A new report by the Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab at Johns Hopkins University explains the high cost that would come to the U.S. if the incoming Trump administration repeals existing climate policies.

According to the report, Donald Trump’s plans to undo climate policies would cost the U.S. billions of dollars. Rolling back policies such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) would create lost opportunities for U.S. manufacturing and trade, leading to job losses, tax revenue declines and losses in exports, the report authors said.

“Our scenario analysis shows that U.S. repeal of the IRA would, in the most likely scenario, harm U.S. manufacturing and trade and create up to $80 billion in investment opportunities for other countries, including major U.S. competitors like China,” the authors wrote. “U.S. harm would come in the form of lost factories, lost jobs, lost tax revenue, and up to $50 billion in lost exports.”

As The Guardian reported, these repealed policies would lead to a loss of opportunities in clean energy for the U.S., while China and other nations will gain money and power when it comes to developing solar and wind energy infrastructure, electric vehicles, battery storage and more. 

In 2023, China already installed more solar panels in one year than the U.S. has in total. As of July 2024, Global Energy Monitor found that China had projects with about 180 gigawatts of utility-scale solar power and 159 gigawatts of wind power in progress, which is about double the capacity of utility-scale renewables under construction compared to the rest of the world.

Even if the U.S. invests more in fossil fuels and strips back investments and progress in clean energy projects under the new administration, the rest of the world is continuing the transition to clean energy, which has already led to economic gains globally. As the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported, clean energy made up 10% of economic growth in 2023, and clean energy accounted for about 80% of new electricity capacity additions last year. There has also been a growth in electrified transportation, with one in five cars sold globally being EVs.

The U.S. will continue to add more renewable energy as it becomes more affordable, but rolling back subsidies and policies on clean energy will mean the country needs to import these products rather than producing them, the report authors warned.

“The U.S. will still install a bunch of solar panels and wind turbines, but getting rid of those policies would harm the U.S.’s bid for leadership in this new world,” Bentley Allan, co-author of the report and an environmental and political policy expert at Johns Hopkins University, told The Guardian. “The energy transition is inevitable and the future prosperity of countries hinges on being part of the clean energy supply chain. If we exit the competition, it will be very difficult to re-enter.”

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The most recent Global Carbon Budget report has found that the world’s carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels reached a record high in 2024, pushing the planet further off track from avoiding the most destructive impacts of global heating.

The 2024 Global Carbon Budget — produced by the Global Carbon Project team of 120-plus scientists from around the world — projects that emissions from fossil carbon dioxide will reach 37.4 billion tonnes in 2024, an increase of 0.8 percent over the previous year, according to a press release from the Global Carbon Project.

“The impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly dramatic, yet we still see no sign that burning of fossil fuels has peaked,” said lead author of the study Professor Pierre Friedlingstein of Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter, in the press release. “Time is running out to meet the Paris Agreement goals – and world leaders meeting at COP29 must bring about rapid and deep cuts to fossil fuel emissions to give us a chance of staying well below 2°C warming above pre-industrial levels.”

Total carbon dioxide emissions for 2024 are projected to be 41.6 billion tonnes, with 4.2 billion tonnes coming from deforestation and other land-use changes. Last year’s total emissions were 40.6 billion tonnes.

Over the course of the past decade, fossil carbon emissions have increased while carbon dioxide emissions from land-use changes have gone down on average, leaving total emissions approximately level for that period. In the past 10 years, overall emissions from land-use changes have gone down 20 percent.

This year, however, global emissions from both land-use changes and fossil carbon dioxide are in a position to rise. Drought conditions exacerbated emissions from deforestation, fires and forest degradation during the 2023-2024 El Niño climate event.

“Emissions from fires in 2024 have been above the average since the beginning of the satellite record in 2003, particularly due to the extreme 2023 wildfire season in Canada (which persisted in 2024) and intense drought in Brazil,” the press release said.

The permanent removal of carbon dioxide through new forests and reforestation offsets roughly half of emissions from permanent deforestation.

“Despite another rise in global emissions this year, the latest data shows evidence of widespread climate action, with the growing penetration of renewables and electric cars displacing fossil fuels, and decreasing deforestation emissions in the past decades confirmed for the first time,” said Professor Corinne Le Quéré, a research professor at University of East Anglia’s School of Environmental Sciences, in the press release.

Dr. Glen Peters, co-author of the report and a senior researcher with Oslo’s CICERO Center for International Climate Research, pointed out that, for a peak in the world’s fossil fuel emissions to occur, more countries must speed up the pace of their emissions cuts.

“There are many signs of positive progress at the country level, and a feeling that a peak in global fossil CO2 emissions is imminent, but the global peak remains elusive. Climate action is a collective problem, and while gradual emission reductions are occurring in some countries, increases continue in others,” Peters said in the press release. “Progress in all countries needs to accelerate fast enough to put global emissions on a downward trajectory towards net zero.”

The scientists found that emissions from the United States — which represent 13 percent of the world’s total — are predicted to decrease by 0.6 percent this year. Meanwhile, India’s emissions — eight percent of the total — are projected to climb 4.6 percent. Emissions from the European Union — which make up seven percent — are likely to go down by 3.8 percent. The rest of the planet’s emissions — 38 percent of collective emissions overall — are projected to rise by 1.1 percent.

“Until we reach net zero CO2 emissions globally, world temperatures will continue to rise and cause increasingly severe impacts,” Friedlingstein added.

Another finding of the report was that current technology-based carbon removal only accounted for roughly one-millionth of fossil fuel carbon emissions.

Ocean– and land-based carbon sinks combined made up about half of total carbon dioxide removal in 2024, despite the negative impacts of climate change.

“Solar and wind is displacing fossil fuels in some countries, but then you have other countries where the economies are growing too strongly for renewables to keep up,” Peters said, as The New York Times reported. “When you put the whole global sum together, fossil fuels are still winning. An emissions peak could be around the corner, but we haven’t seen it yet.”

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Plastics, ubiquitous in modern society, have become a toxic menace all over the world, leaching PFAS “forever chemicals,” breaking down into microplastics and choking the world’s seas and landfills. 

In a promising study, scientists have discovered that mealworm larvae are capable of consuming polystyrene. They are one of few insects — and the first native African insect species — that has been found to be able to break down the polluting plastic.

Styrofoam, as polystyrene is commonly called, is a plastic material used in food, industrial and electronic packaging. It is strong and hard to break down in the environment. Traditional recycling methods, such as thermal and chemical processing, are costly and produce pollutants.

“Plastic pollution levels are at critically high levels in some African countries. Though plastic waste is a major environmental issue globally, Africa faces a particular challenge due to high importation of plastic products, low re-use and a lack of recycling of these products,” Fathiya Khamis, senior scientist with the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, wrote in The Conversation.

The center’s research team found that Kenyan lesser mealworm larvae could not only chew through polystyrene, but host gut bacteria who help them break down the material.

The lesser mealworm is primarily found in the warm environment of chicken raising operations, which also provide them with a consistent supply of food.

The team looked at the larvae’s gut bacteria to identify which bacterial communities might support the process of degrading plastic.

“By studying these natural ‘plastic-eaters,’ we hope to create new tools that help get rid of plastic waste faster and more efficiently. Instead of releasing a huge number of these insects into trash sites (which isn’t practical), we can use the microbes and enzymes they produce in factories, landfills and cleanup sites. This means plastic waste can be tackled in a way that’s easier to manage at a large scale,” Khamis explained.

The team’s study trial lasted more than a month, during which time the mealworm larvae were fed either bran — which is dense in nutrients — polystyrene by itself, or a combination of bran and the plastic material.

The scientists found that mealworms who consumed the diet of polystyrene and bran together had higher survival rates than those who were fed just polystyrene. They also discovered that the larvae on the combination diet ate polystyrene more efficiently than the worms on a diet of polystyrene alone. The findings highlight the benefits of making sure the insects had a nutrient-dense diet.

“While the polystyrene-only diet did support the mealworms’ survival, they didn’t have enough nutrition to make them efficient in breaking down polystyrene. This finding reinforced the importance of a balanced diet for the insects to optimally consume and degrade plastic. The insects could be eating the polystyrene because it’s mostly made up of carbon and hydrogen, which may provide them an energy source,” Khamis wrote in The Conversation.

On the polystyrene-bran diet, the mealworms could break down roughly 11.7 percent of all the polystyrene they were given during the trial period.

The mealworm gut analysis showed major shifts in gut bacterial composition depending upon their diet. Gaining an understanding of these changes is essential, since it reveals the particular microbes that are actively involved in the plastic decomposition process.

When used at scale, the bacteria will not harm the environment or the insect, Khamis said.

“The abundance of bacteria indicates that they play a crucial role in breaking down the plastic. This may mean that mealworms may not naturally have the ability to eat plastic. Instead, when they start eating plastic, the bacteria in their guts might change to help break it down. Thus, the microbes in the mealworms’ stomachs can adjust to unusual diets, like plastic,” Khamis wrote. “These findings support our hypothesis that the gut of certain insects can enable plastic degradation. This is likely because the bacteria in their gut can produce enzymes that break down plastic polymers.”

Other insect species have previously shown that they are able to consume plastics by breaking down polystyrene-like materials with their gut bacteria.

This study was different because it focused on native African insect species breaking down plastic, which had not yet been extensively studied.

“This regional focus is important because the insects and environmental conditions in Africa may differ from those in other parts of the world, potentially offering new insights and practical solutions for plastic pollution in African settings,” Khamis explained. “The Kenyan lesser mealworm’s ability to consume polystyrene suggests that it could play a role in natural waste reduction, especially for types of plastic that are resistant to conventional recycling methods.”

Khamis added that future research could focus on identifying specific bacterial strains that are involved in the degradation of polystyrene and looking at their enzymes.

“Additionally, we may explore other types of plastics to test the versatility of this insect for broader waste management applications,” Khamis said in The Conversation. “Scaling up the use of the lesser mealworms for plastic degradation would also require strategies for ensuring insect health over prolonged plastic consumption, as well as evaluating the safety of resulting insect biomass for animal feeds.”

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At the COP29 United Nations Climate Conference, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that the United Kingdom would slash greenhouse gas emissions 81 percent by 2035.

The UK’s new target follows recommendations by the Climate Change Committee, who said the goal should exceed the country’s current 78 percent emissions reduction, in comparison with 1990 levels, reported Reuters.

“At this COP, I was pleased to announce that we’re building on our reputation as a climate leader, with the UK’s 2035 NDC (nationally determined contributions) target to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% on 1990 levels,” Starmer said at a press conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, as Reuters reported.

Starmer’s announcement was in line with Britain’s goal of making itself an international destination for clean energy companies, particularly since President-elect Donald Trump has been threatening to derail tax incentives that make the United States a draw for renewables, reported The New York Times.

“The race is on for the clean energy jobs of the future, the economy of the future,” Starmer said, as The New York Times reported.

Helen Clarkson, head of nonprofit organization Climate Group, stated in an email that the Starmer administration would need to come up with a plan for green energy companies that want to invest.

 “The economic prize on offer to the U.K is enormous,” Clarkson said in the email.

The UK’s target is one of the first NDCs to be announced at COP29, reported The Guardian. The goal is also expected to be among the most ambitious from the countries attending the summit.

NDCs are due in February of 2025.

To achieve its objective, the UK would decarbonize its power sector, expand offshore wind and invest in nuclear energy and carbon capture and storage.

Climate activists have referred to the NDCs submitted thus far by nations at the summit as “underwhelming.”

“With the warning signals flashing red, a planet battered by increasingly severe floods, storms and heatwaves, and the election of climate denier President Trump, the need for climate leadership by the UK has never been more urgent. Starmer’s 2035 carbon-reduction pledge is a step in the right direction but must be seen as a floor to the level of ambition, not a ceiling. Deeper, faster cuts are needed to help avert the climate collision course we are on,” said Rosie Downes, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth, as The Guardian reported. “Furthermore, if these targets are to be credible, they must be backed by a clear plan to ensure they are met. The UK’s existing 2030 commitment is currently way off course.”

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In a new study, scientists tested soil samples from residential and play areas in the Greater Fifth Ward, a neighborhood of Houston, Texas and found high concentrations of lead.

The researchers tested for heavy metals and metalloids, such as lead, arsenic and mercury. While the levels for most of the heavy metals and metalloids appeared in line or lower than usual for urban locations, the average amount of lead was higher than the typical amount of lead present in soil in Texas. The team published their findings in Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.

The scientists found a median of 400 milligrams of lead per kilogram of soil in seven samples from play areas and 1,200 milligrams per kilogram in three residential soil samples. But the actual amount of lead could be even higher, as the team did not account for lead-based paint or vehicle fuel.

“Heavy metals and metalloids have been extensively studied and regulated over the past 50 years, but evidence is growing that contact is more prevalent than previously thought, especially in so-called cancer clusters like the Greater Fifth Ward, where most residents are socioeconomically disadvantaged racial and ethnic minorities,” Dr. Garett Sansom, an author of the study and research assistant professor at the Texas A&M School of Public Health, said in a statement.

Downtown Houston and the Greater Fifth Ward seen on Feb. 24, 2019. Adam Reeder / Flickr

For the study, researchers partnered with Coalition of Community Organizations and IMPACT GFW and worked with local residents to conduct the testing. They collected 193 soil samples and tested them for lead, barium, chromium, arsenic, cadmium, selenium, mercury and silver. Lead, barium and chromium had the highest concentrations, but only lead was at a higher level than expected for a city.

As reported by Houston Landing, the Greater Fifth Ward neighborhood is part of a “cancer cluster” area with contaminated soil and groundwater that has exposed residents to higher risks of cancer and other diseases for decades.

In 2023, Houston officials passed a $5 million plan to offer money to residents in the area to voluntarily relocate, because of 110 houses near the former Union Pacific Railroad site. But as Houston Landing reported, development in the Greater Fifth Ward has still pushed forward, and many residents are moving to the area with no warning of the contamination.

Researchers and community members worked together to create mailers that were sent to residents to inform them of the study results, and a town hall also notified residents and provided more information. 

In concluding the study, researchers warned that the high concentrations of lead discovered in the samples require a deeper investigation, and they highlighted the importance of working with the community to do this work.

“This study provided a baseline that could aid the development of environmental protection programs,” Sansom said. “In addition, the involvement of community partners was critical to its success and should be used as a model for future research with vulnerable populations and other direct stakeholders.”

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