Author Archives: Paige Bennett

Conservationists to Be Blocked From Bidding on Oil and Gas Land Leases in Wyoming

Posted on by July 16, 2024

Officials in Wyoming have set new restrictions on who can bid on oil and gas leases in the state. The new rules prohibit conservationists from bidding with intentions to preserve the land.

The bill, HB0141, was passed in March 2024. It was introduced by State Representative Cyrus Western (R-Big Horn) on behalf of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming following bids on a parcel of land by the conservation group the Wyoming Outdoor Council, WyoFile reported. The group had bid on oil and gas lease in Sublette County last summer; the Wyoming Outdoor Council bid with plans to preserve the land after its requests to remove the parcel from leasing, because of the area’s importance to pronghorns, were denied.

As explained by the Wyoming Outdoor Council, the organization isn’t opposed to oil and gas leases but hopes to protect some of the most unique areas of land in the state, including the parcel that it bid on in July 2023 in order to protect pronghorn migratory habitat.

Although the Wyoming Outdoor Council was not the highest bidder for the land, officials have still responded with a bidding ban for those without oil and gas interests. The Petroleum Association of Wyoming told WyoFile that billionaires against oil and gas development could come in and bid on oil and gas leases, and the bill was intended to prevent that from happening in the future. 

Further, the highest bidder of the parcel, Kirkwood Oil and Gas, argued that having a conservation group bidding on the lease caused the price to artificially increase.

“In our eyes, our bid was an effort to demonstrate that we could still produce revenue for our state while also preserving important wildlife habitat,” the Wyoming Outdoor Council explained on its website.

According to the legislation text, the highest bids on leases for oil and gas production must be reviewed to ensure the applicant “is a qualified oil and gas lease applicant in accordance with rules of the board.” If not, officials will then consider the second highest bidder, who will also be reviewed for eligibility.

Further, the bill stated, “Any applicant whose bid is rejected under this subsection because the applicant is not a qualified oil and gas lease applicant shall be subject to a civil penalty in the amount of the applicant’s highest bid. The attorney general may bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover the penalty specified in this subsection from the applicant.”

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In response, the Wyoming Outdoor Council has released a two-part message, noting that officials have a responsibility to protect state lands and should consider the long-term impacts of leasing important wildlife habitats for oil and gas development.

“If you want to really generate some revenue for Wyoming’s beneficiaries, it’s time to make lease sales competitive again, and allow a diversity of monied interests to vie for these parcels, be it for energy, conservation, recreation, or one of Wyoming’s many other values in the land,” Carl Fisher, executive director for the Wyoming Outdoor Council, wrote in a statement. “The proof is right there in the pudding: They wanted to get it for $3/acre, we went to $18. Are we promoting auctions for the beneficiaries, or fire sales on Wyoming’s landscapes? We believe we can lease, monetize and protect.”

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UK to Boost Solar Energy Projects Under New Labour Leadership

Posted on by July 15, 2024

Under new Labour leadership, the UK is focusing on renewable energy advancement with the approval of solar farm projects and new rules for solar panels.

The UK’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband has recently approved three major solar farm projects that had been previously denied by officials in the conservative Tory party, The Guardian reported.

The newly approved projects include the Gate Burton project, which will have 530 megawatts of solar capacity plus battery storage. As the BBC reported, this solar farm alone could provide enough clean electricity to power 160,000 homes.

Additionally, the approvals include the Mallard Pass Solar Farm, which is expected to have up to 350 megawatts of capacity, and the Sunnica Energy Farm, which will have a maximum output of 500 megawatts.

A local county councilor near the slated Gate Burton Energy Park site noted local complaints about the project, particularly because of a loss of agricultural land. But the decision letter from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero noted that the loss of agricultural land for this project would be very minor and was ultimately an important trade-off in order to establish more clean energy.

“The Secretary of State concludes that the Proposed Development will make a substantial contribution to the urgent need for utility scale solar photovoltaics, will generate up to 530 MW and result in considerable carbon savings, supporting the trajectory to net zero,” David Wagstaff, OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) Head of Energy Infrastructure Planning, wrote in the decision letter. “The Secretary of State therefore attributes substantial positive weight to the need for the development, inclusive of climate change.”

As Electrek reported, the approval of these three solar farm projects will provide enough clean energy capacity to power around 400,000 homes, and the added capacity of these three projects alone is around two-thirds of the solar capacity installed in the UK in 2023.

Miliband and the Energy Department have also announced plans to establish updated rules for rooftop solar power that would make it easier to either install solar panels on existing homes or for homebuyers to purchase newly built homes with solar panels.

“I want to unleash a UK solar rooftop revolution,” Miliband said, as reported by The Guardian. “We will encourage builders and homeowners in whatever way we can to deliver this win-win technology to millions of addresses in the UK so people can provide their own electricity, cut their bills and at the same time help fight climate change.”

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Last week, Miliband published his priorities as the energy secretary, including to reduce energy costs and improve energy independence via renewables by 2030 and to lead on international climate action.

The same week, the new Labour leadership reversed a ban on new onshore wind farm projects, which had been in effect since 2015, The Guardian reported.

“Delivering our clean power mission will help boost Britain’s energy independence, save money on energy bills, support high-skilled jobs and tackle the climate crisis,” the UK government shared in a policy statement. “We are therefore committed to doubling onshore wind energy by 2030. That means immediately removing the de facto ban on onshore wind in England, in place since 2015. We are revising planning policy to place onshore wind on the same footing as other energy development in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).”

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Lithium Ion Batteries Could Release PFAS Into Environment, Study Says

Posted on by July 12, 2024

A new study has found yet another source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) pollution: lithium ion batteries, an important component of clean energy tech and electronics.

According to the research, published in the journal Nature Communications, lithium ion batteries contain a sub-class of PFAS that can have a lasting impact on air and water and an ecotoxicity level similar to other notable PFAS, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). 

PFOA and other PFAS do not break down in the environment, which is why these compounds are often referred to as “forever chemicals.” As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has documented, PFOA has been found in surface water, groundwater, soil and air, and PFOA has the potential for bioaccumulation and/or bioconcentration in wildlife.

Further, according to the American Cancer Society, which was not involved in the study, PFOA exposure may increase risk of certain types of cancer, including kidney and testicular cancers.

PFOA and some other PFAS have been phased out in the U.S., but novel PFAS, such as the bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides (bis-FASIs) analyzed in the recent study, are taking the place of some of these older compounds.

However, researchers are now raising concerns over the impacts these other types of PFAS could have on the environment. 

The researchers collected samples of soil, sediment, snow, surface water, groundwater and tap water at 87 sites near industrial facilities in Kentucky, Minnesota, Belgium and France. Across the board, the team found high levels of bis-FASIs. According to the researchers, bis-FASIs can lead to behavioral changes and changes in the fundamental energy metabolic processes of aquatic wildlife.

The team also revealed that these compounds may also pollute the air around industrial facilities, which could lead to more widespread distribution and contamination.

The researchers explained that bis-FASIs are being used for lithium ion batteries and clean energy infrastructure and technology, which is essential to curbing the worst impacts of climate change. 

“Our results reveal a dilemma associated with manufacturing, disposal, and recycling of clean energy infrastructure,” Jennifer Guelfo, an author of the study and an associate professor of environmental engineering at Texas Tech University, said in a statement. “Slashing carbon dioxide emissions with innovations like electric cars is critical, but it shouldn’t come with the side effect of increasing PFAS pollution. We need to facilitate technologies, manufacturing controls and recycling solutions that can fight the climate crisis without releasing highly recalcitrant pollutants.”

Although the researchers found that the bis-FASIs did not break down in the environment, they did determine that these compounds could be reduced in water using the same treatment methods for removing other PFAS from water, such as ion exchange.

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“These results illustrate that treatment approaches designed for PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) can also remove bis-FASIs,” said Lee Ferguson, an author of the study and an associate professor of environmental engineering at Duke University. “Use of these approaches is likely to increase as treatment facilities are upgraded to comply with newly enacted EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFAS.”

The study authors explained that experts across a variety of fields, from scientists to lawmakers, will need to work together to reduce the impact that developing clean energy infrastructure may have on the environment.

“We should use the momentum behind current energy initiatives to ensure that new energy technologies are truly clean,” Guelfo said.

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Solar and Wind Projects Under Construction in China Have 2x the Capacity of the Rest of the World’s Renewable Energy Projects Combined: Report

Posted on by July 11, 2024

Renewable energy projects are rapidly expanding in China, so much so that the country has double the amount of renewable capacity under construction compared to all other countries combined, a new analysis from the non-governmental organization Global Energy Monitor has revealed.

According to the analysis, China currently has 180 gigawatts of utility-scale solar power and 159 gigawatts of wind power under construction. By comparison, the U.S. has 40 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity currently under construction, followed by Brazil with 13 gigawatts, the UK with 10 gigawatts and Spain with 9 gigawatts.

In total, the amount of utility-scale solar and wind capacity under construction in China make up nearly two-thirds of the solar and wind capacity under construction worldwide, the report found.

The report follows the China Electricity Council (CEC)’s predictions from early 2024 that solar and wind capacity would outpace coal in China this year. According to the CEC report, solar and wind capacity in China could make up about 40% of installed energy capacity in the country by the end of 2024, while coal could make up around 37%.

Currently, wind and solar are making up around 37% of total power capacity, and coal makes up around 39%. Wind and solar’s share of total energy capacity increased by around 8% from 2022 to now, the analysis found.

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The rapid expansion of renewables in China comes after the country installed nearly double the amount of utility-scale solar and wind capacity in 2023 compared to any other year, Global Energy Monitor reported. From March 2023 to March 2024, the country installed more solar capacity than the solar capacity installed during the three previous years combined, and wind capacity has doubled year-over-year.

While China is making important advancements in renewables and could soon see solar and wind outpace coal, a Greenpeace report from 2023 found that the country was still pursuing new coal projects. According to the Greenpeace report, China approved more coal capacity in the first three months of 2023 alone than it had in the entire year of 2021.

As Global Energy Monitor reported, China’s energy officials have expressed that the country’s energy-related emissions will not intentionally peak before 2030. However, Global Energy Monitor noted that China’s power-related emissions could peak before then, if they haven’t already. The organization cited a Carbon Brief analysis revealing a recent drop in China’s emissions in March 2024 because of solar and wind energy expansion. 

“A 2023 peak in China’s CO2 emissions is possible if the buildout of clean energy sources is kept at the record levels seen last year,” Carbon Brief reported.

Further, Global Energy Monitor found that China could triple its current renewables capacity if it continues the expansion of solar and wind capacity at the rate seen in 2023.

“All told, 2023 saw unprecedented wind and solar growth in China,” Global Energy Monitor concluded. “The unabated wave of construction guarantees that China will continue leading in wind and solar installation in the near future, far ahead of the rest of the world. However, China still needs to turn the massive renewables buildup into power generation, replace fossil fuels, and reach the ‘tipping point’ so as to peak its carbon emissions as early as possible.”

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‘Like a Mini Med Spa for Frogs’: Biologists Develop Shelters to Help Vulnerable and Endangered Amphibians Fight Disease

Posted on by July 2, 2024

Biologists have created small hotspot shelters that operate like little saunas to help vulnerable and endangered amphibians fight off a fast-spreading and deadly fungal disease that has been a major threat to amphibians for decades.

Researchers from Macquarie University and the University of Melbourne developed the shelters as a way to help amphibians ward off chytridiomycosis, a fungal disease of the skin. 

As explained by Amphibian Ark, a conservation group, the fungi that cause the disease can grow in the skin of an infected amphibian. The fungi inhibit the ability for water to move through the amphibian’s skin, leading to heart failure. Outbreaks of chytridiomycosis have led to major declines in some amphibian species around the world, particularly in Australia, Mexico, Central America, the Andes region of South America and the western U.S., Amphibian Ark reported.

Globally, 90% of amphibians that are threatened by chytridiomycosis have become extinct in the wild or altogether, and 124 affected species have seen population declines of 90% or higher, Macquarie University reported.

In response, researchers found a low-cost way that they determined to be effective in improving the frogs’ resiliency to the disease. They used whatever materials were already available, such as bricks or PVC, to build small shelters for the amphibians. The idea is that the shelters will become warm enough that the fungal disease will not be able to grow or spread.

“The whole thing is like a mini med spa for frogs,” Anthony Waddle, lead author of the study and a Schmidt Science Fellow at Macquarie University’s Applied BioSciences, said in a statement. “In these simple little hotspots, frogs can go and heat up their bodies to a temperature that destroys the infections. As with many human diseases, such as influenza, chytridiomycosis is seasonal. Winter is a particularly vulnerable time for frogs, given there are few opportunities to heat themselves up. By making hot spots available to frogs in winter, we empower them to cure their infections, or not even get sick at all.”

In a 15-week test with vulnerable green and gold bell frogs (Litoria aurea), which have experienced more than 90% shrinkage of their native habitat in Australia, the researchers found that the unshaded shelters they built were around 4.5 degrees Celsius warmer than shaded shelters. The frogs that used the unshaded shelters were more effective at warding off the fungal disease compared to frogs that used the shaded shelters. 

These frogs also showed improved immunity to the disease after recovery, making them less vulnerable to the fungi in the future. After being re-exposed to the fungus, frogs that had recovered in the shelters had an 86% survival rate in the study, compared to a 22% survival rate in frogs that had not been previously infected. The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature.

“Lowering mortality rates and boosting their immunity to chytridiomycosis is the key to protecting amphibians from this disease, which is now endemic around the world,” Waddle explained.

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Because the shelters are made with simple and affordable materials, they are easier to scale by both wildlife professionals and everyday people at home who want to help vulnerable species.

Although the shelters can help the frogs adapt to the widespread fungal disease, the authors noted in the study that such habitat intervention is only one part in preventing extinctions of the species vulnerable to this disease.

“Habitat protection alone cannot protect species that are affected by invasive diseases, but simple manipulations to microhabitat structure could spell the difference between the extinction and the persistence of endangered amphibians,” the study concluded.

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PFAS Are Absorbed Through Skin Contact at Higher Levels Than Previously Thought, Study Finds

Posted on by July 1, 2024

A new study has confirmed that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or forever chemicals, are absorbed through human skin. Additionally, researchers found that these chemicals are being absorbed through the skin at higher levels than previously thought.

The research, published in the journal Environment International, set out to investigate the dermal absorption of 17 types of PFAS, including PFOA, exposure to which the American Cancer Society found may increase risk of testicular, kidney, prostate, bladder, breast and ovarian cancers.

The researchers used models that mimicked human skin and tested how the skin could absorb some of the most common PFAS, including those described in the Drinking Water Directive of the EU, which is designed to ensure the safest drinking water for the public. According to a separate study published in April 2024, PFAS have been detected at high levels in groundwater around the world.

But in terms of skin absorption, PFAS can be found on things that come in contact with our skin daily, including waterproof garments, school uniforms, cosmetic products, personal care products, toilet paper and bandages.

“The ability of these chemicals to be absorbed through skin has previously been dismissed because the molecules are ionised. The electrical charge that gives them the ability to repel water and stains was thought to also make them incapable of crossing the skin membrane,” Oddný Ragnarsdóttir, lead author of the study, said in a statement. “Our research shows that this theory does not always hold true and that, in fact, uptake through the skin could be a significant source of exposure to these harmful chemicals.”

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The researchers found that 15 of the 17 PFAS they tested were absorbed at substantial amounts. Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) and perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) had some of the highest absorption rates at 58.9% for PFPeA and 48.7% for PFBS. PFOA had 13.5% absorption into the bloodstream and 38% that stayed in the skin, presenting the potential for long-term absorption.

As The Guardian reported, there have been claims that short-chain PFAS, which have fewer carbons in their compounds, are safer than long-chain PFAS, such as PFOA. But as the researchers found, the short-chain PFAS were still absorbed into skin at high levels.

“This study helps us to understand how important exposure to these chemicals via the skin might be and also which chemical structures might be most easily absorbed,” said Stuart Harrad, co-author of the study and a professor at the University of Birmingham’s School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. “This is important because we see a shift in industry towards chemicals with shorter chain lengths because these are believed to be less toxic — however the trade-off might be that we absorb more of them, so we need to know more about the risks involved.”

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An Old Landfill Site Is Now a Community Solar Project in Fort Edward, New York

Posted on by June 28, 2024

What was once a landfill in the town of Fort Edward, New York has now been transformed into a community solar project that will power hundreds of local households with clean energy.

The project, a collaboration between Kendall Sustainable Infrastructure, AC Power and GreenSpark Solar, turned the former landfill site into a 7 megawatt solar project spanning a 58-acre lot, Solar Industry reported.

According to a press release from AC Power, the new solar community site will provide power to more than 800 households.

A landfill from 1969 to 1991, the site became what AC Power described as an “environmental burden” until it was capped and its hazardous waste was cleaned up. By 2019, the town began accepting proposals from developers over what to do with the empty site.

According to the project developers and owners, the project will provide more affordable, clean energy to Fort Edward while also contributing toward New York’s goals for a clean energy transition, including installing 3,000 megawatts of clean energy by 2030 and reaching zero-emissions electricity by 2040.

“The Town of Fort Edward’s unique vision to transform a former landfill into a community solar project years before the rest of the industry caught up is truly inspiring,” Annika Colston, founder and CEO of AC Power, said in a press release. “This project supports New York State’s ambitious clean energy goals and showcases how innovative approaches can turn environmental challenges into sustainable opportunities.”

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As explained by the U.S. Department of Energy, community solar projects work by collecting solar energy at one site and sharing the energy to local residents and businesses, who pay a subscription fee. This makes solar energy more accessible to homes and businesses that may not be able to install their own solar panels and can help reduce energy bills and make the community more resilient against power outages.

There are additional benefits of redeveloping a brownfield site, which is a site that may be polluted from hazardous substances, fossil fuels or other contaminants, as described by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These abandoned sites can undergo environmental remediation to clean up the contaminants and reduce risks to the local community. As with the case of the Fort Edwards solar project, these sites can be transformed to provide multiple environmental and economic benefits to a community.

The companies behind the Fort Edward solar project are also working on a similar brownfield redevelopment project in Queensbury, New York that will turn a former factory site into a 6 megawatt solar site.

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Burning Train Cars With Toxic Chemicals After Derailment in East Palestine Was Unnecessary, Federal Investigation Finds

Posted on by June 27, 2024

The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) investigation has determined that the venting and burning of tank cars of the derailed train in East Palestine, Ohio was not necessary, and that the decision to burn was made under incomplete and misleading information from Norfolk Southern, operator of the train.

Last year, NTSB held an investigative hearing over the train derailment and following handling of the hazardous materials onboard in East Palestine that happened in February 2023. The investigation revealed the cause of the derailment and analyzed the actions that happened following the incident, which included the burning of tank cars that were carrying vinyl chloride. After the incident, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that the train had never been marked as a “high hazardous material train” in the first place.

According to NTSB, the tank cars underwent a vent and burn procedure, which involves releasing the chemicals inside the tank cars into the ground and then setting them on fire, three days after the derailment. The decision came from incident commander and East Palestine fire chief Keith Drabick, who had told investigators that Norfolk Southern were positioning a vent and burn as the safest option, HuffPost reported. The fire chief had said Norfolk Southern pressured him to respond with a decision on a vent and burn in just 13 minutes.

Some concerns were raised by Norfolk Southern and its contractors over the potential for the chemicals in the tank cars to undergo polymerization, which could lead to an explosion.

“Norfolk Southern and its contractors continued to assert the necessity of a vent and burn, even though available evidence should have led them to re-evaluate their initial conclusions,” said Paul Stancil of NTSB, as reported by HuffPost.

But according to NTSB’s report on its investigation, a vent and burn “was not necessary to prevent a polymerization induced explosion” and the board wrote that Norfolk Southern “compromised the integrity of the decision to vent and burn the tank cars by not communicating expertise and dissenting opinions to the incident commander making the final decision.” NTSB said that the on-site temperature trends showed no signs of polymerization.

NTSB said that the choice to vent and burn instead posed “high local and environmental impacts” and suggested that federal guidance be developed over when to conduct a vent and burn procedure.

Additionally, NTSB said that volunteer firefighter laws in Ohio were insufficient for providing a safe emergency response to the train derailment in East Palestine, and that there was inefficient coordination and communication because of a lack of common radio channels. Further, the board said that Norfolk Southern’s delays in relaying information about the train consist — or the contents and positioning of the train cars — to emergency responders increased hazardous exposures to the emergency responders and the public.

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NTSB’s report found that an overheating bearing caused the derailment. According to the report, the bearing overheated, causing an axle to separate. 

“Unfortunately, some have sought to minimize the wide-ranging impacts of this derailment, pointing to the fact that there were no fatalities or injuries. For this, we are certainly grateful, but the absence of a fatality or injury doesn’t mean the presence of safety,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a statement. “Our agency doesn’t wait for death or injury to occur. Instead, we objectively analyze the facts and evidence to make recommendations that, if implemented, will ensure this never happens again. Thanks to the hard work of our world-class investigators, we now have a roadmap to do just that.”

NTSB listed 31 recommendations for improving railway safety. Some of these recommendations included:

  • For the Federal Railroad Administration to research and regulate bearing defect detection systems and responses,;
  • For the Association of American Railroads to create a database on bearing failure and replacements;
  • For Ohio to adjust its volunteer firefighter training requirements to meet “a widely accepted” standard;
  • For Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency to establish a policy requiring train consist information to be provided immediately; and
  • For The Chlorine Institute to update its pamphlet on vinyl chloride monomer, which Norfolk Southern had used in support of the vent and burn decision and which NTSB had defined as having “misleading information about signs of polymerization.”

The full list of findings and recommendations are available to the public in the NTSB’s report abstract. The full investigation docket is also available online.

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California: New EV Incentives for Low-Income Buyers Could Help Replace ‘Clunkers,’ Improve Air Quality

Posted on by June 26, 2024

Residents of California now have access to up to $14,000 in new incentives for electric vehicle purchases and charging access, perks that could help more people afford to swap older, higher tailpipe emissions vehicles for much cleaner options.

The California Air Resources Board is rolling out a new Driving Clean Assistance Program that offers incentives for eligible applicants who are chosen for the program. Participants will need to be approved before making their EV purchase in order to receive the benefits, as the California Air Resources Board noted this program does not apply retroactively to previous EV purchases.

As CleanTechnica noted, the Driving Clean Assistance Program has is similar to the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), also known as “Cash for Clunkers.” The former federal CARS program, which expired in 2009, was established to encourage people to trade in older vehicles that produced more emissions in exchange for discounts on newer, more efficient vehicles. A 2010 study from the University of Michigan had found that the CARS program was effective at preventing 4.4 million metric tons of carbon emissions.

California’s new Driving Clean Assistance Program offers up to $14,000 for low-income residents toward the purchase of new or used EVs and hybrids while providing bigger cost incentives for those who trade in older vehicles for scrap. The program also provides funding for EV charging to make the transition more accessible.

For residents who trade in their old, high-emissions vehicle for scrap, the program offers up to $12,000 for grants toward lower-emissions alternatives, plus $2,000 for either EV charging credits on a prepaid card or toward the cost installing charging infrastructure for participants with Disadvantaged Community (DAC) status. Those participants without this status are eligible for up to $10,000 in vehicle purchase grants for EVs and other cleaner vehicles, plus the $2,000 to go toward charging credits or charging infrastructure installation. 

For participants without a vehicle to scrap, they can receive up to $7,500 toward the EV purchase and $2,000 in funding for charging. In addition, the program establishes an 8% annual percentage rate (APR) cap on interest for participants that need loans to purchase their EVs.

Both new and used EV purchases are eligible for the grants. However, there are some further rules on the types of vehicles available to purchase via the program. New or used vehicles can’t exceed $45,000 in purchase price, and used models have to be younger than 8 years with under 80,000 miles. 

As The Drive reported, the Driving Clean Assistance Program only specifies that a vehicle purchased through the program needs to be a “cleaner vehicle,” meaning hybrid vehicles could also qualify for the incentives. Participants can consult the California Air Resources Board’s list of approved vehicles to determine which vehicle purchases are eligible for the program.

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The program gives priority to low-income households and requires applicants to have a household income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, which means applicants should have an household income of $93,600 for a four-person family. It is free for eligible applicants to apply for the program.

“A tiered incentive structure provides maximum incentives to the lowest income participants purchasing or leasing the cleanest technology vehicles that reside within and near priority populations,” the board said in the program fact sheet. “This reduces health risks and transportation costs, and provides greater, more reliable mobility and increased access to clean transportation to priority populations.”

As CleanTechnica reported, around one-third of all electric car sales in the U.S. come from California. The state’s ongoing initiatives to promote EVs, including the new Driving Clean Assistance Program, could help further improve the state’s air quality and allow the state to continue leading the charge in transitioning to cleaner vehicles by taking more heavy polluters off the roads.

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Scientists Invent a Chocolate That’s More Sustainable and Healthier

Posted on by June 25, 2024

Scientists from the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH), along with professionals in the chocolate industry, have found a way to make better use of cocoa fruit to produce not only more sustainable, but also healthier chocolate.

Currently, to make chocolate, producers use the beans found inside the cocoa fruit, but not the pulp or endocarp, an outer shell inside the exterior husk of the cocoa fruit.

However, the ETH researchers, along with experts from the cocoa-recycling company Koa and the confectionery company Max Felchlin AG, realized that they could also use the pulp, its juice and even the endocarp to create chocolate with less waste. The exterior husk could then be composted or reused for fuel.

According to the study, published in the journal Nature Food, the endocarp is rich in pectin. As such, the team was able to produce a gel from the endocarp by making this material into powder and mixing it with the fruit’s pulp and juice.

The resulting gel can be used as an alternative to powdered sugar in chocolate production and results in chocolate that still tastes like a sweet treat, but comes with around 30% less saturated fat and a 20% boost of fiber compared to conventional European dark chocolate.

“Fiber is valuable from a physiological perspective because it naturally regulates intestinal activity and prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly when consuming chocolate,” Kim Mishra, lead author of the study, explained in a statement. “Saturated fat can also pose a health risk when too much is consumed. There’s a relationship between increased consumption of saturated fats and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.”

The scientists found that it was difficult to achieve the right texture for their chocolate made with the entirety of the cocoa fruit, since it could become too clumpy if it had too much of the juice from the flesh. In tests with less of the cocoa fruit juice, the resulting chocolate wasn’t sweet enough to compete with conventional chocolate.

Eventually, the researchers found that adding around 20% of their cocoa-based gel provided the right texture and taste for the resulting chocolate. As Food & Wine reported, trained panelists from the Bern University of Applied Sciences were tasked with tasting the chocolates from the study experiments to help find the right balance.

The experiments worked, as evidenced by the team filing for a patent for their chocolate recipe made from cocoa fruit. According to the scientists, the resulting recipe will allow farmers to increase their income and offer more products by using more parts of the cocoa fruit.

“This means that farmers can not only sell the beans, but also dry out the juice from the pulp and the endocarp, grind it into powder and sell that as well,” Mishra said. “This would allow them to generate income from three value-creation streams. And more value creation for the cocoa fruit makes it more sustainable.”

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As Food & Wine reported, if this approach to chocolate production scales up, it could reduce the amount of land needed for producing dark chocolate. But it will require updated tools and infrastructure for farmers, like drying facilities, that will need more time and money to develop before the scientists’ chocolate can become widely available.

“Although we’ve shown that our chocolate is attractive and has a comparable sensory experience to normal chocolate, the entire value creation chain will need to be adapted, starting with the cocoa farmers, who will require drying facilities,” Mishra said. “Cocoa-fruit chocolate can only be produced and sold on a large scale by chocolate producers once enough powder is produced by food processing companies.”

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