a> told Insider that the company is working to address campaign concerns, including carbon emissions and competitive wages.</p><p>"These groups represent a variety of interests, and while we are not perfect in any area, if you objectively look at what Amazon is doing in each one of these areas you'll see that we do take our role and our impact very seriously," Nantel said. </p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-unions-warehouse-speed-work-labor-2022-10">While unionization efforts</a> by Amazon employees in the US have garnered many headlines, workers are also pushing for better working conditions overseas. Subcontracted drivers in Japan recently formed a union, which protested in front of the retail giant's Japan headquarters in Meguro, Tokyo. </p><p>In Bangladesh, garment workers rallied for union recognition, better pay, and humane working conditions.</p><p>"Garment workers, like those I represent, toil to swell Amazon's coffers often without any recognition that we are even Amazon workers," said Nazma Akhter, president of the Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation in Bangladesh, in a <a href="https://progressive.international/movement/article/2022-11-25-new-wave-of-black-friday-strikes-and-protests-in-over-30-countries-organised-by-the-make-amazon-pay-coalition/en">statement</a>.</p><p>Akhter continued: "Amazon is the third largest direct employer in the world, but when you take us in the supply chain into account, it is even larger."</p><p>Even some corporate employees are considering unionizing, according to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-layoffs-corporate-employees-discuss-forming-union-unionization-2022-11">messages seen by Insider's Katherine Long</a>. This comes on the heels of Amazon <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-layoffs-meltdown-inside-week-turmoil-thousands-lost-their-jobs-2022-11">announcing its plan to layoff 10,000 corporate employees</a>, with the effort starting on November 15.</p>

Amazon workers strike in the US and 30 other countries on Black Friday in global 'Make Amazon Pay' campaign

Bengaluru, July 9 (): Air pollution in Bengaluru is linked to the loss of an estimated 6,300 lives in the first half of 2020 and 3.7 per cent decline in the city's annual GDP despite strictly enforcing COVID-19 related lockdown, a study has revealed. According to a new online tool by IQAir AirVisual and Greenpeace-Southeast Asia, research shows that long-term air pollution exposure increases the risk of severe COVID-19 infections and death. "Air pollution in Bengaluru is linked to the loss of an estimated 6,300 lives in the first half of 2020 despite a strict COVID-related lockdown," the two organisations claimed in a statement. It is also revealed that air pollution took a major toll on the citys economy at a cost of approximately Rs 6,973 crore over the last six months, an equivalent of 3.7% of Bengalurus total annual GDP, the statement said. The study claimed that the health damage from air pollution is expected to cost 1-5.8% of cities GDP in the major metropolitan cities of the world in the first half of this year. Of all the 28 cities studied, Delhi bears the highest economic cost of air pollution as a percentage of GDP due to the impacts of PM2.5 and NO2 pollution. While some cities have seen a temporary return of blue skies as a result of COVID-19 related restrictions, these gains were reversed as soon as lockdowns ended, the organisations observed. "... Chronic air pollution exposure is associated with diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic lung disease. Patients with these conditions are at a greater risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19," they claimed. The study observed that it is more important than ever that investments are directed towards green, just and sustainable sectors of society. "Now is the time for a rapid shift away from polluting fossil fuels for our health, community, and for our economies, Greenpeace India's Avinash Chanchal was quoted as saying. GMS NVG NVG

Air pollution increases risk of COVID-19, deaths: Study

New Delhi, Apr 11 () The pollution level in India's five most-polluted cities, which are also in the top 10 globally, came down by over 50 per cent during the first 10 days of the lockdown imposed to combat COVID-19 outbreak, a new Greenpeace India analysis has found.<p> The study, released on Saturday, said these five cities -- Ghaziabad, Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Gurgaon -- witnessed a drop of over 50 per cent in their PM 2.5 concentration since March 24, when the nationwide lockdown was announced.</p><p> Particulate matters PM 2.5 are one of the primary reasons for health risks such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and lung cancer.</p><p> The analysis also said that strict implementation and inclusion of all non-attainment cities under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) is crucial to address long-term air pollution problems.</p><p> The Greenpeace India report, which has also analysed Central Pollution Control Board data, said the PM 2.5 concentration level was down by 57.64 per cent in the national capital, by 65.75 per cent in Ghaziabad and 56.04 per cent in Gurgaon, among others.</p><p> "We can only use the COVID-19 outbreak as a lesson to mankind and once we pass the crisis, the country needs a coordinated and consistent action plan to address major sources of pollution that exist throughout the year to ensure a healthy planet for all," said Avinash Chanchal, Senior Campaigner, Greenpeace India.</p><p> Earlier this year, a report titled "World Air Quality Report 2019", published by IQ Air Visuals, revealed that five out of the top 10 most-polluted cities are located in India.</p><p> "Ghaziabad, which happened to be the most polluted city in the world, according to the report has witnessed 65.75 per cent reduction in PM 2.5 concentration from March 24 to April 4.</p><p> "Similarly, Delhi's PM 2.5 dropped by 57.64 per cent, Noida by 65.10 per cent, Gurugram by 56.04 per cent and Greater Noida by 68.83 per cent," the NGO report said.</p><p> Comparing these figures to 2019 data, the report said that last year during the same time period the air quality ranged between "Moderate" to "Unhealthy" and this year it has now been observed to be fairly "Good".</p><p> "Surprisingly, the cities which earlier fared among the top polluted ones, their air quality has been recorded to be below the prescribed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 60 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3). However the air quality of these cities are still much higher than the prescribed WHO standards of 25 μg/m3," it said.</p><p> According to the 'Toxic air: The Price of Fossil Fuels' report released in February, air pollution from fossil fuel-related PM2.5 is attributed to an estimated 669,000 premature deaths each year in India.</p><p> In March a collective of doctors, The Doctors For Clean Air (DFCA), warned that people with compromised lung function could possibly have serious complications if infected by COVID-19.</p><p> The analysis said that human activities such as burning fossil fuels, transport, and the energy sector contribute significant quantities of particulate matter in cities and this can change by transitioning from fossils to renewables.</p><p> "The post Covid -19 government investment should focus on sustainability from the environmental perspective to protect the public health," said Chanchal.</p><p> "Although we are witnessing a reduction in PM 2.5 across the cities because of the temporary slowdown of economic activities, we are aware that blue skies are unintended outcomes of the lockdown and it has come at the expense of a huge crisis that many are bearing the brunt of.</p><p> "This reduction in air pollution is temporary. It is worth noting that despite the lockdown, these most polluted cities are still not meeting the WHO prescribed air quality standards, which clearly means that we need a comprehensive study of sources of pollutants," he added.</p> Recently, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released a report on effect of 'Janata Curfew' on the air quality in which it found that the reduction in number of on-road vehicles, resulted in up to 51 per cent reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels and 32 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) levels during March 22-23, 2020 as compared to March 21.  AG  TIRTIR

Unintended lockdown benefit: Study says PM 2.5 down by over 50% in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Gzb

New Delhi, Mar 16 () Twenty-two of the world's 30 most polluted cities are in India, with Delhi being ranked as the most polluted capital city globally, a new report said on Tuesday.  The report is prepared by Swiss organisation, IQAir, in the form of the 'World Air Quality Report, 2020', which has released globally. <br /><br /> The report, however, shows that Delhi's air quality improved by approximately 15 per cent from 2019 to 2020. <br /><br /> It said that despite the improvement, Delhi ranked as the 10th most polluted city and the top polluted capital city in the world. <br /><br /> "India continues to feature prominently at the top of the most polluted cities ranking, with 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities globally," the report said. <br /><br /> Besides Delhi, the 21 other Indian cities among the 30 most polluted cities in the world are <keyword id="44991" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ghaziabad">Ghaziabad</keyword>, <keyword id="142361" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bulandshahar">Bulandshahar</keyword>, <keyword id="10938624" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bisrakh-jalalpur">Bisrakh Jalalpur</keyword>, <keyword id="18858" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Noida">Noida</keyword>, <keyword id="6356788" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="greater-noida">Greater Noida</keyword>, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Agra and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, Bhiwari in Rajasthan, Faridabad, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, Bandhwari, Gurugram, Yamuna Nagar, Rohtak and Dharuhera in Haryana, and Muzaffarpur in Bihar. <br /><br /> As per the report, the top most polluted city is Xinjiang in China followed by nine Indian cities. <br /><br /> Ghaziabad is the second most polluted city in the world followed by Bulandshahar, Bisrakh Jalalpur, Noida, Greater Noida, Kanpur, Lucknow and Bhiwari. <br /><br /> The global cities ranking report is based on PM2.5 data from 106 countries, which is measured by ground-based monitoring stations, most of which is operated by government agencies. <br /><br /> The report also reveals the impact of COVID-19 lockdown and behavioural changes on global particulate pollution (PM2.5) levels. <br /><br /> Major sources of India's air pollution include transportation, biomass burning for cooking, electricity generation, industry, construction, waste burning and episodic agricultural burning. <br /><br /> "The transportation sector is one of the major contributors to India's leading PM2.5 emission sources across cities," the report said. <br /><br /> Contextualising the global IQAir report in the Indian context, Avinash Chanchal, Climate Campaigner at Greenpeace India said while many cities, including Delhi, have recorded marginal improvements in air quality due to lockdowns, the health and economic cost of air pollution remains severe. <br /><br /> He said it is pertinent that governments prioritise sustainable and clean energy sources, as well as the cities, need to encourage low cost, active and carbon-neutral mobility choices such as walking, cycling, and accessible public transport. <br /><br /> "Speeding up the transition to clean energy and clean transport not only saves lives but also dramatically reduces healthcare-related costs," Chanchal said. <br /><br /> "The year 2020 brought an unexpected dip in air pollution. In 2021, we will likely see an increase in air pollution due to human activity, again. We hope this report will highlight that urgent action is both possible and necessary to combat air pollution, which remains the world's greatest environmental health threat," said CEO of IQAir Frank Hammes.

Ghaziabad is the second most polluted city in the world followed by Bulandshahar, Bisrakh Jalalpur, Noida, Greater Noida, Kanpur, Lucknow and Bhiwari

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A coalition of <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> workers, <keyword id="57570" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="unions">unions</keyword>, and activism groups protested Amazon on <keyword id="14520" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Black-Friday">Black Friday</keyword>.</li><li>The "Make Amazon Pay" group gave the company a list of demands that included raising workers' pay, putting an end to union-busting, and taking climate action.</li><li>Amazon workers in Germany went on strike, and garment workers in Bangladesh protested outside a supplier. In the UK, a trade union called for a parliamentary inquiry into "dehumanising" <keyword id="402597" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="working-conditions">working conditions</keyword>.</li><li>Amazon on Thursday said it would offer workers holiday bonuses of $150 to $300 this year. But Christy Hoffman, the chief of UNI Global Union, told Business Insider that this doesn't go far enough.</li></ul><p>As Amazon gears up for one of its biggest shopping days of the year, thousands of people around the world are protesting its facilities.</p><p>A coalition of unions, human-rights organizations, and environmentalist groups on Friday launched a global protest of the e-commerce giant called "<a href="https://makeamazonpay.com/">Make Amazon Pay</a>."</p><p>The organizations behind the coalition — including UNI Global Union, Progressive International, Oxfam, and Greenpeace — gave a list of wide-ranging demands including raising warehouse workers' pay and benefits, ending union-busting tactics, and committing to ending Amazon's contracts with fossil-fuel industries.</p><p>"During the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon became a trillion dollar corporation, with Bezos becoming the first person in history to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-net-worth-passes-200-billion-2020-8">amass $200 billion in personal wealth</a>," their demands <a href="https://www.uniglobalunion.org/news/amazon-workers-global-climate-ongs-progressives-come-together-makeamazonpay">statement</a> said. "Meanwhile, Amazon warehouse workers risked their lives as essential workers, and only briefly received an increase in pay." Amazon workers received a $2-per-hour wage increase in March <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-dropping-covid-19-hazard-pay-warehouse-workers-may-2020-5?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">that was then cut in the summer</a>.</p><p>Amazon's online sales have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-earnings-q3-2020-revenue-eps-profit-analysis-2020-10">skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic</a>, and its revenue is projected to soar even higher with the holiday season.</p><p>In a statement sent to Business Insider, Make Amazon Pay said there were actions planned for 15 countries: Brazil, Mexico, the US, the UK, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy, Poland, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Australia.</p><p>In Germany, Amazon workers in seven warehouses went on strike, while in Bangladesh garment workers protested outside an Amazon supplier facility in Dhaka.</p><p>In the UK, the GMB workers' union projected the words "Make Amazon Pay" on the side of Amazon's London headquarters. It also <a href="https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/gmb-calls-parliamentary-inquiry-over-amazon-dehumanising-working-conditions">called for a parliamentary investigation</a> into "dehumanising" working conditions in the company's warehouses.</p><div type="image" title="GMB Amazon projection" height="825" width="1100" msid="79448602" hostid="261"></div><p>On Thursday, Amazon announced it was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-gives-coronavirus-bonuses-to-workers-2020-11">giving a total of $500 million in holiday bonuses</a> to its frontline workers, translating to $300 for full-time employees and $150 for part-time employees.</p><p>Christy Hoffman, the general secretary of UNI Global Union, told Business Insider that the bonuses did not represent a meaningful change.</p><p>"It is great that workers are getting more this holiday season. It is not enough. To show it values its workforce, Amazon should collectively bargain wages and conditions with workers throughout its operations rather than make one-time unilateral gestures of appreciation," Hoffman said.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-7-biggest-bets-in-healthcare-amazon-care-pillpack-halo-2020-11?r=ih-sub">Amazon is going deeper into the prescription drug business. Here are the 7 ways the tech giant is taking on healthcare, and why two analysts think doctors visits are next.</a></em></p><p>A UK-based Amazon worker who spoke to Business Insider on the condition of anonymity also said the holiday bonus doesn't go far enough.</p><p>"Since the unfortunate closure of many High Street stores, Amazon has profited greatly. That and the fact all their staff are working extra hard during this pandemic, putting themselves at risk," the worker said. "Surely Amazon can do way better than this."</p><p>In response to the protests, an Amazon representative told Business Insider: "This is a series of misleading assertions by misinformed or self-interested groups who are using Amazon's profile to further their individual causes."</p><p>It added: "Amazon has a strong track record of supporting our employees, our customers, and our communities, including providing safe working conditions, competitive wages and great benefits, leading on climate change with the Climate Pledge commitment to be net zero carbon by 2040, and paying billions pounds in taxes globally."</p>

Amazon workers and activism groups are staging Black Friday protests around the world, while the company tries to placate workers with $300 holiday bonuses

<p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Jae C. Hong</span></p><p class="caption">Tesla CEO Elon Musk.</p><p>Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Wednesday.</p><ol><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eu-challenges-zuckerberg-on-facebooks-power-to-undermine-democracy-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">Mark Zuckerberg struggled to curry favor with the EU this week, with skeptical lawmakers questioning Facebook's dominance and the spread of coronavirus misinformation</a>. </strong>One MEP who met with Zuckerberg said Facebook undermined officials' ability to govern.<strong><br /></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-criticizes-openai-dario-amodei-artificial-intelligence-safety-2020-2?op=1&amp;r=US&amp;IR=T">Elon Musk criticized an artificial intelligence company he helped found - and said his confidence in the safety of its AI is 'not high</a>.' </strong>OpenAI is racing to be the first to build a machine with the reasoning powers of a human mind.</li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-could-cost-apple-4-billion-this-quarter-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">Apple could lose out on $4 billion in sales as the coronavirus affects its ability to produce sufficient iPhones and AirPods</a>.</strong> Analysts say Apple's facilities in China have reopened "more slowly than expected."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/greenpeace-amazon-activists-accuse-jeff-bezos-hypocrisy-climate-pledge-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T"><strong>Climate activists accused Jeff Bezos of hypocrisy over his $10 billion environment pledge because Amazon works with oil and gas firms</strong></a><strong>.</strong> Greenpeace campaigner Elizabeth Jardim told Business Insider that Bezos was speaking out of "both sides of his mouth."</li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-new-ipad-pro-model-possible-delayed-coronavirus-2020-2?op=1&amp;r=US&amp;IR=T">Apple's plans to launch a new iPad Pro model early this year could be delayed thanks to the coronavirus</a>.</strong> The company's plans to launch a low-cost iPhone model in March don't appear to be affected.</li><li><strong><a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2020-02-18/uber-shuts-down-its-downtown-la-customer-support-office">Uber is laying off around 80 staff at its office in LA</a>.</strong> The Los Angeles Times reports that the customer service operation will be closed and moved to Manila. </li><li><strong><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/18/twitter-chroma-stories/">Twitter has acquired Chroma Labs, an app that lets you create collages and more to social media sites</a>. </strong>Founded in 2018 by a number of former Facebook employees the company specialises in visual storytelling.</li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zuckerberg-sweat-armpit-hair-blow-dry-big-events-new-book-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">A Facebook employee reportedly blow-dried Mark Zuckerberg's armpits before he gave speeches to get rid of his anxiety swea</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zuckerberg-sweat-armpit-hair-blow-dry-big-events-new-book-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">t</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zuckerberg-sweat-armpit-hair-blow-dry-big-events-new-book-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T"></a>.</strong> A new book by Wired's Steven Levy claims Zuckerberg is obsessed with his public image.</li><li><strong> <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/18/21142308/kickstarter-employee-vote-union-unionize">Kickstarter employees have voted to unionize</a>.</strong> It's a first for a major tech company with 85 employees represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU).</li><li><strong><a href="https://www.vice.com/en_in/article/jgedjb/the-first-use-of-deepfakes-in-indian-election-by-bjp">Deepfakes have infiltrated an upcoming election in India</a>.</strong> Manoj Tiwari's AI-generated video went viral after he criticized the incumbent Delhi government in a number of different languages. </li></ol><p>Have an Amazon Alexa device? Now you can hear 10 Things in Tech each morning. Just search for "Business Insider" in your Alexa's flash briefing settings.</p><p>You can also <a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/free">subscribe to this newsletter</a> here - just tick "10 Things in Tech You Need to Know."</p>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-foldable-flip-phone-galaxy-z-2020-2">Watch Samsung unveil its foldable flip phone - the Galaxy Z</a></h3>

10 things in tech you need to know today

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Looking to cut costs as COVID-19 trashed the industry, <keyword id="4809154" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="cruise-lines">cruise lines</keyword> such as Carnival, Costa, and Pullmuntar sent ships to be demolished.</li><li>At the Aliaga ship-breaking yards in Turkey, the ships are ripped apart and sold for parts.</li><li>Ship-breaking is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.</li><li>The job's only gotten harder with more and more <keyword id="1677404" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="cruise-ships">cruise ships</keyword> arriving on Aliaga's shores.</li></ul><p><em>Following is a transcript of the <keyword id="21654" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="video">video</keyword>.</em></p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: For these $300 million cruise ships, this is the end of the line.</p><p><strong>Kamil Önal</strong>: Welcome to the Aliaga ship-breaking facility.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Because of the pandemic, Carnival, Costa, and Pullmantur cruise lines have all sent ships to western Turkey for demolition. Here, there'll be ripped to shreds deck by deck and sold for parts.</p><p><strong>Kamil</strong>: We recycle the entire ship.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: But dismantling a ship that holds 2,000 passengers? Well, that's …</p><p><strong>Nicola Mulinaris</strong>: One of the most dangerous jobs in the world.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Ship-breakers saw off massive sections of the hull and move them overhead. There's millions of dollars' worth of parts at stake, but any misstep could mean injury or hurting the environment. And it's only gotten harder with lots of new arrivals. We take you inside the yard turning these floating hotels into this.</p><p>Before the pandemic, the Aliaga ship-breaking yards were pretty quiet. Normally, the 22 yards only demolished a few dozen cargo ships a year. But when the pandemic wrecked the cruising industry, more and more cruise ships ended up here. After losing more than $4 billion in the second quarter of 2020, Carnival Cruise Lines decided it was more affordable to sell its old ships for parts than try to keep them operating. Aliaga will be the last stop for Carnival's Inspiration, Imagination, and Fantasy ships.</p><p><strong>Emre Aras</strong>: The cruise ships that you have seen behind me could have worked for a period of 5 or 10 more years. The owners could not find customers, so they sent their ships to Aliaga. </p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Captains navigate the cruise liners from the US, UK, and Italy. They coordinate with the harbormaster to beach ships.</p><p><strong>Nicola</strong>: Then the whole front of the vessel is grounded on the shore while the stern still floats. Emre Aras: We plan how we cut the vessels together with our technical department.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Then 2,500 ship-breakers set out to remove any valuable material.</p><p><strong>Emre</strong>: There are very expensive navigational equipment at breach side.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Working one deck at a time, crews take out all the furniture, mostly by hand. We're talking everything from chairs, tables, and pianos to light fixtures and beds.</p><p><strong>Emre</strong>: I can easily say that cruise vessels are the hardest vessel type to dismantle because, you know, there are hundreds of rooms on board.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Then they move onto amenities, dismantling gyms, pools, and theaters. Stripping walls, windows, floors, and handrails is next. This is where lots of saws and blowtorches come in.</p><p><strong>Nicola</strong>: Workers risk daily falling from great heights, inhaling toxic gases during cutting operations, being hit by falling objects. And the blowtorch comes with fire hazards.</p><p><strong>Emre</strong>: They are working in very high degrees under the sun in summertimes, or they are working in very extreme conditions in wintertime. This job is the hardest job, according to ILO's​ list.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Since October 2022, two workers have died from falling objects.</p><p><strong>Emre</strong>: The vessel lies on water, so there is not any way for the ambulance to reach in case of emergency situations.</p><p><strong>Narrato</strong>r: Despite these injuries, working conditions in Aliaga are better than those of the world's biggest ship-breaking yards.</p><p><strong>Nicola</strong>: In South Asia, in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, where most of the end-of-life vessels end up every year, dozens of people die or get injured in the process.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Those yards in South Asia use the dangerous gravity method.</p><p><strong>Nicola</strong>: That is dropping huge blocks into the water onto the beach.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: But in Turkey, workers lift ship parts with a massive crane.</p><p><strong>Emre</strong>: Which has a 2,000-ton capacity in our shore site, and we cut big blocks at the vessel. And by using this huge crane, we take these big blocks at our secondary cutting zone.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Aliaga hasn't always had the safest yards. In the late '90s, Turkey was just as bad as South Asia. But in 2002, Greenpeace released a report that revealed the unsafe work conditions here, and the world took notice.</p><p><strong>Nicola</strong>: As a reaction to this international criticism, things have improved considerably.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Things got even safer in 2018 when some Aliaga yards started complying with the European Union ship-breaking regulation. That's why Carnival chose two yards here for its end-of-life ships.</p><p><strong>Kamil</strong>: Currently, eight companies in our association have certificates and licenses in accordance with European Union criteria. </p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Those EU guidelines have also raised the standards for environmental practices. Every cruise ship has dozens of toxins hidden inside. Things like asbestos in pipes, heavy metals in paints, biological hazards from sewage tanks, radioactive material from gauges, and the list goes on. Left unchecked, they can seep into the soil, beach, and water, where they've destroyed local marine habitats and water systems around ship-breaking yards before.</p><p>But because of these new regulations, Aliaga got newer and better drainage systems and cement floors in the secondary cutting area so workers weren't cutting ship parts on open beach. They also got new oil booms for containing oil spills, a new waste management center for properly disposing of those toxins in the ship, and a better asbestos removal process.</p><p><strong>Nicola</strong>: Practices have improved, but there are still concerns related to the long-term impact on the health of the workers due to exposure to toxic substances.</p><p><strong>Narrator:</strong> Nicola says many workers aren't aware of these risks, and the rest choose the job anyway because of the high pay.</p><p><strong>Emre</strong>: The wages of the workers who are currently working in the ship-breaking industry are around $1,500. This is a serious figure in today's conditions in Turkey. </p><p><strong>Narrator: </strong>After the ship is demolished, this is all that's left. While the whole process takes six months for a cargo ship, it takes a lot longer for a cruise ship.</p><p><strong>Emre</strong>: Almost one year, maybe more.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Workers move everything pulled off the ships into separate piles: electronics, light fixtures, textiles, furniture, glass, and machinery.</p><p><strong>Kamil</strong>: Wood, seats and kitchen utensils from cruise ships are also recycled. It is used in cafes, restaurants and hotels. </p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Buyers interested in cruise memorabilia claim the life jackets, art, and maps from antique sellers. But what about all that metal? In 2020, Omil estimates workers pulled over a million tons of steel off cruise ships here, and that will all be recycled.</p><p><strong>Nicola</strong>: Recycling steel instead of mining the raw materials reduces, definitely, energy requirements and the carbon footprint.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: It's estimated scrap metal from one ship could pull in around $4 million in profit for the ship-breaking association.</p><p><strong>Emre</strong>: You can make good money because there are lots of things on board for secondhand sales.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: Demolishing these bigger ships has led to larger profits and a growing workforce for Aliaga shipyards.</p><p><strong>Kamil</strong>: The arrival of cruise ships here after the pandemic gave us a 30% increase.</p><p><strong>Narrator</strong>: But as ship-breaking booms, it comes on the heels of a crumbling <keyword id="902461" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="cruise-industry">cruise industry</keyword>.</p>

How $300 million Carnival cruise ships are demolished in Turkey

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://pictures.reuters.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&amp;VBID=2C0BXZYCZ3P2Y&amp;SMLS=1&amp;RW=1425&amp;RH=732#/SearchResult&amp;VBID=2C0BXZYCZ3P2Y&amp;SMLS=1&amp;RW=1425&amp;RH=732&amp;PN=3&amp;POPUPPN=133&amp;POPUPIID=2C0BF1OQOWIO2">REUTERS/Peter Andrews</a></span></p><p class="caption">People just aren't that into coal anymore.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Coal investment could be a waste of $1 trillion (£695 billion), according to three anti fossil-fuel groups.</p><p>In a <a href="http://sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/final%20boom%20and%20bust%202017%20(3-27-16).pdf">report</a> released on Wednesday by CoalSwarm, Sierra Club and Greenpeace, demand for coal is falling much faster than the rate of capital investment in new or repaired coal factories.</p><p>An equivalent 1,500 coal plants are currently in construction - amounting to about 338 gigawatts (GW) of power - with another 1,086 GW worth in the various stages of planning.</p><p>"Meanwhile," the report says, "as clean, renewable energy becomes more affordable and more accessible, the amount of capital wasted on these unneeded plants will be one and a half times the amount the International Energy Agency estimates could provide electricity to the 1.2 billion people who need it worldwide."</p><p>The main problem is declining demand for electricity generated by coal - particularly in China where it dropped 3.6% in 2015.</p><p>This also resulted in a drop in "plant utilisation" - the amout of energy generated by a factory against its maximum capacity - to 49.4% in the country.</p><p>Here's the chart:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/final%20boom%20and%20bust%202017%20(3-27-16).pdf">CoalSwarm, Sierra Club and Greenpeace</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>At the moment, most Chinese coal plants function for less than 50% of the day - the lowest level since 1969. </span>But it's not just China - the drop in plant utilisation is mirrored in other major economic blocs.</p><p>India has 11GW of thermal capacity 'lying idle,' and 2015 saw the country's first drop in annual installations since 2006. This drop is expected to increase this year.</p><p>The US, meanwhile, saw a drop of over 5% of plant utlisation, with the EU not far behind. While plant "retirements" are increasing in both areas, it's still not fast enough to counter new plants and declining demand, and Europe and the US "continue to produce far more carbon dioxide per capita than the global average."</p><p>The other problem coal energy investors don't want to admit is that clean energy has become a significant competitor in recent years.</p><p>"After competitive bidding in India," the report says, "multiple contracts for PV [solar] power were signed in late 2015 and early 2016 at INR 4,780/MWh or less, the equivalent of US$70-$75/MWh, and fixed flat for 25 years-i.e. equivalent to a 5 percent annual decline in real local currency terms."</p><p>Those cheaper costs mean greater demand for wind and solar power.</p><p>As the chart below shows, new installations worldwide for clean energy sources exceeded new coal power installations in 2015:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/final%20boom%20and%20bust%202017%20(3-27-16).pdf">CoalSwarm, Sierra Club and Greenpeace</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>"This research has revealed hundreds of billions being squandered on unneeded coal plants, but there's more at stake here than money," said Ted Nace, director of CoalSwarm, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/30/1tn-could-be-wasted-on-unneeded-new-coal-plants-report-warns#comments">according to The Guardian</a>. "In terms of climate safety, the clock is ticking on the transition to clean energy."</p><p> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/james-altucher-credit-card-debt-banks-collection-agencies-money-2016-3">James Altucher makes an argument for not paying back your credit card debt</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="BkcXMxMjE6Bup_Af4Q_V_Mw61FafoNfk" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

These 2 charts show why investing in coal power is a waste of $1 trillion

<br />
That we may have differences with the way Greenpeace makes its opposition to some issue or matter is a different thing. The activists, sometimes, can get very seriously involved in something that can be deemed anti-government and edge on getting the government on their wrong side, so much that they can be charged with legal sections that can attract serious punishments.<br />
<br />
Greenpeace is known for its off-the-track protests and demonstrations like breaching security, waylaying ministers, taking their battle to high seas and making it difficult for the government to come across for sane talks. But then, come to think of it that is what social activism is all about.<br />
<br />
<strong>Always enemies</strong><br />
<br />
No confrontational non-governmental organization can ever work in accordance with the government while wanting to convince the state that its decisions are anti-people and detrimental in the long run. Now, this could be a matter of perspective too. Like what the government would assume to be of larger good, may not come across in the same manner when thought from an NGO perspective. Tribal rights and development have always been issues that are at logger heads.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Priya case</strong><br />
<br />
When Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai was off loaded from the plane last month, citing reasons that were clearly beyond the comprehension of millions of activists who have been working on various rights issues across the country, the country watched the drama unfold with total disbelief.<br />
<br />
A lookout circular was making rounds in the lady’s name with a clear instruction – offload. Duly so, she was offloaded in Delhi early January and set the war cry going.<br />
<br />
Priya was on her way to UK to address the British Parliamentarians on the human rights and forest rights violations by a subsidiary of a British registered company – Essar Energy – in the forests of Mahan in Madhya Pradesh.<br />
<br />
The government was termed ‘overzealous’ in this matter for having jumped the gun and pressed the panic button. This was an attempt to malign her reputation and curb freedom of speech and compromise the very concept of democracy, cried the activists and all those who were not with the government. The NGO haters only smiled smugly and thought government had finally cracked the whip on so-called saviours who are exploiting people of India, setting them up against the government at the cost of receiving foreign funds, enjoying a fine life and yet pretend to be the voice of voiceless.<br />
<br />
<strong>Charges and explanation</strong><br />
<br />
But what followed the offloading was not too much of a pretty picture that was well within the logical framework. The Home Ministry said, via an affidavit filed in the court that Pillai had planned to talk to British Parliamentarians about the rights of tribal folks trampled by corporations. They were being falsely accused of ulterior motives by Greenpeace and Ms. Pillai.<br />
<br />
The government was worried that she would be speaking about the problems that plagued India such as tribal rights being compromised upon, female foeticide that was taking a toll on India’s growth graph, the rising number of crimes against women so on and so forth.<br />
<br />
<strong>Old rivalry</strong><br />
<br />
Come to think of how long does the rivalry between governments and social sector date, it would be a curious study to delve deep into. There are grassroots activists who would have studied the issue they are fighting for, and would have spent their life working on it. It is obvious when the government sets out to do something in some areas that are far from the word ‘development’ that the NGOs have already been working there since long. After all, NGOs reach where the government doesn’t try to crawl.<br />
<br />
Till the time a government is in power, it will always be a powerful establishment. And no matter which party is in power in the form of a government, it will always be against anybody who opposes its plans.<br />
<br />
When NGOs take on the government, establishment resorts to other methods of gagging. The battle would be interesting to watch, since the winner is not always the winner, and the loser always gets the sympathy of millions like him. <br />
 <br />
 <br />

Priya Pillai
vs Indian Govt: An old tussle in new bottle

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy Graviky Labs</span></p><p class="caption">A mural painted with Air Ink in Hong Kong</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>For the past few years, teams of researchers have been figuring out how to transform carbon dioxide emissions into <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/scientist-turned-co2-into-valuable-material-2015-8">diamonds</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-can-now-turn-co2-into-rock-iceland-2016-6">solid rocks</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/promising-new-material-can-convert-carbon-dioxide-into-clean-energy-2016-1">clean energy</a>.</p><p>Turns out they can also create art from it. <a href="http://www.graviky.com">Graviky Labs</a>, a spinoff group from the MIT Media Lab, developed a way to capture air pollution and make art supplies - pens, oil-based paints and spray paints - from the carbon soot.</p><p>Appropriately dubbed Air Ink, the materials are created by attaching cylindrical devices to the tailpipes of cars, trucks, and motorcycles and capturing the emissions. A device the company calls Kaalink then separates out the carbon as soot, leaving out other polluting agents like heavy metals and carcinogens. The carbon can then be retrieved from the Kaalink to be mixed with oils and water to make paints, inks, and so on.  </p><p>Just 30-50 minutes of car pollution can generate enough purified carbon to fill an Air Ink pen, <a href="http://www.graviky.com/air-ink.html">Graviky Labs claims</a>.</p><p>The company, which is based Bengaluru, India, partnered with Tiger Beer to commission street artists to create murals using Air Ink in Hong Kong's Sheung Wan district. The collection of inky black-and-white art went up on buildings and malls June 17 - <a href="http://www.air-ink.com/gallery/#story">you can see more</a> images of them on Air Ink's website.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy Graviky Labs</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Anirudh Sharma, one of Graviky Labs' founders, got the idea to create the ink when he noticed his clothes were getting stained from the heavy air pollution in India, according to the <a href="https://spectrum.mit.edu/continuum/an-artful-solution-for-capturing-pollution/">MIT Spectrum</a>. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy Graviky Labs</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In February, research from Greenpeace, which used NASA satellite readings of air quality, revealed that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/air-pollution-levels-in-india-are-now-higher-than-in-china-2016-2?r=UK&amp;IR=T">India's pollution concentrations overtook Beijing's</a> in 2015. In May, the World Health Organization found that six of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-cities-with-the-worlds-worst-air-pollution-who-2016-5/#15-kanpur-india-115-gm3-of-pm-25-1">top 15 most polluted cities</a> in the world were in India.</p><p>So the country's pollution problem is, of course, too big and complicated to solve by sticking cylinders onto tailpipes and turning all C02 emissions into art materials.</p><p>But highlighting the issue through artistic expression could at least become one of many ways to work towards a solution. Sharma <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/08/21/this-start-up-claims-to-be-recycling-polluted-air-to-make-ink-an/">tells Huffington Post India</a> that he's planning to bring the inks to market by the end of 2016, after receiving certification for the Kaalink device.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/time-lapse-los-angeles-without-light-pollution-2015-4">Stunning time-lapse shows what LA skies would look like without pollution</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="10YjVsdDpaf94gvfsX1gAY7aRgo4_zkV" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

This company is turning car exhaust into inks and paints

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Carlos Jasso</span></p><p class="caption"> Dancers wearing pre-Hispanic themed clothing paint their faces before performing a ritual for corn, as they protest with Greenpeace volunteers against the growing of transgenic corn, or genetically modified corn, in the country during National Corn Day celebration at the archaeological site of Teotihuacan, Mexico September 29, 2016. </p></div><p></p></div></div>Hello! Here's what you need to know on Friday.</p><p><strong>1. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/usa-today-endorsement-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-2016-9">USA Today issued an unprecedented scathing rebuke of US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump</a>.</strong> In the 34 years USA Today has printed papers, its editorial board has never taken a position in a presidential election.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/781189365066141697"></a><strong>2. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-the-opec-production-limit-deal-means-2016-9">OPEC reached an agreement to limit its production at its upcoming policy meeting in November to a range of 32.5 million to 33 million barrels per day</a>,</strong> down from the current estimated level of 33.24 million bpd.</p><p><strong>3. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-saudi-warns-of-disastrous-consequences-over-us-9/11-law-2016-9">Saudi Arabia warned of "disastrous consequences" from a United States law allowing 9/11 victims to sue the kingdom</a>.</strong> The US Congress voted overwhelmingly to override President Barack Obama's veto of the act.</p><p><strong>4. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-world-leaders-gather-for-funeral-of-nobel-laureate-peres-2016-9">World leaders are expected in Israel for the funeral of ex-prime minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres</a>.</strong> Some 70 countries were to be represented, from US President Barack Obama to Prince Charles.</p><p><strong>5. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-and-salesforce-fighting-again-2016-9">Salesforce is trying to convince US and European regulators to intervene in Microsoft's LinkedIn acquisition</a>,</strong> but Microsoft is ready to spark a price war and "bring competition" to the cloud market that Salesforce dominates.</p><p><strong>6. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/unitedhealthcare-harken-health-quitting-obamacare-exchanges-aca-2016-9">A startup specifically designed to sell Obamacare is quitting Obamacare</a>.</strong> Harken Health Insurance had been launched in early 2016 to create tailored plans that would make money in the ACA.</p><p><strong>7. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-philippines-leader-likens-himself-to-hitler-wants-to-kill-millions-of-drug-users-2016-9">Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to liken himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler</a>,</strong> saying he would "be happy" to exterminate three million drug users and peddlers in the country.</p><p><strong>8. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-us-orders-families-of-govt-personnel-to-leave-dr-congo-2016-9">The US has ordered families of government personnel stationed in the Democratic Republic of Congo to leave amid fears about escalating violence</a>.</strong> "The potential for civil unrest is high in parts of Kinshasa and other major cities,"the State Department said</p><p><strong>9. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-after-military-raid-india-looks-at-more-ways-to-pressure-pakistan-2016-9">India is considering new economic and diplomatic measures to bring pressure to bear on Pakistan</a>.</strong> Indian officials acknowledged this week that teams of elite troops had killed several Pakistani militants it believed were planning to attack major cities.</p><p><strong>10. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/palmer-luckey-jeopardizing-facebook-oculus-rift-2016-9">Facebook's $2 billion bet on virtual reality is in jeopardy because of Oculus Rift developer Palmer Luckey</a>,</strong> who's financing an alt-right political group with roots in a white supremacist subreddit.</p><p><strong>And finally ...</strong></p><p><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dream-companies-for-business-students-2016-9">The top 50 dream companies for business students around the world</a>.</strong></p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mrs-doubtfire-house-market-over-four-million-dollars-san-francisco-2016-9">The 'Mrs. Doubtfire' house is on sale for $4.45 million - here's what it looks like 23 years later</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1iMHU1NjE6e0PbyF1bQrwA459-C-jWWP" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The 10 most important things in the world right now

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Samantha Lee/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>People are getting more and more unhappy about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/plastics">plastics in the ocean</a>.</li><li>Packaging companies say online retailers are feeling the pressure to use paper-based packaging, such as cardboard, over plastics.</li><li>But eliminating plastic packaging in online shopping, like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/amazon">Amazon</a>'s plastic mailers, isn't the answer.</li><li>Research indicates that cardboard and paper packaging produce more carbon-dioxide emissions than plastic. It uses lots of wood too.</li><li>Instead, retailers should look at goods on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes plastic makes more sense, but sometimes paper is the way to go.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/driving-the-future">Read more stories from Business Insider's Driving the Future series</a>.</li></ul><p>Amazon's tendency to package a tiny product in a big cardboard box has long been a source of <a href="https://twitter.com/alexsavinme/status/945566813190008832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E945566813190008832&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boston25news.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Fwhy-amazon-packages-tiny-items-in-huge-boxes%2F674181809">confusion</a>.</p><p>And last year the <keyword id="6354851" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="retail">retail</keyword> giant's move from cardboard to bubble-wrap-lined plastic mailers invigorated a wave of fury from environmentally conscious customers.</p><p><a href="https://www.change.org/p/amazon-amazon-ditch-plastic-please-move-to-all-biodegradable-packaging">Thousands of customers signed a petition</a> pressuring the $1 billion company to go back to more easily recyclable cardboard.</p><p>"Previously our small orders arrived in easily recyclable cardboard packaging, but a few months ago Amazon started using plastic envelopes. I diligently recycle all the packaging but can't these," Adrian Fletcher, an Amazon customer based in Scotland, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/20/amazon-under-fire-for-new-packaging-that-cant-be-recycled">told The Guardian in August</a>.</p><p>Customers often think of paper versus plastic, but it's not so simple. There are a number of factors to designing a sustainable package, said <a href="https://greenblue.org/author/nina/">Nina Goodrich</a>, director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and executive director of the sustainability nonprofit GreenBlue.</p><p>The inks and adhesives have to be recyclable in the same stream as the rest of the package, Goodrich said. If it's plastic, the polymer should be responsibly sourced. Same for the paper used in cardboard. The packaging needs to be resilient enough to ensure that the item inside doesn't get destroyed - which would negate the entire environmental effects of making the product in the first place - but also light enough that it doesn't weigh down the vehicle that's moving the package.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Robert Kneschke / EyeEm</span></p><p class="caption">The humble corrugated cardboard.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The outrage over plastics isn't limited to Amazon's packaging. Plastic waste has become a serious pain point for customers in the past year, particularly after shocking reports that humans <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-in-oceans-414-million-pieces-trash-pacific-islands-2019-5">have dumped over 5 trillion pieces of plastic debris into the ocean</a>. About a quarter of that is single-use plastic, which has been connected to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wwf-sounds-alarm-after-48-lbs-of-plastic-found-in-dead-whale-2019-4">the deaths of several whales this year</a>.</p><p>In fact, <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/06/19/1871135/0/en/Americans-Are-More-Concerned-About-Plastic-in-Oceans-Than-Climate-Change.html">65% of Americans surveyed in June</a> said that they were "very concerned or extremely concerned" about plastic waste in the ocean. Only 58% felt the same about climate change.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Danish Siddiqui/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">The carcass of a dead whale is transported onto a truck from a beach along the Arabian Sea, in Mumbai, India, January 29, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Steve Voorhees, the CEO of WestRock, a leading packaging company, said more and more of his clients have been asking for paper packaging solutions since early 2018.</p><p>"That's when pictures of plastic in the ocean really made the media," said Voorhees, whose company employs 45,000 globally. "The consumers were disgusted by that. Over the past 18 months, corporations have taken that to heart. And they are coming out with, I believe, aspirational and appropriate objectives to address the sustainability."</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-pollution-microplastics-pervade-surface-deep-ocean-2019-6">More plastic pollution is swirling in the deep ocean than in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It's even showing up in the intestines of sea creatures.</a></em></p><p>A survey from WestRock indicates that consumers prefer paper packaging 38% of the time, corrugated cardboard 33%, and plastic just 9%.</p><p>Still, despite the customer frenzy <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/plastics-in-the-ocean/">over plastics in the ocean</a>, there are some serious environmental upsides to plastic mailers. And the humble cardboard box, which plastics-abhorring consumers are pushing over plastic, is imperfect too.</p><p>"Why are we creating sustainable packaging? It's really to mitigate climate change," Goodrich said. "And sometimes we forget that in our fight to look at plastic versus paper or to get out of plastics because they're in the ocean."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>The problem with plastic mailers</h2><p>The plastic mailers certainly have their flaws. The leading one that experts highlighted to Business Insider is they can't be placed in most curbside recycling bins.</p><p>Instead, customers who wish to recycle them <a href="https://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/recycling-bags-and-wraps/find-drop-off-location/">must look up</a> where they can drop off the plastic mailers, classified as "plastic film." Retailers like Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/amsc">provide links to recycling information websites</a> on its packaging to help customers make informed decisions.</p><p>"While it is helpful to provide this information, does Amazon actually expect customers to reference this website and follow the steps (sometimes multiple in the case of its Prime Now insulated pouch) to attempt to recycle its packaging?" David Pinsky, a senior plastics campaigner at Greenpeace, <a href="https://mashable.com/article/how-to-recycle-amazon-packaging/">told Mashable in October.</a></p><p>Many customers, unaware, put their plastic film materials in curbside recycling bins. That hikes the cost for municipalities to recycle and, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/02/11/why-amazons-new-streamlined-packaging-is-jamming-up-recycling-centers/">according to a Washington Post article in February</a>, sometimes prevents large bundles of otherwise kosher recyclables from being processed.</p><p>"Reducing contamination in our recycling is huge," Goodrich said. "Part of that is getting consumers to take the plastic bags back to the grocery store, as opposed to just throwing them in their bins."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/smm_2015_tables_and_figures_07252018_fnl_508_0.pdf">Environmental Protection Agency</a></span></p><p class="caption">Americans are using more and more plastics. They're not recycling them, though.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Further, some Amazon packaging is paper <em>and </em>plastic, which can't be recycled together. An Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider that the company was looking to eliminate that type of mixed packaging and switching "to material that is fully compatible in either paper or plastic recycling streams."</p><p>Thanks to these barriers, <a href="https://blog.aboutamazon.com/sustainability/investing-in-recycling-solutions-to-protect-the-planet">which could be addressed by more investment from municipal governments to offer curbside plastic-film-recycling options</a>, plastic packaging is far less likely to end up getting recycled than traditional cardboard.</p><p>Consumers recycle just 14.6% of plastics used in containers, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/smm_2015_tables_and_figures_07252018_fnl_508_0.pdf">according to a 2018 study from the Environmental Protection Agency</a>. Americans recycle 78.2% of paper products, including corrugated cardboard.</p><h2>The cost-effective alternative is cardboard, but that's not perfect either</h2><p>The switch from cardboard to plastic is largely a cost-cutting measure. Retailers can fit more packages into vans, trucks, and planes if they're slender envelopes instead of boxes. And Amazon, for instance, saw its global shipping costs <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-shipping-costs-soar-over-9-billion-one-day-delivery-2019-10">jump by 46% year over year</a> in the third quarter of 2019 - rounding out to a whopping $9.6 billion.</p><p>But that economic move has some environmental perks. As plastic is lighter than paper, it means the vehicles that move those packages use less gas. The standard corrugated box is 0.7 pounds, compared to .05 pounds for a bubble mailer, <a href="https://www.pac.com/2014/07/paper-vs-plastic-direct-comparison/">according to PAC Worldwide</a>.</p><p>Some even say the invention of plastic bubble wrap in 1957, which replaced ultraheavy packaging methods like bulks of paper or even rubberized horse hair, helped usher in the era of airfreight from companies like UPS, FedEx, and other small air-cargo companies.</p><p>"Before the invention of bubble wrap, you really didn't have an airfreight dynamic because the packaging was so heavy, so dense that you couldn't cost-effectively move small parcels," Ken Chrisman, a senior vice president of global commercial operations at packaging company Sealed Air Corp., told Business Insider. Sealed Air holds the patent to bubble wrap.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Matthew Horwood/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">A Welsh recycling facility.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>"Strictly from a logistics standpoint, reducing the amount of fuel required, because the packaging is lighter, is a societal benefit," Chrisman added.</p><p>Moreover, from an emissions perspective, producing corrugated cardboard can be more harmful than making a plastic mailer of the same size. Producing 10,000 bubble-lined mailers <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/13/amazon-prime-ships-cardboard-boxes-from-westrock-international-paper.html">produces 3,132 pounds of carbon dioxide</a>. Meanwhile, 10,000 corrugated boxes generate 17,718 pounds of carbon dioxide.</p><p>There's more research on the difference on plastic versus paper grocery bags, a split that's raged on for many more years than the e-commerce packaging debate. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47027792">One 2011 study says</a> that one paper bag requires four times as much energy as a plastic bag.</p><p>More than 6,000 pounds of wood is needed to produce 2,000 pounds of cardboard, <a href="https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/protocols/localgov/pubs/recycling_method.pdf">according to the California Environmental Protection Agency</a>.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Carlos Jasso</span></p><p class="caption">People are getting more and more unhappy about plastics in the ocean. But eliminating plastic packaging in online shopping isn't the answer.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Because of that increasing public awareness over the issues related to plastic, WestRock's Voorhees said he's expecting more and more consumers to pressure retailers to ditch plastic for paper. Still, he doesn't expect plastic to no longer be a competitor.</p><p>"Paper is very well positioned to increase its relative usage versus all materials used for packaging because of the sustainability characteristics that we regenerate and we recycle," he told Business Insider.</p><p>The key, experts say, is a customized approach. Moving several goods in one corrugated box makes more sense than packaging an individual order in that one box. But as consumers begin to order more and more items individually, plastic envelopes to move each order can often be more eco-friendly.</p><p>"It's not get out of plastic at any cost because if ultimately the target is climate change, you don't want to be making tradeoffs that significantly increases your carbon footprint," Goodrich said. "It's back to recognizing that this is about a balance and it's about fit for purpose."</p><h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/driving-the-future">Read more stories from Business Insider's Driving the Future series here.</a></h2><p class="tagline"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/40-big-tech-predictions-for-2019?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=amazon&amp;itm_campaign=40-big-tech-predictions-for-2019-3"></a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-members-spend-more-money-sneaky-ways-2019-9">From free two-day shipping to special Prime member-only deals, here's how Amazon gets you to spend more</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Viral videos have terrified people into opposing Amazon's plastic packaging. Here's why they're wrong.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>A quick note of thanks to you, our readers and clients, for helping us reach this point.</p>
<p>As Lukas Alpert of <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/mashable-business-insider-get-new-funding-1422507663">the Wall Street Journal reported</a>, we just announced some exciting news: A major new round of funding from the German media company Axel Springer, as well as Jeff Bezos, Institutional Venture Partners, and RRE Ventures. This capital will help us continue to invest in making Business Insider better for you.</p>
<p>When we launched the company 7 years ago, we never dreamed that we would eventually be read by so many of you. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In those days, "we" was three of us writing from the elevator loading dock of another startup. Every once in a while, the elevator door would open, and we would all squish over to the side while the FreshDirect folks delivered snacks and sodas to the other startup.</span></p>
<p><span>About a thousand of you dropped by the first day, which seemed like a lot. Seven years later, Comscore tells us that 35 million of you visit us each month in the U.S. alone. That has made us the No. 1 business news and information site in the country. <span><br /></span></span></p>
<p><span>We also have 7 international editions of Business Insider now - in Australia, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, China, and the UK - and another 5+ million of you read those each month. In November, we launched Business Insider UK - from a loading-dock-like office in London's "Silicon Roundabout." Our Australia edition is the No. 1 business publication in Australia, and our UK readership has grown by 50% in the three months since the launch.</span></p>
<p><span>There are 200 of us now, and we can afford our own snacks and groceries, but we still have the same goal we did back in the loading-dock days. Make Business Insider better for you every day.</span></p>
<p><span>Thank you again for reading and working with us. <span>I have included the note I just sent to our team below.</span></span></p>
<p><span>-- Henry Blodget, Co-Founder, Editor, and CEO</span></p>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Dear Team,
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">I am pleased to tell you that we have just closed a $25 million investment round led by the German media company Axel Springer. Jeff Bezos, Institutional Venture Partners, RRE Ventures, and other of our existing investors also increased their investments in the company.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Axel Springer is one of the world's leading news organizations. Founded in 1946, the company is headquartered in Berlin and produces dozens of newspapers, magazines,, and digital services in 40 countries. Axel Springer's German publications include the national daily newspapers <em>Die Welt </em>and<em> Bild</em>, the latter of which has the largest daily circulation in Europe. More than half of the company's revenue comes from digital services.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">This investment will allow us to continue to do what we have done for the past seven years: Invest in high-quality native digital journalism with the goal of becoming the world's biggest and best source of business news and information.<br><br>Last year we reached some remarkable milestones:</br></br></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
<blockquote style="padding-left: 30px;">
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">* We became the No. 1 business news brand in the U.S., with 35 million readers a month (comScore)</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">* We grew our video journalism to 10 million monthly streams on Business Insider alone. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">* We launched Business Insider UK, our 7th international edition. Monthly readership at BI UK has grown more than 50% since the November launch.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">* We developed a new version of Viking, our proprietary real-time publishing and distribution platform. Viking is the foundation of everything we do, and it is one of the most sophisticated and powerful content platforms in the industry.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">* We expanded our readership among the new generation of business leaders. The shift to digital is generational, with today's younger professionals finding and sharing news and information profoundly differently than prior generations. Business Insider reaches this digital generation, including a quarter of the millennials in the US.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">* We improved the scope, quality, and impact of our journalism:</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<blockquote style="padding-left: 30px;">
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
<blockquote style="padding-left: 30px;">
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
<li style="padding-left: 30px;">We launched several new original video series, including  "Game Changers" and "Above and Beyond."  </li>
</ul>
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
<li style="padding-left: 30px;">We published dozens of original investigations, including ground-breaking inside stories on Google, Tesla, AOL Facebook, Greenpeace, YouTube, and startups like Snapchat. </li>
</ul>
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
<li style="padding-left: 30px;">We expanded our pioneering style of photojournalism, including stories on America's food-waste problem, the impact of global warming on a disappearing island economy, homelessness in Silicon Valley, and a thriving clothes manufacturer in Williamsburg, Brooklyn . </li>
</ul>
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
<li style="padding-left: 30px;">We conducted exclusive in-depth interviews with Jeff Bezos, John Chambers, Paul Krugman, Clay Christensen, Barry Diller, Jeff Weiner, Richard Branson, and many other leaders.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
<li style="padding-left: 30px;">We celebrated the publication of the first book based on one of our stories, Nicholas Carlson's <em>Marissa Mayer and the Fight To Save Yah</em>oo, which was just published by Hachette and has received excellent reviews. </li>
</ul>
<ul style="padding-left: 30px;">
<li style="padding-left: 30px;">We expanded our premium subscription research and analysis service to offer two new subjects, "Payments" and "Internet of Things."</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">

</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Seven years ago, when we launched Business Insider, there were widespread questions about whether the digital medium could support thriving native-digital news organizations and journalism. Thankfully, those questions have now been answered. The digital medium is by far the most powerful, flexible, and influential journalistic medium ever invented, and it gets stronger every day. The generational shift to digital will allow high-quality native digital news organizations to grow and improve for decades.</div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Congratulations to all of you on making such remarkable progress for our readers and clients over the past year.  It is a privilege and pleasure to work with you.  We'll have more to share about our plans in the coming weeks. We are just getting started.</div>
</div>
</div>
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<p><span> </span></p>

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