The Daily Valet. - 1/11/23, Wednesday
✔️ Eat My Rubber
Wednesday, January 11th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
Do you watch award shows anymore, or do you just catch the highlights on social media?
Today’s Big Story
Eat My Rubber
Goodyear's Sustainable Tire, Made with Rice and Soy, Aims to solve a serious problem
First the bad news: Tires are pretty terrible for the environment. Did you know that over the lifetime of an average automobile, roughly 30% of a tire's tread will erode and enter the environment? This means that the synthetic rubber, oils and filling agents (like plastic) all leach into our ecosystem.In fact, tires are the biggest contributor of microplastics in the world. We're talking about 28% of the overall microplastic waste in the world's oceans come from ... car tires? It's even been found in remote places like the Arctic. And that's because around 6.1 million metric tons of tire dust end up in our atmosphere (and eventually our waterways) every year. Suddenly, I don't feel so guilty about that occasional plastic bag or straw.Which is why brands are looking for solutions to stop tire dust in its tracks. Earlier this fall, the Tyre Collective came out with a wheel-mounted device that collects the tiny particles on electrostatic-charged copper plates.But a better solution might be where the rubber meets the road. Goodyear has just unveiled a tire with 90% sustainable materials. It makes use of recycled polyester and plant-based components like soybean oil, rice husk waste, and “bio-renewable” pine tree resin in place of standard synthetic chemicals and plastic.According to Motor Trend, the tire has passed all regulatory and internal tests for road use and Goodyear claims its sustainable tire rolls more easily than that of a comparison tire with traditional materials. The company did admit it hasn't figured out how to bring the demonstration tire to market just yet. Even so, the company plans to bring a tire that's 70% sustainable to market by the end of the year.
FYI:
Today tires consist of about 19% natural rubber and 24% synthetic rubber, which is a plastic polymer.
The Ozone Layer Is Being Restored
It proves the world can solve environmental crises
Speaking of environmental wins, you know how we've worried about the hole in the ozone layer for ... well, as long as I can remember? According to a new U.N.-backed report, the ozone layer is on track to be restored to full strength within just a few decades.It's the latest success of a global effort by nations to stop using chemicals that had been destroying the critical layer in the upper atmosphere. Thanks to the most effective international environmental treaty ever implemented, nearly 99% of banned ozone-depleting chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons have been successfully phased out.What exactly is ozone? It's a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms. (The oxygen we breathe is made up of just two.) There's not much ozone floating around in the layer of atmosphere that we breathe, there's a lot of it in the stratosphere. It's that layer of ozone that absorbs ultraviolet radiation, especially the specific wavelengths called UV-B. Which is why we want it remaining intact.
Meanwhile:
The eight hottest years on record have now all occurred since 2014.
A test performed in Amsterdam will give the same result as a test performed in New York. But still, people in the U.S. cannot use it and I can. ”
- NBC News on the tridemic rapid tests available in Europe.
The NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend
The opening round of the playoffs is gonna be big
The NFL's 2022 regular season has, at long last, reached its conclusion and Buffalo's Bill Damar Hamlin is officially on the mend. Now things really get fun. The league's Super Wild Card Weekend ranks as one of the top three-day stretches on the sports calendar.Six games will be played over Saturday, Sunday and Monday in the opening round of the playoffs. Of the 12 teams that will be in action over the weekend, seven are making a return to the postseason after failing to qualify for the playoffs last season. According to InsideHook, that continues a 33-season streak of at least four teams qualifying for the playoffs after failing to make the postseason the year before.With all the matchups set, Bleacher Report is breaking down all wild-card games and predicting which teams will move on to the divisional round. Put your money down now on the Buffalo Bills, Bengals, 49ers, Chargers and Giants.
Dig Deeper:
The NFL's First Read on what to like and dislike about 12 teams playing this weekend.
Did You Watch the Golden Globes?
Probably not. But here's what you missed.
You might remember, NBC refused to air the Golden Globes last year after an ethics and diversity scandal rocked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. But after a year in time-out (and a series of partially enacted reforms) the awards show was revived last night to kick off award season.The stand-up comedian Jerrod Carmichael hosted the ceremony, but it was the presenters and winners who had the audience cracking up—from Eddie Murphy comically invoking Will Smith's Oscar slap to Regina Hall roasting Kevin Costner's no-show because he was stuck in Santa Barbara due to all the rain in California.As for the winners, Jennifer Coolidge gave one of the night's best acceptance speeches for her role in The White Lotus (which also took home Best Limited Series). Michelle Yeoh also won her first Golden Globe and hilariously told the playoff orchestra to “shut up” when they tried to rush her speech. Jeremy Allen White took home Best Actor for his role as Carmy in The Bear. Abbott Elementary got a few well-deserved awards, too. Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans and Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin walked away with the top film prizes for best drama and comedy, respectively.
Red Carpet:
A big year of entertainment calls for some big fits. Esquire rounds up the night's best dressed men.
In Other News
He's cooperating fully with a review into the situation.
Have you heard about ...
Put Your Best Face Forward
These at-home peels will instantly make you more handsome
Want to improve the texture of your skin? Look a little younger? Shrink the size of troublesome pores? You might want to consider an at-home facial peel. I asked grooming expert Or Gotham to pen a story for our 31 Days series and here's what he has to say: I'll level with you. The idea of a facial peel is scary. You're not an orange or a banana. You're not a Starburst wrapper, and you certainly are not a scalp in a Hannibal Lecter movie. You are just a guy wondering how to make your skin look a little nicer. Fear not. They're not nearly as perilous as they sound.Think of chemical peels as a step up from your daily exfoliation. They up the acid content to more effectively loosen the bonds that hold dead skin to our mug. Rather than a few times a week, you'll use this stronger treatment once (maybe twice) a month for congruently more noticeable results.
Read:
Shopping
What We’re Buying
A Dutch Oven
Whether you're braising short ribs or making pasta, a Dutch oven is a kitchen necessity. The French-made pot is entirely covered in durable enamel inside and out, making it (and the heavy glass lid) both easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
Get It:
Cast iron 4-quart Dutch oven, $150 / $108 by Staub
Morning Motto
Don’t stress over the what-ifs.
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