The U.S. Department of Transportation has called for more research leading to new guidelines for safer intersections, crosswalks, lights, and more. georgeclerk / Getty Images
Walking to work or to the store is better for the climate than driving, so climate advocates encourage people to leave their cars at home when possible.
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<p>But for the past decade, pedestrian safety in the U.S. has been headed in the wrong direction. Fatal accidents involving pedestrians have gone up 44%.</p><p>"We see speed – vehicle speed – is a major factor in pedestrian deaths," says Dan Gelinne of the University of North Carolina's Highway Safety Research Center.</p><p>He says research shows that design can make a big difference.<span></span></p><p>"Changing the roadway design to facilitate lower speeds by vehicles, to improve visibility of pedestrians, to make it more comfortable to walk – these are the things that really are proven to decrease death and injury," Gelinne says.</p>
<p><span style="background-color: initial;">The U.S. Department of Transportation has released a new </span><a target="_blank" href="https://highways.dot.gov/sites/fhwa.dot.gov/files/2020-11/FHWA_PedSafety_ActionPlan_Nov2020.pdf" style="background-color: initial;">pedestrian safety action plan</a><span style="background-color: initial;"> that calls for more research on these solutions.</span><br></p><p>The first-of-its-kind plan will lead to new guidelines for safer intersections, crosswalks, lights, and more.</p><p>"Anything that the plan can do to increase the uptake and the use of these effective roadway design strategies is going to really make a difference," Gelline says.</p><p>And that will help people walk safely wherever they need to go.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/03/thoughtful-design-can-make-streets-more-walkable/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>
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A FedEx truck travels along Interstate 10 by the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm near Palm Springs, California on Feb. 27, 2019. Robert Alexander / Getty Images
FedEx's entire parcel pickup and delivery fleet will become 100 percent electric by 2040, according to a statement released Wednesday. The ambitious plan includes checkpoints, such as aiming for 50 percent electric vehicles by 2025.
<p>To reach this goal, the delivery company will commit more than $2 billion to vehicle electrification, sustainable energy and carbon sequestration, according to the statement.</p><p>"We have a responsibility to take bold action in addressing climate challenges," Frederick W. Smith, chairman and CEO of FedEx Corp. said in the <a href="https://newsroom.fedex.com/newsroom/sustainability2021/" target="_blank">release</a>. "This goal builds on our longstanding commitment to sustainability throughout our operations, while at the same time investing in long-term, transformational solutions for FedEx and our entire industry."</p><p>FedEx will also continue to invest in sustainable fuels to power its planes -- the biggest contributor to its carbon footprint, <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90610719/how-fedex-plans-to-become-carbon-neutral-by-2040" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fast Company reported</a>. But switching to sustainable fuel won't be easy, Mitch Jackson, chief sustainability officer for FedEx Corp, told Fast Company. "The question is, will sustainable aviation fuels be here in sufficient quantities for the aviation industry in the near term?"</p>
<p>The news comes just a week after the United States Postal Service announced a 10-year, $485-million contract for new mail trucks, planning to transform only 10 percent of its fleet into electric vehicles, <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2021/03/fedex-announces-100-commitment-all-electric-fleet" target="_blank">Sierra Club reported</a>. This plan falls short of President Biden's <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/" target="_blank">vow</a> to covert all "Federal, State, local, and Tribal government fleets" to "clean and zero-emission vehicles."</p><p>"From undermining our democracy to delaying climate action, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy continues to fail the United States Postal Service and the American public," Gina Coplon-Newfield, director of Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All campaign said in a <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2021/02/usps-must-electrify-mail-truck-fleet" target="_blank">statement</a>. "The lack of commitment from the USPS to electrify its fleet directly contradicts the Biden administration's goals and executive order to clean up pollution from the US government's vehicles."</p>
<p>The United States Postal Service has increasingly struggled to outcompete large corporations like FedEx that use the same networks and markets, the Economic Policy Institute wrote in a <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/the-war-against-the-postal-service/" target="_blank">report</a>. This is partly because the USPS is limited in entering new markets and pays its workers with middle-class wages and provides benefits, unlike private competitors like FedEx that cut costs by relying on independent, contract workers, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2021/business/usps-performance-whats-next-biden/" target="_blank">reported</a>. Yet the drastically different de-carbonization goals between USPS and FedEx highlight the necessary role private companies can play in pioneering efforts towards a clean energy future.</p><p>"While we've made great strides in reducing our environmental impact, we have to do more," Jackson <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fedex-delivery-fleet-all-electric-carbon-neutral-2040-sustainability-2021-3" target="_blank">said</a>, according to Business Insider. "The long-term health of our industry is directly linked to the health of the planet, but this effort is about more than the bottom line – it's the right thing to do."</p>
<p>Included in FedEx's plan is a $100 million gift to Yale University to establish a Center for Natural Carbon Capture to research and develop natural solutions to reduce and sequester atmospheric carbon safely, <a href="https://news.yale.edu/2021/03/03/yale-new-fedex-supported-center-focus-climate-change-solutions" target="_blank">YaleNews reported</a>.</p><p>"My hope is that others will recognize the scale and importance of this problem and the significance of this center's mission by joining in our efforts to address a global challenge," Smith said, according to YaleNews.</p><p>Environmental groups urge other delivery services to quickly follow suit, committing to more sustainable and efficient operations in the face of a rapidly damaging climate. "This is a critical moment to shift the status quo of the US delivery truck. We urge all delivery companies — including USPS — to not let it pass them by," Coplon-Newfield added in a <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2021/03/fedex-announces-100-commitment-all-electric-fleet" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p>
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Looking for ways to cut down on single-use plastic while grocery shopping? You may already have eco-friendly shopping bags, but bringing your own reusable produce bags is another easy swap.
According to the UN Environment Program, up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used globally each year, and because of the material they're made from, most municipal recycling centers don't accept them (more on this below).
The most sustainable option is to skip the bag altogether. You can also make your own reusable produce bags out of old T-shirts. But if you'd rather purchase them new, here are our recommendations for the best reusable produce bags on the market today.
<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>
<h2>Why make the switch to reusable produce bags?<br/></h2><p>According to the <a href="https://www.unep.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UN</a>, humans produce 300 million tons of plastic waste each year, and about 60% of the plastic produced since the early 1950s has ended up in a landfill or the natural environment.</p><p>Plastic grocery bags and produce bags are made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Technically, this type of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-recycling-myth-2647706452.html" target="_self">plastic can be recycled</a>. However, in practice, plastic bags easily clog recycling machinery, so <a href="https://millerrecycling.com/ldpe-out-of-landfills" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">most municipal recycling centers</a> do not accept this type of material.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/smm_2015_tables_and_figures_07252018_fnl_508_0.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study by the EPA</a> showed that only about 6% of the LDPE generated in 2015 was recycled. Other types of plastic, by comparison, were recycled at 18% and 10% rates.</p>Although some <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vancouvers-grocery-store-plastic-bags-2638807121.html" target="_self">grocery stores</a> offer plastic bag recycling, the easiest way to get around this is to refuse plastic bags in the first place. Many cities have instituted <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/new-york-plastic-bag-ban-begins-2645319695.html" target="_self">plastic bag bans</a>, but more often than not, it's up to individuals to choose to make the switch to reusable grocery bags in their day-to-day lives.<p><br/></p><p><em><em><strong><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/about-ecowatch-2641507575.html?rebelltitem=47#rebelltitem47" target="_self">Melissa Smith</a> </strong>is an avid writer, scuba diver, backpacker, and all-around outdoor enthusiast. She graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in journalism and sustainable studies. Before joining EcoWatch, Melissa worked as the managing editor of Scuba Diving magazine and the communications manager of The Ocean Agency, a non-profit that's featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary Chasing Coral.</em></em></p><em><em></em></em>
Best Reusable Produce Bag Set: Eco Joy Cotton Reusable Produce Bags
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTAxNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODE2MDIyNH0.qyiKrnX8T4CRp8Y5Kn_cW1oaSF7vDci2gmKEXxJfQmE/img.jpg?width=980" id="8db60" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d39a705e9f90fc1369a1806bc6d4e016" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Eco Joy
<p>If you're making the switch to more sustainable shopping bags and want a variety of products to use, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Sandwich-Biodegradable-Eco-Drawstring/dp/B003PK4W3I/ref=sr_1_36?crid=3TDUCB8ZOM7WI&dchild=1&keywords=produce+bags+grocery+reusable&qid=1613484643&sprefix=produce+bags%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-36" target="_blank">Eco Joy Cotton Reusable Produce Bags</a> set is a great place to start. The set comes with three mesh drawstring bags, three muslin drawstring bags, a large mesh tote and a zippered sandwich-size pouch.</p><p>Each product is made with organic, non-GMO cotton that's ethically sourced in accordance with Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) standards. The cotton comes from India and Turkey, and the bags are hand-assembled in Canada by the owner of Eco Joy, so you can feel good about supporting a small business while reducing your environmental impact.</p><p><strong>Customer rating:</strong> 4.7 out of 5 stars with over 300 Amazon reviews</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>Zero-waste; Handmade in Canada; WRAP compliant; Machine washable</p>
$13
Best Mesh Bags: Organic Cotton Mart Reusable Cotton Mesh Produce Bags
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTE0OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTQyNDQ5MX0.E6MFCOXZ-3EvKDK0MIv34EJO3oE6WMWxiFZBR5aNU_w/img.jpg?width=980" id="ba5c7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="91a9dd3d18f7b4a41fae606ff4d1204b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Organic Cotton Mart
<p>Some shoppers prefer to use mesh bags when shopping for fruits and veggies. We recommend checking out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-Reusable-Produce-Organic-Cotton/dp/B07CK2TJKL/ref=sr_1_16?crid=10A7NM0LQ0B7E&dchild=1&keywords=mesh+produce+bags&qid=1613483897&s=home-garden&sprefix=mesh+pro%2Cgarden%2C162&sr=1-16" target="_blank">Organic Cotton Mart's Reusable Cotton Mesh Produce Bags</a> if you're in this camp, as they're made with Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton.</p> <p>Mesh reusable produce bags can make the checkout process easier than muslin bags since you can see what's inside them without having to open them up. Plus, the tare weight (i.e., the weight of the empty bag that should be subtracted from the total weight of your produce to make sure you don't pay extra for using your bag) is printed right on the label of Organic Cotton Mart's bags, making everything that much more convenient.</p> <p><strong>Customer rating:</strong> 4.6 out of 5 stars with nearly 1,000 Amazon reviews</p><strong>Why buy:</strong> GOTS certified; Machine washable; Biodegradable
$16
Best Muslin Bags: Simple Ecology Reusable Produce Bags
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTE1OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjY3NDE3N30.f2sAcYTGhqq4ytlNGSyzZexPwqH2SpqpTwsX2fvph10/img.jpg?width=980" id="f90b3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e95c082f9b831bf11004e12b73ae8263" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Simple Ecology
<p>On the other hand, if you just want to purchase muslin bags, we like <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Ecology-Reusable-Organic-Shopping/dp/B004UJ0U0C" target="_blank">Simple Ecology's Reusable Produce Bags</a>, which are also made with GOTS-certified organic cotton. Simple Ecology also has a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6AUMBG/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01N6AUMBG&pd_rd_w=MA3ZS&pf_rd_p=cbc856ed-1371-4f23-b89d-d3fb30edf66d&pd_rd_wg=hVunQ&pf_rd_r=G6RTQ1Z5DKEY325MAJZ9&pd_rd_r=5d298b3a-1be7-4ebd-a9e1-d5d672a40497&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMzc4RVAxWjNLOTdCJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTc0NTAwMzBDMjFYOVJPTUpWSCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjYyOTM4M0s4Vk81SVBPS1NFSyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbF90aGVtYXRpYyZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=" target="_blank">starter kit</a> that comes with several reusable grocery bags if you're looking for more variety.</p> <p>The benefit of using muslin reusable produce bags is that, unlike mesh, there are no holes for small items to slip through. This means that in addition to larger produce, you can use them to purchase bulk foods like lentils, beans and rice — or even powders like flour or spices — without worrying about anything leaking. They're also best for keeping leafy greens fresh.</p> <p><strong>Customer rating:</strong> 4.7 out of 5 stars with nearly 1,500 Amazon reviews</p><strong>Why buy:</strong> GOTS certified; Machine washable; Biodegradable; Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified packaging when purchased from manufacturer
$16
Best String Bags: ECOBAGS Market Collection Reusable Bag Set
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxOTE2Ny9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTkzMDc5Mn0.v_aTdf8TPuA39wgpmS2Dgb_88t2jfcbXDJkC9wf5CrE/img.png?width=980" id="c42d2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ada50990c5c2520886afd23fcca522a4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="752" data-height="628" />ECOBAGS
<p>Whether you're buying bread, fresh flowers, produce or all of the above, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ECOBAGS-Market-Collection-Reusable-Natural/dp/B08KFGPGN5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ECOBAGS Market Collection Reusable Bag Set</a> is ideal for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/farmers-markets-coronavirus-safety-2645581711.html" target="_self">farmers market</a> shopping or large grocery hauls. The netted bags are durable, flexible, and pack down small so they're easy to keep in your car or purse.</p> <p>ECOBAGS is a woman-owned certified B Corp, which means it uses sound social and environmental practices. These bags come in packs of three or five and have a few different handle lengths and color options, but they're all made with GOTS-certified organic cotton.</p> <p><strong>Customer rating: </strong>Not applicable</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> GOTS certified; Machine washable; Biodegradable; Certified B Corp; SA8000 certified for the protection of basic human rights of workers</p>
$36
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Empty freeways, such as this one in LA, were a common sight during COVID-19 lockdowns in spring 2020. vlvart / Getty Images
Lockdown measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic had the added benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by around seven percent, or 2.6 billion metric tons, in 2020.
<p>This is the largest emissions reduction that has ever been recorded. But to reach the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris agreement</a> goal of limiting global warming to well below two degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels, the world needs to reduce emissions by one to two billion metric tons every year for the next decade and beyond, according to a new analysis published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-01001-0" target="_blank">Nature Climate Change</a>.</p><p>"We need a cut in emissions of about the size of the fall [from the lockdowns] every two years, but by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/17/what-could-a-good-green-recovery-plan-actually-look-like" target="_blank">completely different methods</a>," Corinne Le Quéré, lead study author from the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia in England, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/03/global-lockdown-every-two-years-needed-to-meet-paris-co2-goals-study" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>Before the pandemic, emissions were already declining in some countries due to policy changes, the report found. In 64 countries, emissions declined by 160 million metric tons a year between 2016 to 2019 compared to 2011 to 2015. However, that reduction is only a tenth of what is needed worldwide to meet the Paris agreement goals. In 150 countries, emissions continued to increase by 370 million metric tons a year during the four years before the lockdown.</p><p>The concern now is whether countries can build on the reductions caused by the pandemic, or if emissions will increase again as economies reopen. So far, the evidence points toward the latter. The International Energy Agency said this week that emissions had already rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/03/03/report-world-needs-equivalent-of-pandemic-lockdown-every-two-years-to-meet-paris-carbon-emission-goals/?sh=2af111536dee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forbes reported</a>. Last month, the UN said that countries' existing commitments under the Paris agreement would only reduce emissions by less than one percent by 2030, even though experts say a 45 percent drop is required.</p>
<p>"Emissions were lower in 2020 as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuel</a> infrastructure was used less, not because infrastructure was closed down," Glen Peters, study co-author from the Cicero center for climate research in Norway, told The Guardian. "When fossil fuel infrastructure is put into use again, there is a risk of a big rebound in emissions in 2021, as was seen in the wake of the global financial crisis in 2009."</p><p>The report authors noted that policy makers could refer to the lockdowns for guidance on reducing emissions. Most of the reductions were driven by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/transportation" target="_self">transportation</a> decreases, the authors found. They suggested shifting toward <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles" target="_self">electric vehicles</a> and bike-and-pedestrian-friendly cities, as well as continuing and improving remote business options and encouraging a safe return to public transportation. </p><p>The authors also called for greater investments in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/renewable-energy" target="_self">renewable energy</a> as part of the recovery process. They added that while recovery plans in the European Union, Denmark, France, UK, Germany and Switzerland included minimal fossil fuel investments, investments in most other countries, including the U.S. and China, were still fossil-fuel heavy.</p><p>"Experience from several previous crises show that the underlying drivers of emissions reappear, if not immediately, then within a few years," the authors wrote. "Therefore to change the trajectory in global CO2 emissions in the long term, the underlying drivers also need to change."</p>
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An electric vehicle is plugged in to an EV charging station at a Walmart parking lot in Duarte, California on Sept. 14, 2018. FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images
Six major U.S. electricity utilities will collaborate to build a massive EV charging network across 16 states, they announced Tuesday.
<p>Transportation is the country's largest source of greenhouse gas pollution, and electrifying the sector is a major opportunity to reduce those emissions through increased efficiency and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable</a>-generated electricity. Utilities stand to benefit from massively-increased electricity demand driven by widespread EV adoption, but range anxiety — the fear of running out of battery power without being able to reach a convenient charging station — is a barrier to many customers who might purchase (or consider purchasing) an EV. </p>
<p>The newly-formed Electric Highway Coalition — made up of American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Entergy, Southern Company, and the Tennessee Valley Authority — is seeking to ameliorate those concerns by creating a network of charging stations from <a href="https://www.eenews.net/image_assets/2021/03/image_asset_109985_enlarged.png?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114111450&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9k5vIAjm_YzZ_iiLXicLacXmu3hkR-wm8QCUkZ6MUcE2CDpTCR5QWgFl4mnvsc2psJ2FvfG1kuIy53LxVe4m3mSfK9Tg&utm_content=114111450&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Texas to Indiana to Virginia to Florida</a>. The announcement follows a similar initiative by major midwest utilities last year. </p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/major-utilities-are-gearing-up-to-install-ev-charging-s-1846399234?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114111450&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9HybzhR2eXuuIAhGW5t1nDYlQBXogsm85KjaIBAqKCjEecjzbhS_I-8IImc5Z_7zi0Lvxx0NDvelhAlMH460owrIc7Tg&utm_content=114111450&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Earther</a>:</p><blockquote>"It's exciting to see utilities engaging more in this space," said Kathy Harris, the Eastern clean vehicles and fuels advocate at Natural Resources Defense Council. Harris pointed out that while utility investment in electric vehicle infrastructure "isn't a new concept," most of the billions of dollars spent around the country on it have been focused in California and the Northeast. Last year, for example, a coalition of West Coast utilities announced they're <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/west-coast-states-are-teaming-up-to-build-an-electric-h-1844080301" target="_blank">working on a plan</a> to electrify shipping routes to phase out diesel trucks.</blockquote><blockquote>The announcement didn't specify whether or not customers would have to pay for the charging stations, or how much costs could be, which actually isn't surprising given the number of different states covered by the coalition. Harris said that different states have different laws on the books regarding paying for EV charging stations. Some states require customers to pay a set dollar amount to use stations, while others have them pay directly for the electricity used.</blockquote>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2021/03/03/stories/1063726475?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114111450&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--wNKUJJ-75OCNZE0mSxD-kzxp6GUs1UvpqUFIHm5icGSolhH7A7vcAobBYSItBCem9aYPK9LLdmpT4FlXgQ_4ZbnAfLA&utm_content=114111450&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">E&E</a>, <a href="https://www.utilitydive.com/news/facing-an-ev-boom-aep-duke-4-other-utilities-unveil-plan-for-multi-regio/596032/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114111450&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8jAZ14uU5cVr3hROqni1teRsPGzfdev_c0OZPXPTER5h7cUqwzteNS3EAriPF-jbINMJzGpyub45OvlJ7hPNiHeT7g1w&utm_content=114111450&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Utility Dive</a>, <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/major-utilities-are-gearing-up-to-install-ev-charging-s-1846399234?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114111450&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9HybzhR2eXuuIAhGW5t1nDYlQBXogsm85KjaIBAqKCjEecjzbhS_I-8IImc5Z_7zi0Lvxx0NDvelhAlMH460owrIc7Tg&utm_content=114111450&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Earther</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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
- U.S. Utilities, Tesla, Uber Form Lobbying Group for Electric Vehicles ... ›
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- Everybody Wants EV Charging Stations. Almost Nobody Wants to ... ›
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Tearing through the crowded streets of Philadelphia, an electric car and a gas-powered car sought to win a heated race. One that mimicked how cars are actually used. The cars had to stop at stoplights, wait for pedestrians to cross the street, and swerve in and out of the hundreds of horse-drawn buggies. That's right, horse-drawn buggies. Because this race took place in 1908. It wanted to settle once and for all which car was the superior urban vehicle. Although the gas-powered car was more powerful, the electric car was more versatile. As the cars passed over the finish line, the defeat was stunning. The 1908 Studebaker electric car won by 10 minutes. If in 1908, the electric car was clearly the better form of transportation, why don't we drive them now? Today, I'm going to answer that question by diving into the history of electric cars and what I discovered may surprise you.
<p>In 1881, at a blistering pace of 9 mph, inventor Gustave Trouvé introduced the streets of Paris, and ultimately, the world to the quiet hum of the electric carriage. For the wealthy socialites of Paris, and their counterparts in New York, the horseless carriage was a must have, and electric motors were the superior choice. "By 1900, there were 4,192 vehicles on the streets in the U.S. Steam cars accounted for 1,681 of these; 1,575 were electric, and 936 had internal-combustion engines."* If you just wanted to get around town, the electric carriage was a better option — that is, if you were rich enough to afford one. Unlike internal combustion engines, electric vehicles were easy to turn on, accelerate, brake, there was no exhaust, and didn't have something exploding under your seat. Oh, and you also didn't have to crank the engine every time you stopped, which is part of the reason why that electric Studebaker won the Philadelphia race so handily. As a result of this ease of use, electric cars were looking like big business in the early 1900s, especially for the industry giant Electric Vehicle Company. At the time, the Electric Vehicle Company was the biggest car manufacturer in the country, and they used a model that seems revolutionary now, but makes sense back then. Instead of selling their cars, they rented them to people for the day or for multiple days. Each night the renter could return the car to a central garage and the Electric Vehicle Company would charge and service the vehicle, a model very similar to how stables worked at the time. But despite the electric car's success, its golden age was about to end. </p>
<p>To find out what happened, watch the video above!</p><p><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXvxXpDJXp-mZu3pFMzYHQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Our Changing Climate</a> is an environmental YouTube channel that explores the intersections of social, political, climatic, and food-based issues. The channel dives into topics like zero waste and nuclear energy in order to understand how to effectively tackle climate change and environmental destruction.</em></p><p><em><em>To receive all the latest videos produced by Charlie subscribe to his YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXvxXpDJXp-mZu3pFMzYHQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></em></p><p><em><em></em>*</em><em>Rudi Volti Cars and Culture: The Life Story of a Technology (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006</em></p>
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Could a Tax on International Travel Fund a Country’s Response to Climate Change?
20 February
Business
Pexels
Countries most vulnerable to climate change are often the ones with the least financial resources to respond, and rich countries, which are accountable for the majority of global greenhouse gas emissions, are failing to support them.
<p>In response, six climate finance experts on Thursday called for radical reform to the ways in which international climate finance is organized, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/18/call-to-tax-international-flights-to-raise-climate-funds-for-poor-countries" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. In their <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-00990-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">article published in <em>Nature Climate Change</em></a>, the experts suggest innovative finance options like taxing international transportation to create steady flows of finance to countries that need it most, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/18/call-to-tax-international-flights-to-raise-climate-funds-for-poor-countries" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. </p>
<p>Despite a pledge made in the Copenhagen Accord of 2009, rich countries are failing to provide US$100 billion a year by 2020 to support poor countries dealing with climate change. This is partly due to undefined rules on what kind of climate finance counts, the experts wrote. </p>
<p>"The original pledge stated that "this funding will come from a wide variety of sources, public and private, bilateral and multilateral, including alternative sources of finance", but specified no rules on what could be counted in those categories," the experts wrote. Over a decade later, the experts warn that accounting climate finance remains "deeply flawed," The Guardian reported.</p>
<p>A small number of countries contribute to the majority of global greenhouse gas emissions, <a href="https://www.wri.org/blog/2020/02/greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-country-sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The World Resources Center reported</a>. While China is the world's biggest emitter, it is followed by the U.S., emitting 13 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet countries with the smallest carbon footprints are still at risk for extreme weather and poverty, exacerbating global inequality.</p>
<p>A lack of action by developed countries could, for example, force 100 million people into extreme poverty by 2030, <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/africa-can-play-a-leading-role-in-the-fight-against-climate-change/#:~:text=GDP%20exposure%20in%20African%20nations,half%20of%20the%20continent's%20GDP." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Brooking Institute reported</a>. In response, participating countries of COP 16, in 2010, created the Green Climate Fund, an entity meant to decide on climate finance policies and priorities, <a href="https://unfccc.int/topics/climate-finance/the-big-picture/introduction-to-climate-finance" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UNFCCC reported</a>. </p>
<p>Yet this program, including the UN Environment and Development Programmes and the Global Environment Facility, remain underfunded, the experts added, and dysfunctional climate finance systems continue to stand in the way of global efforts to support the countries most at risk of climate change. </p>
<p>"There is not a clear accounting system. The definitions of what constitutes climate finance are vague, and there are many flaws and discrepancies," Romain Weikmans, a co-author of the article told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/18/call-to-tax-international-flights-to-raise-climate-funds-for-poor-countries" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian</a>. "It is impossible for now to say whether the $100bn pledge has been met or not. The parameters are so vague that it is impossible to give a definitive answer."</p>
<p>The authors call for countries to first determine their climate pledge's based on a vulnerable country's needs and then create tangible plans to reach these funding goals. For example, charging a tax on international flights could create steady flows of climate finance to help poor countries, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/18/call-to-tax-international-flights-to-raise-climate-funds-for-poor-countries" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian reported</a>.</p>
<p>Based on a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep01458?seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2011 study</a>, published by the International Institute for Environment and Development, a small charge to travelers taking flights could help raise US$10 billion each year. Taxing bunker fuels, high-carbon fuels used by ships, could also supply steady income streams, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/18/call-to-tax-international-flights-to-raise-climate-funds-for-poor-countries" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian</a> suggests. </p>
<p>Implementing innovative solutions to help countries transition off of fossil fuels and adapt to climate change could be led by the new U.S. administration. For example, John Kerry, President Biden's new climate envoy, told global leaders last month at the Climate Adaptation Summit that "We intend to make good on our climate finance pledge," <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-summit-netherlands-idUSKBN29U1N8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters reported</a>. </p>
<p>This promise is followed by President Biden's recent executive order, "<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad</a>," requiring his team to develop a climate finance plan. </p>
<p>"Developed countries continue to avoid fundamental accountability issues by taking advantage of ambiguous technicalities in reporting standards," the authors wrote. As the United States <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/paris-agreement-biden-us-rejoin-2650622946.html" target="_self">steps back</a> into the Paris agreement, an organized climate finance system could help the world's second-largest emitter lead the way in supporting countries most at risk for climate change. "Now is the time to begin that effort with ambition and accountability to build enduring trust and resilience," <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-00990-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the authors added</a>.</p>
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UK Climate Activists Are Locked in a Self-Dug Tunnel Underneath a London Station
18 February
Climate
Activists raise their concerns outside the Department for Work and Pensions in London on Feb. 8, 2021 about the treatment of activists who are in a tunnel beneath Euston Station to stop the high-speed train project HS2. Kristian Buus / In Pictures / Getty Images
By Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor
Beneath London's Euston Station, climate protester Blue Sandford is chained by the ankle in an illegally dug tunnel. The tunnel, 12-feet deep and 100ft long, is wet and muddy. It is propped up by wooden frames: in places wide enough only for them to lie flat on their stomachs.
<p>The 18-year-old is resisting UK authorities as they try remove her and other protesters.</p><p>Under the cover of a tent, the "Stop HS2" activists spent two months secretly digging the tunnel with shovels and buckets before going public and locking themselves inside on January 27.</p><p>They're protesting Britain's High-Speed 2 railway project (HS2), which involves clearing ancient woodland to make way for tracks and other rail infrastructure. It will also mean redeveloping Euston Square Gardens, a park in front of the station, they say.</p><p>"We're in serious debt here, the whole world, in terms of carbon and gas and methane. We need to start planting trees, not cutting them down," said Sandford, speaking on the phone to DW from the tunnel.</p><p>Four of the tunnelers, including Sandford's brother Lazer, have been either forcibly removed, or left voluntarily. Lazer had encased his arm in a steel tube that was surrounded by concrete and had to be drilled out. At least three more remain, despite fears the makeshift passage could collapse. For the protesters, the stakes are high, because this represents the larger fight to halt climate change.</p><p>"I'm here because we're facing societal collapse, and wars and famine and drought on a scale that we've never seen before and I'm really terrified for my future," said Sandford, who has also taken part in the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/extinction-rebellion-the-activists-risking-prison-to-save-the-planet/a-48302957" target="_blank">Extinction Rebellion</a> protests, in a recorded message before the authorities arrived.</p>
<h2>Green Revolution or Carbon Nightmare?</h2><p>HS2 is the UK Government's major new railway project linking the capital, London, to northern cities like Manchester. After years of delays, construction finally began in September 2020.</p><p>The railway will allow high-speed trains to travel along their own tracks, freeing up the existing rail network for more local services with the aim of reducing cars on the road. <a href="https://bigplanbigchanges.co.uk/straight-answers/2-uncategorised/467-straight-answers-16" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HS2 says</a> its trains will offer cross-country travel with seven times lower emissions than cars and will carry freight to reduce high-polluting truck journeys.</p><p>Sustainable transport advocate and independent railway engineer Gareth Dennis says it is a vital part of the UK's plan to cut emissions and is being unfairly tarnished.</p><p>"We're hearing nothing about all the motorways and roads that are being built across the country, causing a huge amount more damage. There are bulldozers, diggers, tree felling, right now, with nobody digging a complicated set of tunnels in protest," said Dennis.</p><p>One point of contention is how long it will take for emissions from the construction and operation of HS2 to be canceled out by the benefits of greener travel. In 2019, the government's own commission, the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/870092/oakervee-review.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oakervee Review</a>, estimated that it could take 60 years of operation.</p><p>Adam Turner from Greens4HS2, a group of Green Party members who support electrified high-speed rail to achieve a net zero-carbon future and are at odds with the party's official position opposing HS2, said that though 60 years is not ideal, the UK must think about the bigger picture. <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/2021-climate-policy-biden-pledges/a-56437561" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">(Net zero</a> means reaching a balance between the greenhouse gases pumped into the atmosphere and those taken out.)</p><p>Greens4HS2 carried out an analysis showing the estimate could be reduced to 28 years "if government is assertive in driving people away from planes and cars, onto trains," added Turner.</p><p>But the protesters claim it will take much longer, as they believe estimates involved are skewed in HS2's favor, and do not take sufficient account of the likely increase in electric cars.</p>
<h2>Ancient Woodlands</h2><p>The emotive heart of the debate is over the ancient woodlands that have been felled to make way for new tracks.</p><p>Farmer Penny McGregor saw a local woods near Birmingham, a city in the English midlands, repossessed by HS2, and partially chopped down in 2020. She said the community treasured the area as a sanctuary full of birdsong and wild anemones, but she watched it get destroyed.</p><p>"It was all very traumatic that whole time," said McGregor. "I could hear the chainsaws every morning from the house. It's horrible. People on the footpaths said they could hear trees crashing."</p><p>HS2's critics point out that 13% of the UK is woodland, compared to more than 35-40% in the EU, and say the project's destruction of pristine woodlands is unacceptable.</p><p>UK conservation NGO Woodland Trust described HS2 as "devastating," saying the project threatens unique habitat as well as rare and endangered species and will exacerbate the UK's <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/bringing-britains-endangered-wildlife-back-from-the-brink/a-47854943" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">biodiversity crisis</a>.</p><p>Major parties on the left and right of British politics, including the Green Party and the UK Independence Party (UKIP), have also campaigned against HS2 due its cost and environmental impact. In 2019, the <a href="https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2019/11/28/hs2-is-an-act-of-ecocide-green-party-call-for-end-to-devastating-%C2%A380-billion-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Green Party labeled</a> it an act of "<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/could-germany-be-charged-with-ecocide/a-55585186" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ecocide</a>" that would cut habitats in half.</p><p>But advocates of the high-speed project call for more perspective, saying that just 43 out of 52,000 ancient woodlands have been affected, and that HS2 are planting seven million new trees to offset carbon emissions, all of which are native species specially picked by a leading UK tree nursery.</p><p>The project will cost a tiny fraction of the UK's tree coverage but is necessary to slash emissions, said Adam Turner from Greens4HS2.</p><p>"We're not going to achieve a zero-carbon Britain if we don't build it. And if we don't achieve a zero-carbon Britain, it won't just be a corridor of woodland we're saying goodbye to, it will be ancient woodland across the world. Those are the stakes here," said Turner.</p>
<h2>No Slowing Down</h2><p>For now, neither HS2 nor the protesters are deterred. The first phase of HS2 from London to Birmingham will be completed by 2031, with the second phases to Manchester and Leeds finished in 2040.</p><p>But the activists have warned there will be more tunnel protests to come.</p><p>Blue Sandford remains in the tunnel and could face criminal prosecution for her part in the protests. But she feels she has little choice.</p><p>"I don't want to be so scared that I have to risk my life. But I feel like I don't have a choice," she said. "Voting hasn't worked. Letters to MPs haven't worked. This is the only thing I can do."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/why-uk-climate-activists-are-locked-in-a-dangerous-self-dug-tunnel-under-a-london-station/a-56610551" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em><span></span></p>
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Private Planes, Mansions and Superyachts: Calculating Billionaires' Massive Carbon Footprint
16 February
Climate
A recent study finds that superyachts emit the most carbon emissions. xefstock / Getty Images
By Richard Wilk and Beatriz Barros
Tesla's Elon Musk and Amazon's Jeff Bezos have been vying for the world's richest person ranking all year after the former's wealth soared a staggering US$160 billion in 2020, putting him briefly in the top spot.
<p>Musk isn't alone in seeing a significant increase in wealth during a year of pandemic, recession and death. Altogether, the world's billionaires <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2020/12/16/the-worlds-billionaires-have-gotten-19-trillion-richer-in-2020/?sh=c44b6de7386f/" target="_blank">saw their wealth surge</a> over $1.9 trillion in 2020, according to Forbes.</p><p>Those are astronomical numbers, and it's hard to get one's head around them without some context. As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=d8efMHsAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">anthropologists who study</a> energy and consumer culture, we wanted to examine how all that wealth translated into consumption and the resulting carbon footprint.</p><h2>Walking in a Billionaire's Shoes</h2><p>We found that billionaires have <a href="https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gases-equivalencies-calculator-calculations-and-references" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">carbon footprints</a> that can be thousands of times higher than those of average Americans.</p><p>The wealthy own yachts, planes and multiple mansions, all of which contribute greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. For example, a superyacht with a permanent crew, helicopter pad, submarines and pools emits about 7,020 tons of CO2 a year, according to our calculations, making it by the far worst asset to own from an environmental standpoint. Transportation and real estate make up the lion's share of most people's carbon footprint, so we focused on calculating those categories for each billionaire.</p><p>To pick a sample of billionaires, we started with the 2020 <a href="https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Forbes List</a> of 2,095 billionaires. A random or representative sample of billionaire carbon footprints is impossible because most <a href="https://www.lovemoney.com/gallerylist/87931/the-most-reclusive-rich-people-ever" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wealthy people shy away from publicity</a>, so we had to focus on those whose consumption is public knowledge. This excluded most of the superrich in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2020/04/08/the-countries-with-the-most-billionaires-in-2020/?sh=2fcc19024429" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Asia and the Middle East</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY1MzM0OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDYzODQ1OX0.B3RKerhnVPVwJH0A-Wnrhincu1euyaQGzPqBJi04J1Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="7d8d9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ccf752fa355466aae39048641a3e4da3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1000" data-height="1000" />
<p>We combed 82 databases of public records to document billionaires' houses, vehicles, aircraft and yachts. After an exhaustive search, we started with 20 well-known billionaires whose possessions we were able to ascertain, while trying to include some diversity in gender and geography. We have submitted our paper for peer review but plan to continue adding to our list.</p><p>We then used a wide range of sources, such as the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Energy Information Administration</a> and <a href="https://www.carbonfootprint.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Carbon Footprint</a>, to estimate the annual CO2 emissions of each house, aircraft, vehicle and yacht. In some cases we had to estimate the size of houses from satellite images or photos and the use of private aircraft and yachts by <a href="https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:0f4b102a-c077-4568-993b-e01fd0f67268?collection=education" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">searching the popular press</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2019.102775" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">drawing on other studies</a>. Our results are based on analyzing typical use of each asset given its size and everything else we could learn.</p><p>We did not try to calculate each asset's "<a href="https://circularecology.com/embodied-carbon.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">embodied carbon</a>" emissions – that is, how much CO2 is burned throughout the supply chain in making the product – or the emissions produced by their family, household employees or entourage. We also didn't include the emissions of companies of which they own part or all, because that would have added another significant degree of complexity. For example, we didn't calculate the emissions of Tesla or Amazon when calculating Musk's or Bezos' footprints.</p><p>In other words, these are all likely conservative estimates of how much they emit.</p><h2>Your Carbon Footprint</h2><p>To get a sense of perspective, let's start with the carbon footprint of the average person.</p><p>Residents of the U.S., including billionaires, <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/co2/country/united-states?country=%7EUSA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">emitted about 15 tons of CO2 per person</a> in 2018. The global average footprint is smaller, at just about 5 tons per person.</p><p>In contrast, the 20 people in our sample contributed an average of about 8,190 tons of CO2 in 2018. But some produced far more greenhouse gases than others.</p><h1>Billionaire Emissions</h1><p>Some of the biggest polluters have relatively little wealth, while the two richest – Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos – have relatively small carbon footprints. Yachts make up most of the emissions of those who have one. Mansions and other dwellings make up a very minor share of their carbon footprints. Values are in terms of tons of CO2 equivalent.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY1MzM1My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODMyNDk2Nn0.ojrhbNpCPgK5Ei3-10QH7dsDLXQFCC85v72sL3EV_Pw/img.png?width=980" id="098eb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fedacfd7013a8dedb6a4cfadbab3ac5f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1240" data-height="1252" />
<h2>The Jet-Setting Billionaire</h2><p>Roman Abramovich, <a href="https://www.headspacegroup.co.uk/orphan-to-billionnaire-roman-abramovich/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">who made most of his $19 billion fortune</a> trading oil and gas, was the biggest polluter on our list. Outside of Russia, he is probably best known as the <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1296796/Chelsea-News-Roman-Abramovich-Contacts-Kai-Havertz-Transfer-Rumours-Gossip" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">headline-grabbing</a> owner of London's Chelsea Football Club.</p><p>Abramovich cruises the Mediterranean in his superyacht, <a href="https://www.autoevolution.com/news/roman-abramovichs-eclipse-holds-its-own-as-worlds-most-expensive-superyacht-141067.html" target="_blank">named the Eclipse</a>, which at 162.5 meters bow to stern is the second-biggest in the world, rivaling some cruise ships. And he hops the globe on a <a href="https://luxurylaunches.com/transport/inside-chelsea-owner-roman-abramovichs-80-million-private-jet.php" target="_blank">custom-designed Boeing 767</a>, which boasts a 30-seat dining room. He takes shorter trips in his Gulfstream G650 jet, one of his two helicopters or the submarine on his yacht.</p><p>He maintains homes in many countries, including a mansion in London's Kensington Park Gardens, a chateau in Cap D'Antibes in France and a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204518504574418871692477730" target="_blank">28-hectare estate in St. Barts that once belonged to David Rockefeller</a>. In 2018, he left the U.K. and <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/chelsea-owner-roman-abramovich-immigrates-to-israel-after-uk-visa-woes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">settled in Israel</a>, where he became a dual citizen and bought a home in 2020 for $64.5 million.</p><p>We estimate that he was responsible for at least 33,859 metric tons of CO2 emissions in 2018 – more than two-thirds from his yacht, which is always ready to use at a moment's notice year-round.</p><h2>Massive Mansions and Private Jets</h2><p>Bill Gates, currently the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/#6280bc883d78" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">world's fourth-richest person</a> with $124 billion, is a "modest" polluter – by billionaire standards – and is typical of those who may not own a giant yacht but make up for it with private jets.</p><p>Co-founder of Microsoft, he retired in 2020 to manage the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest charity, with an endowment of $50 billion.</p><p>In the 1990s, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/crazy-facts-about-bill-gates-house-2016-11" target="_blank">Gates built Xanadu</a> – named after the vast fictional estate in Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" – at a cost of $127 million in Medina, Washington. The giant home covers 6,131 square meters, with a 23-car garage, a 20-person cinema and 24 bathrooms. He also owns at least five other dwellings in Southern California, the San Juan Islands in Washington state, North Salem, New York, and New York City, as well as <a href="https://therealdeal.com/miami/2019/07/02/trust-tied-to-bill-gates-drops-21m-on-wellington-horse-farm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a horse farm</a>, <a href="https://www.superyachtfan.com/yacht-owners/bill-gates/private-jet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">four private jets, a seaplane and "a collection" of helicopters</a>.</p><p>We estimated his annual footprint at 7,493 metric tons of carbon, mostly from a lot of flying.</p>
<h2>The Environmentally Minded Tech CEO</h2><p>South African-born Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, has a surprisingly low carbon footprint despite being the world's second-richest person, with $177 billion – and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/12/elon-musk-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-a-carbon-tax.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he seems intent on setting an example for other billionaires</a>.</p><p>He doesn't own a superyacht and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/02/why-elon-musk-says-taking-vacations-will-kill-you.html" target="_blank">says he doesn't even take vacations</a>.</p><p>We calculated a relatively modest carbon footprint for him in 2018, thanks to his eight houses and one private jet. This year, his carbon footprint would be even lower because in 2020 he <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/01/elon-musk-sells-all-california-real-estate-moves-to-texas" target="_blank">sold all of his houses</a> and promised to <a href="https://www.gq.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/elon-musk-now-says-he-wants-to-sell-his-possessions-and-go-homeless/news-story/34573e982b338480ed52817bd98f395d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">divest the rest of his worldly possessions</a>.</p><p>While his personal carbon footprint is still hundreds of times higher than that of an average person, he demonstrates that the superrich still have choices to make and can indeed lower their environmental impact if they so choose.</p><p>His estimated footprint from the assets we looked at was 2,084 tons in 2018.</p><h2>The Value of Naming and Shaming</h2><p>The aim of our ongoing research is to get people to think about the environmental burden of wealth.</p><p>While <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/world/carbon-emissions-richest-1-percent-more-double-emissions-poorest-half-humanity#:%7E:text=The%20richest%2010%20percent%20(approx,of%20humanity%20(7%20percent)." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plenty of research</a> <a href="https://wid.world/document/chancel-l-piketty-t-carbon-and-inequality-from-kyoto-to-paris-wid-world-working-paper-2015-7/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has shown</a> that rich countries and wealthy people produce far more than their share of greenhouse gas emissions, these studies can feel abstract and academic, making it harder to change this behavior.</p><p>We believe "shaming" – for lack of a better word – superrich people for their energy-intensive spending habits can have an important impact, revealing them as models of overconsumption that people shouldn't emulate.</p><p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/5-celebrities-busted-as-part-of-droughtshaming-1882065398.html" target="_self">Newspapers, cities and local residents made an impact</a> during the California droughts of 2014 and 2015 by "drought shaming" celebrities and others who were wasting water, seen in <a href="https://pagesix.com/2015/05/09/3941513" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">their continually green lawns</a>. And the Swedes came up with a new term – "<a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/esmagazine/flight-shame-europe-sweden-a4120231.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">flygskam</a>" or flying shame – to raise awareness about the climate impact of air travel.</p><p>Climate experts say that to have any hope of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-08/the-world-is-moving-toward-net-zero-because-of-a-single-sentence" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">countries must cut their emissions</a> in half by 2030 and eliminate them by 2050.</p><p>Asking average Americans to adopt less carbon-intensive lifestyles to achieve this goal can be galling and ineffective when it would take about 550 of their lifetimes to equal the carbon footprint of the average billionaire on our list.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/richard-wilk-368097" target="_blank"><em>Richard Wilk</em></a><em><strong> </strong>is a </em><em>Distinguished Professor and Provost's Professor of Anthropology; Director of the Open Anthropology Institute, Indiana University.</em>
</p><p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/beatriz-barros-1208262" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Beatriz Barros</a> is a </em><em>Ph.D. Candidate in Anthropology, Indiana University.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: </em><em><em>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em></em>
</p><p>
<em><em></em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/private-planes-mansions-and-superyachts-what-gives-billionaires-like-musk-and-abramovich-such-a-massive-carbon-footprint-152514" target="_blank">The Conversation.</a></em>
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By Elliot Negin
There has been a spike in good news recently when it comes to the future of electric vehicles (EVs). That's encouraging, given the transportation sector is now the largest source of US carbon emissions and vehicles are the main culprits.
<p>Late last month, President Biden signed an executive order directing federal officials to come up with a plan to convert all federal, state, local and tribal fleets to "clean and zero-emission vehicles." That amounts to roughly 645,000 vehicles, which currently travel some 4.5 billion miles every year, consume nearly 400 million gallons of gasoline and emit more than 7 billion pounds of carbon pollution.</p>
<p>This is a big deal. If every vehicle in the federal fleet were electric, the number of all-electric EVs in the United States would jump by more than 50 percent. Biden's announcement alone, by guaranteeing greater demand, should spark automakers to amp up their investments in EV technology.</p><p>As if on cue, just a day after Biden signed the executive order, General Motors (GM) announced it hopes to stop selling gas- and diesel-powered passenger cars and light sports utility vehicles (SUVs) by 2035. That target date is likely no accident. Last fall, China announced that 50 percent of the new cars sold in the country by 2035 will have to be electric, plug-in hybrid, or fuel cell vehicles, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order banning the sale of gasoline-powered passenger cars and pickup trucks in his state by then.</p><p>Of course, transitioning from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles to EVs will not happen overnight. Cars remain on the road for an average of 12 years and trucks average 15, so it will take some time to turn over the entire <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/859950/vehicles-in-operation-by-quarter-united-states/" target="_blank">US fleet of 280 million cars</a>, light trucks and heavy duty rigs. In the meantime, a UCS member from Terre Haute, Indiana, who used to work in the auto industry, wanted to know if it would make the most sense to promote gasoline-powered hybrids and stronger fuel efficiency standards, not pure EVs, for the time being.</p><p>"There is certainly a lot of hype about electric vehicles," Terry S. wrote. "If electricity production were 100 percent renewable, then electric vehicles would be a big step in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. But transitioning to electric vehicles is likely to take decades. I applaud UCS for working to accelerate that transition. However, it seems a larger emphasis should be on pushing the adoption of hybrids, such as the Prius, and higher mileage standards over the next decade."</p><p>Does the US electricity grid have to be completely carbon pollution-free before EVs can make a significant difference? And would it make more sense to recommend that car buyers purchase hybrids instead of EVs for the next 10 years or so? These are good questions.</p>
<p>I turned to <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/about/people/david-reichmuth" target="_blank">David Reichmuth</a>, a senior engineer in the UCS Clean Transportation Program to respond. Reichmuth, who holds a PhD in chemical engineering, is an expert on California's Zero Emission Vehicles regulation and has authored several reports on the benefits of EVs.</p><p><strong>EN: Let's start with Terry S.'s comments. Based on your research, what would be the best way to go over the next decade? Do EVs make sense when some parts of the country still get their electricity from coal-fired power plants? Would it make more sense to buy a hybrid instead of an EV?</strong></p><p><strong>DR:</strong> To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we'll need stronger gasoline fuel efficiency and emissions standards and a quick transition from gasoline-powered vehicles to EVs. It will take both at the same time. But for nearly everyone in the United States, the best option today for reducing carbon emissions is an EV.</p><p>Last year, we updated our analysis of EVs by comparing lifecycle emissions from EVs and gasoline-powered cars. For gasoline cars, we calculated the total emissions from extracting crude oil, shipping it to a refinery, manufacturing gasoline, and then trucking it to filling stations, in addition to their tailpipe emissions. For EVs, our calculation included electric power plant emissions as well as the emissions from producing coal, natural gas and the other fuels that power plants use.</p><p>We found that the average EV is responsible for <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-reichmuth/are-electric-vehicles-really-better-for-the-climate-yes-heres-why" target="_blank">lower carbon emissions</a> than a 50 miles-per-gallon gasoline car for 94 percent of the US population. But that's for the average EV, because the most efficient EVs currently available are better than any gasoline-powered car virtually anywhere across the country. And in regions with cleaner electricity grids, EVs are also much cleaner than gasoline cars. For example, the carbon emissions associated with an average EV driven in California are equivalent to the emissions from a hypothetical 122-mpg gasoline car, while an EV in upstate New York is even better. It would have emissions equivalent to a 231-mpg gasoline car.</p><p>It's also important to consider that a new EV purchased today will be powered by an electricity grid that is getting increasingly cleaner as the nation moves away from coal and adds renewable sources like solar and wind power. The amount of electricity from coal-fired plants dropped from 45 percent of all US output to 28 percent between 2009 and 2018, which helped make driving on electricity cleaner. Unlike gasoline cars, EVs already on the road are going to get "cleaner" over time.</p><p><strong>EN: Let's turn to some of the recent developments. What's the significance of President Biden's recent executive order? What challenges will be have to be overcome to make his administration's goal a reality?</strong></p><p><strong>DR:</strong> First off, it's an important signal from the new administration that it recognizes the need to move rapidly to electric vehicles. The federal government's purchasing power will help push automakers to offer more EV models at higher production volumes, given the certainty of demand. It won't be easy to make Biden's executive order a reality, though. While there are a lot more EV models available now, there are some types of vehicles, like pickups and full-size vans, where electric options aren't yet available. The government also will have to install infrastructure at federal facilities across the country to recharge these EVs.</p><p><strong>EN: GM won plaudits for its recent announcement, but unlike BMW, Ford, Honda and Volkswagen, the company has not agreed to comply with California's emissions standards, which are more stringent than the Trump administration's watered-down targets. How do you see GM's commitment, and how does the company stack up against other automakers?</strong></p><p><strong>DR:</strong> I'm all for auto companies setting targets to electrify their vehicle offerings. However, GM only said that it aspires to getting rid of tailpipe pollution. At the same time, it still supports the last administration's weakened emissions standards and has decided not to join the four automakers that have agreed to comply with California's emissions standards. And while GM has announced plans to release new electric models, less than 1 percent of its US sales last year were EVs. If the company were serious about committing to an electric future, it would support standards that ensure the country will have 100-percent zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2035.</p>
<p><strong>EN: What needs to happen to enable the switch from gasoline cars to EVs?</strong></p><p><strong>DR:</strong> To accelerate the transition from gasoline to electricity, several barriers have to be overcome.</p><p>First, automakers have to manufacture more EV models, including sedans, full-size SUVs, pickups and minivans. Regulation is powerful tool to make that happen. There are more options for EV buyers in Europe right now because their emissions standards are ahead of the United States.</p><p>Second, EV owners need a lot more recharging infrastructure to support long-distance travel and options if they can't charge at home because, for example, they live in an apartment building and have to park on the street. Private charging companies will play a role, but electric utility and government investments can help ensure that infrastructure is available so more people can buy an EV and not have to worry about where they can charge it.</p><p>Finally, automakers have to provide car buyers with the information and resources they need to have the confidence to choose an EV over a gasoline car. Virtually every driver knows how to refuel a gasoline car. Charging an EV isn't hard, but EV owners will understandably have questions about where they can plug in.</p><p>EVs are cheaper to drive and maintain than gasoline cars, but they still have a higher upfront cost. Battery—and therefore EV—costs are coming down quickly as production volume increases, but federal and state incentives will be critical during this transition period to address both the upfront cost and consumer uncertainty over a new technology. It will also be important to make it easier for low- and moderate-income households to go electric by, for example, providing incentives for used EV purchases and ensuring that renters in apartment buildings have access to nearby charging stations.</p><p><strong>EN: What else should car buyers be thinking about when considering an EV?</strong></p><p><strong>DR:</strong> We want to get to the point where everyone in the United States can choose an EV and meet their mobility needs. We're not there yet. We need more EV models and charging availability for everyone. Even so, a lot of people could make their next car purchase or lease an EV, either a fully electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid, especially given the fact there are more affordable long-range models available this year. Switching to an EV is a step people can take right now to make a significant reduction in their carbon emissions. Plus, owning an EV has real advantages: They are cheaper to refuel, have lower maintenance costs, run quietly, and often perform better than a gasoline car. The bottom line: Buying an EV will save car owners money, reduce toxic air pollution, and cut carbon emissions at the same time. That sounds like a good deal to me!</p><p> <em><a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/author/elliott-negin" target="_blank">Elliot Negin</a> is a senior writer in the Communications Department at the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>.</em></p>
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A platform at the Christopher Street PATH station had the worst air pollution ever measured at a subway station. Billie Grace Ward / CC BY 2.0
It turns out, the subway is even dirtier than you imagined, at least in the four U.S. cities that make up the majority of the country's underground transport system.
<p>A research team led by the <a href="https://nyulangone.org/news/pre-covid-19-subway-air-polluted-dc-boston-new-york-regions-worst-study-finds" target="_blank">NYU Grossman School of Medicine</a> measured the air quality of 71 subway stations in New York City, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston during the morning and evening rush hour. In every city, the concentration of airborne particles was at least twice as high within some stations when compared to the air outside.</p><p>"Our findings add to evidence that subways expose millions of commuters and transit employees to air pollutants at levels known to pose serious health risks over time," study lead author David Luglio, a doctoral student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a statement.</p>
<p>Of the four, the New York City subway system was the most polluted. At the Christopher Street station, one platform on the PATH line connecting New York and New Jersey had toxic <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" target="_self">air pollution</a> at levels 77 times the air outside. The platform air was as polluted as the air surrounding a wildfire or building demolition.</p><p>"It was the worst pollution ever measured in a subway station, higher than some of the worst days in Beijing or Delhi," study coauthor and NYU Langone Department of Environmental Medicine professor <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/faculty/terry-gordon" target="_blank">Terry Gordon</a> told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/10/subway-air-pollution-new-york-washington-dc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. "It just wasn't believable. My colleague went down there and his airways were feeling tight after an hour or so."</p>
<p>The other most polluted stations included Broadway in Boston, Second Avenue in New York City and 30th Street in Philadelphia.</p><p>Overall, the New York City subway system. was the most polluted and the Philadelphia subway system was the least. The national safe limit for particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution is 35 micrograms per cubic meter. The average PM2.5 level for the subway systems recorded by the scientists was as follows, according to NYU:</p><ul><li>PATH New York-New Jersey: 392 micrograms per cubic meter</li><li>MTA New York: 251 micrograms per cubic meter</li><li>Washington, DC: 145 micrograms per cubic meter</li><li>Boston: 140 micrograms per cubic meter</li><li>Philadelphia: 39 micrograms per cubic meter</li></ul>
<p>In 2019, 5.5 million people rode the New York subway, while the PATH has a daily ridership of more than 284,000.</p><p>"As riders of one of the busiest, and apparently dirtiest, metro systems in the country, New Yorkers in particular should be concerned about the toxins they are inhaling as they wait for trains to arrive," Gordon told NYU.</p><p>The particulate matter was found mostly to consist of iron and organic carbon, which is released by the breakdown of fossil fuels or plant and animal matter. While iron is mostly not toxic, exposure to some types of organic carbon has been associated with greater risk of asthma, lung cancer and heart disease.</p><p>The study authors said more research needed to be done to determine the source of the pollution, why certain stations were so polluted and to what extent commuters and transit employees were at risk.</p>
<p>Gretchen Goldman, research director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, who was not involved in the study, told The Guardian that it also had important implications for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/environmental-justice" target="_self">environmental justice</a>. Air pollution tends to disproportionately harm low income communities and communities of color</p><p>"As the scientific community works to better understand exposure and potential health effects of air pollution in the urban environment, I hope local decision makers use this valuable work to inform the best ways to address the known racial and socioeconomic inequities in air pollution exposure in US cities," Goldman said.</p><p>The measurements were all taken before the coronavirus pandemic hit, according to NYU.</p>
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People walk in Helsingborg, Sweden on July 26, 2020. Dan-Manila / iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus
If you took the cars away, what could you fit in a parking space?
<p>That's what cities in Sweden are trying to answer through a new project called <a href="https://arkdes.se/arkdes-play/nu-flyttar-streetmoves-fran-stockholm/" target="_blank">Street Moves</a> that works with local communities to transform urban parking spaces into "one-minute cities" for sitting, storing bikes, growing plants or whatever else the neighborhood feels it needs. The end goal? To make every street in Sweden "healthy, sustainable and vibrant by 2030," according to Street Moves material reported by <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-01-05/a-tiny-twist-on-street-design-the-one-minute-city" target="_blank">Bloomberg CityLab</a>.</p>
<p>"What we really aspire is to slow down the pace on streets for them to work more as the public spaces they are," Daniel Byström, project manager at ArkDes Think Tank, told <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90593014/how-to-transform-your-street-into-a-1-minute-city" target="_blank">Fast Company</a>. "We believe that streets can be more optimized considering the needs of humans and nature. Today, streets are mainly designed for cars, leaving little or no space for other activities. It's not sustainable."</p><p>The project is a collaboration between ArkDes and Vinnova, a Swedish government innovation agency, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/08/how-sweden-is-taking-back-parking-spaces-to-improve-urban-living" target="_blank">The Guardian explained</a>. Vinnova funded ArkDes, which is the country's architecture and design museum. ArkDes worked with designers to create wooden furniture that can be fitted into parking spaces to transform them, depending on the needs of the community, Fast Company explained.</p>
<p>The design "draws inspiration from things like Lego or IKEA — or Minecraft — where you have a consistent system that can be adapted or hacked, remodeled, added to," Vinnova director of strategic design Dan Hill told CityLab.</p><p>The idea is that the furniture can be shaped by communities into "one-minute cities," an expansion of the concept of the 15-minute city that allows residents to meet all their basic needs within a 15-minute radius of their homes.</p>
<p>"It's a lovely idea in terms of having all of your everyday needs within that timeframe, but actually, the 'one-minute city', the space outside your front door, outside your apartment block or house or whatever, that's where you can have a very intimate and engaged relationship. That's your neighbourhood, really," Hill told The Guardian.</p><p>The project was piloted in the summer of 2020 in four blocks in Stockholm. Each block was close to an elementary school, so children played a role in designing the spaces to include elements like swings and dance platforms, Fast Company explained.</p><p>The response has been overwhelmingly positive. About 70 percent of the 322 people surveyed about the redesigns were in favor of them, and ArkDes says use of the streets around the spaces has increased 400 percent, according to The Guardian.</p>
<p>The project has now moved on to Gothenburg, where a couple of parking spaces outside a sausage shop were transformed in early February into a seating area with a bench, picnic tables and racks for bicycles and e-scooters.</p><p>"When the sun was out on Friday and Saturday, it was absolutely full of people, just having a takeaway coffee and a sausage," shop owner Malin Henriksson Talcoth told The Guardian.</p><p>Talcoth said she was originally nervous that the loss of the parking spaces would mean fewer customers, but also noted that driving in Gothenburg had gotten so hard that fewer people were doing it.</p><p>Of course, moving away from cars is partly the point. Sweden has said it wants its cities to be carbon neutral by 2045, according to CityLab.</p><p>"As most greenhouse gas emissions occur in cities, by far, we need to demonstrate how — in a show-don't-tell kind of way — we can switch out old systems and cultures for new ones, retrofitting our existing environments," Hill told Fast Company.</p><p>The next one-minute city will be installed in Helsingborg, according to The Guardian. It will be outside a secondary school and include planters, seats and LED lighting. Other Swedish cities have also shown interest in the project.</p>
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A new report from the Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund notes that most school buses in the U.S. run on diesel, a fossil fuel linked to numerous health problems. FatCamera / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
While some students are still learning remotely or on hybrid schedules due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the climate emergency hasn't suddenly disappeared because of the devastating public health crisis—meaning neither has the need to radically and rapidly transform society.
<p>The sweeping transformation that <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/12/nature-under-siege-scientists-sound-alarm-about-insect-apocalypse" target="_blank">study</a> after <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/28/climate-campaigners-say-listen-science-new-study-shows-earth-now-warmer-any-time" target="_blank">study</a> signals is <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/13/dire-assessment-scientists-warn-humanity-denial-looming-collapse-civilization-we" target="_blank">necessary</a> for the future of the planet and all of its inhabitants includes electrifying the transportation sector. A report out Tuesday details opportunities to aid that effort by shifting to zero-emissions electric school buses.</p><p>The new <a href="https://uspirg.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/US_EL%20buses%202021%20scrn_0.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> from the Environment America Research & Policy Center and U.S. PIRG Education Fund notes that "the vast majority of school buses in the United States run on diesel, a fossil fuel that has been shown to cause numerous health problems, including asthma, bronchitis, and cancer."</p><p>Along with the <a href="https://eos.org/research-spotlights/the-climate-and-health-impacts-of-gasoline-and-diesel-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">impacts</a> on human health, diesel exhaust is also a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. While there are multiple benefits to shifting to more health- and climate-friendly buses, there are also barriers. As the report explains:</p><blockquote>The technology is here, and electric school buses are ready to roll, but the question remains: how do schools pay for them? While electric buses can save schools money over the lifespan of the bus, the initial price tag of a new electric bus can turn many schools off to the idea of electrification. In many cases, assistance from federal grant programs and loans are needed in order to finance such a purchase. In addition to these programs, utility investment, financing strategies, and vehicle-to-grid technology provide promising opportunities that can help schools ease the transition and accelerate toward a zero-emission electric future.<br></blockquote>
<p>Ethan Evans, U.S. PIRG Education Fund Transportation associate, emphasized in a statement Tuesday that "while electric buses can save and even earn schools money over the lifespan of the bus, the initial price tag often presents a hurdle for cash-strapped districts. Utility investment would help ease the transition and accelerate us toward a zero-emission electric future."</p><p>The report points out that not only is a large-scale shift to electric buses better for public health and the planet, it could also benefit school districts as well as utility companies that could assist with transition costs. "Electric buses can expand and stabilize the grid, provide surplus energy storage, and increase energy demand," the report says. "By providing discounted rates on electric bus charging and building charging infrastructure, utilities can help speed the adoption of electric buses."</p><p>"Utilities can also support electric buses by investing in infrastructure for bus charging in depots and on routes, helping to finance the upfront purchasing costs of electric buses, and introducing smart charging systems to maximize integration of renewable energy," the report adds, noting examples where such efforts are already underway in <a href="https://kykn.com/2019/11/12/pge-bringing-first-electric-school-buses-to-the-region/" target="_blank">Oregon</a> and <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/dominion-energy-rolls-out-more-electric-school-buses/ar-BB1cTWTJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Virginia</a>.</p><p>The report highlights vehicle-to-grid technology that enables buses to send stored energy back to the grid and Pay-As-You-Save (or PAYS) agreements in which a utility company covers the initial cost of shifting to new technology that the customer repays over the buses' lifespans as "particularly promising options."</p><p>"By pairing vehicle-to-grid technology and PAYS, each electric bus could save school districts up to $130,000 per electric bus," according to the report, which includes lists of recommendations for school districts, lawmakers, and utility companies to boost the use of electric buses on a national scale.</p>
<div id="0299a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b603864ae73cae8d0f2289fc5704cb33"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1356602192199835648" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Upgrading to 100% electric school bus fleets by 2030 is achievable and affordable, our new report from finds. Pay-a… https://t.co/YxDwwDlu55</div> — U.S. PIRG (@U.S. PIRG)<a href="https://twitter.com/uspirg/statuses/1356602192199835648">1612274141.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>As Morgan Folger, Environment America Research and Policy Center Destination: Zero Carbon campaign director, put it: "Only by working together can we tackle the existential threat of climate change and accelerate the process towards a zero-emission future."</p><p>Schools are urged to "commit to transitioning to 100% all-electric buses by 2030, with a plan to phase out the purchase of new diesel buses immediately." District leaders should "use any and all financing methods available" to deliver on their pledges—including by engaging with local utility companies.</p><p>Utility companies are called on to commit to renewable energy, reduce emissions, increase grid capacity, and assist in transition efforts, including with vehicle-to-grid technology and PAYS pilot programs. Lawmakers, the report says, must "work with utilities and regulators to develop effective electric bus investment programs that protect ratepayers and consumers."</p><p>The report further calls on elected officials to develop grant programs for the transition to electric buses, tighten fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions standards, and subsidize research and development in related technology, including vehicle-to-grid.</p>
<p>As the groups published their joint report on Tuesday, the Senate <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/536914-senate-confirms-buttigieg-as-transportation-secretary" target="_blank">confirmed</a> Pete Buttigieg, President Joe Biden's pick to run the Department of Transportation. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana—who faced off against Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race but ultimately dropped out and endorsed him—has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/21/climate/buttigieg-climate-transportation.html" target="_blank">vowed</a> to make climate a key priority in his new role.</p><p>"Ultimately, we cannot afford not to act on climate," Buttigieg <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/02/uts-greenhouse-gas-reduction-center-biden-transportation-policy" target="_blank">told</a> senators at a confirmation hearing when asked about his support for the Green New Deal. "The question becomes: How can we do that in a way that creates economic benefit in the near term, as well as preventing catastrophe in the long term?"</p><p>Part of the solution, the report suggests, is greening the way students get to school.</p><p>"Our kids deserve a world without diesel emissions," said Folger. Evans concurred, declaring that "getting to school shouldn't include a daily dose of toxic pollution."</p><p>"With school districts, lawmakers, and utilities all working together," Evans added, "we can make the switch to all-electric school buses and give our kids a healthier ride to school."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/02/kids-deserve-world-without-diesel-emissions-report-offers-roadmap-electric-school" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p><span></span><a href="https://commons.commondreams.org/t/kids-deserve-a-world-without-diesel-emissions-report-offers-roadmap-for-electric-school-bus-transition/87130" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://commons.commondreams.org/t/kids-deserve-a-world-without-diesel-emissions-report-offers-roadmap-for-electric-school-bus-transition/87130" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>From Your Site Articles
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