Climate Break

Youth-Led Climate LitigationWorldwide, litigants are turning to the courts as a forum for fighting climate change, filing lawsuits against governments in an attempt to force climate action. Plaintiffs in these lawsuits are often children and young adults, who represent those most affected by government climate inaction. A notable early example of youth-led litigation related to climate change was in the Philippines in the 1990s, where forty-three students sued the Philippine government to protect their village’s forest. Though the case was initially dismissed in lower courts on the ground that the students were children and did not have legal standing to sue, the students ultimately won their case and deforestation was halted. In the United States in 2015, twenty-one young people, the organization Earth Guardians, and climate scientist James Hansen (collectively, “plaintiffs”), represented by lawyers from the organization Our Children’s Trust, sued the U.S. government in a case called Juliana v. United States of America. The plaintiffs alleged that the U.S. government, in not taking sufficient action to fight climate change, knowingly violated their Fifth Amendment due process rights to life, liberty and property, and knowingly violated its commitment to protect public lands. In 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the case on the ground that the legislative and executive branches have the power to address climate change, not the judicial system. Still, despite the ruling, Juliana v. United States catalyzed a climate litigation movement across the country and world, and a documentary film about the case increased its impact. The Ninth Circuit’s ruling did not end the case, which was sent back to the district court for further proceedings. In June 2023, the district court granted the plaintiffs’ motion for leave to amend their complaint. Plaintiffs are hoping to survive additional motions to dismiss so that the case can proceed to trial. Our Children’s Trust has sued state governments on behalf of young people in all fifty states. Although most of those cases have been dismissed, the first of these cases to go to trial was Held v. Montana in June 2023. Additionally, in September 2023, Navahine F. v. Hawaii Department of Transportation is set to go to trial. These trials are the first in the United States involving youth-led constitutional climate cases, with the plaintiffs both using language from Montana’s and Hawaii’s constitutions to make their case. Is Climate Change a Question for the Courts?This is an ongoing debate. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Juliana v. United States case in 2020, with the majority opinion concluding that climate change is an issue for Congress and the Executive Branch to handle, rather than the judicial system. But Hawaii’s First Circuit Judge Jeffrey Crabtree argued, in response to lawyers for the Hawaii Department of Transportation who made a similar argument, that Navahine F. v. Hawaii Department of Transportation should be allowed to go to trial. Judge Crabtree wrote that “the courts unequivocally have an important and long-recognized role in interpreting and defending constitutional guarantees.” A separate and difficult legal question concerns the nature and extent of the public trust doctrine and what duty might apply to the government. The courts will need to wrestle with that set of issues if the cases reach the trial stage. Who is Julia Olson?Julia Olson is Executive Director and Chief Legal Counsel of Our Children’s Trust, the organization representing the youth plaintiffs in the climate change litigation discussed in this article. She earned her law degree (JD) from the University of California College of Law, San Francisco (then known as UC Hastings) in 1997 and began her legal career representing grassroots conservation groups working to protect the environment, organic agriculture, and human health. Since becoming a mother, Julia has focused her advocacy on youth climate action and founded Our Children’s Trust to further this mission. Further ReadingWatch Youth v Gov | NetflixMeet the Youth Plaintiffs, Our Children's TrustJuliana v. United States, Harvard Law Review (2021)It's Kids vs. the World in a Landmark Climate Complaint, Gizmodo (2019)Trump admin again asks Supreme Court to stop youth climate lawsuit, The Hill (2018) For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/climate-change-litigation-on-behalf-of-young-people-with-julia-olson/

What are Climate Change Disclosure Labels?Highlighting the link between a product’s consumption and its carbon footprint could potentially alter harmful consumer behavior that contributes to climate change. Similar to how warning labels on cigarettes changed the smoking habits of some users, placing climate change disclosure labels on gas pumps could introduce discomfort that serves as an effective intervention that connects consumers to the dangerous reality of fossil fuels and illuminates the hidden costs of climate change. Labels for Increasing Public AwarenessAware of the profound disconnect regarding fossil fuels, where they come from and their impact on climate change, Toronto-based lawyer Robert Shirkey founded Our Horizon, a nonprofit working towards requiring climate change disclosures on gas pumps.According to Our Horizon, the first step to addressing a problem is facing it: Putting climate change disclosure labels on gas pumps would force consumers to face the carbon impact of their fossil fuel consumption. Increasing customer awareness might encourage them to reduce their carbon footprint by choosing public transit or being inspired to purchase an electric vehicle. Further, this increased awareness could affect other behaviors like how people choose to vote, or how local representatives voice support for sustainable policy measures such as public transit or climate legislation. The disclosure labels could vary depending on the climate change impacts or concerns facing each individual jurisdiction. Coastal communities may prefer labels that directly pertain to sea level rise, whereas arid regions may find warnings related to drought to be more effective in altering consumer behavior. Either way, these labels are a low-cost, globally-scalable solution that both municipalities and community members can advocate for: municipalities can use licensing powers to require climate change labels on gas pumps; community members can voice their support to local representatives; and climate-focused policies in one region can inspire legislatures and citizens around the world. Applying the LabelsSome local governments have gone ahead with climate change disclosure labels. In 2020, the Cambridge City Council began requiring the labels on all gas pumps in the Massachusetts city, according to WHDH, a Boston area news station. Sweden has a similar rule in place.While many politicians support the idea, large fossil fuel companies have fought these labels nearly every step of the way. Opposed to disclosing the risks of fuel consumption, the industry instead preferred labels that specified gas-saving tips in Canada during Shirkey’s lobbying efforts. About the guestRob Shirkey is a recognized authority on the subject of climate change risk disclosures for gas pumps, which are being implemented in some North American communities. He is a lawyer from Toronto, Canada, and has given lectures across North America, been featured in media all over the world, and received many awards for his work on climate change. You can learn more about Our Horizon and the campaign to place climate change labels on gas pumps here. Further ReadingBrooks & Ebi, Climate Change Warning Labels on Gas Pumps: The Role of Public Opinion Formation in Climate Change Mitigation Policies, Global Challenges (2021).Where Are All the Climate Warning Labels on Gas Pumps?, Bloomberg (2022). For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/shifting-public-opinion-with-warning-labels-on-gas-pumps-with-rob-shirkey/

What is a cool surface?Cool surfaces are roofs, walls, or pavements that are generally light-colored and highly reflective. When sunlight hits a white surface, its rays bounce off the surface rather than being absorbed, and are reflected back into space. Darker surfaces tend to absorb sunlight, trapping heat. Cool surfaces release this heat back into the atmosphere and space. What are the benefits of switching to a cool surface?Something as simple as painting the roof white has the potential to create major benefits for our planet and its people: Climate changeCool surfaces reflect heat in a warming planet. Every 1000 square feet of dark roof replaced with a cool roof cancels out the warming effect of 10 tons of greenhouse gasses. In addition, reducing the need for electricity to cool buildings reduces fossil fuel emissions. Heat wavesClimate change increases the number and strength of global heat waves. Cool surfaces can help mitigate this heat, especially in low-income urban communities disproportionately affected by heat waves due to living in dark city infrastructure. One study found that just a 10% reflectivity increase could reduce heat wave deaths by 6%. Energy savingsCool surfaces reduce the need for electricity to cool down a building. One analysis concludes that if all commercial buildings in US cities switched to cool surfaces, the US could save nearly $1 billion per year. Energy cost savings could especially help low-income families. Strengthens electric gridLess energy use for cooling means less strain on the grid. This means less blackouts on very hot days, and more energy left to charge electric vehicles and other appliances running on renewable energy. Air qualityCooler air contributes to less smog pollution in cities. This makes cities even more resilient against heat waves and their health impacts.Potential cons of cool surfacesSun reflecting off of cool surfaces could cause uncomfortable glare and brightness.Because they are white, cool surfaces can have a dirtier appearance, requiring greater upkeep.Some research indicates that reflected sunlight from cool pavements could increase heat levels for pedestrians.Despite these issues, cool surfaces have a large set of potential benefits overall. About our GuestDr. Ronnen Levinson is leader of the Heat Island Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The Heat Island Group develops cooling strategies for roofs, pavements, and cars to cool buildings, cities, and the planet. This work involves developing cool roof, wall, and pavement materials, improving methods for the measurement of solar reflectance, and quantifying the energy and environmental benefits of cool surfaces. Levinson advises policymakers, code officials, utilities, and building rating programs about cool surfaces. He earned a B.S. in engineering physics from Cornell University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley. Further ReadingCool Roofs and Cool Pavements Toolkit from the Global Cool Cities AllianceShickman: US Perspectives on Cool SurfacesHot Enough For You? Cooling The Worsening Urban Heat IslandOn-the-ground guidance for L.A.’s far-reaching climate strategy | UCLA For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/cool-surfaces-reflecting-heat-and-reducing-emissions-with-ronnen-levinson/

Peninsula Clean EnergyPeninsula Clean Energy is a community choice aggregation (CCA) founded in 2016 that serves about 310,000 customers in San Mateo County and the City of Los Banos. Peninsula Clean Energy has focused on increasing renewables since beginning service, setting higher targets for renewable energy procurement than those mandated by California under the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). By 2025, Peninsula Clean Energy is aiming to achieve 99 percent renewable electricity on an hourly basis.Back up… What are community choice aggregators?Originally created to offer small residential electricity consumers a competitive alternative to large utilities during restructuring, CCAs’ presence on California’s grid has grown dramatically over the past decade and they now serve over 11 million Californians. Consumers served by CCAs continue to receive distribution and transmission services from the resident private utility - like PG&E - while the CCA chooses and purchases the electricity itself. Climate Break has covered CCAs before. For more on how these local entities are trying to decarbonize their energy supplies, see our story on Central Coast Community Energy.How is this different from what California’s requiring anyway?Under SB100, 50 percent of the electricity procured by load serving entities (LSEs) like Peninsula Clean Energy is supposed to be from resources that are eligible under California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). That means at least half of LSEs’ electricity must be met by renewable resources like wind and solar, and less than half from resources like natural gas and large hydroelectric power. By 2045, SB100 requires that LSEs achieve all 100 percent carbon-free electricity sales. These targets are based on annual rather than real-time accounting. For example, LSEs like Peninsula Clean Energy can achieve RPS benchmarks by meeting all of their customers’ electricity demand with solar for half of the day, but relying on non-renewable resources like natural gas to meet high demand during evening hours. Similarly, many electricity providers in California are now offering 100 percent renewable energy plans. Customers can choose to opt into these plans, typically in exchange for a higher rate. These energy plans are 100 percent renewable on an annual basis, but may not be 100 percent renewable on a monthly, daily, or hourly basis. During high demand periods with low renewable supply, like hot summer evenings, most 100 percent renewable energy plans are still benefiting from non-renewable energy, but they make up for it by contributing extra renewable energy to the grid during other times. Peninsula Clean Energy’s goal—getting to all renewable energy on hourly basis—is much harder than getting to 100 percent renewable energy on an annual basis because their renewable supply will need to line up in real time with customers’ demand.Advantages of Hourly MatchingBy itself, annual matching requirements probably won’t be enough to decarbonize the grid. Hourly matching sends a stronger signal to invest in resources like long duration energy storage and geothermal, which can be available during hours when solar isn’t. By reducing demand for carbon-polluting resources like natural gas for all hours of the day, hourly matching can also help to reduce emissions by more than annual matching would.Okay, but what are the drawbacks?Switching from annual to hourly matching increases procurement costs. By how much depends on context, like the kinds of generating resources already available and when during the day ratepayers demand electricity. In their modeling, Peninsula Clean Energy found that costs increased exponentially as they approached 100 percent renewable procurement on an hourly level. While they believe they can meet all of their demand with renewables 99 percent of the time, meeting demand during that last one percent of the time became cost prohibitive. Hourly matching may require more information than is currently accessible. Currently, LSEs use renewable energy credits (RECs) to show their compliance with California’s RPS standards. RECs may either be bundled -- sold still attached to the wholesale electricity itself -- or unbundled. Unbundled RECs are purchased separately from the renewable electricity they came from, and the amount of unbundled RECs that LSEs are allowed to use to meet RPS requirements is declining over time. According to the EPA, most RECs aren’t tracked with enough detail to work in an hourly-matching system. In the long term, decarbonizing the grid will require hourly matching, but achieving it may still be infeasible for many individual electricity providers while keeping rates reasonable and reliability high.Peninsula Clean Energy’s plan for getting to 24/7 renewablePeninsula Clean Energy created an open source modeling tool they’re calling MATCH, which they’ve used to develop their strategy for hourly matching. MATCH chooses resources to minimize costs while max

History of Republican EnvironmentalismThe history of Republican environmentalism spans decades. On January 1, 1970, just a few months before the very first Earth Day, President Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) into law. NEPA created a program to review and require government agencies to take into consideration the environmental impacts and consequences of their actions or projects. After the first Earth Day celebration on April 22, 1970, President Nixon signed into law a slew of new environmental programs and agencies, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Endangered Species Act. President Ford continued this trend by championing the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974, designating national parks like Isle Royal, and coordinating with several other countries to protect and expand the Endangered Species Act. All of these environmental policies and actions were passed under Republican administrations. There are many examples of Republican environmentalism throughout America’s history, from the initial establishment of national parks under President Theodore Roosevelt to passing amendments to the Clean Air Act under President George H.W. Bush. It is important to recognize this history in order to find common ground across partisan lines when moving to pass climate legislation. This is why many young conservative climate activists believe in a path towards bipartisan climate action. The American Conservation CoalitionThe American Conservation Coalition (ACC) works to mobilize young people around climate solutions in ways that align with conservative values –– market-based mechanisms and a limited-government approach –– without attributing partisan labels to their work. The ACC’s current climate solution goals include energy innovation, 21st century infrastructure, nature based climate solutions, and a global approach to fighting climate change. In addition to a broad set of goals for a bipartisan approach to climate solutions, the ACC encourages young people to get involved in their local communities to enact climate solutions and lessen climate denial. For example, in the Midwest, the human-wildlife conflict and agriculture are likely more relevant than rising sea levels and wildfires, so ACC advocates for a local focus on those issues rather than the broader spectrum of climate issues that may not have the same local immediacy. ACC and others also promote bipartisan climate action through events held at college campuses, talking to conservative members of state and local governments, and urgently making clear that climate change must be on the political agenda. Climate change does not discriminate based on political ideologies, and action will benefit from participation by everyone, from all walks of life and political backgrounds, coming together to find innovative, sustainable and equitable climate solutions. Further reading:American Conservation CoalitionBipartisan Path to Address Climate ChangeYoung Republican Climate MovementAdler, The Conservative Record on Environmental Policy, The New AtlantisYoung Conservatives for Carbon DividendsBruggers, Bucking GOP Elders, Some Young Republicans Embrace a Slower, Gentler Brand of Climate Activism, DeSmogRepublicans for Environmental ProtectionFor a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/growing-a-conservative-youth-environmental-movement-with-karly-matthews-from-the-american-conservation-coalition/

What is Community Choice Aggregation?Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is a system that allows local governments to purchase power directly from an energy supplier other than the existing utility. This means that while the existing utility continues to deliver the power, the CCA buys and generates the power itself, potentially from renewable sources. CCAs continue to pay fees to the existing utility for energy transmission and backup power. While not required, CCAs can set ambitious climate goals that exceed state-mandated targets and drive decarbonization efforts by investing in emerging clean energy technologies. CCAs can take risks to transform their energy sources and grid in ways that traditional investor-owned utilities may be reluctant to try. When successful, CCAs can reduce electric rates for consumers and drive investment in local energy programs. But CCAs without sufficient capital may face financial and operational challenges. CCA programs are authorized in various states, including California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Virginia. How does it work?In states with enabling legislation, local governments can create a CCA by holding public hearings and passing a law authorizing CCAs. Participation in CCAs is voluntary, with most programs having opt-out provisions. This means customers are automatically enrolled in the program unless they choose to opt out and continue receiving electricity from their current supplier. Some CCAs may have opt-in provisions, requiring customers to actively enroll in the program. Customers under CCAs continue to receive delivery and maintenance services from their existing utility and receive a single utility bill reflecting the change in electricity generation sources and prices.What are the pros and cons?Advantages of CCAs include the potential for retail electric rate reductions, the ability to shift to greener power resources quickly, local control over electricity generation aligned with local goals, expanded consumer choices, and the potential to stimulate local job creation and renewable energy development. However, there are also challenges associated with CCAs, including dependence on enabling state legislation, navigating CCA regulations and ordinances, administrative costs, consumer confusion over opt-in and opt-out clauses, and potential resistance from utilities in traditionally regulated electricity states facing new competition from CCAs.What is Central Coast Community Energy?Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) is a CCA program that has procured and provided electricity to residents and businesses in Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Santa Barbara counties in California since 2018. It is governed by board members who represent each community served by the agency.3CE recently approved a contract to build the world's largest Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) facility, which will provide 500 megawatts of energy storage. 3CE will reserve 200 megawatts of that capacity to help achieve its goal of serving 100% clean and renewable energy to its customers in Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara counties by 2030. The CAES technology uses underground caverns to store compressed air, which is later released to generate electricity, offering long-duration storage beyond the capabilities of lithium-ion batteries, and supporting grids reliant on intermittent renewable energy.Further ReadingEPA, Community Choice AggregationNational Renewable Energy Laboratory, Community Choice Aggregation: Challenges, Opportunities, and Impacts on Renewable Energy Markets (2019)CalCCA, Community Choice Aggregation (CCA): What is it?National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Helping Communities Reach Renewable Energy Goals (Mow 2017)Local Energy Aggregation Network (LEAN), CCA by StateMetropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston, MA), Start a Community Choice Aggregation Program (2014)National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Status and Trends in the Voluntary Market (2020 data), presentation materials (Heeter 2021)Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), 3CE to Purchase 200MW of Long Duration Energy Storage from Hydrostor (2023) For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/municipal-investment-in-clean-energy-tech-through-community-choice-aggregation-with-rob-shaw/

What is nuclear fusion?Nuclear fusion produces energy by fusing atoms together. Atomic cores (nuclei) merge together to form a heavier—though unstable—nucleus, releasing mass to regain stability. This mass release corresponds to an energy release, given Einstein’s equation E=mc2, which says in part that mass and energy can be converted into each other. The sun, along with all other stars, uses nuclear fusion to generate energy, which is released as heat and light. The 2022 Fusion Breakthrough In late 2022, scientists led by Dr. Annie Kritcher at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) briefly replicated the power of the sun. Replicating the sun’s power requires replicating the extreme heat and density conditions within the sun’s core. Atomic cores are positively charged, meaning they repel each other. To overcome this barrier, scientists need to apply massive amounts of heat and keep atomic cores extremely close together. For the first time, scientists produced more energy from fusion than the amount of energy it took to maintain these conditions. Fusion is a greenhouse-gas-free source of potentially unlimited electricity, powered by hydrogen we can take from water, and creating no long-lived radioactive waste. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, fusion generates four times more energy per kilogram than the fission used for powering nuclear plants, and nearly 4 million times more energy than burning fossil fuels for energy. What’s Next?Commercial nuclear fusion is still a long way off. While the physics aspect of fusion is “solved,” fusion remains a complicated engineering problem. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has the most powerful laser in the world to blast heat at atoms, but it is the size of three football stadiums, very old, slow, inefficient, and clunky. There are still unanswered questions, such as how to affordably capture fusion energy, and how to keep a fusion reaction going for a long period of time. And although the laser shots at the NIF were weaker than its fusion output, the amount of energy drawn from the grid to create those lasers is 120 times more than the fusion output generated at LLNL. About Dr. Annie KritcherDr. Annie Kritcher is a nuclear engineer and physicist at the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Weapons and Complex Integration's Design Physics Division. She led the recent nuclear fusion breakthrough at LLNL. In 2022, Kritcher was elected fellow of the American Physical Society. She earned her PhD at UC Berkeley. Further ReadingA shot for the ages: Fusion ignition breakthrough hailed as ‘one of the most impressive scientific feats of the 21st century’ | Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryUK Power Grid Could Have First Commercial Fusion Reactor By 2030sWorld's largest nuclear fusion reactor promises clean energy, but the challenges are huge - ABC NewsAnnie Kritcher leads revolutionary nuclear fusion experimentIAEA, What is nuclear fusion?NOVA Now Universe Revealed Podcast, Can We Recreate the Power of Stars Down on Earth? (YouTube or NOVA Podcast website) For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/the-clean-energy-potential-of-nuclear-fusion-with-annie-kritcher/

Climate change is increasing flood risk worldwide. Climate change is intensifying flood risk around the world, with potentially devastating consequences for communities and infrastructure. As the planet gets hotter, the atmosphere's capacity to hold water vapor increases, leading to more frequent and intense precipitation events in certain regions. Extreme rainfall events can overwhelm stormwater and other drainage systems and result in dangerous flash flooding. A 2021 study published by the American Meteorological Society found that for every 1°C rise in global temperature, the intensity of extreme rainfall events increases by 7 percent. Sea level rise, driven by melting glaciers, is also causing coastal flooding and erosion in many parts of the world. Sea levels could rise by an average of 10 - 12 inches in the U.S. in the next 30 years (2020 – 2050)—as much as the rise measured over the last 100 years (1920 - 2020). By the end of the century, sea levels could be as much as 3.6 feet higher than they are today, putting nearly 200 million people at risk. These changes are already having real-world consequences. In 2021, severe flooding in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and other European countries killed over 200 people and destroyed entire towns. In the United States, severe coastal flooding from Superstorm Sandy was partially caused by unusually high storm surges attributed to sea level rise. While these challenges may be daunting, there are concrete actions we can take now to increase our resilience, such as greater investment in flood control infrastructure and natural interventions to mitigate flood risk. These and other solutions are discussed in more detail below. A recent study indicates that climate change is increasing the risk of a “megaflood” in California.California has experienced great floods every century or so for many millennia, according to historical and climate records. The last great flood in California was in 1862, which inundated a 300-mile-long stretch of the Central Valley, including highly populated areas such as Sacramento. The “Great Flood of 1862” is widely considered the benchmark for a “plausible worst-case scenario” flood in contemporary California. Recent research suggests that climate change has already increased the risk of extreme floods in California, and that it is likely to significantly increase the risk of even more extreme floods in the future. A 2022 study by UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain and fellow researcher Xingying Huang found that despite the recent prevalence of severe drought, California faces a broadly underappreciated risk of severe floods. The study indicates that climate change has already doubled the risk of a present-day megastorm, relative to a century ago, and more than tripled the risk of a trillion-dollar megaflood like the Great Flood of 1862. It further found that larger future increases are likely due to continued warming. These ominous findings have direct implications for flood and emergency management, and climate adaptation activities.Governments should implement strategies to mitigate and adapt to the growing risk of floods.According to Dr. Swain, addressing flood risk is a societal challenge that requires action at the local, state, and federal government levels. He recommends action to assess flood risk, strengthen flood control infrastructure, implement natural interventions to mitigate flood risk, and explore innovative approaches to flood management: Assess flood risk: FEMA’s flood maps, which are now known to be woefully inadequate, should be improved and updated.Strengthen flood control infrastructure: Weaknesses in levees, dams, and urban flood conduits should be identified and rectified through research and funding.Implement natural interventions to mitigate flood risk: Long-term flood risk mitigation may involve natural interventions such as floodplain restoration or moving levees away from the river, giving rivers more room to expand without flooding highly populated cities or critical infrastructure.Explore innovative approaches to flood management: Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) and Flood Managed Aquifer Recharge (Flood-MAR) are innovative approaches that could drive advances in flood management. FIRO involves using high-quality weather forecasts to dynamically operate reservoirs and water releases, while Flood-MAR involves leveraging flood flows to store water in natural aquifers underground (which can have the added benefit of returning water to depleted aquifers).Who is Daniel Swain?Daniel Swain, Ph.D., is a climate scientist who holds joint appointments at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, the Capacity Center for Climate and Weather Extremes at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and as the California Climate Fellow at The Nature Conservancy. His research focuses on the dynamics and impacts of the Earth's changing climate system, with a particular emphasis on regiona

Existing Carbon Tariffs Subsidize Polluting IndustriesAccording to new international environmental economic research, most countries’ existing trade policies implicitly subsidize carbon pollution. That’s because many polluting industries, like oil production, face lower tariffs and fewer non-tariff barriers to trade (NTB) than industries selling finished products to consumers. In other words, carbon tariffs tend to be assessed on upstream industries only indirectly and later in the process (at the point of trade), and less so at the point of extraction and refining. As a result, existing trade policies tax dirty polluting industries at a substantially lower rate than clean industries. The favorable treatment in trade policy creates a global subsidy to carbon emissions in internationally traded goods and contributes to climate change. This subsidy is large – an estimated $550-800 billion annually, an amount of the same magnitude as some of the world's largest actual and proposed climate change policies. The subsidies amount to $85-120/ton, about the same amount many economists identify as an optimum price for carbon emissions. Trade policy is, in essence, giving the exact opposite price signal than what is needed to reduce carbon pollution. New research on these policies also suggests that if countries applied similar trade policies to clean and dirty goods, global CO2 emission would decrease with little impact on global real income.Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms Correct Existing Carbon SubsidiesCarbon border adjustment mechanisms (C-BAMs) are a form of trade policy that aims to correct these subsidies and prevent carbon-intensive economic activity from moving to areas with less stringent policies. Border adjustments apply fees on imported goods based on greenhouse gas emissions during production. A jurisdiction importing goods would impose carbon tariffs on carbon-intensive products, thereby offsetting current carbon subsidies given to dirty industries. C-BAMs are part of the European Green New Deal and will place tariffs on carbon-intensive goods imported by the EU, taking effect in 2026 on seven high-emission sectors. These border adjustments are an important climate policy mechanism to prevent the risk of carbon leakage, as C-BAMs prevent the industry from shifting emissions to regions outside the reach of the EU’s stricter standards. Their goal is to ensure climate objectives are not undermined by production relocation, as the environmental effect of carbon emissions on the atmosphere are the same regardless of where they are emitted. This is an equitable policy; the cost to the planet of emitting greenhouse gasses is universal and thus the cost of emissions should have some consistency across the globe. C-BAMs also equalize the price of carbon between domestic products and imports. As a result, this policy encourages greening production processes across the world, so countries can avoid the border adjustment tax. Border adjustments can also be in the form of rebates or exemptions depending on the domestic policies for producers that export their goods. Such policies are already in place in California for certain imports of electricity. The United States, Canada and Japan are looking into C-BAMs, as well.The European Union Creates the First C-BAMOn April 25, 2023, the EU finalized the language for the world’s first carbon tax; the initial transition phase is scheduled to begin in October 2023. In the European Green New Deal, European importers will buy carbon certificates that correspond to carbon prices that would have been paid if the goods had been produced under the European Union’s carbon pricing rules. Products can also receive price deductions if the carbon price has already been paid in an outside country. In the EU, these adjustments will be phased in gradually first with iron, steel, cement, fertilizer, aluminum, and electricity generation.Our Guest: Joseph ShapiroJoseph Shapiro is an associate professor at UC Berkeley in Agricultural and Resource Economics and the Department of Economics. Shapiro holds a Ph.D. in economics from MIT, a Master's degree from Oxford and London School of Economics, and a BA from Stanford. He is also a Research Associate at the Energy Institute of Haas, Associate Editor of the Journal of Political Political Economy, Co-Editor of the Journal of Public Economics, and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Shapiro's research agenda explores the following three questions: How do globalization and the environment interact? What have been the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity impacts of environmental and energy policies over the last half-century, particularly for water, air, and climate pollution? How important are the investments that people make to protect themselves against air pollution and climate change? Shapiro has also received an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, Kiel Institute Excellence in Global Affairs Award, and Marsh

Climate Change Exacerbates California’s WildfiresNearly all of California’s landscapes are naturally fire-dependent or fire-adapted, and this beneficial relationship with fire allows ecosystems to maintain healthy functions and promotes biodiversity. However, high-intensity wildfires disrupt this relationship and cause detrimental damage to these ecosystems as wildfires impact tree regeneration, soil erosion, and water quality. According to modeling by the California Air Resources Board, climate change makes the conditions for high-intensity wildfires – like hot, dry summers – more likely. Extreme Wildfires Hurt WildlifeHigh-intensity wildfires impact wildlife. Many animals cannot move, so die in the fires. Those that can escape, by running or burrowing into the ground, face another challenge when they return: adapting to a new and changing environment. While directly measuring wildlife casualties isn’t possible, emergency vets and zoos across California report dramatic increases in their wildlife patients after severe wildfires. During the 2021 fire season, the Wildlife Disaster Network through UC Davis’s Veterinary Emergency Response Team cared for more than 2000 injured wildlife and pets. According to estimates by The Wildlife Society, fires the year before had killed between 300 to 600 cougars – 15% of California’s cougar population.California’s Plan to Increase Fire ResiliencyIn 2021, Governor Newsom signed SB 85, the $536 million Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, into law to support early action and intervention against wildfires and measures to build resilient communities, restore ecological health, and fund wildfire suppression. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) manages over one million acres of land in the state – many of which are both fire-prone and vital habitats for wildlife. As a result, the CDFW plays a key role in implementing SB 85’s goals. As part of that effort, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) undertook “the largest wildfire protection and resilience efforts in its history.” This new support has helped not only safeguard CDFW property, but better protect surrounding homes, communities, and wildlife habitats, as well. SB 85 also allowed CFDW to hire additional staff, afford new equipment, and start over forty new fire control projects like creating fire breaks, removing wildfire fuel, thinning overgrown vegetation, expanding livestock grazing, and more. In January 2023, the U.S. Senate also introduced the Wildfire Emergency Act. This bill has bipartisan support and aims to reduce the risks of catastrophic wildfires faced in California and across the West of the country. The $250 million act would increase forest restoration and wildfire resilience projects.Looking Forward The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) in their 2023 Fire Season Outlook predicts a possible abnormal wildfire season due to mixed temperature and precipitation and flooding anomalies earlier in the year. As a result of these historic storms, critically dry fuel moisture alignments are not expected to be reached for the next four months. However, one concern is that the extreme precipitation may accelerate spring plant growth, which once the moisture disappears and heat sets in, will dry out and become additional fuel, accelerating wildfires. The impact of climate change also varies dramatically across different climates of the state with some regions expecting more extreme drier and hotter months. Wildfire season in California begins in early summer and runs through late fall. Although fire season has not officially begun, CAL FIRE has reported 196 incidents of wildfires resulting in 51 acres burnt already in 2023. As climate change intensifies California's wildfires, the work of the CDFW is even more critical because their efforts protect the health of California’s ecological reserves, wildlife, waterways, and communities from the devastating effects of wildfires. About the GuestThe California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly the California Department of Fish and Game, is focused on “improving and enhancing [its] capacity and effectiveness in fulfilling [its] public trust responsibilities for protecting and managing the state's fish and wildlife.” Chuck Bonham has served as the director of CDFW since 2011. Bonham is responsible for overseeing CDFW’s wide range of projects, from preventing illegal poaching to protecting California’s wildlife from human and environmental conflicts such as drought and fires. Sources:California Department of Fish and Wildlife Home PageCDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham (ca.gov)Governor Newsom Signs Landmark $536 Million Wildfire Package Accelerating Projects to Protect High-Risk Communities | California GovernorCDFW News | CDFW Initiates Massive Wildfire Protection Effort at Wildlife Areas, Ecological Reserves Statewide2022 Fire Season Outlook (ca.gov)CA Department of Fish and Wildlife: Science:

Carbon SequestrationCarbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide to slow the pace of climate change. There are two major types of carbon sequestration: geologic and biologic. Geological carbon sequestration injects carbon dioxide captured from an industrial or energy-related source into underground geologic formations. Biological carbon sequestration refers to the storage of atmospheric carbon in vegetation, soils, woody products, and aquatic environments. While carbon dioxide (CO2) is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes, some artificial sequestration techniques exploit the natural processes to slow the atmospheric accumulation of CO2.Soil Carbon Sequestration and Climate ChangeThe exchange of carbon between soils and the atmosphere is a significant part of the world’s carbon cycle. Carbon, as it relates to the organic matter of soils, is a major component of soil and catchment health. However, human activities including agriculture have caused massive losses of soil organic carbon, leading to soil deterioration. California´s Healthy Soil Initiative is one program in the state working to promote the development of healthy soils in efforts to increase the state´s carbon sequestration, prevent soil deterioration and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions.Soil carbon sequestration is a process in which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere, primarily mediated by plants through photosynthesis, with carbon stored in the form of soil organic matter. Many scientists agree that regenerative agricultural practices can reduce atmospheric CO2 while also boosting soil productivity and health and increasing resilience to floods and drought.UC Berkeley researchers found that low-tech agricultural management practices such as planting cover crops, optimizing grazing, and sowing legumes on rangelands, if instituted globally, could capture enough carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil to reduce global temperatures 0.26 degrees Celsius – nearly half a degree Fahrenheit – by 2100. However, critics say that because biological sequestration isn't permanent and can be hard to measure, it's only part of the climate solution and not a substitute for reducing emissions. Whendee SilverDr. Whendee Silver is the Rudy Grah Chair and Professor of Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at U.C. Berkeley. She received her Ph.D. in Ecosystem Ecology from Yale University. Her work seeks to determine the biogeochemical effects of climate change and human impacts on the environment, and the potential for mitigating these effects. The Silver Lab is currently working on drought and hurricane impacts on tropical forests, climate change mitigation potential of grasslands, and greenhouse gas dynamics of peatlands and wetlands. Professor Silver is the lead scientist of the Marin Carbon Project, which is studying the potential for land-based climate change mitigation, particularly by composting high-emission organic waste for soil amendments to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide. Continued ReadingThe potential of agricultural land management to contribute to lower global surface temperaturesTechnical options for sustainable land and water managementSoils help to combat and adapt to climate change by playing a key role in the carbon cycleThe solution to climate change is just below our feetSoil as Carbon Storehouse: New Weapon in Climate Fight? Soil Carbon Sequestration Impacts on Global Climate Change and Food SecurityOrganizationsSilver Lab, UC BerkeleyCarbon Management and Sequestration Center, Ohio State UniversityFood and Agricultural Organization, the United NationsRelated EpisodesCollaborating with farmers on climate-friendly practices, with Alameda County Resource Conservation District For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/sequestering-carbon-using-compost-and-grasslands-with-whendee-silver/

Food Waste is a Global Problem with a Big Carbon FootprintOne-third of all food produced is wasted every year – approximately 1.3 billion tons. The UN Environment Program estimates that 3.3 billion tons of CO2 are emitted annually from the resources used to produce wasted food. In the United States alone, 133 billion pounds of edible food, valued at $161 billion, is wasted every year. Replate’s SolutionEnter Replate: a technology-based nonprofit that works to reduce food insecurity and waste while mitigating food waste´s effects on climate change. The organization provides a solution for businesses to donate surplus food to nearby nonprofits operating throughout the United States and the Middle East. Replate’s services are designed to prevent such food waste through source reduction and donating meals to communities experiencing food insecurity. Its algorithm connects donor organizations to nonprofits, diverting food from landfills while increasing food access. How Replate WorksTheir organization operates through a web app. Donors can schedule pick-up services, then track the environmental and social impact of their donations. Nonprofits can sign up to receive donations using an online form. Replate then works to understand these organizations' capacity and food needs before drop off. Replate works with hundreds of corporations including Netflix, Boston Consulting Group, Whole Foods, Chipotle, Walmart, and more to match businesses with communities in need. Since its founding, Replate has recovered over 3.6 million pounds of food, delivered over three million meals, and served 301 nonprofits. It estimates that to date the program has saved 985 million gallons of water and diverted 3,686 tons of carbon emissions.Connections to California Composting GoalsAs organic material like food and agricultural waste decomposes, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas eighty-four times more potent than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over a 20-year period. Enacted in January 2022, California’s Short-Lived Pollutant Reduction law SB-1383 targets is trying to address methane emissions due to organic waste. SB-1383 is expected to reduce California’s methane emissions from organic materials in traditional landfills by an estimated twenty percent. As part of the law, large food service providers, distributors, and industries falling under the Tier 1 category—food service providers, food distributors, wholesale food vendors, supermarkets and grocery stores over 10,000 square feet—are required to reduce their organic waste material disposal. Platforms like Replate can help businesses reduce their food waste and comply with SB-1383. Maen Mahfoud is the founder and CEO of Replate. Witnessing the alarming levels of food insecurity, and enormous amounts of food waste in the Bay Area, his knowledge of the massive effects of food waste on our planet motivated Mahfoud to launch Replate in 2016. Maen is a DRK entrepreneur, a 2023 recipient of the James Irvine Foundation Leadership, and was sponsored by Harvard Business School's Executive Program. Mahfoud holds a Master’s in Public Health from Imperial College London, a degree in Molecular Biology from UC Berkeley, and a Human-Computer Interaction for User Experience Design Certificate from MIT. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/optimizing-food-waste-recovery-through-algorithms-with-maen-mahfoud/

What is Carbon Farming?Carbon farming refers to a wide range of agricultural practices that increase carbon sequestration in soil, vegetation, and forests. Conventional agricultural practices often release carbon, but traditional farming practices, permaculture, agroecology, regenerative, and organic farming practices can instead create carbon sinks. As plants photosynthesize, they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store carbon above ground and below ground (in roots) as biomass throughout their lifetime. Dead organic matter can store carbon in the soil for several decades. Carbon farming practices also sequester other potent greenhouse gasses such as methane and nitrous oxide which further helps mitigate climate change. Examples of carbon farming practices include using mulch, compost, and perennial crops in agricultural fields. As California ramps up its composting in response to goals set by 2016’s food waste bill SB-1383, using compost on farmland could have even more benefits. In addition to potentially increasing the carbon sequestered in soils, diverting compost to agriculture would also put all the extra compost to use. But many farmers are wary of using the new compost on their land, UC Staff Researcher Cole Smith told Civil Eats in 2022. Climate Break guest Ian Howell says building collaborative and voluntary carbon farming plans with farmers and ranchers can help overcome their hesitation.Carbon farming goes beyond compost, and can encompass a variety of practices, many of which also offer water quality and productivity benefits. Returning leftover biomass after harvest to the soil instead of burning or disposing of the material also increases carbon sequestration. Replacing traditional tillage practices with conservation tillage or no-till farming can help reduce soil erosion. Planting cover crops in the off-season instead of leaving crop lands bare, and rotating crops and growing diverse crop rotations instead of monocultures all support soil health and carbon sequestration. Carbon Farming in CaliforniaThe U.S. EPA reports that the agriculture sector accounts for 11% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and land use and forestry account for 13%. In California the Healthy Soils Program pays farmers and ranchers to adopt policies that better sequester carbon, improve soil health, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative began in 2017 and is funded by California Climate Investments (CCI) cap and trade program. The Healthy Soils Program has received $40.5 million from CCI which has helped fund over 600 projects across the state. Many Resource Conservation Districts – like the Alameda County Resource Conservation District – also offer carbon farming programs, working with farmers and offering grants for more sustainable land management practices. Future of Carbon Farming: Despite increased research and funding to support carbon farming, implementing these practices on a global scale still faces roadblocks. However, countries across the world have shown support for carbon farming as at the 2015 Paris Agreement 100 nations signed the French “4 per mille” initiative. The “4 per mille” initiative calls for a 0.4% increase each year in carbon soil sequestration, which will stop annual increases of carbon into the atmosphere. In September, 2022 California passed AB 1757 (Garcia and Rivera) which requires state agencies to set targets for natural carbon sequestration and emission reduction on natural and working lands by 2024. AB 1757 therefore supports California's carbon neutrality goals and can boost carbon removal through natural climate solutions like carbon farming.Ian Howell has supported voluntary restoration and enhancement projects at the Alameda County Resource Conservation District for over five years as a resource conservationist. He has managed several grant-funded programs including Alameda Creek Healthy Watersheds, Rangeland Resilience, and Carbon Farming. Ian also coordinates the Alameda Creek Watershed Forum and collaborates with public agency partners and private agricultural producers on land management topics. He received a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 2012.Sources:Alameda County Resource Conservation District: Carbon Farming FactsheetEPA: Trends in Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Agriculture.Bill Text: AB-1757 California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: climate goal: natural and working landsThe Climate Center: AB-1757 ExplainerCA Department of Food and Agriculture: Healthy Soils ProgramEPA: U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and SinksPNAS: Soil carbon sequestration is an elusive climate mitigation toolUC Davis: Biological Carbon Sequestration.Green America: What is Carbon Farming? For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/collaborating-with-farmers-on-climate-friendly-practices-with-alameda-county-resource-conservation-district/

Why Community?It’s easy to feel despair about climate change and environmental destruction. But despair can make it hard to forge connections and take action. According to emotion researchers, hope means believing that you have the power to improve problems, rather than ignoring them. One possible source of hope? Community building events, where diverse groups of activists can find common ground.What is Bioneers?Climate Break spoke with Teo Grossman, Senior Director of Programs and Research for the longstanding environmental conference Bioneers, about how community building events like the Bioneers conference foster hope and catalyze action. Now in its 34th year, Bioneers is an interdisciplinary environmental organization whose annual conference brings together environmental advocates and innovators from a wide variety of disciplines to share stories and brainstorm solutions. Grossman joined Bioneers in 2014 but first spoke there while still a college student in the early 2000s. He says his time at Bioneers has convinced him that community events and storytelling are powerful tools for change. Bioneers’s HistoryThroughout its history, Bioneers has been home to new ways of thinking about environmental activism.The annual conference helped spawn major climate organizations like 350.org and inspired some of Michael Pollan’s early work on the food system. Grossman also highlights its role in advancing the Rights of Nature legal movement. Rights of Nature seeks to recognize nature itself – like bodies of water and endangered species – as having legal rights. In 2008, Bolivia became the first country to include explicit rights for nature in their constitution. Other countries have since followed suit. Bioneers TodayBioneers has expanded since its inception, and now includes year round media and educational programming in addition to its annual conference. Grossman says they’re especially proud of their Native-led Indigeneity Program, which includes youth leadership scholarships and forums. This year's conference includes speakers from throughout the world of climate and environmental justice, including political scientist Leah Stokes, clean-tech entrepreneur Danny Kennedy, and One Fair Wage President Saru Jayaraman. Also on the agenda? Conversations about the role fiction writing and narrative can play in restoring hope to the environmental movement, hosted by science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson and essayist Rebecca Solnit. Bioneers is holding its annual conference April 6-8 in Berkeley. You can learn more about the conference on their website.Other Resources for Finding CommunityIn addition to Bioneers, there are plenty of other ways to find hope and connect with the environmental movement. Interested in making decarbonization your job? Resources like Climatebase and Work on Climate offer centralized job listings and career support. You can also seek workshops and seminars to hear new perspectives on environmental issues. International organizations like Resources for the Future host lectures and workshops to highlight ongoing research, while in the Bay Area, local groups like the SF Federal Reserve and the Commonwealth Club’s Climate One host lectures both in person and online. Looking for ways to take direct action? Databases like the CA Climate Action Portal map climate action by local government. Research the climate action – or inaction – your local government is doing to find ways to get involved. You may be able to attend public meetings for your energy providers, where you can meet other constituents and advocate for just and renewable energy. For example, San Francisco CCA Clean Power SF holds regular meetings over zoom that are welcome to the public. To go even bigger, attend public meetings by statewide regulatory agencies like the CPUC, which oversees the rates and investments of California utilities like PG&E. About the GuestTeo Grossman is Senior Director of Programs and Research for Bioneers, where he helps lead both conference development and Bioneers’s year-round media production. He studied environmental science and management as a Doris Duke Conservation Fellow at UC Santa Barbara and first began working with Bioneers as a Program Manager in the early 2000s. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/community-as-antidote-to-climate-despair-with-teo-grossman/

What is “green” hydrogen?Green hydrogen is an industry term for hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power through a process called electrolysis, where an electric current splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. It's also known as renewable or zero-emission hydrogen. It is a clean and sustainable alternative to hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, which generates greenhouse gas emissions during the production process. When consumed in a fuel cell, hydrogen does not generate any emissions, but rather only produces water. It is important to distinguish green hydrogen from blue hydrogen, sometimes also called clean hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is an industry term for hydrogen produced from natural gas and supported by carbon capture and storage, whereby the carbon dioxide generated during the hydrogen manufacturing process is captured and stored underground. Blue hydrogen is controversial due to its reliance on natural gas, the production of which has many adverse environmental impacts.Green hydrogen can be used as a fuel for vehicles, a source of electricity through fuel cells or combined heat and power systems, and as a feedstock in industrial processes. It has the potential to significantly reduce emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as transportation and industrial processes, and to support the expansion of renewable power through long-duration energy storage. Hydrogen's energy storage potential is particularly important because transitioning to variable renewable energies like solar increases the need for energy storage capacity. Hydrogen fuel produced from wind and solar power is easy to store and transport for later use, making it a flexible energy source.The potential benefits of using green hydrogen as a fuel or feedstock include reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved energy security, and the creation of new economic opportunities in the renewable energy sector. However, there are also challenges to wider adoption, including the need to build infrastructure and the current high cost of production in some cases. Even with enough infrastructure, green hydrogen may come with additional downsides; hydrogen can leak emissions into the atmosphere, which themselves contribute to warming. Policy AdvancesIn December 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy announced plans to allocate $750 million in funds from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law towards reducing the cost of clean hydrogen technologies, accelerating the use of clean hydrogen, and supporting commercial-scale deployment. The funds will be used to address technical barriers to cost reduction and ensure that emerging commercial-scale deployments will be viable with lower-cost, higher-performing technology, with the goal of achieving $1 per kilogram of clean hydrogen within a decade.What is the Green Hydrogen Coalition and who is Nick Connell?The Green Hydrogen Coalition (GHC) is a non-profit organization founded in 2019 with the goal of deploying green hydrogen at scale for multi-sectoral decarbonization. The GHC focuses on education, coalition building, and market development for green hydrogen. The GHG is now working to bring green hydrogen at scale to cities across the US through its HyBuild North America program, starting with Los Angeles.Nick Connell is policy director and interim Executive Director at the GHC. He has over 13 years of experience in energy policy and regulatory affairs.More Information: IEA Report: The Future of HydrogenDepartment of Energy: Hydrogen Fuel BasicsDepartment of Energy: DOE National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and RoadmapDepartment of Energy Hydrogen Program PlanPress Release: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $750 Million To Accelerate Clean Hydrogen TechnologiesGreen Hydrogen CoalitionCLEE: Supercharging Electrolyzers: Boosting Zero-Emission Hydrogen Production and Deployment in CaliforniaWorld Economic Forum: Grey, blue, green – why are there so many colours of hydrogen? For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/a-role-for-hydrogen-in-decarbonization-with-nick-connell/

Oysters' Role in Living ShorelinesOysters can serve as an important environmental solution to shoreline restoration. Oyster reefs can provide habitat for hundreds of marine species, improve water quality (as an adult oyster can filter up to fifty gallons of water a day), and protect against erosion and storm surges. Oysters also help stabilize sediments and wave energy, which reduces coastal erosion and the impacts of sea-level rise. As filter feeders, oysters help remove excess nutrients from the water and maintain healthy water quality. This ecosystem service is especially important with urban and agricultural run-off entering waterways, as oysters filter excess nitrogen, which can help prevent harmful algal blooms. Oyster restoration is important for conservation as well, as within the past two hundred years nearly 85% of global oyster reefs have been lost from over harvesting, wetland loss, human development, pollution, and other anthropogenic factors. Oyster reefs also serve as natural flood control and sea-level rise solutions, and compared to man-made solutions like seawalls and levees, oyster reefs are more cost-effective and less disruptive to the environment. Oyster reef restoration is now being used for coastlines throughout the US, including New York, Moss Landing, and Newport Beach.Orange County Coastkeeper's ApproachOrange County Coastkeeper has led the shoreline restoration in Newport Beach since 2017, re-introducing both native Olympia oysters and native eelgrass. To build a habitats where Oysters could settle in Upper Newport Bay, Coastkeeper and its volunteers hand-sewed over 500 bags, using coconut coir, to transport 40,000 pounds of Pacific oyster shells. Many of the oyster shells were donated by local restaurants. Coconut coir is a natural fiber, allowing Orange County Coastkeeper to avoid introducing any plastics during the restoration process. Since the initial restoration, CoastKeeper has been monitoring the restored oyster beds yearly and found signs of healthier and more sustainable coastline. The Orange County Coastkeeper has also worked to restore eelgrass in the Upper Newport Bay. Eelgrass is a shallow coastal seagrass and foundational species, as it provides habitat and food for many juvenile fish, lobsters, and shellfish. Eelgrass has been targeted for restoration because it provides many critical ecosystem services from oxygen production and nutrient cycling, to providing “carbon service” as it absorbs carbon which helps fight ocean acidification. In 2012, Orange County Coastkeeper worked in collaboration with the Department of Fish and Wildlife staff at the Back Bay Science Center to plant 0.3 acres of eelgrass. The goals of their restoration were to increase the diversity or abundance of native species, establish a sustainable eelgrass habitat and restore the economic value of the recreational and commercial fishery in the Bay. The Coastkeeper’s efforts have been successful: Upper Newport Bay now has over one acre of eelgrass habitat. Claire Arre is the Orange County Coastkeeper’s Marine Restoration Director. In her role, she manages the shoreline restoration program and works to restore the health of Orange County waters. Arre graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and received her Master of Science degree in BIology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. In her free time, Claire volunteers at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium as a Whale Watch naturalist. Additional SourcesOysters Could Be a Solution for Our Sea Level Rise WoesReport: Shellfish Reefs at RiskResearchers in Newport optimistic that eelgrass can reduce carbon and acidity in seawater For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-oyster-reefs-to-protect-shorelines-with-claire-arre/

Induction-Range Stoves:Gas stoves have recently been in the news as a source of harmful pollutants in the home and generators of greenhouse gas. The adoption of energy-efficient induction-range stovetops could offer a solution. Induction cooktops use electromagnetism to generate heat from directly within cookware, preventing the levels of energy loss seen in conventional gas or electric cooktops. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is not coming for anybody’s gas stove, despite a recent frenzy over concerns of bans on gas stovetops, so cooks around the country can pick the stove tops of their choosing. But as a handful of journalists have pointed out, the notion that gas stove tops are better for cooking than electric, really a matter of opinion, could have something to do with advertising investments by the American Gas Association. In fact, many chefs actually prefer induction cooktops to gas, and their environmental benefits are substantial. Induction stoves contain an electromagnetic coil that generates a magnetic field when turned on. That magnetic field creates metallic resistance from compatible cookware, generating heat from within itself. Conversely, conventional gas and electric stoves transfer heat to pots and pans through a flame or electric coil. In that heat transfer, energy is lost. Induction has an energy efficiency of 85%. Electric stoves and gas stoves are 75-80% and 32% energy efficient, respectively, making gas the least energy efficient stove type. Across the United States, only about 32% of households use gas ranges, but in some states, like California, the number is closer to 70%. Energy Star estimates that a widespread shift to induction ranges would collectively save the United States over $125 million in energy costs and over 1000 GWh of energy.Plug-in Induction-Range Stoves:While Induction stoves are highly energy efficient, and can save consumers money on their energy bills, the upfront cost can be significant. According to Consumer Reports, a typical induction stove can range from roughly $1000 to $4000. Their installation can sometimes require upgrades to the home’s electrical wiring, which can add additional cost and complicates the process. Battery-powered induction-ranges like those in production by Channing Street Copper Company can be plugged in directly to standard electrical outlets. Plug-ins remove the complication of updating electrical panels or installing special high-voltage outlets, but they can be more expensive, costing consumers roughly $6000. However, a purchase of a standard induction or plug-in induction range may qualify consumers for rebates at federal and local levels. Sam Calisch is an engineer and scientist working on decarbonization and electrification. He is the co-founder of Channing Street Copper, where he leads technology development. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/an-induction-range-no-rewiring-required/

How do Climate Change and Agriculture Affect Drinking Water?Throughout the US, agricultural and livestock runoff are some of the largest contributors to drinking water pollution, especially in heavily farmed states like California and Iowa. As part of farming, producers use pesticides and fertilizers which, without strategies like cover cropping, can run off and enter the water stream, leading to elevated levels of dissolved nitrates and phosphorus and causing toxic algal blooms. Climate change associated droughts and floods may be making the problem of agricultural pollutants in water worse by increasing runoff rates, stimulating algal blooms, and reducing the availability of alternative water sources providers can turn to. At the same time, excessive nitrate pollution in agriculture may itself exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the nitrous oxide emitted by soil and polluted waters. In Iowa, the Des Moines Department of Water Works is looking for collaborative solutions.What is Des Moines Water Works Doing About Agricultural Pollution?Like many water utilities, DMWW is under pressure to remove agricultural pollutants from their water sources, an issue exacerbated by climate change. However, DMWW faces additional challenges as the largest water utility in an agriculturally and livestock intensive state – about 83 percent of Iowa land is farmed, and it’s the top producer of hogs in the US. Widespread use of tile drainage systems, which accelerate the rate that water drains from agricultural land, also increases the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus that can enter the water stream.DMWW wants to do more than remove nitrates and phosphates from their water supply via expensive filtration systems – they want to reduce the amounts entering Central Iowa’s water stream to begin with. But because agricultural runoff is considered nonpoint pollution, meaning it can’t be traced back to a single farm, DMWW has no authority with which to force farmers to change their practices and reduce pollution. After attempts at passing stricter pollution regulations were unsuccessful, DMWW filed a lawsuit against 13 Iowa drainage districts over nitrate pollution, but it was dismissed in 2017. Now, they've shifted strategies towards educational outreach and collaboration. “Protecting source water upstream from us, if we don't have laws in our favor for that. If we don't have a lawsuit in our back pocket that we're going to whip out again, we don't right now, then we're left with collaboration,” DMWW External Affairs Manager Jennifer Terry tells Climate Break. “And so I've been putting my full weight into collaborating the last year and a half … building coalitions with people that you would maybe consider … unlikely allies.” What Does Collaboration Look Like?As an example, Terry cites the recent purchase of a John Deere cover crop seeder in part partnership with other local organizations. Now, DMWW is working with agricultural retailer Heartland Cooperative to sell its services to central Iowan farmers. Cover cropping can reduce erosion and increase the amount of nutrients retained by soil, preventing pollutants from draining into the water supply. It also has benefits for climate change mitigation: planting cover crops, rather than leaving land bare during the off season, sequesters more carbon in the soil and reduces emissions. “Is that project over the next four years going to clean up our rivers? No,” Terry acknowledges, “but what it's going to do is hopefully demonstrate a scalable model of how municipalities and private industry can come together and hopefully make it win-win-win … [the] land owner gets to keep his or her soil on the farm, we get to keep the contaminants out of the water, and we get to … work together with people who share our values for an end game of cleaner source water.”Additional Resources:Search for more information on your local water supply by zip codeNutrient Pollution: AgricultureEPA: Protecting Water Quality from Agricultural RunoffDMWW WebsiteIowa’s Toxic Brew: Coping with the climate-chemical reaction that can play havoc with drinking waterOpinion: 'Sounding the alarm' may mean spring water quality challenges for Des Moines Water Works, againFor a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/protecting-drinking-water-from-agricultural-pollutants-with-des-moines-water-works/

What is the GeoGrid?The Geo Grid is a network of heating pumps that harnesses the geothermal energy stored under the Earth’s surface to heat and cool buildings. It operates through a network of pipes that go deep into the ground and connect houses to each other. These pipes are filled with water, which brings the constant underground temperature up to the Earth’s surface, and into the buildings. The pipes that connect the buildings to each other are then used to exchange energy between buildings, so one building's need for cooling can be balanced by another’s need for heating, ensuring that no energy is wasted. A heat pump located inside each building determines whether the heating or cooling is needed. This interconnected system has already been initiated at college campuses across the country. These networks can be expanded by connecting more systems along city streets, allowing the GeoGrid to spread across neighborhoods, cities, and states. This would help replace natural gas with geothermal energy as a primary heating method, and greatly reduce carbon emissions. Installing geothermal energy for a single household can be expensive and inaccessible for many. In order to keep costs low and expand the accessibility of GeoGrids, HEET has worked with utility companies to install geothermal technology for entire neighborhoods for the same cost of providing gas utilities. This is not only cost-efficient, but energy efficient. Positioning heat pump technology as utility infrastructure will reduce the financial burden of switching to renewable energy for consumers while preserving jobs in utility companies.About HEETHEET, or the Home Energy Efficiency Team, is an organization working to find innovative ways to cut carbon emissions. HEET has worked on several initiatives beyond the GeoGrid Micro Districts in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions. HEET started out as a group of volunteers working together to make their homes more efficient through heat trapping doors, insulated windows, and efficient light bulbs. HEET has also supported solar panel installation challenges, resulting in discounted installation prices and greater adoption of the technology in the area. HEET has also worked to cut methane-polluting natural gas leaks. Natural gas is the most common resource used to heat buildings, and leaks can occur in heating systems. HEET has gained data on these leaks from utility companies, and publishes annual maps showing their location and severity to draw public attention to the issue and spark action to stop them. To improve the way utility companies and governments deal with leaks, HEET also worked to pass a Massachusetts law requiring the most environmentally-impactful leaks to be addressed first. After developing a method to measure environmental impact through the Large Volume Leak Study, HEET worked with community members and the largest utility companies in Massachusetts to plan a path forward to stop the most methane-producing leaks first. Who are Audrey Schulman and Zeyneb Magavi?Audrey Schulman is the co-executive director of HEET, which she co-founded in 2008. She spearheaded the public mapping of utility-reported gas leaks as well as the Large Volume Leaks Study, and has worked to implement the GeoGrid Micro Districts, several of which have been installed in New York and Massachusetts. She is also the author of six novels, which have won several awards including the Philip K. Dick Award 2019, and have been translated into twelve languages. Zeyneb Magavi is the co-executive director of HEET. Zeyneb designed the Geo Micro District to make buildings energy efficient in a scalable way. Six Geo Grid installations have been funded, mainly by gas utility companies, and she has started an independent research group to optimize the transition from gas to Geo Micro Districts. She studied physics at Brown University and global health and sustainability at Harvard, where she is now guest faculty at the School of Public Health. Zeyneb previously worked in the public health field, bringing technological solutions to public health problems in the developing world. She has also been part of two start-up launches.HEET: Networked GeothermalWashington Post: What is a heat pump, and should I get one?Department of Energy: Heat Pump SystemsCLEE Policy Report: Hot, Cold, and Clean: Policy Solutions to Promote Equitable and Affordable Adoption of Heat Pump Retrofits in Existing BuildingsFor a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-groundwater-to-heat-and-cool-buildings-with-heet/

Three Birds with One Stone: Addressing Three Environmental ProblemsPolybion’s fabric technology addresses three major environmental problems: livestock, food waste, and plastic by replacing leather and plastic with fabric derived from food waste. Because the leather industry is so large, it helps drive cattle production separately from demand for meat. Deforestation due to industrial agriculture land use (which includes land for cattle and land for the crops cattle eat) contributes significantly to climate change and biodiversity loss; a 2018 study found that about 12.4 million acres of forest — the equivalent of more than five Yellowstone National Parks — are cut down each year to clear land for industrial agriculture. Much of this land is for cattle grazing and feed; cows are ruminants, and require greater amounts of nutrients compared to other animals like pigs and chickens. In addition, cow belching famously emits methane, a very potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Food waste is not just a waste of food; it also is a waste of resources used to make and transport food such as energy (including non-renewable energy), water, and land. Rotting food in landfills also emits large amounts of methane into the atmosphere. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, if global food waste were a country, it would have the third-biggest carbon footprint after the US and China. Finally, plastic trash pollution harms wildlife and humans, and plastics contribute greenhouse gas emissions as they break down. Sunlight and heat cause plastic to release methane and ethylene – and at increasing rates as plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. Polybion’s “Celium” is a SolutionA startup called Polybion makes a new kind of leather designed to address these issues. Polybion feeds food waste to bacteria, and this bacteria produces cellulose, the base material for this new leather (what Polybion calls “Celium”). Derived from living matter, cellulose is an organic and biodegradable material, unlike the plastic from which most faux leather is derived. Polybion does not use livestock for its product. Rather, it puts food waste to use, and can compete as a plastic-free alternative to other faux leather products. Polybion states that Celium is a “...versatile textile with endless design possibilities, it can be customized by color, graining, embossing, and water resistance—all while preserving its exceptional strength”. Celium is further advertised as the next eco-friendly generation of luxury leather: “Due to its biological nature, each piece of Celium™ is unique and distinct as a fingerprint, lending it the hallmark of luxury”. Whether the marketplace agrees remains to be seen.Who is Axel Gómez-Ortigoza?Axel Gómez-Ortigoza is CEO and CTO of Polybion. He co-founded Polybion with his brother Alexis Gómez-Ortigoza along with Bárbara González-Rolón. Axel was included in MIT Technology Review’s “Innovators under 35” in 2018. He is originally from Mexico. Learn More: Polybion Completes Development of World's First Bacterial Cellulose Biomanufacturing FacilityPolybion: The Future of BiomaterialsIs vegan leather worse for the environment than real leather?Food waste creates more greenhouse gases than the airline industry - The Washington Post For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/transforming-food-waste-into-vegan-leather-with-polybions-axel-gomez-ortigoza/

At the time of recording, Indigenized Indigenous Energy Initiative was named Indigenous Indigenized Energy Initiative.Indigenous Energy Initiative:Indigenous Energy Initiative (IEI) is a native-led non-profit and Earth Island Institute-sponsored project that is developing solar infrastructure within tribal communities. Native communities disproportionately lack access and pay higher costs for utilities, especially electricity, which significantly impacts access and opportunities for remote work, education, and more. In 2014, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that 14% of native households lack access to electricity, which is ten times the national average. IEI is working to increase indigenous energy ownership and access to help address the social, economic, and environmental injustices that burden native communities. IEI's focus is on building energy independence as a way to support indigenous communities and eradicate energy poverty. IEI is currently working within the Northern Cheyenne Reservation community in Montana to guide the reservation’s $4.1 million solar initiative. IEI’s first project was Muddy Hill Microgrid which was a small solar system to support a multi-use community center, fire station, and water filtration system on the reservation. The project was built by tribal members who received solar training through IEI. In 2021, IEI worked on a residential project for elders in the Standing Rock Reservation. Another project IEI is currently working on is the White River Community solar project which is developing residential solar for specific tribal elders and commercial solar for several schools. The Department of Energy is providing $3.2 million of funding for the project and the reservation, and IEI must match twenty percent of this funding. Chéri Smith:Chéri Smith is the founder and CEO of the IEI. Smith is the descendent of the Mi'kmaq tribe of Maine/Canadian maritime and her mission is to use her expertise in climate change and economics to educate, build solar capacity and bring independence to indigenous communities. Smith has two decades of experience in energy and environmental sustainability in multiple sectors from the public, private, NGOs, higher education, consulting, and tribal communities. Before IEI, Smith worked as a coordinator at Tesla-SolarCity, Director of Education and Outreach at the American Council on Renewable Energy, she served as an advisory board member for Masters in Renewable Energy program at Pennsylvania State University, worked as an advisor at the Yale School of Business and the Environment, and worked on Core Education Advisory Committee for SEIA’s Solar Power International. Additionally, Smith founded and was the Executive Director of the nonprofit Solar Campus Initiative and there worked as Climate Leader trained by Al Gore. Smith also was awarded the Cordes Fellowship for recognition for developing solar projects for native communities. Through her work at IEI, Smith works to honor her native heritage and use energy knowledge to make native communities more resilient, independent, and sustainable sovereignties. Sources:https://indigenous-energy.orghttps://cbey.yale.edu/our-community/cheri-a-smithhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/12/native-americans-energy-inequality-electricityhttps://rmi.org/blog_2014_06_24_native_energy_rural_electrification_on_tribal_lands/#:~:text=The%20Energy%20Information%20Administration%20estimates,far%20from%20a%20utility%20grid.https://www.powermag.com/did-you-know-there-are-60000-u-s-citizens-who-lack-access-to-electricity/https://www.scalemicrogridsolutions.com/blog/americas-energy-transition-must-include-tribal-lands For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/rebroadcast-building-tribal-communities-energy-independence-with-indigenous-energy-initiative/

What is mechanical textile recycling?Mechanical textile recycling is a process by which used textiles, particularly those made with natural fibers such as cotton, wool, and linen, are broken down into their individual fibers and then spun into yarn or fabric for reuse in the production of new textiles. Textile recycling has the potential to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions associated with textile production. Mechanical textile recycling involves a series of steps: It typically begins with the collection of used textiles, which are sorted according to their fiber type and quality. Next, the textiles are cleaned and processed to remove impurities and contaminants such as buttons, zippers, and other non-textile materials. Once the textiles have been cleaned and prepared, they are typically shredded or ground into small pieces. These pieces are then subjected to a series of mechanical processes—such as carding, combing, and drawing—to separate the fibers from one another. The resulting fibers are then spun into new yarn or woven into new fabric. The new yarn or fabric can be used in a variety of products, such as clothing, linens, and industrial products, such as building insulation. Mechanical textile recycling could reduce demand for new clothing and other textiles, which could reduce the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. The global fashion industry is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions: In 2018, it produced around 2.1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equaling between 4% and 10% of the global total—equal to or greater than the annual greenhouse gas emissions of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom combined. About 70% of these emissions came from upstream activities such as textile production, preparation, and processing. The remaining emissions came from downstream activities, including the disposal of textiles in landfills, where they release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as they decompose. Mechanical textile recycling is a relatively new technology that faces certain technical and economic challenges, including limited ability to recycle synthetic fibers or fiber blends, and a lack of textile recycling infrastructure. For now, according to CalRecycle, the best way to reduce the environmental impact of textiles is “by reducing the amount of textiles we purchase, use, and dispose.” What does Material Return do, and who is Bobby Carswell?Material Return is a textile recycling cooperative based in Morgantown, North Carolina, that works with local manufacturers and national brands to transform textile waste into new products. Material Return recently partnered with Smartwool, an American clothing producer, to collect 400,000 pairs of used socks to recycle them into yarn for use in new socks and other circular clothing products. Bobby Carswell is the research and development director at Material Return. Sources:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8588244/https://calrecycle.ca.gov/reducewaste/textiles/https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fmw8Ap7JAI0frmoXiZKR3_qeB1gWxDGp/viewhttps://textileexchange.org/climate+-dashboard/https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/retail/our%20insights/fashion%20on%20climate/fashion-on-climate-full-report.pdfhttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-12/fast-fashion-turning-parts-ghana-into-toxic-landfill/100358702https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/30/style/clothing-recycling.htmlhttps://www.thematerialreturn.com/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2022/05/12/400000-pairs-of-old-socks-will-be-spun-turned-into-recycled-yarn-by-material-return-smartwool-project/?sh=4ca5c2f95e9dhttps://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20201208STO93327/the-impact-of-textile-production-and-waste-on-the-environment-infographic#:~:text=Textile%20production%20is%20estimated%20to,into%20the%20ocean%20a%20year. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/bringing-local-textile-recyling-to-the-us-with-material-returns-bobby-carswell/

What is CRISPR?DNA contains the fundamental information about an organism, and is used as an instruction manual to guide organism structure and function. Until CRISPR (short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology was developed by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, editing DNA sequences was very difficult. Here’s the short version of the CRISPR process. First, a CRISPR enzyme is guided by an RNA strand to a DNA strand researchers want to edit. The RNA strand guides the enzyme to a specific point, and the enzyme cuts the DNA molecule. This CRISPR process can be used to eliminate DNA strands, as well as to replace DNA strands using other “repair” enzymes. It is a direct way for human beings to alter the planet’s biological blueprint, and, accordingly, its impact can be a strong force for change, positive or negative. How can CRISPR be used to fight climate change?CRISPR can be used to edit the genetic sequences of plants so that they capture more carbon during photosynthesis, and store it in the ground long-term. Since around a third of the Earth’s land is cropland, CRISPR-modified agriculture could potentially sequester billions of tons of carbon each year. Professor Kris Niyogi at UC Berkeley studies how CRISPR can be used to increase the efficiency of sunlight utilization in plants during photosynthesis. Photosynthesis captures carbon dioxide, and requires sunlight to do so. By not letting any sunlight go to waste, the plant can capture more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. CRISPR can also be used to create plants with deeper roots, enabling carbon to be stored deeper in the ground. UC Berkeley Professor Peggy Lamaux studies sorghum plants, searching for the genes responsible for sorghum’s deep roots. Related genes in rice and wheat could be altered to have deeper roots, like the sorghum plant. And UC Berkeley Professor Jill Banfield studies how plant-microbe interactions can be altered by CRISPR to store more carbon in soil. Soil microbes secrete sticky biopolymers, which can take soil humic substances and lock them with minerals to create long-lasting associations (potentially up to 100 years) that hold carbon. The Banfield lab aims to CRISPR-modify plants so that they chemically “talk” to microbes, emitting chemicals that encourage the microbes to create more “sticky” carbon, rather than carbon that would be emitted into the atmosphere. Who is Kris Niyogi?Kris Niyogi is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, a professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a faculty scientist in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The Niyogi Lab studies photosynthetic energy conversion and its regulation in algae and plants. The lab's long-term research goals are to understand how photosynthesis operates, how it is regulated, and how it might be improved to help meet the world's needs for food and fuel. Dr. Niyogi earned his biology PhD from MIT. Further ReadingIn 10 years, CRISPR transformed medicine. Can it now help us deal with climate change? | University of CaliforniaThis scientist thinks she has the key to curb climate change: super plantsSupercharging Plants and Soils to Remove Carbon from the AtmosphereCRISPR-Cas Can Help Reduce Climate ChangeCan we hack DNA in plants to help fight climate change? For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-crispr-to-fight-climate-change-with-professor-kris-niyogi/

What are carbon registries? Carbon registries work with companies, organizations, and government agencies to identify, measure, and report their greenhouse gas emissions. The data can be used to support emission reduction efforts by these entities, both voluntary reductions or those required by regulation. Carbon registry data can also be used to identify entities with high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon registries enable members to identify specific emissions reduction opportunities, save on fuel and energy costs through increased efficiency, and comply with current or anticipated regulations. In addition, making carbon registry data transparent can demonstrate public accountability and climate leadership. But, unless there are legal obligations to report emissions, reporting is voluntary, likely missing major emitters. And data does not necessarily mean action; data collection and transparency can be a form of “greenwashing” when not followed by constructive action. What is The Climate Registry?The Climate Registry (TCR) is a non-profit organization that provides tools for North American companies, government agencies, non-profits, and universities to more fully understand their GHG emissions. TCR tracks the sources of members’ greenhouse gas emissions and tabulates how many tons of each greenhouse gas they emit. With this information, packaged for laypeople and easily accessible, members can better understand how they might reduce these emissions. In addition, TCR ranks organizations by awarding “all-star”, “platinum” and “gold” rankings, based on an evaluation of their commitment to emission reduction. TCR is advised by a Council of Jurisdictions including representatives from diverse U.S. states, Native nations, and Canadian provinces and territories. It began as the California Climate Action Registry (CCAR), developed by the state of California to help businesses track their emissions. Recognizing that climate change is a threat that ignores borders, TCR expanded to include the entirety of North America. This broader jurisdiction provides a way to see and compare data from hundreds of organizations in one place, with the same reporting protocols and data-collection methods employed. In addition to a carbon registry, TCR maintains a separate water-energy nexus registry. Who is Dan Krekelberg?Dan Krekelberg is policy director at The Climate Registry. He has over a decade of experience leading the development of programs working to improve the sustainability of communities and organizations. He oversees accounting, reporting, and verification initiatives at The Climate Registry, as well as programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Learn MoreTCR 2021 Impact ReportThe Climate Registry - Protocols8 Best GHG Registries Approved For Offsetting Carbon EmissionsThe Climate Registry - The Net-Zero Portal For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-carbon-emissions-registries-to-reduce-emissions-with-dan-krekelberg/

What is electric vehicle (EV) retrofitting and why does it matter? ‘EV retrofitting’ refers to the process of converting a gas-powered vehicle into an electric vehicle by replacing its gas engine with a battery pack. The battery pack is designed to fit within the vehicle’s chassis—the structural frame to which its wheels, suspension, engine, and other components are attached. Typically, the battery pack fits in the space previously occupied by the gas engine and fuel tank; the available space generally varies by vehicle make and model. The battery’s size and weight depend on the vehicle being retrofitted, as well as the desired range and performance. Despite these constraints, mass-producing battery packs for retrofitting a specific type of vehicle chassis with an electric powertrain is possible. Using a standard-sized battery allows for high-volume retrofits of vehicles with a compatible chassis, which can lower costs and reduce the time required for the retrofit process. Policies promoting the adoption of new EVs, such as California’s Advanced Clean Cars II, can help increase the number of new EVs on the road. However, they do not address the existing vehicle fleet of gas-powered vehicles that continue to emit greenhouse gases and air pollutants. On average, these vehicles stay on the road for about 12 years in the US, and may be used even longer in low and middle income countries. Gas powered vehicles’ slow replacement rate delays the increase in the percentage of EVs on the road. Retrofitting’s supporters say a comprehensive approach to electrifying transportation that includes strategies for retrofitting existing gas-powered vehicles can help address the lag, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the upfront cost of new EVs present a larger barrier to adoption. What does EV Shift do, and who is Aly El Tayeb? EV Shift is an Egypt-based company that specializes in retrofitting commercial fleets with electric powertrains. It focuses on vehicles that travel relatively short and predictable routes and return to a home base at night for charging. To make electric transportation more accessible and feasible in middle-income and emerging economies, such as Egypt, the company has adopted a strategy of retrofitting the most popular vehicle models already on the road. Dr. El Tayeb, the co-founder and CEO of EV Shift, is a chemical engineer with previous experience at a battery startup in the United States. He founded the company in response to the lack of accessible EV options in middle-income and emerging economies, such as Egypt. Sources:https://afdc.energy.gov/files/u/publication/afv_conversions_retrofits_repowers.pdf%5Chttps://www.oecd-forum.org/posts/retrofitting-a-frugal-circular-and-inclusive-solution-to-decarbonize-our-vehicle-fleethttps://www.forbes.com/sites/neilwinton/2022/01/20/electric-cars-are-too-expensive-for-many-but-retrofitting-could-be-the-answer/?sh=5e81247e7583 For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/electric-vehicle-retrofitting-with-dr-aly-el-tayeb/

Advanced Clean Car II RuleThe Advanced Clean Car II proposal requires that all new passenger vehicles, trucks, and SUVs sold in California be zero emissions by 2035. The rule will begin with 2026 through 2035 vehicle models and will also require more aggressive tailpipe emission standards for gasoline vehicles. The proposal has two parts: first, it amends the low-emission vehicle regulation, which enact stricter standards on gasoline cars and trucks to reduce smog emissions. Second, the rule relies on advancing zero-emission technologies for hydrogen fuel cell electric, battery-electric, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Today, California has the largest zero-emission vehicle market in the country, and more than 16% of all new vehicles sold in the state are currently zero-emission or hybrid cars. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimates that by 2025 there will be 179 models of zero-emission and plug-in-hybrid cars.CARB believes that this proposal will reduce air pollutants, protect public health and fight climate change. CARB estimated the public health benefits of this regulation will be at least $12 billion by 2035, and will reduce premature death, hospitalizations, and lost work days from exposure to harmful air pollutants. CARB also anticipates that the rule will help meet environmental justice goals by reducing impacts on disadvantaged, poor, and marginalized communities which disproportionately bear the burden of exposure to some of the worst air and vehicular pollution in the state. A study by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that in California, African Americans and Latinos breathe in 40% more particulate matter from vehicular air pollution compared to white communities. The transportation sector is also responsible for 50% of California's greenhouse gas emissions and 80% of the state’s smog-causing pollutants. By increasing the number of zero-emission vehicles and cleaning up conventional internal combustion vehicles, these regulations could help reduce the exposure and harm faced by these vulnerable communities. The proposal also includes vehicle assurance measures, including setting a minimum warranty, durability requirements, increasing serviceability, and facilitating battery charging. These assurance measures aim to broaden the electric vehicle market. The rule also seeks to broaden access to the zero-emission market by providing reduced-price vehicles for community mobility programs, supporting the production of affordable vehicles, and retaining used electric vehicles in California. In addition, CARB is providing $2.4 billion of incentives for consumers to switch to electric vehicles and other forms of clean transportation. These funds will cover the costs of more charging infrastructure and increased public outreach. This proposal also faces criticism due to some of the innate challenges with electric vehicles. One concern is the driving range of electric vehicles as the average zero-emission car in California is only capable of traveling 150 miles without a recharge, which will create a demand for hundreds of new charging stations across the state, although range is expanding rapidly. Affordability and equitable access are also a critique as the average zero-emission vehicle costs $30,000 and the used electric vehicle market is limited. The increased demand on California’s electric grid is also a challenge as the state is already struggling to meet current electricity demands as it phases out gas-fired generators. Electric vehicles, and particularly the materials in their batteries, also pose many environmental and human rights concerns. Increased demand for electric vehicles has dramatically increased the mining of raw earth elements such as cobalt and lithium. Mining these elements can produce hazardous waste that can leach into the environment and lead to toxic exposure for nearby communities. Many of these minerals are also found in developing countries, where corruption and lack of environmental regulations continue to exacerbate the negative impacts of the mining needed to produce zero-emission vehicles.Despite these challenges, California’s new proposal is setting the standard for national adoption of zero-emission vehicles. Seventeen states have adopted part or all of California's low and zero-emission regulations. By setting the most stringent emission standards in the country, California regulations are forcing auto manufacturers to change their production to comply with California law. As auto manufacturers not only produce specific vehicles for California, they are greening the vehicle market across the country. As a result, CARB estimates that more than 35% of the nation's new light-duty vehicles will meet California emission standards. Dr. Steve CliffDr. Steve Cliff is the Executive Officer of the California Air and Resource Board (CARB). Cliff began his appointment in the Summer of 2022 and works with the board to enact programs to reduce air and climat

Land Use ChangesOne solution to reduce vehicle usage, and in turn, carbon emissions are land use changes. Changing cities' relationship with land use can reduce dependence on cars, minimize energy consumption, improve air quality and create healthier communities. Sustainable cities of the future must be designed for residents to have more opportunities for biking, walking, and other clean transit alternatives. Massive steps such as changing zoning codes, and redesigning cities and infrastructure are needed to reduce reliance on individual passenger vehicles. The California Air Resource Board (CARB) is currently researching the impacts of land use and transportation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution exposure, and improve equality and health. Some solutions CARB identifies are restricting oil and gas wells within 300 feet of residential and commercial zones, requiring public projects to reduce emissions from construction sites, developing sustainable communities with greater opportunities for clean transit, and developing vegetative barriers near-roadways. The design of suburban America and single-family homes has created a society heavily reliant on cars, and this problem is very evident in California with notorious traffic congestion and smog. In 2008, in attempts to improve land use, fight climate change, reduce vehicle dependence and the urban sprawl phenomena California passed Senate Bill 375 which “requires that each metropolitan planning organization (MPO) develop a Sustainable Community Strategies to illustrate how integrated land use, transportation, and housing planning will achieve regional greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.” The goal of this legislation was to support housing and transportation projects that wouldn’t require individuals to drive as much, and in turn, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, over a decade later this legislation has not achieved those objectives and the state remains just as sprawling and car-dominated as before. A 2018 report from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) found that statewide passenger vehicle emissions have increased per capita since passing Bill 375. California’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions comes from the transportation sector, and emissions from this sector have continued to rise despite the state's aim to reduce per capita passenger vehicle carbon emissions by 18% by 2035. One reason for the failure of this legislation is that the bill provided no real requirements or penalties for cities and counties that fail to follow their region’s plan. One example of sustainable land use changes is Barcelona's “superblocks” which are walkable public spaces in clusters of nine city blocks, three-by,-three. Traffic is routed around the perimeter of these clusters and streets become shared public spaces. The superblocks have reduced traffic noise, and pollution and led to more sociable, walkable, and sustainable street life. Other cities such as Oslo, Madrid, and London have banned cars from city centers. Montreal and Bogota have regulated car-free days and car-free corridors. These land use changes are critical, as is estimated urban areas and cities contain only over 1-4% of Earth’s land but contain over 56% of the world’s population and nearly 95% of California’s population. In the coming decades, it is estimated the urban population will increase to 68% by 2050. This growth in urbanization raises the need for sustainable city planning and changes in land use, to accommodate growing populations while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions. Concerns of equity and gentrification are important to prioritize in redesigning cities as well. Land use changes to design human-scaled cities, instead of car-scaled ones, are the future of sustainable city planning and are key in reducing individual passenger vehicle emissions.Steve CliffDr. Steve Cliff is the Executive Officer of the California Air and Resource Board (CARB). Cliff began his appointment in the Summer of 2022 and works with the board to enact programs to reduce air and climate pollution within the state. In his role, Cliff oversees over 1,800 employees and a budget of $2.7 billion. Before serving as Executive Officer Cliff worked as the 16th Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and was appointed by President Biden in January 2021. At NHTSA Cliff oversaw the nation’s vehicle safety agency, where he helped advance vehicle technologies and established fuel economy regulations. Dr. Cliff also has an extensive history working with CARB as he first joined as an Air Pollution Specialist in 2008, served as Deputy Executive Officer overseeing the board’s climate program, and was appointed by Governor Brown in 2016 as senior advisor to CARB’s Chair. Governor Brown also appointed Dr. Cliff as Assistant Director for Sustainability to the California Department of Transportation, where he served in this role from 2014 to 2016

California is the first state to ban the sale of new gas furnaces and water heaters, which will begin in 2030. In efforts to fight climate change, all homes will be required to use zero-emission electric appliance alternatives. The Sierra Club and American Lung Association have supported this move to reduce the building sector’s carbon footprint and improve public health. The building sector accounts for 5% of California's nitrogen-oxide pollution, a key component in producing smog. The California Air and Resource Board (CARB) reports that nearly 90% of these nitrogen-oxide emissions come from space and water heaters. A report from SPUR, San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association, found “as appliances in California homes and buildings generate four times as much lung-damaging nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution as the state's gas power plants, and roughly two-thirds as much NOx as all of the state’s passenger cars.” This ban was passed to meet EPA regulations limiting atmospheric ozone and fighting air pollution, and it also follows Biden’s Climate Plan calling for the switch from residential gas to electric appliances. Natural Gas Inside the Home:Switching to electric appliances can also have indoor air pollution benefits. Gas cook stoves emit natural gas and indoor air pollutants that can be harmful to those with asthma and chronic pulmonary disease as these stoves are typically unvented. The most common pollutants from gas cook stoves are nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde, and the EPA warns that nitrogen dioxide emissions can be toxic even in low concentrations. While electric appliance alternatives like electric cook stoves and heat pumps emit no onsite air pollution. Costs and Burdens:The costs of upgrading electrical services also raises many equity concerns for vulnerable communities, as low-income customers and renters are predicted to face the largest costs. Environmental retrofits to upgrade water heaters and furnaces can lead to increased electricity costs, as natural gas is a cheaper but dirtier source of energy. There is also a long road ahead, as according to the Energy Information Administration in 2020, only “26% of U.S. households use electricity as the only source of energy.” Concerns with changing electricity loads and how this will impact homes that rely on solar panels or have other energy-intensive needs such as electrical vehicles must also be considered. Hefty costs are also associated with these retrofits as one study estimated equipment and installation costs for “electric air-source heat pumps cost around $6,800, though there is also a $5,900 adder for heat pumps in cold climates. A gas furnace was estimated to cost less than $4,000.” Despite these costs, a report from CLASP and Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) found that the U.S could “reduce national heating bills by $13.6 billion and cut annual CO2 emissions by 67 MT, the equivalent of removing 14.4 million passenger cars for an entire year, by swapping air conditioners for heat pumps.” There are numerous benefits for the planet and individuals that can afford to upgrade to electric appliances, but the inequitable burdens on low-income populations of this new ban must also be addressed.Steve CliffDr. Steve Cliff is the Executive Officer of the California Air and Resource Board (CARB). Cliff began his appointment in the Summer of 2022 and works with the board to enact programs to reduce air and climate pollution within the state. In his role, Cliff oversees over 1,800 employees and a budget of $2.7 billion. Before serving as Executive Officer Cliff worked as the 16th Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and was appointed by President Biden in January 2021. At NHTSA Cliff oversaw the nation’s vehicle safety agency, where he helped advance vehicle technologies and established fuel economy regulations. Dr. Cliff also has an extensive history working with CARB as he first joined as an Air Pollution Specialist in 2008, served as Deputy Executive Officer overseeing the board’s climate program, and was appointed by Governor Brown in 2016 as senior advisor to CARB’s Chair. Governor Brown also appointed Dr. Cliff as Assistant Director for Sustainability to the California Department of Transportation, where he served in this role from 2014 to 2016. Dr. Steve Cliff received his bachelor's and a doctorate in chemistry from the University of California, San Diego. He also has a postdoc on atmospheric sciences from the University of California, Davis. For over two decades Cliff has worked closely with UC Davis, he worked as a research professor in the Department of Applied Sciences, has supported air quality and climate research programs, and is affiliated with the school’s Air Quality Research. Sources:https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/about/leadership/hon-steven-s-cliffhttps://www.npr.org/2022/09/23/1124511549/california-plans-to-phase-out-new-gas-heaters-by-2030https://www.spu

California Air Resources Board: Zero-Emission Trucking GoalsThe California Air Resources Board (CARB) is the agency responsible for reducing California’s climate-changing emissions and accelerating the transition away from combustion powered vehicles. This includes promoting the manufacturing and sale of zero-emission trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles. CARB’s goals for zero-emission trucks in California include (1) 100% of new zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, (2) a full transition to zero-emission vehicle drayage trucks by 2035, and (3) a full transition to zero-emission vehicle buses and heavy-duty long-haul trucks by 2045, where feasible. What is CARB Doing to Meet These Goals?CARB is working to meet these goals through financial incentives, infrastructure development, regulations, collaboration with partners in government and industry, and information dissemination about zero-emissions trucking. Financial incentives include point-of-sale discounts on zero-emission trucks and buses, credits for lower-carbon-intensity fuels, incentives for building charging stations, loan assistance for buying zero-emission trucks, and more. Advanced Clean Trucks RegulationIn California, the transportation sector is responsible for about 50% of greenhouse gas emissions and a major source of air pollution. Trucks are a potent mobile source of emissions, contributing to about 70% of smog pollution and 80% of carcinogenic diesel pollution. CARB regulations aim to accelerate the zero-emissions truck market as an essential part of achieving California’s goals of reducing emissions to fight climate change and improve clean air standards. This includes the Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation, a manufacturers zero-emissions vehicle sales requirement and one time reporting requirement for large entities and fleets. The goal of the Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation is to accelerate the transition of medium and heavy duty zero-emission vehicles. Who is Steve Cliff?Dr. Steve Cliff is the Executive Officer of the California Air and Resource Board (CARB). Cliff began his appointment in the Summer of 2022 and works with the board to enact programs to reduce air and climate pollution within the state. In his role, Cliff oversees over 1,800 employees and a budget of $2.7 billion. Before serving as Executive Officer Cliff worked as the 16th Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and was appointed by President Biden in January 2021. Dr. Steve Cliff received his bachelor's and a doctorate in chemistry from the University of California, San Diego. He also has a postdoc on atmospheric sciences from the University of California, Davis. For over two decades Cliff has worked closely with UC Davis, he worked as a research professor in the Department of Applied Sciences, has supported air quality and climate research programs, and is affiliated with the school’s Air Quality Research. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/californias-plan-to-decarbonize-trucks-with-dr-steve-cliff/

The Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero Program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a world with zero-emission commercial vehicles. The Clean Energy Ministerial, a global forum to advance clean technology and policy, and CALSTART, a clean transportation non-profit, started the campaign. By 2025 the program hopes to achieve commercially competitive zero-emission technology and for this technology to be dominant by 2040. Drive to Zero’s mission utilizes a ‘Beachhead Strategy’ that works to target current commercial electrification markets, then from there drive growth in other regions. This beachhead strategy was developed in conjunction with CALSTART and the California Air and Resource Board (CARB) and has been incorporated into CARB’s three-year investment strategy plan. The program also works to connect with cities, national and regional government agencies, manufacturers, fleets, fuel/energy suppliers, and other organizations that support early markets for zero-emission commercial vehicles.Drive to Zero goals for the next five years are to identify best practices, eliminate barriers, and share information among stakeholders to achieve success in their initial beachhead markets in China, India, Mexico, South America, Canada, the European Union, and the United States. The program plans to hold an annual global meeting to ensure all parties are working together to achieve their common goal set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. By supporting participants, coordinating activities, and sharing strategies and best practices Drive to Zero is working as an intermediary to support the growth of zero-emission commercial vehicles worldwide. CALSTART:CALSTART is a nonprofit that works to develop clean, efficient transportation solutions. The organization, founded in 1992 and headquartered in Pasadena, California, works with governments and businesses across the globe to connect their clients with the clean energy sector. Their mission is to create a high-tech clean-transportation industry that will create jobs and fight climate change. CALSTART works with technology firms, transit operations, vehicle manufacturers, research institutions, and more to customize services, information, and programming to work towards sustainable transportation solutions. CALSTART focuses on the demonstration and development of new clean technologies, market acceleration, policy work, assessment, validation, and member support to help grow the zero-emission transportation sector. The organization's goals are to reduce barriers and promote innovation and progress in clean transportation technologies to accelerate the green transportation sector. The nonprofit specializes in four sectors: cars, trucks, buses, and fuels to promote economic and environmental improvement.Christiano Facanha:Christiano Facanha is a transportation and environmental engineer who leads CALSTART’s Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero program. With over fifteen years of experience in the transportation sector and expertise in the design, modeling, and evaluation of transportation emissions strategies and reduction, Facanha’s mission is to reduce climate change by cleaning up air pollution in the transportation sector. Fancha holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, an MS in Transportation Management from the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, and a BS in Industrial Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Before working as Global Director at CALSTART, Cristiano led clean transportation activities related to sustainable freight, Brazil, and emission inventory tools at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).Sources: https://calstart.org/cristiano-facanha/https://globaldrivetozero.org/about/program/https://calstart.org/about/https://globaldrivetozero.org/about/pledge/For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/how-to-think-about-the-transition-to-zero-emission-commercial-vehicles-with-calstarts-cristiano-facanha/

What is Mobycon?Mobycon is a sustainable mobility consultancy based in the Netherlands with offices in Canada and the United States. For the past three decades, they’ve drawn from the Netherlands’ experience improving biking and walking access to help city planners and government agencies plan safe and sustainable mobility networks. Their guiding philosophy emphasizes the importance of understanding how people move, what routes they take, and traffic behavior. In an effort to make cities safer for bikes and pedestrians, Mobycon helps their clients commit to serious economic and policy efforts that challenge car-centered city design by providing them with various services and tools to facilitate new forms of urban mobility. For example, their interactive mobility workshops and education programs have trained a wide range of local stakeholders, city planners, engineers, and even school children. Tools such as Star Analysis, an approach to bicycle network planning, and Streetsketch, Mobycon’s free street design tool, embody Dutch design principles that can be locally adapted in municipalities around the world. Mobycon is a leading example of how partnerships between governments and the private sector can advance sustainable solutions to transportation and urban planning challenges.The Dutch Sustainable Mobility ModelDutch models of mobility address fundamental challenges to automobile centered urban planning and street safety. The Dutch model focuses on returning streets to public spaces for vulnerable road users like bicyclists and pedestrians, also known as the “shared space” concept. The Dutch approach emphasizes network-based planning that ensures safety for all road users and assesses existing city infrastructure in local contexts. The successful transition towards shared mobility in the Netherlands can be accredited to the vast amount of research, funding, design efforts, and political will that has gone into crafting the Dutch approach.COP27 and Sustainable TransportationThe transportation sector is responsible for approximately one quarter of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. While zero emission vehicles will play a role in decarbonisation, other ways of getting around, like biking, are also critical . Nout says in many countries, designing cities in a way that makes biking and walking safe and convenient will require a whole new way of thinking about city planning and traffic engineering, but training for these specialities is often expensive and inaccessible. Mobycon is a member of the Transportation Decarbonisation Alliance (TDA), an international coalition that seeks to accelerate the transportation sector towards a net-zero emissions mobility system. The TDA’s Call to Action on Active Mobility, which they’ve brought to this year's COP27 discussions, hopes to change that. It asks global leaders to commit additional funding to train planners and engineers in sustainable mobility design. Nout says this support will help remove the current bottleneck in sustainable infrastructure investment – the skilled professionals to make transportation decarbonisation goals reality.Lennart NoutLennart Nout is an urban mobility specialist who serves as the Manager of International Strategy at Mobycon. His work includes training and capacity building, as well as developing strategic projects and urban mobility plans in Europe and North America. With a specialized interest in bike mobility, Nout’s projects are mainly focused on design, policy, consultation, and guidelines for cycling in cities around the world. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/designing-cities-for-a-car-optional-future-with-mobycons-lennart-nout/

For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/what-can-californias-experience-tackling-climate-change-teach-the-federal-government-with-richard-corey/

For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/building-tribal-communities-energy-independence-with-indigenized-energy-initiative/

What is Carbon MineralizationCarbon mineralization is a naturally occurring chemical process that occurs when carbon dioxide becomes “mineralized” through a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction occurs when certain rocks, most often in deep underground igneous and metamorphic formations, are exposed to carbon dioxide. Carbon mineralization holds greater amounts of carbon than carbon storage in sedimentary reservoirs, as the chemical reactions in carbon mineralization create new carbonate minerals like calcium carbonate.Carbon mineralization is potentially an important solution for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide, as the mineralized carbon cannot escape to the atmosphere, so serves as long-term carbon storage. This process can be artificially sped up to sequester greater amounts of atmospheric carbon and prevent atmospheric warming. Mine waste and industrial sites also hold potential for fast carbon mineralization as crushed rocks can be more easily used for mineralization and at lower cost than injecting underground rocks. Surface carbon mineralization can also help mitigate onsite carbon emissions by reducing energy usage.Carbon mineralization is not without risks, including the potential to trigger earthquakes or change the pressure profiles of rock formations. Current methods also require significant water use. In the United States, the Pacific Northwest holds the greatest potential as it is abundant in basalt rocks. States such as Minnesota,Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, and Hawaii hold potential for deep underground infections. Crushed rock and mine sites all across the country also have the potential for carbon mineralization. Why Concrete is AttractiveUnlike other methods of carbon mineralization, storing carbon in concrete can serve a dual purpose by also reducing the emissions associated with the concrete and cement industries. Currently, the cement industry emits approximately eight percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. It also comes with less potential to disrupt rock formations.For guest Dr. Erica Dodds, who sees financeability as key to the success of any carbon removal technology, the concrete industry’s size is an advantage, because companies bundling carbon removal with concrete can profit from an existing market with plenty of demand. Dodds says that state and local governments can go a long way towards supporting these approaches by establishing procurement plans that require government infrastructure projects to source concrete from carbon removing producers.Foundation for Climate Restoration The Foundation for Climate Restoration (F4CR) is a non-profit organization that works to restore Earth’s climate to pre-industrial levels. The organization's philosophy is to restore our atmosphere primarily through carbon removal to protect our planet for future generations. To fulfill this mission, F4CR works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while simultaneously building capacity for carbon dioxide removal. F4CR aims to remove 1,000 gigatons (Gt) of carbon by 2050, as “the IPCC recognizes that we will need 100-1,000 gigatons (Gt) of carbon removal by the end of the century just to meet 1.5 degree C warming goals.”Dr. Erica DoddsDr. Erica Dodds serves as the Chief Operating Office at F4CR and is committed to climate activism and poverty reduction. Dodds believes that today’s climate youth activists are the key to the fight against climate change and restoring a safe and healthy world. She holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Evaluation, an M.A. in International Development Administration, and has experience working with NGOs across the world along with the Evaluation Office of the International Labor Organization in Geneva. SourcesAbout - Foundation For Climate RestorationMaking Minerals - How Growing Rocks Can Help Reduce Carbon EmissionsCarbonCure For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-concrete-for-carbon-removal-with-dr-erica-dodds/

Climate Change and the Law of the SeaSea level rise due to climate change will directly impact at least 70 countries, many of them small, low-lying island nations. Though their contribution to climate change is very little, they face some of its worst consequences. This is not a new issue, and tension has been building since the late 1980s. In 1989, the Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, issued an international declaration, the first of its kind, calling attention to sea level rise due to climate change, and how it impacts its land. Island states often have small land area, but, under international law, have jurisdiction over a larger area of their surrounding seas for economic purposes. What if an island loses territory due to sea level rise? If so, it could lose its economic zone. This is also a national security question; could another nation then legally take over this economic zone? Currently, the international law framework, called the Law of the Sea, does not answer these questions even though the livelihoods of millions are at issue. A 2021 declaration by Pacific Island nations calls for maritime boundaries to stay where they are now regardless of sea level rise. However, this requires the endorsement of other nations. The United Nations, up until now, has paid comparatively little attention to this issue, but, through its study group on sea-level rise, the UN is aiming to engage non-low-lying island nations, and attempt to resolve these and other questions. Climate Refugees Need Protected Status Under the LawBy 2050, there could be 1.2 billion climate refugees, according to the international think tank International Environmental Partnership. But these refugees often do not fit the legal definition of “refugee”, including individuals displaced in the United States. Becoming a “refugee” under the law confers special status; it protects from deportation, for example. In 2013, a man from Kiribati, a country undergoing severe sea level rise, applied for refugee status as a “climate refugee” in New Zealand. His application was denied, and he was repatriated to Kiribati. The man subsequently filed a complaint with the UN Convent of Civil Liberties, claiming his right to life had been violated. The man lost his case, because his life was not found to be under immediate danger. However, the wording of the UN’s ruling in the case asserts that those fleeing a climate crisis cannot be sent home, thereby creating a non-binding international construct. This case illustrates some of the complexities raised by climate refugees and how they are currently viewed in many of the world’s legal systems. Sea level rise is not only an issue of the future but already an issue of the present. Who is Dr. Nilufer Oral?Dr. Nilufer Oral is director at the Center for International Law at the National University of Singapore. She is also a member of the International Law Commission at the United Nations and co-chair of the study group at the UN on sea level rise in relation to international law. Read MoreSink or swim: Can island states survive the climate crisis? | | UN NewsStatement by Ms. Nilüfer Oral, Co-Chairs of the Study Group on Sea level rise -- Interaction with members of the ILC 2020Nilufer Oral--COP 26International Law as an Adaptation Measure to Sea-level Rise and Its Impacts on Islands and Offshore Features | Request PDF For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/adapting-ocean-governance-for-a-world-of-rising-seas-with-dr-nilufar-oral/

What are zero-emission zones?A zero-emission zone (ZEZ) is a designated area where only zero-emission vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists are permitted unrestricted access. Other vehicles are not permitted entrance, or must pay a fee to enter. Some ZEZs permit hybrid electric vehicles to enter, and these zones are referred to as “near-ZEZs”. Due to freight transportation’s outsize impact on carbon emissions, several cities have chosen to establish zero-emission zones exclusively focused on freight transport. Several dozen cities around the world, most of them in Europe, have implemented or announced plans to establish zero-emission zones. The United States is yet to implement a ZEZ. Global ZEZ development occurs in the context of a rapid increase in electric vehicles on city streets. Increased electric vehicle sales enable the establishment of ZEZs, which, in turn, incentivize electric vehicle ownership. How to establish a ZEZ? What are some possible obstacles to establishing zero-emission zones?Legal/PoliticalLack of political acceptance due to fears of public reactionsBureaucratic/slow decision makingPrivacy concerns regarding street sensors and cameras, enabling occupancy control and street chargingFinancialNeeds large-scale investment in EVs and EV infrastructureIncremental long-term vs immediate short term improvement impacts budget considerationsHow to account for a wide range of stakeholders with competing financial interestsTechnologicalPutting in sensors and street cameras at scaleCreating convenient apps and platforms Open-source data and data platforms (ie data on traffic flow)OtherSupport from local communitiesWhat happens to those that cannot afford electric vehicles?How to scale up, ie from a single street to an entire section of a cityWho is Arjan Oranje?Arjan Oranje is program manager for zero emission mobility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Starting in 2025, Rotterdam is designating its city center as a zero-emissions zone. Learn MoreHow C40 cities are implementing zero emission areasZero emissions areas: Why aren’t they everywhere? | World Economic ForumZero Emissions Zones: A tool to target benefits of vehicle electrification to communities that need it most - The Greenlining InstituteCan low emissions zones effectively regulate traffic in cities? | Automotive World For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/zero-emission-zones-with-rotterdams-arjan-oranje/

AYR is the world’s first virtual digital platform that provides users with credits for carbon emissions saved. Created by the Center for Engineering and Product Development (CEiiA), the AYR app works to reward users with “eco-tokens” for every kilometer traveled using sustainable forms of transportation, such as public transportation, biking, or walking. The goal of AYR is to accelerate individuals, businesses, and local communities' transition to carbon neutrality. AYR is currently operating in the Municipality of Matosinhos, in the Metropolitan Area of Porto, Portugal where CEiiA is based. The municipality hopes to be part of the European Union's Horizon Europe Program’s mission to create 100 carbon-neutral cities by 2030, and Matoshino is using AYR to help achieve this goal. The app quantifies carbon emissions in real-time and utilizes blockchain technology to reward users in “tokens [that] circulate in the city ecosystem as a ‘local sustainability coin’”. Users of AYR receive crypto-tokens in their digital wallet that can be exchanged for green goods, mobility, and municipal services in the local economy. The crypto-tokens can also be used to offset carbon emissions in a local voluntary carbon market. One example of AYR’s success is in “six months, a group of bike and scooter sharing services in the city of Matosinhos, Portugal, helped avoid 18.1t CO2 and generated 181,000 digital credits that users could spend on other city services.” AYR extends beyond individual users to local businesses, which can receive crypto-tokens and other financial benefits that can be used to fund green projects. The data collected with AYR is also used in the local decision and policy-making process. Many carbon mitigation programs charge a tax or fee for carbon emissions emitted, but AYR instead rewards and pays users for carbon emissions avoided. AYR was designed to help remove cars from the road and take back public spaces to transform and enhance neighborhoods to be more environmentally friendly. CEiiA is also currently testing the platform in Itajaí, Brazil, and hopes to expand to ten more cities in Northern Portugal, Brazil, Europe, and Latin America in the next two years. AYR received the New European Beaches (NEB) Prize for Products and Lifestyles in September 2021 and the platform is backed by Google Impact Challenge on Climate. Paulo HumanesPaulo Humanes is the Director of Mobility, Automotive, and Cities at CEiiA where he works as an engineer to innovate the mobility sector. Humanes received a Master’s in Transport Engineering at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and now works as a visiting professor there. Humanes also received the title of fellow from the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation and served as the chairman of the institute in 2009. In his role at CEiiA, Humanes works with institutional partners such as the World Resource Institute, World Bank, and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, to build zero-emission mobility solutions. Humanes also works with local cities and government partnerships, through projects such as AYR, to build capacity for new transportation and mobility climate solutions. Sources:https://www.themayor.eu/en/a/view/catarina-selada-on-the-first-ever-platform-that-assigns-credits-for-saved-carbon-emissions-10339https://new-european-bauhaus-festival.eu/fair/72wsc7zCKmGVMpoQsLy20Jhttps://www.ceiia.com/about-ushttps://www.ceiia.com/ayrhttps://2022.itf-oecd.org/speaker/paulo-humaneshttps://impactchallenge.withgoogle.com/climate2020/charities/ceiiahttps://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/climate-neutral-and-smart-cities_en#:~:text=EU%20missions%20are%20commitments%20to,ensuring%20soil%20health%20and%20food.For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-cryptocurrency-to-reward-sustainable-transportation-with-paulo-humanes/

In 2018, nearly one-third of the 39 million tons of waste in California landfills was compostable organic material. Organic material – food and agricultural waste – releases methane, a very potent greenhouse gas, as it decomposes. As a result, California’s Short-Lived Pollutant Reduction law, SB-1383, targets such food waste by establishing methane reduction targets and takes aim at food insecurity in the state. The implementation of SB-1383 is vital in supporting California’s climate goals. Methane is produced when organics rot, and it is critical to reduce methane emissions levels as the gas is eighty-four times more potent than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over a 20 year period. When implemented, SB-1383 will reduce California’s methane emissions from organic materials in traditional landfills by an estimated twenty percent.SB 1383 also supports California's commitments to improving human health, creating clean jobs, and supporting local economies. Some of SB-1383 targets include: expanding California’s organics infrastructure, ensuring all residents and businesses have access to recycling and organics collection services, a seventy-five percent reduction in organic waste disposal from 2014 levels, and that no less than twenty percent of currently disposed edible food is reserved for human consumption by 2025. The bill also requires jurisdictions to conduct outreach and education to all businesses, residents, solid waste facilities, and local food banks. Chris Seney is the Director of Organics Operations at Republic Services and has operated organic facilities for over twenty years in California. Seney helped lead the development of organics infrastructure and enactment of SB-1383 across the state. The implementation of SB-1383 has resulted in an increase in demand for composting facilities, which, in turn, has increased energy demand. Now, California has its first fully solar-powered compost facility, Republic Services’ Otay Compost Facility in Chula Vista. The facility runs completely on renewable energy, processes one hundred tons of organic waste a day, and helps the San Diego region meet the demands of SB-1383. Compost also supports California’s climate goals as it promotes a “an economy that uses a systems-focused approach and involves industrial processes and economic activities that are restorative or regenerative by design.” A circular economy focuses on sustainability and the lifecycle of materials, maximizing resources while minimizing waste. Compost is a critical part of a circular economy as the compost produced from recycled organics preserves natural resources, nutrients, and water that would otherwise be lost in landfills. Along with preserving resources, the composting initiatives in SB-1383 are expected to significantly support decarbonization goals. Whendee Silver, a UC Berkeley ecosystem ecologist, “has estimated that applying an inch of compost to just 5% of California’s rangelands would suck enough carbon out of the atmosphere to equal pulling 6 million cars off the road.” Composting may be the next climate crusade and SB-1383 is leading the nation in efforts reducing both food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Sources: SB 1383 Resources - CalRecycle Home PageChris Seney - COMPOST2023 - USCC Conference Site (compostconference.com)SB 1383: Cal Recycles Organic Waste Recycling Requirement | City of Corona (coronaca.gov)Organic Materials Management and Climate Change - CalRecycle Home PageUnderstand Senate Bill (SB) 1383 - Recycling & Waste Reduction Division - County of Santa Clara (sccgov.org)Republic Services (RSG) Opens Solar-Powered Compost Facility | Markets Insider (businessinsider.com)https://www.scsengineers.com/californias-first-fully-solar-powered-compost-facility-shines-brightly-scs-engineers/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-12-09/trash-compost-california-climate-change-lawhttps://www.epa.gov/recyclingstrategy/what-circular-economy#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20change%20to,manufacture%20new%20materials%20and%20products.https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/speech/methane-action-tackling-warming-planet#:~:text=Methane%20in%20the%20atmosphere%20is,also%20delivering%20air%20quality%20benefits. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-solar-energy-to-power-large-scale-compost-with-chris-seney/

What is the GeoGrid?The Geo Grid is a network of heating pumps that harnesses the geothermal energy stored under the Earth’s surface to heat and cool buildings. It operates through a network of pipes that go deep into the ground and connect houses to each other. These pipes are filled with water, which brings the constant underground temperature up to the Earth’s surface, and into the buildings. The pipes that connect the buildings to each other are then used to exchange energy between buildings, so one building's need for cooling can be balanced by another’s need for heating, ensuring that no energy is wasted. A heat pump located inside each building determines whether the heating or cooling is needed. This interconnected system has already been initiated at college campuses across the country. These networks can be expanded by connecting more systems along city streets, allowing the GeoGrid to spread across neighborhoods, cities, and states. This would help replace natural gas with geothermal energy as a primary heating method, and greatly reduce carbon emissions. Installing geothermal energy for a single household can be expensive and inaccessible for many. In order to keep costs low and expand the accessibility of GeoGrids, HEET has worked with utility companies to install geothermal technology for entire neighborhoods for the same cost of providing gas utilities. This is not only cost-efficient, but energy efficient. Positioning heat pump technology as utility infrastructure will reduce the financial burden of switching to renewable energy for consumers while preserving jobs in utility companies.About HEETHEET, or the Home Energy Efficiency Team, is an organization working to find innovative ways to cut carbon emissions. HEET has worked on several initiatives beyond the GeoGrid Micro Districts in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions. HEET started out as a group of volunteers working together to make their homes more efficient through heat trapping doors, insulated windows, and efficient light bulbs. HEET has also supported solar panel installation challenges, resulting in discounted installation prices and greater adoption of the technology in the area. HEET has also worked to cut methane-polluting natural gas leaks. Natural gas is the most common resource used to heat buildings, and leaks can occur in heating systems. HEET has gained data on these leaks from utility companies, and publishes annual maps showing their location and severity to draw public attention to the issue and spark action to stop them. To improve the way utility companies and governments deal with leaks, HEET also worked to pass a Massachusetts law requiring the most environmentally-impactful leaks to be addressed first. After developing a method to measure environmental impact through the Large Volume Leak Study, HEET worked with community members and the largest utility companies in Massachusetts to plan a path forward to stop the most methane-producing leaks first. Who are Audrey Schulman and Zeyneb Magavi?Audrey Schulman is the co-executive director of HEET, which she co-founded in 2008. She spearheaded the public mapping of utility-reported gas leaks as well as the Large Volume Leaks Study, and has worked to implement the GeoGrid Micro Districts, several of which have been installed in New York and Massachusetts. She is also the author of six novels, which have won several awards including the Philip K. Dick Award 2019, and have been translated in twelve languages. Zeyneb Magavi is the co-executive director of HEET. Zeyneb designed the Geo Micro District to make buildings energy efficient in a scalable way. Six Geo Grid installations have been funded, mainly by gas utility companies, and she has started an independent research group to optimize the transition from gas to Geo Micro Districts. She studied physics at Brown University and global health and sustainability at Harvard, where she is now guest faculty at the School of Public Health. Zeyneb previously worked in the public health field, bringing technological solutions to public health problems in the developing world. She has also been part of two start-up launches. Sourceshttps://heet.org/who-we-are/about/https://youtu.be/fXAum1rXdkshttps://www.coloradomesa.edu/facilities/sustainability/geo-systems.htmlhttps://heet.org/gas-leaks/fix-big-gas-leaks/https://audreyschulman.com/bio For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-geothermal-technology-to-replace-natural-gas-in-homes-with-heet/

What is “place-based” climate change communication?Climate change can feel overwhelming and impersonal when discussed on a global or national scale. Place-based communication works to make climate change feel relevant to local communities and individuals. Issues that impact local communities and have connections to climate change, such as waste, energy, and food initiatives are often good places to start discussions on how to implement climate policies. A focus on local issues can empower communities to take action on matters of local importance with broader implications. When replicated in many communities, place-based communication can enable wide-scale implementation of climate solutions, better communication of science to laypeople, and even engender greater trust in national institutions and scientists advocating for climate solutions. Climate communication is more effective when it incorporates climate solutions that are already being implemented in specific localities. For example, climate communicators can build upon local energy initiatives, spreading information to speed-along a renewable energy transition. Knowledge Co-productionAnother useful approach to climate communication is referred to as knowledge co-production, a collaborative process bringing together different people, perspectives, and experiences, rather than presenting climate change from, for example, solely from an academic or scientific perspective. When global and national actors engage in knowledge co-production with local communities, both groups benefit. Local communities gain crucial knowledge from experts, enabling them to create smarter/more effective solutions for their communities. Meanwhile, scientists and higher-level policymakers gain knowledge they otherwise would not have, and are empowered to bring diverse perspectives into their work. Part of effective climate communication is not only communicating knowledge, but also taking in new perspectives that can help inform how information is communicated, and what is communicated. Who is Dr. Candice Howarth?Dr. Candice Howarth is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics. She is additionally co-Director of the Place-Based Climate Action Network. She researches how the co-production of knowledge and science communication can be used to inform better decision-making with regard to climate change.Learn MoreUnpacking the power of place-based education in climate change communicationLocal knowledge in climate adaptation research: moving knowledge frameworks from extraction to co-productionBook: Addressing the Climate Crisis: Local action in theory and practiceWhat is climate change communication? For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/what-does-effective-climate-communication-look-like-with-dr-candice-howarth/

For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/environmental-racism-with-dr-robert-bullard/

For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/how-do-oyster-reefs-protect-shorelines-with-claire-arre/

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West Virginia v. EPAThe U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency on June 30, 2022, determining (in a 6-3 ruling) that, without explicit congressional instruction, the EPA cannot curb emissions at existing power plants by forcing a change to renewable energy sources (as opposed to directing specific emissions reductions from the power plants themselves). Chief Justice Roberts, writing the majority, declared that mandating a switch to renewables is such a major shift that it falls under the “major questions doctrine.” That doctrine – which is a creation of the Supreme Court – has not been fully developed, but has been presented as a limit on the power of the Executive Branch, requiring Congress to provide specific direction through legislation before the President may act. What constitutes a “major question” and when it is to be invoked is unclear. The West Virginia case involved a regulation from the Obama-era that called for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from coal fired power plants, which could take the form of replacement of those plants with renewable energy. That regulation was withdrawn by the Trump administration, which issued a regulation much more limited in scope. The Biden administration then withdrew the Trump-era regulation and is working on a new regulation. So, the Obama-era regulation at issue in West Virginia was not operative, which would normally make the case moot. The Supreme Court ruled, however, that because the rule could be reinstated, the case could proceed, underscoring the majority’s strong intent to create the major question doctrine. The doctrine is presented as a check on executive power, but also represents a potentially significant expansion of judicial power. It is the Court that apparently will decide the parameters of what constitutes a major question, when and under what circumstances it will be applied, and when the President needs explicit authorization from Congress to take action. Though West Virginia v. EPA hinders EPA authority, it still leaves open several avenues for effective government climate action. The case does not touch on local and state government ability to regulate pollutants, and does not affect the EPA’s regulation of high-emitting sectors such as transportation. Additionally, this Court decision does not affect new power plants, only existing plants. Though it prevents the EPA from mandating renewable energy for existing power plants, the EPA can still require specific emissions reductions from individual plants. Finally, West Virginia v. EPA highlights the importance of passing effective congressional climate change legislation with explicit authority for the executive branch. West Virginia v. EPA is a further reminder that climate change cannot be fought without bold congressional action. For a more detailed discussion, we invite you to listen to the long version of this podcast on this website, and check out the links below.Who is Professor Dan Farber?Dan Farber is one of the nation’s most cited and influential scholars of environmental and constitutional law, and is faculty director of the Center of Law, Energy, and Environment at Berkeley Law. After law school, he clerked for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court, giving him an intimate look into the workings of the nation’s highest court. His most recent book is Contested Ground: How to Understand the Limits on Presidential Power (UC Press 2021). Dan Farber is the Sho Sato Professor of Law at the University of California, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Life Member of the American Law Institute.Learn MoreWest Virginia v. EPA: A Quick Explainer - Legal PlanetEmerging Answers to Major Questions - Legal PlanetOpinion | The Supreme Court's EPA Decision Is More Gloom Than Doom - The New York TimesThe Supreme Court's EPA Ruling Is Going to Be Very, Very Expensive - The AtlanticWest Virginia v. EPA and the Future of the Administrative State - Legal Aggregate - Stanford Law School For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/what-does-west-virgina-v-epa-mean-for-environmental-policy-with-professor-dan-farber-and-ken-alex/

West Virginia v. EPAThe U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency on June 30, 2022, determining (in a 6-3 ruling) that, without explicit congressional instruction, the EPA cannot curb emissions at existing power plants by forcing a change to renewable energy sources (as opposed to directing specific emissions reductions from the power plants themselves). Chief Justice Roberts, writing the majority, declared that mandating a switch to renewables is such a major shift that it falls under the “major questions doctrine.” That doctrine – which is a creation of the Supreme Court – has not been fully developed, but has been presented as a limit on the power of the Executive Branch, requiring Congress to provide specific direction through legislation before the President may act. What constitutes a “major question” and when it is to be invoked is unclear. The West Virginia case involved a regulation from the Obama-era that called for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from coal fired power plants, which could take the form of replacement of those plants with renewable energy. That regulation was withdrawn by the Trump administration, which issued a regulation much more limited in scope. The Biden administration then withdrew the Trump-era regulation and is working on a new regulation. So, the Obama-era regulation at issue in West Virginia was not operative, which would normally make the case moot. The Supreme Court ruled, however, that because the rule could be reinstated, the case could proceed, underscoring the majority’s strong intent to create the major question doctrine. The doctrine is presented as a check on executive power, but also represents a potentially significant expansion of judicial power. It is the Court that apparently will decide the parameters of what constitutes a major question, when and under what circumstances it will be applied, and when the President needs explicit authorization from Congress to take action. Though West Virginia v. EPA hinders EPA authority, it still leaves open several avenues for effective government climate action. The case does not touch on local and state government ability to regulate pollutants, and does not affect the EPA’s regulation of high-emitting sectors such as transportation. Additionally, this Court decision does not affect new power plants, only existing plants. Though it prevents the EPA from mandating renewable energy for existing power plants, the EPA can still require specific emissions reductions from individual plants. Finally, West Virginia v. EPA highlights the importance of passing effective congressional climate change legislation with explicit authority for the executive branch. West Virginia v. EPA is a further reminder that climate change cannot be fought without bold congressional action. For a more detailed discussion, we invite you to listen to the long version of this podcast on this website, and check out the links below.Who is Professor Dan Farber?Dan Farber is one of the nation’s most cited and influential scholars of environmental and constitutional law, and is faculty director of the Center of Law, Energy, and Environment at Berkeley Law. After law school, he clerked for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court, giving him an intimate look into the workings of the nation’s highest court. His most recent book is Contested Ground: How to Understand the Limits on Presidential Power (UC Press 2021). Dan Farber is the Sho Sato Professor of Law at the University of California, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Life Member of the American Law Institute.Learn MoreWest Virginia v. EPA: A Quick Explainer - Legal PlanetEmerging Answers to Major Questions - Legal PlanetOpinion | The Supreme Court's EPA Decision Is More Gloom Than Doom - The New York TimesThe Supreme Court's EPA Ruling Is Going to Be Very, Very Expensive - The AtlanticWest Virginia v. EPA and the Future of the Administrative State - Legal Aggregate - Stanford Law School For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/what-does-west-virgina-v-epa-mean-for-environmental-policy-with-professor-dan-farber-and-ken-alex/

For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/carbon-farming-with-ian-howell/

For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/wildfire-resilience-in-california-with-chuck-bonham/

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For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/environmental-racism-with-dr-robert-bullard/

For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/what-u-s-china-diplomacy-relationship-means-for-fighting-climate-change-with-kevin-rudd-california-china-climate-institute/