If you’re interested in a lower-waste wedding — or other celebration — we have some…
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This story was supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.
As wildfire smoke from Canada plagued parts of the United States for the second time this summer, expanding into parts of the Midwest and East Coast, cities were caught unprepared. While a few put out alerts, outreach was limited.
People walked through the smoke, often with little understanding of the health risks. Once the risks were clear, some people donned masks to prevent lung damage. But when the smoke — and the clear presence of danger — receded, they left the masks behind.
That’s easy enough for people who have a place to call home. But for people who are homeless, either living in a shelter or on the sidewalk, they often have to navigate confusing rules and regulations to receive the type of help they need.
Additionally, for unhoused people, dangerous air isn’t just a threat during an air quality crisis — it’s an everyday occurrence. People who are unsheltered are the most at risk, living under highway overpasses or closer to industrial areas, which means their exposure to air pollution is 24/7 and not just for a few days.
In Chicago, unhoused people living in a green space adjacent to a highway overpass were taken aback by the smoke from Canadian wildfires. One resident is worried about how the once-novel event might be the latest in a terrifying “new normal.”
“It was normal on the West Coast and now they have Canadian wildfires up here, now the Midwest is going to be, like, normalized with wildfire [smoke],” said Jared Wilson, 23.
Wilson lives with asthma and has used an inhaler since he was a child. He describes Chicago’s air as being consistently polluted, even before the wildfire smoke rolled in. A recent Guardian analysis placed the city third overall for worst air quality in the U.S. mostly due to truck and car traffic on the city’s South and West sides.
For Joe Muro, 44, a recent transplant also living close to the highway overpass, wildfires are nothing new. He did not expect the smoke to follow from Colorado, where he lived through the destructive Marshall Fire in the winter of 2021.
According to Muro, volunteers came by to offer masks and water to folks living in tents in the area. But he does not recall the good samaritans as being affiliated with a city agency or partner.
Everything about the air quality crisis was exacerbated by climate change, from the fires themselves to the weather pattern that blew the smoke directly down the East Coast, according to Kristie Ebi, a professor of global health at the University of Washington.
Though the smoke has cleared again, the U.S. could see another repeat of it, as long as the fires continue to burn — and unhoused people will be the ones most affected, according to advocates.
“With any natural disaster, we emphasize that people experiencing homelessness experience it first, they experience it worst, and they generally experience it longest,” said Katie League, a behavioral health manager at the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council. “Particularly those who are living outside all the time, they don’t have dependable resources.”
Highway overpasses or places adjacent to industrial areas can be safe havens for people experiencing homelessness, since they might provide freedom from displacement or harassment from police or other residents.
But those places expose vulnerable people to dangerous air pollutants, and they have few provisions to help them address health issues that might arise. A 2022 study from the Cleveland Clinic found that in Visalia, California, more than 60 percent of unhoused people surveyed often spent time adjacent to roadways –– where their exposure to particulate matter and other air pollutants was constant. Researchers noted that existing equipment probably could not capture the full extent of the pollution people are exposed to when they reside next to a roadway.
One of the main pollutants found in both wildfire smoke and car pollution is called fine particulate matter. PM 2.5, another name for fine particulate matter, is smaller in size than most other types of air pollution, which means that it can bypass your body’s defense system. It can burrow deep into your lungs and even get into your bloodstream, causing all sorts of short- and long-term health issues like asthma, COPD, and heart disease along the way.
“There is emerging evidence that the particulate matter that comes from wildfires could be more toxic than the particulate matter that comes from, for example, exhaust [pipes],” said Ebi.
Air pollutants from wildfire smoke can be more dangerous than regular contaminants because wildfires can burn beyond forests into residential and commercial areas. When those wildfires burn, they can clear almost anything in their path, including plastics, synthetic fibers, steel components, and other materials. Those substances eventually end up in the smoke along with wood particles from forests, creating a particularly toxic combination.
As the climate crisis intensifies, unhoused people could be exposed to even more dangerous conditions with long-term effects. In a 2020 study from the University of Utah, researchers found that nearly 90 percent of people in Salt Lake County experiencing homelessness sought out medical attention for a condition associated with air pollution.
If homeless people do have access to shelter, they are often dependent on a wide array of systems that may or may not be responsive to their needs. Shelters might only be open certain hours, or have certain requirements. Additionally, families might need to separate to be allowed into certain shelters — putting parents in a difficult situation.
Other cities expanded hours for shelters and handed out masks to try to help people through the crisis. In Philadelphia, the city opened a shelter in an area where none had existed before. In Baltimore, the city expanded the time that people could be in shelters, as well as coordinated outreach to unhoused people through a program from the mayor’s office.
“It is a coordinated response. And so we identify who was at greatest risk, either based on their living situation, because they were unsafely housed, as well as individuals who the city employs that have to work outdoors,” said Dr. Leticia Dzirasa, deputy mayor for equity, health, and human services in Baltimore.
But part of the issue is a lack of resources to initiate a response when events like these happen, according to Dzirasa.
While air quality in the United States has markedly improved since the 1980s, not everyone gets the benefit. Communities of color are often disproportionately exposed to poor air quality because of decades of racist zoning policies that disadvantaged non-white and immigrant neighborhoods, often forcing them to live closer to industry.
In a similar vein, homeless people often find safety from the elements in the high traffic, centrally-located areas under highway overpasses, which also provide a steady stream of air pollutants. These two issues are often affecting the same group of people, since Black and Latino people are more likely to experience homelessness than their white counterparts.
Planning is key, said Ebi, who noted that any early warning system needs to include everyone, including the unhoused.
Longer-term hazards, like vehicular or industrial pollution, also pose an ongoing threat to people’s health. Although there are numerous solutions to limit exposures, including opening up cooling centers, expanding shelter access, and paying hotels to rent out space for people.
There’s only one that is truly effective for Sean Read, vice president of regional programs at Friendship Place, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit focused on providing services for homeless people.
“The answer is: We need more housing,” said Read.
This story has been updated to include Sean Read’s correct job title.
This story was originally published by Grist with the headline How air pollution and the housing crisis are connected on Jul 7, 2023.
Nearly half of the United States’ water supply is contaminated with “forever chemicals” — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances also known as PFAS. That’s according to a new study from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Between 2016 and 2021, federal scientists tested tap water from public supply sites and private wells across the U.S., and in territories including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Those tests revealed PFAS contamination in almost 45 percent of the faucets tested.
PFAS cause a wide variety of health impacts, such as developmental delays in children, bone irregularities, behavioral changes, and interference with the body’s ability to produce hormones. They can also cause an increased risk of cancers. Research has shown that certain PFAS have been found in the blood streams of humans and animals and can remain in the body for years.
A synthetic chemical used to resist grease, oil, water, and heat, PFAS were first introduced in the 1940s and are used in a wide range of products including clothing items, carpeting, cleaning products, paints, fire-fighting foams, cookware, and food packaging and processing equipment. Their widespread use has caused a lasting presence in air, water and soil, and because PFAS take over 1,000 years to degrade, they have earned the nickname “forever chemicals.”
The federal study found that urban areas are more at risk than rural areas for PFAS contamination, finding the substances in about 70 percent of urban areas compared to 8 percent of rural areas. It also found that PFAS may be more common in the Great Plains, Great Lakes, Eastern Seaboard, and Central and Southern California regions.
Last month, chemical and manufacturing company 3M and a large coalition of U.S. cities and towns reached a $10.3 billion settlement over the company’s use of PFAS. The settlement occurred after thousands of plaintiffs sued 3M for allegedly contaminating municipal drinking water supplies with PFAS for decades, despite knowing as early as the 1970s that the chemicals were harmful to human and environmental health.
Federal regulators have proposed that companies report to consumers whether their products contain PFAS. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, estimates that compliance would cost the chemical and semiconductor industries about $1 billion annually, though the sectors generate about $500 billion per year.
The EPA in March proposed the first federal drinking water limits on six forms of PFAS, but a final decision is not expected until later this year.
This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Here are the chances your water supply is contaminated by ‘forever chemicals’ on Jul 7, 2023.
The Biden administration has approved what will be the nation’s largest offshore wind farm, a sprawling 98-turbine complex that is sure to boost a burgeoning energy sector widely seen as essential to reaching the nation’s climate goals.
The new Ocean Wind 1 project, developed by the Danish energy company Ørsted, will be built about 15 miles off the coast of New Jersey and generate 1,100 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 380,000 homes. It is the third proposal of its kind approved by the Biden administration, following Vineyard Wind off the coast of Massachusetts and South Fork Wind east of Long Island, New York.
“Since Day One, the Biden-Harris administration has worked to jump-start the offshore wind industry across the country,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a press release announcing Wednesday’s decision. “Today’s approval for the Ocean Wind 1 project is another milestone in our efforts to create good-paying union jobs while combating climate change and powering our nation.”
The project advanced despite significant controversy over offshore wind development in the last year. Some Republican lawmakers argue the industry will harm tourism, and they blame it for a recent spate of whale deaths. But officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say there is no evidence linking the fatalities to offshore turbines. The federal agency instead points to other, more likely causes, such as climate change and collisions with ships.
Congressional Republicans and local nonprofits opposed to these projects have launched campaigns and lawsuits to halt their development — many of them backed by oil and gas companies. Fast Company traced funding for efforts to stop Vineyard Wind and other offshore wind projects to the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Caesar Rodney Institute. Both receive money from the likes of ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Koch industries.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration calls offshore wind a key source of clean energy and jobs as the nation transitions off fossil fuels. President Biden has set a national goal of installing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, enough to power 10 million homes. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management hopes to review 16 projects by 2025.
Department of Energy officials say expanding the sector will take advantage of the stronger, more consistent winds that blow over seas, where the rapidly maturing technology produces more electricity per turbine than onshore farms. While the U.S. only has two up and running, one near Rhode Island and the other off the coast of Virginia, the United Kingdom, China, Germany, and other nations heavily rely on them.
The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management estimates that during its development and three years of construction, Ocean Wind 1 will create more than 3,000 jobs. Along the Gulf coast, the offshore wind industry has already become an “economic lifeline” for workers displaced from the declining oil and gas sector. According to the Department of Energy, an offshore operation in the Gulf could create 4,500 jobs.
Ocean Wind 1 is expected to become operational by late 2024 or early 2025.
This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Offshore wind just got its biggest boost yet on Jul 7, 2023.
Today’s quote is from American author Barry Lopez: “The land gets inside of us; and…
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One of the most stressful things about traveling is having to pack. But what if all you had to do was book your flight and the packing part — choosing, organizing, folding and making the clothes fit in your suitcase — came with your airline ticket?
Japan Airlines (JAL) is taking the term “packing light” to a new level with its new clothing rental service, “Any Wear, Anywhere.” The service provides international travelers with the option to rent sets of clothing from a range of choices, starting at a little over $27 for two bottoms and three tops, reported Travel + Leisure.
“With more and more people flying again after the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the recent emphasis in sustainability, there is a growing movement around the world to promote sustainable tourism,” a press release from JAL said.
Multiple sets of seasonal clothing are available for rental in a range of sizes, from casual to smart casual or a combination of both, provided by Wefabrik. Travelers may rent as many as eight outfits for up to two weeks. The service is intended to reduce the weight of baggage and reduce carbon emissions, as well as save travelers hassle and time packing and laundering their own clothing. It also allows them to try on new styles without the pressure of buying them.
Reservations, delivery and washing of the clothes — which will be taken from overstock and pre-owned items — will be provided by Sumitomo Corporation. JAL will keep track of baggage weight reductions and corresponding carbon dioxide emissions reductions as a result of using the clothing rental service, and inform its customers.
JAL says that for each kilogram of weight that is avoided on a flight from Tokyo to New York, the carbon emissions from the aircraft are reduced by 0.75 kilograms, Simple Flying reported.
“Travelers increasingly desire to make more sustainable choices regarding their travel destinations, accommodations, transportation etc., they still lack sufficient options. For example, most travelers now enjoy eating at restaurants and staying at hotels at their destination, but they generally bring their own clothing from home,” the press release said.
To use the service, travelers need to register online and provide their JAL reference number, as well as the address of their short term rental or hotel. Reservations must be made a month in advance, and the clothing will be made available to them for as long as two weeks.
“The concept of the Service is therefore to provide a travel experience with minimal luggage by offering clothing rentals at the destination, thereby creating environmental value. By expanding the use of the Service, we aim to create an environment where travelers can use local options for all aspects of their clothing, food, and accommodation, transforming travel and business trips into more sustainable experiences,” the press release said.
JAL’s Any Wear, Anywhere service is being offered as a year-long trial through August 31 of next year.
The post Japan Airlines to Rent Clothes in Effort to Lower Carbon Emissions and ‘Promote Sustainable Tourism’ appeared first on EcoWatch.
A new report from the U.S. Geological Survey has found that at least 45% of tap water in the country contains PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances. The study is the first to test for PFAS broadly across the country in both regulated public drinking water and private wells.
USGS tested for 32 types of PFAS, which have earned the name “forever chemicals” because they break down extremely slowly. According to Clean Water Action, some PFAS may take up to 8 years to break down in human bodies, and PFAS Free reported that some types can take up to 1,000 years to degrade in soil. These chemicals can be found in everything from weatherproof clothing and gear to nonstick cookware to firefighting foam.
This is not the first time that PFAS have been detected in drinking water. In March 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency even proposed the first PFAS limits for potable water. The results of that proposal are expected in 2024, The Associated Press reported. But the new USGS report shows how widespread these compounds are across the country, whether in public water supplies or private wells.
The researchers tested for 32 different PFAS compounds from tap water samples in 716 locations from 2016 to 2021, and they most frequently found perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the samples.
According to the American Cancer Society, both animal and human studies found potential links between PFOA exposure and increased risks of certain types of cancer, including testicular and kidney cancers. But more research is needed to determine the health risks of these chemicals.
“USGS scientists tested water collected directly from people’s kitchen sinks across the nation, providing the most comprehensive study to date on PFAS in tap water from both private wells and public supplies,” Kelly Smalling, lead author of the study and USGS research hydrologist, said in a news release. “The study estimates that at least one type of PFAS — of those that were monitored — could be present in nearly half of the tap water in the U.S. Furthermore, PFAS concentrations were similar between public supplies and private wells.”
The results showed that the most PFAS exposure was around highly populated areas and in places near potential PFAS sources, like industrial sites or waste areas. Some areas in the study with the most PFAS exposure in the drinking water included the Great Plains, the Great Lakes area, the Eastern Seaboard, central California and southern California.
The USGS recommended for those who want to test their own drinking water for PFAS to contact local or state governments for how to do so. The USGS cannot make recommendations for policies on PFAS, but Smalling told The Associated Press that the results of the report “can be used to evaluate risk of exposure and inform decisions about whether or not you want to treat your drinking water, get it tested or get more information from your state.”
The post Nearly Half of U.S. Drinking Water Contains PFAS: USGS Study appeared first on EcoWatch.
As part of the updated United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Energy Strategy 2050, the country has plans to invest up to $54.4 billion in energy, with a goal of tripling its renewables output over the next seven years, reported Arab News.
Following a Cabinet meeting, UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the plans, which include investments in infrastructure development for electric vehicles and low-emissions hydrogen fuel, The Associated Press reported.
“Over the last decade, the UAE has increased renewable energy capacity more than any other country in the world, and by 2030 aims to more than triple this capacity again to reach a total of 14.2 [gigawatts (GW)],” said Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, as well as the managing director and CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and COP28 president, reported Recharge.
In November of this year, the UAE will host COP28 in Dubai, amid ongoing controversy over the oil-rich country being involved in global climate policy decision making.
“The [UAE presidency of Cop28] is a merger of the economic interests of a fossil country with a fundamental transition agenda that should be away from this fossil industry – that will not go well,” said Bas Eickhout, member of the European Parliament and vice-chair of the EU parliament’s environment committee, last month, as The Guardian reported.
The UAE already boasts the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which met 15 percent of Dubai’s energy needs last year, reported The Associated Press. The country gets most of its energy from imported natural gas from Qatar.
The solar park is expected to produce five GW of capacity by 2030, Recharge reported.
Global renewables developer Masdar, based in Abu Dhabi, has a goal of having a portfolio of 100 GW of renewables, as well as to be producing more than one million tons of green hydrogen, by the end of the decade.
“The plan aims to consolidate the country’s position as a producer and exporter of low-emission hydrogen over the next eight years,” a tweet from Al Maktoum said.
A new federal law was also approved by the Cabinet that establishes the Financial Stability Council, reported Arab News. The Council’s plans include monitoring the associated risks of fiscal crises, as well as confronting and preventing them, while developing strategies to protect and manage the country’s monetary and economic systems.
“The UAE presents a shining example for adopting policies and strategies that contribute to shaping a more sustainable future at home and globally,” said Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, in a press briefing, according to the Emirates News Agency.
The post UAE to Triple Renewable Energy Output Amid COP28 Controversy appeared first on EcoWatch.
