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.

Report details increased diversity of climate litigation since the Paris Agreement, leading to indirect impacts on corporate decision-making regardless of courtroom success.

San Francisco is at the forefront of a movement to recycle wastewater from commercial buildings, homes and neighborhoods and use it for toilets and landscaping. This decentralized approach, proponents say, will drive down demand in an era of increasing water scarcity.

Today’s quote is from American author Barry Lopez: “The land gets inside of us; and…

The post Earth911 Inspiration: We Must Decide appeared first on Earth911.

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.

It’s the time of year when the bugs are back, and there is one pest…

The post Natural Termite Prevention appeared first on Earth911.

Tips to help businesses engage and advocate for strong climate policy.

James McGowan’s career journey spans startups, agencies and multinationals, with sustainability at the core.