Sustainability Weekly
Fridays are for…
National Parks, Clean Tech, Solar Farms, and more!
by Alli DiGiacomo
Happy Friday and first week of Pride Month! Days are still getting longer as we approach the official start of summer this month. Scientists predict this summer might be the wildest weather yet due to the consequences of rising temperature from the climate crisis. Many of these consequences are happening in the oceans, from bleaching over half of the world’s coral reefs, to abnormally hot surface temperatures that fuel hurricanes.
Keep reading below for some hopeful stories and positive sustainability news!
T H I S W E E K ’ S T O P S T O R I E S
NATIONAL PARKS JUST GOT $700 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO HELP CLIMATE CHANGE
As part of the Inflation Reduction Act, the National Park Service was given $700 million in federal funds to make its land more protected and resilient to inevitable climate change — and conservation and restoration projects are already underway across the country. In Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks, for example, efforts are currently working to preserve and protect whitebark pine trees, which are now a threatened species on the Endangered Species list.
While their goals are wide-ranging, from protecting coral reefs to studying fish in warming streams, all the projects underway will help federal lands weather the climate-changed future. Although the IRA funds are a welcomed and much-needed boost to these resiliency efforts, the nuance is that they’re mostly helping in the short term, and more support will be needed to help the parks prepare for the impacts of climate change.
NEW STUDY SHOWS WE DO NOT NEED ANY NEW FOSSIL FUEL LICENSES
A new study shows we do not need any new fossil fuel licenses. Researchers found the world already has enough fossil fuel projects planned to meet demand forecasts to 2050 if net zero is reached. Published in the journal Science, the study suggests that no new oil, gas, or coal licenses are necessary, urging governments to stop issuing new permits and focus on clean energy investments. The researchers argue that current fossil fuel projects can meet projected energy demands if global temperature increases are limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The report builds on previous work by the International Energy Agency (IEA), reinforcing the position that new long-term fossil fuel investments are incompatible with achieving a net-zero energy system. These findings are expected to influence political debates and policy decisions, particularly in the UK, where climate policies are a contentious issue ahead of upcoming elections.
CIPHER LAUNCHES A USA CLEANTECH TRACKER
The United States is at the dawn of a technology boom to tackle climate change, fueled by historic laws, increased money from both public and private funders and a heightened sense of urgency as we face more extreme weather exacerbated by the climate crisis. Cipher’s Cleantech Tracker map and accompanying investment chart show the progress of select emerging technologies: carbon management, clean hydrogen production, hydrogen electrolyzer manufacturing and sustainable aviation fuel. These tech types are critical parts of a broader puzzle of technologies, ranging from wind and solar farms to carbon dioxide pipelines to electric vehicle manufacturing.
According to data from Cipher’s Cleantech tracker, Lithium today accounts for about two thirds of the more than 30 critical mineral processing facilities planned, operating or under construction across the country. Companies have invested about $9.1 billion in U.S. lithium processing projects since early 2021, which is about two thirds of the total amount invested into critical mineral processing facilities in the U.S. in that time. The Clean Investment Monitor is a joint project of Rhodium Group and MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research. Like all energy infrastructure, critical mineral mining and processing projects are raising local ire over environmental impacts. The highest profile example is the Thacker Pass project in Nevada.
MORE IN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
World's biggest solar farm comes online in China's Xinjiang.
CSX Unveils Its First Hydrogen-Powered Locomotive in Collaboration with CPKC. (Thanks to Katie for sharing this article!)
A major oil producer is pursuing “Net-zero oil” production. Sounds sketchy.
The invisible consequences of heat on the body and mind.
The indoorsy person’s guide to the great outdoors.
Edinburgh, Scotland is banning ads for high-emission transport and fossil fuels.
New research shows birdwatching can improve your mental health and foster a sense of well-being.
Colorado is shifting focus from building roads to transit. In 2021, Colorado adopted a rule that new transportation projects, including highways, must reduce greenhouse gas emissions or lose funding. This has shifted the funding away from highway expansions to transit projects and better bike lanes.
SUSTAINABLE TECH SPOTLIGHT: OLD GROWTH VS YOUTH-GROWTH WOOD
The most distinctive difference between old-growth and youth or new-growth wood is the space between the growth rings. Each has its own benefits that lend itself well to different projects and aesthetics. Old growth wood is typically considered to be anything over 200 years old, and the forests these trees grow in are mostly undisturbed by humans. These forests are so dense that it causes very slow growth due to limited light and competition with surrounding trees. It’s not likely or easy to find old growth wood that came direct from a virgin forest because of depletion and what’s left is often protected land. So old growth woods are usually repurposed or reclaimed and can be a more eco-friendly choice. New growth wood comes from man-made tree farms where trees grow much faster than in natural forests. With trees spaced further apart, there is less competition for light. Allowing for faster harvesting, before they have fully matured, to meet the high demand for lumber.
According to a report by the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), “old forests have accumulated more carbon than younger forests; however, young forests grow rapidly, removing much more CO2 each year from the atmosphere than an older forest covering the same area.”
Thermowood Ayous is harvested from youth-growth trees, this product blends wood aesthetics with a thermal-modification technology to ensure a drier product and precise control over the color of the lumber. Can be used on ceilings, walls, and rainscreens.
Old Souls Reclaimed Wood (Delta Millworks) is old-growth wood recovered from structures like barns and fencing.