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Welcome to the 85th volume of WizeWorld: a collection of stories and sounds to round out your week, pique your curiosity, and widen your wizdom.
This week’s theme is keeping it real.
Artificial sweeteners, mountains of plastic waste, synthetic building materials, and more. With so many fake, harmful products in our environment, it can be hard to get back to nature. This week, we’re combining some of the stuff that worries us with the ways we’re hopeful for the future.
We’ll be looking at:
- A new, frightening study about artificial sweeteners
- An interview with nature and athlete photographer Rian Plante
- The illuminated Vietnamese building made of bamboo shoots
- Sugar Honey Iced Tea, a refreshing playlist by Jace
- Why we’re hopeful about the global plastics treaty
Learn
Healthline brings us a balanced look at a new study on artificial sweeteners. Cutting through the scary headlines, their reporter acknowledges that there is a link between artificial sweeteners and cancer—particularly breast cancer and diseases associated with obesity. But some scientists caution that we don’t yet know if sweeteners are causing cancer themselves, or are just consumed by people who are more likely to develop it. That said, it’s not a bad idea to cut down, since sweeteners have also been linked to increased cravings and inflammation. Just remember that they’re in more than just the little paper packets you’ll find in a coffee shop—sweeteners can regularly be found in your gum and toothpaste, too. But the one place you’ll never find them is in a can of Wize Iced Tea.
Connect
Enjoy this interview with Rian Plante—an artist, athlete, and photographer. Rian trains his camera on everything from snowboards to seascapes, with a particular eye for the incredible beauty of nature. His goal is to travel the world while he works on his craft and shares his talent with others. He’s currently working on a video project with fellow mountain bikers on Vancouver Island, as well as some personal video and photo projects around the area. And on his travels, he loves the convenience of grabbing a Wize iced tea, rather than something loaded with tons of excess sugar, artificial sweeteners, or caffeine.
See
Designed by Vo Trong Nghia Architects, this brand new welcome center sits at the entrance of the Grand World Phu Quoc resort in Vietnam. Vo Trong Nghia pride themselves on using natural materials to make their stunning structures. In this case, a beautiful illuminated building built from 42,000 hollow bamboo shoots with an open facade that allows natural air and light to stream through the building during the day. You can check out more of their amazing work here.
Listen
Jace brings us Sugar Honey Iced Tea, a mix of just over two and a half hours of tracks from Kelis, Gunna, Gyptian, Roddy Ricch, and more. Hit play and keep it real with some low-sugar Wize Lemon Iced Tea.
Get inspired
Is this the beginning of the end for plastic pollution? Positive News thinks we can get excited about this new world-first treaty. At the start of March, 175 nations got together to sign a historic resolution to end plastic waste—all thanks to public support and pressure. It may not be finalized until 2024, but there are already some details to look forward to. The treaty seeks to set clear objectives and standards—rather than a more generic “reduction” in waste, it will ask countries to be clear about their plans to prevent, reduce, and eliminate plastic pollution. They also ask that countries come together to actively remove the plastic pollution already in our oceans (something no previous treaty has done). We can’t know for sure where this treaty will go, but as International Environmental Law Professor Elizabeth Kirk says: “The speed at which the international community has recognised this issue is encouraging. There is much to do, but the resolution is a step in the right direction.”
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