Fort Worth has trash in its sights, and would like you get with the program — the composting program, that is.
Recognizing that the city’s landfill was filling up with materials that could go elsewhere, Fort Worth has been seeking ways to divert materials that could be re-used, recycled, mulched, or composted.
In 2019, the city launched its innovative
Residential Food Waste Composting Program, in which residents separate food scraps and bring them to drop-off points across Fort Worth.
Food scraps might seem like a messy annoyance when you take out the garbage, but it’s a bigger problem for the environment than it is for your nose. The methane gas from decomposing food in landfills contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. It also contributes to air, water, and traffic and transport pollution because the food scraps have to be hauled away by garbage trucks.
Composting takes those scraps and transforms them into organic matter that can be put back into the ground as a rich soil nutrient.
Back in 2014, an audit of the Fort Worth landfill revealed that 35 percent of contents could have been composted instead. This knowledge led city staffers to come up with an innovative solution, with a design based on a similar program in Minneapolis, to encourage and support residential composting.
In addition to local funding from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the program is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Fort Worth currently has a total of 2,466 subscribers, who’ve donated a total of 144,201 pounds of food waste, keeping nutrient-rich food scraps and organic waste out of landfills.
Avery Pesek, a senior environmental planner with the city, and coordinator for Keep Fort Worth Beautiful, hopes to get that number close to 3,000 in 2024.
“We’ve found that the biggest barrier to entry in the program is people knowing about it,” Pesek says. “We are trying to get the word out about how easy and effective composting is to help Fort Worth.”
Fort Worth’s program was the first of its kind in North Texas; Plano launched a similar residential composting in 2023. (Houston began a composting program in 2021. San Antonio was a pioneer when it began a composting program in 2011, and Austin has been composting since 2013.)
Fort Worth subscribers pay a one-time $20 fee and are given a Composting Starter Kit, which includes a 5-gallon bucket with a lid, a smaller kitchen countertop pail that closes securely, and education materials.
“Two things I run into is a concern about odor and a concern about difficulty, but because it is a locking, closing bucket, there really isn’t a smell,” Pesek says.
Once the bucket is full, residents can drop off the scraps at one of 21 collection sites, such as Fort Worth community centers, churches, and parks. Most offer 24-hour access points to make dropping off as convenient as possible.
After dumping their compost, participants rinse their bucket at home and start again.
“If your reference is backyard composting, you might think this is going to be more difficult than it is,” Pesek says. “You can put things into our buckets that you can’t put in a backyard compost.”
For example, animal products. Most backyard composters add plant materials only, but the Fort Worth program takes any food scraps or leftovers, including cooked meats, bones, eggshells, baked goods, tea bags, coffee filters, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, including peels and pits.
“The composting program was designed with the residential subscriber in mind, and we wanted to make sure we could accept products like cooked meat, dairy, egg shells, that traditional backyard composting is not able to handle,” Pesek says.
They’re working with Cowboy Compost, the Fort Worth waste management company founded by former FWSO maestro Miguel Harth-Bedoya that specializes in “zero-waste” through composting in restaurants, workplaces, sporting events, and private homes. (They also sell their own bagged compost.) Cowboy Compost transforms the scraps into material that can be used in gardens, landscaping, and construction projects.
Unacceptable items include raw meats, grease or oil, chewing gum, Styrofoam, plastic bags, diapers, microwave popcorn bags, frozen food packaging, and pet waste or cat litter. Additionally, any products that are recyclable or labeled biodegradable are also unacceptable for compost.
Pesek says the program has consistently had a low level of contamination – less than 1 percent.
“The people who are opting into the program are a really passionate group,” she says. “We’ve been shocked at how good they are at following the requirements.”
According to the latest census, there are approximately 326,648 households in Fort Worth, making the current subscriber tally of 2,466 households less than 1 percent.
But for now, Pesek has her eye on the 3,000 subscriber benchmark. One composter at a time.
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Developers tend to view the world as a place to tear down and build anew. But Arlington resident and longtime financial visionary Alan Petsche often has different ideas in mind.
“A love for, and a respect of history,” he calls it.
Petsche is the man responsible for thoughtful projects such as the restoration and reopening of Arlington’s famous Candlelite Inn, the 1957 restaurant said to have served the first pizza in town; and Joe’s Radiator Service, a 1963 structure at 200 N. East St. in Arlington that’s now home to pizzeria Cane Rosso.
For those efforts, Petsche was named the 2023 Dream Builder by the Downtown Arlington Management Corp., who presented the award at the Arlington association’s annual meeting and luncheon on September 20.
“A restored building has memories in its walls. You hear and feel them,” Petsche said as he recounted a Candelight memory. “You know what kids? Your grandma and grandad had their first date here. Same booth we’re in now!”
The award honors individuals who’ve contributed to revitalizing downtown Arlington; previous recipients include developer Ryan Dodson, whose Dodson Commercial Real Estate did the Urban Union development in Arlington, and former Arlington mayor Jeff Williams.
From left: John Arnot from DAMC, Alan Petsche, Maggie Campbell DAMC President/CEO, and Jim Minge, Texas Trust Credit UnionDAMC
A long-time resident of Arlington and graduate of Lamar High School and UTA, Petsche has a legacy of building successful businesses and helping others in the community. He was only nine when he began working for his father, who started the A.E. Petsche Company in the family garage. Petsche eventually became the COO of the family business, which served the aerospace industry for more than 40 years before it was sold in 2009.
A release calls him a “serial entrepreneur” who has owned and operated an eclectic variety of businesses ranging from a comic book store he started in high school to a computer company, commercial real estate organizations, and restaurants. He is highly regarded in Arlington and beyond for his generosity, business acumen, integrity, musical talent, and service to the community.
At the Candlelite Inn, his team serves lunch to 150 volunteers of Mission Arlington weekly. The Court at the College Park Center Special Events Arena is named in his honor as a major donor to the University of Texas at Arlington.
He was also the biggest investor in the Urban Union development, helping drive major re-investment and bringing dozens of new businesses into downtown Arlington. Urban Union currently has 24 storefronts within eight buildings.
In a prior life, he was in a ’70s power-pop band called The Pengwins, which toured and sold records throughout the U.S. and in Europe. He keeps the music flame alive with a record label called Spyder Pop Records (initially created under the name Aaron Avenue Records) which has been called “a textbook model of how to do musical community right,” as well as “rightly renowned for their spectacular presentation of vinyl and CD releases.”
Maggie Campbell, President and CEO of the Downtown Management Arlington Corporation said, “Alan’s love for his hometown of Arlington is evident in the investments he has made, such as restoring the Candlelite Inn, and his passion for making downtown Arlington a prime destination for living, work, and entertainment that appeals to residents and visitors.”
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Before Mailing, register your DNA test kit at 23andMe online otherwise, your saliva sample will NOT be processed. 23andMe Health + Ancestry Service features over 150 personalized genetic insights that can help make it easier for you to take action on your health. Using insights backed by the latest science, see how DNA can affect your chances of developing certain health conditions.* 23andMe’s Health + Ancestry Service provides genetic testing that includes: 10+ Health Predisposition* reports including: Type 2 Diabetes (Powered by 23andMe Research), Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Celiac Disease. 40+ Carrier Status* reports including: Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell Anemia, Tay-Sachs Disease 5+ Wellness reports including: Deep Sleep, Lactose Intolerance, Genetic Weight. 23andMe Health + Ancestry Service includes our Ancestry + Traits Service with over 50 personalized DNA ancestry reports: Ancestry Composition, Ancestry Detail Reports, Maternal & Paternal Haplogroups, Neanderthal Ancestry. Opt-in to find and connect with relatives in the 23andMe database who share DNA with you. And opt-in to Family Tree, which is automatically built from your DNA relationships. Plus 30+ Trait reports including: Hair (Color, Curliness, Male Bald Spot), Taste & Smell (Sweet vs. Salty, Bitter), Facial Features (Cheek Dimples, Unibrow, Freckles). OTHER FEATURES: 23andMe’s at-home saliva test kits include tools that allow you to share, compare and discover more with friends and family. Trace DNA through your close family and explore the genetic similarities and differences between you and family members. At-home DNA test kit. Access to Health + Ancestry Service that can help give you a more complete picture of your health with insights from your genetic data. Personalized genetic insights and tools that can help make it easier for you to take action on your health. Includes FDA-authorized reports and full access to our Ancestry + Traits Service.
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It’s been a tough 2023 for Meta. The Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp parent company has conducted several rounds of layoffs, most recently last week when 10,000 staff were culled.
The cutbacks came along with a hiring freeze and a general restructuring of the company, in an attempt to reverse dwindling revenues and reassure nervous shareholders.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke of making 2023 Meta’s ‘Year of Efficiency’ with a focus on growth and expansion in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
It would seem the tech giant is managing to turn things around, according to an earnings report released last week.
Q1 revenue was up 3% year-on-year, totalling $28.6 billion. This is a marked improvement when compared to recent results, Meta previously reported revenue decline in three consecutive financial quarters.
When discussing the positive results, Zuckerberg attributed the turnaround largely to the power of modern AI tech, maintaining that it has been instrumental in allowing the company to optimise and improve ad efficiency.
According to Zuckerberg, AI tools have been put in place to develop further monetisation options for Facebook and Instagram Reels, which both saw year-on-year growth of 40% and 30% respectively.
AI has also allowed Meta to increase the reach and visibility of Reels, using a TikTok-inspired algorithm to deliver personalised content to users and boost engagement levels.
Zuckerberg went on to discuss the potential for generative AI, which has been making headlines as the tech behind tools like ChatGPT.
According to Zuckerberg, Meta is looking to utilise generative AI to create an ‘open ecosystem’. This comes as Meta appears to be stepping back from its VR Metaverse push, citing technological limitations.
Earlier this month, the company confirmed that it had established a new generative AI team that has been working towards creating generative AI ad creation tools and a video analysis system.
As AI tech continues to improve at a rapid rate, we can expect to see more social media platforms utilise the technology to improve products and services.
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ASML (NASDAQ: ASML) reported its first quarter 2023 earnings this morning as the Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer gears up for what the year may hold for the semiconductor industry. ASML shares are trading lower today, selling off by as much as 3.65% after the announcement. Companies like Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) and Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) have reported sluggish demand in their computer segments, leading up to Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) announcing its very own 40% decline in PC shipments.
Despite pleasing investors and other stakeholders in ASML through monstrous growth relative to the first quarter of 2022, management has pointed to a darker 2023, where growth rates and bottom lines may make it difficult for bulls to savor this celebratory moment. However, keeping the long-term in mind may help current and would-be investors in ASML notice the potential upside and drivers for the semiconductor manufacturer.
Red Light or U-Turn
ASML CEO Peter Wennick stated that the overall demand for their semiconductor manufacturing equipment, namely their EUV (Extreme Ultra Violet) technology aiding the production of today’s chips and semiconductors that power personal computers and other vital electronics, however, on a year-on-year basis, bookings for the EUV equipment have dropped by 46% as a result of global economic slowdowns and a continued shrink of the personal computer market. With backlog orders equaling $42.6 billion, ASML is giving markets mixed signals regarding existing demand and a simultaneous decline in bookings; perhaps the manufacturer is still working to bring industry inventory levels to a healthier level and only pointing to investors that there may be a slowdown coming soon.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) missed sales expectations for a second consecutive quarter, signaling a further slowdown in the industry. Additionally, with Taiwan Semiconductor being ASML’s biggest customer, investors may be concerned that some of the elevated backlog value may only partially realize as some customers may cancel or reduce their total bookings. ASML has cornered the semiconductor manufacturing equipment market with its reliable and advanced technology and methodologies. However, ASML still depends on the capital expenditure for the downstream companies that develop chips, such as Taiwan Semiconductor and other foundries; with these names slowing some of their spending in additional machinery and equipment, ASML finds itself in a pinch.
Why is ASML management pointing to further expansions in the second quarter of 2023? Sales are poised to grow to $6.5 and $7.0 billion, a range that would translate to a 4% decline or 4% advance, respectively; however, total 2023 figures are guided to reflect a net 25% increase in revenues when it is all said and done. These bullish assumptions can only be made when considering the global initiative to expand chip production outside China and Taiwan amid geopolitical risks and disruption scenarios like those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tilting the Playing Field
President Joe Biden’s take on limiting China’s access to semiconductor manufacturing equipment, with the Netherlands (and ASML as a result) following suit in blocking some exports to the Asian giant. This embargo for semiconductor manufacturing equipment against China can and will likely adversely affect ASML since the Chinese market represents the third-biggest buying pit for the Dutch player.
The offset to Chinese and Taiwanese demand comes from companies like Intel, one of which has landed collaboration deals with ASML for additional machinery and equipment within their EUV lithography product line. Intel is attempting to take on the foundry services market and catch up on the market share lost to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing while at the same time aiding the North American semiconductor supply chain by diversifying sources away from Asia. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger plans to expand their new foundry services segment, which currently represents only 1.4% of the firm’s revenue; developing this new business while staying away from Chinese conflicts and geopolitical risks may aid ASML’s top line and further realization of backlog orders.
Be Greedy When Others are Fearful?
As Warren Buffett likes to say, “Be greedy when others are fearful,” this may beautifully apply to today’s sell-off in ASML stock. The company has grown its net income margin by 9.3% to 29%. This retention of earnings immediately trickled down to earnings per share for investors, which grew by 186% compared to a year prior. Coupled with massive EPS growth came the retirement of seven million shares as the company implemented share buybacks throughout the year, as well as debt reduction, which took the equity in the balance sheet from 24.3% in the last quarter of 2022 up to 27.8% in the first quarter of 2023.
Increased equity and share buybacks directly increase a shareholder’s ownership in the underlying business, pushing the book value per share of the company. Assuming that the macro-dynamics remain to demand higher for the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and management achieves its 25% revenue increase goals, keeping margins the same and the number of shares constant, investors could expect 2023 earnings per share to be around $20 and $22 and thus providing a reasonable increase to today’s upside target placed by analysts.
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Experts and ex-employees of the utopian Twitter 2.0 have spoken out since Elon Musk’s interview with the BBC, wherein he claimed that the “bots” that caused a majority of trolling on the social media platform are getting eradicated and therefore there is a lot less spam. But according to the BBC, there are actually hundreds of Russian and Chinese state propaganda accounts on the site, creating “Troll farms” that feed misinformation for the sake of pushing state propaganda.
Troll farms are no new concept, especially on Twitter, however, the crew that used to deal with them has been removed thanks to Musk’s numerous mass firings of Twitter staff since November, the first of which cut the HQ staff of 8,000 down to 1,500.
One former employee said: “The whole human layer has been wiped out. All Twitter has left are automated detection systems.”
According to the BBC: “A new group of Russian trolls is active on Twitter. It supports Putin’s war in Ukraine, ridicules Kyiv and the West, and attacks independent Russian-language publications, including the BBC Russian Service. Many of these trolls’ accounts have been suspended, but dozens are still active.
“Darren Linvill, associate professor at the Clemson University Media Forensics Hub in South Carolina, says the network appears to originate from Prigozhin’s troll factory.”
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