Watch 1PM Weekly News - December 25, 2023
This week's episode is our last for 2023. Shelby covers six breaking news stories--from solving drought by drinking toilet water to the EPA failing to protect Americans from pesticide. Here's to a bringing in a new year and creating a better future for our planet.
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Solving Drought by Drinking Toilet Water
California regulators approved rules last week that will allow sewage waste to be treated and pumped back into the state’s drinking water system. After ten years and multiple reviews by independent panels of scientists, the new policy is expected to help reduce the amount of waste that is released into the seas and natural waterways, and preserve what is already a scarce resource for the state’s 39 million residents. In the 1990’s, similar proposals sparked backlash and outrage in California, and were referred to as “toilet to tap” initiatives. But after more than three years of drought, wildfires and low level water aquifers, the new policy suggests that there is a shift in public opinion.
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/12/20/california-drinking-water-wastewater-sewage/
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/19/california-wastewater-approved-for-drinking-water
Meatpacking Company Sued For Environmental Damages
The world’s largest meatpacker, JBS, along with three smaller slaughterhouses are being sued by the Rondônia State in western Brazil for purchasing cattle that were raised illegally in a protected part of the Amazon Rainforest. Established as a protected area in 1996, this reserve has lost 77 percent of its forest cover to ranchers and land-poachers, who have also driven out members of traditional communities there. Paulo Barreto, a researcher who focuses on cattle ranching at the nonprofit research organization Imazon said, “this stronger commitment from companies is very important to signal to politicians that things won’t go back to the way they were before.” Under the administration of President Lula da Silva, deforestation rates have fallen to a five-year low in Brazil over the last year.
Nearly 200 Nations Agreed to Phaseout Fossil Fuels
COP28 has ended with nearly 200 nations agreeing to transition away from fossil fuels in the energy sector by tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling the rate of energy efficiency by 2030. Though the final language does not specify the rate, scale and pace of change, it was considered a major achievement by many experts. The new agreement also calls for transforming the global financial system to mobilize larger sums of finance from both the private and public sectors. Besides the Saudis, it wasn’t expected that the U.S and some other countries would have accepted specific targets to reduce production of oil and gas. What is expected from the agreement is that by mid-century, all the countries that signed the pledge will be on track to get to net zero emissions as a planet.
New Ban Stops Destruction of Unsold Clothing in Europe
The European Union passed legislation that bans the destruction of unsold clothing, and ensures that products are more environmentally friendly. The commission also looks to widen the ban to other unsold products like furniture, tires, detergents and other items. These goods will be sold with a QR code that helps inform consumers about their purchases. Raw materials such as iron, steel and aluminum are also expected to be regulated in the future. Alessandra Moretti, a European parliament member who led the legislation said “It is time to end the model of ‘take, make, dispose’ that is so harmful to our planet, our health and our economy. New products will be designed in a way that benefits all, respects our planet and protects our environment.”
EPA Fails to Protect American Public from Pesticide
The Guardian reports that Federal regulators are discouraged from speaking up about potentially dangerous pesticides. Karen McCormack, a retired Environmental Protection Agency scientist said “In the last three decades that I have worked at EPA, it has been very rare for a toxic pesticide to be taken off the market. Just about every new pesticide application that is submitted to the agency is approved, no matter how high the risk.” For example paraquat, a popular weed killer that is manufactured by Syngenta, has known links to the development of Parkinson’s disease, and is banned in 58 countries but is in use and on the rise in the United States. McCormack said that colleagues who spoke out in favor of more stringent regulations on pesticides were often sidelined, saying “If you decide to work for the EPA pesticide program and you go up against the agricultural interest, it will not be good for your career.”
Building a Sustainable Future For Generations to Come
In a new article from the Washington Post, Anthony Leiserowitz, Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication suggests that our current generation should take notes from the great cathedral builders of the Middle Ages who spent their lives building parts of a cathedral knowing that it would require future generations to finish the project. Future climate change projects will include the rebuilding of the coral reefs, reforesting the Amazon and repowering the world’s energy system among other key initiatives. Though the world has yet to mobilize globally around climate solutions the way cities once rallied around cathedrals, the article makes the case that solutions are technically and financially feasible, but need the world’s communities to be inspired to build a better future.