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Keeping It Green

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Atmospheric CO2 Levels

(Monthly Averages)

MAY 1, 2022: 420.19 ppm
This time last year: 420.81 ppm
10 years ago: 397.15 ppm
Pre-industrial base: 280 Safe level: 350

Page Updated:
May 28, 2022

• • Steel Giant Comes Out Swinging Against Fossil Fuel

  Carbon Capture and Upcycling
  is One of the Avenues
  ArcelorMittal is Pursuing
  
  

  May, 26, 2022 -What’s a steel maker to do? Your operating costs are going through the roof, your customers are clamoring for something called “green steel,” and the climate has gone coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs. For the global leading firm ArcelorMittal, the answer is a new $100 million competition for clean tech startups. The company aims to something, anything, anywhere to drive the fossil fuel demons from the factory gates.

• • Corporations Pledge to Buy ‘Green’ at Davos Gathering

  More Than 50 Companies Plesge
  to Buy “Green” Metals
  and Other Commodities by 2030
  
  

  May, 25, 2022 -More than 50 corporations have joined a global “buyers’ club” that pledges to purchase aluminum, steel and other commodities made from processes that emit little to no carbon, a move that will be announced on Wednesday by leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

• • EU Sees Steep Rise in Pesticides

  Laws are Being Ignored
  as Consumers are Exposed to a
  Rising Tide of Chemical Exposure
  
  

  May, 25, 2022 -The contamination of fruits and vegetables produced in the European Union by the most toxic pesticides has substantially increased over the past decade, according to new research published Tuesday.

• • Global Food Crisis Looms as Fertilizer Supplies Dwindle

  Sanctions on Russia, Bad Weather, and Export Cuts Have Fueled a Severe Fertilizer Shortage
  
  

  May, 23, 2022 -Think the global fertilizer shortage is someone else’s problem? Take a look in the mirror. If you are reading this in North America, Europe, Latin America, or Asia, chances are that the bundle of amino acids staring back at you is alive today because of chemical fertilizers.

• • Netherlands Wants to Ban Fossil Fuel Heating Systems from 2026

  European Countries Seeking to Wean Themselves Off Russian Fossil Fuels
  
  

  May 20, 2022 -For generations, natural gas has provided the Netherlands with cheap heating for homes and offices. Over 90% of households use gas for heating, making it the only country in Europe with more gas-connected houses than the UK. But production has been dropping for years, forcing the Netherlands to rely on gas partly imported from Russia.

• • Baltimore Lead Contamination Continues to Pose a Major Threat,

  As Many as 85,000 Homes in the City Had “Dangerous” Levels of Lead, and that Remediation Could Cost Billions
  
  

  May 19, 2022-An estimated 85,087 occupied homes in Baltimore have “dangerous lead hazards,” according to a recent report from the Abell Foundation, a local public policy think tank. Fixing the problem would cost between $2.5 billion and $4.2 billion, the report said.

• • Do Airline Climate Offsets Really Work?

  The Good News, and the Bad
  
  

  May 18, 2022-Carbon offset programs have become ubiquitous. You’ve probably seen them as check-box options when booking flights: Click here to upgrade to a premium seat. Click here to cancel your greenhouse gas emissions.

  It’s an appealing proposition — the promise that, for a trivial amount of money, you can go about your business with no climate guilt. But if it sounds too good to be true, that’s because, at least for now, it is.

• • Pollution Kills Over 9 Million People Every Year

  It's 66% More than Two Decades Ago
  
  

  May 18, 2022-Pollution, unwanted waste of human origin released into air, land, water, and the ocean without regard for cost or consequence, was responsible for nine million deaths in 2019, with little progress in the last four years, according to a new study. Researchers highlighted industrial pollution, such as chemical pollution, as the leading problem.

• • Heavy Farm Vehicles are Affecting the World's Soils

  Starting With Massive Tractors...
  
  

  May 17, 2022-The total weight of farming machinery has increased tenfold in the last 40 years, as machines become bigger and stronger. As they operate across fields, these machines slowly crush the soil and make it harder for plants to grow, risking reducing harvests across global cropland in the next decades, a new study found.

• • Torpedo Those Dams and It's Full Speed Ahead

  At Least 239 Dams Were Removed From European Rivers in 2021
  
  

  May 17, 2022-There are over one million barriers on Europe’s rivers, many built over a century ago and currently serving little or no economic purpose, but still affecting the local ecosystems. This has triggered a campaign and a political commitment by countries to start removing many of them.

  The EU has set the goal of allowing at least 25,000 kilometers of rivers to flow freely again by 2030, and so far at least, it seems committed to the target.

• • Russian War Could be Causing Surge in Black Sea Dolphin Deaths

  Scientists and Organizations Warn Over the War's Environmental Impacts
  
  

  May 16, 2022-Scientists are worried over mass dolphin deaths in the Black Sea, which could be a result of the noise pollution caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine. There are about 20 Russian navy vessels in the Black Sea, which appear to be driving the dolphins south towards the Turkish and Bulgarian shores –where they get caught in the fishing nets or stranded.

• • US Oil Refineries Spewing Cancer-
  Causing Benzene into Communities

  Analysis Shows Alarming Level of Benzene at Fence-Line of Facilities
  
  

  May 14, -A dozen US oil refineries last year exceeded the federal limit on average benzene emissions.

  Among the 12 refineries that emitted above the maximum level for benzene, five were in Texas, four in Louisiana, and one each in Pennsylvania, Indiana and the US Virgin Islands, a new analysis by the Environmental Integrity Project revealed on Thursday.

• • The Environmental Effects of Lithium Mining

  Water Resources Depleted,
  Wetlands Drainned, and Communities
  Harmed in S. America
  
  

  May 14, 2022 -To mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, we must transition away from fossil fuels like petroleum and coal and toward clean energy generation and zero-emission transportation options. However, many green technologies, such as electric vehicles and renewable power plants, depend on lithium-ion batteries, which require lithium.

• • $230M Settlement Reached Over 2015 California Oil Spill

  Pollution Just Can’t
  Be a Cost of Doing Business
  
  

  May 14, 2022 -The owner of an oil pipeline that spewed thousands of barrels of crude oil onto Southern California beaches in 2015 has agreed to pay $230 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by fishermen and property owners, court documents show.

• • Mining is a Polluting Business

  Can New Tech Make it Cleaner?
  
  

  May 13, 2022-In March, President Biden ordered more federal resources directed toward mining metals and minerals essential for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, including nickel, cobalt, graphite, and lithium.

  The presidential directive highlighted one of the most controversial realities at the center of the green energy transition: In order to switch from dirty fossil fuel energy sources to carbon-free renewables and EVs, we need more mining—historically a very polluting business.

• • Invasive Insects Will Kill Over a Million Urban Trees by 2050

  The Main Culprit is the Incredibly Destructive Emerald Ash Borer
  
  

  May 13, 2022-Over the next 30 years, invasive insects will kill 1.4 million urban trees in the United States, a new study finds. Most of those deaths will be caused by the emerald ash borer, which researchers expect will kill nearly all ash trees in more than 6,000 communities.

• • Fossil Fuels Aren’t Just Harming the Planet

  They’re Also Making Us Sick
  
  

  May 12, -For years, researchers have warned that chemical pollutants tied to fossil fuels have become so pervasive that they would be impossible for anyone to avoid.

  A study released earlier this week may be the first indication of how widely some chemicals have spread. Researchers found multiple classes of potentially harmful chemicals where they’ve never been measured before: in the bodies of pregnant women.

• • Federal Appeals Court Upholds
  Decision to Halt a Mine in Arizona

  The Rosemont Mine Has Got to Go
  
  

  May 12, 2022 -Today’s ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is another blow to Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals’ plans for the $1.9 billion Rosemont Mine in the Coronado National Forest, 30 miles southeast of Tucson.

  In a 2-1 decision, the appeals court affirmed the district court ruling that Hudbay’s mining claims where it wanted to dump waste rock and tailings were baseless, saying it was “undisputed that no valuable minerals have been found. Because no valuable minerals have been found, the claims are necessarily invalid. The district court was therefore correct in holding that the Service improperly assumed their validity.”

• • Air Pollution's Hurricane Effects

  More, or Fewer, Hurricanes
  It Depends Where You Live
  
  

  May 11, 2022 -Global warming can affect hurricanes, in part because a warmer ocean provides more energy to fuel them. But it’s not the only factor in play: A study released on Wednesday confirms that, for the frequency of hurricanes, the effects of particulate air pollution are even greater.

• • 91% of Reefs Surveyed on Great Barrier
  Reef Affected By Coral Bleaching in 2022

  Report Reveals Extent of Sixth Mass Bleaching Event With Worst-Affected Reefs Between Cape Tribulation and Whitsundays
  
  

  May 10, 2022 -Coral bleaching affected 91% of reefs surveyed along the Great Barrier Reef this year, according to a report by government scientists that confirms the natural landmark has suffered its sixth mass bleaching event on record.

• • Europe's Farmlands May Be the Largest
  Microplastics Reservoir in the World

  It’s All Due to the High Levels of these Particles in Sewage-Sludge-Derived Fertilizers
  
  

  May 10, 2022 -Researchers at Cardiff University estimate that anywhere between 31,000 and 42,000 tons of microplastics (or 86 – 710 trillion microplastic particles) find their way into Europe’s farmlands every year. These quantities mean that the average plot of farmland in the old world mirrors the microplastic levels of ocean surface waters, they add.

  As for the source of these plastics, the team points to sewage sludge, a material that is commonly used as feedstock for fertilizers on farmlands across Europe. They estimate that around 1% of the weight of sewage sludge is made up of microplastics.

• • Creating an Eco-Friendly Home Office

  An Eco-Friendly Home Office is a Great Way to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
  
  

  May 7, 2022 -When it comes to creating an Eco-friendly home office, the first step is often to look at your current setup and figure out how you could improve it.

  You can make several key changes to help minimize waste and increase efficiency in your workspace. These include installing energy-efficient lighting, replacing outdated appliances with modern, more efficient options, reusing old office furniture, or moving paper jobs online.

• • Organic Vegetables Could Harbor Disease-Causing Bacteria

  Understanding How Different Types of
  Agriculture Affect the Food We Eat
  
  

  May 6, 2022 -In recent years, the demand for organic fruits and vegetables has surged as concerns have been rising about the excessive use of toxic fertilizers and pesticides in farmlands. In 2020, the sales of organic fruits and vegetables rose by 12.5% in the US, and for the first time, it crossed the mark of $60 billion globally. But organic vegetables may have some problems of their own.

  A new study from researchers at Valencia Polytechnic University (UPV) in Spain highlights that organic leafy vegetables can carry harmful bacteria that pose a risk to human health.

• • Treaties Protecting Fossil Fuel Investors Could
  Jeopardize Global Efforts to Save the Climate

  It Could Also Cost Countries Billions
  
  

  May 5, -Fossil fuel companies have access to an obscure legal tool that could jeopardize worldwide efforts to protect the climate, and they’re starting to use it. The result could cost countries that press ahead with those efforts billions of dollars.

• • Shell Reports a Record $9.1 Billion Profit

  Rising Energy Prices, Along with Cost Cutting, Helped Secure the Soaring Result
  
  

  May 5, 2022 -Shell, Europe’s largest energy company, reported on Thursday its biggest-ever quarterly profit, reflecting high prices for oil and natural gas spurred by the war in Ukraine and tightness in world energy markets.

• • Sweet Seagrass Could Save
  Oceans and Reverse Climate Change

  But We’re Killing These Gentle Habitats
  
  

  May 5, 2022 -Seagrass meadows are among the most important ecosystems on our planet. According to an estimate, about 50 million tiny invertebrates and 40,000 fish can thrive in just one acre of seagrass. Moreover, these underwater plants absorb 10% of the total carbon that deposits in the oceans annually and play an important role in reversing climate change.

  But they’re also one of the most overlooked ecosystems on the planet. Some researchers want to change that.

• • Withdraw Water From W. Pa. Trout Stream for Fracking?

  The DEP Doesn't Think So
  
  

  May 4, 2022 -A gas drilling company is asking the state to reconsider its request to withdraw water from a Western Pennsylvania trout stream.

  Findlay, Pa.-based PennEnergy Resources last year made a request to take 3 million gallons a day from two locations on Big Sewickley Creek, both in Beaver County. It proposed sending the water through a temporary water pipeline to supply a fracking operation in nearby Economy Borough. The DEP denied the request over concerns that it would impact “water quality, stream flow, fish and wildlife and aquatic habitat.”

• • Almost Half the World is Now “Degraded”

  We're Leaving No Stone Unturned
  
  

  May 3, 2022 -With our cities, farms, and overall way of life, we have transformed large swaths of Earth from their natural state, usually leaving them worse than before, according to a new report. Researchers found up to 40% of the world’s total land area is now classified as degraded, with Asia, South America, and Africa especially affected.

• • Coral-Algae Symbiosis to Help Reefs Recover From Mass Bleaching

  The Results Help Us
  Better Understand Why and
  How Algae and Corals Co-Exist
  
  

  May 3, 2022 -Scientists breed mutant algae to save world’s corals from bleaching.

  Researchers at the University of California, Riverside are exploring options to save corals from climate change by reversing the damage caused by bleaching events.

• • Musk and Google Add to $2 Billion Boost for Carbon Removal

  Opening Up Opportunities for Technologies that Promise to Undo Climate Damage
  
  

  May 3, 2022 -The path to tackling climate change used to be fairly straightforward: Cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero, and global temperatures would start to stabilize.

  But straightforward doesn’t mean cheap, convenient, or politically expedient, and nations have dragged their feet so much that scientists now say we risk a climate catastrophe even if we reach zero emissions in the next couple of decades. That’s why, after years of discussion and development, the idea of removing carbon dioxide from the air and storing it where it can’t reenter the atmosphere is gaining momentum.

• • From a Toxic Wasteland

  To a National Park
  
  

  May 2, 2022 -A junkyard that once held rusting cars and thousands of barrels of oozing toxic chemicals just got added to a national park. The former Krejci dump, a 45-acre parcel that operated from 1948 to 1980, opened to the public in December as part of a 200-acre addition to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a 33,000-acre swath that winds between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio.

• • Fracking Boom in Texas - The Results

  The State Is Now the
  Earthquake Capital of the World
  
  

  Apr. 29, 2022 -A state not known for earthquakes has been hit so hard, it's even poised to overtake California and Alaska.

  In 2015, there were six earthquakes that topped 3.0 on the Richter scale. And then six again the next year. And then the numbers just exploded: 17 became 78 became 181. And in the first three months of 2022 alone, there were another 59, putting the year on pace to set a fresh record.

• • Dirty Air Affects 97% of UK Homes, Data Shows

  Slough, London and Leeds Among Worst Locations on Map Showing Air Pollution Above World Health Organization (WHO) Limits
  
  

  Apr. 28, 2022 -Virtually every home in the UK is subjected to air pollution above World Health Organization guidelines, according to the most detailed map of dirty air to date.

  More than 97% of addresses exceed WHO limits for at least one of three key pollutants, while 70% of addresses breach WHO limits for all three.

• • Warning on Mass Extinction of Sea Life

  If Fossil Fuel Emissions Continue Apace, the Oceans Could Experience a Mass Extinction by 2300
  
  

  Apr. 28, 2022 -At first, the scientists chose a straightforward title for their research: Marine Extinction Risk From Climate Warming.

  But as publication approached, something nagged at them. Their findings illustrated two drastically different outcomes for ocean life over the next three centuries depending on whether greenhouse gas emissions were sharply curbed or continued apace. Somehow it seemed the study’s name conjured only doom.

• • Methane Emissions From Reservoirs

  A Coalition of Environmental Groups Has Called For Regulatory Action
  
  

  Apr. 25, 2022 -As U.S. states and countries across the world work to reduce fossil fuels and boost renewables, hydropower is poised to play an even bigger role.

  There’s just one problem: A growing body of research published over the past two decades has found that most reservoirs, including those used for hydropower, aren’t emissions-free.

• • EU Plans Ban Dangerous Chemicals

  Up to 12,000 Substances Could
  Fall Within the Scope of the
  New ‘Restrictions Roadmap’
  
  

  Apr. 25, 2022 -Thousands of potentially harmful chemicals could soon be prohibited in Europe under new restrictions, which campaigners have hailed as the strongest yet.

  Earlier this year, scientists said chemical pollution had crossed a “planetary boundary” beyond which lies the breakdown of global ecosystems.

• • Microplastics are in Our Bodies

  How Much Do They Harm Us?
  
  

  Apr. 25, 2022 -As plastic waste proliferates around the world, an essential question remains unanswered: What harm, if any, does it cause to human health?

  A few years ago, as microplastics began turning up in the guts of fish and shellfish, the concern was focused on the safety of seafood. Shellfish were a particular worry, because in their case, unlike fish, we eat the entire animal—stomach, microplastics and all. In 2017, Belgian scientists announced that seafood lovers could consume up to 11,000 plastic particles a year by eating mussels, a favorite dish in that country.

• • Highly Contagious Marine Epidemic
  Rips Through Caribbean’s Coral Reefs

  Frustration Among Scientists as Many
  Islands, Hard Hit by Hurricanes, Struggle
  to Fight Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease
  
  

  Apr. 23, 2022 -Krista Sherman understands ocean conservation work takes a good deal of patience. But the Bahamian-born marine scientist had never encountered a foe like stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), and after efforts to monitor and treat the highly contagious outbreak in the Bahamas’ corals stalled, her patience was running thin.

• • Deforestation is Destroying our Planet

  Here’s How We Fight Back
  
  

  Apr. 23, 2022 -Deforestation is the conversion of a forested area to land that is not forested. Deforestation can also refer to the natural loss of trees and the potential destruction of forests from human practices.

  The loss of forests has far-reaching consequences for both the environment and human societies. Forests are critical for the planet, providing habitat for wildlife, storing carbon, and regulating local climates. They also play an essential role in the global water cycle, releasing water vapor into the atmosphere and helping precipitation.

• • PA: The First Fossil Fuel State to Put a Price on Carbon

  A Major Move by
  Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf
  
  

  Apr. 22, 2022 -The agency tasked with entering new regulations into the state’s official record is set to publish the Wolf Administration’s climate rule this weekend.

  The state can be a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative once the rule that allows joining is published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Saturday. An online version of the bulletin posts Friday.

• • American Petroleum Institute Proposes a Carbon Price

  Who'd a Thunk It?
  
  

  Apr. 21, 2022 -News broke in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) this morning that the American Petroleum Institute (API), the country’s largest trade association for the oil and gas industry, has drafted a proposal urging Congress to adopt a carbon tax with rebates to Americans.

  CCL is encouraged to see this powerful industry player taking steps to advance this major climate policy.

• • The Thames Has Recovered From Biologically Dead

  But What About Its Future?
  
  

  Apr. 21, 2022 -It might surprise you to know that the River Thames is considered one of the world’s cleanest rivers running through a city.

  What’s even more surprising is that it reached that status just 60 years after being declared “biologically dead” by scientists at London’s Natural History Museum. Yet despite this remarkable recovery, there’s no room for complacency – the Thames still faces new and increasing threats from pollution, plastic and a rising population.

• • How Big Oil Companies Betrayed Us All

  What We Now Know … They Lied
  
  

  Apr. 21, 2022 -There is a moment in the revelatory PBS Frontline docuseries The Power of Big Oil, about the industry’s long campaign to stall action on the climate crisis, in which the former Republican senator Chuck Hagel reflects on his part in killing US ratification of the Kyoto Climate Treaty.

• • 1/4 of US Emissions Since 2005
  Come From Fossil Fuels on Public Lands

  The Impacts
  
  

  Apr. 21, 2022 -Emissions equivalent to nearly a quarter of the US total since 2005 have come from fossil fuels extracted on the nation’s public lands and waters, according to recent analysis.

• • Thames Water Dumped Raw
  Sewage Into Rivers 5,028 Times in 2021

  Campaigners Say Utility Firm’s Investment Plan to Remedy Situation is ‘Completely Inadequate’
  
  

  Apr. 20, 2022 -Thames Water dumped untreated effluent for more than 68,000 hours into the river systems around Oxford last year, campaigners have revealed, arguing that the sum of money the company plans to spend to improve the situation is woefully inadequate.

• • South Georgia Island: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

  Abundance, Exploitation and Recovery
  
  

  Apr. 18, 2022-Sally Poncet first came to South Georgia in 1977. Back then, she said, the sub-Antarctic island was as gorgeous as it is today: A spine of mountains, some 100 miles long, defines the terrain; glaciers drape down from the peaks, with verdant slopes running up to meet them; glistening beaches wrap around the shoreline. But in those days, Ms. Poncet recalled, the island had an empty feel to it. “You felt a lack,” she explained. “It wasn’t alive like you knew it could be.”

• • What You Probably Know
  and Don't Know About Greenhouse Gasses

  And You Should
  
  

  Apr. 15, 2022-Sure, you may know that greenhouses are typically used to grow plants. But there’s a lot more to these structures than meets the eye.

  A greenhouse is typically a glass or plastic enclosed structure that is used for the cultivation of plants. They can be found in various sizes, from small backyard greenhouses to large commercial ones.

• • 12,000 Gals. of Petroleum Products Spilled in Medford Oregon Fire

  Environmental Cleanup is Underway Following a Fire at a Local Gas Station
  
  

  Apr. 15, 2022,-The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said Thursday that over 12,000 gallons of various petroleum products, mostly lube oil, were released into nearby Bear Creek and surrounding areas during the incident.

• • 4 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

  We're Talking About Your Home
  
  

  Apr. 14, 2022-Globally, the average carbon footprint is around 8,000lbs, though it’s even higher in more industrialized nations, such as the U.S. You can calculate your own personal carbon footprint to determine how much greenhouse gas emissions you’re producing so you’ll know exactly how much to cut back— or you can follow the tips listed here to reduce your carbon footprint.

• • Greenhouse Gases Explained

  What They Are and Why They're Bad
  
  

  Apr. 12, 2022-Most people have heard of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc.), but many don’t know precisely what they are or how they contribute to climate change. Greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun, causing the Earth’s average temperature to rise.

• • The Climate: Yet Another Casualty of War

  The War in Ukraine Could
  Have a Profound Environmental Impact
  
  

  Apr. 13, 2022-The Black Sea Biosphere Reserve, on the southern coast of Ukraine, is a haven for migrating birds. More than 120,000 birds spend the winter flitting about its shores, and a multicolored spectrum of rare species — the white-tailed eagle, red-breasted merganser and black-winged stilt, to name just a few — nest among its protected waters and wetlands.

  “Today the territory of the reserve is occupied by the Russian troops,” Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi, a deputy minister of environmental protection and natural resources in Ukraine, said in an email last month. “Currently there is no information on environmental losses.”

• • Going on a Vacation? The Environmental Impact

  9 Useful Green Getaway Tips
  
  

  Apr. 9, 2022,-While tourism is good for your personal growth and overall economy, it poses a significant threat to the environment.

  From carbon emissions from the aviation industry to waste produced by luxury hotels, vacations can have an adverse impact on the planet. And, although you’re in a party mood during your get-away, it’s vital you cut down your carbon footprint and work through more sustainable ways to enjoy your week out.

• • Methane Emissions Hit Another Record High

  That’s a Big Deal
  
  

  Apr. 8, 2022,-Global methane emissions increased last year by the largest amount since measurements of the greenhouse gas began in 1983, a new government report said. It was the latest in a series of stark reminders over recent months that even amid growing public outcry to address the climate crisis, not nearly enough is being done to curb rising emissions of planet-warming gases.


• • Space Travel's Environmental Costs

  Can It Be Made Environmentally Friendly?
  
  

  Apr. 6, 2022,-The problem with space tourism is that burning rocket fuel releases massive amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Can we make space travel environmentally friendly?

• • Microplastics Found Deep In Lungs of Living People For First Time?

  Particles Discovered in Tissue of 11 Out of 13 Patients Undergoing Surgery, with Polypropylene and PET Most Common
  
  

  Apr. 6, 2022,-The scientists said micro-plastic pollution was now ubiquitous across the planet, making human exposure unavoidable and meaning “there is an increasing concern regarding the hazards” to health.

• • Banning Gas and Oil Hookups in New Buildings

  NY State Struggling to Cut Emissions
  From Homes, Offices, Factories and Shops
  
  

  Apr. 5, 2022,
  -It might surprise you — given the share of daily angst that New Yorkers, whether they drive or not, devote to traffic and parking — that cars and trucks are not the state’s biggest contribution to climate change and its civilization-threatening risks. Buildings are.

• • Who's Breathing Polluted Air That Exceeds Safe Levels

  Answer: Almost Everyone in the World
  
  

  Apr. 5, 2022, -No matter where you live, it’s very likely you are breathing air that largely exceeds air pollution internationally approved limits, according to a new report by the UN. Almost the entire population of the planet (99%) breathes polluted air, leading to negative health effects that are kicking in at much lower levels than previously thought.

• • War's Effect on Russian Climate Activists

  What Other Countries Can Learn From It
  
  

  Apr. 2, 2022, -Raising climate awareness under an authoritarian government is lonely and dangerous. But Arshak Makichyan, a young activist from Russia, deeply believed in it.

  For years, he spent days standing alone in the public squares of Moscow holding up signs to protest climate inaction, spoke at conferences and built a following on social media. He was detained by the police several times.

  It was all worth it, he thought. Until the war erupted.

• • The Damage a Solar Storm Can Do

  An Electrical Engineer Explains
  
  

  Mar. 28, 2022, -In September, 1859, telegraph systems around the world failed catastrophically. The operators of the telegraphs reported receiving electrical shocks, telegraph paper catching fire, and being able to operate equipment with batteries disconnected. During the evenings, the aurora borealis, more commonly known as the northern lights, could be seen as far south as Colombia. Typically, these lights are only visible at higher latitudes, in northern Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia.

  What the world experienced that day, now known as the Carrington Event, was a massive geomagnetic storm. These storms occur when a large bubble of superheated gas called plasma is ejected from the surface of the sun and hits the Earth. This bubble is known as a coronal mass ejection.