Sustainability Weekly

SUSTAINABILITY
Written By Dara Magagnoli

Fridays are for…

Celebrating Earth Month, Climate Crisis Costs, Decarbonizing Cement, and more!

by Alli DiGiacomo

Happy Friday and Earth Month! Get excited for a fun weekend full of Earth Day events around the city and CTA’s events next week! See below for a list of everything happening. Earth Day is a special holiday because it is celebrated around the world by everyone, not tied to a single religion or country. This is a perfect time to reflect on what we are doing to make our planet a more sustainable and livable place.

I hope everyone gets the chance to celebrate planet Earth! Whether it’s walking or biking on one of NYC’s Open Streets on Saturday, spending time outside, eating a vegan meal, going to a local farmers market, or even watching a movie about nature or climate change! Netflix is celebrating Earth day by releasing a new docu-series called “Our Living World.” Also, don’t forget about this impressive resource that includes lots of activities, information, and interactive links for people of all ages.

Keep reading for more of this week’s sustainability news!

EARTH MONTH EVENTS IN NYC

We are lucky to live in a city with so many amazing events happening that celebrate Earth! Take advantage of it!

  • 🌱(4/20) Open Streets: Car-free Earth Day. 53 Streets around NYC will be closed to cars 10am - 4pm. (Link)

  • 🌱(4/20) Earth Day at Governor’s Island: 10am - 3pm in Colonels Row. Free and open to all. (Link) 

  • 🌱(4/20) Pier 57 Earth Day Celebration: Clothing Swap, Climate Talks, Vegan Eats. 11am - 5pm. (RSVP)

  • 🌱(4/20) Seaport Kids X Earth Day: 11am - 2pm at Seaport Square & Wavertree, 89 South Street, between Piers 16 & 17. (Link)

  • 🌱(4/21) Earth Day Celebration at the Climate Museum in Soho NYC (RSVP)

  • 🌱(4/21) NYC Earth Day Bazaar: 10:00am - 5:30pm at Grand Bazaar NYC, 100 West 77th St. (at Columbus Avenue) (Link)

  • 🌱(4/22) Earth Day Initiative Virtual Stage: 7:30pm (Link)

  • 🌱(4/23) Braving a New World: Audio Theater and the Climate Crisis at the Climate Museum in Soho NYC (RSVP)

  • 🌱(4/25) False Solutions: Plastic Recycling, Green Colonialism, Carbon Capture at the Climate Museum in Soho NYC (RSVP)

  • 🌱(4/27) Earth Fest at the Museum of Natural History: 10am - 4pm. Free with museum admission.  (Link)

T H I S W E E K ’ S T O P S T O R I E S

NEW STUDY CALCULATES THE CLIMATE CRISIS WILL CAUSE $38 TRILLION A YEAR IN ECONOMIC LOSES BY 2049

A new study by researchers at Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research reveals the significant economic toll from climate change, predicting a 19% reduction in global income within the next 25 years. By 2049, this could result in an annual loss of $38 trillion. What's particularly concerning is that the regions least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions are projected to experience income losses 61% larger than those of the wealthiest countries. Although some experts caution against relying too heavily on specific numerical estimates from the study, they agree that the overall assessment is yet another urgent warning on the need to take action on the climate crisis and avoid widespread economic devastation.

OIL AND GAS COMPANIES NOW HAVE TO PAY MORE TO DRILL ON PUBLIC LANDS

The Biden administration has finalized reforms affecting oil and gas companies drilling on public lands, aimed at raising royalty rates and enforcing more responsible and stricter cleanup requirements for old or abandoned wells. The Interior Department's rule increases the royalty rate for oil drilling by over one-third, from 12.5% to 16.67%. This adjustment, the first in a century, will allow a return to taxpayers and addresses long-standing disparities with state and private land leasing rates.

The rule also adjusts the minimum leasing bond to $150,000, a significant increase from the outdated $10,000 set in 1960. This adjustment intentionally holds companies accountable for post-drilling cleanup or abandonment costs, preventing taxpayers from paying for environmental remediation. By focusing leasing in areas with existing infrastructure and high development potential, the rule intends to alleviate pressure on sensitive ecological and cultural sites.

A LOOK AT TWO CALIFORNIA COMPANIES THAT SECURED $700 MILLION FOR DECARBONIZING CEMENT

The federal government, through the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), recently announced a groundbreaking investment of up to $6 billion in projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heavy industry, (highlighted in the Sustainability Weekly a few weeks ago). This initiative focuses on decarbonizing the production processes of materials such as steel, cement, aluminum, and others, which traditionally have high carbon footprints.

Two California-based cement companies have secured some of this funding for decarbonizing cement production. These projects are also critical for meeting California's zero-emission cement law, SB 596, which mandates that all cement used in the state be net-zero emission by 2045. The state's commitment to climate leadership and innovation has encouraged the development of these technologies, positioning California as a leader in the transition to a low-carbon future.

The first company, Brimstone, stands out for its cement production process that utilizes calcium silicate rocks instead of limestone, eliminating CO2 process emissions. Brimstone's project, awarded up to $189 million, represents a significant step towards commercializing this technology. The second company, National Cement, has been awarded up to $500 million to retrofit its existing plant in Lebec, California, to reduce emissions. The emission-reduction technology includes things such as clinker substitution, fuel switching to biomass, and post-combustion carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

MORE IN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.
”
— Robert Swan
Dara Magagnoli
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