Planet Week: Biden’s big electric vehicle push
Welcome to Planet Week, where we highlight the last week of environmental news and what it means for our Planet.
Welcome to Planet Week, where we highlight the last week of environmental news and what it means for our Planet.
Last week, the Dixie Fire leveled an entire California town, emperor penguins took one step closer to extinction, and research linked pesticides to even more bee deaths. Oof. Trust us, it’s not all that bad.
For (some) better news, keep reading as we cover all that happened around the Planet last week:
Sunday, August 1
Final details of bipartisan deal emerge
Last week, we wrote about the bipartisan infrastructure deal struck by U.S. senators. This week, more details emerged on the $1.2 trillion plan. The draft text is a daunting 2,700 pages and could be passed in the Senate as early as this week.
The New York Times gives a rundown of the text, which would be the largest investment in public works since 2009, as well as the largest burst of money for climate resilience. Some more specifics: $300 million would go to developing carbon capture-and-store technology, $73 billion to modernize the electricity grid, $66 billion in new funding for rail, and $7.5 billion for clean buses and ferries.
But not everyone’s happy. Many of these numbers fall far short of Biden’s initial infrastructure plan. Though the White House noted that this is just the start: A separate, Democrat-only bill could very well include these provisions.
For more on what this bill could mean for U.S. climate policy, check out this piece by The Atlantic.
Tuesday, August 3
Planting trees boxes out agriculture
Reforestation has been hailed as a key climate solution. But new research from Oxfam warns that relying heavily on planting trees could worsen global food insecurity, potentially leading to an 80% increase in food prices by 2050.
Even planting a fraction of the 1.6 billion hectares of land needed to go net-zero would encroach on crops. The report suggests focusing on other forest management solutions, such as agroforestry.
“We are not against afforestation and reforestation, and we do not want to stop people doing these things,” Nafkote Dabi, co-author of the report, told The Guardian. “We need to consult countries on how they are going to use their land, and countries and companies need to reduce their emissions first [before relying on offsetting].”
Wednesday, August 4
Dems target Big Oil
Infrastructure isn’t the only target for climate hawks: Last week, a handful of Senate Democrats unveiled a draft plan to tax $500 billion over the next decade. Modeled after the Superfund, which requires companies to pay for toxic cleanups, the pollution tax would make companies like Exxon and Chevron pay for their role in the climate crisis.
”It is a fixed penalty to provide a block of compensation,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) at a press conference, to “clean up the mess that [oil companies] knowingly cause.”
The funds would be used to invest in clean energy, research and development, and adaptation measures. Though the bill is unlikely to get Republican votes, Democrats may try to pass the tax with budget reconciliation, sidestepping the filibuster by adding it to their $3.5 trillion budget package. Reuters has more.
People are moving to flood zones
The world is facing unprecedented flooding, but that hasn’t stopped people from moving into hard-hit areas. A study published in the journal Nature found that from 2000 to 2015, the total population living in areas exposed to floods grew by between 58 and 86 million.
That growth rate is 10 times higher than previous estimates. And it’s a worrying trend — especially because developing nations are most vulnerable to floods and where the flood-risk population is increasing fastest. Read more from Grist.
Expect a more active hurricane season
It’s about to get a lot busier over the Atlantic. After a relatively calm July, experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are predicting hurricane season to get more active than usual, reports The Washington Post.
NOAA expects a total of 15–21 named storms for the season, seven to 10 of which are hurricanes. So far, we’ve only seen five named storms.
In other ocean news, climate change may be slowing a major Atlantic Ocean current, a new analysis finds. Should that current, which moves warm water north and pushes cold water south, collapse, it could trigger extreme cold, sea level rise, and global weather disruptions. The Washington Post covers that one, too.
The Mediterranean is on fire
Wildfires are raging across the Mediterranean. In Greece, thousands of people evacuated and hundreds of homes were destroyed by fire, a situation exacerbated by the worst heatwave in three decades. Though the fires have subsided, air pollution remains.
In Turkey, wildfires scorch the landscape, with ground temperatures reaching 127 degrees Fahrenheit. Italy is also facing its own fire problems: As fires rage throughout the country, one organization says that 60% of these wildfires have been sparked by arson.
What’s behind all these fires? Deutsche Welle explains the link between climate change and Europe’s extreme weather season, as well as additional roots of the problem, like management and arson.
Thursday, August 5
Biden’s big electric vehicle push
Biden is going all-in on electric vehicles. On Thursday, the U.S. president signed an executive order calling for half of new passenger cars and trucks to be electric vehicles by 2030. The order comes the same week as the EPA moved to restore Obama-era controls on tailpipe emissions.
Executives from Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler joined Biden, pledging that 40–50% of new cars will be electric by the end of the decade.
“Today, labor and industry, state and local leaders are all working together to write the next chapter of the American story,” Biden told reporters. “We’re in competition with China and many other nations for the 21st century. To win, we’re going to have to make sure the future will be made in America.”
But should we pump the brakes on all the hype? Currently, electric vehicle sales make up about 2–3% of the U.S. market. The New York Times explains the feasibility of a full-swing electric vehicle revolution.
Bonus
Giraffes overlooked
Despite being one of the most beloved and recognizable animals on Earth, giraffes (and their highly complex social skills) have flown under the radar… until now. For the first time, new research highlights the creatures’ intricate relationships and behaviors.
“We have known for decades about other species of socially complex mammal, such as elephants, primates, and cetaceans,” Zoe Muller, the study’s author, told CNN. “But it is baffling to me how such a charismatic and well-known species as the giraffe could have been so understudied until recently.”
Have a great week,
Brandon and Sam