EarthX Website: https://earthxmedia.com/
US commits $6 billion to decarbonize; a stinky weed closes an Arizona picnic area; sea surface temperatures hit a record high; are pythons a sustainable food source?; the world's first water library.
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.
EarthX & EarthXtra
Love Our Planet.
The Official Network of Earth Day.
About Us:
At EarthX, we believe our planet is a pretty special place. The people, landscapes, and critters are likely unique to the entire universe, so we consider ourselves lucky to be here. We are committed to protecting the environment by inspiring conservation and sustainability, and our programming along with our range of expert hosts support this mission. We’re glad you’re with us.
EarthX is a media company dedicated to inspiring people to care about the planet. We take an omni channel approach to reach audiences of every age through its robust 24/7 linear channel distributed across cable and FAST outlets, along with dynamic, solution oriented short form content on social and digital platforms. EarthX is home to original series, documentaries and snackable content that offer sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. EarthX is the only network that delivers entertaining and inspiring topics that impact and inspire our lives on climate and sustainability.
EarthX Website: https://earthxmedia.com/
Follow Us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthxmedia/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earthxmedia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EarthXMedia/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@earthxmedia
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EarthXMedia
Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/earthxmedia
How to watch:
EarthX - Cable:
- Spectrum
- AT&T U-verse (1267)
- DIRECTV (267)
- Philo
- FuboTV
EarthXtra - Streaming:
- Plex
- Fire TV
- Xumo
- Sling
#EarthDay #Environment #Sustainability #EcoFriendly #Conservation #EarthX
US commits $6 billion to decarbonize; a stinky weed closes an Arizona picnic area; sea surface temperatures hit a record high; are pythons a sustainable food source?; the world's first water library.
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.
EarthX & EarthXtra
Love Our Planet.
The Official Network of Earth Day.
About Us:
At EarthX, we believe our planet is a pretty special place. The people, landscapes, and critters are likely unique to the entire universe, so we consider ourselves lucky to be here. We are committed to protecting the environment by inspiring conservation and sustainability, and our programming along with our range of expert hosts support this mission. We’re glad you’re with us.
EarthX is a media company dedicated to inspiring people to care about the planet. We take an omni channel approach to reach audiences of every age through its robust 24/7 linear channel distributed across cable and FAST outlets, along with dynamic, solution oriented short form content on social and digital platforms. EarthX is home to original series, documentaries and snackable content that offer sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. EarthX is the only network that delivers entertaining and inspiring topics that impact and inspire our lives on climate and sustainability.
EarthX Website: https://earthxmedia.com/
Follow Us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthxmedia/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earthxmedia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EarthXMedia/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@earthxmedia
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EarthXMedia
Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/earthxmedia
How to watch:
EarthX - Cable:
- Spectrum
- AT&T U-verse (1267)
- DIRECTV (267)
- Philo
- FuboTV
EarthXtra - Streaming:
- Plex
- Fire TV
- Xumo
- Sling
#EarthDay #Environment #Sustainability #EcoFriendly #Conservation #EarthX
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00The U.S. government announces a major effort to cut emissions from heavy industries.
00:07We'll have more on the plan officials are calling the single largest industrial decarbonization investment in American history.
00:15Plus, Citigroup is getting candid about their energy clients' plans to reach net zero.
00:20Could the recent disclosure put a dent in the bank's plans to reduce emissions from their lending portfolios?
00:26We have the latest.
00:27And a pungent-smelling plant is causing a stink at a national monument in Arizona.
00:34What park officials say they're doing to keep visitors away from the odor?
00:45Hello and welcome to EarthX News, where we focus on sustainability, conservation, and the environment.
00:51I'm Christina Thompson.
00:53Let's get into some of the biggest headlines facing our planet.
00:55The U.S. government unveiled a groundbreaking $6 billion plan to fight industrial carbon.
01:01The U.S. Energy Department says the federal funds will be used to subsidize 33 projects across 20 states to cut emissions from heavy industries, including metals, chemicals, and cement.
01:12Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said emissions from the industrial sector make up about a third of the country's carbon emissions.
01:21And the projects are expected to eliminate 14 million metric tons of pollution each year.
01:27That's equivalent to taking about 3 million gas-powered vehicles off the road.
01:31Granholm called it the single largest industrial decarbonization investment in American history.
01:37It looks like California is falling short on meeting its emissions targets.
01:42According to the state's Green Innovative Index, California will need to nearly triple its efforts to reduce greenhouse gases if it plans on hitting its environmental targets over the next six years.
01:54And according to state data, California's emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases increased by 3.4 percent in 2021, moving the state further away from its emission reduction targets.
02:08To meet its goals, the Golden State would need to cut all of its greenhouse gases by nearly 4.5 percent annually through 2030, a much faster pace than what has been previously achieved historically.
02:20Major emitters like power plants and cement facilities are proving the most challenging to change, with electricity generation being responsible for a significant emissions increase in 2021.
02:32One major U.S. bank makes a shocking admission about some of its energy clients.
02:37Citigroup revealed in their latest climate report that almost half of the energy companies it lends to lack a clear plan to achieve net zero emissions.
02:46The data says 42 percent of its energy clients did not have a transition strategy for greenhouse gas emissions across their supply chain, while 29 percent of energy clients didn't have a clear plan of action in place to even make their high-level transition goals happen.
03:02Citigroup's energy sector is mostly related to oil and gas production, but it also includes bioenergy, carbon capture, hydrogen, and renewable energy companies, among others.
03:12The data also found only 8 percent of Citi's clients in the upstream and downstream energy sector are deemed by the bank as having strong transition plans.
03:22Despite these shocking claims, the bank reported a better transition alignment for its power sector clients, which are comprised of power generation companies, utilities, and others in the electricity sector,
03:33like battery, carbon capture, utilization and sequestration, hydrogen fuel cell, nuclear, and solar companies.
03:39Citigroup reported 59 percent as having a strong transition plan alignment to target emissions reductions and lower carbon generation.
03:48The report comes as many major banks, including Citigroup, have committed to reducing emissions from their lending portfolios.
03:55However, industry analysts say Citigroup's recent disclosure highlights a pretty big gap in the readiness of key sectors to make the switch to low-carbon business models.
04:04A recent study shows that sinking coastal lands will make the flooding from sea level rise even worse in numerous cities by the year 2050.
04:14The report, published in the science journal Nature, analyzed how the sinking of shoreline terrain and rising sea levels could produce possible flooding risks in 32 cities located along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts.
04:26Using satellite data, sea level rise projections and tidal charts, the study found that out of the 32 coastal cities examined, 24 are sinking faster than the global sea levels are rising.
04:39Researchers say the study's findings could be staggering, with an estimated 500,000-plus people living in these regions,
04:46and the potential for one in every 35 private properties to face damages from flooding.
04:52A recent study paints a grim picture for the future of Arctic sea ice.
04:57According to research published in the Geoscience Journal, Nature Reviews Earth and Environment,
05:02the region may start to see its first ice-free days before the end of the decade, or sometime in the 2030s because of warming temperatures.
05:10That's about 10 years earlier than previous projections.
05:13The study's lead author warned that the lack of ice would, quote,
05:17transform the Arctic into a completely different environment from a white summer Arctic to a blue Arctic.
05:23According to the report, the loss of sea ice would contribute to larger wave heights, greater coastal erosion in the region,
05:30and would also threaten the survival of ice-dependent animals, like polar bears, walruses, and seals.
05:36Scientists consider the loss of Arctic sea ice as a graphic measure of a warming climate.
05:41But despite the findings, the author did offer some hope, saying in part, quote,
05:46even if we melt all the Arctic sea ice, if we can then figure out how to take CO2 back out of the atmosphere in the future to reverse warming,
05:54sea ice will come back within a decade.
05:57An invasive plant caused quite a stink at a national park in Arizona.
06:02Staffers at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument recently announced they had to temporarily close their picnic area
06:09because of the presence of a harmful weed called the globe chamomile.
06:13The plant is also called stink net.
06:16And if you haven't smelled it, those of you who have say it smells like turpentine when it's crushed.
06:22It can even cause breathing problems or allergic reactions.
06:26Plant experts at the University of Arizona say the invasive species is native to South Africa
06:31and has spread across desert states since the late 1990s.
06:34Arizona State Parks and Trails warns the plant, with its bright yellow blossoms and narrow green stems,
06:41can displace native vegetation, change local ecosystems, and become a wildfire hazard during the summer months.
06:47Monument officials say a team is working on a solution that will get that picnic area reopened as soon as possible,
06:54but they said it might take until May.
06:56Turning now to international news, a key part of the European Union's climate agenda appears to be stuck in a holding pattern
07:03and potentially shelved indefinitely.
07:06Alex Salvi has that story.
07:08An ambitious climate deal proposed by the European Union is on the brink of collapse
07:14as farmers from across the continent object to what they say are additional and burdensome requirements.
07:20The 27-nation bloc is indefinitely postponing the Nature Restoration Act
07:26that sought to make Europe the first carbon-neutral continent by the year 2050.
07:31The delay is the latest concession, responding to concerns by citizens in the agriculture industry
07:37exerting their political influence in Brussels.
07:39We have to be realistic, and we have to keep in mind all these sectors and all the actors
07:46who have to help us to reach our objectives.
07:49Hungary is one of the countries objecting to the bill.
07:53Following weeks of relentless protests by farmers who argue that its enactment
07:57would be yet another policy that drives them to the brink of bankruptcy.
08:00Across the continent, those in the agriculture industry are taking to the streets
08:05to make the case that food security is more important than ever amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
08:10They argue the demonstrations are a long time coming,
08:13and the latest effort by the EU would have been one step that they couldn't come back from.
08:17We are here again in Brussels today as farmers because the European Union is not listening to our demands.
08:24Our demands is for fair revenue.
08:27We don't make a living out of our work.
08:29We produce the food and we don't make a living.
08:32Farmers are slowly seeing their demands met,
08:34with politicians in Brussels watering down their initial bill to loosen regulations on their work.
08:39Proponents of the bill are hoping to strike a deal before the European Parliament elections this June,
08:44as right-wing parties continue to make headway in the polls
08:46and likely use their power, if elected, to sink the bill to reverse other climate measures
08:51and sacrifice Europe's goal of being a leader on environmental policy.
08:55For EarthX, I'm Alex Salvi.
08:59Alex Salvi, thank you.
09:00An oil-producing region in Nigeria is eyeing carbon deals from mangroves.
09:05The Niger Delta granted a UK-based company a 30-year lease agreement to generate carbon credits
09:10by restoring the coastal shrubbery and seagrass beds.
09:14The project developer says the effort could potentially store more than 5 million tons of carbon annually,
09:19which would prevent deforestation of 250,000 square units of land and replant 20,000 hectares.
09:27Major oil companies like Royal Dutch, Shell, Chevron, Total Energies and ExxonMobil
09:32have been blamed for polluting the Delta state,
09:35which analysts say has led to significant mangrove loss.
09:39But now these companies could become buyers of these carbon offsets.
09:42Critics argue polluters should directly clean up their mess rather than rely on offset projects.
09:48Global sea surface temperatures have reached a record high,
09:52according to the latest report from the European Union's climate change agency Copernicus.
09:56As February ended, the average daily sea surface temperature hit just over 21 degrees Celsius.
10:03That's up almost one degree from the previous record set last August.
10:08The latest data comes as the shortest month of the year was also declared the warmest on record,
10:13according to the International Climate Agency.
10:15The environmental organization revealed the average air temperature was more than 13 degrees Celsius.
10:21That's 0.12 degrees higher compared to the record set in February of 2016.
10:27According to Copernicus, the 1.56 average rise in temperature for the past 12 months
10:32shows the world is already breaching its attempt to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius
10:38above pre-industrial climate levels.
10:40A once-endangered fish is making a big comeback in British waters.
10:46Scientists say thousands of bluefin tuna have returned to the waters off the coast of southwest England
10:51since 2014 after almost being wiped out due to overfishing in the 1960s.
10:58Researchers are describing the resurgence as remarkable,
11:01but are cautiously celebrating the tuna's comeback because, according to several media reports,
11:06no one is really sure why they are back in such great numbers.
11:09Details of the bluefin tuna's return in England comes as media outlets report populations of the big fish
11:15are also recovering in the Mediterranean, where the vast majority are caught.
11:20According to government regulations, catching bluefins is outlawed in the UK.
11:24However, sport fisheries have obtained licenses to tag and release them as part of a study,
11:29aiming to better understand why the creatures have returned to England's shores.
11:33Coming up, researchers are exploring a new form of sustainable farming,
11:38or should I say farm-to-table.
11:40Stay tuned, we'll have more on that story just ahead.
11:42Natural vs. lab-grown diamonds.
12:09A recent report takes a look at both sides of the debate over which is better for the planet.
12:15According to the International Gem Society,
12:17the production of one polished carrot of lab-grown diamond
12:20releases three times as many greenhouse gases compared to gems extracted from the earth.
12:26On the other hand, another study says the water used during the mining of natural diamonds
12:31may irreversibly damage water ecosystems and destroy land-based wildlife.
12:36But the study also suggested if the water is recycled, the environmental footprint can shrink also.
12:43The study added open-pit mining may also produce hazardous and sometimes carcinogenic dust and gas
12:49that can be harmful to animals and mine workers.
12:52Some of the equipment used may also emit greenhouse gases.
12:55The author of the report on mining practices says on the environmental side, lab-grown diamonds are winning.
13:02Scientists are exploring what sources of meat could serve as more sustainable alternatives to beef, pork, and chicken.
13:09And according to a recent study, python farming could be the answer.
13:13The latest research suggests the scaly reptiles may offer a way to produce a source of protein
13:18with a relatively small environmental footprint.
13:21So could eating snake be what's for dinner in the future?
13:25Joining us now to discuss is Dr. Patrick Ost, director of the African Institute of Applied Herpetology.
13:31Thank you for coming on.
13:32So eating pythons, is it really more sustainable than something like chicken?
13:36Yeah, apparently so.
13:37Certainly, according to our research, it seems like their food conversion efficiencies
13:43and particularly their protein conversion efficiencies are far more efficient
13:49than similar-sized conventional livestock species like chickens and pigs.
13:56Well, in recent years, we've seen the supply chain get a little bit out of whack from here or there.
14:02Do pythons fare well with supply chains being impacted by something like extreme weather?
14:09Yeah, absolutely.
14:10And that was one of the other interesting things that came out of our study,
14:13and that is the ability for these animals not only to live and grow or ferry little food,
14:19but also to survive extremely long periods of time with no food at all
14:24and without losing much body mass at all.
14:27In fact, they're very, very good at shutting down their physiology, their biology,
14:33and surviving for up to a year literally with no food and very little water.
14:39And of course, these are traits that one looks for when you're trying to find livestock species
14:44that can cope with an increasing frequency of extreme weather events, droughts, so on and so forth.
14:51Is anyone farming pythons in the world right now?
14:54Yeah, absolutely.
14:55It's certainly not very common and certainly not in the West.
14:58But in Southeast Asia, there are a lot of farmers that have now turned to python farming partly
15:04because they have this competitive edge in very challenging landscapes.
15:10And when we talk about extreme weather events, it's not so much a case of extreme weather events
15:15in Southeast Asia, although they do play a part, but it's actually it's increasing
15:19frequency of pandemics, particularly swine and bird flu that are wreaking havoc in the poultry and pork industries.
15:29And so a lot of these farmers have thrown in the towel and they've now opted to farm pythons.
15:34Hypothetically, say we all just start eating snakes for dinner now.
15:37How would it help the environment?
15:38It's a fairly long list, to be brutally honest with you.
15:42But I think, you know, first and foremost, it's just we need far less resources to grow that protein that we require.
15:50Of course, you know, then there's other advantages like their ability to survive,
15:54to tolerate extreme weather events, shutdowns and supply chains, to act as a biological barrier to zoonotic diseases.
16:04They also have these attributes like the ability to be farmed on the vertical plane because they're partially arboreal.
16:11They live in trees and underground.
16:14Farmers have realized that unlike chickens and pigs, which effectively you have to farm on a two dimensional plane with pythons,
16:23they can move up and down so you can farm them in very small areas.
16:27How might a snake even be prepared for the table?
16:33Lots of different ways.
16:34I mean, it's a culinary delicacy throughout much of Asia.
16:39And, you know, with that, you know, it can be cooked and prepared in any number of ways and spiced up in any number of ways.
16:47Listen, I haven't had python yet, but I have actually tried rattlesnake in Arizona.
16:52And I did think that it tasted a little bit like chicken.
16:56If no one had told me it was snake, I wouldn't have known.
16:58Do you think that it might start to become more acceptable in the West to eat snakes?
17:05Yeah, I think so.
17:06I think, you know, certainly when looking for those competitive advantages,
17:10the other thing they offer is a nice big white juicy fillet, boneless fillet.
17:16But certainly when it comes to the culinary aspect, I think they lend themselves to a lot of Western cuisine.
17:23Dr. Patrick Ost, thank you.
17:25I'm sure a lot of foodies will enjoy this conversation.
17:29Thank you very much for having me.
17:31Coming up, a castle in Switzerland is getting a makeover.
17:35Stay tuned.
17:35We'll have more on that story just ahead on EarthX News.
17:38We'll have more on that story just ahead on EarthX News.
18:08The 17th century castle in Switzerland was transformed into the world's first water library.
18:13Sarah Williamson has more.
18:15It aims to inspire the world's first water library, inviting people to think about water as our most precious resource.
18:25Held in a 17th century castle on the River Rhine in Switzerland, the library aims to become a repository for the best evidence-based information to be made free for all.
18:39Our World Water Library wants to be a place where people meet, where they can discuss, where they can learn and exchange,
18:45and create solutions to address the challenges related to water.
18:49With drought making water scarce in many regions, around 2 billion people don't have access to clean drinking water worldwide.
18:59The library will have samples of water from all over the world, as well as books, maps, and digital information available to both experts and the public.
19:10We hope our dream is that this is only the beginning of a network of World Water Libraries.
19:16Dr. Daniel Maselli says that every small individual action combined makes a huge difference.
19:24For EarthX, I'm Sarah Williamson.
19:27Sarah Williamson, thank you.
19:28And before we leave you, a new bundle of joy has arrived at a zoo in Greece.
19:34Conservationists and wildlife officials are celebrating the birth of a rare and endangered pygmy hippopotamus at the Attica Zoological Park in Athens.
19:43Officials say the male calf was born to parents Lizzie and Jamal in mid-February and marks the first birth at the zoo this year.
19:51Staffers say a lack of male pygmy hippos in captivity has made breeding harder.
19:56So the little one being a boy also has the zoo's veterinarian overjoyed.
20:00Take a listen.
20:02We're absolutely thrilled, not only because it's a very endangered species, but also because it's a boy.
20:11Every captive birth of pygmy hippos is extremely important, and we're very happy to see this baby grow into a healthy adult hippo,
20:19and hopefully one day reproduce and produce more pygmy hippos.
20:23Zoo officials say the baby boy will stay with his mother, Lizzie, for a few months before being allowed in the zoo's outdoor space.
20:31Wildlife officials say pygmy hippos are native to swamps and rainforests in Western Africa.
20:36And according to estimates from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, only about 2,000 to 2,500 still live in the wild.
20:44And a bizarre sighting in an Oklahoma reservoir got a lot of attention online recently.
20:51In a Facebook post that went viral, the state's Department of Wildlife Conservation shared a whole bunch of photos of this mysterious blob dangling from the branches of underwater trees.
21:01The jelly-like orbs sparked a slew of colorful reactions from social media users, calling the odd-looking spheres, quote, Godzilla eggs.
21:10While another one asked, what in the alien invasion is this?
21:15The department quickly assured the masses there was nothing to worry about, that the strange orbs are native aquatic microorganisms called breozoans.
21:22They are filter feeders, and while they might not be pretty to look at, they pose no danger to people or wildlife.
21:29The department added the organisms help clean the water and serve as prey for mussels, snails, and even small fish.
21:36That's it for this edition of EarthX News.
21:38Please join us again next week.
21:40I'm Christina Thompson.
21:41I'm Christina Thompson.
Comments