- 4 months ago
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Promising new carbon capture tech; Fukushima's third release of radioactive water; a new section of border wall endangers wildlife; the auto industry's EV struggles; will beer survive climate change?
About EarthxNews:
A weekly program dedicated to covering the stories that shape the planet. Featuring the latest updates in energy, environment, tech, climate, and more.
Promising new carbon capture tech; Fukushima's third release of radioactive water; a new section of border wall endangers wildlife; the auto industry's EV struggles; will beer survive climate change?
About EarthxNews:
A weekly program dedicated to covering the stories that shape the planet. Featuring the latest updates in energy, environment, tech, climate, and more.
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TVTranscript
00:00Cutting the carbon, some new technology aims to remove CO2 directly from the air.
00:07We'll explain how this all works.
00:09Plus, an ongoing plan to release wastewater from a shuttered nuclear plant in Japan is facing some pushback.
00:16And Pope Francis signs on to a pact to help the planet while he's urging world leaders to join the fight against climate change.
00:30Hello and welcome to EarthX News, where we focus on sustainability and the environment.
00:37I'm John Glasgow in for Christina Thompson.
00:39Let's get into some of the biggest headlines facing our planet.
00:43We begin with a new carbon capture technology being used in California.
00:48Think of this as a massive vacuum to clean up CO2.
00:51A three-story structure is pulling carbon dioxide from the air, a process meant as a way to cut down on the greenhouse gas.
00:58While several startups have built commercial direct air capture facilities that can capture 1,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere a year, this one adds additional benefits.
01:09Avnos, the company who has built the machine, claims per every one ton of CO2 removed from the air, an additional 5 to 10 tons of water is produced.
01:19Ambient air is passed through a drying agent that draws water out.
01:22The dehumidified air then flows through an absorbent material capturing the CO2.
01:27The Department of Energy says it's investing more than $1 billion into several projects aimed at capturing CO2 from the ambient air.
01:36Those investments are leading to other potential innovations, including the use of CO2 as a sustainable aviation fuel.
01:43An environmental non-profit is making some hefty accusations against quite a long list of major corporations.
01:49The non-profit Ceres says few companies are meeting their water use targets.
01:55Companies in industries that produce food, clothing, as well as drinks and technology services use a lot of water.
02:01But many of these businesses say that they want to be more responsible about their use of the resource.
02:07Especially since drought, floods and extreme weather threaten their supply chains.
02:11Amongst the 72 companies graded by Ceres for their sustainability efforts, not many will reach their 2030 environmental goals.
02:19Amazon and Apple only scored 20% as they used a substantial amount of water for processes such as cooling servers in their large data centers.
02:29Meantime, a new technique for storing carbon is being used to make a common construction material a bit more environmentally friendly.
02:36Green concrete is created by spraying liquid CO2 inside the mixing drums on concrete trucks.
02:43There, it reacts with calcium ions in the cement to form calcium carbonate, a mineral that is embedded in the construction material.
02:51This process is said to reduce the carbon emissions from one of the dirtiest industrial materials by about 5%.
02:58While green concrete can't store the billions of tons of carbon needed to meet the world's reduction goals, it does offer an immediate solution.
03:07Unlike other storage processes, there is no need for regulatory approval or local support.
03:14Companies such as Microsoft and Amazon are utilizing the new techniques for some of their construction projects and investing in additional concrete production methods.
03:23In Japan, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant began its third release of treated radioactive water since the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011.
03:34The plant has accumulated 1.3 million tons of radioactive water, but the holding tanks are full and the plant needs to be decommissioned.
03:41Tokyo Electric Power Company holdings and the Japanese government are working together to release the water.
03:46Fukushima began its first release of 7,800 tons in August, and it will continue to release batches of treated water for decades.
03:54The water is treated to remove as much radioactivity as possible, then diluted with seawater before it's released into the Pacific Ocean.
04:02TEPCO and the government claim that the process is safe, but these discharges have been strongly opposed by fishing groups in neighboring countries.
04:10Local fisheries are worried contaminants may remain in the water after it's discharged.
04:15They're also concerned how this will affect their business already.
04:19China has banned seafood imports from the Fukushima area, and there have been protests in South Korea.
04:25However, the fourth discharge of 7,800 tons is still planned to be released on November 20th.
04:31Even the fastest animal in the world can outrun the effects of climate change, according to some experts.
04:37A new study published by Biological Sciences suggests that cheetah populations are becoming more vulnerable to rising temperatures.
04:45The carnivores traditionally hunt during the daytime, but scientists believe that the increased heat is making them more nocturnal.
04:52This shift in their activity period is putting them in contact with other larger predators, such as lions and African wild dogs, which cheetahs tend to avoid.
05:02The bigger species will dominate the smaller species and will injure or kill them if they are in competition for a meal.
05:09Research on how climate will affect species in the future is a very hot topic, and studies on other larger species, such as whales, mountain lions and deer, are currently underway.
05:20The Vatican is joining the climate fight ahead of the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai.
05:25The Holy See and 28 leaders from 19 different religions signed an interfaith declaration to protect the environment during a recent religious summit.
05:34The Vatican's Secretary of State signed the statement on behalf of Pope Francis, which declared, part, quote,
05:40Our faith instills in us a sacred duty to cherish not only our human family, but also the fragile ecosystem that cradles us.
05:49The Pope said that there is an ethical and moral dimension to climate change.
05:53Pope Francis is expected to address the United Nations annual climate change summit in Dubai, December 1st to the 3rd.
06:01A new report is suggesting climate change has taken a heavy toll on Syria, Iraq and Iran over the past three years.
06:07Scientists with the World Weather Attribution Group looked at temperatures and precipitation data.
06:14The report found climate change contributed to extreme temperatures, making drought at least 25 times more likely in parts of Syria and Iraq and 16 times more likely in Iran.
06:26According to the report, climate, political chaos and conflict is pushing people into hunger and forcing many of them to leave their homes.
06:33The study claims because of global climate warming, droughts, this extreme can be expected once a decade in Iraq and Syria, as well as twice a decade in Iran.
06:44A shocking new United Nations-backed report shows that the U.S., Russia and Saudi Arabia will drill for more oil and gas than any point in their histories ahead of that 2030 deadline to cut back.
06:56Researchers at the Stockholm Environment Institute found that the country's plan to keep increasing coal production until 2030 and oil and gas production will continue decades beyond that.
07:07The report, which looked at 20 major fossil fuel-producing countries, underscores the wide gap between world leaders' lofty promises to take stronger action on cutting emissions and their nation's actual production plans.
07:19But the report doesn't touch on the subject of why these countries continue to drill.
07:25The authors of the report warn that the transition away from fossil fuels must be properly planned or it faces the risk of placing further burdens on developing countries who are highly dependent on revenue from fossil fuel production.
07:38Their solution is for wealthy nations, such as the United States, to rapidly phase out production while helping to finance the transition in poorer countries.
07:47The U.K., the net-zero minister, suggested that countries should be focused on carbon capture rather than phasing out fossil fuels.
07:55This new report comes ahead of a global climate summit in Dubai to discuss how countries can reduce emissions and attempt to curb climate change.
08:03Wind turbines are popping up all over the country, providing electricity without burning fuel or polluting the air.
08:08However, they're causing a different issue at U.S. nuclear launch sites.
08:11The Air Force is asking Congress to pass a two-nautical-mile buffer zone around each site.
08:17It says the proximity to their missile silo sites, as well as the turbulence that is caused from the wind turbines, is creating issues for their aircraft.
08:26The Air Force reports 46 of 450 sites are severely encroached upon.
08:32They define that as more than half of the routes needed to access the sites being closed due to obstructions.
08:38The legislation has the support of wind energy advocates, but they caution against a one-size-fits-all approach.
08:46Additionally, the Air Force continues to support renewable energy initiatives and is working with landowners and energy companies to find solutions.
08:53The Biden administration is moving forward with a controversial plan to build a new section of wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
09:01Now, this move comes amid another surge in migration on the southern border.
09:05But by building the wall, President Biden is waiving more than two dozen federal environmental laws.
09:10What impact could the barrier have on local wildlife?
09:13Let's bring in Southwest Conservation Advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, Laken Jordahl.
09:19Thank you so much for joining us.
09:20Laken, your initial reaction to this?
09:24Yeah, my initial reaction was one of just, I mean, I'm just totally disheartened.
09:30This flies in the face of a lot of what this administration has said it stands for when it comes to the environment and environmental justice.
09:38And, yeah, I'm really fearful that these new miles of wall will actually push wildlife closer to extinction and destroy a huge amount of important habitat in Texas.
09:50What types of plants, animals would be impacted?
09:54You've been to the area.
09:55What are you seeing?
09:56What would be impacted?
09:58Yeah, so all sorts of different wildlife.
10:00We've got mountain lions, bobcats, javelina, armadillos, Texas tortoises live in this area.
10:08And there are also two endangered, endemic species of plant.
10:11That means they don't live anywhere else in the country that only live in these two counties in Texas that are now vulnerable to the bulldozers that will soon be rolling in to make a way for this wall construction.
10:23So the Biden administration is pushing for environmental changes.
10:26That's a platform that they've been running on for a long time.
10:29Yet borders are a reality of a country, but wildlife doesn't have borders.
10:33What is the balance here, in your opinion?
10:37Yeah, you know, animals don't understand political boundaries.
10:40Mountain lions, javelina, coati, these animals have evolved for millennia to migrate freely.
10:48Only recently have we tried to impose these political barriers and build border walls that stop wildlife migrations.
10:54Well, is there an alternative that's going to appease both the government, environmentalists, voters as well?
11:01I mean, what is the solution, in your opinion?
11:04Certainly.
11:04I mean, I think if the government was serious about the environment and environmental justice, they would invest in technology.
11:12And we have to ensure that our border security policies don't end up pushing species into extinction.
11:18Lake and Jordal, thank you so much for coming on and sharing some of your expertise.
11:22Appreciate it.
11:24Coming up, the Biden administration is going all in with EV to combat climate change.
11:29Automakers are taking advantage of federal incentives offered to build new factories and more automobiles.
11:34But could a backdoor government deal be causing issues for manufacturers?
11:39We'll discuss that next.
11:40They're certainly not happy about this.
11:43And what they're doing is they're now weighing, do we try to sell more EV cars or do we just pay the penalty?
11:49And the thing is about the penalty, that penalty is then given out to everybody who buys a car through higher car prices.
12:02Welcome back.
12:03The auto industry is under fierce pressure to build and sell EVs.
12:06The Biden administration wants the industry to go fully electric by 2030.
12:10But a backdoor EV government mandate for automakers is ironically causing trouble for green vehicle investment.
12:17It's called the CAFE standards, which stands for Corporate Average Fuel Economy.
12:22And it's a regulatory subsidy for manufacturers.
12:25But it can impact profit margins for both electric and gas-powered vehicles.
12:30To understand what this means, let's bring in former EPA administrator under the Trump administration, Andrew Wheeler.
12:35Andrew, thank you so much for joining me.
12:38First off, I have to ask you, what are the CAFE standards and why are automakers concerned that EV mandates could impact their bottom line?
12:46Absolutely.
12:47And thanks for having me on your show.
12:48Most people, I don't think, understand the way the CAFE standards work.
12:52As you said, it stands for Corporate Average Fuel Economy.
12:57So, each company is required to hit the CAFE standard, the average for all of the vehicles that they sell in a calendar year.
13:06So, if they sell a lot of heavy SUVs or pickup trucks that give little gas miles per gallon,
13:14they have to sell even more higher fuel efficiency vehicles to average out to hit the average.
13:21So, does that apply to both electric and the gas-powered vehicles?
13:24Or is it just one of the two?
13:26No, it applies to all vehicles sold.
13:29So, they have to hit the average number.
13:31And the EV cars have given automakers the room to sell more pickups and SUVs, which is what consumers buy.
13:41This has a direct impact on prices as well as consumer choice.
13:46What the – this goes back to the Clinton administration.
13:49What the Clinton administration did in order to help subsidize electric vehicles is they applied a multiplier for EV cars.
13:58So, if you're – for example, right now, the Ford F-150 Lightning gets approximately 67 miles per gallon.
14:06It's an electric vehicle.
14:07They multiply that by 6.7 to give it a credit of 237 miles per gallon.
14:15So, when you're averaging all the EV cars, they're getting a much higher average than what they're really entitled to.
14:25They're averaging in 237 miles per gallon instead of the 67 miles per gallon.
14:31What the Biden administration has proposed this past spring, the Energy Department, is to do away without multiplier.
14:38So, going forward, the auto manufacturers will only be able to count the 67 miles per gallon instead of the 237 miles per gallon for an electric vehicle.
14:48It was an artificial number in order to help more EV sales and to encourage the automakers to sell more EV vehicles.
14:59So, that brought the average up and it helped the companies meet their corporate standard.
15:05If they don't meet that CAFE standard for the corporate fleet that they sell, then they have to pay a penalty to the federal government.
15:12So, the concern right now is that these auto manufacturers may not meet that so-called standard.
15:20That's going to impact their bottom line.
15:21Are we seeing a push from the auto manufacturers to try to have that change through the government?
15:27They're certainly not happy about this.
15:29And what they're doing is they're now weighing, do we try to sell more EV cars or do we just pay the penalty?
15:34The number of EV cars that they would have to sell is going to dramatically increase because for each, under the previous numbering system that they had, if you got 237 miles per gallon, you got credit for basically six EVs for every one that you sold.
15:52So, they're going to have to increase the number of EV vehicles that they sell in order to keep that higher corporate average fuel economy for their fleet.
16:01And the thing is about the penalty, that penalty is then given out to everybody who buys a car through higher car prices.
16:09Consumers are a little hesitant to go out and buy EV.
16:12You've also got some of these auto manufacturers that are reluctant or maybe hesitant to want to create more of these cars because of these CAFE standards that you're talking about.
16:21But wouldn't more competition, more cars, wouldn't that help lower the prices?
16:26It's putting the cart before the horse.
16:27Or how do you see it?
16:29It would if it was a completely free and open market.
16:33But because of the CAFE standard and also the tax subsidies, if you purchase an electric vehicle, you're really tilting the marketplace.
16:42I believe in the free market.
16:43I believe consumers should have choice.
16:45But what the Biden administration is doing through a number of different ways, one, by raising the CAFE standard for individual cars,
16:53by forcing the automakers to make more EVs.
16:57And then now with this change, taking away the multiplier for EV cars is going to really force the auto manufacturers to produce more EV cars or pay the penalty.
17:12So the American consumer, in addition to taking away their choice, it's also causing them to pay more for the vehicles that they want.
17:20It's not a free market.
17:22It's by government regulation and mandates.
17:25And it's forcing less fuel-efficient cars to be priced higher.
17:30And it's going to decrease the consumer choice that people will have over the coming years.
17:36Still a lot of wrinkles to be ironed out, you might say.
17:39Andrew Wheeler, thank you so much.
17:41Appreciate you coming on.
17:43Coming up, could climate change be taking its soul on one of America's most popular drinks?
17:47And what's being done to make sure the suds keep flowing years down the road?
17:51That story just ahead.
17:52Welcome back.
18:03Could climate change be taking its toll on beer?
18:06Some hops and barley growers in the U.S. say that they've already seen their crops impacted by extreme heat, drought, and growing seasons.
18:13Alex Salvey has more on that.
18:16Beer is a staple of the world's most prized activities.
18:20Sports.
18:21Parties.
18:22Cultural celebrations.
18:24And it may be facing an existential challenge.
18:27Climate change is threatening some of the beverage's necessary ingredients, exacerbating a decrease that's already underway.
18:33A study by the Journal Review predicts some crops in Europe will decline by up to 18% by the year 2050.
18:40Specifically, barley and hops threatened by insects, contamination, and rising temperatures.
18:46There are a number of things we're thinking about.
18:47And there is a very long-term component to it where, in any agricultural crop, you're having to stay ahead of pests, diseases.
18:57And more recently, we've had issues of climate change thrown at agriculture as well.
19:04Producers in the United States, such as the team at Indy Hops, are already seeing their crops impacted by heat, drought, and changing weather patterns.
19:12This is the case for barley, a necessary ingredient in beer, and a component that faces a dilemma.
19:19Adapt or die.
19:20Farmers are trying to play a role in making sure the latter option never happens by experimenting with the time that barley is planted in the soil.
19:29Planting barley in the winter instead of the spring is gaining momentum amid rising temperatures and is proving to be a viable solution.
19:36It also presents a new opportunity for breweries that want to focus on using local ingredients but are unable to due to certain climates.
19:43But barley is only half of the equation, with hops, largely responsible for the flavor of beer, also facing the same existential threat.
19:51Local breweries are uniting to plant more weather-tolerant hops, which often require more water.
19:57And by banding together, they finance the crops to prevent racking up hefty bills and adding to climate concerns.
20:03So that's one thing we're looking at is having a stable set of hop varieties to grow in the challenging face of climate change.
20:14Both barley and hops producers face similar concerns, rising temperatures, cooling temperatures, snowfall, diseases, and pests,
20:22all forcing farmers to alter their practices or genetically modify their crops.
20:27And with the beer industry tackling the issue together, the breweries, the producers, and of course, starting on the farms,
20:33they believe they can make progress against a challenge that arrived much sooner than many expected.
20:37We were certainly looking at it from the research side and for all of agriculture, looking to see with crops about drought tolerance.
20:49What did we have that we were growing?
20:52What did we need to be able to maybe make changes to be able to prepare for what was coming?
20:59And then all of a sudden, it was not coming any longer.
21:02It was here.
21:03It's an uphill battle against Mother Nature, but for beer makers and beer consumers, it's a fight worth having.
21:11For EarthX, I'm Alex Salvi.
21:15Alex Salvi, thank you so much for that report.
21:17Well, for more than 60 years, researchers have been unable to physically see a critically endangered animal,
21:23known as one of the world's most unusual mammals, but now it's been found.
21:27One of Attenborough's long-beaked echidnas, named for famed biologist Sir David Attenborough, was caught on camera.
21:34The mammal is described as somewhat of a mix between a hedgehog, an anteater, and a mole.
21:38The creature was photographed on a trail camera on an expedition led by Oxford University scientists in Indonesia's remote Cyclops Mountains.
21:47Echidnas diverged from other mammals 200 million years ago.
21:51That's it for this edition of EarthX News.
21:54Please join us again next week.
21:55I'm John Glasgow.
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