Sustainability Weekly
Fridays are for…
Big Oil Accountability, New York Solar Goals, HVAC Attatchments, and more!
by Alli DiGiacomo
Happy Friday and last week of October! This week's newsletter highlights major progress in clean energy and climate accountability. October was yet another month of record-breaking high temperatures thanks to the climate crisis. Last week, temps recorded at JFK hit 80 degrees, breaking the previous record of 77 set in 1984. Don’t forget, early voting starts this weekend!
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
NY OFFICIALS ENDORSE A PROPOSAL FOR BIG OIL COMPANIES TO BE PROSECUTED FOR THEIR CLIMATE CRIMES AND FUELING CLIMATE DISASTERS
New York state prosecutors may pursue criminal charges against major oil companies for their contributions to climate-related disasters, such as hurricanes and heatwaves. This new proposal, a 50-page memo from advocacy groups Public Citizen and Fair and Just Prosecution, argues that the actions of fossil fuel companies, including misleading the public on climate risks, amount to “reckless endangerment.” NY officials, including State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, have endorsed the proposal, highlighting past climate catastrophes in NY like Hurricane Ida and Hurricane Sandy as consequences of fossil fuel emissions.
The document claims that oil companies were aware of the damaging impact of their products as early as the 1950s. For instance, physicist Edward Teller warned in 1959 that carbon dioxide increases would melt polar ice caps, which could submerge New York. Similarly, a 1982 Exxon report acknowledged that emissions might cause flooding along the U.S. East Coast.
Reckless endangerment statutes could allow prosecutors to charge oil companies for creating risks without requiring proof that their actions caused specific injuries or deaths, as would be required for homicide or manslaughter. This approach opens the door for NY to hold not only corporations but also individual oil executives accountable. Rachel Rivera, a victim of Hurricane Sandy and an advocate for environmental justice, says oil companies should face prosecution, “If I committed a crime like that against a corporation, you can bet I’d get prosecuted.”
SIMPLE ATTACHMENTS TO HVAC SYSTEMS COULD DIVERT 300 METRIC TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS
A recent study published in Nature reveals that small attachments to HVAC systems could help prevent up to 300 metric tons of CO₂ emissions by converting wasted energy into electricity. HVAC units, which are installed in 89% of American households, use outdoor fans to condense refrigerant and dissipate heat, generating significant air currents that typically go unused. However, researchers found a way to capture this airflow as clean energy using small vertical wind turbines attached to these units.
The concept was tested on data center chillers in Colombia. Equipped with micro wind turbines, the chillers produced an energy surplus of 131.2 MWh, with a net annual production of 467.6 MWh after accounting for downtime. This surplus could potentially be used to power the HVAC units themselves or feed renewable energy back into the grid, making it feasible for both residential and commercial HVAC applications globally.
Though the upfront cost for nine turbines, installation, and equipment was estimated at $123,101 with an annual maintenance cost of $1,109, researchers calculated a break-even point three years into operation. Over 20 years, this setup could yield a return on investment of 50.69%, making it not only environmentally beneficial but economically viable as well.
NEW YORK HIT ITS DISTRIBUTED SOLAR GOAL A YEAR EARLY
New York has reached its distributed solar goal of 6 gigawatts (GW) a year ahead of schedule, as set by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. This milestone, announced by NYSERDA’s CEO Doreen M. Harris, provides enough solar power to serve over one million homes statewide. Harris made the announcement at New Leaf Energy’s solar project in New Scotland, New York, which powers around 1,000 homes and is part of the Solar for All program aimed at helping low-income households.
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act contains goals to generate 70% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040. Since Governor Hochul’s directive to increase the target to 10 GW by 2030, solar expansion has accelerated, bringing over $9.2 billion in private investment and creating over 14,000 jobs.
The state’s solar industry saw a record year in 2023, installing more community solar capacity than any other U.S. state, totaling 885 megawatts (MW). Currently, 3.4 GW of solar projects are in development, making the expanded goal realistic. This is thanks to substantial public-private collaboration and support, such as the $250 million EPA Solar for All grant.
MORE IN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
Since early voting starts this weekend, here are some of the climate stakes of the Harris-Trump election.
A new report by the environmental nonprofit Industrious Labs finds that landfill methane emissions could be reduced 56% by 2050 if the Environmental Protection Agency makes a few key changes to the existing Clean Air Act.
The Biden administration announced that it’s providing $428 million in funding for 14 clean energy manufacturing projects across 15 communities with decommissioned coal facilities. This infusion of cash is intended to address critical supply chain vulnerabilities, and is expected to attract over $500 million in private capital while creating over 1,900 jobs.
Public EV chargers are good for the planet and for business. Research shows that businesses with charging stations nearby see an economic boost.
California’s first carbon capture project gets OK from Kern County. The project aims to capture up to 48 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the company’s gas field operations, and inject it underground ino the Elk Hills oil field.
How Germany outfitted half a million balconies with solar panels.
There could be between 5 million and 19 million tons of lithium underground in southwest Arkansas, according to a new study from the United States Geological Survey. Researchers said that even the low-end of this estimate “would meet projected 2030 world demand for lithium in car batteries nine times over.”