President Joe Biden traveled to the Port of Baltimore on Tuesday to announce a $3 billion package to improve and electrify climate-friendly infrastructure and equipment at ports in the United States.

The investment will support approximately 40,000 union jobs while reducing pollution and combating the climate crisis, a press release from the White House said. It includes $147 million to support more than 2,000 jobs at the Maryland Port Administration and to purchase and install zero-emissions port equipment, power improvements and charging infrastructure.

“Our ports are the backbone of our economy – critical hubs that support our supply chain, drive commerce, create jobs and connect us all,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan said, as The Guardian reported. “But we cannot overlook the challenges faced by the communities that live and work near these ports. Too often, these communities face serious air quality challenges due to diesel pollution from trucks, ships and other port machinery.”

The EPA Clean Ports grants are funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and will be awarded to 55 selectees in 27 states and territories.

The Clean Ports program is expected to boost demand for electric cargo handling equipment made in America by at least six times during the length of the program.

The program will improve port air quality across the country with the installation of clean ferry and freight technologies and infrastructure that will eliminate over three million metric tons of pollution in the first decade of implementation — equal to the energy used by 391,220 homes for a year.

The investment will also fund the purchase of hydrogen-powered and battery-electric equipment, including 1,000 drayage trucks, 1,500 cargo handling equipment units, 20 vessels and 10 locomotives, as well as onshore power systems for the ships, solar power generation and fueling and charging infrastructure for hydrogen and battery-electric vehicles.

The program advances the Justice40 Initiative and is in line with the goal of the Biden-Harris Administration for zero-emissions freight.

“What an incredible moment this is,” said Vernice Miller-Travis, an environmental justice advocate, as reported by The Guardian. “This is real money. And… these kinds of investments… can really make transformation in local conditions and local operations and in people’s lives.”

The last time President Biden was in Baltimore was just after the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s tragic collapse on April 26, which killed six construction workers and shut down ship traffic coming into and out of the port. President Biden committed to the bridge’s quick reconstruction, with the collaboration of the Maryland Department of Transportation.

The Biden-Harris Administration is also committed to holding the DALI cargo ship owners accountable for the disaster.

The post Biden-Harris Admin Pledges $3 Billion to Electrify and Clean Up U.S. Ports appeared first on EcoWatch.

The world’s trees — the lungs of our planet and the foundation of many ecosystems — are in trouble. According to the first Global Tree Assessment, 38 percent of tree species are at risk of extinction.

The assessment, led by Botanical Gardens Conservation International and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission Global Tree Specialist Group, is an initiative that looks at the conservation status assessments of all Earth’s tree species on the IUCN Red List.

“Today, we are releasing the global assessment of the world’s trees on the IUCN Red List, which shows that more than one in three tree species are threatened with extinction. Trees are essential to support life on Earth through their vital role in ecosystems, and millions of people depend upon them for their lives and livelihoods,” said IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar in a press release from IUCN. “As the IUCN Red List celebrates 60 years of impact, this assessment highlights its importance as a barometer of life, but also, crucially, as a unique tool guiding action to reverse the decline of nature.”

There are currently 166,061 animal, plant and fungi species on the IUCN Red List, 46,337 of which are threatened with extinction.

For the first time, most tree species in the world are on the Red List, with at least 16,425 of 47,282 of them found to be at risk of extinction.

Trees currently make up more than a quarter of IUCN Red List species. The amount of threatened trees is over two times that of all threatened mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians put together. Across the globe, 192 countries have tree species that are at risk of being wiped off the planet.

“This comprehensive assessment presents the first global picture of the conservation status of trees, which enables us to make better informed conservation decisions and take action to protect trees where it is urgently needed,” said Dr. Malin Rivers, leader of the Global Tree Assessment at Botanic Gardens Conservation International, which partners with the Red List. “The work is a global effort, with over 1,000 tree experts involved. We need to continue to work together to scale up local, national and international tree conservation action to support people and the planet.”

Most threatened trees are found on islands throughout the world. Agriculture and urban development put island trees at an especially high risk of deforestation. Other threats include invasive species, diseases and pests.

The climate crisis increasingly threatens trees — particularly in the tropics — due to stronger, more frequent storms and sea-level rise.

“Addressing the threats that trees face, habitat protection and restoration, as well as ex situ conservation through seed banks and botanic garden collections are critical to prevent extinctions on islands and worldwide. Community action has already led to positive outcomes from the Juan Fernández islands to Cuba, from Madagascar to Fiji,” the press release said.

In South America, which has the most tree diversity anywhere, 3,356 of 13,668 species assessed are threatened with extinction. The biggest threats to trees in this part of the world are forest clearing to make way for crops and livestock ranching.

“The significance of the Global Tree Assessment cannot be overstated, given the importance of trees to ecosystems and people. We hope this frightening statistic of one in three trees facing extinction will incentivise urgent action and be used to inform conservation plans,” said Dr. Eimear Nic Lughadha, conservation assessment senior research leader at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the press release. “Although the proportion of tree species reported as threatened in South America — the world leader in tree diversity — is lower (25%), this percentage is sure to increase, because many tree species from South America have yet to be described for science and tree species new to science are more likely than not to be threatened with extinction.”

The Red List demonstrates that tree loss is also a big threat to thousands of animals, other plants and fungi. Trees are essential to life on Earth because of their role in water, carbon and nutrient cycles, climate regulation and soil formation.

Humans are reliant on trees, with more than 2,000 tree species used for food, medicines and fuels, and 5,000 IUCN Red List tree species used as timber for construction.

“Thriving, naturally diverse forests are essential in mitigating both climate change and biodiversity loss,” said Dr. Dave Hole, Conservation International’s Moore Center for Science vice president of global solutions, in the press release. “Without biodiverse ecosystems that include healthy and diverse tree populations the world will face an even greater climate threat than the one we are already facing. COP16 in Colombia this week represents a great opportunity for the public and private sectors to not just talk about — but to deliver — investments that benefit climate, species and people.”

The post 1 in 3 Tree Species Worldwide at Risk of Extinction, Report Finds appeared first on EcoWatch.

Roughly 71 to 95 million people living in the contiguous United States — more than one-fifth of the population — may be reliant on groundwater with detectable concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for their drinking water, according to a new study by the U.S Geological Survey (USGS).

The research provides the first national estimates of PFAS in untreated groundwater that serves as a water supply for public and private wells, a press release from USGS said. The study also gives the first estimate of how many people in the U.S. are potentially affected by groundwater contaminated with PFAS.

“This study’s findings indicate widespread PFAS contamination in groundwater that is used for public and private drinking water supplies in the U.S.,” said lead author of the study Andrea Tokranov, a USGS research hydrologist, in the press release.

The results can help consumers, regulators and water suppliers understand the potential for contamination from PFAS, inform strategic water resources planning and guide future studies.

In addition to the report, USGS has published an online, interactive map for users to be able to view estimates of the probability of the presence of PFAS.

The study’s findings are intended for use at national, regional and state scales rather than individual households.

“Probability estimates are for the presence of PFAS in groundwater and do not account for any subsequent actions taken by states, municipalities or individuals to treat drinking water. The model does not include estimates of PFAS concentrations; testing is the only way to confirm the presence of contaminants,” the press release said.

PFAS are a class of more than 12,000 synthetic chemical compounds used in many common applications, such as nonstick cookware, firefighting foam, food packaging and many other purposes. They are referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their inability to easily break down in the environment, where they can accumulate over time. Exposure of people to certain PFAS can cause adverse health risks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said.

Legally enforceable maximum contaminant levels have been established by the EPA for six kinds of PFAS found in drinking water. Public water supplies are regulated by the EPA, as well as by some states, which have additional drinking water regulations.

People who use private water supplies and are interested in testing and treatment can contact their state officials, water suppliers or consult EPA’s guidance.

The most heavily populated states that rely on potentially contaminated public water supplies that come from groundwater are California and Florida. Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida have the largest populations that currently rely on private wells supplied by potentially contaminated groundwater.

In Massachusetts, 86 to 98 percent of those whose public water comes from groundwater could be impacted by PFAS contamination. Meanwhile, in Connecticut, 67 to 87 percent of people reliant on private wells that source groundwater could be affected.

“To derive these estimates, the team analyzed 1,238 groundwater samples collected by USGS scientists and determined how factors such as urban development and well depth can impact PFAS occurrence,” Tokranov said in the press release. “With that information, a detailed machine learning model was developed and used to identify which geographic areas have a higher likelihood for contamination. That information was combined with existing USGS research on the number of people in a given area who rely on groundwater for drinking water to establish population estimates.”

Separate estimates were given for private and public wells since they usually get groundwater from different depths. Public wells that use groundwater as their primary source are typically deeper than private wells.

Not all PFAS can currently be detected, but the study tested for 24 common types. The most commonly detected compounds were perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS).

“This new predictive model can help prioritize areas for future sampling to help ensure people aren’t unknowingly drinking contaminated water. This is especially important for private well users, who may not have information on water quality in their region and may not have the same access to testing and treatment that public water suppliers do,” Tokranov said.

The post Millions of People in Lower 48 States May Be Relying on PFAS-Contaminated Groundwater for Drinking appeared first on EcoWatch.

Without greater action, the planet will warm as much as 3.1 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, according to the latest United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report: No more hot air … please!.

In the coming round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), countries must commit to slashing their collective yearly greenhouse gas emissions by 42 percent by the end of the decade and by 57 percent by 2035, a press release from UNEP said.

Otherwise, the annual report says, the chance of meeting the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average will disappear within a few years.

“The emissions gap is not an abstract notion. There is a direct link between increasing emissions and increasingly frequent and intense climate disasters,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a video message. “Today’s Emissions Gap report is clear: we’re playing with fire; but there can be no more playing for time. We’re out of time. Closing the emissions gap means closing the ambition gap, the implementation gap, and the finance gap. Starting at COP29.”

The report found that failing to increase the ambition of new NDCs and immediately starting to deliver on them would place the planet on a course for an increase in temperature from 2.6 to 3.1 degrees Celsius this century, bringing debilitating impacts to people, the environment and economies.

“The 2.6°C scenario is based on the full implementation of current unconditional and conditional NDCs. Implementing only current unconditional NDCs would lead to 2.8°C of warming. Continuing with current policies only would lead to 3.1°C of warming,” UNEP said in the press release. “Adding additional net-zero pledges to full implementation of unconditional and conditional NDCs could limit global warming to 1.9°C, but there is currently low confidence in the implementation of these net-zero pledges.”

The report also looked at what would be needed to limit global heating to less than two degrees Celsius. For this to be possible, emissions would need to fall by 28 percent by the end of the decade and 37 percent by 2035, compared to 2019 levels.

“Climate crunch time is here. We need global mobilization on a scale and pace never seen before – starting right now, before the next round of climate pledges – or the 1.5°C goal will soon be dead and well below 2°C will take its place in the intensive care unit,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP’s executive director, in the press release. “I urge every nation: no more hot air, please. Use the upcoming COP29 talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, to increase action now, set the stage for stronger NDCs, and then go all-out to get on a 1.5°C pathway.”

Andersen said that, even if the planet isn’t kept to 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, the goal of a net-zero world must continue. 

“Every fraction of a degree avoided counts in terms of lives saved, economies protected, damages avoided, biodiversity conserved and the ability to rapidly bring down any temperature overshoot,” Andersen said.

The world has currently warmed by roughly 1.3 degrees Celsius, reported Reuters.

“We are teetering on a planetary tight rope,” Guterres warned in the video message, as UN News reported. “Either leaders bridge the emissions gap or we plunge headlong into climate disaster, with the poorest and most vulnerable suffering the most.”

The report demonstrated that it is technically possible for as much as 31 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent to be cut by 2030 — roughly 52 percent of 2023 emissions — and 41 gigatons by 2035. These reductions would lead to warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius for both time-frames at less than $200 for each ton of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Increasing wind energy and solar photovoltaic technologies could provide 27 percent of the total potential reduction by 2030 and 38 percent by 2035.

The report said action on forests could provide roughly a fifth of the potential reduction for both years. Other strong courses of action include electrification; fuel changes; and efficiency measures in the transportation, industry and building sectors.

“This potential illustrates it is possible to meet the COP28 targets of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and conserving, protecting and restoring nature and ecosystems,” the press release said.

In order to reach net-zero, a minimum six-fold boost to mitigation investment will be needed, backed by international cooperation, reform of the world’s financial structure and strong private sector action.

UNEP said it is an affordable proposition, with an estimated incremental investment of $0.9 to 2.1 trillion each year from 2021 to 2050. The world’s financial markets and the global economy have an annual worth of $110 trillion.

“The G20 members, responsible for the bulk of total emissions, must do the heavy lifting. However, this group is still off track to meet even current NDCs. The largest-emitting members will need to take the lead by dramatically increasing action and ambition now and in the new pledges,” UNEP said.

The post Planet Will Warm as Much as 3.1°C Under Current Policies: UN Report appeared first on EcoWatch.

As part of its most recent World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said the transition to electric vehicles will have “far-reaching” effects on production, investment, global trade and employment.

The new analysis was released in tandem with annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF this week, where efforts to finance the transition to green energy, enhance global growth and tackle debt distress were on the agenda, reported Reuters.

“The rising adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) represents a fundamental transformation of the global automotive industry,” the IMF said in the report.

The shift from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to EVs has been accelerating and is an important part of countries’ climate targets around the world.

According to the IMF, transportation was responsible for 36 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2022, eight percent in China and 21 percent of those in the European Union.

Subsidies and charging stations for EVs provided by the U.S. government have helped support the rising adoption of EVs in America. The EU aims to cut auto emissions by half by 2035 compared to 2021 levels.

“[T]he shift to electric vehicles for personal transportation is a key part of the reduction of GHG emissions. To foster the adoption of EVs, both supply- and demand-side policies have been implemented across the world,” the IMF said.

In its report, the IMF made note of the global auto industry’s robust profits, large export markets, high wages and use of technology, Reuters reported.

Speeding up the global move toward EVs would change the industry, especially if China remains the export and production leader in front of European and U.S. rivals.

The IMF said that, according to “realistic” market penetration hypotheticals for EVs, Europe’s gross domestic product would go down roughly 0.3 percent over the medium term.

“In these scenarios, employment declines in the automotive sector, and labor reallocates gradually to less capital-intensive sectors (with lower value added per worker),” the report said.

Price has been a barrier for some considering making the switch to EVs.

Thus far, Chinese EV manufacturers have offered less expensive cars than their competitors — an important advantage considering EVs are still more expensive than gas-powered alternatives.

Chinese automaker BYD shocked the industry with its low-cost vehicles at a recent EV seminar in Japan, reported Electrek.

The company’s lowest cost EV, the Seagull, has a starting price of less than $10,000 in China. It is able to offer its vehicles at such a low price because most of its components are produced in-house.

“I was surprised at the small number of parts used by BYD and Tesla,” said event attendee Sho Kato, a department head at Nissin Seiki, as Electrek reported. “Our company also hopes to use the experience gained from our existing business to enter the EV field.”

The EU and U.S. have both imposed tariffs on EVs made in China in order to counteract what they say are inequitable government subsidies being given to Chinese manufacturers, reported Reuters.

President Joe Biden’s administration last month introduced a 100 percent tariff on Chinese EVs. EU member states earlier this month imposed import duties of as much as 45 percent on EVs made in China.

The French government recently said it would lower its assistance to EV buyers, while Germany stopped subsidizing EVs last year.

The post Transition to EVs Will Lead to ‘Fundamental Transformation’ of Global Auto Industry, IMF Says appeared first on EcoWatch.