Watch 1PM Weekly News - October 09, 2023
This week Shelby covers seven breaking news stories--Arizona Expelling Saudi-Owned Farm from Critical State Land to Biden Administration Limiting Offshore Oil and Gas Leases.
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European Union Launches Carbon Tariff
On October 1st, the European Union officially launched the first phase of a new carbon tariff. The plan aims to combat “carbon leakage,” a term that refers to the practice of EU-based companies offloading the most carbon intensive components of their production to places outside of the EU with less stringent climate policies. The tariff would “put a fair price on the carbon emitted during the production of carbon intensive goods that are entering the EU.” This practice is a great example of internalizing externalities by using taxes to offset the environmental harms of industry that are usually left unaccounted for.
- https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03102023/todays-climate-european-union-worlds-first-carbon-tariff-united-states/
- https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/internalizing-externalities
Wind Power Exceeded Electricity Demand in Ireland
Sticking with Europe, last month there was an approximately three hour period in the wee hours of the morning where wind power output exceeded demand for electricity for the very first time. Ireland imports and exports energy with Great Britain, so some of that production didn’t stay in the country, which means fossil fuels were still burned to cover the gaps. But the Director of External Affairs for Wind Energy Ireland still considered the moment “a major achievement for Ireland's wind farms.”
Decreased Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon
In Brazil, climate focused policy has decreased deforestation in the Amazon by 66% in the month of August 2023. These are the lowest rates seen in the country since 2018. Deforestation contributes to biodiversity loss, carbon emissions, soil erosion, flooding, pollution, and loss of habitat for indigenous peoples. Brazil’s president has promised to end the practice completely by 2030, and he has taken action through policy and diplomacy to move his environmental goals forward. At this time, eight Amazon nations have “agreed to a list of unified environmental policies,” but they have not agreed on a common goal to end deforestation.
Biden Administration Limits Offshore Oil and Gas Leases
In the US, the Biden administration is limiting offshore oil and gas drilling leases to just three locations, all in the Gulf of Mexico, over the next five years. This is the fewest number of locations offered in US history. The oil industry wants access to waters all around the US and warns that these limitations will increase gas prices and oil imports. But the US Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland says the plan “sets the course for the department to support the growing offshore wind industry and protect against the potential for environmental damage and adverse impacts to coastal communities.”
Arizona Expels Saudi-Owned Farm from Critical State Land
Governor Katie Hobbs of Arizona announced that her administration would expel a Saudi-owned alfalfa farm from crucial state lands. Arizona has already terminated one company lease and will not renew at least three others when they expire next year. The farm is run by Saudi-owned Fondomonte Arizona, and it uses groundwater to grow alfalfa which is then shipped back to Saudi Arabia to feed dairy cows. The farm sits on 3,500 acres of desert land west of Phoenix where water is in high demand. The Saudi kingdom chooses to farm in other countries to avoid depleting their own water supply. But the company owns over 10,000 acres of additional land throughout the state, so the battle to protect US groundwater from foreign interests will continue.
An Alternative for Palm Oil
Food researchers at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland claim to have produced a competitive palm oil substitute. Palm oil, derived from palm trees, contributes to deforestation and is currently used in about half of food and cosmetic products found in the average supermarket. It’s widely popular because it’s tasteless, odorless, colorless, and highly stable as a natural preservative during global transportation. This new alternative, called PALM-ALT, is 100% plant based, made from a by-product of flax farming, natural fibers, and rapeseed oil. The researchers claim that PALM-ALT is 70% better for the environment than palm oil.
$1 Billion in US Urban Forestry Grants
The US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service has announced $1.13 billion in grants funding 385 projects to “expand access to trees and green spaces in communities and neighborhoods nationwide.” This is 27 times the investment of 2022, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. The grants will support tree planting and maintenance, restoration and resilience, workforce development, management of extreme heat, and community engagement in urban forestry planning. Funding will be distributed in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Islands.