 |
|
|
|||||
Theres a good chance that your drinking water contains forever chemicals. PFAS, the type of chemicals used in products like some nonstick pans and waterproof jackets, is present in water systems for nearly half of Americans. But the Trump administration now wants to roll back Biden-era rules that would have cleaned up certain types of the chemicals. Theres a catch: an anti-backsliding provision in the Safe Drinking Water Act says that any new standard for drinking water safety cant be less protective than the old standard. The provision is really simple, says Dave Owen, a professor at the University of California College of the Law in San Francisco. The only way they could get around it is to say we have discovered new evidence that clarifies that revising the standard will do nothing to reduce protection of public health. And Id be shocked if they have evidence that would substantiate that claim. In 2024, the Biden-era EPA issued a rule with new limits for six types of PFAS (or “per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances”), which have been linked to cancer and developmental problems. Under the rule, public water utilities have to monitor water for the six compounds, notify the public of unsafe levels, and treat the water. The rule gave them until 2027 to comply, though it allowed for an extension of an extra two years because of the expense of setting up new treatment systems. This week, the EPA announced that it would rescind the rule for four of the PFAS types on the list (known as PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA or GenX, and PFBS). For two othersPFOA and PFOSit would delay the requirement for utilities to comply. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin claimed that the agency didn’t necessarily want to weaken the limits for the four chemical compounds, just “reconsider” the rule. (To try to make a change, they’ll also have to go through a long rulemaking processthey can’t simply get rid of the rule automatically.) But water utilities and the chemical industry have been fighting to get rid of the limits, and said the administration’s announcement was a step in the right direction. If the EPA does eventually attempt to loosen the limits, environmental groups could sue under the anti-backsliding provision. There’s clear evidence that the compounds aren’t safe for people’s health. “There are literally hundreds of studies that show that these chemicals are dangerous,” says Erik Olson, senior strategic director for health at NRDC. “The evidence is very strong. That’s why EPA issued those regulations.” In the case of the other two compounds, Olson says the EPA can’t legally extend the deadline for utilities to comply. The Safe Drinking Water Act allows for a maximum of five years for utilities to meet new requirements, and that’s already in place. An EPA spokesperson said that the agency would “follow the legal process laid out in the Safe Drinking Water Act.” But even though the rules are still in place, and the administration shouldn’t be able to roll them back, the current situation means that utilities are likely to delay progress. (The administration has also made it clear that it’s willing to disregard laws.) “It creates a lot of confusion when you’re a water utility,” Olson says. “Utilities get five years to comply because they have to have contracts. They have to get funded. They have to do all this stuff in order to build a treatment plant. And if a utility senses, oh, I may not have to do this, are they going to invest in a new water treatment plant to protect their customers? Or are they going to wait and see and hope that EPA isn’t going to enforce some of these rules?” There’s also a risk, he says, that utilities might invest in treatment systems that only work for PFOA and PFOS, the two older types of “long-chain” PFAS. Those chemicals have mostly been phased out and replaced by newer types of PFAS. Some treatments for PFOA don’t work for newer types of the chemicals. That’s another fundamental problem with the regulation in the first place: There are thousands of different varieties. As certain types get regulated, the industry replaces them with others that often are just as risky. The chemicals should be regulated as a class, rather than by specific type, Olson says. “Big manufacturers in the U.S. agreed to phase out their manufacturer [PFOA and PFOS] many years ago,” he says. “But what they did is they just had ‘regrettable substitutions,’ as we call them. Other new ones popped up, like Gen X . . . It’s a classic [situation] where a chemical company stops making one thing and just jumps to the next.” Water utilities are fighting the rules because of cost. But funding exists for cleanup, including $9 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $12.5 billion in a settlement with chemical manufacturers last year. “There’s $21-plus billion that’s sitting there,” Olson says. Under Biden, the EPA had estimated that PFAS treatment would cost utilities around $1.5 billion a year, though other estimates range up to $3.8 billion a year. “If the utilities want to go ahead and start building this treatment technology, they should be asking for that money, rather than dragging their feet,” he says. “If you think about it, what is a water utility’s job? They have one job. And that is to supply adequate, safe water to consumers. And they’re just fighting, kicking, and screaming, against doing that.”
Category:
E-Commerce
Americas fast casual restaurants are almost universally struggling. But a few chains are betting on one universally beloved fried finger food to draw customers back into booths: the humble mozzarella stick. Over the past year or so, the fast casual sector has faced a chilling effect as inflation and rising menu prices continue to drive consumers away. Last year, chains including Red Lobster, Tijuana Flats, Buca di Beppo, and BurgerFi all sought bankruptcy protection. Others, like Dine Brands (the owner of Applebees and IHOP) and Darden (the owner of Olive Garden) have recently reported lackluster financial results. Amidst this dreary environment, Chilis, the fast casual restaurant known for its margaritas and appetizers, is having a shockingly good year. The brand saw a 31% jump in sales in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, alongside a nearly 20% increase in traffic. Chilis parent company, Brinker International, raked in total sales of about $1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2025 compared to about $1.1 billion in 2024. A good portion of Chilis success can be attributed to several viral appetizersmost notably, its fried mozzarella stickswhich have boosted the restaurants visibility in the cultural zeitgeist. Now, TJI Fridays seems to be taking a page out of Chilis book to revitalize its dying brand by putting mozzarella sticks front and center. [Photo: Chili’s] Chili’s pioneers mozzarella stick-Tok In a January earnings call, Chilis CEO Kevin Hochman laid out a few of the changes driving Chilis recent success, including simplifying the menu, upgrading ingredients, and, crucially, investing in a social media marketing campaign centered around appetizers. Back in April 2024, Chilis partnered with a number of social media influencers to market its Triple Dipper, an appetizer plate that lets customers choose three different dishes (the mozzarella sticks, which were added to the menu in 2002, being one of the most popular choices.) The collabs took off, spawning dozens of TikToks with viewership in the hundreds of thousands of influencers sampling both the Triple Dipper and the mozzarella sticks by themselves. The mozzarella sticks developed a kind of cult online fanbase both for their chunky rectangular form factor and for their cheese-pull properties, a measurement of how stretchy melted cheese is thats a sought-after characteristic for food-based content creators. The appetizer was so popular among young fans on TikTok that the company introduced two new flavors in 2024, Nashville Hot Mozz and Honey Chipotle Mozz, which, predictably, spawned another wave of Chilis mozzarella stick reviews. In all, Hochman told investors, interest in the Triple Dipper doubled year-over-year, jumping from accounting for 7% of total sales to 14%. [Photo: TGI Fridays] TJI Fridays goes stick-for-stick with Chili’s It looks like TJI Fridays is now hoping to dip into the mozzarella stick craze in an effort to revive its business. It’s been a rough several years for TGI Friday’s. In early 2024, the chain abruptly shuttered a series of underperforming stores. Then, in December, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing financial difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemicas the main factor driving the decision. Today, the company has whittled down its presence in the U.S. to just 85 stores, compared to 600 during its heyday in 2006. Now, under CEO Ray Blanchette, who previously ran the company between 2018 and 2023 and returned again in January, TJI Fridays is taking a bold risk to turn its fate around. In an interview with CNN this week, Blanchette shared that the company is planning to change 85% of its menu to streamline the available options and attract both Gen Zers and millennials to the chain. [Photo: TGI Fridays] To start, the company is paring back on the more out-there items on the menu (at one point, oddly, that included sushi), introducing a new signature sauce, and revamping its cocktail menu. According to Blanchette, the new drink offerings include seven signature cocktails from the companys early days, now with eye-catching colors, and theyre intended to entice Gen Zers who love speciality beverages. Chilis has used a similar strategy for some time, debuting a margarita of the month in neon hues that often take off on socials (like last summers Berry Shark Bite Marg and this months 90s-inspired Radical Rita.) And, of course, TGI Fridays is introducing its own spin on the saucy mozzarella sticks. Blanchette says that the brand has offered mozzarella sticks for decades, and actually helped turn them into a staple on menus across the industry. On its new menu, the chain will go stick-for-stick with Chilis through flavors including Franks RedHot Buffalo, Garlic Parmesan, and Whiskey Glaze. For us, mozzarella sticks are not a trend, Blanchette told Fast Company. [. . .] When we saw others leaning into sauced versions, we knew it was time to remind everyone who did it firstand now were raising the bar. To spread the word, TGI Fridays has a new socials team thats already jumping on mozzarella stick-Tok, including with a video posted this week of mozzarella sticks getting tossed in sauce to George Michaels sensual Careless Whisper. Chilis may have paved the way, but TGI Fridays will be the first testcase of whether mozzarella sticks are enough to save Americas fast casual restaurants.
Category:
E-Commerce
Steel has long anchored modern construction, but its environmental toll is staggering: producing a single ton emits nearly two tons of CO2. Steel is also complex to manage in construction processes, which prevents smaller contractors and projects from using it. A material invented at the University of Maryland will soon offer a radical alternative. Called Superwood, it has a 50% greater tensile strength than steel and a strength-to-weight ratio that’s 10 times better. It’s lighter, tougher, and also locks away carbon. After seven years of development, the startup commercializing the technology will begin mass production this summer. Weve spent years perfecting our molecular reconfiguration process to maintain the extraordinary properties demonstrated in the lab, while making the process commercially viable, Alex Laucofounder and executive chairman of InventWoodtells me over email. [Photo: InventWood] The company was founded in 2016 by Dr. Liangbing Hu at the University of Maryland, after he developed the first transparent wood as a better insulating alternative to glass. What began as pioneering academic work evolved through several breakthrough iterations, Lau says. Hu turned his research into Superwood in 2017. The work was documented in a 2018 Nature paper that revealed a method of transforming ordinary wood into a substance rivaling titanium alloys. The discovery held the promise of a sustainable, CO2 negative construction material that was better than steel, but it was far from commercialization. During this time, Dr. Hu focused on further refining the technology and bringing manufacturing costs down. Then, in 2021, Lau recognized that the technology had reached sufficient maturity for full-scale commercialization. At that point, I helped pull together a complete team to kick off the manufacturing process, he says. Since 2021, we’ve been intensely focused on creating a scalable process and ensuring the quality standards necessary to bring SuperWood to market. Magnified images of (left) untreated wood and the same wood treated by a new process (right) invented by UMD engineers that compresses the natural structures of wood into a new material five times thinner. [Images: courtesy University of Maryland] How Superwood is made Making Superwood is a complex process, but it requires two primary steps. First, lignina polymer that stiffens wood and gives it its brown hueis partially dissolved using food-grade chemicals. As Orlando J. Rojas, a professor at Finlands Aalto University, noted back when the discovery came out in 2018, the trick is to remove just enough lignin to maximize hydrogen bonding between cellulose fibers without compromising its structural integrity. Next, the wood is compressed at 150°F, collapsing its cellular structure into a dense matrix. The result is a material five times thinner than the original, but 12 times stronger and 10 times tougher. This molecular reconfiguration eliminates woods inherent weaknesses. Natural wood is porous and prone to rot, but Superwoods tightly packed cellulose fibers create a barrier against moisture, termites, and fungi. Its Class A fire ratingachieved without chemical flame retardantsstems from its density, which starves flames of oxygen. Lab tests proved its ballistic resistance: A projectile pierced untreated wood, but it lodged halfway through a same-thickness Superwood block. Unlike steel or carbon fiber, it requires no energy-intensive smelting or synthetic resins. Initially, it took weeks to make a single plank of Superwood, but Inventwoods team streamlined the process to just a few hours, enabling bulk production of the material. Lau tells me that the companys first facility in Frederick, Maryland, will produce one million square feet of Superwood annually starting this summer, focusing initially on interior finishes for commercial and high-end residential projects. A second phase in fall 2025 will introduce exterior-grade panels for siding and roofing. He envisions structural beams and columns within a few years, pending certification. Their plan is to build a larger facility that will scale to over 30 million square feet, enabling use in infrastructure and large developments, Lau says. If you are wondering about how architects and crews can actually use this to build, you are not alone: If its stronger than steel, does it require special tools? According to Lau, contractors can cut, drill, and fasten Superwood with standard woodworking tools, though its density may demand adjusted techniques. No specialized tools are required, making adoption straightforward, Lau says. The materials stability minimizes warping, and polymer coatings enable outdoor use without sacrificing aesthetics. Its compressed fibers deepen natural grain patterns, yielding finishes akin to tropical hardwoods. [Photo: courtesy University of Maryland] It can change everything Lau didnt disclose information about price, tought he did say Superwoods initial pricing will be premium but competitive with top-notch tropical hardwoods and hybrid woods, which are composite materials that combine wood with other materials like steel or concrete. This means that, pound by pound, it will be much more expensive than steel at this point, more than 10 times in fact: $12.50 to $25 per pound for Superwood as opposed to steels $1 to $2 per pound. But then you need to factor in other factors to understand its true cost. If Superwoods offers 10x superior strength-to-weight ratio, a 10-pound beam could match the load-bearing capacity of a 100-pound steel beam, in theory effectively reducing its effective cost to $1.25 to $2.50 per pound when adjusted for performance. [Photo: InventWood] You also need to factor in its resistance to corrosion and rot, plus the fact that you can make a building entirely out of Superwood and eliminate the need for other structural elements and wall materials. Then theres the economical and environmental cost of fire retardants, since the material naturally retards fire even if its wood. Since wood comes from the most effective living carbon sequestration system on the planettrees!it will actually suck CO2 out of the atmosphere (the material is made from wood from sustainable tree farms). Clearly, Superwoods long-term value proposition narrows the gap with steel in relative and absolute terms. The company expects to achieve better economics as they scale up production too, Lau adds. Superwood, in theory, could extend beyond construction. Early research proposed applications in vehicles, aircraft, and furniture, leveraging its moldability and cost savings over carbon fiber. For now, InventWood is focused on buildings, however, where steel and concrete account for a massive carbon footprint, pollution, and economic bill. We want to get to the bones of the building, Lau says. He believes that Superwood can transform the construction industry. We will see when the first batches roll out this summer and companies start using them.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||