A black bear cub climbs a tree at Tongass National Forest in Alaska. sarkophoto / iStock / Getty Images Plus
America's largest national forest, Tongass National Forest in Alaska, will be opened up to logging and road construction after the Trump administration finalizes its plans to open up the forest on Friday, according to The New York Times.
<p>The plans to open up the forest to logging have been in the works for years. In March, the Trump administration faced a setback when a federal judge halted plans to open 1.8 million acres to logging and road building because the administration had failed to evaluate the environmental impact fully, as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/national-forest-trump-logging-tongass-%202645476974.html" target="_self">EcoWatch</a> reported at the time.</p><p>The roughly 9 million acres that the administration wants to open up now have been protected since the 2001 by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, or Roadless Rule, which prohibits construction in nationally protected wild areas, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/24/tongass-national-forest-trump-administration-logging" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. The U.S Forest Service is expected to release a full environmental impact statement later on Friday, saying that lifting the rule will not damage the 16.7 million-acre temperate rainforest in southeast Alaska. The administration will consequently revoke the Roadless Rule and move forward with plans to lease the land for logging.</p>
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Aerial view of the Tongass National Forest. Alan Wu / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
<p><br></p><p>The drive to open up Tongass National Forest to logging, as well as energy and mineral exploration, started in 2018 when Alaska's Governor Bill Walker asked the federal government to consider removing protections for the forest. While Alaska's senators have supported the idea, environmental advocates have criticized it, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/environment-juneau-bill-walker-forests-alaska-14542223458790b775b98c1384cb333a" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AP</a>.</p><p>The U.S. Forest Service evaluated several plans, including more moderate ones that would maintain protections for 80 percent of the forest and another that would have opened up logging and road construction to 2.3 million acres. The Forest Service, however, decided to fully remove the Roadless Rule protections and open 9 million acres to developers and loggers, according to a <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/09/24/us-department-agriculture-releases-final-environmental-impact" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement</a> from the Department of Agriculture, as The New York Times reported.</p>
<p>"This administration has opted to take the road well traveled by continuing to spend tens of millions of dollars every year to expand logging roads for a dying old-growth timber industry," said Andy Moderow, a director for the Alaska Wilderness League, in a statement, as The Guardian reported. "This is bad for people, bad for a sustainable economy and bad for <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a>."</p><p>Earthjustice, an environmental legal-advocacy group that successfully stopped development in Tongass in March, said it would fight the plan in the courts. Katie Glover, an attorney for Earthjustice, said, "We will use every tool available to continue defending this majestic and irreplaceable national forest," as the AP reported.</p>
<p>Scientists have also criticized the plan, saying that Tongass is one of the world's largest carbon sinks, absorbing nearly 8 percent of the greenhouse gas pollution that the U.S. emits. Scientists also note that cutting down the old growth trees will put trapped greenhouse gases back into the atmosphere, which is particularly imprudent when the world is grappling with increasingly severe heat waves and wildfires triggered by the climate crisis, as The New York Times reported.</p><p>"The Forest Service's environmental impact statement is junk science on assessing the impacts of releasing the carbon," said Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist and president of Geos Institute, a nonprofit organization that studies climate change, to The New York Times. "They are saying that the carbon that would be released by logging the timber is insignificant. There's no science that supports their analysis."</p><p>That sentiment was echoed by Randi Spivak, public lands director at the Center for Biological Diversity, who vowed to fight the lifting of the Roadless Rule, as the AP reported. She said in a statement that the new plan will pour "gasoline on the inferno of climate change. These towering ancient trees take enormous amounts of carbon out of the air and we need them now more than ever. We'll do everything possible to keep these magnificent giants standing for centuries to come."</p>
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Amazon Employees for Climate Justice walk out and rally at the company's headquarters to demand that leaders take action on climate change in Seattle, Washington on Sept. 20, 2019. JASON REDMOND / AFP via Getty Images
The world's largest online retailer is making it slightly easier for customer to make eco-conscious choices.
<p>Amazon announced Wednesday that approximately 25,000 products will receive a "Climate Pledge Friendly" designation to guide customers toward products that are helping the retail giant meet its commitment to be carbon neutral in 20 years, as <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-climatechange/amazon-launches-climate-friendly-program-to-help-shop-for-sustainable-products-idUKKCN26E0TB" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported.</p><p>Amazon noted that the label will apply to a broad range of products. In a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200923005297/en/Amazon-Launches-%E2%80%98Climate-Pledge-Friendly%E2%80%99-to-Make-It-Easier-for-Customers-to-Discover-and-Shop-for-Sustainable-Products" target="_blank">press release</a>, the company said, "Climate Pledge Friendly selection includes grocery, household, fashion, beauty, and personal electronics products, as well as items from a range of other categories — from brands including Seventh Generation, Burt's Bees Baby, and HP Inc. Climate Pledge Friendly products are clearly labeled in shopping results, have additional sustainability information on the product page, and are featured in a dedicated section of our store."</p>
<p>Amazon has been under increasing pressure from its own employees who have <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-employees-for-climate-justice-risk-2644930204.html" target="_self">risked their own careers to speak out</a> against the company's climate policies. The Seattle-based company has an enormous carbon footprint due to its commitment to speedy deliveries, its transportation emissions and its data centers, as Reuters reported.</p><p>A paper in <em>Environmental Science & Technology</em>, a scientific journal published by the American Chemical Society, found that going to a physical store actually has a lower carbon footprint than shopping on Amazon. That's due to the fact that people tend to buy just a few items online. When they go to a store, they are more likely to stock up and reduce the need for further trips. Also, the demand for faster shipping leads to inefficient packing and delivery routes, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/23/business/amazon-climate-friendly-products/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p>
<p>Environmental activists and people working to make delivery systems more environmentally friendly gave a lukewarm reception to Amazon's announcement and expressed concern that the label was a bit of "green washing."</p><p>"Some of the language is a little bit deceiving," said Alexis Bateman, director of the <a href="https://ctl.mit.edu/research/current-projects/sustainable-supply-chains" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MIT Sustainable Supply Chains Initiative</a>, as <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-tries-to-make-it-easier-to-identify-green-products-with-new-climate-pledge-friendly-label/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Seattle Times</a> reported. "Not to minimize the value of animal welfare, fair trade or fair wages." He added that just because a company offers fair wages does not mean it is eco-conscious or reducing its carbon footprint.</p><p>"That said, the fact that Amazon is doing anything in this space is just awesome, because when Amazon acts, then the pressure will be diffused across every actor that sells on their platform and is in competition with them, the biggest retailers and e-tailers of the world," Bateman added.</p>
<p>Other activists echoed the sentiment, viewing the label as a burden passed on to the consumer when the company could share the environmental impact of all its products or cut ties with companies that are not eco-conscious.</p><p>"While Amazon's sustainable shopping site is a good first step, it's not the level of ambition needed," said Jenny Ahlen, director of EDF+Business, a branch of the Environmental Defense Fund, in a <a href="https://business.edf.org/insights/amazon-takes-long-overdue-first-step-in-driving-sustainable-shopping" target="_blank">blog post</a>, as The Seattle Times reported. "Shoppers might be able to look through products with certifications, but what about the hundreds of thousands of other products sold on Amazon that don't have certifications. How will shoppers know what their impacts are?"</p>
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An electric car at an eVgo charging station in a parking lot in Dublin, California on June 20, 2018. Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday that would ban the sale of new cars in California that run only on gasoline by the year 2035. The bid to reduce emissions and combat the climate crisis would make California the first state to ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines, according to POLITICO.
<p>"This is the most impactful step our state can take to fight climate change," said Newsom in a <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/09/23/governor-newsom-announces-california-will-phase-out-gasoline-powered-cars-drastically-reduce-demand-for-fossil-fuel-in-californias-fight-against-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement</a> that accompanied the signing of the executive order. "For too many decades, we have allowed cars to pollute the air that our children and families breathe. Californians shouldn't have to worry if our cars are giving our kids asthma. Our cars shouldn't make wildfires worse – and create more days filled with smoky air. Cars shouldn't melt glaciers or raise sea levels threatening our cherished beaches and coastlines."</p>
<p>The threats posed by the climate crisis are playing out in dramatic fashion in California. This summer, the state has seen record-setting wildfires, heat waves and drought. Those mounting climate crisis-related challenges have spurred the move away from the state's leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/09/23/california-electric-cars/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported.</p><p>"We can't continue down this path," Newsom said at a briefing, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/23/california-cars-electric-vehicles-gavin-newsom-climate-change" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported. "If you care about your kids and your grandkids, if you care about disadvantaged communities, if you care about seniors, if you care about rural communities, if you care about inner city communities that have been underserved by our fossil fuel economy, then you care about the core construct that we are advancing here in this executive order."</p><p>Newsom added that the order will create "green collar jobs" that Californians are well-positioned to capitalize on since 34 <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles">electric car</a> manufacturers are already in the state.</p>
<p>"Our second largest export in the state of California are electric vehicles," he said, according to The Guardian. "Those 34 manufacturers, those public trading manufacturers, represent close to half a trillion dollars of market capitalization, some $500bn … this is an economic opportunity."</p><p>For the order to be successful, the technology, scalability, and affordability of electric cars would have to improve dramatically in the next decade. Also, the state will need to make sure charging stations are readily available. California currently has the largest market for electric and hybrid vehicles, with roughly 257,000 new registrations for electric vehicles in 2018, according to The Washington Post. Yet, that number was not even 10 percent of the state's new car market.</p><p>While the order is sure to meet legal challenges, it may set the trend that carmakers need to increase their investment in fossil-fuel-free vehicles.</p>
<p>"The automotive industry was already on the road toward electrification as a long term goal, but many automakers have been guilty of setting short term targets for their electrification strategy that never came to fruition," said Jessica Caldwell, director of insights at Edmunds, an online resource for car data, in an emailed comment to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/23/cars/california-zero-emissions-passenger-vehicles/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNN</a>. "This rule, if implemented, establishes a specific timeline that they'll collectively need to adhere to. California is a major market that automakers desperately need to maintain sales within to ensure their own viability."</p><p>The announcement also earned the praise of environmental groups.</p><p>"The Governor's Executive Order is a meaningful step in addressing the climate crisis and protecting the health of Californians," said Coalition for Clean Air in an email to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/23/916209659/california-governor-signs-order-banning-sales-of-new-gasoline-cars-by-2035" target="_blank">NPR</a>. "Electrifying transportation will also create jobs and help California move forward in its economic recovery."</p>
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A protest in solidarity with the Wetʼsuwetʼen's anti-pipeline struggle, at Canada House in Trafalgar Square on March 1, 2020 in London, England. More than 200 environmental groups had their Facebook accounts suspended days before an online solidarity protest. Ollie Millington / Getty Images
Facebook suspended more than 200 accounts belonging to environmental and Indigenous groups Saturday, casting doubt on the company's stated commitments to addressing the climate crisis.
<p>The suspensions came days after Facebook launched a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/climatescienceinfo/" target="_blank">Climate Science Information Center</a> to correct widely-shared posts that spread disinformation about climate change, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/22/facebook-climate-change-environment-groups-suspended?fbclid=IwAR0RFAFizQbp6B206VEU-mxSUQs0AD15d6qDEgK0LjzWr6dO_-NJlf2quhQ" target="_blank">The Guardian pointed out</a>. The same week, Facebook <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/google-facebook-climate-commitments-2647660142.html" target="_self">also pledged</a> to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. But the activist groups expressed doubt about Facebook's priorities, saying they were locked out of their accounts days before a planned protest against a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuel</a> company building a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pipelines" target="_self">pipeline</a> through Indigenous land.</p><p>"Actions speak louder than words and once again Facebook has taken actions that are in stark contrast to public statements from the company," senior corporate campaigner at <a href="https://secure.greenpeaceusa.org/fires-2020/?&utm_source=website&utm_medium=takeover&utm_campaign=fires_2020" target="_blank">Greenpeace USA</a> Elizabeth Jardim told The Guardian. "The recent bans targeting people fighting to save their communities from climate change and the continued exploitation of fossil fuel companies show us that when push comes to shove, Facebook will side with polluters at the cost of their users' trying to organize."</p>
<p>Greenpeace USA reported it <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/facebook-suspends-hundreds-of-accounts-associated-with-online-event-targeting-coastal-gaslink-pipeline/" target="_blank">was one</a> of the suspended groups, along with others including Rainforest Action Network, Presente.org and Wet'suwet'en Access Point on Gidimt'en Territory. The groups were all co-hosts of an event in May targeting the company KKR & Co. Inc., which is the new majority funder of the Coastal GasLink <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/natural-gas" target="_self">natural gas</a> pipeline that the Wet'suwet'en community <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pipeline-blockade-british-columbia-2625969371.html" target="_self">is fighting</a> to keep off its unceded land in British Columbia. Another online protest against the company had been scheduled for Monday.</p><p>The accounts were told they were being suspended for three days for "copyright infringement," Greenpeace said.</p><p>"The timing was more than suspect," Delee Nikal, a Wet'suwet'en activist from the Gidimt'en clan, told <a href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/09/21/news/facebook-suspends-then-reinstates-hundreds-accounts-linked-anti-coastal-gaslink" target="_blank">Canada's National Observer</a>. "We would like to have transparency in this situation."</p>
<p>Facebook, meanwhile, claimed the accounts were suspended by accident and had since been reinstated.</p><p>"Our systems mistakenly removed these accounts and content," a company spokesperson told the National Observer.</p><p>The company did not provide any more information about how or why the mistake was made. Most of the accounts were able to post Monday night, but some are still locked out, Greenpeace's Valentina Stackl said.</p>
<p>The suspended activists also pointed out that the social media giant has allowed right-wing groups and posts to spread false information or encourage violence without suspending them. For example, the CO2 Coalition, a group that argues carbon dioxide is beneficial, was able to bypass a Facebook fact check this month by publishing its article as opinion, The Guardian pointed out. Facebook also refused to act on complaints when a militia group used the platform to urge armed people to attend a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, according to the National Observer.</p><p>"We are not surprised by the actions that Facebook has taken," Nikal told Greenpeace. "This once again exposes the white supremacy inherent in the system. Videos of extreme violence, alt-right views and calls for violence by militias in Kenosha, Wisconsin, are allowed to persist on Facebook. Yet, we are banned and receive threats for permanent removal, for posting an online petition. Facebook is actively suppressing those who oppose fascism and the colonial capitalists."</p>
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The label of one of the recalled thyroid medications. FDA
If you are taking medication for an underactive thyroid, check your prescription.
<p>Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC is recalling some of its NP Thyroid® tablets because they are not strong enough to work properly, according to an announcement published by the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/acella-pharmaceuticals-llc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-two-lots-np-thyroidr-thyroid-tablets" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Thursday</a>. Patients with underactive thyroids, technically known as hypothyroidism, who take weaker medicine may experience symptoms of the condition. These include fatigue, dry skin, low heart rate, depression and unexpected weight loss or gain.</p><p>"To date, Acella has received four reports of adverse events for these lot numbers possibly related to this recall," the company said.</p>
<p>The recall marks the second time this month that a thyroid drug was pulled for being too weak, or subpotent, <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article245872655.html" target="_blank">the Miami Herald pointed out</a>. RLC Labs, Inc. <a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/rlc-labs-inc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-all-lots-nature-throidr-and-wp-thyroidr-current" target="_blank">recalled</a> nearly 500 lots of Nature-Throid® and WP Thyroid® for the same reason Sept. 3. Weeks before that, several lots of thyroid medication were recalled for being too strong, <a href="https://www.slashgear.com/popular-thyroid-drugs-recalled-because-theyre-weaker-than-expected-05636932/" target="_blank">SlashGear reported</a>.</p><p>The most recent recall concerns one lot of Acella's 15-mg NP Thyroid® and one lot of its 120-mg NP Thyroid®. The recall comes because testing revealed the lots to be subpotent. They may contain as little as 87 percent of the amount of levothyroxine, or T4, indicated on the label.</p><p>"Acella is proactively notifying its wholesalers by email and phone to discontinue distribution of the two above referenced lots being recalled and is arranging for return of all recalled products," the company said in the recall announcement. "Patients who are currently taking NP Thyroid® from the lots being recalled should not discontinue use without contacting their healthcare provider for further guidance and/or a replacement prescription."</p>
<p>Pregnant or elderly patients with hypothyroidism face additional risks if they take subpotent medication. For pregnant people, the weakened drug could cause early miscarriage or damage to the fetus such as impairment of skeletal or brain development or the onset of fetal hyperthyroidism. In elderly patients or patients with preexisting heart conditions, taking the weakened drugs could lead to palpitations, heart pain or cardiac arrhythmia.</p><p>The recalled products were packed in 100-count bottles and had expiration dates of Oct. and Nov. 2020. Their lot numbers were M327E19-1 and M328F19-3.</p><p>"[C]onsumers may be able to determine that their product is not impacted by the recall if the 'use by,' 'discard after,' or 'expiration date' on their prescription bottle is on or after December 2020," the recall notice said.</p><p>If patients experience any harmful side effects from taking the medication, they should contact their healthcare providers. They can also report the adverse reaction to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program <a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch-fda-safety-information-and-adverse-event-reporting-program/reporting-serious-problems-fda" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>Anyone with questions about the recall can contact Acella Pharmaceuticals at recall@acellapharma.com or 1-888-280-2044.</p>
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Project goal: To create an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to leather, in this case using fungi.
<p>Project partner: Indonesian startup <a href="https://mycl.bio/about" target="_blank">Mycotech</a> is supported through universities, research institutions and the DBS Foundation. In 2019/2020, the company also received from funding from the SEED Initiative (Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development) and the German Environment Ministry's <a href="https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/details/project/financing-and-capacity-building-for-micro-and-small-climatesmart-enterprises-filling-the-gap-of-the-missing-middle-13_I+_041-328?iki_lang=en" target="_blank">International Climate Initiative</a>.</p><p>Project budget: Mycotech has received $500,000 in funding since 2017.</p><p>Humankind has been using animal skin to produce leather for thousands of years. It's a textile with a long tradition, but critics say making it causes animal suffering, consumes a lot of water and pollutes the environment with chemicals and CO2.</p>
<p>Adi Reza Nugroho wants to change that with his startup Mycotech based in Bandung, Indonesia. Nugroho comes from a family of mushroom farmers and is using fungi to make a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegan">vegan</a>, leather-like alternative to the animal-based textile.</p><p>According to the company founded in 2012, the material is breathable, robust and grows using agricultural waste such as sawdust. The waste is mixed with fungi spores, which form mycelium — a fine branching mass of threadlike structures. After a few days, it can be harvested from the waste blocks, tanned and further processed.</p><p>Scientists around the world are <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/5-sustainable-alternatives-to-plastics/a-53338938" target="_blank">researching mycelium properties</a>, believing it could provide the basis for new materials. Some fashion businesses are already using "mushroom leather" to make products like shoes and bags.</p>
<p><em>A film by Nicole Ris und A.B. Rodhial Falah.</em><br/></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/sustainable-fashion-eco/a-54867671?maca=en-VAM_volltext_ecowatch-28485-html-copypaste" target="_blank">DW</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Climate Group
Every September for the past 11 years, non-profit the Climate Group has hosted Climate Week NYC, a chance for business, government, activist and community leaders to come together and discuss solutions to the climate crisis.
<p>This September is no different. Despite the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a>, <a href="https://www.climateweeknyc.org/climate-week-nyc-2020" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Climate Week NYC</a> is returning for its 12th year next week from Sept. 21 to 27, making it the largest climate summit taking place this year. And, because of the new focus on virtual events, you don't have to physically be in New York City to participate.</p><p>"We're really excited that Climate Week NYC is going to be able to bring together so many important events and conversations, both in New York City and around the world," head of Climate Week NYC Adam Lake told EcoWatch in an email. "With an understandably strong focus on digital events this year, we're grateful to work with Facebook to help support event organizers use tools and platforms to host events and connect with the climate community. Together, Climate Week NYC 2020 will be the most engaging, inclusive and truly global Climate Week we've ever seen."</p>
<p>All of the Climate Group's events will be available to watch on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/TheClimateGroup/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> starting Monday. The page will also feature highlights of more than 350 affiliated events being organized in New York City and elsewhere. You can check out the full events calendar <a href="https://www.climateweeknyc.org/events-program" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. But, to help you out, here are five free Climate Week NYC events you can participate in from the comfort and safety of your couch.</p>
<p>1. <a href="https://www.climateweeknyc.org/event/play-planet" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Play for the Planet</a>: Are you a musician or artist? Do you care about stopping climate change? <a href="https://climatemusic.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ClimateMusic</a> is asking artists to send them their answers to short interview questions, concluding with a video answer to the prompt, "What do you want the future to sound like?" The responses will appear in a series of testimonials on the organization's website. Participants are also encouraged to share their answers on social media using the hashtags #PlayforthePlanet and #ClimateMusic. <em>All week.</em></p>
<p>2. <a href="https://www.climateweeknyc.org/event/chance-lifetime-how-governments-and-businesses-are-achieving-green-economic-recovery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chance of a Lifetime? How Governments and Businesses are Achieving a Green Economic Recovery</a>: Listen to business, non-profit and government leaders discuss how we can recover from the coronavirus pandemic in a way that halves greenhouse gas emissions in the next 10 years. This Climate Group hosted event will feature speakers including Climate Group CEO Helen Clarkson, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/covid-vaccine-trial-stopped-2647532475.html" target="_self">AstraZeneca</a> Executive Vice President Katarina Ageborg and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos. Watch on the Climate Group's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/TheClimateGroup" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook Watch</a> page. <em>Tuesday, Sept. 22, 9:45 - 11:25 a.m.</em></p>
<p>3. <a href="https://www.climateweeknyc.org/event/expressing-climate-grief" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Expressing Climate Grief</a>: Are you overwhelmed with emotion when you think about everything happening to the earth and its creatures? Sustaining All Life and United to End Racism will lead a digital workshop in expressing these emotions and healing them so that you can go back into your community and work to stop the climate crisis without burning out. Register <a href="https://sal.rc.org/workshop/expressingclimategrief2020" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. <em>Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1 - 2:30 p.m.</em></p>
<p>4. <a href="https://www.climateweeknyc.org/event/climate-change-and-american-voter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Climate Insights 2020: Climate Change and the American Voter</a>: With the November election less than two months away, everyone wants to know how climate change will impact voters' decisions. Speakers including Katharine Hayhoe of Texas Tech University and Christina Chan of the World Resources Institute will discuss the latest results of a survey assessing the priorities of U.S. voters. RSVP <a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Y8MA8IOzRtKP3kuGqNo9pA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. <em>Thursday, Sept. 24, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.</em></p>
<p>5. <a href="https://www.climateweeknyc.org/event/climate-justice-and-resilience-farmers-and-communities-front-lines" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Climate Justice and Resilience: Farmers and Communities on the Front Lines</a>: This roundtable discussion hosted by the <a href="https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rainforest Alliance</a> will seek to answer how governments and corporations can best support rural farmers and Indigenous communities on the front lines of the climate crisis. It will include a focus on "climate-smart agriculture" and how it can be expanded. Speakers will include International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change Co-chair Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Ghanaian cocoa farmer Elijah Owusu-Cashiedom and Unilever Chief Sustainability Officer Rebecca Marmot. Register <a href="https://raorg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PLB8Fhp_T2ujgEgdvv0KZg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. <em></em><em>Friday, Sept. 25, 9 - 10:30 a.m.</em></p>
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Moderna, Pfizer Release Study Designs as Vaccine Distrust Grows Among Americans
18 September
Health + Wellness
Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld has his arm disinfected by Dr. Chao Wang during a Moderna clinical trial for a coronavirus vaccine at Meridian Clinical Research in Rockville, Maryland on July 27, 2020. Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The Washington Post via Getty Images
The secretive blueprints for two of the leading vaccine candidates for the coronavirus were released Thursday. Pfizer and Moderna became the first two companies among the nine leading vaccine candidates to share their study designs, hoping that the disclosures will create trust and clarity for the public, as The New York Times reported.
<p>The details that the two companies shared are usually kept secret until after a study is complete, yet the companies decided to publish the size of their trials, the selection criteria for patients, and the adverse reactions that would cause the trials to stop prematurely. The Moderna trial will include 30,000 participants, while the Pfizer trial will have 44,000 participants, according to The New York Times.</p><p>The information released shows that the two companies and their executives still do not know if the vaccines are safe and effective. Furthermore, the disclosure shows that the ambitious time frame that President <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/">Trump</a> touts to have a vaccine available in a few weeks is all but impossible, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/09/17/vaccine-companies-reveal-their-study-designs-even-trump-sows-confusion/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>.</p>
<p>Trump's frequent comments about the availability of a vaccine to the general population by election day contradict the word of scientists, health officials and the companies manufacturing and testing the vaccine candidates. That mixed-messaging has sown confusion with the public and created the appearance that a vaccine candidate will be rushed to market prior to proving its safety and efficacy, according to The Washington Post.</p><p>"We need trust as much as we need efficacy," said Andrew Pavia, an infectious-diseases specialist at the University of Utah School of Medicine, to The Washington Post. "We can't afford to do anything that reduces the trust. It's not just the trust of the public. Experts in the field have to see enough of the data to feel comfortable to recommend it."</p><p>New poll number show that trust is eroding. Data released Thursday by the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2020/09/17/u-s-public-now-divided-over-whether-to-get-covid-19-vaccine/" target="_blank">Pew Research Center</a> show that the number of Americans who are willing to get a vaccine for the coronavirus has dropped precipitously since the beginning of the pandemic.</p><p>According to the new poll, about 51 percent of the population is likely to get the vaccine, while 49 percent said they are unwilling or unlikely to get it. Only 21 percent said they would definitely get the vaccine.</p>
<p>The percentage of people who were likely to get the vaccine is down from 72 percent in May, marking a 21 percent drop over the summer. The thorniest issue for study participants was their growing concern that a vaccine was being developed too fast and it would be widely distributed before it was proven to be safe and effective.</p><p>"Over the past month alone — a period in which President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised a vaccine will be delivered by the end of 2020 and possibly before the Nov. 3 election — the share of adults who say they would get vaccinated has fallen 8 points after public opinion on the matter generally remained steady over the summer," the researchers wrote, as <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/516952-americans-willingness-to-take-covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank">The Hill</a> reported.</p><p>That growing unease about a vaccine is what prompted the nine companies with the leading vaccine candidates to take the unusual step of banding together to pledge that a vaccine would not be released prematurely, according to The Hill. For a vaccine to be effective, confidence has to grow so enough people will receive the vaccine to raise immunity levels high enough to stop transmission of the virus.</p><p>As for a realistic timeframe, Thursday's disclosures by Moderna and Pfizer showed that there would not be a vaccine from either company by election day. Moderna's estimated timetable showed it would not likely know if its candidate works until 2021. Pfizer did not release an estimated timetable in its disclosure, according to The New York Times.</p>
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New Zealand could be the first country in the world to require its major financial institutions to report on the risks posed by the climate crisis. Lawrence Murray / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 2.0
New Zealand could be the first country in the world to require its major financial institutions to report on the risks posed by the climate crisis.
<p>This means that about 200 of the country's biggest companies and banks would have to report on the impact that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather" target="_self">extreme weather</a> events or climate polices will have on their business, <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/300107158/election-2020-financial-sector-will-have-to-report-on-climate-change-risk-in-worldfirst-move" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stuff explained</a>.</p><p>"Today is another step on the journey this Government is taking towards a low carbon future for Aotearoa New Zealand and a cleaner, safer planet for future generations," said Minister for Climate Change James Shaw Tuesday, <a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2009/S00127/new-zealand-first-in-the-world-to-require-climate-risk-reporting.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scoop reported</a>.</p><p>The move builds on New Zealand's emerging legacy of climate action, such as its historic <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/new-zealand-zero-emissions-2641247378.html" target="_self">Zero Carbon Bill</a> that committed the country to honoring the goals of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris agreement</a> and achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050.</p>
<p>However, New Zealand's parliament is currently dissolved ahead of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/new-zealand-ardern-renewable-energy-2647595133.html" target="_self">Oct. 17 election</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/15/new-zealand-minister-calls-for-finance-sector-to-disclose-climate-crisis-risks-in-world-first" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. In order for it to enter into force, Shaw's party, the Green Party, would have to enter a coalition government after the election and the proposal would then have to pass parliament.</p><p>If it passes, every New Zealand bank, building society, credit union, insurer or Crown Financial Institution with more than $1 billion in assets will have to report annually on the risk climate change poses to its business or explain why it cannot, according to Stuff. That report would include what the risks are, how the institution is managing them and how it is working to address the impacts of climate change.</p><p>"Many large businesses in New Zealand do not currently have a good understanding of how climate change will impact on what they do," Shaw said. "The changes I am announcing today will bring climate risks and resilience into the heart of financial and business decision making. It will ensure the disclosure of climate risk is clear, comprehensive and mainstream."</p>
<p>Shaw said that Australia, Canada, UK, France, Japan and the European Union were developing some form of climate risk reporting, but New Zealand's plan was more ambitious because it included the whole financial system, according to Scoop. The institutions covered by the policy account for 90 percent of the assets controlled in New Zealand, Stuff reported.</p><p>If the proposal passes parliament, the climate reporting would begin in 2023.</p><p>Nobel Laureate in economics Joseph Stiglitz praised the proposed plan, according to The Guardian.</p><p>"Once again, New Zealand is leading the world… It led the world in showing how democratic countries could manage the risks of Covid-19," he said. "And now, New Zealand is leading the way in showing how we can help manage the risk of climate change."</p>
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Patagonia's current logo. Ajay Suresh / CC BY 2.0
Eco-friendly outdoor brand Patagonia has a colorful and timely message stitched into the tags of its latest line of shorts. "VOTE THE A**HOLES," it reads.
<div id="9552f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b2fa13e0488f5bc698dfdbb0b7393780"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1304825415010320391" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">PATAGONIA’s New Tag! https://t.co/llY71SwsQG</div> — Outlander Magazine (@Outlander Magazine)<a href="https://twitter.com/StreetFashion01/statuses/1304825415010320391">1599929596.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The new tags are already a hit online. They became a trending topic on Twitter after a photo of the message went viral, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/15/business/patagonia-voting-tags/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNN Business reported</a> Tuesday. Company spokesperson Tessa Byars confirmed to <a href="https://www.euronews.com/living/2020/09/16/patagonia-gets-political-with-labels-saying-vote-the-a-holes-out7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Euronews Living</a> that the tags were genuine, and that "a**holes" in this case meant <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-denier" target="_self">climate deniers</a> specifically.<br></p><p>"It refers to politicians from any part who deny or disregard the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crises</a> and ignore science, not because they aren't aware of it, but because their pockets are lined with money from oil and gas interests," Byars said.</p>
<p>Patagonia is no stranger to taking a stand on environmental issues. Spokesperson Corley Kenna told CNN that CEO Yvon Chouinard has been saying "vote the a**holes out" for years when talking about climate-denying politicians. The company also sued President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> for his decision to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-shrinking-bears-ears-2515965614.html" target="_self">shrink</a> Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-monuments" target="_self">national monuments</a> in Utah and even <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/patagonia-ceo-politics-2613614515.html" target="_self">endorsed</a> two Senate candidates in 2018 because of their support for protecting <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/public-lands" target="_self">public lands</a>. It also decided to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/patagonia-donates-10-million-2621774314.html" target="_self">give away</a> its $10 million windfall from the Trump tax cut to conservation groups.<br></p><p>The company's latest political message is sewn into its 2020 Men's and Women's Road to Regenerative Organic Stand-up Shorts collection, according to Euronews Living.</p><p>"[W]e have been standing up to climate deniers for almost as long as we've been making those shorts," Byars told Euronews Living.</p><p>The company first started making the shorts in 1973, CNN said.</p>
<p>But Patagonia is doing more to encourage voting than just sharing a cheeky message with customers, the company's director of copy Brad Wieners explained on <a href="https://twitter.com/BradWieners/status/1304818097807790081?s=20" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. The company has worked with BallotReady to design a <a href="https://www.patagonia.com/elections/" target="_blank">widget on their website</a> that helps people make a voting plan for November.</p><p>"We need to elect climate leaders," the website reads. "The 2020 US Senate races will have a significant, long-lasting impact on the strength of our nation's climate policies and the existence of our wild places."</p><p>The website also features a map where the company recommends certain candidates, such as Barbara Bollier in Kansas for her support of renewable energy and Steve Bullock in Montana for his defense of public lands.</p><p>On Election Day 2020, Patagonia will repeat its practice from 2016 and 2018 and close its stores, headquarters and distribution center to encourage voting, CNN reported.</p>
<p>But the company is going farther this year. For the first time, it will also give employees up to four days off to train and work as poll workers to address the national shortage, Patagonia told EcoWatch in an email. It is also providing information on state voting policies in its retail stores.</p><p>"Patagonia is doing our part to ensure this November's elections are accessible for all eligible voters," Patagonia general counsel Hilary Dessouky said in the email. "Already this election has been marred by misinformation about voting, roadblocks to accessible voting and threats to cut essential voting services like the US Postal Service, which allow people to vote safely and securely. Patagonia is prioritizing time off to vote, and we encourage others to vote, serve as poll workers and share localized information to help make sure all voices are heard this November."</p>
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The Tyre Collective's patent-pending technology captures tire wear right at the wheel. The James Dyson Award
This year, the UK National James Dyson Award went to a team of student designers who want to reduce the environmental impact of car tires.
<p><a href="https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/2020/project/the-tyre-collective/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Tyre Collective</a> designed a simple device that collects microplastics as they fly off a car tire. As the group of designers explains it, their device helps on the path toward zero emissions by using electrostatic and airflow around the tire to capture the microplastics and other small particles that are shed over the lifetime of a tire.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/james-dyson-award-given-device-reduces-tyre-emissions" target="_blank">Autocar</a> in the UK reported, the team says that their design is capable of catching up 60 percent of the particles shed by tires, which is significant considering that tires are one of the largest sources of ocean microplastics, according to a study in <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17201-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nature Communications</a></em>. That study found that tiny particles shed by tires and brake pads account for roughly 550,000 tons of microplastics that pollute the oceans annually. From that, over 80,000 tons rain down on remote areas covered in ice and snow, which helps accelerate the rate of melting, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/17/device-to-curb-microplastic-emissions-wins-james-dyson-award" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p>
<p>"Everyone focuses on air pollution being directly from the engines themselves and coming out of the exhaust pipe but what people don't necessarily recognize is that tire wear is a huge contributor to that," said Hugo Richardson, one of the members of The Tyre Collective, as <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/years-dyson-award-winner-car-110041877.html" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported.</p><p>Richardson is one of a team of four students from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art who make up The Tyre Collective. Richardson and the three other students, Siobhan Anderson, Hanson Cheng and M. Deepak Mallya, say they share a passion to use design in a way that advances environmental causes, according to The Guardian.</p><p>"As a team, our strength lies in our diversity," said Richardson, as The Guardian reported. "We come from all four corners of the globe and bring with us a wealth of knowledge in mechanical engineering, product design, architecture and biomechanics."</p>
<p>As the world moves toward more renewable energy and the technology of electric vehicles improves, a device like this may play an important role in making cars more environmentally friendly. That's due to the fact that electric vehicles do not solve the problem of tire pollution. In fact, they may make it worse since electric vehicles are usually heavier than cars with internal combustion engines, according to Autocar.</p><p>"We were unanimously drawn to The Tyre Collective for their creative innovation around this urgent issue of microplastic shedding from tires," said Sophie Thomas, one of the judges of the James Dyson award, according to Autocar. "This collaborative, multidisciplinary team questioned and challenged, building an approach that demonstrates the crucial role of design and enquiry when we search for solutions to these global problems."</p><p>The tiny particles that the designers created can be recycled to make new tires, ink or other materials, according to Autocar. Right now, the design is just a prototype, but the team hopes to use its £2,000 (approximately $2600) reward toward finding a way to scale up its product sustainably.</p><p>"In the future it could be integrated into the wheel arch or even into the mud flap behind the wheel," said Siobhan Anderson from the The Tyre Collective team, as Reuters reported.</p>
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An aerial view of a neighborhood destroyed by the Camp Fire on November 15, 2018 in Paradise, California. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
By Timothy Rooks
The many wildfires roaring through America's West Coast don't just look scary, they are bad for people's health, bad for public and private lands, and bad for the economy.
<p>The plumes of smoke have pushed air quality to hazardous levels forcing residents to stay indoors. Now some of the dirtiest air on Earth is wafting along the Pacific Ocean from Los Angeles up to the Canadian border. Millions of people are at the mercy of merciless flames.</p><p>So far, well over 5 million acres have burned across California, Oregon, Washington State and neighboring Idaho. Many of the fires are still not under control and tens of thousands of people have been <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/oregon-fires/a-54891910" target="_blank">forced to leave their homes</a> and at least 27 people have died. Many of the survivors have nothing to come back to.</p><p>In August, California was pummeled by an incredible heat wave. Temperatures in Death Valley reached <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/us-death-valley-records-highest-temperature-in-over-a-century/a-54597859" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">130 degrees Fahrenheit</a>, "possibly the hottest temperature ever measured on Earth," according to the <em>New York Times</em>.</p><p>Not surprisingly, up until now most of the talk has been about climate change and how the fires may impact the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/trump-biden-russia-hackers/a-54889346" target="_blank">U.S. presidential election</a>. On September 14, Joe Biden called Donald Trump a "<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/trump-downplays-climate-concerns-over-deadly-us-wildfires/a-54928125" target="_blank">climate arsonist</a>." Ominously one day later, smoke from some of the fires was actually visible above Washington, D.C.</p><p>When the smoke finally clears, the economic impact of so much destruction will be at the top of many people's list.</p>
Counting Up the Losses
<p>The costs around wildfires are multifold. Besides the irreplaceable loss of life and the enormous costs to put out the fires, there are many tangible elements like the damage to vehicles, homes and other buildings. These costs can be roughly calculated by looking at insurance claims.</p><p>Over the years, all of the top 10 costliest wildland fires in the country have been in California. The costliest of all was Camp Fire in 2018, which set insurers back over $8.5 billion, according to numbers tallied by the Insurance Information Institute.</p><p>But the Camp Fire was just one fire. Reinsurer Munich Re estimates the costs for all the wildfires that year to be over $20 billion. So far this year's fires should bring in a similar calculation.</p><p>Currently in California alone, thousands of structures have been damaged or destroyed. The state is known for building on steep slopes in rural areas surrounded by forests that are hard to access. And since the fires are still burning with no end in sight, it is impossible to tell how many will be damaged in the end and what the final costs will be. Add to that the fact that not everything is insured, and many things are underinsured and the actual costs get a little fuzzy.</p>Counting the Tourists
<p>It is important to remember that these numbers just include personal property. Damage done to public lands like parks is not added in. What is a single tree worth or a beautiful forest view in a state park anyhow?</p><p>What can be calculated though is how many tourists stay away based on past visitor numbers. The West Coast is world-famous for its natural wonders, wine country and lively cities, so there is no worse publicity than burning trees and a sky filled with smoke to keep tourists away.</p><p>These frightening images have gone around the world and made a deep impression. A bad reputation is hard to get rid of. The travel industry was already suffering because of COVID-19 restrictions, now a recovery on the West Coast will be even harder. </p>Fear and Loathing in LA and Beyond
<p>Other elements more difficult to tally are the costs of things that didn't happen like canceled flights, trains stopped in their tracks, workers on sick leave with respiratory problems, long-term health issues and other lost economic activity, either because a shop or warehouse burned down or there is no one left there to buy the goods.</p><p>Personal safety is also something to consider. Though U.S. housing sales are on a high, after so many natural disasters California may soon been seen as too dangerous a place to live or do business. In the end people may leave the coast for other, safer places.</p><p>Rebuilding is a lot of work and some may not be up to the challenge and may never come back as happened in New Orleans after <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/recovering-from-katrina-will-new-orleans-become-the-worlds-climate-beacon/a-19443437" target="_blank">Hurricane Katrina in 2005</a>. Higher insurance premiums for risky areas could help with these decisions.</p><p>In many ways these wildfires could not have come at a worse time. Besides scorched land, the coastal states will have less money to spend since their economies have been hit by coronavirus-related downturns. California in particular is dependent on global trade and needs huge sums of cash to run the state, invest in more costly firefighting and <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/us-global-standing-plummets-over-coronavirus-response-survey/a-54939242" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">beat COVID-19</a>.</p>Not Out of the Woods
<p>The wildfires in California have gained a lot of attention because of the apocalyptic sky around San Francisco. Yet 2015 was the worst year for wildfires, according to numbers gathered on annual wildland fires in the U.S. by the <a href="https://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/fireInfo_stats_totalFires.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Interagency Coordination Center</a>. That year there were over 68,000 fires that destroyed over 10 million acres in the U.S. In a close second place is 2017. Looking at the decades of collected data, the general trend is pointing toward ever more fires.</p><p>So far this year, the fires have not reached the level of 2015. Still experts point out that current higher temperatures, droughts and shorter winters all add to the possibility of more fires. A report issued by the National Interagency Fire Center on September 15 outlined the problem.</p><p>"Generally, most areas across the West received less than 25% of average precipitation in August. The precipitation received was mostly associated with thunderstorms and provided little benefit," according to the report. Not only that, temperatures were generally 2-4 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.</p><p>This all means that the traditional fire season is longer than in the past. Frighteningly, in California it has now been extended to cover all 12 months. For years there has not been a month without a wildfire. These extra firefighting missions cost a lot in terms of manpower and equipment and take time away from fire prevention.</p>California Has Huge Economic Impact
<p>California has the highest economic output of any American state, accounting for around 14% of the entire country's tab. Add in Oregon, Washington State and Idaho and the region accounts 19% of U.S. output. With increasing temperatures, climate change and less cash to invest because of the current downturn, the area needs to prepare for more uncontrollable fires.</p><p>Residents and businesses there will need to put fear aside and get used to higher insurance premiums and stricter building codes, or move to less turbulent places. The hot glow of embers may permanently reshape the dynamic West Coast and turn it an unwelcoming place — that would be an economic tragedy and make these wildfires truly costly.</p>
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An Extinction Rebellion environmental activist mother group protests outside Google's UK headquarters in London, England on Oct. 16, 2019. The group urged Facebook and Google to stop allowing climate deniers to profit on their platforms. Ollie Millington / Getty Images
Tech behemoths Google and Facebook have upped their respective pledges to the environment, joining the ranks of Apple and Microsoft. Earlier this year, Microsoft pledged to go carbon negative by 2030, meaning it will account for all the carbon it has ever produced and add enough mitigation to counteract its effect.
<p>Now Google is following in Microsoft's footsteps and going one step further. The tech giant pledged to be carbon neutral in 2007 and has made an investment to match all of the electricity it uses with <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" target="_self">renewable energy</a>. The company is now claiming that it has purchased enough carbon offsets to bring its carbon footprint dating back to the company's founding, according to a <a href="https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/sustainability/our-third-decade-climate-action-realizing-carbon-free-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blog post</a> by Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and Alphabet.</p><p>"The science is clear: The world must act now if we're going to avert the worst consequences of climate change," Pichai wrote. "We are committed to doing our part. Sustainability has been a core value for us since Larry and Sergey founded Google two decades ago."</p>
<p>Additionally, the company will become the first to commit to run entirely on carbon-free energy in all of its data centers around the world. Data centers are intensive energy consumers.</p><p>"This is far more challenging than the traditional approach of matching energy usage with renewable energy, but we're working to get this done by 2030," Pichai wrote. He added, "This is our biggest sustainability moonshot yet, with enormous practical and technical complexity. We are the first major company that's set out to do this, and we aim to be the first to achieve it."</p><p>To achieve the ambitious moonshot, Google will pair wind and solar energy together and it will use its robust artificial-intelligence to predict its future electricity demands, as the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54141899" target="_blank">BBC</a> reported.</p>
<p>The announcement won praise from climate activists.</p><p>"Today's announcement, combined with Google's promise in May to no longer create artificial intelligence solutions for upstream oil and gas exploration, shows that Google takes its role in combating climate change seriously," said Elizabeth Jardim, senior corporate campaigner at Greenpeace USA, according to the BBC.</p><p>In a move that follows the lead of industry leaders, Facebook announced that it will achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. It's an ambitious goal, but far behind Apple, Microsoft and Google on its climate commitments, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/15/facebook-and-google-announce-plans-become-carbon-neutral" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>"Facebook's global operations will achieve net-zero carbon emissions and be 100 percent supported by renewable energy. We are also setting an ambitious goal to reach net-zero emissions for our value chain in 2030," wrote its director of sustainability, Edward Palmieri, in a blog post, as <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/facebook-commits-to-net-zero-carbon-emissions-by-2030-1.4354701" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Irish Times</a> reported. Facebook houses its data centers for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp in Ireland.</p><p>"Over the next decade, Facebook will work to reduce carbon emissions from our operations and value chain, including by working with suppliers on their own goals, helping the development of new carbon removal technologies and making our facilities as efficient as possible," Palmieri added, as The Guardian reported.</p>
<p>The announcement is designed to bring Facebook in line with the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris agreement</a>, which aims to curb global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, as The Irish Times reported.</p><p>And yet, despite its climate pledges, Facebook has not stopped the thousands of climate misinformation and denial sites on its platform, as The Irish Times noted.</p>
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