United Airlines Boeing 737 takes off from Los Angeles international Airport on November 11, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. AaronP / Bauer-Griffin / GC Images
United Airlines is seeking to reduce its net greenhouse gas pollution by investing in carbon capture and sequestration instead of merely buying carbon offsets.
<p>"Traditional carbon offsets do almost nothing to tackle the emissions from flying. And, more importantly, they simply don't meet the scale of this global challenge," United CEO Scott Kirby <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVwX-F15lXC6W5S51M24xf-vDW2F3lfm4lQvmpN44_D9w5nxGrV3Zsc37CgXMBN73z2pGSXvxjN8kfft4QjbMPW1ZvRvv7Fkdv9VRkkt36hRtQ9W3lrZQp3mF4GmVsxHX234ZRP-W5ffGJ25PQXd6W2NB3-c6wZplZW3cZxkB6KDP6mV51H3M45vG6lW7l6SfH8SPVMTW7vR4G32Nf9rhW2s1Bqv7X6G2_W2zTx-j97QzPxW20zcC066r0qTW5n50tb371xQNN93zdsRQhjlMW5SSg-P33j9gmN6RVlg2SwWr3N1GRjqdCh4_8W7clJBC7qxXxxW8nHnhZ84qdMmW5QfcCq4-kc0qW1dsPRv7CN951N7mj0G0TKv2XN37VKH_VryySW74_Vqc49vqRqW8jvGQf79SlRyVx1flY48S5JWW2-LC9J6kcxFNW3HTlQ24K0jHsVSCXYZ85rpzSW4_0zQ718J38xN79fp3q9gJ1x34my1" target="_blank">wrote</a>. </p><p>United will partner with 1PointFive, a carbon capture firm founded last year by a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum and Rusheen Capital Management. </p><p>The carbon capture plants, each about 100 acres, will use direct air carbon capture to pull 1 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere, equivalent to the amount of carbon captured by more than 40 million trees. </p><p>Aviation is among the hardest sectors to decarbonize: Battery- and solar-powered aviation technology is nowhere near ready to make a dent in the market, and lower-impact biofuels are limited both by production constraints and plane's fuel mixture requirements.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p>United: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2021/01/12/climate-solutions-united-airlines/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=106540840&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_C3fEH0oBFPE7XajUw1QeHAsXQdB1mrZPUhbtRQ0DlWagy1OWm5gFpplf7AhgxkezKmlFevSDbbwE-pV5lI0ZPji8plp-s9HKDp0wMYXdJLHk1Dus&utm_content=106540840&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>; Direct air carbon capture: <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/direct-air-capture-climate-change-technology_n_5fffa043c5b691806c4f1c02?ncid=NEWSSTAND0005&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=106540840&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9zS-0aJocfEZrQY3hjGhttvxj23ee-e5VckGV-An-F8REOWXaLqzmNHamxb2pVY3mnpwQj82TYA0zO9xAy0TzNn_63EHT8YjL2ju2aVOV-7PDY2Y0&utm_content=106540840&utm_source=hs_email&guccounter=1" target="_blank">Huff Post</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Avenue des Champs-Élysées from the top of Triumphal Arch (Place de l'Etoile / place Charles de Gaulle ) in Paris, France on June 15, 2020. legna69 / Getty Images
Is Paris trading "la vie en rose" for "la vie en verte?"
<p>The Mayor of the French capital, Anne Hidalgo, told newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche Sunday that the city would follow through on a $305 million project to transform the iconic Champs-Élysées into a haven for plants and pedestrians, as <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/01/11/Paris-to-begin-Champs-Elysees-renovations-in-2025/7711610412658/" target="_blank">UPI reported</a>.</p><p>"[I]t will be [another] extraordinary garden," Hidalgo said.</p>
<p>The changes are being designed by architect Philippe Chiambaretta of PCA-STREAM and include halving vehicle traffic and expanding sidewalks for pedestrians while creating "planted living rooms."</p><p>The 1.2 mile avenue is also an eight-lane highway used by an average of 3,000 vehicles per hour and is currently more polluted than the road that surrounds Paris, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/10/paris-approves-plan-to-turn-champs-elysees-into-extraordinary-garden-anne-hidalgo?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR22qaG6JtHgLtDNlo7ntsHTn2azNwnlelWq48Tluo7OedYCclFdGRec3b4#Echobox=1610370370" target="_blank">The Guardian pointed out</a>. The new greenery is partly intended to improve air quality.</p>
<p>Chiambaretta said the avenue had become a symptom of the problems with modern cities: "<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pollution" target="_self">pollution</a>, the place of the car, tourism and consumerism", according to The Guardian. He said it needed to become more "ecological, desirable and inclusive."</p><p>The new plans for the avenue were first presented by the Champs-Élysées committee in 2019, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/18/its-a-little-worn-paris-champs-elysees-in-line-for-250m-make-over" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported at the time. The committee, made up of people who live, work or own businesses along the avenue, thought it needed to be revitalized to appeal to everyday Parisians.</p>
<p>Indeed, Chiambaretta said at the time that 72 percent of the 100,000 people who walked there daily were tourists, while 22 percent were employed there.</p><p>"It's often called the world's most beautiful avenue, but those of us who work here every day are not at all sure about that. The Champs-Élysées has more and more visitors and big name businesses battle to be on it, but to French people it's looking worn out," Champs-Élysées committee president Jean-Noël Reinhardt said in 2019.</p><p>Now, Reinhardt and his committee are pleased that Hidalgo is honoring their vision.</p><p>"The legendary avenue has lost its splendour during the last 30 years. It has been progressively abandoned by Parisians and has been hit by several successive crises: the <em>gilets jaunes</em>, strikes, health and economic," the committee said in a statement reported by <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/architecture/paris-champs-elysees-garden-redevelopment-b1785426.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a>.</p>
<p><br>Hidalgo told Le Journal du Dimanche that the Champs-Élysées' green makeover is part of a larger project to transform the city "before and after 2024," when Paris will host the Olympics. The work on the avenue will not start until after 2024, but the Place de la Concorde will be redone before that date, according to UPI.</p><p>Other plans include placing more greenery, ponds and fountains around the Eiffel Tower, The Independent reported. The Pont d'Iéna, which links the famous tower to Trocadéro, will also be greened and lined with trees before 2024.</p>The urban renewal project "Reinventing Paris" first started in 2014 and also includes a cleanup of the Seine, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/paris-champs-elysee-project-scli-intl/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/paris-champs-elysee-project-scli-intl/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNN</a><p> reported.</p>
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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The Parc del Fòrum, a public open space with a massive solar panel in Barcelona, Spain. Enrique Díaz / 7cero / Getty Images
By Francesco Starace and Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Why is it so important to decarbonize cities? And how can we do it?
<p>The first question is easy to answer: The cities in which more than half of us live account for nearly two-thirds of the CO2 emissions that lie at the root of our planet's looming <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a>. Skyscrapers in megalopolises, shopping malls, SUVs in the streets, air conditioners in a growing number of places throughout the globe – all consume a vast amount of high CO2-content energy.</p><p>The answer to the second question is to take an integrated approach: leveraging clean electrification and digital technology to harmonize urban energy systems, while also thinking beyond individual projects to consider their impact within the surrounding communities and the built environment.</p>
<p>In fact, urban energy, transport and building infrastructures are gradually becoming greener: There are <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2020" target="_blank">more electric vehicles on city streets</a>, better water treatment and recycling schemes, and more <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar">solar</a> panels on rooftops around the globe. According to <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2020?utm_content=buffer061dd&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin-Birol&utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank">International Energy Agency estimates</a>, renewables like solar and wind are set to become the largest source of electricity generation worldwide by 2025, supplying one-third of the world's electricity and ending coal's decades-long dominance of the global power mix.</p><p>All this is, of course, welcome.</p><p>But with climate change accelerating, we need more comprehensive decarbonization actions on three fronts. First, we need even more energy to come from <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable</a> sources. Second, we need more cars, heating and other activity to be powered by clean electricity. Third, we need everything from factories, to office buildings, homes, transport systems and consumer devices to become more energy-efficient.</p>
<p>This third lever might not as headline-grabbing as the rise of solar panels or electric vehicles. But it is a big piece of the decarbonization puzzle, with an even larger potential enabled by digital technologies.</p><p>Consider, for example, the technologies that make buildings more energy-efficient, by automatically adapting the amount of cooling, heating or lighting to occupancy levels at any given moment. Or digital tools that allow the operators of a manufacturing site in Sweden or a public utility in India to run their operations or distribution systems more efficiently and even remotely, rather than in person (a feature that has proved critical in these times of social distancing and lockdowns).</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzNDUzNy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzEwMDEwN30.PFj06PUl54BGCMlbb0etzgnp-P2-zB1a3v5RNcG2BYw/img.png?width=980" id="57d4e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8cdbcd37ddf921991f9393f268d33296" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1526" data-height="986" />
<p>Imagine how much more we could achieve if we digitally integrate ultra-efficient buildings, public services – e.g. transport or lighting – and electric vehicle charging stations into a wider, highly efficient urban system, delivering better quality services for citizens and accompanying benefits such as local job creation, health, and well-being. Integration and interaction between assets are the key to disrupt the traditional equation of energy and efficiency in cities. An EV battery can store power not only for just one car, but, while a car is not in use, also for the surrounding community thanks to smart-charging infrastructures. Excess power generated by an office building's or warehouse's rooftop solar panels might be used to help power the wider neighborhood.</p>
<p>The technologies, digital tools and data analytics capabilities to enable this efficient urban system already exist, as do concrete examples of such an integrated approach. Therefore, integration and collaboration of systems and stakeholders are the fundamental drivers to accelerate and scale the transition in cities.</p><p>Integration of energy, buildings and mobility requires cross-cutting industry collaboration, ranging from utilities and real estate, to technology companies and financial institutions. City- and state-level administration can enable and facilitate such collaboration through public-private cooperation. The public sector can drive on governance, policy and licensing, while the private sector provides agility, technology and resources. This cooperation can share and balance risks and liability between stakeholders for mutual gains and value creation for the broader community.</p>
<p>All of this comes against a backdrop of great urgency. Epidemics, climate and economic pain have all created unique challenges in 2020. But combating climate change must remain top of mind. Cities lie at the heart of this fight and have now the chance to build back better. We have joined the World Economic Forum in the effort to promote dialogue and mobilize action together with a group of global leaders. As co-chairs of the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/projects/systemic-efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Net Zero Carbon Cities initiative</a>, our ambition is to accelerate a sustainable transition in cities, supporting mayors in creating value for their communities. It is up to all of us to ensure we become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/cities-climate-decarbonize-integrated/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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Cambridge, MA Becomes First U.S. City to Mandate Climate Warnings on Gas Pumps
29 December 2020
Energy
An aerial view of Harvard Hall in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts on April 16, 2020. Blake Nissen for The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts will mandate climate change warning labels on fuel pumps, The Guardian reported.
<p>The yellow stickers warn drivers that burning gasoline, diesel and ethanol has "major consequences on human health and the environment including contributing to climate change," making Cambridge the first U.S. city to do so, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/25/massachusetts-city-to-post-climate-change-warning-stickers-at-gas-stations" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>While similar mandates can be found in <a href="http://www.gronabilister.se/arkiv/artiklar-och-reportage/artiklar-2018/the-climate-impact-and-the-origin-of-all-fuels-in-sweden-will-be-declared-at-the-pump" target="_blank">Sweden</a>, a similar idea surfaced in Berkeley, California in 2014, but was never enacted, according to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cambridge-gas-pumps-post-warning-climate-change-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Business Insider</a>.</p><p>"The gas pump stickers will remind drivers to think about climate change and hopefully consider non-polluting options," a spokesman from the city of Cambridge told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/25/massachusetts-city-to-post-climate-change-warning-stickers-at-gas-stations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTExNzM3Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjcyOTE5NX0.9ZB7MnjzQkhihMb6CT5hjqdf8gH6Uwf07OCETV_u6P0/img.jpg?width=980" id="7e403" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="31d668b4db1928db7ca04634589914d3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="893" data-height="679" />
City of Cambridge
<p>In 2018, Cambridge updated its <a href="https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/climateandenergy/climatechangeplanning/climateactionplan" target="_blank">Climate Action Plan</a>, aiming to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The label mandate is a step towards achieving this goal and an attempt to reduce the city's transportation greenhouse gas emissions which account for almost half of the city's total, according to the <a href="http://cambridgema.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=2566&MediaPosition=&ID=10472&CssClass=" target="_blank">city's order</a>.</p><p>"Requiring these labels at the gas pump will provide consumers with information about the impact of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel</a> consumption directly at the point of purchase," <a href="http://cambridgema.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=2566&MediaPosition=&ID=10472&CssClass=" target="_blank">the order adds</a>.</p><p>"Labels are designed to create a feeling like someone has broken a rule or violated a law," Jamie Brooks, founder of the organization <a href="https://ourhorizon.org/think-beyond-the-pump/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Think Beyond the Pump</a>, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/25/massachusetts-city-to-post-climate-change-warning-stickers-at-gas-stations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian</a>. "This feeling, along with increased social pressure, like smoking labels, can translate to a collapse in trust for the current system, thereby increasing the public appetite for alternatives."</p>
<p>Labels, warning drivers of their contribution to climate change, may encourage more people to reduce the effects of their fuel consumption, but the financial incentives of switching to alternative transportation methods, like <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles">electric vehicles</a>, remain unclear.</p><p>Considering the varying costs of gasoline and electricity across states, the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/electric-vs-gas-it-cheaper-drive-ev" target="_blank">NRDC reported</a> that in Washington state "the electricity required to run a battery-powered electric car can be as much as $14,480 cheaper than fueling up an internal combustion vehicle," according to <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/pdfExtended/S2542-4351(20)30231-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a study</a> published by the journal Joule. Yet, in Hawaii "charging up your electric car could ultimately cost $2,494 more than topping up a gas tank over 15 years."</p><p>While placing climate warnings on gas pumps may not alone transition the transportation sector off fossil fuels, they may link consumer choices directly with climate consequences – and inspire more to have conversations on climate change.</p>
<p>With historic wildfires in the American West and record-breaking hurricanes in the East, many Americans are witnessing the effects of fossil fuel combustion in their daily lives.</p><p>"Conversations about climate change have broken into everyday life, to the top of the headlines and to center stage in the presidential campaign," <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/22/climate/climate-change-future.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>. Evidently, more are asking, "Can this be reversed? What can be done to minimize the looming dangers for the decades ahead?"</p><p>A recent article by <a href="https://grist.org/climate/psychic-numbing-why-rising-covid-and-climate-change-death-tolls-no-longer-shock-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grist</a> analyzed society's "psychic numbing" towards these realities. "Climate change is going to be with us for the rest of our lives," Susanne Moser, a Massachusetts-based researcher told Grist. "How are we going to stay alert and respond effectively to something that is stuck with us for so long?" she asked.</p>
<p>Local initiatives, like mandating labels on gas pumps, could produce tangible ways for consumers to stay aware and take action.</p><p>"Warming labels are intentionally disruptive," <a href="https://grist.org/fix/guilt-at-the-gas-pump-warming-labels/" target="_blank">Brooks wrote in Grist with Drew Shindell</a>, a Nicholas Professor of Earth Science at Duke University. "A new gas-is-bad norm will help generate the necessary support lawmakers need to make public infrastructure investments like EV charging stations, bus rapid transit, and bike lanes, which will save money in the long run by circumventing future climate change and air pollution-related health problems."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTExNzM4OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTU3Njg5Nn0.VicpLJq3WPQv2OvUbK0rgM1zSheKybLL-gnw1QwxhR4/img.jpg?width=980" id="ff499" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6b466eebad9faeba5c9f631cb3460524" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="675" />
City of Cambridge / Facebook
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Evening rush hour traffic heads north and south over the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in Boston, Massachusetts on Nov. 6, 2019. David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Following a multi-year campaign by a coalition of advocates, the governors of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, and the mayor of Washington, DC officially initiated the Transportation and Climate Initiative, a regional pact to cut transportation pollution.
<p>Leaders of the signatory jurisdictions said Monday they expect more states to join in the future. The participating jurisdictions say they will <a href="https://twitter.com/GreenForAll/status/1341160502110670849?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103977216&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--An8eruegVznUiqa-qn6-SydfG7K77QPc2Z6yGCK9eyPkSSq1reWnvuJ-Nay2JjIpseDCI4qugP41nDoDV9ARzPCP_dg&utm_content=103977216&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">allocate at least 35% of new revenues to environmental justice communities</a>, but some environmental justice advocates criticized TCI for lacking aggressive pollution reduction guarantees in frontline communities, especially communities of color, which are disproportionately located near highways.</p>
<p>The three signatory states account for more than three-quarters of all vehicles in New England and 73% of its transportation pollution. The program will officially begin in 2023, giving additional states time to join. The cap-and-trade program for cars and trucks is modeled after the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which began in 2005 with seven states and has now expanded to 10. </p>
<p>As reported by the <a href="https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/ct-commits-to-transportation-cap-and-trade-program?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103977216&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_0Aw9bCKDVZQ_58KkaZcYK3lAdt53yFfB8QsO9ax_s96M1NcMiKZlTbiu41xKIGrq5IfTlk_uflWq64nQGY-F46F9qXQ&utm_content=103977216&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Boston Herald</a>:<br></p><blockquote>The "trailblazing" multi-state partnership will reduce motor vehicle pollution by at least 26% and generate over $1.8 billion in Massachusetts by 2032, Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement announcing the partnership on Monday.</blockquote><blockquote>"By partnering with our neighbor states with which we share tightly connected economies and transportation systems, we can make a more significant impact on climate change while creating jobs and growing the economy as a result," Baker said in a statement following a virtual meeting with participating governors.</blockquote>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-ned-lamont-transportation-gina-raimondo-charlie-baker-ec048199e211d17f59d2dc25fc9e5212?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103977216&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_u3EYH_17RQ1EtTHnS-DYFjO6vOmTVZMpkISIHUZJG3UF2_2H7UakYm1C3dhvcz6J3nmSkN4GMHk96C6l5jsYC6fNihQ&utm_content=103977216&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">AP</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/21/climate/cap-trade-cars-emissions.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103977216&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8y4BH7YkGnBB6p43PyRZYuMM08mp-HqT6K1w_3uVNkZ5MlMSTUTfY2TDLXy-d9K_6m3V9w84qiq0L--a0J9iMRw9tZ_Q&utm_content=103977216&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>, <a href="https://login.politicopro.com/?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscriber.politicopro.com%2Farticle%2F2020%2F12%2Fnew-york-new-jersey-absent-from-regional-transportation-emissions-deal-for-now-2025919%3Futm_campaign%3DHot%2520News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103977216&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_7obkUtytyC6lGOhk69qNdQC9hQiU4Gv0jb-Ru5Ja_r54TdynD_ATlS8NKC6I7xRz8ivW4zmR2s6FM-4oS3mDGssSHSA&utm_content=103977216&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Politico Pro</a>, <a href="https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/ct-commits-to-transportation-cap-and-trade-program?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103977216&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_0Aw9bCKDVZQ_58KkaZcYK3lAdt53yFfB8QsO9ax_s96M1NcMiKZlTbiu41xKIGrq5IfTlk_uflWq64nQGY-F46F9qXQ&utm_content=103977216&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hartford Business Journal</a>, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/21/metro/mass-among-few-states-launch-transportation-pollution-program/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103977216&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-98QQxqCfbvYPI-xowIH2vSysIJOPxywGWjklrGN-73SDcbcRDXkodcXR-VOYLCBY0d7tItOukAPEh-DueFjeLoQ6Gyzw&utm_content=103977216&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Boston Globe</a>, <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/12/21/charlie-baker-signs-transportation-climate-initiative-businesses-concerned-over-growing-cost-of-gas/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=103977216&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9PNRJBGUKtUmlLrhXwjCXwotMto8p_oI69QKgs_OVKE_1Pnk4ZUlX-K0eJCddTFzJS5GqcpRthQpXfpUhCAkWLC9h_rQ&utm_content=103977216&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Boston Herald</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Lockdowns due to the COVID-19 outbreak have resulted in measured improvements in air quality in cities such as Manila, the Philippines, seen here by drone on April 5, 2020. Herman Lumanog / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images
Carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 fell by 7%, the biggest drop ever, as countries around the world imposed lockdowns and restrictions on movement to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the Global Carbon Project said in its annual assessment on Friday.
<p>The pandemic-struck year saw emissions cut by an estimated 2.4 billion metric tons, shattering previous records of annual declines, such as 0.9 billion metric tons at the end of World War II or 0.5 billion metric tons in 2009 when the global financial crisis hit.</p><p>Researchers say the emissions are down mainly because more people stayed home and traveled less by car or plane this year.</p><p>Transport accounted for the largest share of the global decrease in emission of carbon dioxide, the chief man-made greenhouse gas.</p>
<p>Emissions from road transport fell by roughly half in April when the first wave of the coronavirus was at its peak. By December, it had fallen 10% year-on-year.</p><p>Emissions from aviation were down by 40% this year.</p><p>Industrial activity, which accounted for 22% of the global total, was down by 30% in some countries due to strict lockdown measures.</p><p>The U.S. and the European Union saw the most pronounced emissions reduction, down 12% and 11% respectively. China, however, saw its emissions drop just 1.7% as the country powered up its economic recovery.</p>
<p>Also, China had an earlier lockdown with less of a second wave, said study co-author Corinne LeQuere, a climate scientist at the University of East Anglia. China's emissions are more industrial-based than other countries and its industry was less affected than transportation, she said.</p><p>Under the Paris climate accord, signed five years ago, emissions cuts of 1 to 2 billion metric tons annually this decade are needed to limit the global temperature from rising well below 2 degrees Celsius.</p><p>Since the 2015 accord, emissions have grown each year. The <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/un-report-woefully-inadequate-climate-pledges-spell-32c-temperature-rise/a-55878680" target="_blank">UN says they must fall 7.6% annually</a> by 2030 to reach the more ambitious temperature limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius.</p>
<h3>Lockdown Not a Solution</h3><p>"Of course, lockdown is absolutely not the way to tackle climate change," LeQuere said.</p><p>Experts have warned that emissions may rebound after the pandemic ends, although it is still too early to say how fast they would jump back up.</p><p>Long-term emission trends would depend on how countries power their economic recovery post-pandemic.</p><p>"All elements are not yet in place for sustained decreases in global emissions, and emissions are slowly edging back to 2019 levels," LeQuere said.</p>
<h3>Transition to Green Energy</h3><p>Without the pandemic, the carbon footprint of big emitters such as China would have continued to grow in 2020, said Philippe Ciais, a researcher at France's Laboratory of Climate and Environment Sciences.</p><p>"It's a temporary respite," he said. "The way to mitigate climate change is not to stop activity but rather to speed up the transition to low-carbon energy."</p><p>Ciais added that 2020's emissions fall has <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/un-greenhouse-gas-levels-hit-record-high-despite-lockdowns/a-55698828" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">not translated into a reduction in the levels of carbon pollution</a> in Earth's atmosphere.</p><p>Chris Field, director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, is more optimistic about the future.</p><p>While he too believes that emissions will increase after the pandemic, he is confident that people have become more environmentally conscious.</p><p>"I am optimistic that we have, as a society, learned some lessons that may help decrease emissions in the future," Field said.</p><p>"For example, as people get good at telecommuting a couple of days a week or realize they don't need quite so many business trips, we might see behavior-related future emissions decreases," he added.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/global-carbon-emissions-down-by-record-7-in-2020/a-55900887">DW</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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the_burtons / Moment / Getty Images
A coalition launched the Zero Emission Transportation Association on Tuesday with plans to push for 100% EV sales across all sectors by 2030.
<p>The coalition of corporate entities that stand to benefit from broader electric vehicle adoption includes Uber, Tesla, utilities like Duke Energy and Southern Company, EV component suppliers, charging companies, and EV startups. </p>
<p>The group's launch came the same day as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to ban the sale of new cars wholly powered by gas and diesel by 2030, a decade earlier than previously planned. On Monday, S&P Global announced Tesla will be added to the S&P 500 Index on December 21.</p><p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><strong>EV group:</strong> <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgp5nxG7V3Zsc37CgXBWW3PQhT62g346PT5bJ36m2PY_W55Hv7D2YFNpvV331l42w3k5HW4yqPP61l4ByvN7v59ZxT3FR7W6wqBdz20gvNVW3-1xm51BwWM4W8m28Rl2crqHyW3Wpv4f22_t2LW1RLc6n9g0wQ3N9dsKQDXXyr2W4S52vP7h90CmN12CJ7dc4745W5jGWwn53vD78N3lXtrF_q74xW4x_CBp85QmxJW7Z0X14441Z9XW5wWX1844NzzYN1yF261YxYMnW8C4rxj1JxwcrW6M2P7324HxnBW6NvtHh96LpRBVrjrhK30xMncW2JhNCt1w5QRKW4H1cdk800xTgW7KpgmS9cx00rW7nwDV14tb8qvW6bZbjf6r7jDRN1GxMGfZMfSCN8FRKVkWsZFCW7V2jmN93dr3Z3bkJ1" target="_blank">Axios</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhV3p_9rV1-WJV7CgJngW45CX-p6Qr3LlW19NTjl7KZgr0W2glsv02-vk6YW66pd8k3P8q0tW4qlBJZ409kstW5QCxQn7fBMqhW7jWLRm7yXHhpW93Jp836jjk3SW847mX71xSsmBM-DGQztsGfZW3DkRr87F2ptDW1Ct71D46b-JQW3P2jWc2dBkcdW6jGL8g47NP0qW7_8Dmk3VNhN5W7yZlKv2Wp8l1W911bx53MsL5YVqprGM4pfjllW7yY4Gn45mNJhVPy8C73lS-8fW87Lfhp8QwF97N4y7sfTdytywW8J36gb7ms1QCW1v1txt59cW0QW47w0Vj6rKYb-W4HXHF53-Td6r31N51" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">E&E</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgJ5nxGrV3Zsc37CgM-pW83sTHh83Hvq_W6M6qGR88_jfMW8d4TLq6Php2rW3flsjC3JQq_BW46yXW26kPV5_W2v1M_h6tLn7sW5RtR1N440Vz5W6J-ZPN3T7pPmW4BWbGh9d1lx3W7xLyT34QBjdmW2dvf1k3VNxgqW2cXhXK6ZDtd0N6ndGNpvwQfTN1zm8F_VQKd1W8zt_Z527yRpNW9b0Bsl2cYrsPW6hF_CG5jYnNdW5pr8fY5TrgDgW5-bWNN8shHgTW4WqwJW3W9hVbW5VPP4H2Ysph9W4x1-BT40T3VXW6zbcRd5-bCSFV3LFBG4TxJV0W1Y6GC63n-zX0W2NVMtc3ZNVM9N58MPlrN2NfsW1_thw_8ttt77W6pB9Db7Xg_tMW5-wZpd3T2bKSW1Qz9m_20JfJyW40w1S-3npqBMW6TWcQZ4CRymwW6lnZr-40zjlj3kb61" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Politico Pro</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgJ5nxGrV3Zsc37CgQwhN5DgsdqCC2PKW5rDGPf9hmwb9W5J_rZ65gSTNnVN7W1X3L-blJW4HnPqY8Ps5tsVfHYHZ7G8Dk2W8nXF0W8KB_9_W5DfNJM5Zyj7CN5nXJPvGyBp-W63Wf8_7j51mNW42nNKF5bZJx_W78hQ078Syz17W5HZ-7s2V0dDZW7l19V01plfyQW6-dgBw9bH12lW33Jz_b4b8PsSW9lR-Xk2XZNh1W5s3bqT8ymwLMN55gJ6myl9MvW3j4l9M8GgwQ3Mc3nLM1p2VMW2SFd6R5Qcvy7N70TJJ87GVXQW2tNvrD1pJM5DW8NvGrc1cCrc0VS4syJ1K4qSqW5ntdhS2mPZmCW2cZFC25s3r0FW2G5BcR3Hlf8lW3Zd0kZ6W_912W2_5mmD5lfvXwW4-c6mZ11QYLvW31nDSW7jGN-TN3qbQJCDX8VY31Xh1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Houston Chronicle</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhB3p_97V1-WJV7CgCMRW8nL-3Z7GYCBkW5KKps13ZtRZ6VYMz8C2Rsb13N3_5sJwjLZHvW7TvWPH4KGt-4W842tcQ3Htdt8W6gbzfS4t_hmdW21wx6y91lZnMN3bxydwdN9r6W508zF-99KwYdW17FTvb22SGWMW3FMHjv82h6QdW2GQtzh2tTsmZW6gL8NZ3XJTRHW1-NJ4_6VCXB0W5p7vhG9c3YglW29J4Jv7mXM_1W7N508H5gKq6wW4WZTnY4FMXSJW86lqd12xW8P1W3hLB638GRylNW7Cb6S35J3jYvW8CLHL_3xZQqKN4j875wc-9WW3m-j1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgp5nxG7V3Zsc37CgThVVMps_L2BQ_NBW1CW7H-1l5RJcW4j0_qy1c1TsKW3HjF742QFf1QW1m_rmm4JCfC-N97Gpy4r-HndW6kzhZf8PyhKQW3TYw6p5lXQKWW1djQVq1qbdPTW7sftHv3r-jj-W8Hzqsx2TYr9VW7SK9H_4-bX9FW28LXWw642DNTW4T4rtK7nHnJHW4Vrmf93H8GbMW4xMKyf3YR1wSW50LrQd4sYFrPW72sCs-6tMwhxW1bR-513sR-kFW792Lpl3Tf5VpW1ltZhs7s3r4gW7qQ52y5W85xLF8x9XN2pfp7W5vZ8MS7JlRpHW8WbkPd6t57DLVqrzjV26JYvyN8Y-h2YvVS0FW15-4kb6TrWdXW5YccjT5nB4rMW5bNVHN8VKgC_W5_x45F81S0hKW5Lv2Xn3hgQ4g390f1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Atlantic</a></p><p><strong>UK: </strong><a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgp5nxG7V3Zsc37Cgz_gW75kvCy5845MkW3bn8GW7hf6w5VqhNRd3bm5RsW1kXmMm4GqNnkW6zKB-g2WSPgJW63t90L4FQwDkW5MnnYc5gw3DhW8KhvHP18km2rW12dTWT60DGNWTKWBf7btb9zW7QHM_c3wb8xkVxhk8s5YqRwtW8N85LP3hFJNFW41qWZM740WtDW7cQXVY2j8K03W8tYnlc970mFMW8c3Sjb8TBM12W6w1_DH4R5J_YW7XvbQD2mbsvxW2GGVC24pzGtBN3KFmcVS7m9wW4qVtP97Vkys5W3RXmc81wL11xW7R_PKS5gjGBCW683c3z4f2ssSW7Xl6fG3KSThFW2pPsQC6c8LYcN3BYqfWmkv81N2RqgtZ-PnKkW6gHKnh4HbRRdW4kQpdB60JJ93W7cSNd54QBw1R3dnv1" target="_blank">AP</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhV3p_9rV1-WJV7CgMk4W7-BB4W5fGTj-N1Q8rQ6r1whlW4pg9Z-79LTl1N8mb3Bf40dPlW6DpsKP2yrvbgW8QJQm_23f2YKV4DRzn1q4Dc2V7vhRC2HrBtxW2tYRPJ2ctKkDW6ClJm392cFNWW7D6kWb3rWPg2W8CSNRQ8RkxlWW2vChcC6RhTx-Vw6JWF8prLwhW7l-brW1XydqHW1TkMq02vFrYYV935Kr5Lm3YyW8D2JhX5BmkK7VYxFsD1TLsnHW6cs0K084G4M1N6S162FfH9-qV1qTLB8J0tyRW237wqY5X5lR_W4c9_RR6KDfyWW64fwq27p9Lx8W1v5jRx1cfKfC3qsb1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BBC</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhh5nxH1V3Zsc37CgNNBW4RRbTC6V0HfZW2dS9lK8qb4s4W5QJldS7JPHPTW92pY6t2DHQFtW6Sx6m47XmbDXW3sJ2s83_hZFwN1ptJ_FFXJRpW4KdhF443TXVsW2zkdhZ2CgXm4W99fYnv3-hl3-W9jZBPs6h8qSCW1fbZNH756STnW8rG3VX7jWCCtW2r_v0N21QFd7W8LhzqB3WcXlLW4BFBpX4bSBX8W2cgnbX5ZQQygW5Wyb8c1ZKYm9W7k15fG1CHy5DW5ZC5dw7f_CSSW5Q339s3Ljhb3W2sXCQ548MQS-N3zfTfw8ggQkW2_FbDC2vkBCGW7NTr7D8Jt1tWN7JS0rk9TKJZW5LZ7jm7LjjHBW1b_6GL2zGgFxW6-JJx97mFG4lN7wrsDc_6HKtW6WbNt44XHy9LVLtFNP29h8YvW663DML96Dm1FW7DG0gq6b-3VrN6C6jgDJf_mwW4Kck011JdmShW3m3Hsc1ynr0bW52dzK72NFB_M3cx-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>; </p><p><strong>Tesla:</strong> <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhV3p_9rV1-WJV7CgMsjW5rlXFG5q_P9TW7q7H2d5WL55LW9l8YRl2fL2l7W2_b3Xx5PwxZzN6LMpDnDgSbFW53cZBY3bLhWhW8GGg3Q7xRnw_W7qyFzJ3r0dzvW8PvXYL5kQv8vW2MbS_34jr5KCW6rMnld7tB6m4W5mml_372m5T8W8JKpKY4Q09NLW3QWMMp41txyDW1KSkrj7xT5t3MH6f4l_tBcQW5pv-VL8KR1bcW61jFBX15vPW-W4cqR2j4GWn0sV6BkJV1tH5y6W7TTWQv2ZrYZ-W7Vm7sB4lMvdTW7QFtTG2TBgqsW99YDb64BVywBW4DqdlX8QrSgPW5lRzTf7ZJK3c37b01" target="_blank">CNN</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXj93p_9LV1-WJV7CgzMFW7SXpjX9hwbFFW6cfp4R1Jr9cSVYzmfg6bpgSjW5t__B-6mZpgbW6wRmnS8jX9c0W40jYph3FHB6SW4cjWpQ1B_v3vW4jZJX-8vvjBKW3PHKrV5qKGFFW3DzHhP8rbHM3N1j4crS71LSqW2GP3_W3F8R6_N9fWh80FL1HfW8d2JfV6k_9MtW45PLXv1-0DQ3W5VbG-g8DQ6R6W1BVc2P119ffdW965c4V4sCpslW5x3W8K6BgPrXW1CGJb61B1yp5W86Hs_p5vhTJzW4sVgf73c7qxQW8-5WZT79y8-yW4yGJ6g8tS0QMW4jqk_42sLRtHW6KXy_36-mC_LW9lp9Y86GLfLZF2PzMXzr7pt3b661" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wall Street Journal</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXhV3p_9rV1-WJV7CgHJ5W67RW3D7z0FHnN4bvQHgF2m_9W5CHYRd32K5QLW8kRTCT1nQ-6KVKpVlc7n8hsRW7SDLMq3G4DlpVBds0k5zBWlRW7pSGmd3Zr9g8W45Vl2x5SMCvPW151tqw6JW6KcW8BsGbb5cZKMFW3NKgtw7qG--9W75WRlz2SwNpCW6zYb9P7KnvJZW7h4cP052jPFmW233VTz20plxSW1Q_wzs5y6mxJW6HN_Bf8hrKP_W6K3W2M4TM9d4W4_qYbk4jrfP4W4R8YYq8KqLzFW54PhR04ygNbrW7pFgS15wKpfHW772clR7ByP3QW6RynMD2BWGWHW7rCHLt8xZ8MJ34lr1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FT</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgp5nxG7V3Zsc37CgYh7W4Sx2T_5H2tmgW93CdTT5h_qQ5W8scbBt5-MvTYW70FRn669f_QhW2GTkgZ8tnW2sW59Fx0j4w5jX1W8bBVyj1T4qL3W12-gBN3bsJctW5lsglx4tpM2GW6V33qp7ThtCcW74-H_96395jGW4xx2156gmpwXW13Fv8z5wjS4ZVvglmd30Q-ydW7q3ftV1_6cZhW5Q00sg4mbfQHW1mc-L94mGqHkMby3myZSSrzW1C80pf8v00xqW6Zz4x941nDkQV1j1-h84LvygW6CD8dr5VBKv2W8twMWY3pRp3jW72qkqk1vRVVJW4MXrBb32k-BdN4M8HJtvXp8hW6-tYf79879KYW8NYkmx7y103hW3T3chk6HfyqNVQRh7Y3Wy6P4W4hnhBT87S6gkW6xVN4n19VwD236gx1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bloomberg</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVTg4R760tGCW7Xn6DW2DsKp7V_gMC14jyjYJN56dXgp5nxG7V3Zsc37CgN59W6TD79t8h1HJvW6xsj-Y3k9XVqVpmdsL8ZwrS4N6wTrDnrCZz0W94BXyP97lSrgW12pCbb583ffyN1_57cG1SJR_VXCxpR8d98xnW67nrb385G2_tW72pZpn8plZ1qW33cXzz3kv7LKW57J2z57xHQTmW6HYL8v50PT_XW679rfJ63Q2M9W5vx_2X81ZGkzW1rhcGG1Vv1HyW5ckMNG3fw5qTW8xwvKX61vf_nVxQbg_9dkDXrW8_nJSZ6zjXHFW1dVJlQ684vclW90ntr26ghplCW6wgXm82QcydfW2WtPHs6_QdMmN20yksyCkJkNW7GCn2-4SCx66W8TWy737LcWmYW6m7fsD1S8nS4W2LBJ6x2SYf75N9jb8BTzTf93W5C94J77Vs36RW1z-3p11Jttj63cDv1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank" rel="noopener 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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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Aviation Accounts for 3.5% of Global Warming Caused by Humans, New Research Says
04 September 2020
Climate
A Boeing 727 flies over approach-lights with a trail of black-smoke from the engines on April 9, 2018. aviation-images.com / Universal Images Group via Getty Images
A new international study that used unprecedented calculations to pinpoint how much global air travel contributes to the heating of the atmosphere found that aviation makes up 3.5 percent of all the activities that contribute to the climate crisis, according to the University of Reading in the UK where some of the research was conducted.
<p>It turns out that in the last 20 years, air travel has doubled its contribution as a driver of the climate crisis.</p><p>"It is growing so rapidly," said David Lee at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, as <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2253626-aviations-contribution-to-global-warming-has-doubled-since-2000/#ixzz6X4nSIjmC" target="_blank">The New Scientist</a> reported. "It's just astonishing."</p><p>The study looked at the time frame from 2000 to 2018, so it did not account for the current slowdown in air travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. And yet, Lee said that the current slowdown will be just a blip compared to the long-term damage that has already been done by air travel.</p><p>"It's not going to make much difference in the long term," Lee said, according to The New Scientist.</p>
<p>The paper, published in <em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231020305689?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">Atmospheric Environment</a></em>, was a collaboration of international scientists. The researchers took the most comprehensive look to date at the various components of air travel, from the use of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, to the effect that the white contrails behind a jet engine have on absorbing sunlight.</p><p>It turns out that those contrails along with a mix of water vapor, nitrogen oxide, aerosol gases and soot make up two-thirds of the environmental impact, according to the <a href="https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2667/Aviation-is-responsible-for-35-percent-of-climate-change-study-finds" target="_blank">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>. The remaining one-third is attributed to the cumulative effect of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.</p><p>"The biggest problem underlying aviation is basically the public's desire to fly," said Lee, as <a href="https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2020-09-04/How-aviation-s-impact-on-global-warming-has-doubled-TuCf7leGIM/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CGTN</a> in Beijing, China reported. "The problem with aviation is that it's highly dependent on liquid fossil fuel, kerosene, to power aircraft. So if we continue to depend on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel</a> for powering an aircraft, it will become a much larger percentage of total emissions over time."</p>
<p>The five-year study is the first of its kind to use a complete set of calculations that employs a new metric introduced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2013.</p><p>The new metric is called "effective radiative forcing," or ERF, according to the University of Reading. It is a complicated measurement of the energy coming from the sun that compares it with the energy emitted from Earth. It also looks at how the metric compares to the balance of that ratio before industrialization.</p><p>"The new study means that aviation's impact on climate change can be compared with other sectors such as maritime shipping, ground transportation and energy generation as it has a consistent set of ERF measurements," said Lee in a statement.</p><p>The researchers found that aviation's contribution of 3.5 percent of the human activity that drives the climate crisis remained fairly constant from 2000 to 2018. However, that does not mean that aviation didn't change over that period. What it means is that while aviation was contributing more and more to the climate crisis, other factors were as well.</p><p>"It's the growth that is the real feature," said Lee, as <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2253626-aviations-contribution-to-global-warming-has-doubled-since-2000/" target="_blank">The New Scientist</a> reported. "It is rising quite dramatically."</p>
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Travelers wait in the ride share lot near a sign for Uber at Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 20, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Mario Tama / Getty Images
The ride-sharing giant Uber announced Tuesday that riders who have flouted the company's mask-wearing mandate will be required to take a selfie showing that they are wearing a mask before they can request a car. The rule also applies to all riders requesting a ride in New York City's five boroughs.
<p>In announcing the policy, Uber referenced the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html#recent-studies" target="_blank">CDC's statements</a> on mask wearing and highlighted the bevy of peer-reviewed articles the CDC cites as evidence that wearing a mask helps stop the spread of communicable infectious diseases, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uber-require-selfie-mask-verification/" target="_blank">CBS News</a>.</p><p>Uber has required both riders and drivers to wear a mask since May. The company acknowledges that most customers and drivers have complied with the mandate, but a few break the rules.</p>
<p>"If we do have people who are still violating the policy, we want to be able to verify them with an extra step," Uber's senior director of product management, Sachin Kansal, told <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/uber-riders-violate-face-covering-policy-mask-selfie/story?id=72736501" target="_blank">ABC News</a>. "And if they're not wearing a mask, they will not be able to take a ride."</p><p>When the policy went into effect in May, Uber only <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWrcdQ7uvlQ" target="_blank">required the verification</a> from drivers or people making deliveries with Uber Eats.</p><p>"We firmly believe that accountability is a two-way street," said Uber in a <a href="https://www.uber.com/newsroom/protecting-one-another/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement</a>. "That's why we're expanding the same technology to riders, too. If a driver reports to us that a rider wasn't wearing a mask, the rider will be required to take a selfie with their face covered before they're able to take another trip with Uber. With the addition of this new feature, one driver's feedback can help ensure the safety of Uber for the next driver."</p>
<p>The mask verification will start in the U.S. and Canada at the end of September. After that it will move to Latin America and then to the entire international market, according to the company, as CBS News reported.</p><p>When the May policy first went into effect, the company also invested $50 million in cleaning supplies. It also decked out its cars with a plastic sheet separating the passenger from the driver, according to <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/coronavirus-updates-alaska-and-montana-added-ny-states-travel-advisory" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gothamist</a>. The company claims it has provided more than 800,000 packages of disinfectant sprays, wipes and hand sanitizer to drivers for free and it will distribute millions more as efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus continue.</p><p>Uber's largest competitor Lyft also requires both drivers and riders to wear masks. It also requires riders to sit in the back and to have the window open, weather-permitting, to allow air to flow, according to CBS News.</p>
<p>Uber says the face detection software can even detect if a rider's mask is pulled up over their nose or not. The company also insists that it will not store your selfie, if you're concerned about your privacy.</p><p>"In about four days we delete the picture," Kansal said to ABC News. "The reason why we keep it for four days is in case there is any issue, there is any complaint."</p><p>Uber's existing policy already allows a driver or a rider to cancel a trip without penalty if they see the other one not wearing a mask, according to CBS News.</p><p>"If we find that riders or drivers have been in violation of the policy, we will first educate them," Kansal told ABC News. "We will send them emails. We want to make sure that they actually understand what the policy is. But if we see repeat violation, then we can take further action, including taking them off the platform."</p>
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A mostly empty 110 freeway toward downtown Los Angeles, California on April 28, 2020. Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The shelter in place orders that brought clean skies to some of the world's most polluted cities and saw greenhouse gas emissions plummet were just a temporary relief that provided an illusory benefit to the long-term consequences of the climate crisis. According to new research, the COVID-19 lockdowns will have a "neglible" impact on global warming, as Newshub in New Zealand reported.
<p>The severe measures that were taken on a global scale to stem the tide of the novel coronavirus pandemic did curb pollution in the atmosphere, but the researchers found the impact will cut global heating by just 0.01 degrees Celsius by 2030, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/07/covid-19-lockdown-will-have-negligible-impact-on-climate-crisis-study" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>"The direct effect of the pandemic-driven [lockdown] will be negligible," said the researchers, whose analysis was led by Piers Forster at the University of Leeds in the UK, as The Guardian reported. "In contrast, with an economic recovery tilted towards green stimulus and reductions in fossil fuel investments, it is possible to avoid future warming of 0.3C by 2050."</p>
<p>The study was published in <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0883-0" target="_blank">Nature Climate Change</a></em>. To figure out the impact of the lockdowns, the researchers looked at mobility data from Google and Apple in 123 countries that covers 99 percent of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel</a> emissions. The information gives real-time information on travel and work patterns, which allows researchers to use advanced computations to estimate emissions levels, according to The Guardian.</p><p>Professor Keith Shine, at the University of Reading and not part of the study team, told The Guardian: "It is deeply impressive to get such a near-real-time analysis of the climate impact [of the lockdowns]."</p><p>What they found was that emissions from people using transportation was at its lowest in April, with nitrogen oxide levels falling by 30 percent and carbon dioxide levels dropping by 25 percent, according to Newshub.</p>
<p>Professor Dave Reay, chair of carbon management at the University of Edinburgh who was not involved in the study, told Newshub that the results are not surprising "given the long lifetime of carbon dioxide and the massive pool of fossil carbon already swilling around in our atmosphere."</p><p>The declines show that swift and decisive changes in how people behave have the potential to dramatically impact the environment in the short term. That was evident in the cleaner skies and the suddenly visible animals in Venice's canals and the streets of various cities. In Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak, air quality improved so much that NASA satellite imagery showed the average density of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide – a toxic chemical that reduces immunity – dropped significantly below normal levels, as Newshub reported.</p>
<p>Of course, those lockdowns came with a steep economic price as people were put out of work and supply chains and distribution were severely disrupted. In other words, lockdowns of that scale are so damaging that they are impossible to maintain. Furthermore, once the lockdowns lifted, emissions levels started to rise again. That phenomenon means the world needs to transition to a zero-emissions economy by investing in <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> and burying CO2, according to the researchers, as The Guardian reported.</p><p>"It is now make or break for the 1.5 Celsius target," said Forster, as The Guardian reported. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to really change the direction of society. We do not have to go back to where we were, because times of crisis are also the time to change."</p>
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A company from Ghana is making bikes out of bamboo.
By Kate Whiting
Bernice Dapaah calls bamboo "a miracle plant," because it grows so fast and absorbs carbon. But it can also work wonders for children's education and women's employment – as she's discovered.
<p>Bamboo is abundant in her native Ghana, where she <a href="http://ghanabamboobikes.org/video/" target="_blank">runs a social enterprise</a> that employs women to transform it into bicycles which are exported all over the world.</p><p><span></span>Cycling is well known as being a low-carbon form of transport – but Dapaah is making it even more sustainable.</p><p>For every bamboo plant that is cut down to make a bike, Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative plants 10 more. <a href="https://interestingengineering.com/bamboo-as-a-replacement-to-steel#:~:text=Yes%2C%20bamboo%20is%20stronger%20than,noticeable%20lead%20at%2028%2C000%20pounds." target="_blank">Bamboo is stronger than steel</a> in terms of tensile strength and is a cheaper, more sustainable material. It also takes less electricity to make a bamboo bike than a metal one. And the frame is completely recyclable.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUzMDU2OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MTk1MDcwOX0.6CswX_fjuMOGfmmf7-ZNaPial_yXaDIMr4Be5sponxo/img.jpg?width=980" id="2a3fe" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="08b2a7c53915a40a7f0c7c7cf5735489" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="1200" />
These are the world's most bicycle-friendly cities. Statista
<p>"The reason we use bamboo to manufacture bicycles is because it's found abundantly in Ghana and this is not a material we're going to import," says Dapaah, one of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders.</p><p>"It's a new innovation. There were no existing bamboo bike builders in our country, so we were the first people trying to see how best we could utilize the abundant bamboo in Ghana."</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a335b5dffdd806bd6bb4debea90c2045"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dxsb9c4HMn0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
Supporting Students
<p>Besides encouraging Ghanaians to swap vehicles for affordable bikes, Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative is helping students save time on walking to school so they have more time to learn.</p><p>Each time they sell a bike, they donate a bike to a schoolchild in a rural community, who might otherwise have to walk for hours to get to school.</p><p>Dapaah knows how transformative a shorter journey to school can be to academic performance. She grew up living with her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb3joGYmx9A&feature=emb_logo" target="_blank">grandpa, a forester in a rural part of the country</a>.</p><p>"We had to walk three and a half hours every day before I could go to school. He later bought me a bike, so I finished senior high and wanted to go to university."</p><p>The experience inspired her to launch Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative with two other students at college.</p><p>"When we started this initiative, I looked back and said, when I was young, I had to walk miles before I could get to school, and sometimes if I was late, I was punished.</p><p>"Why don't we donate bikes for students to encourage them to study and so they can have enough time to be on books."</p><p>To date, they have sold more than 3,000 road, mountain and children's bikes – and Dapaah says they plan to donate <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/video/350343" target="_blank">10,000 bikes to schoolchildren over five years</a>.</p>Empowering Women
<p>The enterprise is also providing local jobs. It teaches young people to build bikes, particularly women and those in rural communities, where jobs can be scarce. More than 50% of people they have trained are women.</p><p>Dapaah says they want to boost the number of people they employ to 250 over the next five years and they are looking to partner with NGOs to build a childcare facility so mothers can continue to work.</p>Reducing Emissions
<p>By promoting a cycling culture in Ghana, Dapaah says they're also committed to reducing emissions in the transport sector and contributing to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.</p><p>"I love the idea of reusing bamboo to promote sustainable cycling. People want to go green, low-carbon, lean-energy efficient," she says.</p>From Your Site Articles
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