Sustainability Weekly
Fridays are for…
COP 29, Windmills and Tiny Homes, Youth Climate Lawsuits, and more!
by Alli DiGiacomo
Happy Friday! Here in NYC, don't forget we are still under a drought watch as a historically dry October brought just 0.87 inches of rain to the reservoirs that supply water to NYC residents, compared to the historical average of 4.12 inches. See the city’s water saving tips here.
Also starting November 12, all NYC properties with 1–9 residential units must use a 55-gallon (or smaller) bin with a secure lid for trash. There will be a grace period until January 2, 2025, during which building owners will receive warnings if they are not in compliance. After that, fines will be issued for non-compliance.
Happening this weekend is the kickoff of COP29, the annual United Nations climate summit, in Baku, Azerbaijan, running until November 22nd. Global leaders from over 200 countries are expected to agree on a new global finance target to help developing countries with climate adaptation, among other things.
This comes at a time when 2024 is not only on track to be the hottest year in the history of human civilization, but also now expected to be the first full calendar year in which global temperatures exceed the 1.5° target. UN Secretary General António Guterres told The Guardian that the tipping point is near, and “there is no way to preserve 1.5° or avoid a catastrophic development in relation to climate change if we don’t accept the principle that there must be a phase-out of fossil fuels…It is absolutely essential to act now, it’s absolutely essential to reduce emissions drastically now.”
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
REPURPOSING WINDMILLS INTO TINY HOMES
In a creative reuse initiative, a Dutch design studio has converted a retired wind turbine nacelle into a minimalist tiny house. This project, facilitated by the design company What if Lab, connected the energy company Vattenfall with four design studios to explore sustainable ways to repurpose decommissioned turbine parts. The resulting tiny house is a great example of an innovative solution for wind turbine recycling that conserves raw materials and energy. There are tens of thousands of such nacelles globally awaiting decommissioning, and this model opens up scalable, eco-friendly possibilities for repurposing complex turbine components.
The tiny house measures13 ft wide, 33 ft long, and 10 ft high, and it was originally part of a turbine that operated in Austria for 20 years. The exterior maintains the nacelle’s distinctive industrial look, but the interior has been transformed to feel like a cozy cottage with scandinavian design principles. It has a kitchen, bathroom, and living area. Sustainable, energy-efficient technologies such as a heat pump, solar panels, and a solar water heater were integrated into the design.The interior continues to showcase circular design down to the details, including sustainably sourced furniture and a table made from a recycled turbine blade. Displayed at Dutch Design Week, this project represents one of many second-life concepts for turbine parts, including ideas like using blades as flotation devices to expand housing options.
1.5° C IS DEAD- THE FIGHT FOR THE CLIMATE ISN’T
Now that Trump has been re-elected, the goal of preventing global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels is dead. For context, 1.5° is the critical threshold past which the planet will experience significantly more extreme climate impacts like raging wildfires, droughts, deadly heat, mass coral reef die-offs, sea level rise, and more. 2024 is now expected to be the first full calendar year in which global temperatures exceed the 1.5° target.
Some estimates say a Trump administration could add 4 billion tons of carbon emissions to the atmosphere by the end of the decade, the equivalent of $900 billion in global climate damages. If Trump and his administration committed to climate inaction and misinformation follow through on campaign promises, Trump could gut environmental agencies, increase fossil fuels, block renewables, and roll back scores of environmental regulations. He plans to “kill” the Biden administration’s largest climate rule, which is designed to accelerate Americans’ transition away from polluting gasoline-powered cars and into electric vehicles. He also intends to reverse another powerful regulation aimed at reducing emissions from power plants, along with dozens of other rules that protect endangered species and limit other kinds of air and water pollution. Then there’s Project 2025, which calls for more extreme measures like the privatization of the National Weather Service, eliminating environmental justice programs, defunding renewable energy, and erasing even the mention of “climate change”.
Internationally, Trump will almost certainly pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement again, and may even withdraw the U.S. from all climate diplomacy efforts. That would be detrimental to global climate goals, especially since the U.S. is one of the biggest polluters in the world.
But even with all this, it’s still possible the world can limit the temperature rise to 2° C. It all depends on the actions of state governments, local governments, other countries, and regular people”, says climate scientist Andrew Dessler. Laurence Tubiana, France’s former climate ambassador and one of the architects of the Paris agreement, insisted that the Paris accord “is stronger than any single country’s policies.” Al Gore reminds us, “we can mourn a loss, but we can’t linger in despair. Our planet doesn’t have time for that. Now more than ever, this movement needs engagement and leadership from all corners of the country.”
CANADIAN YOUTH CLIMATE LAWSUIT COULD SWAY GLOBAL CASES
Ontario’s Court of Appeal has reopened a case brought by 7 kids who argue that the provincial government’s climate targets are too weak and violate their rights. This decision means the case, called Mathur v. Ontario, will go back to a lower court for a new hearing. Led by 17-year-old Sophia Mathur, the group claims that Ontario’s current climate plan will leave them facing greater risks from climate change.
The case began after Ontario’s government replaced a tougher emissions goal with a weaker one. Previously, the province aimed to cut emissions to 37% below 1990 levels by 2030. But in 2018, the government repealed this plan and instead set a target of 30% below 2005 levels by 2030. The youth argue that this change will allow 30 megatonnes more carbon emissions each year, equivalent to adding about seven million more cars on the road.
Originally, a lower court judge dismissed the case in 2022, saying the government wasn’t required to do more to fight climate change. However, the Appeal Court disagreed, stating the judge hadn’t fully considered whether Ontario’s actions violated the youth’s Charter rights to security and life, clarifying that Ontario does have a duty to address climate change because of its own legal commitments.
This ruling is a big win for young Canadians and could help hold governments responsible for their climate actions by setting a global precedent. Similar climate cases are underway elsewhere in Canada and around the world, including a case challenging Canada’s national climate plan.
MORE IN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
New York City tests a solar-powered electric-school-bus microgrid.
The 5 states where environmental ballot initiatives triumphed, despite the president elect’s slogan of “drill baby, drill’ and belief that climate change is a hoax.
A new published study found that carbon dioxide emissions from private jets have risen by 50% over the last 4 years. Most private flights are taking place in the United States (the U.S. is home to 4% of the global population, but nearly 70% of all private aircraft are registered there).
Scientists create a meat-free protein with just hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide to fight world hunger.
Post NYC Marathon weekend: How organizers addressed sustainability and how climate change effects runners.
Trump Wins, Planet Loses.
AIA New York Chapter’s response to this week’s events.
Since Ireland launched its first bottle return program in February, 630 million empty cans and plastic bottles have been returned. The program, the biggest behavioral shift since the country implemented its plastic bag tax in 2001, is part of a bid to meet EU 90% recycling targets.
A success story: Gophers were given one day to revive Mount St. Helens — and their impact on its ecosystem has lasted decades.
Why can’t the rats of NYC be this helpful and productive?
Chart: Trump’s win could lead to far more planet-warming emissions.
A former Utah coal town could soon become a hub for low-carbon cement.