Abstract
Some of Nation's Worst Heat Islands Are Legacy of Racism
Deadly heat islands, urban areas with fewer green spaces, shade, and public health resources, are worse in underserved neighborhoods largely due to racism, according to a study by Portland State University (PSU) and the Science Museum of Virginia. Researchers note that current temperature disparities—up to a difference of 20°F from one neighborhood to the next—are the legacy of past racially-motivated town planning. Urban neighborhoods denied municipal services and support for home ownership during the mid-20th century are now the hottest areas in 94 percent of the 108 cities analyzed. “This systematic pattern suggests a woefully negligent planning system that hyper-privileges richer and whiter communities,” says study coauthor Vivek Shandas, professor of urban studies and planning at PSU. That planning extends to the 1930s, when district maps were typically redlined. Homes on one side of the line, typically black neighborhoods, were considered too risky for investment and were allowed to fall into disrepair, and ultimately never made green. The contrast can be stark: heat islands in formerly redlined neighborhoods and non-redlined ones vary by 12 degrees on average in Portland, OR, and Denver, compared to less than 2 degrees in Pittsburgh and Flint, MI. “Neighborhoods are not made equal,” Shandas says. “We are now seeing how those policies are literally killing those most vulnerable to acute heat.” More than 600 Americans die and 65,000 seek emergency medical care for excessive heat exposure, according to a report in The Guardian. As heat waves become increasingly frequent and severe, scientists expect to see the numbers increase, particularly among children, the elderly, economically disadvantaged communities, and those with pre-existing conditions like heart disease, asthma, and diabetes. The study appears in the journal Climate.
Heat waves in underserved, largely black inner city areas—the result of mid-20th century redlining—are worse than in more affluent, white-dominant ones, according to a landmark new study.
Microsoft's Moon Shot: Remove All Carbon, Past and Present, by 2050
Within the next 30 years, the world's largest software company pledges to remove all the carbon it has ever emitted into the atmosphere since it was founded in 1975. According to Microsoft President Brad Smith, the company will become carbon negative by 2050 through efforts such as converting to renewable energy sources, focusing on using electric vehicles, expanding an internal carbon tax, and launching a $1 billion fund to finance carbon reduction, capture, and removal technologies over the next four years. “This is a bold bet—a moon shot—for Microsoft,” Smith asserts in a report in Business Insider. “And it will need to become a moon shot for the world.” The company expects to emit 16 million metric tons of carbon this year, only a quarter of which can be easily controlled, such as automobile emissions or heat generated by light sources. The remainder consists of indirect emissions caused by manufacturing, food production, or wide-scale transportation of products. “The world's climate experts agree that the world must take urgent action to bring down emissions,” Smith says. “[But] while the world will need to reach net zero, those of us who can afford to move faster and go further should do so.” Microsoft also plans to share the wealth by helping other companies reduce their emissions through education programs and envirofriendly partnerships with customers, including those in the oil and gas businesses. The company states it will provide updates in its annual Environmental Sustainability Report.
According to Microsoft President Brad Smith, the company will become carbon negative by 2050.
New Tech Generates Electricity from Water in the Air
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst have developed technology that makes it possible to generate electricity from moisture in the air. The device, fittingly called “Air-gen,” connects electrodes to conductive protein nanowires produced by a microbe called Geobacter. “We are literally making electricity out of thin air … and [can do it] 24/7,” asserts Amherst electrical engineer Jun Yao. The new technology is nonpolluting, renewable, and low-cost, notes UMass Amherst microbiologist Derek Lovley. It can generate power even in areas with extremely low humidity, for example, the Sahara Desert. “It has significant advantages over other forms of renewable energy including solar and wind,” he explains. “Unlike these other renewable energy sources, the Air-gen does not require sunlight or wind, and it even works indoors.” The current generation of Air-gen devices can power small electronics, and researchers expect to bring the invention to commercial scale soon. Future efforts include developing a small patch that can power electronic wearables such as health and fitness monitors, and smart watches, which would eliminate the requirement for traditional batteries. They also hope to develop Air-gens to apply to cell phones to eliminate periodic charging. “The ultimate goal is to make large-scale systems,” Yao says. “The technology might be incorporated into wall paint that could help power your home. Or, we may develop stand-alone air-powered generators that supply electricity off the grid. Once we get to an industrial scale for [nano]wire production, I fully expect that we can make large systems that will make a major contribution to sustainable energy production.” The study appears in the journal Nature.
This artist's rendering depicts protein nanowires generating electricity from moisture in the air, a process its inventors say will revolutionize clean energy production and usage.
Nearly One-Third of Animals and Plants Face Extinction by 2070
Climate change could kill off 30 percent of Earth's plant and animal species in 50 years, even after many species' efforts to adapt to hotter temperatures, according to a study by the University of Arizona. Examining data on 539 plant and animal species at 581 sites worldwide for how lifestyle and environments changed over at least 10 years, researchers found that 44 percent of the species at one or more sites had gone extinct. Surprisingly, the areas with local extinctions had the least temperature increase from year to year; meaning that using annual temperatures to predict extinction might be “positively misleading,” study coauthor John J. Wiens asserts. Previous studies have focused on dispersal—or migration to cooler habitats—as a way for species to escape warming climates. However, this study found that most species will not be able to disperse quickly enough to avoid extinction, based on their past rates of movement. Nearly half of the species studied experienced extinctions if the maximum temperature rose more than 0.5°C; that figure jumped to 95 percent when maximum temperature rose by more than 2.9°C. Extinctions could be up to four times more common in the tropics compared with more temperate regions—a huge problem because most plant and animal species occur there, study coauthor Cristian Román-Palacios notes. “In a way, it's a ‘choose your own adventure,’ ” says Wiens. “If we stick to the Paris agreement to combat climate change, we may lose fewer than two out of every 10 plant and animal species on Earth by 2070. But if humans cause larger temperature increases, we could lose more than a third or even half of all animal and plant species, based on our results.” The study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Philippine Tarsier is among species facing extinction within the next 50 years due to climate change, according to a University of Arizona study.
Monster Iceberg A68 Makes Its Way into South Atlantic
The world's largest iceberg—about seven times the size of New York City when it broke off Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf in 2017—has entered open sea. Iceberg A68, which weighed up to 1 trillion tons and measured 2,300 square feet after separation, poses some risk to ships as it makes its way into the southern Atlantic, according a report by BBC. Experts are surprised at how much of its mass it has retained over the past three years—A68 is still larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined—but the warmer waters of “Iceberg Alley” should make ice cubes out of the structure in little time, notes Swansea University professor Adrian Luckman. But it still might have a long life: Another iceberg, B15, was twice the size of A68 when it broke off of Larsen C in 2000. It's now less than 20 percent of its original mass, but you can still find it floating between the South Sandwich Islands and South Georgia. Researchers note that even more breakage is expected over the next few years due to global warming. A68 and B15 combined have cut the size of Larsen C by 35 percent in just two decades.
At seven times the size of New York City, A68 is the world's largest iceberg and is now in the open sea.
Group Takes on Homelessness with a 3-D Printer
San Francisco-based nonprofit New Story and construction technologies company ICON are building 50 homes in Tabasco, Mexico using a 3-D printer. The 500-square-foot units are being completed in about 24 hours and are designed to withstand dangers of being in a seismic zone. Each home features two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and bath. Codesigned with feedback from the families who will live in them, the homes have been created to meet the specific needs of the community, according to New Story CEO Brett Hagler. The finished models will be granted to local families currently living in extreme poverty and makeshift, unsafe shelter, and cost about $3 per month, Hagler says. “The median family income per month is $76.50, some of the lowest-income families in Mexico as a whole,” he notes. Through partnership with the local government, the community will ultimately be part of a larger community plan for the overall municipal area. The families will have access to green spaces, parks, community amenities, and basic utilities through this master plan provided by the local government. Ultimately, New Story hopes to work with other nonprofits that are trying to end global homelessness. “The big idea is to open source and democratize,” Hagler explains. “And, try to get this technology into the hands of other housing nonprofits and other governments that have agendas to solve very serious problems in their towns and their cities.”
Impoverished families in Mexico are getting a place to call home thanks to the 3-D printer.
Amazon CEO Offers Up $10B for Climate Change Research
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has established a $10 billion fund to help scientists, activists, and organizations continue to mitigate the impact of climate change. The initiative, called the Bezos Earth Fund, will begin giving out grants this summer. Allocations will only go to charities and nonprofits, not the private sector, Bezos notes. All funds are from the CEO's own finances. “Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet,” he says. “I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change.” The move is in response to criticism by his own employees, more than 1,000 of whom staged a walkout in September 2019 after calling on Bezos to do more to respond to global warming. Amazon has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2040, 10 years before the deadline set out by the Paris Agreement, and also plans to deploy 100,000 electric delivery vans by 2024. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Bezos' $10 billion commitment is one of the largest charitable pledges ever, behind a $36 billion commitment by billionaire Warren Buffett in 2006 and an estimated $16.4 billion pledge by Helen Walton, the late wife of Walmart founder Sam Walton, in 2007. Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, the group that staged the 2019 walkout, applauds Bezos' philanthropy, but says more needs to be done to address underlying climate change causes, such as ceasing work with oil and gas companies, and discontinuing funding think tanks that deny climate change exists. “One hand cannot give what the other is taking away,” the group asserts.
Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet,” says Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos who put $10 billion toward the Bezos Earth Fund.
Solar Desalination Tool Could Solve Water Woes for Thousands
Scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, have developed an inexpensive way to provide fresh water to islands and arid coastal areas by making seawater drinkable without using electricity. These thirsty regions have access to seawater but lack the reliable electricity supply needed for desalination, according to a report by Climate Science Network. The solar-based technology could also help prevent some of the mass migrations expected with climate change. MIT Professor of Mechanical Engineering Evelyn Wang says the system could provide more than 1.5 gallons of fresh drinking water per hour for every square meter of solar collection area. The device is essentially a multilayer solar still, with a set of evaporating and condensing components like those used to distill liquor. It uses flat panels to absorb heat and then transfer that heat to a layer of water so that it begins to evaporate. The vapor then condenses on the next panel. That water gets collected, while the heat from the vapor condensation gets passed to the next layer. “Whenever vapor condenses on a surface, it releases heat,” Wang explains. “In typical condenser systems, that heat is simply lost to the environment. But in this multilayer evaporator, the released heat flows to the next evaporating layer, recycling the solar heat and boosting the overall efficiency.” And unlike some desalination systems, there is no accumulation of salt or concentrated brines to be disposed of. In a free-floating configuration, any salt that accumulates during the day would simply be carried back out at night through the wicking material and into the seawater, according to the researchers. The study appears in the journal Energy and Environmental Science.
Nearly 1 million crop seed samples are in safekeeping within the SvalbardGlobal Seed Vault, including several placed by the Cherokee Nation.
Cherokee Nation Preserving Cultural Crops in “Doomsday” Vault
The Cherokee Nation has added seeds for corn, beans, and squash to the Arctic “doomsday” vault, becoming the first U.S.-based tribe to protect culturally emblematic crops for future generations, according to a report by The Guardian. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the world's most sheltered storage facility, located about 800 miles from the North Pole, currently holds 992,039 crop seeds from across the world. The seeds chosen for the vault were: Cherokee white eagle corn—the tribe's most sacred type of corn because of its use in cultural ceremonies; Cherokee long greasy beans; Cherokee Trail of Tears beans; Cherokee turkey gizzard black and brown beans; Cherokee candy roaster squash; and three other varieties of corn. The crops predate European settlement and are a core part of Cherokee identity. The seeds will be only the second deposit from an indigenous community to be stored in the Svalbard vault, following the deposit of 750 South American Andean potato seeds in 2015. “The Cherokee nation is the only place on the planet where all these crops are grown, and these days, tough weather patterns make the situation precarious,” notes Pat Gwin, the tribe's senior director of environmental resources. The Svalbard vault, which has the capacity to hold 4.5 million crop varieties, was created in conditions resilient to natural and human-made disasters in order to safeguard duplicates of samples kept elsewhere. It is well above sea level, and the permafrost and thick rock ensure seeds remain frozen even without power. The vault is only accessible via a 120-meter tunnel. Yet, the site itself faces a climate threat: The vault has required multimillion-dollar upgrades to prevent flooding caused by extreme rainfall and hot weather-induced melting of the permafrost.
Deforestation in the Amazon has become so bad that in some areas, the trees release more carbon dioxide than what is absorbed.
Some Amazon Trees Adding More Pollution to the Atmosphere
Nearly 20 percent of one of the world's largest carbon sinks—the Amazon Rainforest—is releasing carbon instead of capturing it, as reported by the BBC. The decade-long study led by Professor Luciana Gatti, a researcher at Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), measured carbon by flying airplanes equipped with carbon sensors over various parts of the forest every two weeks. The results, which have not yet been published, show that roughly 20 percent of the forest, especially in the southeastern section, had become an emitter of greenhouse gases instead of a carbon sink. The southeastern part of the forest, which has been heavily logged and clear-cut, seems to have completely lost its ability to absorb carbon, the BBC notes. Study coauthor Carlos Nobre calls the observation “very worrying” because “it could be showing the beginnings of a major tipping point.” He added that the findings point to a trend in which more than half of the Amazon could shift from rainforest to savanna in the next 30 years. “[The Amazon] used to be, in the 1980s and 90s, a very strong carbon sink, perhaps extracting 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year from the atmosphere,” Nobre says. “Today, that strength is reduced perhaps to 1 [or] 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year.” That number does not account for deforestation and forest fires, which are both on the rise after Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro reversed efforts to crack down on clear-cutting the forest, instead choosing to open up lands to loggers, ranchers, and mining operations. “In our calculations, if we exceed 20 to 25 percent of deforestation, and global warming continues unabated with high emission scenarios, then the tipping point would be reached,” Nobre asserts. “Today, we are at about 17 percent.”
The city of Barcelona, Spain, and now the country of Spain, are taking bold steps by declaring climate emergencies and developing action plans.
Climate Emergency Plans Underway in Spain
In its formal first step toward enacting ambitious measures to fight climate change, Spain's new government has declared a national climate emergency, the Associated Press reports. As part of its action plan, the government wants up to 95 percent of the country's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2040. The plan also seeks to eliminate pollution emitted by buses and trucks, and make farming carbon neutral. The targets coincide with those of the European Union, including a reduction of carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. The declaration must still be approved by parliament by early summer. The action at the national level follows a similar tactic taken one week earlier in the city of Barcelona. In declaring its climate emergency, the city unveiled a 103-point action plan that includes creating low-emissions zones that are off-limits to most polluting vehicles, expanding the areas restricted to traffic; introducing a speed of 30 kilometers per hour in more than half of the city's streets; and creating new parks. The government also vowed to spend $628 million over the next five years to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030. “This is not a drill; the house is on fire,” says Mayor Adu Colau. “Time has run out and there are no shortcuts.”
Anti-Solar Cell Could Make Solar Panels Active All Day—and Night
A University of California at Davis (UCD) engineering professor is developing prototypes of an anti-solar cell that would work opposite of the way a typical solar panel works: Instead of being cooler than the air and absorbing sunlight, it would be warmer than the air and give off infrared light. According to UCD researcher Jeremy Munday, the physics of the two types of cells are the same—both ultimately generate power. The anti-solar cell could generate roughly a quarter of the energy of a traditional solar panel during the day—up to 50 watts of power per square meter. Although it's less powerful, Munday's “thermoradiative cell” can be used at any time. “Solar cells are limited in that they can only work during the day, whereas these devices can work 24/7, which is the real advantage,” Munday says. “Nobody wants to lose power once the sun sets.” The reverse cell would also work during the day if it were pointed away from the sun or otherwise blocked from direct sunlight. Munday also notes that the device could be used to achieve carbon neutrality because it could run on waste heat generated by industry. He says he is continuing to work on prototypes of these cells with the hopes of improving their efficiency and the amount of power they can generate. But he acknowledges that traditional solar panels have “decades of development” compared to his idea. The study appears in ACS Photonics.
Despite Clean Air Hopes, More Coal Plants Are in Japan's Future
Japan is planning to build as many as 22 new coal plants at 17 different sites over the next five years, upping its carbon emissions production at a time when it is marketing the upcoming Tokyo Olympics as ultra-environmentally friendly. According to a report by the New York Times, the various projects would collectively emit as much carbon dioxide per year as all of the passenger cars sold in the United States. This is in stark contrast to the rest of the world, which has been looking for other ways to power their businesses and heat homes. But Japan has used coal as a major energy source for centuries, and is also tired of buying most of its resources from other countries. In addition, the nation ended nuclear power after the Fukushima disaster in 2011. “Japan is an anomaly among developed economies,” notes Yukari Takamura, an expert in climate policy at the Institute for Future Initiatives at the University of Tokyo. “The era of coal is ending, but for Japan, it's proving very difficult to give up an energy source that it has relied on for so long.” Research has shown that as soon as 2025, it could become more cost-effective for Japanese operators to invest in renewable energy, such as wind or solar, than to run coal plants. But the government continues to invest in fossil fuels, which account for 80 percent of Japan's electricity needs. Renewable energy sources make up about 16 percent, the New York Times notes. Environmental Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is only making general assurances that Japan will eventually roll back coal use. “While we can't declare an exit from coal straightaway, [the nation has] made it clear that it will move steadily toward making renewables its main source of energy,” he says.
Carbon-Free Status on Horizon for LA's City Structures
Los Angeles plans to eventually have all new or substantially rehabilitated city-owned buildings 100 percent carbon free, and they will be constructed with less carbon-intensive building materials, as reported by GreenBiz. California's largest city will also become the first to sign the Buy Clean California Act, which requires carbon emissions reductions from construction materials, including steel, flat glass, and insulation for buildings such as fire stations, civic centers, and libraries, as of 2021. According to Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles' new directive means the emissions performance of materials will be taken into account when an agency is contracting to buy steel, flat glass, and mineral insulation, as well as other products the city may add to the list for its buildings. Such a proposal makes it the latest—and largest—city heading for all-electric and emission-free status with its circuit-owned buildings. Others include Seattle, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh. Los Angeles currently has 26 all-electric buildings in development, totaling $1 billion in construction and 2 million square feet, according to the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC). “It's exciting to see the leadership exhibited by Los Angeles and other leading cities in this space,” says Maria Stamas, NRDC's technical strategist for equitable building decarbonization. “Not only are they leading by example, reducing emissions in their multibillion-dollar building portfolios, but these cities are spurring demand for new technologies and less-carbon intensive materials, supporting workforce development and job creation, and paving the way for efficient, renewable, all-electric buildings across the country.”
All city-owned buildings will one day be carbon free and constructed from environmentally friendly materials, under a plan unveiled by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
Earthjustice, Others Name Trump Worst Environmental President Ever
Nine environmental groups have proclaimed Donald Trump “the worst president for our environment in history.” The statement, written by Alaska Wilderness League Action, Clean Water Action, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, EDF Action, Friends of the Earth, League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, and The Wilderness Society, accuses Trump of unleashing “an unprecedented assault on our environment and the health of our communities.” According to Martin Hayden, vice president of policy and legislation at Earthjustice, the statement was released immediately before President Trump's State of the Union address on February 4 out of concern that he might try to greenwash his record during the speech. “His policies threaten our climate, air, water, public lands, wildlife, and oceans,” Hayden asserts. “Unfortunately, our children will pay the costs of this president's recklessness.” Trump's administration has attempted to or succeeded in rolling back or removing more than 90 environmental rules and regulations, including the Clean Power Plan, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Air Act, according to the New York Times. During his speech, Trump's only mention of the environment came with the nation's oil and natural gas production, and a decision to join the One Trillion Trees Initiative, a plan launched by the World Economic Forum to plant, conserve, and restore one trillion trees in an effort to draw carbon out of the atmosphere. But Trump did not link the initiative to the climate crisis, opting instead to call it “an ambitious effort to bring together government and private sector to plant new trees in America and all around the world.” The White House offered no comment on the environmental groups' anti-Trump statement.
Environmental groups say Donald Trump is the worst President when it comes to protecting the environment—and that it will be the next generations that suffer the fallout.
Mass Protests over Natural Gas Pipeline in Canada
Major rail networks across Canada are being shut down by indigenous rights and environmental activists who are fighting to keep a natural gas pipeline off land belonging to the Wet'suwet'en people of British Columbia. According to CNN, the Wet'suwet'en are fighting a $6 billion, 416-mile Coastal GasLink pipeline designed to carry natural gas across northern British Columbia. Protests have taken place in Vancouver, Montreal, Niagara Falls, and several other cities in the region. Several blockades have resulted in shutdowns by Canadian National Railway and VIA Rail, two of Canada's largest freight and passenger lines. The train stoppage is severely limiting movement of perishable foods and other consumer items, grain, construction materials, and propane for Quebec and Atlantic Canada, according to Canadian Chamber of Commerce Senior Director Ryan Greer. “This is creating tens of millions of dollars' worth of economic damage today, right now,” Greer says. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling for a satisfactory resolution for all sides, but at the moment does not know what that will be.