Driven by GM, Tesla, and the Biden administration, the U.S. is now poised to press ahead in the transformation to electric vehicles. Big challenges still loom, but technological advances, government support, and growing consumer appeal will drive the inevitable switch to EVs.
-
Interview
Stealth Chemicals: A Call to Action on a Threat to Human Fertility
In an interview with Yale e360, epidemiologist Shanna Swan talks about how falling sperm counts and other fertility problems are linked to chemicals in consumer products and explains why the Biden administration needs to follow Europe’s lead in restricting these substances.
-
Climate
Is the ‘Legacy’ Carbon Credit Market a Climate Plus or Just Hype?
As major corporations look to buy carbon credits to offset emissions, critics are questioning the value of "legacy" credits from green projects that are a decade or more old. What’s needed, experts say, is to reform the credit system so it delivers actual carbon reductions.
-
Essay
How the Loss of Soil Is Sacrificing America’s Natural Heritage
A new study points to a stunning loss of topsoil in the Corn Belt — the result of farming practices that have depleted this once-fertile ground. Beyond diminished agricultural productivity and more carbon in the atmosphere, it is a catastrophic loss of an irreplaceable resource.
Analysis
Why Drilling the Arctic Refuge Will Release a Double Dose of Carbon
In the renewed debate over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one troubling impact of oil development has been overlooked: Disrupting the annual caribou migration will have a profound effect on the soil and release even more greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
E360 Digest
-
UK Is Now Halfway Toward Meeting Its Zero-Carbon Goal by 2050
Greenhouse gas emissions in the United Kingdom have plunged by 51 percent since 1990 and the country is halfway toward slashing its CO2 emissions to zero by 2050, according to the Web site Carbon Brief. More about UK Is Now Halfway Toward Meeting Its Zero-Carbon Goal by 2050 →
-
In Peru, an Indigenous Group Fights to Protect Land from Drug Traffickers and Deforestation
The Santa Martha territory of Peru is experiencing unprecedented deforestation as drug traffickers and land grabbers encroach. Owned by the Indigenous Cacataibo community, a majority of this 14,485-hectare territory had been officially preserved as forestland. But traffickers have been illegally occupying and logging land for coca plantations and airstrips in recent years, Mongabay reported. More about In Peru, an Indigenous Group Fights to Protect Land from Drug Traffickers and Deforestation →
-
Summer Could Last Six Months by 2100, Study Finds
If emissions continue unchecked, summers in the Northern Hemisphere could last nearly six months by 2100, according to a new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Scientists say the shift in seasons will likely have significant impacts on agriculture, the environment, human health, and the timing of species’ activities such as breeding, feeding, and migration. More about Summer Could Last Six Months by 2100, Study Finds →
Never miss an article! Subscribe to the E360 Newsletter for weekly updates delivered to your inbox. Sign Up.
Biodiversity
Assisting Evolution: How Far Should We Go to Help Species Adapt?
An Australian project to help threatened marsupial species adapt to avoid predatory cats is among a host of ‘assisted evolution’ efforts based on the premise that it is no longer enough to protect species from change: Humans are going to have intervene to help them change.
-
Energy
On U.S. East Coast, Has Offshore Wind’s Moment Finally Arrived?
After years of false starts, offshore wind is poised to take off along the East Coast. Commitments by states to purchase renewable power, support from the Biden administration, and billions in new investment are all contributing to the emergence of this fledgling industry.
-
Biodiversity
An Illicit Trade in Brazil Is Sending Tiny Songbirds to Their Deaths
Thousands of saffron finches are being snatched out of South American forests and sold in Brazil for use in brutal, illegal fighting rings. Lax wildlife laws have made it difficult for authorities to crack down on the lucrative trade, leaving traffickers and ring runners undeterred.
-
Solutions
How Paving with Plastic Could Make a Dent in the Global Waste Problem
Roads in which waste plastic is melted down and mixed with paving materials are becoming more common around the world. Although for now they remain a niche technology, experts say the roads could become one of a diverse array of uses for discarded plastic.
