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US issues zero-energy buildings guide; public waste bill stalls in New York; transforming cemeteries into solar farms?; US Chinese tariffs to impact E-bikes; could old oil wells be used as solar power storage?
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US issues zero-energy buildings guide; public waste bill stalls in New York; transforming cemeteries into solar farms?; US Chinese tariffs to impact E-bikes; could old oil wells be used as solar power storage?
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.
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TVTranscript
00:00Building green, the U.S. announces the first national standard for zero-emission buildings.
00:08Plus, back to the drawing board, environmentalists vowed to keep fighting after a bill to manage plastic waste came up short in New York.
00:17And Spain's grave offering, as the country plots a way to resurrect green energy from some unlikely locations.
00:30Hello and welcome to EarthX News, where we focus on conservation, sustainability, and the environment.
00:36I'm Christina Thompson.
00:38Let's get into some of the biggest headlines facing our planet.
00:41The U.S. government is hoping to guide the construction industry towards more sustainable practices
00:46as it issues the first national standard for zero-emissions buildings, or ZEBs.
00:52The new definition, recently announced by the White House National Climate Advisor,
00:56outlines that ZEBs should be energy-efficient, produce no on-site greenhouse gas emissions,
01:03and be powered entirely by clean energy, either on-site or off-site.
01:07Federal officials say the definition is applicable to both new construction projects
01:12and existing buildings undergoing adaptive reuse or renovations.
01:17The policy, which was developed jointly by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency,
01:22is not a rule, and the ZEB definition has no regulatory impact for either public or private buildings,
01:29according to officials.
01:31Representatives from the DOE and EPA announced the plan to come up with a working definition
01:36back in September as part of a DOE blueprint to reduce U.S. building emissions
01:41by 65 percent over the next 11 years, and 90 percent by 2050.
01:46The U.S.'s new tariffs on Chinese exports could hamper e-bike sales.
01:52In May, the Biden administration slapped new tariffs on a range of Chinese goods,
01:57including a 100 percent levy on electric vehicles.
02:01Most of the EVs sold in the U.S. won't be affected, as very few EV cars come here from China.
02:06Still, the tariffs reflect a tense trade war between the two countries.
02:10The U.S. is worried that China will soon infiltrate the American market with cheap electric cars.
02:16Inadvertently, electric bikes are being caught up in the crossfire.
02:20E-bike batteries will be subject to new 25 percent tariffs starting in 2026,
02:25a jump from the 7.5 percent tax.
02:28Prices for these bikes may spike by 2026,
02:31with e-bikes struggling to take off widely in the U.S.
02:34Many environmentalists worry the proposed tariffs will ultimately dissuade potential buyers
02:39from switching to the environmentally-friendly e-bikes.
02:43A high-profile, single-use plastic waste management bill stalls in the New York State Legislature
02:48due to conflicting priorities from stakeholders and opposition groups.
02:53Sarah Williamson has that story.
02:55Another year, another failure to pass.
02:58New York's EPR packaging bill gaining last-minute momentum,
03:02but didn't quite make it over the finish line.
03:05The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act,
03:08sponsored by State Senator Pete Harkham,
03:11did pass the State Senate.
03:13However, the State Assembly failed to vote in time.
03:18Aiming to fund state recycling efforts and ban certain chemicals in packaging,
03:22the high-profile bill is heavily debated.
03:25And this is a balanced bill.
03:28This bill addresses the concerns of industry.
03:30It addresses the concerns of public health.
03:35And it addresses the concerns of our environment.
03:39Senator Harkham says New York City could save $150 million per year in waste and recycling costs.
03:46And other parts of the state could save $100 million.
03:50The proposed legislation calls for packaging producers to join a packaging reduction organisation.
03:58Fees from the program would fund state recycling infrastructure
04:01and help improve collection, reuse and other recycling-related efforts.
04:06Had the bill passed, New York would have been the sixth state to adopt EPR for packaging.
04:12Now, Maine was the first in 2021, then Oregon.
04:16In 2022, Colorado and California followed suit.
04:21This year, Minnesota.
04:23Perhaps New York in 2025?
04:25Well, only time will tell.
04:28For EarthX, I'm Sarah Williamson.
04:31Sarah Williamson, thank you.
04:32New York's power grid operator issues a warning about the reliability of the state's power system.
04:39In a recent report, the New York Independent System operator found the state's electric grid
04:44will face supply shortfalls if the rate of retiring power plants fired by fossil fuels
04:49continues to outpace the addition of clean new energy supply,
04:54especially while energy demands continue to rise.
04:58They also reported that five years into New York's 16-year plan to have a 100% clean energy on its grid,
05:04the state lost more than 5,000 megawatts of fossil fuel-fired power
05:09while only gaining roughly 2,200 megawatts of clean energy sources, such as solar and wind.
05:16In the next two years, New York has at least 10 very large power load projects coming online,
05:20including the Micron Semiconductor Plant in the Syracuse area.
05:25This new manufacturing facility will require 480 megawatts of capacity,
05:30equivalent to the power needs of about 400,000 homes.
05:34The grid operator said more spending on transmission and other elements of the state's electrical network
05:39and streamlining the regulatory process to build infrastructure
05:42will be part of what is needed to avoid blackouts and rising power costs over the next decade.
05:48Maryland's governor is taking steps to help the environment through a series of climate commitments.
05:54Governor Wes Moore just signed a wide-ranging executive order seeking to reduce pollution.
05:59The order directs the Maryland Department of the Environment and other agencies within the state
06:04to develop climate initiatives, such as a zero-emission heating equipment standard,
06:09to decrease pollutants and improve ambient air quality inside homes.
06:13Governor Moore wants the state to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035
06:18and directed the Maryland Department of Transportation to undertake several measures to promote clean transportation.
06:24A team from the company Premier Resource Management in California's Central Valley
06:29discovered that it could use abandoned oil wells to store solar power,
06:34potentially offering enough power for 300,000 homes.
06:37Renewable energy can be stored as heat in underground reservoirs and then used to generate electricity
06:43when the grid needs a boost.
06:45It's commonly referred as geological thermal energy storage.
06:48The process can cheaply store renewable energy for more than a month.
06:52The system will use mirrors to concentrate sunlight and heat up liquid,
06:56bringing the temperature to 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
06:59Then brackish water inside the depleted oil well will be pumped up,
07:03heated through a heat exchanger and sent back underground.
07:08An added bonus, this process actually helps clean the brackish water that has been sitting inside the wells.
07:14The path to net zero by 2050 is going to take a lot of cash.
07:19According to a recent Bloomberg New Energy Finance report,
07:21it will cost $215 trillion to achieve zero emissions within the next 26 years,
07:28meaning governments and companies will have to spend an extra $34 trillion,
07:34or 19% more than original estimates on the clean energy transition.
07:39Earlier this year, the BNF's report said global investment in the low-carbon energy transition
07:44surged 17% to $1.8 trillion in 2023.
07:49In an effort to break down the numbers, the BNF split the data between two scenarios.
07:55The net zero scenario, which shows the increased costs associated with going green,
08:00and the economic transition scenario, which are the estimates Bloomberg compiled in previous research.
08:06When comparing the numbers, spending increases can be seen in several areas,
08:10including EV sales, the power grid, and renewables.
08:14Carbon capture technologies will also require nearly $7 trillion worth of investment
08:19when it comes to spending on fossil fuels.
08:21In a net zero scenario, the report suggests hundreds of billions of dollars in investments
08:26will be needed each year until 2050.
08:29Turning to international news, in a move similar to the U.S.,
08:33the European Union has announced additional tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China.
08:38Shelby Wilder reports.
08:39After a lengthy investigation process, the European Union announced this month
08:44that it would impose additional tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China by July.
08:50The EU cited the Chinese government's unfair support for its companies,
08:55which undercut European carmakers, as the reason for the ruling.
08:59This decision by the EU is a significant setback for the Chinese government,
09:03which had lobbied vigorously against the tariffs.
09:06Chinese electric vehicle producers now face additional tariffs ranging from around 17% to 38%
09:12on top of the existing 10% duty already imposed by the EU.
09:17Adam Donet, Secretary General of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, commented.
09:21It's a matter of ensuring sustainable trade.
09:25Like I said earlier, the EU's approach is to ensure a level playing field.
09:30And I think European industry fully recognizes that it needs to be competitive.
09:36It needs to, you know, it needs to up its game as well.
09:39And so there's a fine line between, you know, what the EU Commission sees as unfair subsidization
09:45and support and the issue of competitiveness.
09:49Despite Beijing's dissatisfaction, analysts believe that it is unlikely for the situation
09:55to escalate into a full-blown trade war with the European Union,
09:58its second-largest trading partner, especially given the economic pressures China faces domestically.
10:04However, as the EU takes decisive steps to protect its interests,
10:08Beijing responded by asserting it would take all necessary measures
10:12to firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests as well.
10:16For EarthX, I'm Shelby Wilder.
10:19Shelby Wilder, thank you.
10:21China has just completed what it believes to be the world's largest solar power plant.
10:25According to the state-owned company that runs the solar farm,
10:28the facility has an output of 3.5 gigawatts
10:31and will generate about 6.09 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year.
10:38That would be enough to power the country of Papua New Guinea for a year,
10:41or just over 2 million EVs annually.
10:44One Spanish city is embarking on a new mission to install thousands of new solar panels
10:49exclusively in graveyards located around the city.
10:54Dubbed R.I.P. or Requiem in Power,
10:57the plan laid out by Valencia's city government calls for the installation of more than 6,000 solar panels,
11:04with the energy being used to power municipal buildings and vulnerable households.
11:08So far, 810 panels have been laid out across three local cemeteries,
11:13which will all eventually be linked to create the largest urban solar farm in the country.
11:19It's all part of the wider Valencia 2030 Green Mission,
11:22where the city aims to generate 27% of its energy via renewable sources.
11:27Similar solar-generating graveyards are also being considered in other parts of Europe,
11:32with the French town of St. Joachim contemplating a similar solar canopy project.
11:37Coming up, a mechanism aimed at helping dairy farms reduce their emissions
11:41may have some unintended side effects.
11:44Stay tuned. That story is just ahead on EarthX News.
12:07Electric vehicle charging stations are becoming a new target for criminals,
12:12looking to strip them down for their valuable copper components.
12:16It's a brazen crime, which can often shut down entire charging stations.
12:20And the number of thefts seems to be on the rise.
12:24Both Tesla Superchargers and Electrify America have reported substantial upticks in charger theft and vandalism,
12:31with Electrify America opting to install more security cameras across their hardest-hit locations.
12:36Superchargers in Seattle, Oakland, and Houston have reportedly been hit the hardest,
12:41with more thefts being reported across other states like Oregon, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.
12:46Law enforcement agencies are also warning the Recycled Materials Association
12:50to be on the lookout for the stolen copper,
12:53as the value of the metal reaches record highs worldwide.
12:56A new global consumer survey found that more than 40% of U.S. electric vehicle owners
13:02aren't likely to buy one again, instead saying they'd rather go back to a gas car.
13:08Conducted by McKinsey & Co., the survey found those in favor of ditching electric cars
13:12cited high costs of ownership and challenges associated with charging the cars across long distances.
13:19Charging concerns were a consistent factor against electric vehicle adoption across all questions,
13:25with a survey showing only 9% of respondents felt the current level of public charging stations
13:31is sufficient for their needs.
13:3321% of global respondents also say they'll never consider switching from a gas car to an electric vehicle.
13:40Those respondents also heavily citing issues with vehicle charging.
13:44Bill Gates is pouring billions of dollars into a clean energy project in Wyoming.
13:49Microsoft's co-founder and his energy company, TerraPower, recently broke ground on a new generation
13:55nuclear power plant in the state.
13:58Gates says what sets this facility apart is the reactor.
14:01The apparatus at the new facility will use liquid sodium as a coolant rather than water
14:06and includes molten salt that can store heat to boost its output,
14:11which the company says could make nuclear power cheaper, safer, and more efficient.
14:15The type of reactor is meant to be smaller, cheaper, and take less time to build
14:19than the giant hulking reactors of old.
14:22Pacificorp, a primary provider of electricity in the West,
14:26plans to purchase electricity from TerraPower's first reactor
14:29and has expressed interest in additional reactors after that.
14:33Gates says TerraPower's plant is on track to start producing power by 2030.
14:38A device meant to help dairy farms reduce their methane gases is raising concerns
14:43it could make pollution worse, Caleb Park reports.
14:48California's solution to pollution could be causing more pollution.
14:52Home to about 1.7 million cows, Californians are concerned about methane production
14:57as the country's leading dairy producer.
15:00Yeah, this is Wickstrom Jersey Farms.
15:02We milk about 2,500 cows here.
15:04A growing number of dairy farms are using methane digesters,
15:08a device that breaks down organic waste, in this case cow manure and urine,
15:13using bacteria to produce methane, which can be collected and converted into biofuels for vehicles.
15:20But while it's in there, the plastic cover is capturing all the methane that that manure liquid emits.
15:25So instead of going into the atmosphere, it's captured and sent in a pipeline about 20 miles to their ethanol plant.
15:31About 20 of these methane digesters have been installed in the state and more are on the way.
15:36Companies like ourselves have come in, worked with the dairymen, resolved their methane mitigation issues,
15:42and then also provided them with a revenue stream.
15:44It's seen as a renewable energy source, but some critics say it's worse for the environment,
15:50especially for individuals who have to breathe in the air pollution.
15:53This isn't like a small mom and pop farm.
15:56This is thousands of cows that are living next to people.
16:00A cow is producing waste, and we are incentivizing this waste to be produced next to poor communities.
16:08Residents like Beverly Whitfield attribute allergies and other breathing issues to the pollution from the cows.
16:15We don't need any more cows here.
16:17Our town is not big enough for no more cows.
16:19We've got enough cows here, and they're pooping and everything else, and we're smelling the poop and all that.
16:25Air pollution researchers say that methane digesters are a net positive, despite concerns from the local community.
16:32For EarthX, I'm Caleb Park.
16:34Caleb Park, thank you.
16:36New electrolysis cells make hydrogen production cheaper and more sustainable.
16:41Scientists say the cost of manufacturing green hydrogen can be reduced by up to 5%,
16:46bringing widespread use of the fuel source within reach.
16:50Researchers have been studying a chemical process called electrolysis to try and advance sustainable energy solutions.
16:57And scientists at the Technical University of Denmark are taking it to the next level,
17:02testing a new type of ceramic electrolysis cells with fuel electrodes.
17:07Their goal is to convert green electricity from wind turbines and solar cells into sustainable fuels,
17:12like hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia.
17:15Their research shows these fuel electrodes maintain their performance even after 1,000 hours of testing,
17:22showing only slight degradation under high current draws.
17:25The scientists think this could reduce the frequency of replacements and repairs,
17:29leading to lower material and maintenance costs.
17:32Coming up, trillions of cicadas are now buzzing in the skies across several states in the Midwest and southern U.S.
17:38Stay tuned. We'll have more on this natural phenomenon when EarthX News returns.
17:43The great cicada emergence of 2024 is now underway across several states.
18:13You may recall earlier in the year, we reported two groups of the insect would simultaneously emerge in a rare event that hasn't been seen in the U.S.
18:23since Thomas Jefferson was president.
18:25Well, now the bugs have started to appear and scientists are working hard to learn all they can about the insects during this once-in-a-lifetime event.
18:33Leonardo Feldman reports.
18:35If you live in certain places in the US like Illinois, you're familiar with that sound.
18:41That noise is from cicadas who have emerged this year in the American South and Midwest.
18:46They are part of this ecosystem, and this ecosystem kind of cannot function without them.
18:52It's over millennia, it's been built up to function with them.
18:56Some may find their emergence a nuisance, but they're actually essential for the soil.
19:01They are fertilizing the soil.
19:02They're providing nutrients to other animals, to other plants, and all of these things are all coming from these cicadas.
19:10Cicadas are very loud.
19:12In fact, there were places in Illinois that the decibel level hit 101.
19:16That's louder than a lawnmower.
19:18It is worth noting, an emergence of this magnitude has reportedly not been seen in more than 200 years, since 1803.
19:26Everything, you know, is intertwined so deeply that we may not realize what role they play,
19:33but they are playing an extremely important role in this forest and even in our lives.
19:38Next time you hear these creatures buzz, remember, they're here for a reason.
19:43For EarthX, I'm Leonardo Feldman.
19:45Leonardo Feldman, thank you.
19:48A rare white buffalo has been sighted at Yellowstone National Park, fulfilling a tribal prophecy held by the local Lakota tribe.
19:55The ancient legend describes a savior figure known as the White Buffalo Woman,
20:00who helped teach the Lakota peoples to hunt buffalo around 2,000 years ago.
20:05Lakota legend adds that the woman will return to them in times of hardship, taking the form of a white buffalo calf.
20:12These animals are incredibly rare, with few recorded examples across American history.
20:18So a potential sighting has people flocking to the national park.
20:21I understand culturally how important this is for the Native Americans, and it would just be something special to be able to see.
20:30Park officials have yet to confirm the birth of the white buffalo among the wild herds of Yellowstone,
20:36and have no records of one being born in the park across its 132-year history.
20:42Lakota spiritual leader Arvel Looking Horse says this sacred calf presents both a blessing and a warning,
20:48and says more must be done to preserve the earth and its animals.
20:52And before we leave you, a family of one of the world's most endangered primates arrives at England's Chester Zoo.
20:59Officials announced a family of four Rollaway monkeys will now call the facility in Northern England home.
21:05The family of four includes Mom, Messiah, and Dad, Grizu, along with two young sons, Anam and Elu.
21:12Staffers at the wildlife facility described the moment the rare monkeys arrived as incredibly special,
21:18because there are just a few hundred of these monkeys remaining on the planet.
21:22According to Chester Zoo's director of animal and plants, the monkeys are on the brink of extinction,
21:28due to habitat loss and poaching in parts of West Africa.
21:32The zoo said the family will be part of an international conservation breeding program to safeguard their species from extinction.
21:39That's it for this edition of EarthX News.
21:41Please join us again next week.
21:43I'm Christina Thompson.
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