Sustainability Weekly
Fridays are for…
Hydrogen Ferries, Single-use Plastic, Geothermal Energy, and more!
by Alli DiGiacomo
Happy Friday and officially August! This week the Olympics are still going on, with USA currently winning the most medals overall. If you missed last week’s post all about the sustainability of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, you can still view it here. If you don’t have cable or Peacock, you can also watch the games for free outside of Rockefeller Center.
Fossil fuels, deforestation, and animal agriculture made outdoor temperatures at Tuesday’s Olympics about 5.2°F degrees hotter than they would have normally been. The reason we know this is because of incredible recent advancements in attribution science, which uses observational data and statistical methods to figure out how likely and severe an extreme weather event would be today, compared to how it would have played out in a world un-warmed by human activities. Specifically, the 5.2°F number comes from a “super rapid analysis” published Wednesday by World Weather Attribution.
Keep reading below for more sustainability news!
T H I S W E E K ’ S T O P S T O R I E S
THE WORLD’S FIRST HYDROGEN FERRY SETS SAIL IN SAN FRANCISCO
The latest initiative in the transportation industry’s rapid advancement in sustainability is San Francisco's hydrogen-fueled ferry, the Sea Change. Created by Zero Emission Industries, this ferry emits only heat and water vapor. It utilizes hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity, powering an electric motor, and can travel up to 300 nautical miles at 15 knots.
The ferry's emissions (primarily water vapor) are even used onboard, with exhaust water available for drinking! The Sea Change is operated by San Francisco Bay Ferry, and can carry 75 passengers without a higher fare than traditional ferries. It refuels with hydrogen delivered by truck, avoiding the need for new infrastructure. Although current hydrogen production often involves fossil fuels, there is hope for future use of green hydrogen. The ferry will undergo a six-month trial, with potential for permanent service, aligning with California's mandate for zero-emission technology in short-run ferries.
SINGLE-USE PLASTIC WILL BE PHASED OUT OF ALL US GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS BY 2035
The Biden-Harris administration has acknowledged the severity of the plastics pollution crisis and outlined a new federal strategy to address it. This plan aims to phase out single-use plastics in all U.S. government operations by 2035, citing the widespread environmental damage caused by plastic waste, including ocean litter, microplastics in the air, and greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production. The strategy calls for regulation of pollutants from production, research into alternatives, and improved waste management, but stops short of directly capping plastic production.
Environmental advocates commend the administration for recognizing the full scope of the problem, but some argue that the measures do not go far enough in reducing plastic production. Critics emphasize the need for quicker and more comprehensive action, particularly on the regulation of toxic chemicals used in plastics production. The plastics industry criticized the focus on single-use plastics, advocating instead for policies promoting circularity and collaboration.
Some of the other strategies include the EPA's $275 million investment in recycling infrastructure, NOAA's $70 million for marine debris removal, and phasing out single-use plastics in national parks by 2032. The document also highlights the environmental justice aspect of the disproportionate impact of plastic pollution on low income communities and communities of color.
USING GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS FOR DECARBONIZATION
Geothermal energy, a stable and sustainable resource from beneath the Earth's surface, can be used for heating and cooling buildings using the consistent underground temperature. Eversource Energy has launched the first networked geothermal neighborhood in Framingham, Massachusetts, using boreholes 600 to 700 feet deep to maintain a constant temperature of 55°F. A water and propylene glycol mixture circulates through pipes to 31 residential and 5 commercial buildings, where electric heat pumps use this liquid to regulate the indoor temperature of the buildings, reducing reliance on natural gas and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
This system operates using the same infrastructure as gas lines but circulating fluid instead. Various structures with differing heating and cooling needs share a single loop, stabilizing ground temperatures and optimizing energy use. As the system scales, interconnected geothermal loops can expand to create larger networks. Geothermal heat pumps are more efficient than gas furnaces, using a coefficient of performance (COP) of 6, compared to less than 1 for gas furnaces. These systems are crucial for decarbonizing the U.S. energy grid, offering a solution to reduce electricity demand and replace aging gas infrastructure. Despite high initial costs, the efficiency and environmental benefits of geothermal technology make it a promising option for sustainable energy, with costs expected to decrease as the technology matures.
MORE IN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
E.P.A. Announces $4.3 Billion in Funding for 25 Climate Projects.
The number of children who have died from air pollution globally is down 53% since 2020.
A campaign with Youtuber ‘MrBeast’ removed 17,000 tons of ocean trash.
Critics of congestion pricing often end up supporting it. Here’s why.
Providing even more climate benefits than previously thought, researchers just discovered trees also absorb methane.
How Houston redesigned an abandoned golf course to keep a nearby neighborhood from flooding.
A local food system is growing in Colorado. GoFarm is a mobile market truck that travels to low-income neighborhoods, schools, retirement homes, mobile home communities and more, working to make affordable healthy food more accessible and offering locally sourced produce from 80 to 90 farms every season.
One in 11 people worldwide went hungry last year. Climate change is a big reason why.
Chart: Steelmaking is starting to go electric.
The sticky geniuses behind Post-its and Scotch Tape made a polar bear tracker that clings to their fur.