According to new data from the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV), nearly 90% of new vehicles sold in Norway in 2024 were electric.

The data revealed that 88.9% of new car sales in 2024 were fully electric, up from the 82.4% of all car sales being EVs in 2023, Reuters reported. As the BBC reported, some months of sales in 2024 saw up to 98% of cars sold being fully electric.

The top two selling passenger cars in Norway last year included the Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3, according to the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association (NEVA). Other top models included the Volvo EX30, Volkswagen ID.4, Toyota bZ4X, Skoda Enyaq, Nissan Ariya, Volkswagen ID.3, Audi Q4 e-tron and Hyundai Kona electric.

“Norway will be the first country in the world to pretty much erase petrol and diesel engine cars from the new car market,” said Christina Bu, secretary-general of NEVA, as reported by Reuters.

The transition is aided by dealerships such as Harald A. Møller, which has been operating in Norway for more than 75 years. The dealership recently removed all gas-fueled passenger vehicles in its showroom in favor of electric vehicles, BBC reported.

“We think it’s wrong to advise a customer coming in here today to buy an ICE [internal combustion engine] car, because the future is electric,” Ulf Tore Hekneby, CEO of Harald A. Møller, told BBC. “Long-range, high-charging speed. It’s hard to go back.”

In September 2024, electric vehicles out-numbered gas-powered cars for the first time in Norway, which also became the first country in the world for this to happen. By that point, 754,303 of the cars were fully electric, while 753,905 were gas-powered.

According to NEVA, for 2024, the total of fully electric passenger vehicles in Norway reached 788,836, while electric light-duty commercial vehicles reached 36,984.

While other countries are increasing the number of EVs sold, they are still far behind the progress made in Norway. For example, in November 2024, the UK hit its record for the share of EVs in total new car sales, with EVs making up about 25% of total car registrations for the month. 

According to Reuters, EVs make up just 8% of total vehicle sales in the U.S. as of 2024, and hybrid vehicles have more demand compared to fully electric vehicles. Experts are also concerned that interest in EVs could plummet if President-elect Donald Trump removes the electric vehicle tax credits upon taking office.

“If you take true demand for the car and you eliminate the $7,500 benefit… it’s really going to change who wants them and how they buy them. So we’re preparing for that,” David Christ, head of sales and marketing for Toyota in North America, told Reuters.

By comparison, Norway has a goal to have an emissions-free car fleet this year, with all vehicles run by battery or hydrogen. According to Visit Norway, the country offers EV subsidies, lower cost parking for EVs, increased access to bus and taxi lanes, and strong charging infrastructure, including more than 3,000 public charging stations and more than 7,750 fast-chargers. 

“Even in the northernmost parts of Northern Norway — an area with huge distances, more reindeer than people, and really low temperatures in the winter — you can get around easily in an EV,” Bu explained.

Further, Norway taxes gas- and diesel-powered vehicle purchases at a much higher rate to encourage the purchase and use of EVs.

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According to a new analysis by the nonprofit organization Oxfam Great Britain (Oxfam GB), the wealthiest 1% of people in the world have already exhausted their annual share of the global carbon budget.

One’s annual share of the carbon budget is the amount of carbon emissions per person that can be added into the atmosphere while remaining within the target for no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming compared to pre-industrial times. 

The richest 1%, which includes 77 million people such as billionaires and millionaires, surpassed their share of the carbon budget in just the first 10 days of 2025. By comparison, someone in the poorest 50% of the global population would use up just their share of the annual global carbon budget in 1,022 days.

“The future of our planet is hanging by a thread, yet the super-rich are being allowed to continue to squander humanity’s chances with their lavish lifestyles and polluting investments,” Chiara Liguori, senior climate justice policy advisor for Oxfam GB, said in a statement. “Governments need to stop pandering to the richest polluters and instead make them pay their fair share for the havoc they’re wreaking on our planet. Leaders who fail to act are culpable in a crisis that threatens the lives of billions.”

The carbon budget that Oxfam GB used in the analysis is based on the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which noted that maintaining under 1.5 degrees Celsius warming would allow for a median of about 24 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) by 2030, at which time population is estimated to be around 8.5 billion. As Oxfam GB reported, this total divided by the 8.5 billion people gave the estimated carbon budget per person per year to be around 2.1 metric tons.

Not only are the ultra-wealthy using well beyond their share of the carbon budget, but the ways that they are emitting are not providing economic benefits to society. According to a separate report by Oxfam GB titled Carbon Inequality Kills, just 50 billionaires took 184 flights on private jets in one year, emitting the same amount of carbon an average person outside of the 1% would in 300 years. One year of private yacht use by this group of the world’s wealthiest individuals emitted the same amount of carbon an average person would in 860 years, the report found.

In total, the use of luxury private jets and super-yachts, alongside polluting investments, led the 50 richest billionaires to emit more carbon in 2.78 hours than it takes for an average person in Britain to emit in their entire lifetime.

Previous research from Oxfam GB found that in 2019, the wealthiest 1% were responsible for 15.9% of all carbon emissions, while the lower 50%, totalling 3.9 billion people, accounted for a total of 7.7% of global emissions that year. A separate study similarly found that the bottom 50% of earners has been responsible for only 16% of all global emissions since 1990, while the top 1% are responsible for 23% of all emissions in that timeframe.

Another study published in 2023 found that the wealthiest 10% of people in the U.S. made up 40% of the country’s total emissions.

In order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the wealthiest 1% of people globally need to reduce their emissions per capita by 97% by 2030. However, Oxfam GB found that the 1% is currently on track to reduce emissions by only 5%.

As The Guardian reported, the wealthiest 1% are surpassing their share of the global carbon budget, yet they have the resources to escape the worst impacts of climate change through amenities like air conditioning and climate-resilient housing. Meanwhile, people earning the lowest incomes globally hardly contribute to emissions while facing the worst of extreme heat, flooding, poor air quality, and other harmful and deadly effects of climate change.

“As global temperatures continue to climb, the UK must show how it will generate its own share of new, fair funding to meet the escalating climate finance needs and fight inequality — significantly higher taxes on polluting luxuries like private jets and superyachts is an obvious place for the Government to start,” Liguori said. 

According to Oxfam GB, if the UK taxed luxury vehicles such as private jets and yachts fairly, the country could have generated up to £2 billion ($2.44 billion) to put toward climate action.

At the latest COP29 United Nations Climate Conference, the wealthiest countries in the world further refused to pay a more equitable share toward climate resiliency, offering $250 billion to lower-income countries to split among themselves for climate action. Experts have noted that developing countries would require at least $1.3 trillion per year, if not $5 trillion or more, by 2030 for adequate climate adaptation and resiliency.

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It’s no secret that per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, are now well-established in the human body, with their presence detected in blood, umbilical cords and human milk. And while experts have linked PFAS exposure to health concerns like elevated cancer risks, endocrine disruption, developmental disruption and reduced immune system response, their impacts on the human brain remain relatively unknown.

However, a team led by researchers from the University at Buffalo has now identified 11 genes that could clear the way to better understanding how these chemicals affect brain tissue, and their level of neurotoxicity.

“Our findings indicate these genes may be markers to detect and monitor PFAS-induced neurotoxicity in the future,” G. Ekin Atilla-Gokcumen, lead co-corresponding author of the study and a chemistry professor at University at Buffalo, said in a statement.

The team exposed six types of PFAS to neuronal-like cells and lipids for a 24-hour period and found that these chemicals caused different expressions in 721 genes. These changes affected oxidative stress, protein synthesis, hypoxia signaling and amino acid metabolism, according to the study. They published their findings in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience.

Out of all the PFAS tested, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) led to the widest spread changes in gene expression, affecting nearly 600 genes. By comparison, no other compound in the test affected expression of more than 147 genes. In July 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated PFOA as a hazardous substance under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

In total, 11 genes were impacted to express in the same way after exposure to all six compounds. Some of these differently expressed genes were important for neuronal cell survival, the study found.

“Each of these 11 genes exhibited consistent regulation across all PFAS that we tested. This uniform response suggests that they may serve as promising markers for assessing PFAS exposure, but further research is needed to know how these genes respond to other types of PFAS,” Atilla-Gokcumen explained.

The study results may help scientists further determine how these accumulative chemicals impact human brains, but as of right now, there are no known, safe and effective methods for removing PFAS from the human body. Even determining the level of exposure to PFAS is complicated, with testing costing up to $500, Verywell Health reported. While PFAS blood testing costs are required to be covered by insurance in New Hampshire, coverage varies or may be unavailable in other states.

G. Ekin Atilla-Gokcumen’s lab found 11 genes that are consistently affected by PFAS exposure, either expressing more or less, regardless of the type of PFAS. Meredith Forrest Kulwicki / University at Buffalo

In February 2024, a separate study found that the cholesterol medication cholestyramine was effective at reducing PFAS levels in plasma. However, the study included a small sample of subjects, and the researchers determined that the medication was not suitable for widespread, long-term use for the purpose of lowering PFAS levels because of the risk of side effects, Medical Xpress reported.

For now, medical experts will continue researching how PFAS affect human health alongside ways to reduce the accumulation of these compounds in our bodies, including through alternative materials that could provide the same benefits, such as water- and stain-resistance, with lower risks to human health.

“If we understand why some PFAS are more harmful than others, we can prioritize phasing out the worst offenders while seeking safer substitutes,” Atilla-Gokcumen explained. “For example, alternatives like short-chain PFAS are being explored, as they tend to persist less in the environment and accumulate less in biological systems. However, their reduced persistence may come at the cost of effectiveness in certain applications, and there are concerns about potential unknown health effects that require further investigation. Further research is needed to ensure these substitutes are genuinely safer and effective for specific applications. This research is a major step towards achieving this goal.”

In the meantime, the EPA has recommended reducing exposure by checking PFAS levels in your public water supply or private well, installing filters that reduce PFAS in water and avoiding consumption of fish from PFAS-contaminated waterways.

Further, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) recommended reducing exposure to forever chemicals by limiting consumption of food in takeout packaging or paper board packaging, skipping non-stick cookware in favor of materials like stainless steel and cast iron, and avoiding clothing with aftermarket waterproofing or stain-resistant treatments.

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In a new study, scientists from University of Southampton, University of the West of England Bristol, University of Exeter, University of Cambridge, University of Leeds and University of Bath have developed a way to make smart, electronic textiles that are also sustainable and biodegradable. 

The researchers have created ‘Smart, Wearable, and Eco-friendly Electronic Textiles’ (SWEET), technological fabrics with features like sensors or lights that are designed to biodegrade after they reach the end of their lifespan.

“Integrating electrical components into conventional textiles complicates the recycling of the material because it often contains metals, such as silver, that don’t easily biodegrade,” explained Nazmul Karim, lead author of the study and a professor at the Winchester School of Art at University of Southampton. “Our potential ecofriendly approach for selecting sustainable materials and manufacturing overcomes this, enabling the fabric to decompose when it is disposed of.”

To make a biodegradable e-textile, the researchers created a three-layer fabric with a Tencel-fabric base, an interface layer, and the sensor layer. The Tencel is a wood pulp-based fabric, and the team used graphene and a type of conductive polymer known as PEDOT:PSS for the electronic elements. 

From there, they were able to use inkjet printing to adhere these materials to the fabric, as this process used less water and energy and produced no material waste, according to the researchers.

The researchers tested the fabric by attaching it to gloves, which five humans wore in the study. The fabric was able to effectively measure the humans’ electrocardiogram (ECG) signals and skin temperature, just like many smart wearables on the market today.

Gloves with swatches of e-textile attached inside and wired for sensing testing. Marzia Dulal

“Achieving reliable, industry-standard monitoring with eco-friendly materials is a significant milestone. It demonstrates that sustainability doesn’t have to come at the cost of functionality, especially in critical applications like healthcare,” Shaila Afroj, a co-author of the study and associate professor of sustainable materials at the University of Exeter, said in a statement.

After testing how the fabric performed in tracking human physiology metrics, the team put SWEET to its bigger test — whether it was biodegradable. The fabric was buried in soil with a 6.5 to 6.8 pH in an incubator with a temperature of around 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit) and a relative humidity of around 90%.

After a four-month period, the fabric had a 48% decrease in weight and 98% decrease in strength. The graphene elements also revealed a 40 times smaller impact upon decomposition compared to standard electrodes in wearables. The researchers published their findings in the journal Energy and Environmental Materials.

According to Statista, smart wearable shipments were expected to reach 543 million units worldwide in 2024, and this number is only expected to grow, reaching an estimated 612.5 million units by 2028.

Further, a report by ResearchAndMarkets.com has estimated that the global smart textiles market will increase from $4.85 billion as of 2024 to $29.1 billion by 2033.

With this increasing demand comes the risk of increasing e-waste, or electronic waste. As Earth.org reported, humans currently generate about 50 million to 60 million tons of e-waste per year, and much of this waste does not break down into the soil. Instead, the materials can corrode or react to UV rays and leach harmful substances into the environment. According to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, e-waste is slated to increase 32% by 2030. 

With the growing demand for smart, wearable technology, advancements such as biodegradable electronic textiles will be necessary to meet demand without contributing to more e-waste. The researchers noted that their study can help further additional research into more sustainable, and ultimately fully biodegradable or recyclable, e-textiles and other materials.

“Amid rising pollution from landfill sites, our study helps to address a lack of research in the area of biodegradation of e-textiles,” Karim said. “These materials will become increasingly more important in our lives, particularly in the area of healthcare, so it’s really important we consider how to make them more eco-friendly, both in their manufacturing and disposal.”

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Chicago, Illinois is kicking off the New Year with clean energy. As of Jan. 1, all of Chicago’s 411 municipal buildings, such as its international airports, fire stations, libraries and City Hall, are now powered entirely by renewable energy.

The feat has been made possible through a 5-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Constellation signed in August 2022, the Chicago Tribune reported.

“Every Chicagoan interacts with a city-owned building, whether the cultural center, City Hall, Harold Washington Library, O’Hare and Midway (international airports) or your local library. To be able to achieve this milestone on behalf of city residents is exciting,” Angela Tovar, chief sustainability officer for Chicago, told the Chicago Tribune.

Most (70%) of the municipal buildings’ 900,000 MWh of annual power demand is now met through a new, 4,100-acre solar farm called Double Black Diamond, which was established in Sangamon and Morgan counties, about 30 miles from Springfield, Illinois. Double Black Diamond, developed and operated by Swift Current Energy, is the largest solar farm east of the Mississippi.

As explained by the U.S. Department of Energy, a PPA is when one party purchases power supply from a third-party, which handles the development and operation of the power source. This allows the power source owner and operator to reap tax benefits and generate income by selling energy, while the customer who is buying the power can access clean energy without the cost of installing the infrastructure.

Through this plan, all of Chicago’s municipal buildings now run on clean energy, which the city buys from Constellation and is supplied by renewable energy sources, including the Double Black Diamond solar farm. 

“It’s a plan that gets the city to take action on climate and also leverages our buying power to generate new opportunities for Chicagoans and the state,” Tovar said, as reported by Grist. “There’s opportunities everywhere.”

Constellation will provide the remaining 30% of clean energy for Chicago’s city buildings through renewable energy credits (RECs), where funding from the Chicago’s energy bills is put toward clean energy projects around the U.S., Chicago Tribune reported.

While the move to power Chicago’s municipal buildings entirely with renewable power is expected to reduce the city’s carbon emissions by around 290,000 metric tons — or around the same effect of taking 62,000 vehicles off the roads, Grist reported — some people have concerns over the inclusion of RECs in the plan. 

As the Chicago Tribune reported, critics have argued that these credits are a type of greenwashing that don’t necessarily contribute to local clean energy generation.

However, the city addressed concerns over RECs, noting that the plan could still encourage more renewable energy development locally. 

“That’s really a feature and not a bug of our plan,” Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer Jared Policicchio told Grist. “Our goal over the next several years is that we reach a point where we’re not buying renewable energy credits.” 

Additionally, Tovar told Chicago Tribune that securing the 30% energy from RECs will give the city the time to explore solar installation on local buildings.

The city has also collaborated with Constellation and Swift Current Energy on a $400,000 annual deal for clean energy job training, American Cities Climate Challenge reported. Chicago further set a goal to power all buildings in the city, not just municipal buildings, through renewables by 2035. If it achieves the goal, Chicago would be the largest U.S. city to power all buildings entirely with clean energy, the Sierra Club reported.

Chicago joins around 700 other municipalities in the U.S. that have committed to PPAs, totaling over 18,372 MW worth of renewable energy, or enough clean energy to power about 4 million homes per year, as of 2021, the World Resources Institute reported.

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