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When startups speak of going green, that might now be in reference to the colors association with the Army. At least that appears to be the thinking of many in the cleantech and sustainability sector, since the early actions of the Trump administration has made many anxious about the loss of climate-related government funding and incentives. Especially when the administrations position against what the president calls the Green New Scam has led him to freeze congressionally allocated funding for green energy projects via the Inflation Reduction Act, its vital to find other means of support. Now the sector is finding more and more ways to tie itself to national security, not climate issues. Clean energy is good for a lot of different reasons, said Daniel Bresette, president of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), a nonprofit education and policy organization. All of the stuff we might be saying about the national security benefits of clean energy today, they were absolutely also true yesterday. Even if the messaging shifts again, it will still absolutely be true. Take the Solar Energy Industries Association, a renewables trade association. Just a few days ago on LinkedIn, the group posted the message The new era of U.S. energy dominance is being built on American soil, echoing, deliberately or not, President Trumps language around unleashing U.S. energy. That change in messaging isnt necessarily just marketing. From job creation to reducing energy dependence to making the military more resilient, cleantech makes a credible case for being crucial to national defense. I’d like to push back on the notion that this is about ‘rebranding,’ said Rushad Nanavatty, managing director of Third Derivative, the cleantech incubator for RMI, the clean energy think tank. The dual-use nature of climate technologies is substantive, and I’m certain many of these startups were eyeing defense well before the election. The military has extremely high-performance standardsits energy solutions need to be highly robust and resilient, have secure supply chains, minimize dependence on fuel, be less liable to blow up and catch on fire, deliver large amounts of energy very reliably.” According to Nanavatty, a number of advanced technologiesmicrogrid controls, advanced batteries, and other forms of energy storageas well as a range of advanced materialsoften find their first applications in a military or aerospace context. That first investment then helps these applications become more advanced, cheaper, and then widely available. As Edwin Oshiba, a top logistics and energy policy leader for the US Air Force, told GovCIO in 2023, its crucial the military understand how climate change alters the nations ability to project power overseas, how it impacts our ability to operate in a distributed environment. And the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) acknowledged last year that the climate crisis fundamentally alters the conditions that shape military operations at home and around the world, and requires adaptation strategies. The military is known for its logistics expertise, which values efficiency, whether thats measured in time to move goods or energy usage. Several portfolio companies supported by Third Derivative already work with the Department of Defense, including Lex Products (energy storage systems), Sesame Solar (mobile nanogrids), Joule Case (mobile power solutions), and Electricfish (flexible EV charging). Swedish startup BLIXT, which develops solid state circuit breakers, was recently selected to participate in NATOs Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA). In addition, bolstering renewable tech and the use of renewable and storage tech helps with community and grid resilience. Americas armed forces also have a substantial footprint, both internationally and abroad. There are nearly 500 military bases across the United States, which can become testing grounds for clear energy technology. Naval ports have explored resilience strategies in an era of rising sea levels and climate change-fueled weather patterns. In Texas, a handful of bases are piloting geothermal power systems, which would help make them more resilient. When someone says clean energy investments promote national security, it helps that its true, said Bresette.
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E-Commerce
Peter Berg doesnt need to do Super Bowl commercials. Yet the award-winning director helmed two ads during this year’s big game. First, was a fun NFL spot advocating for varsity girls flag football. And second, was water bottle brand Cirkuls first-ever trip to the Super Bowl, starring Adam Devine. The commercial diversion comes not long after the release of Bergs hit Netflix limited series American Primeval, which dropped on January 9, and quickly hit the top of the streamers ratings. In its first week, it had 1.25 billion viewing minutes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NFL (@nfl) Berg has built an incredible Hollywood career, producing, writing, and directing hit films and TV series, from Friday Night Lights to Battleship, Lone Survivor, The Kingdom, Patriots Day, and more. Before he was a director, Berg was an actor, best known for his role on the drama Chicago Hope. Then in 1998, Berg directed his first feature, Very Bad Things. Over the years, in between projects Berg has also regularly directed high-profile spots for brands. In 2011, it was an epic Call of Duty ad starring Jonah Hill called The Vet & The N00b. In 2019, both his Super Bowl efforts finished in the Top 5 of USA Todays Ad Meter: The NFLs 100-Year Game was the most popular spot of the night, and Verizons The Coach Who Wouldnt Be Here clocked in at No. 5. That same year, Berg launched Film 47, a companion commercial production company to his Film 44 production company, and his unscripted production company. Glenn Cole, founder and chairman of ad agency 72andsunny, has worked with Berg on many of those commercials. Cole says Berg has a great sense of what broad audiences find most appealing, and focuses on the moments that will resonate the most. One of the things I admire about him the most is how he maintains the respect of his peers across Hollywood, says Cole. He is seen as a rare authentic person in a business of bullshitters, and operates with an uncommon generosity of spirit. He is brutally honest about the work, but he is kind with the people around him which, in my experience, usually leads to creating the best work. [Photo: Courtesy of 72andsunny] In the wake of American Primevals success, and the buzz of two more Super Bowl ads under his belt, I jumped on a Zoom with Berg to chat about his creative process, why he still does advertising, and how his newest project embodies how these worlds can seamlessly collide. Why Advertising After you remove the paycheck from the equation, it can be hard to understand why big name film directors still do advertising. But talk to enough of them, and its clear they find something else interesting about the process. Some do it in order to get in quick reps to experiment with techniques, lenses, and other hardware, all under a tight production timeline. Ads can take days, while film and TV can drag on for months. Cole says Berg works incredibly fast, translating his handheld filming style (which he dug into on his recent appearance on the SmartLess podcast) to commercial work. The style allows actors to focus on what they are doing, not where they are doing it. They don’t need to hit marks, they just need to perform. For Flag 50, it allowed to us to do a three-day shoot in two days, says Cole. In a world where budgets are getting smaller and smaller, this is becoming more and more valuable. It’s like being in creative development while filming the shots. That can be scary, but I find it invigorating. The result is unexpected moments and performances that you can’t get from fastidious planning.” NFL chief marketing officer Tim Ellis says that the key to the types of stories Berg tells is emotion. “Every choice he makes in the creative process is about heightening the emotional journey viewers are taken along,” says Ellis. “Elevated emotion is the thing that makes any piece of work, whether its a film or an ad, stick with a person, and its why we keep turning to him for some of our biggest projects of the year.” Berg says that hes always loved doing commercials, and theyve helped build his problem-solving skills that translates to film and TV. But experience across different media doesnt always translate for all directors. Berg says that hes talked to a lot of top directors over the years, and one of the most common complaints about ads is the need for collaboration. They’d say, When I’m doing a film, it’s just kind of me. I can pretty much do whatever I want. And occasionally, you know, the boss of the studio might call and say, what the hell are you doing? But generally, you’re free to do what you want, says Berg. What I say is that if you want to do commercials, you have to understand that it’s different. You have to collaborate; you have to listen to a bunch of creatives from the agency, you have to listen to even more people. If the client wants to come onto the set and have an idea, you have to accept that. If you resist that, you will lose. It’s not possible to win that fight. You will just end up very unhappy. One of the surprising benefits is you learn to listen to other people better because you have to. And I found that at once I learned how to kind of get over, you know, ‘Hey man, don’t tell me what to do!’ That sometimes they were suggesting actually good ideas. And it opened me up and I think made me a better collaborator in general. [Photo: Courtesy of 72andsunny] Berg’s Creative process So, how does a guy like Berg jump from a violent, American frontier period drama, to an uplifting NFL Super Bowl ad, to now starting a film adaptation of Buzz Bissingers 2022 bestseller
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E-Commerce
At risk of stating the obvious, farming is physically challenging work that takes a toll on the human body. Over the years, we have turned to various forms of technology to amplify the efforts of a single person, starting with a single plow behind a mule or ox, progressing to a motorized tractor, 700+ horsepower combine harvesters, and now robotic weeders and autonomous flying drones that handle a range of tasks. But what about the human body? Is it destined simply to be replaced by machines? The fact is that people remain a weak link in modern farming. According to some sources, agriculture is considered the most hazardous occupation globally. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) accounting for 93% of occupational injuries. And of these, lower-back pain is the most frequent, with shoulder injuries coming in second. Exoskeletons for the Assist Exoskeletons are devices that are worn on the body to augment the natural capabilities of a human worker. Once confined to the world of science fictionwho can forget Ripleys exoskeleton-enhanced final battle in the movie Aliensthese have now become practical for use in many industries. There are two major categories of exos (as they are known in the industry): powered and passive. Powered exos use motors to provide additional force for certain actions, such as lifting objects or wielding heavy tools overhead. These tend to be complexand expensivebits of machinery that require recharging and regular maintenance. While these may be suited for specific manufacturing tasks, they are typically beyond what farmers typically need or can afford for the foreseeable future. Passive exos are the other class of devices. These take the energy created from one motionsuch as bending overand then release that energy to the wearer for the opposite motion, such as lifting an item from the ground to waist level. These passive devices do not require the expensive motors, wiring, batteries, and sensors found in powered exos. Instead, they use a variety of materials to store and release energy: springs, torsion bars, gas pistons, elastic bands, and flexible beams. Some designs rely on a rigid frame while others are made from fabric and other flexible materials. According to some sources, current passive exos can cost from $2,500 to more than $14,000, depending on design and which parts of the body are supported. Designs vary based on the type of targeted task. For example, lifting boxes of produce could require one sort of assistance, while reaching overhead to harvest fruit could require something different. But can they actually help farmers and farmworkers? The Benefits Many studies have shown clear benefits from wearing exos in other industries such as warehouse work and manufacturing. According to Karl Zelik, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University, one longitudinal study of warehouse workers tracked more than 281,000 hours of work while wearing exos. Historical data would predict 10.5 back strain injuries over that period, but the study revealed that there were none. Not as much research has been done in farm settings, but the existing studies point to clear benefits. For example, one test of an upper limb exo in orchard management tasks reduced muscle activity by up to 40%. Reduced muscle activity results in less fatigue and strain, which in turn lowers the risk of injury. Another study gave a back support exo to farmers for their daily operations and several of the subjects cited increased productivity by reducing fatigue. Many of the subjects also reported feeling more protected when shoveling. In some cases, the exo helped them maintain proper posture when lifting, which can reduce the risk of lower back injuries. Sarah Ballini-Ross is co-owner of Rossallini Farm in Oregon; she and her husband sometimes use exoskeletons in the work on their diversified operation. She is also an expert in exo technology and founder of Evolving Innovation, a consulting firm that provides safety technology and ergonomic solutions services. Ballini-Ross said that fatigue reduction is an important factor in their use of exos. A lot of the farmwork really involves that repetitive lifting from ground to waist level, so my exo is the first thing I grab when it comes to doing hay. Other tasks where she wears it is on inventory days when we unload a couple of tons of 50- to 70-pound boxes. Not a Cure-All In spite of the benefits, exos are not the solution for every case. Not all passive exos are the same, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some exos can restrict movement to enforce proper lifting posture, which can reduce injury. However, other designs might not have this feature, which means that the worker could place themselves in an awkward or dangerous position that could lead to injury. For example, the same feature that enforces proper posture when lifting might restrict movement that requires rotating the body, such as when shoveling. A warehouse worker is likely to do a similar task over and over all day, but a farmworker often has to rapidly switch from one task to another. Even passive exos can be bulky and awkward to maneuver in during daily activities. Farmers in one study cited the fact that they can make it difficult to get in and out of the cab of tractors and other farm machinery. And having to take the exo on and off throughout the day can take up significant time. Most passive exos have at least some fabric, but this fabric can get soiledespecially from sweat on hot days or during strenuous activitieswhich can make them unpleasant to wear. Most also include Velcro-style hook-and-loop fasteners. These fasteners make it easy to adjust the fit of the device for workers of different sizes, and to accommodate the presence of layers of clothing. But those hooks and loops can also grab foreign materials, impairing their functionality and appearance. Ballini-Ross noted, I use my exo when trimming the hooves of our sheep, and hair and straw gets stuck in the fabric. So when I take my exo to a presentation or a conference, I have to think twice because maybe Im bringing a little too much of the farm with me. Obstacles to Adoption Education may be the biggest barrier to more widespread adoption of exos in agriculture; many farmers simply arent aware of the products and their potential benefits. Close behind comes the question of expense. Even passive exos can be costly, and nlike heavy farm equipment, the manufacturers are not set up to provide payment plans or other terms to ease the financial strain. But the problems go beyond those two obvious factors. For example, many farms rely on a transient workforce. A small farm does not have the resources to stock a full range of exos to meet the needs of different body sizes. Furthermore, different tasks could require different exo designs. Harvesting or weeding some low-growing crops require bending and stooping, which needs a different type of support than lifting boxes of produce or shoveling. In addition, a farmworkers needs vary with the season. Providing exos for these workers for just a week or two may not be feasible. Another part of the problem is that the exo industry has not yet focused on the needs of agricultural workers. The low-hanging fruit is in other industries, such as warehouse logistics, construction, and manufacturing. These applications have narrowly defined tasks with lots of repetition, and often involve large corporations with the capital to invest in new technology. To really be embraced in agriculture, exo manufacturers would need to create exos that are modified for farm work. For example, one study found that a typical exo requires adjustable straps that go around the thighs. This design blocks access to pants pockets where farmworkers keep tools such as pruning clippers where they can reach them easily. But with little demand for agricultural exos, companies have little financial incentive to design around these problems. While exoskeletons have proven their value in terms of reducing workloads and related injuries for some farming tasks, significant obstacles remain. But as farmers become more aware of the benefits, as the costs continue to come down, and as manufacturers respond more to the specific needs of agricultural tasks, we can likely expect to see more exos down on the farm. Alfred Poor, Ambrook Research This article was originally published by Ambrook Research, an editorially independent publication backed by Ambrook, a company making sustainability profitable in natural resource industries, starting by providing accounting and financial management software for farmers.
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E-Commerce
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