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A day ahead of the final Budget presentation, India released the <keyword id="20613906" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="economic-survey" source="keywords">Economic Survey</keyword> 2023-2024, outlining a plethora of optimistic — and some bittersweet — indicators of the health of the nation’s economy. When you consider the climate-related aspects of the report, there’s a ton of good news: we have achieved massive strides in clean power generation, while cutting out a ton of dirty emissions from our products. However, scroll down to the bottom of the report, and you find a scathing criticism of the “western” approach to climate change. Here's a closer look at why, and what clues do such narratives hold about India's <keyword id="22513472" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="environmental-strategy" source="keywords">environmental strategy</keyword> in coming years. <h2>Problems with the “Western way”</h2>The major criticism, as per the survey, is that the Western approach to climate change is far too alarmist. They argue that this “one-size-fits-all” attitude often fails to account for the diverse needs of countries like India. To that end, it also points out that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) promotes "accelerated and equitable mitigation pathways" that don't always align with the developmental priorities of <keyword id="20353838" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="developing-nations" source="keywords">developing nations</keyword>. Additionally, the report notes that Western solutions often prioritise market-based strategies to sustain high consumption levels rather than addressing the root issue of overconsumption. The survey emphasises that <keyword id="20224417" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainable-living" source="keywords">sustainable living</keyword> is deeply ingrained in <keyword id="19983840" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-culture" source="keywords">Indian culture</keyword>, which contrasts sharply with the consumption-driven lifestyle prevalent in the West. This focus on high consumption misses the mark, as it doesn't consider the environmental impact of such lifestyles. And for the most part, this bit is true; Indian history is enriched with traditions that emphasise the conservation of nature. As <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2017/3828609">per estimates</a>, religious practices have preserved an estimated 1.5 lakh sacred groves across India, and natural conservation efforts can be traced back to the time of Ashoka. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111925936" title="Economic Survey 2023-24: Where does India stand on the employment, and what&amp;#39;s next?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Therefore, it may not be entirely inaccurate to say that in India, sustainability isn't a new concept; it's a way of life. Traditional Indian practices like using reusable materials, upcycling, and embracing minimalism have always promoted sustainability. The survey highlights that these practices are now threatened by Western capitalist ideals that equate consumption with progress. By returning to these roots, India can offer a model of sustainability that's both practical and culturally relevant. <h2>Fixation on technical solutions</h2>The Economic Survey also critiques the Western obsession with high-tech solutions, such as solar-powered buildings and electric vehicles. These solutions require substantial financial and infrastructural resources that many developing countries simply don't have. Moreover, they often overlook the broader environmental impact and lifecycle costs associated with urban sprawl and high-density living. Instead, the survey suggests that simpler, more holistic solutions might be more effective and sustainable. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111774972" title="Economic Survey shows India&amp;#39;s energy needs to grow 2.5x, healthy growth in formal employment" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, this does not mean that India refuses to embrace greener tech. Not only has the country launched various initiatives to promote energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, it also aims to to generate 40% of its energy from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. As per the report, India is the only G20 country on track to meet the 2°C warming commitment under the Paris Agreement, with significant investments in <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">renewable energy</keyword>, particularly solar power. <h2><keyword id="20269618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mission-LiFE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Mission LiFE" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Mission LiFE">Mission LiFE</keyword>: A sustainable initiative</h2>In order to help reinforce and rejuvenate the Indian way, the survey highlights Prime Minister Modi's Lifestyle for Environment initiative, or Mission LiFE. This initiative underscores individual responsibility in combating climate change, drawing from ancient Indian philosophy that advocates for a naturally sustainable lifestyle. By focusing on small, individual actions that collectively lead to significant environmental benefits, Mission LiFE contrasts sharply with the Western top-down policy approach. This grassroots strategy could be key to achieving real, lasting change, the report asserts. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111927198" title="On the right track — Economic Survey 2023-24 outlines India’s commendable climate action" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>All in all, the report challenges the dominance of Western policies and offers a pathway that could be more adaptable and relevant for other developing nations facing similar challenges. With its ongoing progress towards climate goals, India is well-placed to lead by example, showcasing a sustainable and culturally attuned approach to environmental stewardship.

Why did the latest Economic Survey of India heavily shun the ‘Western ways’ of climate action?

<ul><li>India needs a lot of <keyword id="19553397" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="governance-specialists" source="Orion">governance specialists</keyword>, renewable energy, <keyword id="19553398" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ev-tech-experts" source="Orion">EV tech experts</keyword> and more.</li><li>Most of these jobs require strong foundational STEM skills; engineers are most in demand.</li><li>Certifications and industry upskilling programmes are helping fill the gap in talent shortage. </li></ul>India’s <keyword id="472014" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-jobs" source="Orion">green jobs</keyword> market has exploded, thanks to its net zero commitments, thrust for electric vehicles (EVs) and accelerated push for renewable energy. By the end of 2023, there are expected to be as many as 18.5 million of such jobs across industries and this will almost double by 2047, says Teamlease. Here is the catch – while universities and colleges are catching up, it’s not as fast as the demand growth. The growth in green job postings is around 15% in the last one year, says LinkedIn. Naukri pegs it as high as 27% with the EV sector being the star. “According to the Global Green Skills Report 2023 by LinkedIn, India has seen a 140% jump in auto industry workers with Electric Vehicle(EV) skills from 2018-23. This is the highest growth rate globally,” said Hari Krishnan Nair, Co-founder, Great Learning. Jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs Green jobs are expected to almost double by 2047, i.e. touch 35 million. Apart from electrification of vehicles, greening the entire supply chain through green procurement, electrification of fleets, reduction of waste, packaging and optimization of inventory — is also expected to produce more jobs. “The jobs are at all levels — from entry, mid and senior level. While entry level jobs are on creating and implementing <keyword id="95422" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Green-Technology" source="Orion">green technology</keyword> and supporting consulting practices and R&amp;D. The mid and senior levels are mostly around R&amp;D, supervisory and project ownership roles and more strategic in nature,” said Sumit Kumar, chief business officer, TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship. Green job roles are being created around sustainability, environmental, social and governance (ESG). “Governance specialists, renewable energy experts, being hired across sectors where there is an immense focus on sustainability and ESG,” said Parag Ghatpande, director - assessment solutions at Aon India. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Job role </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Starting salary </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mid-level salary </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Renewable Energy Engineer / Sustainability Analyst </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹4-6 lakhs per annum </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹8-12 lakhs per annum </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Environmental Consultant / Green Building Consultant </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3-5 lakhs per annum </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹6-10 lakhs per annum </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sustainable Agriculture / Sustainable Transportation </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2-4 lakhs per annum </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5-7 lakhs per annum </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Water Management / Recycling </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3-5 lakhs per annum </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹6-9 lakhs per annum </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Green Technology / EV Technology </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5-9 lakhs per annum </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹10-15 lakhs per annum </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: TeamLease EdTech Show me the skills As expected, the scaling up of skills while it has started, is yet to match up to the speed in job postings. Krishnan says that the rapid industrial expansion outpaces curriculum updates in colleges, resulting in a shortage of skilled talent. Most of the expertise that’s needed to drive India’s green transformation requires strong foundational STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills. “Currently, the key qualifications needed for such (green) roles would be an engineering degree with 5-10 years’ experience within the sustainability sector and experience of sustainability certification schemes,” says Ghatpande. In fact, most of the jobs require engineering degrees — both standalone or specialised to environment science. “The common degrees are Environmental Science or Engineering for roles in environmental conservation and management. Renewable Energy Engineering or Sustainable Energy Studies for careers in the renewable energy sector. Agricultural Science or Sustainable Agriculture for those interested in sustainable farming practices,” says Jaideep P Kewalramani, head of employability business and COO, TeamLease EdTech. Green certifications in vogue On top of the basic degrees, there are certifications as well. Green Building Certifications such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for sustainable construction and architecture. Certifications in Environmental Management like ISO 14001, for professionals focusing on sustainability within organisations. For now, organisations which quickly need a lot of employees with green skills are developing talent by upskilling and reskilling the existing workforce on green technologies. “Also there is an active collaboration with academia in curating programs to create talent pipelines,” says Kumar. Added to that several online learning platforms offer tailored certificate courses and modules to help professionals kickstart their careers in the EV industry. “These courses often feature industry-relevant curricula, real-world projects, live mentorship by experts, and expert-led masterclasses,” says Krishnan. India is steadfast in its commitment to go green. As such jobs explode, it’s up to the professionals and young aspirants to build their green skills to move towards a sustainable career ahead. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/the-dark-truth-behind-rbis-crackdown-on-easy-personal-loans/articleshow/105287366.cms">The dark truth behind RBI’s crackdown on easy personal loans</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/bitten-by-inflation-indians-buying-fewer-clothes-this-season/articleshow/105179140.cms">Bitten by inflation, Indians buying fewer clothes this season</a>

India’s green jobs are growing but are colleges ready to supply the talent?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Houston has pioneered a key land-use policy reform that has helped create abundant starter homes. </li><li>The Texas city shrunk the required lot size for a single-family home.</li></ul>Houston, Texas is known for its Space Center and bayous — and, more recently, its abundant starter homes. Houston's newer townhomes built in the last couple of decades join the brownstones of New York City, the rowhouses of DC, and the Victorians of San Francisco as a form of relatively dense housing.But unlike its coastal counterparts, Houston's homes are much cheaper and more abundant. The city is building lots of what most of the country desperately needs: affordable housing.Key to this is Houston's approach to an influential, but little-known land-use policy: minimum lot sizes. Since the early to mid-20th century, virtually all American cities have imposed rules that require single-family homes to sit on at least 5,000 to 10,000 square feet of land.In rural areas with limited water and sewer infrastructure, low-density living makes sense as a health and practical matter. But in urban areas, requiring large lots only makes neighborhoods more exclusive and expensive."It's really a way to limit housing construction," said Emily Hamilton, a housing researcher at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She added that minimum lot sizes maintain "a homogenous type of housing construction with often a high floor on how expensive it has to be."Restricting construction encourages sprawl, which makes walking anywhere difficult and driving necessary. Minimum lot sizes make homes an average of about $30,000 more expensive than those in similar, less regulated areas, and reduce density by 11%, housing researchers Joseph Gyourko and Sean McCulloch <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w31710">found last year</a>.With urban housing in demand in the 1990s, city leaders decided to do something about it. In 1998, Houston shrunk its single-family lot size requirement from 5,000 square feet to 1,400 square feet in most of the city. In 2013, the city expanded that policy to all land that receives its wastewater collection services.The effects have been dramatic. The policy change has spurred the construction of almost 80,000 new homes, many of them townhouses and other kinds of small-lot single-family homes.And unlike some other upzoning measures, Houston's 2013 reforms didn't push land values up, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mercatus.org/research/working-papers/effects-minimum-lot-size-reform-houston-land-values">Hamilton found in a study</a> published earlier this month. She and other researchers believe this is because the land-use change applies to such a large geographic area. When development capacity increases on so many lots and spurs lots of new construction across the city, the expected income from any one piece of land is diminished.Hamilton said her findings were "somewhat surprising," because some other upzoning efforts <a target="_blank" href="https://yonahfreemark.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Freemark-Upzoning-Chicago.pdf">have been shown to increase land values</a>, counteracting some of the affordability benefits of allowing for more housing. But what sets Houston apart is that the policy change spurred lots of new construction."It's probably the most radical land-use reform adopted by any US city over the last 30 years, and it's certainly the most successful by unit count," said Nolan Gray, a city planner and research director for California YIMBY who's done research on Houston's policy.<div type="image" title="A townhome is shown for sale on Freund St. on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 in Houston." height="853" width="1280" msid="107233177" hostid="261" sizebytes="154704"></div><h2>A 'free lunch opportunity'</h2>Shrinking or eliminating minimum lot sizes may be radical, but it's the kind of market-based approach that pro-housing advocates across the political spectrum support. Many conservatives are joining progressives in pushing to get rid of many regulations that limit housing density.Houston's lot size reform would make sense all over the country. While some Americans still want picket fences and far-flung subdivisions, dense and walkable neighborhoods are more desirable these days. An <a target="_blank" href="https://smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Foot-Traffic-Ahead-2023.pdf">analysis published last year</a> found that homebuyers in the 35 biggest American metropolitan areas paid 34% more to live in walkable neighborhoods, while renters paid 41% more. Minimum lot sizes — on top of other restrictive land-use policies like single-family zoning — make these walkable communities <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-estate-housing-prices-shortage-apartment-rent-zoning-policies-support-2023-12">illegal to build</a>."We're essentially mandating the most environmentally unfriendly pattern of living and in a context where many millions of Americans, if prices are any indication, want to live a different way," Gray said.Houston's reform has also <a target="_blank" href="https://rice.app.box.com/s/913lhxudorqkkzqottburrhh51flrr3d">limited gentrification</a> and, instead, encouraged new construction in higher-income neighborhoods, which are exactly the kinds of places that tend to welcome the fewest new residents in most cities. And the more affordable homes that come online, the more possible it is for Black, brown, and other marginalized communities to own homes and shrink the racial wealth gap.Because Houston has very few zoning laws in place at all, homes can be built on property that used to house commercial or industrial buildings. "Those new townhouses outside of I-610 are often replacing dead strip malls or self-storage or other relatively low-value commercial uses, rather than single-family houses," Hamilton said.Gray thinks Houston's success with smaller lot sizes has to do with the city's "pro-growth culture." That culture of deregulation also has downsides. The city <a target="_blank" href="https://tcwp.tamu.edu/files/2015/06/WetlandLossPub.pdf">has paved over many of its critical wetlands</a>, and built <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/arts/design/taking-parking-lots-seriously-as-public-spaces.html?mcubz=0">far too much parking</a>. Residents disenchanted with townhome density have created sprawling exurbs.But the massive success of Houston's minimum lot size reform is getting noticed across Texas and around the country. Last summer, the city council of Austin, Texas, passed a measure to cut its minimum lot size for a single-family home from 5,750 square feet to 2,500 square feet. Auburn, Maine, and Helena, Montana, both got rid of minimum lot sizes in some parts of their cities, and a slew of state legislatures, including Arizona, Massachusetts, and New York, are considering smaller lot requirements, Mercatus researcher Salim Furth <a target="_blank" href="https://marketurbanism.com/2024/01/11/resources-for-reformers-houstons-minimum-lot-sizes/">found</a>."Houston kind of has revealed a potential free lunch opportunity for cities that are struggling with getting more affordable homeownership opportunities built," Gray said. "If you're a policymaker in a city that's not having enough homeownership opportunities come online, like, hello, this costs you nothing."

A conservative fix for the housing crisis is making homes cheaper and more abundant in Texas

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-planet"></a><div type="image" title="Myrtle Felton, Sharon Lavigne, Gail LeBoeuf and Rita Cooper, members of RISE St. James, stand in protest on property owned by Formosa, March 11, 2020." height="3456" width="5184" msid="102399801" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>"Cancer Alley" is an 85-mile stretch of land in Louisiana dotted with petrochemical plants.</li><li>Black residents living in the area have a disproportionate lifetime cancer risk.</li><li>The EPA closed an investigation into the state's treatment of Black residents there after one year.</li></ul>When <a href="https://www.insider.com/sharon-lavigne-cancer-alley-goldman-environment-prize-formosa-plant-2021-6">Sharon Lavigne</a> was in school in the 1960s, the residents of St. James Parish in Louisiana proudly welcomed the first petrochemical plant in the neighborhood, she said."We all thought it was wonderful," Lavigne told Insider. "People say they're going to have jobs." But that plant gave way to another, and then another, and then another. In the decades since, the area has been <a href="https://www.insider.com/environmental-racism-examples-united-states-2020-8">environmentally devastated</a> by the rise of petrochemical plants, which have brought with them unprecedented levels of pollution. Today, Lavigne said, she estimates she knows 40 to 50 people who have had health complications due to what she believes are the effects of the heavy industrialization."Once, I began writing down all the names in one place, but I stopped because there were so many," Lavigne said. She remembered a classmate with liver cancer and a friend with stage 4 bone cancer.The region Lavigne lives in, which has been given the moniker <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/louisiana-cancer-alley-photos-oil-refineries-chemicals-pollution-2019-11">Cancer Alley</a>, is part of an 85-mile stretch of land between Baton Rouge and New Orleans dotted with petrochemical plants and other industrial operations. In parts of the area, residents' lifetime cancer risk is up to <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/toxmap/#hotspot/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">47 times</a> the US Environmental Protection Agency's acceptable standard, ProPublica found.And this risk is disproportionately higher for the region's Black residents."We are being poisoned, and it's genocide," Lavigne said. "We die slowly."<div type="image" title="A family leaves Sunday church services surrounded by chemical plants in October of 1998 in Lions, Louisiana along 'Cancer Alley.'" height="3558" width="4744" msid="102399803" hostid="261"></div><h2>A dangerous precedent</h2>Last year, as the founder of the advocacy group Rise St. James, Lavigne filed a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-06/04R-22-R6%20Complaint%20Redacted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complaint with the EPA regarding Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964</a>, alongside the local organizations Inclusive Louisiana, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and Stop the Wallace Grain Terminal. The complaint alleged that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality discriminated against Black residents by issuing permits that authorized new industrial facilities.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/fcs/TitleVI-Overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Title VI</a> prohibits the federal government from providing funds to any program that has been found to discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Historically, these complaints have been ignored — in 2015, the Center for Public Integrity <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/environment/how-to-fix-the-epas-broken-civil-rights-office/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> that 95% of Title VI complaints were rejected, dismissed, referred to other agencies, or informally resolved without an investigation.But the current EPA leadership has <a href="https://www.epa.gov/speeches/administrator-michael-regan-remarks-white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pledged</a> to enforce Title VI as a way of advancing environmental justice, going as far as <a href="https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-environmental-justice-and-external-civil-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launching</a> an Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.For a while, it seemed like residents' complaints were finally being heard. Last year, the EPA announced a critical civil-rights investigation into Louisiana, looking into whether the state had violated the rights of Black residents in Cancer Alley. EPA Administrator Michael Regan, the first Black man to head the agency, had traveled to Louisiana in 2021 to see life in the region firsthand, in a trip the EPA referred to as a "<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-new-orleans-race-and-ethnicity-mississippi-9f530f701cdac07a4b9bbf7540e326bc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">journey to justice</a>.""I distinctly remember standing on the grounds of a school that was a stone's throw away from a facility that manufactures toxic chemicals," Regan <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06042023/epa-chemical-plant-rules-michael-regan-cancer-alley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in April of this year, recalling his 2021 visit. "The children who attend that school, who study at that school, who eat lunch at that school every single day, look just like my son Matthew."<div type="image" title="Smoke billows from a chemical plant in the area along 'Cancer Alley', October 12, 2013." height="4912" width="7360" msid="102399805" hostid="261"></div>His visit brought renewed hope to residents, including Lavigne."I feel like he is trying to help us," Lavigne told Insider. "I have faith in him trying to help us."By October 2022, the EPA released the damning results of an <a href="https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-10/2022%2010%2012%20Final%20Letter%20LDEQ%20LDH%2001R-22-R6%2C%2002R-22-R6%2C%2004R-22-R6.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initial investigation</a>, which said the agency found "significant evidence" that the state's actions or inactions led to adverse effects on its Black residents.But in June, only weeks after Louisiana's attorney general <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/louisiana-attorney-generals-lawsuit-seeks-roll-back-civil-rights-laws-2023-06-02/#:~:text=Republican%20Attorney%20General%20Jeff%20Landry,Civil%20Rights%20Act%20of%201964.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a lawsuit</a> against the agency, the investigation was unceremoniously closed before it could be completed."It's such a dangerous precedent that conservative states can basically sue the EPA and the EPA will cave," Deena Tumeh, a senior associate attorney with Earthjustice who helped file the complaint, told Insider.In <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Resolution-notice-Louisiana-v-EPA-usdc-western-Louisiana.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">court filings</a>, the EPA said they would "fully and finally" close investigations surrounding the Title VI complaints, but that they would take a series of "significant actions" to reduce the impacts of emissions, including ordering some facilities to improve their waste management practices, proposing new rules to limit pollution, and conducting an assessment to look at the health risks associated with emissions. The EPA and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality declined to comment.<div type="image" title="October, 1998, near Baton Rouge, Louisiana along 'Cancer Alley'" height="5799" width="7732" msid="102399807" hostid="261"></div><h2>A historical lack of research</h2>The region was given the nickname Cancer Alley in the 1980s by the Sierra Club and the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers Union."There probably were some adult beverages inhaled that night, and we were trying to think about how to talk about the reality that we were seeing up and down the river," Darryl Malek-Wiley, a senior organizing representative with the Sierra Club who helped popularize the label, told Insider."Once we came up with Cancer Alley, industry hated it, and they've been trying to prove that it's not a reality," he said. "One of the problems with understanding issues is you have to be able to name it before it's real."For decades, there was a lack of research into cancer and pollution rates in the area, which meant that some residents often felt like their lived experiences were dismissed. But last year, two novel studies found that air pollution was <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4360" target="_blank" rel="noopener">linked to higher cancer rates</a> among Black communities in Louisiana and that Black neighborhoods in the state <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4276748" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experienced seven to 21 times</a> the emissions as white communities."What I've heard from the communities over and over is a sense of relief that, finally, somebody is looking at the data in a scientific way, rather than weaponizing the data against them," Kimberly Terrell, a research scientist who worked on these studies at the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, told Insider.Before this research, local officials often relied on cancer rates from the <a href="https://sph.lsuhsc.edu/louisiana-tumor-registry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louisiana Tumor Registry</a>, which doesn't measure pollution. The registry also did not make cancer incidence rates on the neighborhood level available to researchers until 2018. Older studies that focused on Cancer Alley often didn't account for pollution or relied on small sample sizes. (One of the earliest studies on the region, from 2004, claimed the mortality rate there was no different from the rest of the state. It was <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1740760/pdf/v061p00295.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">funded by Shell Oil Co.</a>).The dearth of data was what inspired Terrell to focus on the region. "I'm not the first person to arrive at this idea," Terrell said. "The community members know when they're having abnormally high rates of health problems, and they experience firsthand the effects of this pollution."<div type="image" title="An aerial view of chemical plants and factories lining the roads and suburbs of the area known as 'Cancer Alley' October 15, 2013." height="4000" width="5333" msid="102399984" hostid="261"></div><h2>Defined by history</h2>The fifth district of St. James Parish, where Lavigne calls home, was 89% Black in 2020. Like Lavigne, many of the neighborhood's Black residents are descendants of enslaved people who labored on sugarcane plantations in the area. (Louisiana is broken up into 64 parishes which operate like counties do in other states, each with its own local government).Those old plantation grounds are now home to large industrial facilities. Lavigne believes her grandmother is <a href="https://ccrjustice.org/home/press-center/press-releases/graves-enslaved-people-found-proposed-formosa-plastics-site" target="_blank" rel="noopener">buried in a grave</a> on the proposed site of a Formosa Plastics plant, she said.Understanding this history is critical to understanding the region today, Pamela Spees, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, told Insider. In the aftermath of the Civil War, white planters and politicians were able to "completely lock out Black communities from any decision-making," Spees said.Spees said this history persisted as local officials disproportionately approved permits for new industrial plants in Black communities.In March, local advocacy groups, including Rise St. James, Inclusive Louisiana, and the Mount Triumph Baptist Church, filed a federal lawsuit against the local government asking for a moratorium on building new petrochemical plants in the predominantly Black districts of St. James Parish.The <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67057948/1/inclusive-louisiana-v-st-james-parish/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> says that the parish has granted nearly every request by industrial corporations to build facilities in majority-Black neighborhoods, while no new facilities have been allowed in majority-white neighborhoods in over 46 years."The land-use plan that was finally adopted is a racial-cleansing plan because it actually said that these residential areas were designated future industrial," Spees said, referring to a 2014 plan that changed the fifth district from "residential" to "existing residential/future industrial.""They don't intend for those communities to exist at a certain point and are literally wiping them off the map," she added.<div type="image" title="Children play along 'Cancer Alley' with oil and refinery plants in the background, October 1998." height="3231" width="4309" msid="102399986" hostid="261"></div><h2>Slow violence</h2>Because of the time it takes for cancer to develop in the body, the effects of these petrochemical plants may not be fully understood for decades. Terrell said that's an inherent obstacle with this line of research. While her studies show the influence of historical pollution, the effects of current pollution won't be known for years.Malek-Wiley of the Sierra Club referred to this by the sociological term "slow violence.""The concept is something happens to you 10 years ago, but it doesn't impact you until 10 years in the future. You don't connect the two," Malek-Wiley said. "You don't connect the exposure 20 years ago to what's happening to you right now. And that's what we have in Cancer Alley."This phenomenon relates to Lavigne's own lived experience; though she has lived in St. James Parish her entire life, she didn't know about the reputation of Cancer Alley or the influence of the pollution until she started working with a local humanitarian organization in 2015."It's really hard for somebody not living in the shadow of one of these petrochemical plants to understand the physical and psychological impact of having all the noises, sounds, smells, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day," Malek-Wiley said.Local advocates, including Lavigne, continue to fight for their home and their future in the face of adversity."I've lost friends doing this work, but I don't care," Lavigne said. "The important thing is to breathe clean air and drink clean water and go back to planning a garden."

'We are being poisoned': Black residents living in Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' say the state is guilty of 'genocide' and environmental racism

<ul class="summary-list"><li>GOP-controlled states like Oklahoma are seeing major economic investment in clean energy industries.</li><li>A solar power exec told The New York Times the "financial opportunity" is drawing people in.</li></ul>Across the US, Republican-controlled states are seeing major investments in clean energy such as wind and solar. But conservative groups are banning together to slash renewables and increase oil and gas production should a Republican be elected president in 2024. The conservative-led Heritage Foundation's policy playbook for renewable energy seeks to reverse regulations to rein in greenhouse gases, cut federal spending on wind and solar, and bolster oil and gas production. The plan is part of the foundation's Project 2025, a sweeping agenda <a href="https://www.project2025.org/about/about-project-2025/">designed by dozens of conservative groups to</a> "pave the way for an effective conservative administration" should a Republican be elected president in 2024. No leading Republican presidential candidate has responded on whether they support the project, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/04/climate/republicans-climate-project2025.html?searchResultPosition=2">The New York Times</a>, but several officials involved were former members of the Trump administration and their plans match Trump's 2024 platform.But as The Heritage Foundation pushes back against renewables, clean energy companies and projects are leading the way in Republican-led states. About two-thirds of new clean energy investment is in Republican states such as Oklahoma, Texas, and South Dakota, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/08/12/climate/clean-energy-us-fossil-fuels.html">Times reported</a>.A solar farm plan in Arkansas, for example, will be the state's largest and power a major nearby US Steel factory by late 2024, which the company Entergy <a href="https://www.entergynewsroom.com/news/entergy-arkansas-announces-250-mw-solar-facility-near-osceola/">says</a> will help them meet their sustainability goals and cut the steel factory's greenhouse gas emissions by 80%, the Times reported.Meanwhile, Texas produced the most renewable energy of any US state in 2021, according to a <a href="https://cleanpower.org/news/u-s-surpasses-200-gigawatts-of-total-clean-power-capacity-but-the-pace-of-deployment-has-slowed-according-to-acp-4q-report/">2022 report</a> from the American Clean Power Association, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/renewable-energy-kept-texas-power-grid-stable-record-power-use-2023-8">renewable energy sources have kept its power grid stable this summer</a> despite record heat. And in Oklahoma, economics takes precedence over politics, as renewables lead to record profits. "The environmental benefits are nice," J.W. Peters, president of Solar Power of Oklahoma, told the Times, "but most people are doing this for the financial opportunity."

Republican-controlled states like Oklahoma are rushing to invest in clean energy, even as conservative groups push for more oil and gas

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nalleli Cobo has spent half her life fighting to end <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-facts-about-history-of-oil-and-gas-2022-5">oil and gas</a> drilling in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/la-mayor-race-50-percent-plus-one-win-during-primaries-2022-5">Los Angeles</a>.</li><li>Cobo and her neighbors became sick as a nearby <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-us-plans-plug-million-toxic-orphan-oil-wells-2022-5">oil well</a> site leaked potentially toxic gas into the air.</li></ul>When she was 9 years old, Nalleli Cobo got a nosebleed that changed her life.It was the first of many, soon accompanied by headaches, heart palpitations, stomach pain, spasms, and asthma.Cobo lived in an apartment in South <keyword id="11940480" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="los-angeles" source="Orion">Los Angeles</keyword> with three siblings, her great-grandparents, and her mother, who had immigrated there from Mexico. Talking with their neighbors, they learned that many people in the building were experiencing similar health issues. They suspected the oil-drilling site across the street."Everyone could smell it," Cobo told Insider.The <keyword id="14030478" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="oil-wells" source="Orion">oil wells</keyword>, run by a company called AllenCo, often emitted a nauseating rotten-egg smell. Sometimes the smell seemed masked with artificial scents, filling the neighborhood with the smell of guava or cherries or chocolate.It turned out the AllenCo site was leaking. Gas from drilling sites can contain harmful substances like particulate matter, benzene, and carbon monoxide. Research has linked proximity to oil and <keyword id="14030477" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gas-wells" source="Orion">gas wells</keyword> with higher rates of <a href="https://journals.lww.com/environepidem/Fulltext/2020/08000/Oil_and_gas_production_and_spontaneous%20_preterm.1.aspx?context=LatestArticles">preterm births</a>, respiratory <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935121003820?via%3Dihub">irritation</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935118306339">cardiovascular disease</a>, and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7691047/">cancer</a>.<div type="image" title="black pumpjacks for oil wells beside dense housing in california" height="1666" width="2222" msid="91797862" hostid="261"></div>When Cobo thinks about growing up in that apartment with her family, she said, "It just makes me so warm and fuzzy. But then you would take a step outside and it was an entirely different world."Her health issues continued for a decade, culminating in a <keyword id="6355291" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cancer" source="Orion">cancer</keyword> diagnosis when she was 19. She eventually underwent three surgeries, six weeks of radiation, three rounds of chemo, eight minor procedures, and fought off two infections. Because of the pandemic, she went into treatment alone. To save her life, surgeons had to remove her entire reproductive system. She can no longer have children.From the age of 9, despite her health problems, Cobo organized her neighbors and led a tireless campaign against the wells, resulting in the site's permanent closure and criminal charges against AllenCo executives. Legal disputes between the company and the city are ongoing."They chose the wrong community," said Cobo, who is now 21 and has been cancer-free for a year and five months.The work didn't stop with AllenCo. Los Angeles is home to one of the largest urban oil fields in the country. Roughly 580,000 residents live within a quarter-mile of an active well. Cobo's continued <keyword id="12061258" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="activism" source="Orion">activism</keyword> added to a chorus of voices from neighborhoods across the city, where residents said wells were making them sick. In January, Los Angeles City Council <a href="https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/no-more-oil-and-gas-drilling-for-l-a">unanimously voted</a> to ban new oil and gas wells and phase out existing ones over a five-year period.Cobo's efforts earned her a 2022 Goldman Environmental Prize, known as the "Green Nobel," on Wednesday.AllenCo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<h2>After-school activism: a 'Hannah Montana' double life</h2><div type="image" title="Nalleli Cobo wearing &quot;people not pozos&quot; t shirt leans against desk in office with two women" height="1666" width="2222" msid="91797865" hostid="261"></div>Shortly after Cobo and her neighbors began noticing health problems, toxicologists from the organization Physicians for Social Responsibility came to Cobo's building, confirmed the leak from the AllenCo site, and explained the associated health risks.Horrified, Cobo and her mother began filing complaints to the local air-quality management district. They galvanized their neighbors to speak at city council meetings and hold rallies, where Cobo spoke publicly about her health.For years, Cobo would return from school and do homework until her mother finished work. Then they would go knock on neighbors' doors to hand out flyers. Sometimes they had a meeting after school or watched documentaries on fracking and drilling."It was up to us to become the experts," Cobo said.<div type="image" title="Nalleli Cobo and her mother embrace smiling in front of beige wall" height="1666" width="2222" msid="91797869" hostid="261"></div>What she really wanted to watch was the Disney Channel crossover of the TV shows "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and "Hannah Montana," where Miley Cyrus plays a <keyword id="11892889" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="california" source="Orion">California</keyword> teen who leads a secret double life as a famous pop star."It was learning to sacrifice things like that," Cobo said, adding, "it did low-key feel like a little 'Hannah Montana' moment, where it was my activism and being a normal little 9-year-old girl."Soon, Cobo and her neighbors had organized a group called People Over Pozos (which means "wells" in Spanish). In 2013, several inspectors from the US Environmental Protection Agency <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-1109-fumes-20131109-story.html">became sick</a> after visiting the AllenCo oil wells. The company promptly suspended its operations there.Cobo and her family moved to a new neighborhood just a few months later. She said her health immediately improved."It was like crazy night and day, when I didn't have to use my inhaler 30 times a day anymore, or I could sleep in my own bed again without nosebleeds," she said.<h2>Cobo helped sue the city of Los Angeles and get the wells shut down for good</h2><div type="image" title="oil well pumpjacks in shrubby urban lot in los angeles" height="1667" width="2500" msid="91797872" hostid="261"></div>The temporary closure wasn't enough for Cobo and her neighbors to feel safe. The site wasn't completely shuttered, and there were still thousands like it across the city.In 2015, Cobo co-founded the South Central Youth Leadership Coalition. The group sued the city of Los Angeles for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-laws-on-environmental-justice-may-shape-climate-solutions-2021-9">environmental racism</a>, saying it had disproportionately permitted oil drilling in Latino and Black communities. Cobo remembers rushing from school to file the lawsuit before the courthouse closed for the day."I've always put my activism before school or anything. For me, it's a life-and-death situation. It's my community on the line. It's future generations on the line. It's a no-brainer that I have to give my all," she said.After the city adopted new requirements for oil drilling applications, they reached a settlement in the lawsuit.<div type="image" title="Nalleli Cobo holds circular Goldman Environmental Prize with plaque posing in front of home" height="1666" width="2222" msid="91797874" hostid="261"></div>Doctors don't know for sure what caused Cobo's cancer. "At first, we thought it was possibly genetic. So we all got tested, even my great-grandma, who was 104. And it wasn't," she said.In September 2019, inspectors for the California Department of Conservation <a href="https://www.conservation.ca.gov/calgem/Pages/AllenCo.aspx">discovered</a> that gas was still leaking from the AllenCo site, since its wells hadn't been plugged. The following year, the site closed permanently. Cobo bought a cake to celebrate with her family. (A recent report from <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-03-29/state-serves-warrant-on-south-la-oil-drilling-facility-overdue-site-inspection">The Los Angeles Times</a> indicates that the wells still haven't been properly plugged.)"I think listening to frontline communities is really important," Cobo said, adding, "We're not experts, but we know our communities, we know our stories. And that's why it's important that we work as a team."

A Los Angeles teen led a fight to shut down urban oil wells, survived cancer, and won a 'Green Nobel'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In 2020, the rate of plastic <keyword id="12063226" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="recycling" source="Orion">recycling</keyword> in the US dropped by 5.7% from the prior year.</li><li>New research shows that seeing pictures of ocean creatures can make people use less plastic.</li></ul>Your summer beach getaway: sun, surf, sand — and plastic. As many of us head toward the water for Memorial Day, it's more likely than ever that we'll find our oceans aren't just white with foam. They're also laden with plastic flotsam that never biodegrades but keeps breaking into smaller pieces.But maybe the thing to remember as we near the unofficial start of summer isn't how severe <keyword id="12318689" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="plastic-pollution" source="Orion">plastic pollution</keyword> has become but how much we have to lose. That's because new <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00139165221090154" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">research</a> indicates that visualizing beloved ocean inhabitants can make more of us willing to go on a plastic diet.It's certainly one we need. We're using more plastic and often recycling less of it. The amount of plastic in the world's oceans is <a href="https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">projected</a> to outweigh fish by 2050. And in 2020, the rate of plastic recycling in the US, which was already low, <a href="https://circularityinaction.com/2020PlasticRecyclingData" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">dropped</a> by 5.7% from the prior year.There might be a way we can use nature to help battle the plastic problem. Jiaying Zhao, a researcher with the University of British Columbia, and her colleagues found that placing pictures of marine life like sea turtles, whales, and dolphins above the recycling bins in a Vancouver office tower reduced overall <keyword id="12427295" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="plastic-waste" source="Orion">plastic waste</keyword> — either discarded or recycled — by 17% compared with before the signs went up.The photos of animals grappling with plastic waste in their aquatic homes were more effective than simple recycling signs or ones that asked office-goers to pledge to cut down on how much plastic they used.The decrease in plastic waste held even after the signs with animal pictures were removed, Zhao told Insider. She said that suggested office workers had begun to change their habits and perhaps do without things like single-use water bottles and utensils.When Zhao returned to the building to interview the workers who'd unwittingly been part of the experiment, those questioned by her team said they didn't remember seeing the animals on the posters."That was most surprising because I thought it would be memorable," Zhao said of the photos that showed a turtle chewing on plastic or a dolphin with a plastic bag caught on its fin. "If it elicited some kind of emotional response in me, and I felt bad for throwing away plastic stuff now — and I'm making a conscious effort to not do it — I should remember it, right?"Zhao said the animal pictures above the recycling bin appeared to be an effective nudge to change people's behaviors without proving so distressing that they were traumatized, as was the case with a viral <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wH878t78bw" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">video</a> several years ago of a turtle with a straw lodged in its nostril. Outrage over that video pushed some consumers and businesses to ditch plastic straws.<h2>Happy turtles could help change behavior</h2>In some cases, less dire images might win out. Zhao said subsequent experiments she and her colleagues conducted using images of "happy" turtles and dolphins appeared to be even more effective in changing people's actions than unsettling images.There could be broader lessons in all this for the environmental movement, Zhao said, because many awareness campaigns ask consumers to commit to shifting their behavior in some way."A lot of the tactics are like making a pledge," she said. "I pledge not to do this or not to buy this. That didn't work in our study."The researchers found that when people made an emotional connection to the animals — even if they didn't remember it — the effect was more powerful.Linda Escalante, the Southern California legislative director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said giving thought to the influence of our actions, including our reliance on <keyword id="12149811" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="plastics" source="Orion">plastics</keyword>, was essential to maintaining a successful coexistence with marine life. Besides, she said, as plastic pollution breaks down into tiny bits, it makes its way back to us."It is penetrating the food web," she said. "You find this stuff all over the planet in places where you could never imagine because it is easily transported by water and air."That's why it's now in our <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/06/1091246691/microplastics-found-in-human-lungs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">lungs</a> and in our <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recycling-doesnt-keep-plastic-out-of-stomachs-lungs-or-blood-2022-4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">blood</a>. And it's why we <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/30/youre-eating-a-credit-cards-worth-of-plastic-a-week-and-its-killing-your-gut/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">consume</a> a credit card's worth of the stuff every week. So doing more to protect water is in our self-interest.Escalante, who also sits on the California Coastal Commission, a powerful state agency, said she believed demand for beach days would increase because rising temperatures in many inland areas — and even wildfires in the parched Western US — would drive demand for access to water and cooler coastal areas. That's yet another reason it's so important to safeguard bodies of water, she said.She also pointed to humans' need to experience natural beauty, something on display during the height of the pandemic."We became more attached to getting out there, to the outdoors, to finding that connection," Escalante said. She said she didn't expect that to diminish, adding: "Our beaches, our coasts are going to be in very high demand."

Visualizing beloved aquatic animals when we reach for plastic might just help us use less of it and protect our oceans

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Stockton Rush said in a 2017 interview that his Titan submersible could be used in deep-sea mining.</li><li>But Marine scientists say deep-sea mining could negatively affect marine life on the ocean floor.</li></ul>Stockton Rush, the OceanGate CEO who died in his <a href="https://www.insider.com/fake-audio-titanic-sub-implosion-navy-likely-wont-release-2023-7">Titan submersible</a> last month, planned to use the vessel for deep-sea mining — a practice that has come under increased scrutiny as companies can now apply to harvest resources from the bottom of the ocean.In a 2017 interview with <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/40406673/the-man-who-wants-to-send-us-to-the-bottom-of-the-ocean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fast Company</a>, Rush said his early customers would pay extra to be among the first paying tourists to visit the ocean's depths. This would mean the amount he could charge for a seat on the experimental sub — $250,000 for the Titan's last voyage — would decrease as he took more people on dives to the Titanic.But the <a href="https://www.insider.com/titan-submersible-space-tourism-passengers-acknowledge-risk-of-death-2023-7">Titanic tourism dives</a> weren't the only use Rush envisioned for the submersible."The biggest resource is oil and gas," Rush told Fast Company, adding that energy companies "spend about $16 billion a year on robots to service oil and gas platforms." Rush said he thought the success of OceanGate's tourism dives could prove to the companies that <a href="https://www.insider.com/oceangate-ceo-stocktoin-rush-titanic-sub-gateway-oil-gas-harvesting-2023-6">his submersible could be utilized in deep-sea-mining operations</a>.<h2>What is deep-sea mining?</h2>Deep-sea mining involves extracting resources from the seabed, including mineral deposits and metals such as nickel, copper, and lithium. Proponents of deep-sea mining say it can help address the demand for materials needed for electric vehicles, the clean-energy transition, and everyday items such as smartphones and laptops.But critics worry deep-sea mining could have devastating effects on the oceans and marine life, including ecosystems about which much is still unknown. Marine scientists say not enough research has been conducted in the deep sea to fully assess the potential implications of mining operations.According to a study published in May, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5000-new-marine-species-discovered-pacific-between-hawaii-and-mexico-2023-5">scientists discovered more than 5,000 previously unknown species</a> in an area of the deep ocean that has been identified as a target for deep-sea mining.Now some scientists are warning the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/07/gold-rush-deep-sea-devastation-seabed-oceans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"biggest gold rush in history"</a> — as the British economist Guy Standings recently put it — could soon play out as companies vie for the chance to mine the seabed.The sea floor of international waters is governed by the <a href="https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/legal/pages/unitednationsconventiononthelawofthesea.aspx#:~:text=The%20United%20Nations%20Convention%20on,the%20oceans%20and%20their%20resources." target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas</a>, which was signed in 1982 and lays out a legal framework for managing the Earth's oceans and marine resources. The treaty said that the seabed was the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/international-seabed-authority-and-deep-seabed-mining" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"common heritage of mankind"</a> and that it should be managed in a way that protects it and benefits humanity.In June 2021, the Pacific Island nation of Nauru submitted an application to the UN's International Seabed Authority to start commercial deep-sea mining. This triggered a clause in the treaty that gave the UN two years to review and establish rules for mining operations.As that deadline came and went, countries are still in talks, with delegates of the International Seabed Authority meeting in Jamaica for two weeks of talks, the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-66135308" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> reported. The outlet said countries might have the chance to vote on a deep-sea-mining ban later this month.In the meantime, companies can apply for provisional licenses to start <a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-deep-sea-mining-metals-jamaica-99ddad56e083dfc8205dcdea43ffa697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mining the deep sea</a>.More <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/canada-joins-nearly-20-nations-calling-for-halt-to-deep-sea-mining-as-negotiators-meet-to-agree-rules-efbb32b5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">countries have come out against</a> initiating deep-sea mining. Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, and Spain are among the nations calling for a moratorium or a pause on deep-sea mining because of environmental concerns.Rush told Fast Company that he saw the potential for his subs to be used in operations to harvest oil and gas, diamonds, and rare earth minerals.A report released in March by <a href="https://www.fauna-flora.org/news/damage-caused-by-deep-seabed-mining-would-be-extensive-and-irreversible-reveals-new-fauna-flora-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fauna &amp; Flora</a>, an international conservation charity, said deep-sea mining for rare metals would cause "extensive and irreversible" damage and a loss in biodiversity that would be " impossible to restore."

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush planned to use his Titan submersible to cash in on deep-sea mining &mdash; the 'biggest gold rush in history' that could cause environmental destruction

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Phoenix is a hot spot for housing innovation, including energy-saving homes.</li><li>Its desert climate inspires builders whose designs prioritize conserving both water and energy.</li><li>One homeowner explains how he's tackling the climate crisis in his backyard — literally.</li></ul>The United Nations just released yet another <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-cycle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> about the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/20/ipcc-climate-crisis-report-delivers-final-warning-on-15c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">devastating consequences</a> of climate change, urging world leaders to take immediate action to contain the global rise in temperatures. This time, its recommendations are being described as a "<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-un-issues-a-final-warning-on-the-climate-and-a-plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">final warning</a>" from scientists. Phoenix residents are all too familiar with sweltering heat — temperatures are consistently <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-forecasts/phoenix-sets-new-record-for-most-100-degree-days/831767" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over 100 degrees for about 140 days a year</a> — and other extreme weather. The arid capital city has already experienced major environmental issues, including a diminishing supply of fresh water, reduced air quality, and unusually high energy consumption.For years, architects and homebuilders across the American Southwest have worked to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/net-zero-energy-efficient-homes-luxury-real-estate-2022-7">integrate sustainability into new-construction homes</a> to lessen their impact on the environment. But in Phoenix, one of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/12/us/phoenix-census-fastest-growing-city.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fastest-growing cities</a> in the country, the problem is particularly acute.Its metropolitan area of about 5 million continues to draw in people of all ages and professions with its mountainous beauty, food and wine scene, and relatively low cost of living. So builders and residents alike are realizing that it's more crucial than ever to focus on design that makes as little impact on the environment as possible, while still providing enough space and comfort to occupants.<div type="image" title="A construction worker installing an insulating membrane on a house." height="1536" width="2048" msid="98950965" hostid="261" sizebytes="571956"></div>Arizona is a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/realestate/where-energy-efficient-homes-are-being-built.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hot spot for sustainable building</a>. It started with simple construction with adobe mud bricks, used for centuries, before modern materials and construction methods were adopted. In the 1930s, the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright built Taliesin West, his live-in architecture school and studio, which was inspired by primitive building techniques that used large rocks and trees to create a low-slung campus that felt like it's built into the earth.In 2021, of the more than 120,000 <a href="https://www.energystar.gov/newhomes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Energy Star-certified</a> homes that were built in the US, Arizona built the highest share, 17%, or 20,140 homes. Arizona builders that <a href="https://c21northwest.com/energy-efficient-home-builders-in-arizona/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tout their energy-efficient homes</a> include Fulton Homes, Maracay Homes, and Meritage Homes. Phoenix has even <a href="https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14238-phoenix-offers-free-plans-for-net-zero-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered free preapproved plans to residents</a> who want to build a net-zero home. Insider spoke with a Phoenix sustainable-construction consultant and homeowner taking strides to not only incorporate the latest tech into new homes but also use safe, natural building materials whenever possible. <h2>What it takes to build a sustainable home in Phoenix</h2>Making a home sustainable in Phoenix requires more than simple upgrades like solar panels or electric-car chargers, said Lucas Johnson of Vali Homes, a company that consults with homeowners and builders on sustainable development. Typical homebuilders will construct the same few home models across the country, Johnson said, but because of Phoenix's extreme heat and water concerns, new homes should be "desert-optimized," or designed with these considerations in mind. The city and its suburbs are in a low-desert valley known for its extreme heat and dryness, but there are also unique challenges during monsoon season in the middle of summer. "Buildings will get wet but have no ability to dry well. That's the recipe to create mold and rot, which is a way bigger issue here than you'd think," said Johnson, Vali's self-described "chief science nerd" who researches sustainable building materials and designs to apply to projects.<div type="image" title="Wool insulation inside of a new under-construction home." height="1536" width="2048" msid="98950967" hostid="261" sizebytes="500346"></div>Phoenix homes need to be properly insulated because of the extreme heat and weather conditions, and it's common to find long, low-slung single-story ranch houses in the area, which helps prevent heat from rising and stifling additional floors.Take, for example, a four-unit townhouse complex dubbed Vali Mews that Johnson's team is working on in north Phoenix.The team selected a site that was not raw, untouched desert and sought to build on a site that had already been developed at some point. It used wool for interior insulation instead of <a href="https://archive.epa.gov/epa/saferchoice/potential-chemical-exposures-spray-polyurethane-foam.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">toxic spray foam</a> and chose pricey Gutex wood-fiber boards imported from Germany for exterior insulation.While the "desert-optimized, future-proofed" homes offer sustainability and functionality, they aren't cheap: A three-bedroom, 2,350-square-foot floor plan starts at $1.65 million. <h2>Making a home sustainable can come with challenges</h2>Last year, Gerald Leenerts, a Phoenix-area homeowner, set out to make his home more sustainable.One of the first things Leenerts did after buying his house was get rid of the lawn. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-lawn-movement-in-phoenix-helping-residents-redefine-american-yard-2023-3#what-is-the-anti-lawn-movement-1">increasingly popular "anti-lawn" movement</a> in the Phoenix area has been a way to address the region's looming water crisis by opting for a yard that's more suitable for a desert climate — think rocks and cacti — instead of a lush, water-consuming space lined with green grass and flowers. Leenerts wanted to go further: He was looking to do a full sustainability-focused renovation of his home. Right away, he faced a major challenge. He lives in a historic district in Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix known for its pricey homes, so a planned addition to the house was struck down by the city because it was determined to be too aesthetically intrusive. <div type="image" title="Wool insulation inside a new home." height="3024" width="4032" msid="98950969" hostid="261" sizebytes="873960"></div>Instead, the compromise with the city was that Leenerts could build a new 1,000-square-foot accessory dwelling unit — essentially a tiny guest house — on the property, and he hired Vali Homes to help with planning and design.The under-construction ADU contains many of the same "desert-optimized" features and natural materials as the Vali Mews project, Leenerts told Insider, but there's an emphasis on conserving water."Water is, by far, the biggest resource concern that we have here, so we needed to prioritize that as the first and foremost thing in our ADU addition," he said. "It's not energy consumption but water consumption."The new ADU has a metal roof that directs rain to water-collection barrels that Leenerts can then use for gardening. Inside, the tiny home has high-efficiency showerheads and faucets to reduce water consumption.Instead of using drywall to build out the interior, Leenerts opted for plywood, which can be reused or recycled if a wall is damaged and needs a repair or replacement. Leenerts also opted for natural wool and wood fiber for insulation to keep the interior temperature stable without overburdening the heating and air-conditioning systems. <div type="image" title="A new house with wooden exterior siding." height="2841" width="3788" msid="98950971" hostid="261" sizebytes="1204652"></div>The total cost of the project is north of $400,000, Leenerts told Insider, though he said it could be done for closer to $300,000 — or less — if cheaper materials were used for construction. Both Johnson and Leenerts said the use of natural materials was not only more sustainable and environmentally friendly but also healthier for the occupant. It's this holistic approach to the environment and health that will be the key to addressing climate concerns and waste — especially in this moment, when we're quickly running out of time to reverse course on the climate crisis. "We've taken a long time to address climate impact, so we don't have a ton of time for efficiency to create payback periods," he said. "What's incredibly important is that buildings are made out of good ingredients in the first place. One of our sayings is that the ingredients create the results."

Phoenix residents are transforming their homes to save energy and conserve water as climate scientists warn of an ever-worsening crisis

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New Jersey's environmental agency plans to punish itself for damaging land for endangered birds it was supposed to protect.</li><li>The damage happened when the department was trying to create habitat for another bird species, the American woodcock.</li></ul>New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection has charged itself with damaging habitat for threatened and endangered birds that it was supposed to protect.The work was designed to create habitat for one species of bird, but actually wound up destroying habitat for two others.The department acknowledged it sent a violation notice and threatened penalties against its own Division of Fish and Wildlife regarding unauthorized work in February and March at the Glassboro Wildlife Management Area in Clayton, Gloucester County.It was unclear how any penalties might work when the DEP is both the accuser and the accused. It also was not immediately clear whether any money might actually change hands. The department did not respond to questions about potential fines.The work involved the clearing of vegetation and disturbance of soils on nearly 3 acres of what the state calls "exceptional resource value freshwater wetlands." Before the work was done, this land was considered suitable habitat for the barred owl, which is listed as a threatened species, and the red-shouldered hawk, an endangered species.The project also cleared and disturbed an additional 12 acres of land near wetlands known as transition areas, which also are protected.The DEP refused Friday to discuss how the work happened without authorization.On its website, the department wrote on Feb. 1 that the work sought to create 21 acres of habitat for the American woodcock, a member of the sandpiper family that uses its long, narrow beak to forage for earthworms in damp soil. The project was designed to create "meadow habitat."But in doing so, the state destroyed mature oak and pine forests in and near wetlands, and filled in some wetlands, four conservation groups said in a letter to the department in early March complaining about the work. The agency issued the violation notice on April 6."The wetland soil and flora that were previously undisturbed have been destroyed, and the mature forest that was already habitat for numerous rare species of plants and birds was clear-cut logged," the groups wrote. "All trees have been cut, and all stumps bulldozed."Tom Gilbert, a leader of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, said, "This never should have happened. They must also take steps to improve their clearly inadequate internal review process and meaningfully engage the public."Jaclyn Rhoads, assistant executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, commended the state for owning up to its mistake, but said the DEP should provide a list of current projects on its website for public review."It is because of the public that we were able to stop further destruction of this landscape," she said.Agency spokesman Larry Hajna said the Fish and Wildlife Division's Bureau of Land Management must implement appropriate soil conservation measures within 10 days and submit a plan within 30 days to restore the site. That must include removal of wood chips placed there.By the end of April, the DEP intends to issue a notice of penalty assessment.Fish and Wildlife will propose additional environmentally beneficial measures, which will be subject to a public comment period, Hajna said.

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