Sustainability Weekly
Fridays are for…
Offshore Wind Farms, Meat Industry Lawsuits, Coral Reefs, Green Walls, Bifacial Solar Panels, and more!
by Alli DiGiacomo
Happy Friday! It’s safe to say Spring has sprung in New York after the warm weather week we had and all the flower blooms popping up. Whether you’re celebrating St Patrick’s Day or The New York Times 1000th Wordle, it will be a great weekend to get outside!
On a different note, February marked a particularly unsettling record for the ocean: Average global sea surfaces climbed to the hottest temperatures ever recorded of any month since at least 1979, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Keep reading for more of this week’s sustainability news!
T H I S W E E K ’ S T O P S T O R I E S
AMERICA'S FIRST UTILITY-SIZE OFFSHORE WIND FARM OPENS IN NY, POWERING 70,000 HOMES
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that America's first utility-scale offshore wind farm, South Fork Wind, has reached completion, marking a significant advancement for the U.S. offshore wind industry. All 12 of the wind farm’s turbines are now in place and producing 132 MW, enough clean energy to power roughly 70,000 homes in Long Island, New York. The completion of South Fork Wind aligns with New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, aiming for 70% renewable energy by 2030 and nine gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. The project's success, achieved with the involvement of hundreds of U.S. workers and partnerships with Northeast ports, sets an example for clean energy initiatives nationwide and signals a resurgence in offshore wind development, positioning New York at the forefront of this movement.
Construction on other projects, such as Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts, and Revolution Wind in Connecticut and Rhode Island is underway. Financial hardships and logistical challenges in 2023 hammered project developers, leading to the delay or cancellation of around 12,000 megawatts of offshore wind farms. Experts say the setbacks make it increasingly unlikely that the country will meet the Biden administration’s goal of installing 30 GW of offshore wind by the end of this decade.
NEW YORK IS SUING THE WORLD’S BIGGEST MEAT COMPANY
As public concern over climate change rises, so does the demand for lower-emission consumer goods, including meat. Major meat producers like JBS are claiming to offer low-carbon meat to attract conscientious consumers, with JBS pledging to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. However, this claim is questionable, given that meat production, especially beef, is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against JBS, alleging that its promises are unsubstantiated, unachievable, and misleading, potentially encouraging environmentally conscious consumers to continue consuming high-polluting products. The goal of the lawsuit is to hold JBS and other food companies accountable for greenwashing and send a message about the consequences of deceptive marketing practices. The case also highlights the broader issue of agricultural greenwashing and the need for regulatory oversight to ensure transparency and truthfulness in sustainability claims.
STUDY FINDS ‘FULL RECOVERY’ OF REEF GROWTH WITHIN FOUR YEARS
A study published in Current Biology shows encouraging results for coral reef restoration efforts in Indonesia. The Mars Coral Reef Restoration Program has successfully restored damaged reefs from blast fishing using human intervention techniques. Within just four years, restored reefs showed rapid growth comparable to healthy reefs, increasing coral cover. This rapid recovery not only increases coral cover but also restores crucial ecosystem functions, such as providing habitat for marine life and protecting coastlines from erosion and storms. The key takeaway from this study is that there is hope for coral reef regeneration with effective active management and human intervention.
MORE IN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
EU countries already hitting some of their sustainable energy targets for 2030.
A high schooler invented a solar- and AI-powered trap for invasive lantern flies.
Check out the world’s largest green wall.
Pentagon tries to dodge PFAS lawsuits over a product it helped invent.
SUSTAINABLE TECH SPOTLIGHT: BIFACIAL SOLAR PANELS
Bifacial solar panels, capable of capturing sunlight on both sides, are emerging as a new trend in the solar industry. Unlike traditional monofacial panels, which absorb light from one side, bifacial panels offer increased efficiency by utilizing both front and back surfaces. While they are more suitable for commercial and utility-scale installations where panels are elevated and angled away from mounting surfaces, they can also be used in residential applications like pergolas and ground-mounted systems.
“Bifacial panels can potentially boost energy output for large-scale solar installations due to their ability to absorb energy on both sides. When a solar panel is mounted above the ground, as in most commercial systems, sunlight that strikes the ground beneath the panel is reflected up and can be absorbed by back-facing solar cells. Additionally, depending on the surface below, more or less light will be reflected up to the bifacial panels. Generally, lighter-colored surfaces like sand will lead to more reflected sunlight than darker surfaces like asphalt or dirt.”
Despite their advantages in efficiency and durability, bifacial panels may entail additional costs and equipment, making them less feasible for residential rooftop installations, however tax exemptions for bifacial panels could bring cost down. Major manufacturers of bifacial panels include Hyundai Energy Solutions, LG Solar Panels, and Jinko Solar.