Rules on Toxic Clean Up Chemicals Unclear as New Leak Pours into Gulf of Mexico
EcoWatch
A U.S. Air Force chemical dispersing C-130 aircraft drops an oil dispersing chemical into the Gulf of Mexico as part of the Deepwater Horizon Response effort, May 5, 2010. Photo credit: U.S. Air Force Photo / Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.
A new well leak in the Gulf of Mexico is spewing natural gas and possibly crude oil 75 miles off the coast of Louisiana, reports the U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
According to the LA Times, authorities reported a “rainbow sheen” of natural gas, more than four miles wide and three-quarters of a mile long, floating on the surface of the Gulf after a fly-over assessment Tuesday. How much had spilled was unclear.
The platform is owned by Energy Resources Technology Gulf of Mexico, LLC (ERT), which is a subsidiary of Talos Energy. According to a statement from the company, workers were attempting to permanently plug and abandon their non-producing well over the weekend when the leak occurred.
According to the Associated Press, workers were trying to temporarily plug the well Monday night when they lost control of it. The five workers on the platform were evacuated safely and two other wells were shut off, stated the U.S. Coast Guard.
As authorities are working closely with the ERT to monitor pollution response efforts, it is still unclear as to which chemicals can be used to safely clean up fossil fuel spills from offshore drilling and other incidents.
News of the leak broke the same day a coalition of environmental and public health groups filed notice to appeal a decision over the Clean Water Act regarding the use of chemical dispersants for oil spills.
Initially, the groups filed suit in August 2012 to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to comply with the Clean Water Act in preparing and publishing the list of dispersants eligible for use in oil spill response.
According to a press release from public interest environmental law firm Earthjustice, the District Court dismissed the coalition’s suit on May 7 reasoning that the EPA initially made its decision not to identify bodies of water or safe quantities for eligible dispersants back in the 1980s and 1990s, even though it was required by the Clean Water Act.
The BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo credit:
LEANweb.org.Earthjustice explains that the Clean Water Act requires the EPA to identify the waters in which dispersants and other spill mitigating devices and substances may be used, and the quantities that can be used safely, as part of the EPA’s responsibility for preparing and publishing the National Contingency Plan. But the EPA currently fails to include this required information in its list of eligible dispersants under the National Contingency Plan, which governs responses to discharges of oil and hazardous substances. This meant that during the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, 1.83 million gallons of dispersants were released into the ocean without prior scientific study and evaluation of the toxicity of those dispersants and without any understanding of whether those dispersants were safe for the Gulf of Mexico, particularly in the unprecedented quantities that were used. Research into the aftermath of that disaster suggests that indeed they were not safe.
According to the press release, the District Court stated that the groups should have challenged the EPA's decision when it was first made and were too late to claim violations of the Clean Water Act. This interpretation of the law allows an agency to continue violating clear statutory mandates so long as these violations were not caught and corrected within the first six years of their occurrence.
In October 2010, Earthjustice and the coalition had filed a rulemaking petition calling on the EPA to set a toxicity standard, require dispersant manufacturers both to improve testing of their products for toxicity and to disclose the ingredients of the dispersants as a condition of allowing the product to be eligible for use in response to spills. Earthjustice stated that while the rulemaking has been expected for years, it has yet to be released.
Earthjustice represents the Louisiana Shrimp Association, Florida Wildlife Federation, Gulf Restoration Network, Louisiana Environmental Action Network, the Alaska-based Cook Inletkeeper, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Waterkeeper Alliance and Sierra Club in this action.
Visit EcoWatch’s CLEAN WATER ACT and OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING pages for more related news on this topic.
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New EarthX Special 'Protecting the Amazon' Suggests Ways to Save the World’s Greatest Rainforest
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A 3-hour special film by EarthxTV calls for protection of the Amazon and its indigenous populations. EarthxTV.org
To save the planet, we must save the Amazon rainforest. To save the rainforest, we must save its indigenous peoples. And to do that, we must demarcate their land.
<p><a href="https://earthx.org/protecting-the-amazon/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Protecting the Amazon</em></a>, the latest special film program from EarthxTV, explains the need for these actions and how to work in solidarity with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/indigenous-peoples" target="_self">indigenous peoples</a> to preserve Amazonia.</p><p>The Amazon rainforest and the indigenous tribes that call it home are in danger. The newest scientific reports predict the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-rainforest-collapse-2649776959.html" target="_self">world's largest rainforest will collapse by 2064</a>, causing dangerous water shortages, catastrophic biodiversity loss and much more. As the ecosystem degrades, it will also lose its ability to store carbon, changing from a carbon sink for the planet into a carbon source. A 2020 study estimated that the Amazon is already <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-rainforest-carbon-emissions-2650166673.html" target="_self">on the brink of turning into a net carbon emitter</a>. Going past that threshold would throw the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> into full swing.</p>
<p>Unsustainable development, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation" target="_self">deforestation</a>, cattle ranching and soybean production are the main culprits behind this rapid destruction. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-brazil-gold-mining-2645732733.html" target="_self">Illegal gold mining</a> plays a big part, too.</p><p>Princess Esmeralda of Belgium, president of the Leopold III Fund for Nature Exploration and Conservation and one of the co-hosts of the 3-hour special, lamented the bleak outlook.</p><p>"The current state of the Amazon rainforest is dire," she told EcoWatch. "During 2019 and 2020, deforestation continued at a frightening pace and scale. Last year, it increased by 30 percent from what was already a record-breaking year in 2019."</p><p>The conservation journalist also pointed out how <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-deforestation-bolsonaro-2649115946.html" target="_self">deforestation, invasion of indigenous lands and mining in the rainforest have skyrocketed under Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro</a>, a known pro-development, anti-Amazon, anti-indigenous candidate. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/jair-bolsonaro" target="_self">Bolsonaro</a> was elected with the support of the "so-called BBB (beef, bullets and bible)," a very powerful lobby composed of militaries, Christian evangelists and meat producers, Princess Esmeralda said. She estimated that almost 20 percent of the Amazon had been lost in the last half-century.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, attempts to stop the destruction have fallen short.</p><p>According to Rob Harding, executive producer of <em>Protecting the Amazon</em>, "The international community's attempts to nurture a healthier Amazon have thus far failed... The urgency of this situation is clear."</p><p>Citing his motivations behind pitching the special project, Harding added, "There's no time like the present to help raise awareness and inspire meaningful action by instilling a sense of global collective responsibility. We believe that <em>Protecting the Amazon</em> will do all of the above."</p>
<p>The film event, a rare collaboration and amplification of indigenous voices and their allies, brings together some of the world's biggest players in conservation – including Jane Goodall, legendary indigenous rights advocates Chief Raoni Metuktire and Chief Ninawa Huni-Kui and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society founder Paul Watson – on the same virtual stage to highlight our collective responsibility to the rainforest.</p><p>All make the case for demarcating indigenous lands in the Amazon as an effective forestalling against the catastrophes forecasted above. Demarcation is the constitutionally-mandated federal process wherein indigenous territories are identified and studied to determine and mark off boundaries, explained Gert-Peter Bruch, co-host of the special and co-founder of the Alliance of Mother Nature's Guardians.</p>
<p>Satellite views of the rainforest make clear that where there are federally-recognized, demarcated and protected indigenous territories, the richest and most contiguous forests still remain, said Christian Poirier, program director for Amazon Watch, a partner in the special program.</p><p>"These are essentially islands of forests in a sea of deforestation," he told EcoWatch. "Everything around them has been degraded and deforested."</p><p>Importantly, he added, these areas remain pristine because (1) indigenous peoples are effective stewards of the rainforest, and (2) the federal government of Brazil has recognized the rights of indigenous peoples to these lands and helps to keep out destructive actors.</p><p>"The demarcation of indigenous lands is fundamental to the future of the Amazon, both in terms of its environmental conservation and in terms of respecting the human rights of indigenous peoples, who are the best stewards of the rainforest," Poirier said. Without demarcation, "the Amazon would cease to exist as we know it today."</p>
<p>In theory, once land is demarcated, non-indigenous equipment, installations and occupants would be required to leave, for good, Bruch explained. This would allow indigenous peoples to continue to act as custodians of the land as they have since time immemorial.</p><p>In the Amazon and indeed even on a global scale, indigenous peoples make up approximately 4 percent of the world's population, and yet they effectively watch over 80 percent of the planet's remaining biodiversity, Poirier explained.</p><p>"Because they are proven the best stewards of the rainforest, we need to learn from them how to keep the rainforest from reaching a tipping point," Poirier said. "The integrity of their territories is a fundamental component of that, but it goes beyond their territories. This is a worldview we need to apply to understanding how to preserve the rainforest in conjunction with its peoples ‒ its forest peoples and its indigenous peoples. We need to have their voice centered in any conversation about land conservation and their rights upheld."</p>
<p><em>Protecting the Amazon</em> calls for this critical mass and solidarity with indigenous peoples in protecting their rights and the forest, simultaneously. The film event notes the long history of fierce indigenous resistance to the many efforts to disenfranchise and evict them from their lands. All speakers also insist that indigenous peoples cannot do this work alone.</p><p>Bruch concluded with a hope that the special event would refocus the world on these pressing issues and remind everyone that the destiny of the indigenous guardians of the Amazon is linked to ours, and that their protection depends on the protection of their territories.</p><p>"Solidarity is so critical and... this event is a critical step towards raising awareness... of the work (indigenous peoples) have always done to benefit us all," Poirier said. "If they are unsuccessful in protecting their areas, all of humanity will suffer gravely."</p><p>View the film on demand on <a href="https://earthx.org/earthxondemand/" target="_blank">EarthxOnDemand</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY5NDQxMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDc5MzIxM30.yA7xyURHdb8k9uod4xzcKlca2LK9Tei5K5ZQdBY-TLQ/img.png?width=980" id="c31e1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="919f5b7bb78b2d4fd6b6f48c6e3db1a1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="2048" data-height="1080" />
A new EarthxTV film special calls for the protection of the Amazon rainforest and the indigenous people that call it home. EarthxTV.org
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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres delivers a video speech at the high-level meeting of the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council UNHRC in Geneva, Switzerland on Feb. 22, 2021. Xinhua / Zhang Cheng via Getty Images
By Anke Rasper
"Today's interim report from the UNFCCC is a red alert for our planet," said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The report, released Friday, looks at the national climate efforts of 75 states that have already submitted their updated "nationally determined contributions," or NDCs. The countries included in the report are responsible for about 30% of the world's global greenhouse gas emissions.
<p>While most have increased their individual climate efforts, only two of the worst emitters, including the UK and the EU, have stepped up their goals considerably. And the member states' plans to tackle the climate crisis "are very far from putting us on a pathway that will meet our Paris Agreement goals," said Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of UN Climate Change.</p><p>The individual contributions submitted to date would only cut about 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions — a far cry from the 45% cut needed by 2030 <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/5-years-paris-climate-agreement/a-55901139" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">to meet the 1.5 degree goal</a>, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).</p>
<p>In 2015, 195 countries and the European Union had agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global heating way below an increase of 2 degrees Celsius.</p><p>UN Chief Guterres urged major emitters to "step up with much more ambitious emissions reductions targets for 2030" well before the next UN Climate Conference, slated for Glasgow in November.</p><p>The interim report also stressed that poor countries were banking on the funds pledged under the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris agreement</a> to protect forests and other ecosystems, to carry out climate measures.</p>
<h3>Nations Need to Improve Their Targets</h3><p>The UN's interim report, which looked at the NDCs available as of December, provides a snapshot ahead of the COP 26 climate conference in November. The remaining 122 signatory countries have yet to define their updated contributions, including the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases: China and the U.S.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY5NDY4OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NzY3MzAwMX0._APDeJRj_0shkCdStFOXTznO4aSVqXu164gPawaa7lc/img.png?width=980" id="3f289" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a445f108a4e6d0264c1d0037a2a5139b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1920" data-height="2594" />
<p>The Paris agreement is a voluntary process and leaves it up to national governments to decide how they want to achieve their self-imposed targets. There is no provision for sanctions or punitive mechanisms against countries that fail to meet their climate targets.<span></span><br></p>
<h3>Will the U.S. Take the Lead on Climate Change?</h3><p>Many hope that the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/2021-climate-policy-biden-pledges/a-56437561" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. rejoining the Paris agreement</a> will provide a much-needed boost to international climate ambitions. U.S. special envoy for climate John Kerry has already announced that the U.S. will present "very aggressive, strong NDCs" ahead of the special climate summit in Washington on April 22.</p><p>The U.S. under the Biden administration also wants to expand its climate diplomacy to include China in particular, currently the largest emitter. <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/can-china-meet-its-ambitious-decarbonization-goals/a-56644449" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">China has already announced plans</a> to increase its national targets this year.</p><p>Other major emitters, such as Russia and Brazil, have so far shown little ambition to commit to more. Former head of the UN Climate Secretariat, Christiana Figueres, was optimistic nonetheless that "many large emitters such as the U.S., China, Japan and others" would submit ambitious plans, because it was "in their own competitive interests to reach 50% emissions reductions by 2030."</p><p>Together with Canada, the U.S. is also considering slapping higher import duties on countries that are not doing enough to save the climate. However, it is unclear whether such sanctions are compatible with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).</p>
<h3>Climate Change Existential Threat to Humanity</h3><p>UN Climate Change Chief Patricia Espinosa pointed out that the last 10 years had been the hottest decade in human history. The record rise in temperatures, for example in the Arctic winter and northern Siberia, and <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/why-does-global-warming-cause-icy-conditions/a-16196445" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dramatic winter weather</a> slamming the traditionally mild southern U.S., were being amplified by the now measurably slowing Gulf Stream in the Atlantic — something that could be irreversible.</p><p>"It's time for all remaining Parties to step up, fulfill what they promised to do under the Paris Agreement and submit their NDCs as soon as possible," Espinosa said, adding "if this task was urgent before, it's crucial now."</p><p>And with the world focused largely on the coronavirus crisis, Espinosa stressed that any economic measures to offset the pandemic needed to take the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a> into account.</p><p>According to Espinosa, this is precisely why it is so important to tackle the global crises — such as COVID-19, the climate crisis, and the dramatic loss of biodiversity — as a whole.</p><p>"As we rebuild, we cannot revert to the old normal. The NDCs must reflect this reality and major emitters, especially G20 nations, must lead the way," she said.</p><p>The expanded final report, which will include all national climate contributions, will be released shortly before the UN climate conference in November. COP 26 President Alok Sharma urged all member states to "recognize that the window for action to safeguard our planet is closing fast." </p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/un-red-alert-for-national-climate-goals/a-56713215" target="_blank">DW</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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New Delhi's smog is particularly thick, increasing the risk of vehicle accidents. SAJJAD HUSSAIN / AFP via Getty Images
India's New Delhi has been called the "world air pollution capital" for its high concentrations of particulate matter that make it harder for its residents to breathe and see. But one thing has puzzled scientists, according to The Guardian. Why does New Delhi see more blinding smogs than other polluted Asian cities, such as Beijing?
<p>To answer this question, scientists looked at the chemical composition of the region's smog and found that its density is likely linked to the burning of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastics</a>. The specific <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/chemicals" target="_self">chemicals</a> released by this burning and other industrial processes are responsible for around 50 percent of the low visibility, the study authors wrote.</p><p>How did they reach this conclusion? The study, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-020-00677-x" target="_blank">Nature Geoscience in late January</a>, measured the chemical composition of the particulate matter in the cities of Delhi and Chennai. These are both cities in the Indo Gangetic Plain, a region blanketed in dense smog, particularly in December and January, a PTI story published by <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/plastic-burning-fog-visibility-reduction-delhi-7163964/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Indian Express explained</a>.</p>
<p>The researchers found that the smog in both cities, though particularly in Chennai, had high amounts of chloride. The researchers then looked at which chemicals also spiked along with the chloride, and found it matched what would be released by the burning of plastic, The Guardian explained.</p><p>"We realised that despite absolute PM2.5 mass burden over Delhi being much less than other polluted megacities around the world, including Beijing, the pollution and atmospheric chemistry of Delhi is much more complex to understand," lead author and IIT Madras Department of Civil Engineering associate professor Sachin S Gunthe told PTI. "This work put forward importance of measurements and modelling approaches to scientifically conclude that half of the water uptake and visibility reduction by aerosol particles around Delhi is caused by the hydrochloric acid (<a href="https://indianexpress.com/about/hcl-technologies/" target="_blank">HCl</a>) emissions, which is locally emitted in Delhi potentially due to plastic contained waste burning and other industrial processes."</p>
<p>The low visibility is a deadly and costly problem for New Delhi, the study authors wrote. It increases car accidents and flight delays. Particulate matter in general caused 12,000 excess deaths in New Delhi in 2017, according to one estimate. But the burning of plastics poses other, unique risks, The Guardian explained. It can release highly toxic dioxins that contaminate the food chain and react with smog to increase levels of ground-level ozone, which have been linked to crop yield reductions of 20 to 30 percent.</p><p>However, the study's findings have one bright side.</p><p>"Given that we find plastic burning as a potential cause of the reduced visibility, we hope these findings will help policy makers to efficiently enforce and implement policies that are already in place towards regulating open burning of plastic contained-waste and other potential chlorine sources," Gunthe told PTI.</p>
<p>Still, the problem of plastic waste is larger than two cities in India. Around 90 percent of waste in low income countries is either left in dumps or burned outdoors, according to The Guardian. The emissions from the burning of plastics can also contribute to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>. This means the ultimate solution needs to be a global one.</p><p>"Better waste management needs to be a priority but eliminating plastic pollution also requires a rethink of global plastic production and use," Gary Fuller concluded for The Guardian.</p>
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A bridge over the Delaware river connects New Hope, Pennsylvania with Lambertville, New Jersey. Richard T. Nowitz / Getty Images
In a historic move, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) voted Thursday to ban hydraulic fracking in the region. The ban was supported by all four basin states — New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York — putting a permanent end to hydraulic fracking for natural gas along the 13,539-square-mile basin, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
<p>The vote affirms a 2010 moratorium by the DRBC, an agency that manages the water. Pressured by environmental groups, commissioners used their authority to safeguard public and environmental health and limit future pollution, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.</p><p>"Today's decision is a historic watershed moment and one that will significantly contribute to a clean energy future," Patrick Grenter, associate director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign, <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2021/02/fracking-outlawed-delaware-river-basin-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said in a statement</a>. "Fracking threatens the health of our people, water, climate, and communities and we're relieved to see it outlawed in the Delaware River Basin."</p><p>Fracking for natural gas involves blasting high volumes of pressurized water and chemicals into rock formations. This has led to contaminated water wells, while wastewater spills have transmitted radioactive materials into surface and groundwater, <a href="https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2021/02/25/delaware-river-basin-commission-votes-to-ban-fracking-in-the-watershed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">StateImpact Pennsylvania reported</a>. These pollutants and chemicals are linked to cancers and other health issues in humans and wildlife, <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/marisa-guerrero/fracking-banned-delaware-river-basin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NRDC reported</a>. </p><p>If fracking were to be allowed in the Delaware River Basin, these same impacts could affect the 17 million people that rely on the basin for drinking water, putting 45,000 people who live within a mile of the planned fracking well locations at high risk for those health problems, the NRDC added. The basin is also a critical habitat for one of the most important fisheries in the country, home to diverse species such as native trout, American eels and bald eagles.</p>
<p>The debate on fracking in the region began over a decade ago. During Pennsylvania's natural gas boom, commissioners expressed concern over the high quantity of basin water required to support it, StateImpact Pennsylvania found.</p>
<p>In response, the DRBC imposed a fracking moratorium in 2010, but never finalized drilling regulations, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Supporters of basin drilling argued that the commission did not have the authority to regulate drilling, StateImpact Pennsylvania noted. </p><p>Despite yesterday's vote, the ban still faces opposition. </p><p>Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Gene Barr said that the votes by New York, New Jersey and Delaware did not have Pennsylvania's "best interests in mind," StateImpact Pennsylvania reported. </p>
<p>"There is no support to any claim that drilling results in widespread impacts to drinking water, rivers or groundwater," <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fracking-ban-vote-delaware-river-16dbb425b97cff0fb6f10186b0a2bae8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Barr told AP</a>. "This was a political decision uninformed by science."</p>
<p>Last month, State Sens. Gene Yaw (R., Lycoming) and Lisa Baker (R., Luzerne) and the Pennsylvania Republican Caucus said the moratorium, now a ban, "amounts to an illegal taking of property from Pennsylvania owners of mineral rights and from taxing authorities," The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.</p>
<p>While Thursday's fracking ban could be seen as a promising sign for reducing fossil fuel reliance, the Biden team will face challenges addressing the climate crisis without also slashing jobs in an industry that accounts for a significant amount of U.S. employment. </p>
<p>For the time being, environmental groups are celebrating a rare climate victory. </p><p>"Banning fracking in the Delaware River Basin is an historic event," the NRDC added, crediting years of hard-fought advocacy by environmental groups and activists alike. "It marks a commitment to protecting human and environmental health — not just for those who depend on the Delaware River, but for an entire planet threatened by climate change."</p>
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Woodpecker
Colombia is one of the world's largest producers of coffee, and yet also one of the most economically disadvantaged. According to research by the national statistic center DANE, 35% of the population in Columbia lives in monetary poverty, compared to an estimated 11% in the U.S., according to census data. This has led to a housing insecurity issue throughout the country, one which construction company Woodpecker is working hard to solve.
<p><a href="https://woodpecker.com.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Woodpecker</a>, a startup in Bogota, Colombia, uses coffee husks to manufacture lightweight, prefabricated buildings for home and classroom use. They combine the coffee husk with recycled plastic to create a more durable and environmentally-conscious material for building. This not only reduces waste from coffee farms that would inevitably end up in the landfills but helps to execute a swift, simple construction that anyone can do. The DIY structure of the Woodpecker buildings was integral to their mission of providing low-income housing for Colombia's impoverished areas. </p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="32470a0d09765608475c07ea3f20a423"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rXz8sisOeW4?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>The idea for these pre-fabricated tiny homes began with entrepreneur Alejandro Franco, now CEO of Woodpecker. He said in an interview with <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90604018/now-your-coffee-habit-can-help-build-houses" target="_blank">Fast Company</a>, "We saw that there was a huge necessity for a lightweight construction system for housing and classrooms in rural and isolated places where traditional construction systems cannot go — like bricks, cement, and concrete."</p><p>"Coffee husk was selected because it's stronger and drier than the other fibers," explained Franco in the interview. This special <a href="https://woodpecker.com.co/que-es-wpc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wood plastic composite (WPC)</a> material is also self-extinguishing, pest-resistant, and is built to withstand moisture, making it a safe alternative for low-income housing. The standardized plastic parts clip together on a steel frame for simplistic installation. Their large-scale production and use of recycled and waste materials allow Woodpecker tiny homes to be sold for as little as <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90606479/google-food-ordering-flights-shared-searches-stocks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$4,500 each</a>. </p><p>Because of the low price point and simple installation, the Colombian government reached out to Woodpecker to help locals recover after Hurricane Iota in November of 2020. The government used Woodpecker housing to swiftly provide shelter for displaced citizens when they could not be transported elsewhere. </p><p>"The system worked perfectly considering that there was no energy supply, the soil was muddy, the airport damaged, no food, etc. — all the problems that you can imagine," Franco said in the Fast Company interview. Without this solution, many Columbian locals would have been without shelter. On the Colombian island of Providencia, an <a href="https://peopleenespanol.com/chica/hurricane-iota-central-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">estimated 98%</a> of the infrastructure was damaged. </p><p>Woodpecker's plan to reduce the strain of housing insecurity in Colombia is proving successful thus far. They have already sold <a href="https://woodpecker.com.co/nosotros/" target="_blank">2,600 homes</a>, and are planning to expand in the near future. To see Woodpecker's impact firsthand you can <a href="https://woodpecker.com.co/galeria/" target="_blank">visit their online gallery</a>.</p><p><em>Savannah Hasty is an environmental writer with more than six years of experience and has written thousands of articles for clients around the world. Her work focuses on environmental news, lifestyle content, and copywriting for sustainable brands. Savannah lives on the sunny coast of Florida and is inspired by this to play an active role in the preservation of the state's marine life and natural ecosystems.</em><br></p>
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