Watch 1PM Weekly News - December 18, 2023
This week Shelby covers seven breaking news stories--from Children Fighting Back Against EPA's Role in Climate Crisis to Illegal Gold Mines Busted in Amazon Rainforest.
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Children Fight Back Against EPA’s Role in Climate Crisis
A youth-led climate lawsuit was filed against the Environmental Protection Agency this past Sunday in California by children ranging in age from eight to seventeen. The suit, called Genesis B vs EPA, alleges that the EPA “intentionally” allowed dangerous levels of planet-heating emissions from fossil fuel wells, power plants and vehicles despite knowing that it would endanger children’s health and welfare. The non-profit law firm that brought the suit called Our Children’s Trust, is the same firm that won a landmark case in Montana this past August in which sixteen children alleged that the state’s pro-fossil fuel policies violated their right to a clean and healthful environment per the state’s constitution. An EPA spokesperson, Shayla Powell said she could not comment on the lawsuit because of its pending litigation, but noted that last month the EPA established the first ever federal advisory committee that is made up of young people between the ages of 16 and 29.
Illegal Gold Mines Busted in Amazon Rainforest
EcoWatch reports that Brazil and Colombia have destroyed 19 illegal gold mining operations in the Amazon rainforest with backing from the United States. These mining operations were known to be a source of financing for explosives and weapons by the criminal organization Familia del Norte, who was producing almost 51 pounds of gold a month. In addition to causing deforestation, mining for gold is also responsible for emitting large quantities of mercury into the atmosphere. Jacqueline Gerson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley said “Once mercury enters the environment, it can cause neurological damage in both people and wildlife.” Brazil and Colombia’s presidents are working together to reduce deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, which the two countries share.
Freshwater Fish are Facing Extinction
A quarter of the world’s freshwater fish are at risk of extinction, says the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The assessment found that pollution is the primary driver, which mostly takes the form of fertilizers, pesticides, industrial waste and sewage that runs into streams and rivers. Dams and water extraction are also contributing to the problem. One example in the report shows that the global population of salmon has decreased by 23% between 2006 and 2020. Dams block them off from spawning and feeding grounds, and pollution from agriculture and logging kills their young. Once considered a species of least concern, salmon are now being classified as near threatened. Last year nearly 190 nations made a series of commitments to halt the decline of biodiversity and preserve 30% of the planet’s land and seas. The United States is not an official participant in the agreement.
Getting Meat-Eaters to Eat More Plants
A study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology shows that words like “vegan” and “plant-based” on food labels are less effective at persuading meat eaters to consume food that doesn’t come from animals than words like “healthy” and “sustainable.” In a study that included over 7,000 Americans who had to choose a gift basket that was randomly labeled “vegan,” “plant-based,” “healthy,” “sustainable” or “healthy and sustainable,” the results showed that 20% of the participants chose the “vegan” label, 27% chose the “plant-based” label and over 40% chose the “healthy” or “sustainable” level. Patrycja Sleboda, the study’s lead researcher and an assistant professor of psychology at Baruch College in New York said “Labels emphasizing the benefits of a product might be better than those that emphasize the content of the product, especially when we’re talking about vegan products.” The key takeaway from this study is that if you want to boost the sales of plant-based items to the general public, don’t use words like “vegan,” “vegetarian,” or “meat-free.”
Calling for Decarbonization of Food Systems
The topics of food and agriculture have traditionally played a secondary role to energy decarbonization at major policy-making events in the past, despite accounting for a third of global emissions. This year food and agriculture is front and center and is becoming deeply embedded in the climate agenda through commitments by governments and civil society organizations. Some of the key agreements from COP28 include: “The Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action,” which has been signed by 134 countries that, when combined, amount to 70% of food system emissions. This agreement will require countries to include food and land use emissions in their national adaptation plans by 2025. Another agreement called the “$10 billion dollar public-private partnership” was established by The Green Growth Institute, and addresses the interconnected issues of food security, climate change and vulnerable rural livelihoods in Africa and the Middle East. And finally an important agreement from the Environmental Defense Fund is the “Dairy Methane Action Alliance, that represents more than $200 billion in revenue from companies such as Bel Group, Danone, General Mills and Kraft Heinz who have committed to measuring methane emissions from their dairy supply chains.
Carbon Capture on National Forest Land
The U.S. Forest Service proposed a new rule that would allow permitting for carbon capture and sequestration on national forest lands. Opponents of the proposal are expressing concern that carbon dioxide could leak from storage wells and injure or kill animals and plants. In 2020, a carbon dioxide pipeline in Mississippi ruptured that caused an evacuation of more than 200 people from their homes, and sent 45 people to the hospital. Another concern is that it would reverse a Forest Service Policy that only allows temporary use of Forest Service Lands. The carbon capture and sequestration rule would be permanent. Jim Furnish, a retired US Forest Service deputy Chief said he was startled by the proposal, and said the measure would “provide a powerful incentive to continue to burn fossil fuels.”