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Boston Globe
a day ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Booming solar, wind, and other green energy hits tipping point for even lower costs
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'The fossil fuel age is flailing and failing,' United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in Tuesday morning's speech unveiling the reports. 'We are in the dawn of a new energy era. An era where cheap, clean, abundant energy powers a world rich in economic opportunity.' Advertisement 'Just follow the money,' Guterres said, quoting the reports that showed last year there was $2 trillion in investment in green energy, which is about $800 billion more than in fossil fuels. Advertisement Still, United Nations officials said the switch to renewable energy, while remarkable compared to 10 years ago, is not happening fast enough. The global renewables growth has been mostly in developed countries such as China — where one-tenth of the economy is tied up in green energy — as well as countries such as India and Brazil. Yet Africa represented less than 2 percent of the new green energy capacity installed last year despite having great electrification needs, the reports said. United Nations officials blamed the high cost of capital for the Global South. 'The Global South must be empowered to generate its own electricity without adding to already unsustainable level of debts,' said Bahamian climate scientist Adelle Thomas of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Thomas, who did not work on the reports, added that they debunk the myth that clean energy cannot compete with fossil fuels, instead showing a clean energy future is not just possible but likely inevitable. The UN reports are 'right on the money,' said University of Michigan environment dean Jonathan Overpeck, who also wasn't part of the studies. He said the economic tipping point leads to a cycle that keeps driving renewable costs down and makes fossil fuel power less desirable. And renewables are booming despite fossil fuels getting nearly nine times the government consumption subsidies as they do, Guterres and the reports said. In 2023, global fossil fuel subsidies amounted to $620 billion, compared to $70 billion for renewables, the UN report said. But just as renewables are booming, fossil fuel production globally is still increasing, instead of going down in response. United Nations officials said that's because power demand is increasing overall, spurred by developing countries, artificial intelligence data centers, and the need for cooling in an ever-warmer world. Advertisement 'A typical AI data center eats up as much electricity as 100,000 homes,' Guterres said. 'By 2030, data centers could consume as much electricity as all of Japan does today.' So Guterres called on the world's major tech firms to power data centers completely with renewables by 2030. In the United States, solar and wind power had been growing at a rate of 12.3 percent per year from 2018 to 2023, the IRENA report said. But since President Trump took office earlier this year, his administration has Guterres warned nations hanging on to fossil fuels that they were heading down a dangerous path that would make them poorer, not richer, without naming the United States specifically. 'Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economies; they are sabotaging them. Driving up costs. Undermining competitiveness. Locking in stranded assets,' Guterres said. Renewables are the smart way to go for energy security, Guterres said. With renewables, he said, 'There are no price spikes for sunlight. No embargoes on wind.' David Waskow of the World Resources Institute said the message of problems mixed with optimism makes sense. He compared Tuesday's assessment to climbing a mountain and taking time halfway through to look down and appreciate how far you've come. But a look up shows the trek is getting steeper. Guterres said he understands how young people could have a sense of 'doom and gloom,' and regrets what his generation has left them — but all is not lost. Advertisement 'This is not inevitable. We have the tools, the instruments, the capacity to change course,' Guterres said. 'There are reasons to be hopeful.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Exempts Scores of Plants From Biden's Pollution Rules
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump is allowing chemical makers, coal-fired power plants and other facilities to bypass a range of environmental regulations on grounds that the waivers are needed for national security purposes. The Dutch Intersection Is Coming to Save Your Life Advocates Fear US Agents Are Using 'Wellness Checks' on Children as a Prelude to Arrests LA Homelessness Drops for Second Year Mumbai Facelift Is Inspired by 200-Year-Old New York Blueprint Manhattan, Chicago Murder Rates Drop in 2025, Officials Say The plants, which also include taconite iron ore processing operations and chemical manufacturing facilities that play a role in the production of semiconductors and energy, were granted two-year waivers from Environmental Protection Agency rules via proclamations signed by Trump and released on Thursday evening. The rules were finalized under the Biden administration. 'The exemptions ensure that these facilities within these critical industries can continue to operate uninterrupted to support national security without incurring substantial costs to comply with, in some cases, unattainable compliance requirements,' the White House said in a statement. Environmental groups slammed the move, with the Natural Resources Defense Council characterizing it as a 'literal free pass for polluters.' 'If your family lives downwind of these plants, this is going to mean more toxic chemicals in the air you breathe,' said John Walke, a senior attorney with the group said. 'All the claims of technology problems and national security concerns are pretexts so a few big corporations can get richer.' Among the exempted operations were taconite iron ore plants in Minnesota owned by the United States Steel Corp. and six facilities owned by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. in Minnesota and Michigan, according to the White House, which said the steel was used in national defense systems and other critical infrastructure. Chemical makers, including Dow Inc. and BASF SE, and refiners such as Phillips 66 and Citgo Petroleum Corp., were granted waivers from EPA regulations requiring emissions controls for certain facilities, according to the White House, which said the requirements would have required massive capital investments or even forced the plants to shut down. The White House also said coal-fired power plants in Ohio, Illinois and Colorado had been exempted from stringent air pollution mandates limiting the emission of mercury and other toxins. Several commercial medical device sterilization facilities were exempted from EPA rules setting emission standards for ethylene oxide, a widely used chemical in the sterilization process, the White House said. The Biden 'emissions standards impose costly and, in some cases, unattainable compliance requirements on these industries essential to national interests,' according to a White House fact sheet. The waivers follow guidance earlier this year by the EPA that said companies could ask for exemptions to a range of regulations for as long as two years. --With assistance from John Harney. (Updates with comment from environmental group in fourth paragraph, and information on medical device waivers in eighth paragraph.) What the Tough Job Market for New College Grads Says About the Economy How Starbucks' CEO Plans to Tame the Rush-Hour Free-for-All Godzilla Conquered Japan. Now Its Owner Plots a Global Takeover Why Access to Running Water Is a Luxury in Wealthy US Cities A Rebel Army Is Building a Rare-Earth Empire on China's Border ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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Travel + Leisure
07-07-2025
- Travel + Leisure
This Jersey Shore Beach Has the Clearest Water in the State—and It's the Cleanest, Too
New Jersey has some of the cleanest beaches in the country, with the water quality of these beaches routinely ranked among the best in the United States. According to The Natural Resources Defense Council, 35 New Jersey beaches were able to meet water quality standards 98 of the time over the last five years. While New Jersey beaches typically don't have the crystal-clear waters you'd find in the Caribbean or Florida, some can surprise you with how clear it gets. According to the clearest water in New Jersey is in Stone Harbor at 96th Street Beach in Cape May County. Though there's no boardwalk in Stone Harbor, the small town of less than 1,000 year-round residents is very close to Ocean City, New Jersey. In the summer, the population of Stone Harbor balloons to over 20,000 as vacationers mostly from the mid-Atlantic states and Quebec, Canada, flock to the area. 'Stone Harbor is a charming borough in Cape May County, at the southern end of Seven Mile Island. The 96th Street Beach in this small town offers beautiful, clear water in New Jersey. You'll never want to leave,' the notes. If you're planning a trip to Stone Harbor, it is also possible to visit the Stone Harbor Museum, which contains more than 50,000 unique artifacts and focuses on the local history of the area, or the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary, which is registered as a National Landmark by the National Park Service. According to the Cape May County website, there are plenty of activities to partake of in Stone Harbor, including fishing, jet skiing, surfing, sailing, shell collecting, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and more. The summer also sees events like the Stone Harbor Art Show and Craft Show, which draws many visitors to the town. The cleanest beaches in New Jersey are the beach at 40th Street in Avalon, Sea Isle City at 40th Street, Upper Township at Webster Road, Wildwood Crest at Orchid, Margate at Washington, and Port Pleasant Beach, according to The Jersey Shore is famous for its many beach towns that cater to all kinds of travelers, as well as its many boardwalks that contain nostalgia-inspiring attractions, a variety of restaurants, bars, and shops, which all spring to vibrant life in the summertime.
Los Angeles Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Flint's still-unfinished lead pipe replacement serves as cautionary tale to other cities
FLINT, Mich. — Jeffrey Bell watched as crews dug up and replaced neighbors' lead water pipes, hoping his mother's house would be next. Workers told him it wasn't on their list but probably assigned to another contractor. With Flint's lead pipe replacement program winding down this year, Bell and his elderly mother worried the home they share was forgotten. Betty Bell repeatedly called the city while continuing to buy bottled drinking water, as she had for years. Finally someone called to say the water line was fine — records indicate it was checked in 2017. But the Bells hadn't known that, exemplifying residents' confusion over a process marred by delays and poor communication. 'I have even more questions now,' Jeffrey Bell said. About a decade after Flint's water crisis caused national outrage, replacement of lead water pipes still isn't finished. Although the city recently said it completed work required under a legal settlement, the agreement didn't cover vacant homes and allowed owners to refuse, potentially leaving hundreds of pipes in the ground. The state agreed to oversee work on those properties and says it's determined to finish by fall. Flint's missteps offer lessons for municipalities that face a recently imposed federal mandate to replace their own lead service lines. The Trump administration is expected to soon tell a federal appeals court if it will stand by that mandate. 'I think other cities are racing not to be Flint,' said Margie Kelly, a spokesperson with the environmental nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council, which reached a settlement with the city to force it to replace lead pipes. Flint's crisis was set in motion in 2014, when a state-appointed emergency manager ended a contract with Detroit's water system and switched to the Flint River to save money. But the state didn't require treatment to prevent corrosion that caused lead to leach into the water. High levels of lead eventually were detected in drinking water and children's blood. Outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease that killed a dozen people were also linked, in part, to the city's water. In 2017, Flint entered into a settlement requiring it to replace all lead pipes and fix dug-up yards for free within three years. Funds were directed first toward homes with known lead lines at the NRDC's insistence, which meant workers couldn't tackle neighborhoods systematically. And finding those homes proved challenging because many records were missing or inaccurate — some handwritten on notecards dating to the early 1900s. 'The city's overall management of the program was ineffective,' and it could have better coordinated work geographically, said Sarah Tallman, an attorney with the NRDC. That stalled the program and, ultimately, the city had to check every pipe anyway. COVID-19 also slowed work. Flint Department of Public Works Director Kenneth Miller, who was hired last year, said the city didn't know how many homeowners had opted out of lead pipe replacement or how many properties had simply been missed as contractors came and went. 'Just like any other organization, people get lax, people stop doing things, people get laid off and the person that used to do it doesn't do it anymore,' he said. Because the city didn't keep accurate records of repairs, a judge ordered officials to visually check thousands of properties that had been excavated. Yards torn up by contractors sometimes sat that way for months or years. For months, Danyele Darrough's lawn was a mess and the sidewalk and driveway were covered, she said. Grass seed that workers applied never grew. Finally this spring, nearly three years later, she bought bags of topsoil and seed to fix her lawn herself. 'It was like, yeah, we knew it; we couldn't trust them,' said Darrough. Miller said the city now has robust data management, which he recommends to other communities tackling lead lines. Steep population loss left thousands of vacant homes that will require contractors to cap lead lines where they're found, said Eric Oswald, drinking water director at Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. 'The state and the city wanted to absolutely make sure that ... we leave no stone unturned,' he said. In Flint, government at every level caused the lead crisis or delayed fixing it, according to an EPA inspector general report. The scandal damaged trust in government — nearly 700 Flint homeowners declined free lead pipe replacement, the NRDC said. Flint finally adopted an ordinance last year to prevent homeowners from opting out. 'It's very difficult to get across the finish line unless you've got something to enforce,' Oswald said. Benton Harbor, across the state, implemented a similar provision early on, helping its work move smoothly. Now officials are working from a list of more than 4,000 properties where there could be a lead line, sending letters and making in-person visits to homes, if needed. Miller said he hopes the outreach will show that customer service is now a priority, but it will take time to rebuild trust. Some also distrust the Environmental Protection Agency, which in May lifted a long-standing emergency order for Flint water. The agency said it's now safe to drink from the tap after years of tests showing sharply reduced lead levels. 'We don't know what to believe,' resident Aonie Gilcreast said at a recent community gathering. 'We don't trust the system' because officials have said 'time after time after time .... that everything was fine.' As other cities and towns start replacing their own lead pipes — there are roughly 9 million in the U.S. — one thing should be top of mind, experts say: Digging them up isn't just a construction job, but also a test of community trust. To replace the lines that connect the water main in the street to homes, workers usually must dig in the street and yard, and enter the home. When residents trust local government, they're more willing to grant that access. 'With lead, as with everything else, the first time people hear from their water utility can't be when there is a concern,' said Greg Kail, spokesperson at utility industry group American Water Works Association. Instead, it is important for utilities to reach out to residents about what they plan to do and enlist trusted community groups in the effort. Newark, New Jersey, avoided Flint's pitfalls when facing its own lead crisis. In 2019, about two years after elevated levels were revealed and with funds available, the mayor said the city would replace more than 20,000 lead pipes at no cost to residents — and do it within three years. But a challenge soon emerged: Newark has lots of renters who couldn't approve the work. 'We couldn't get into the houses. We couldn't find the owners,' said Kareem Adeem, Newark's water and sewer director. 'They don't live there. They had no interest in taking care of the lead service line.' So the city passed an ordinance making lead pipe removals mandatory and giving renters permission to approve the work. Then contractors moved quickly through the city block by block — a lesson learned from Flint. For the most stubborn holdouts, officials told them when they'd start replacement work and said they'd turn the water off until the resident allowed them to complete it. The threat was enough. They never had to actually turn off anybody's water, Adeem said. Sometimes, people would recognize Adeem from TV and he could start a conversation — a crack in a resident's determination to say no. He worked with trusted community groups, too. And the decision that ensured people's property was cleaned up afterward? The contractors weren't fully paid until they finished the work and fixed any damage. Phillis and Webber write for the Associated Press.
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Years after problems with Flint's water emerged, the town has finally replaced all of its lead pipes
Michigan is set to announce that it has finally replaced all of the lead water pipes in the city of Flint, according to a report. The news comes a decade after lead-contaminated water was first found in its water system, resulting in extensive legal battles and national outrage over one of the country's most damaging water crises. There is no safe level of exposure to lead, which can result in reproductive issues, high blood pressure, hypertension, nerve disorders, muscle and joint pain, and memory and concentration problems in adults. In children, it can lead to hearing problems, slowed growth, headaches, learning and behavioral difficulties, lowered IQ, and damage to the brain and nervous system. Now, eight years after a court-ordered settlement required Flint officials to replace the pipes, nearly 11,000 have been replaced and more than 28,000 properties have been restored, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. In a release, it cited a progress report the state submitted to a federal court. 'Flint residents never gave up fighting for safe drinking water in the face of government indifference, mistruths, and incompetence. I've been angry that officials poisoned the drinking water in my home and community. But I will always be proud that Flint inspired a federal rule requiring that every lead pipe in the country be replaced in the next decade. Flint changed America, for the better,' Melissa Mays, of the organization Water You Fighting For, said in a statement shared by the council. 'In these challenging times for our country — marked by chaos and pain for so many — the story of Flint is a shining beacon of hope,' President Manish Bapna added. 'It is a reminder of the power that we the people of this country hold. It's a reminder of why preserving American democracy is so essential. It's a reminder of what's possible if we stand up to powerful forces and refuse to back down.' Neither Michigan attorney general's office nor Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley immediately responded to requests for comment from The Independent. The water crisis began in 2014, after a state-appointed emergency manager ended a contract with Detroit's water system, switching to the Flint River to save money. The state did not require treatment to prevent corrosion that caused lead to leach into the water supply of the majority-Black city. Nearly 100,000 Flint residents were exposed to lead through their drinking water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One study found that the number of children with elevated lead levels in their blood doubled or even tripled. The switch coincided with an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease, or a severe form of pneumonia, that killed a dozen people and sickened at least 87 between June 2014 and October 2015, the council reported. It was the third-largest outbreak of Legionnaires' disease recorded in U.S. history. Three years later, the city's residents — a third of whom live in poverty — sued Flint and Michigan officials for access to safe water, resulting in a landmark settlement in 2017. A federal court in Detroit ordered Flint to give every resident the opportunity to have their lead pipe replaced at no cost to them and to provide comprehensive tap water testing, implement a faucet filter distribution and education program, and maintain funding for health programs to help residents. The council has said the Covid pandemic and 'ineffective' management of the program stalled the work by years. Since then, Flint's story has inspired action at a national level, and the Biden administration's Environmental Protection Agency issued a federal rule requiring every lead pipe to be replaced in the next ten years. The agency estimates that as many as 9 million homes are served through lead pipes across the country and that replacing them could cost at least $45 billion. A decision on whether to honor that commitment is due from the Trump administration later this summer.
