Earth Day, 50th anniversary

Wednesday April 22nd is Earth Day.

Before the stay at home orders, I had intended to do a series on Earth Day.  Today is the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day ("The ‘Profoundly Radical’ Message of Earth Day’s First Organizer," New York Times).  Now I'm not up to it.

These items catch my fancy:

1.  To move better environmental practices forward, the US should create a program comparable to the EU Green Capital program, where cities across Europe "compete" for the designation, as a way to model best practices.

One city is designated each year.  This year it's Lisbon.

In the US, I'd set it up for a large and small city both, as well as a rural community.

2.  New enzymes may allow for significantly expanded plastics recycling--in a few years as the technology is refined ("Scientists create mutant enzyme that recycles plastic bottles in hours," Guardian).

3.  Trump Administration rollback of environmental health regulations is bad ("Why Is Trump Gutting Regulations That Save Lives?," "U.S. to Announce Rollback of Auto Pollution Rules, a Key Effort to Fight Climate Change," New York Times).

4.  Recycling programs were set up by industry to "deflate" popular will in favor of recycling, by confusing things and making it look like the industry cared ("Plastics Industry Insiders Reveal the Truth About Recycling," PBS Frontline/National Public Radio).

5. Norway, an oil producer, has shifted its automobile "fleet" to electric cars, because its prime source of electricity is hydroelectric production, significantly reducing the negative environmental effect of automobiles ("Norway and the A-ha moment that made electric cars the answer," Guardian).

Because the US relies on coal and natural gas for electricity production, even as alternative energy sources are increasing, shifting to electric cars is less environmentally beneficial.

Especially when the focus ought to be shifting from an automobile-centric land use and transportation planning and operations paradigm more generally.

6.  But like Norway and hydroelectricity, coastal states in the US have the opportunity to generate significant proportions of its electricity demand from wind turbines ("Offshore Wind Energy Enough to Power the Atlantic Coastal States," Environment America) and waves ("
Why Hasn't Tidal Power Taken Off?," MIT Technology Review).

Although there can be opposition ("Offshore wind still looks to get a foothold in California," San Diego Union Tribune, "Offshore Wind Energy Looks More Promising for Oregon," Oregon Public Broadcasting).

7.  Which could power trains and an expanded passenger railroad system and electrification of existing diesel lines ("Electrification of US Railways: Pie in the Sky, or Realistic Goal?").

8. I haven't read much about the "Green New Deal" (NYT article) but I do think it should include materials productions requirements focused on more sustainable manufacturing practices, something that Europe has been doing for more than a decade.

There are many books published on the concept...

I will say the "green jobs" boom predicted as part of a refocusing on environmental outcomes in various government programs hasn't been forthcoming.

9.  Who knew that reduced ethanol production would lead to carbon dioxide shortages?  Including ethanol in gasoline is mostly a sop to corn producing states.  It doesn't have much beneficial impact for the environment and redirects agricultural land from food production, and can lead to higher food prices.

But apparently it's a major source of CO₂ which is a key element in food production ("Coronavirus-driven CO2 shortage threatens US food and water supply, officials say," Guardian).

10.  Drought ("Drought: Worst western megadrought in 1,200 years is here," USA Today).