Toxic PFAS chemicals used in packaging can end up in food, study finds

Compostable packaging is popular for environmental reasons, but it can be treated with ‘forever chemicals’ linked to health problems

A group of toxic PFAS chemicals that industry has claimed is safe to use in food packaging are concerning and present a health threat because they can break off and end up in food and drinks, a new peer-reviewed study finds.

Photo by Clair on Unsplash

The subgroup of PFAS, called “fluorotelomers”, have been billed as a safe replacement for a first generation of PFAS compounds now largely phased out of production in the US, Canada and the EU because of their high toxicity.

But the Guardian revealed in 2021 how chemical manufacturers had hid research showing that fluorotelomers may also be highly toxic, and the new study highlights how the compounds can move from packaging into food. Researchers say the paper highlights the need to ban the use of PFAS in food packaging.

“The continued use of PFAS in food packaging should be questioned given opportunities for the chemicals’ release and exposure,” the study’s authors wrote.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of about 14,000 chemicals often used to make products resistant to water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down, and they are linked to cancer, liver problems, thyroid issues, birth defects, kidney disease, decreased immunity and other serious health problems.

For decades, the chemicals have been added to paper wrappers, bags, plates, cups and other food packaging to help repel grease and water that would otherwise deteriorate the products. The chemicals are also added to some plastic food packaging as a barrier to prevent spoilage, and are especially common in the type of molded fiber bowls often marketed as “green” and “compostable”.

The US Food and Drug Administration in 2020 reached a “voluntary agreement” with some packaging producers to a five-year phaseout of 6:2 FTOH, a fluorotelomer regularly used in food packaging, after the agency learned that chemical manufacturers had hid evidence of its toxicity.

The University of Toronto study coauthor Miriam Diamond said that researchers suspect that 6:2 FTOH and similar compounds are no longer being added to food packaging, but the chemicals’ presence may be a byproduct of the use of another group of PFAS called “fluoropolymers”.

Industry has claimed fluoropolymers do not move from food packaging into food because they are larger than most other PFAS. But the large structure can contain 6:2 FTOH, which Diamond said may break off from the fluoropolymer after the chemical is added to food packaging.

That process could create a loophole. While companies may no longer add 6:2 FTOH to food packaging and are in compliance with the phaseout, the compound still seems to end up in packaging after manufacture.

“They could say: ‘Hey, we’re complying – we’re not adding 6:2 FTOH,’” Diamond said. The process could also help companies skirt Canadian government’s de minimis levels for PFAS.

The study checked 42 pieces of packaging from popular fast-food restaurants that serve burgers, burritos, salads, fries, doughnuts and other common foods, and found PFAS in about half.

Researchers stored eight of the PFAS-contaminated products in a dark, enclosed area for two years and found as much as an 85% drop in PFAS levels, which proved PFAS breaks off from packaging.

“We were really dismayed,” Diamond said of the findings.

She noted the rate at which the chemicals broke off from the packaging was high despite the pieces being kept in benign conditions. Research shows PFAS migrates at much higher rates when in contact with food or liquid that is acidic or served at high temperatures, and the findings suggest a potential health threat, Diamond added.

“You don’t need a whole lot of release to increase the levels of PFAS in food, or to be introduced into the home or environment,” she said. “This shows how mobile the chemicals are.”

The research comes as the Canadian government and other nations work to phase out single-use plastics, which will increase global reliance on “compostable” molded fiber packaging that researchers found contained the highest PFAS levels. However, PFAS are not compostable because they do not degrade, and in 2020 a major sustainable packaging group that certifies products as compostable discontinued its certification of products that contain the chemicals.

The research found the levels at which the chemicals migrated to food and drinks would exceed advisory daily intake limits set for some PFAS compounds by the Canadian government and the EU.

The study’s authors wrote that switching from plastic to PFAS-tainted packaging raises a new set of concerns.

“It would represent a regrettable substitution of trading one harmful option for another,” the authors wrote.

IWD2023: Dr. Adenike Akinsemolu named among 100 Women Creating a Better Africa (100WCBA) by WeForGood.

WeForGood 2023 100 Women Creating a Better Africa (100WCBA)

weforgood

WeForGood, a sustainable solutions and impact design firm list the Green Institute Director, Dr. Adenike Akinsemolu among the 4th annual 100 Women Creating a Better Africa (100WCBA).

In marking the International Women Day 2023 on March 8, 2023, the faces of the women were unveil to want to celebrate and encourage them and hopefully inspire more women to take action.

The list features former presidents, CEOs of organisations as well as students leading change in their communities. The women on this list come from varied backgrounds, ranging from tech to agriculture. There’s also a wide scope in terms of their years of experience and the length of time they’ve been making an impact. Nevertheless, all 100 of them share the common trait which defines the initiative: they’re doing their bit in small and big ways, showing up daily to create a better continent for us and future generations.

Water is life, but it can also be death

Adenike Akinsemolu

Water is life. We all know that. It's the most basic and essential element that we need to survive. But have you ever thought about how water can also be death? In the Ilaje coastal community, Ondo State, Nigeria, I met a mother who knows this all too well. She lost her child to the floods that ravaged their community. Her child, who slept in the same room as her, was swept away by the raging waters. She searched for him frantically, but it was too late. By the time they found him and rushed him to the nearest hospital, he was already gone.

This mother's heartbreak is just one of many stories of how water affects people in different ways. Women and girls, in particular, are vulnerable to the water crisis. I also met a girl who was raped when trying to fetch water. She narrated the story as a hot day in the small coastal village, and the sun beat down mercilessly on the dirt roads. She was on her way to fetch water from the polluted ocean. The water in the ocean was dirty and contaminated, but it was the only source of water for the entire community. The girl had to make the dangerous journey to the ocean every day, walking through the scorching heat.

As she made her way to the ocean, the girl heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see a man she didn't recognise, but he grabbed her and dragged her off the road before she could react. The girl screamed for help, but no one was around to hear her. The man raped her and left her there, alone and traumatised.

The girl managed to return to the village but was too afraid to tell anyone what had happened. She was ashamed and felt like it was her fault. She continued to make the dangerous journey to the ocean every day, but she was now more afraid than ever before.

The devastating impact of unclean water and lack of access to good health facilities cannot be overstated. Countless lives have been lost to water-borne diseases like cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, and diarrhoea. Despite SDG Target 6.1's goal of achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030, the global situation is still dire. As of 2020, only 74% of the world's population had access to a safely managed water source, which means that one in four people still lack safe drinking water access (See Figure 1). Looking at the breakdown of drinking water access globally and across regions and income groups, we can see that in countries with the lowest incomes, less than one-third of the population have safe water. Unfortunately, most of these people live in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting that there is still a long way to go before we can achieve SDG Target 6.1.

Figure 1: Share of the population with access to drinking water

Take the situation in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria, for example. This affluent area may conjure an image of comfort and luxury with its impressive architecture and beautiful relaxation spots. However, beneath the surface lies a dangerous reality – lack of access to drinkable water. If water is life, then the inability to obtain clean water means that life does not exist in Lekki. Despite their wealth and privilege, Lekki residents are still exposed to water-related diseases resulting from sub-standard and unregulated sources of water supply. The implications on sanitation are dire, with increasing cases of dysentery and diarrhea-induced pathogenic bacteria infections sparking concerns about public health in the area.

The lack of access to clean drinking water is not just a problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. The devastating effects of the water crisis are felt in coastal communities worldwide. Sea-level rise is causing the destruction of vernacular architecture in coastal regions, and water scarcity is affecting everyone, regardless of where we live or our socioeconomic status.

It's a heartbreaking situation highlighting the urgency of addressing the water crisis. We must take action to ensure that everyone has access to clean water and sanitation, no matter where they live or how much money they have. The water crisis affects us all, and we must demand change and make a difference.

This year's theme for World Water Day is Accelerating Change. It's a call to action to address the water crisis. If you think it doesn't affect you, think again. Everyone is affected irrespective of their socio-economic status.

We can all be the change we want to see in our society. There's a story of an ancient hummingbird who did just that. When a forest was on fire, and all the animals were fleeing for their lives, the hummingbird flew to the nearest stream, picked up a drop of water in its beak, and flew back to the forest. It dropped the drop of water on the fire and flew back to the stream to get more. The other animals laughed and asked, "What do you think you're doing? You're not going to put out the fire with those drops of water." The hummingbird replied, "I'm doing what I can."

We can all do what we can to address the water crisis. We can support organisations working to provide access to clean water and sanitation facilities. We can advocate for policies that prioritise water conservation and management. We can reduce our water consumption and use sustainable water practices at home and work. We can educate ourselves and others about the water crisis and the importance of taking action.

But it's not enough to just do what we can as individuals. We need to demand action from our governments, businesses, and communities. We need to boldly state that access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right to be protected.

We can also learn from the experiences and knowledge of indigenous communities who have lived sustainably with water for generations. We can work with them to implement sustainable water management practices that respect and honour their traditional knowledge.

On this World Water Day, let's be the hummingbirds of our society. Let's do what we can to accelerate change, address the water crisis, protect our communities, and create a world where everyone can access clean water and sanitation. Let's honour the stories of those who have suffered due to the lack of access to water and sanitation by taking meaningful action. Together, we can create a world where water is not a source of death and suffering but a source of life and flourishing.

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Reference

Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser (2021) - "Clean Water and Sanitation". Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/clean-water-sanitation' [Online Resource]

Adenike Akinsemolu is a Vanguard Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Birmingham.

The Green Institute Launches the #OfficiallyGreen Campaign to Beat Plastic Pollution

The Green Institute Launches the #OfficiallyGreen Campaign to Beat Plastic Pollution

Ondo City, Nigeria - The Green Institute, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainability and environmental protection, is proud to announce the launch of its latest initiative, the #OfficiallyGreen Campaign. This campaign aims to raise awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution and encourage individuals, communities, and organizations to take action to reduce their plastic waste.

"Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing our planet today," says Dr. Adenike Akinsemolu, founder of the Green Institute and Vanguard Fellow at the University of Birmingham. "It not only impacts wildlife and ecosystems but also poses a threat to human health and the economy. With the #OfficiallyGreen Campaign, we aim to inspire and empower people to take action to reduce their plastic waste and join us in our mission to beat plastic pollution."

The #OfficiallyGreen Campaign invites individuals and organizations to share their commitment to reducing plastic waste by taking a picture with the #OfficiallyGreen placard and sharing it on their social media channels. Participants are encouraged to make their placards using recycled materials and to share what they are doing in their communities to reduce plastic waste.

"We believe that collective action is the key to solving the plastic pollution crisis," says Dr. Akinsemolu. "By working together and sharing our efforts, we can raise awareness, inspire change, and make a real difference."

The Green Institute is committed to supporting individuals, communities, and organizations in their efforts to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment. Join the #OfficiallyGreen Campaign and make a difference today.

Pioneering Conservationist Champions the Plight of Nigeria’s Hidden Fungal Treasure

YOUNG RESEARCH GROUP, OKEIGBO

Groundbreaking Research and Community Efforts Lead the Charge in Preserving the Igbo Olodumare Forest’s Elusive Termitomyces clypeatus

In the heart of Nigeria's Igbo Olodumare Forest, a remarkable species of mushroom, Termitomyces clypeatus, known locally for its culinary and ecological significance, is receiving unprecedented attention thanks to the efforts of Dr. Adenike Akinsemolu, a dedicated conservation biologist. Akinsemolu's pioneering work, now spotlighted through a significant grant from the Species Fund, aims to safeguard the future of this under-researched species.

Akinsemolu’s journey into the depths of the Igbo Olodumare Forest has unveiled the critical role of Termitomyces clypeatus in local ecosystems and communities. Through an innovative blend of habitat mapping, genetic diversity studies, and community engagement, [Your Name] is leading the charge to ensure the mushroom's survival against the backdrop of environmental challenges.

With a robust action plan, Akinsemolu’s project encompasses extensive field surveys, habitat restoration initiatives, and education programs designed to involve local communities in conservation efforts. "Understanding the genetic makeup and distribution of Termitomyces clypeatus is just the beginning," says Akinsemolu. "Our ultimate goal is to foster a harmonious coexistence between the forest's biodiversity and the people who rely on it."

The project has not only placed Akinsemolu at the forefront of fungal conservation but has also sparked a growing interest among international conservation bodies and the scientific community. As Akinsemolu continues to share findings and insights at global conferences and through publications, the world is taking notice of the importance of fungi in biodiversity conservation strategies.

As Akinsemolu’s work gains momentum, the future looks brighter for the Termitomyces clypeatus and the Igbo Olodumare Forest. Through dedication, research, and community collaboration, Dr. Akinsemolu is charting a new course for conservation, one mushroom at a time.

Mobilising Assam’s ‘hargila army’: how 10,000 women saved India’s rarest stork

Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

Guardian News

Greater adjutants, reviled as bad omens, were endangered until Indian conservationist Purnima Devi Barman transformed attitudes to the bird – and gave thousands of women a new identity

On a cool December afternoon a group of women dressed in brightly coloured mekhela chadors (Assam’s traditional handwoven clothing) sit in a circle on the grass at the Bhokha Beel wetlands, singing and clapping.

Some of the women are wearing papier-mache headdresses shaped like long-necked birds. As they sing, one of them gets to her feet and starts dancing.

They are part of the “hargila army”, a group of rural women in the Indian state of Assam who work to protect one of the world’s rarest storks: the greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) – or hargila (meaning “bone swallower” in Assamese) as the scavenger bird is known locally. They are celebrating the recent UN Environment Programme’s Champions of the Earth award, conferred on the group’s biologist founder, Dr Purnima Devi Barman.

The endangered greater adjutant stork, or hargila

Barman won the award for her achievement in mobilising more than 10,000 women to help save the stork. “They are the protectors of the birds and of their nesting trees,” says Barman, referring to the band of homemakers turned conservationists.

The greater adjutant, a member of the stork family that can grow up to 1.5 metres (5ft) tall, was once abundant across south Asia. But its distinctive features – a featherless head, dangling gular (throat) pouch, striking pale eyes and long skinny legs – and its foul-smelling droppings and dietary preference for carrion – won it few fans.

The birds were not just reviled, they were seen as a bad omen and carriers of disease. Villagers attacked them with stones, cut down trees where they roosted communally and burned their nests.

I’ve always believed that, if given a chance, women can make a big difference in conservation-Purnima Devi Barman

Today the greater adjutant is endangered, with fewer than 1,200 adult birds in its last strongholds – the Indian states of Assam and Bihar, and Cambodia. Most of the global population is found in Assam, making Barman and the hargila army’s work critical to its survival.

Barman grew up in a village on the Brahmaputra, a river that flows for 2,500 miles through Tibet, north-east India and Bangladesh. As a child, she learned about Assam’s wildlife from her grandmother, who took her into the paddy fields where she worked and taught her about local birdlife. “She didn’t know how to write but she had a feeling for nature and taught me lots of songs and stories about the birds,” says Barman.

Barman and members of the 10,000-strong hargila army sing and dance to traditional songs

Her love of the natural world stayed with her. She gained a first degree and a master’s in zoology and was about to embark on a PhD on the greater adjutant when a contact phoned to tell her that a villager in Dadara had cut down a kadam (burflower) nesting tree in his yard.

When she arrived at the site she was appalled to find the ground littered with nests and dead or injured chicks. “It was my mothering instinct. I wanted to do something to protect these innocent creatures,” says Barman, whose twin girls were two at the time.

Barman began teaching the villagers about the birds’ importance as “nature’s cleaning crew”, and why nesting trees should not be cut down. In response, she was taunted and asked to clean the foul-smelling mess herself. The hostility she faced made her realise that to save the bird, she first needed to change the community’s attitude to it.

Barman with a lifesize cutout of a greater adjutant stork

The badge worn by members of the hargila army; a sign in Dadara village shows the partnership with the state forest department, the district administration and police

She delayed her PhD and set to work: she organised public meetings where she honoured the owners of trees, mostly men, instilling in them a sense of pride in their role as guardians. The tactic paid off. “Not a single nesting tree has been cut down since 2010,” she says.

But it was the women who Barman believed held the key to sustainable and community-led conservation. The problem was they were confined to their homes and household chores. So Barman found creative ways to bring them out where she could talk to them. She began organising cooking competitions of traditional sweets and snacks, where she befriended the women and talked about the birds.

She tapped into the women’s nurturing side by organising “baby showers” during the storks’ breeding season, inspired by a Hindu ritual for expectant human mothers, and “happy hatching” ceremonies to commemorate the arrival of the chicks. Slowly but surely, the women began to accept the birds as part of their world.

A primary school pupil holds a stork conservation poster. The hargila army members help encourage school children to protect the bird

By 2014, the conservation movement had gathered momentum and the hargila army was born. “Conservation is all about uniting people and building ownership,” says Barman. “I’ve always believed that, if given a chance, women can make a big difference in conservation.”

Today, the once-maligned bird is now a cultural symbol, appearing on everything from towels to road-safety campaigns.

In the villages of Dadara, Pacharia and Singimari (all in Kamrup district), greater adjutants’ nests have increased from 28 in 2010 to more than 250 according to Barman’s last count, making the area the world’s largest breeding colony. “We now have more than 1,000 hargila birds in Assam,” says Barman, referring to recent but unpublished data collected by her team.

Mamoni Malakar paints a henna tattoo of the hargila on Purnima Devi Barman’s palm

Joining the hargila army gave me a chance to show everyone that I could do something meaningful with my life-Daivaki Saikia

The conservation efforts have also transformed the lives of the women, who now go into other villages to raise awareness of the birds. “Joining the hargila army gave me a chance to show everyone that I could do something meaningful with my life,” says Daivaki Saikia, a young widow from Dadara’s marginalised fishing community, who has been a member for five years.

The UN award was for Barman’s “entrepreneurial vision” in using conservation to improve women’s economic status. Assam has a rich tradition of weaving, so Barman secured funding for 30 looms and provided training in weaving the hargila motif into fabrics, providing women with an independent income. Eighty women were also given sewing machines to make bags, cushion covers and other items from the handwoven fabrics.

In 2021, Barman established the Hargila Learning and Conservation Centre in a government school in Pacharia village, where hargila army members use songs, art and games to encourage children to protect the birds.

Hargila army member Sarawasti Das weaving a mekhela chador (a traditional Assamese sari) adorned with the hargila motif

Juggling her job as a biologist at Aaranyak, a wildlife non-profit organisation based in the city of Guwahati, Barman continues to help preserve the hargila. In February the hargila army begins its work in the districts of Morigaon and Nagaon, with further expansion planned for Assam.

She also hopes to set up a nursery for kadam trees that can be distributed to those who want to plant them in their gardens (45,000 saplings have already been handed out). “This will help improve the back-yard biodiversity,” says Barman.

Barman’s unwavering dedication has been recognised in India and internationally. Last year she was named World Female Ranger and in 2017, she received the prestigious Whitley award, known as the “Green Oscars”, as well as India’s highest civilian honour for women – the Nari Shakti Puraskar.

But Barman refuses to rest on her laurels. No opportunity to advocate for the bird is missed. “My intention is to involve everyone,” she says. “If people are concerned about the conservation of the hargila and its habitat, it will help other species as well.”

The future of flight in a net-zero-carbon world: 9 scenarios, lots of sustainable biofuel

Candelaria Bergero & Steve Davis FROM THE CONVERSATION

Some airlines are already experimenting with sustainable aviation fuel. Michael H/Stone Collection/Getty Images

Candelaria Bergero, University of California, Irvine and Steve Davis, University of California, Irvine

Several major airlines have pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by midcentury to fight climate change. It’s an ambitious goal that will require an enormous ramp-up in sustainable aviation fuels, but that alone won’t be enough, our latest research shows.

The idea of jetliners running solely on fuel made from used cooking oil from restaurants or corn stalks might seem futuristic, but it’s not that far away.

Airlines are already experimenting with sustainable aviation fuels. These include biofuels made from agriculture residues, trees, corn and used cooking oil. Other fuels are synthetic, made by combining captured carbon from the air and green hydrogen, made with renewable energy. Often, they can go straight into existing aircraft fuel tanks that normally hold fossil jet fuel.

United Airlines, which has been using a blend of used oil or waste fat and fossil fuels on some flights from Los Angeles and Amsterdam, announced in February 2023 that it had formed a partnership with biofuel companies to power 50,000 flights a year between its Chicago and Denver hubs using ethanol-based sustainable aviation fuels by 2028.

In a new study, we examined different options for aviation to reach net-zero emissions and assessed how air travel could continue without contributing to climate change.

The bottom line: Each pathway has important trade-offs and hurdles. Replacing fossil jet fuel with sustainable aviation fuels will be crucial, but the industry will still need to invest in direct-air carbon capture and storage to offset emissions that can’t be cut.

Scenarios for the future

Before the pandemic, in 2019, aviation accounted for about 3.1% of total global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion, and the number of passenger miles traveled each year was rising. If aviation emissions were a country, that would make it the sixth-largest emitter, closely following Japan.

In addition to releasing carbon emissions, burning jet fuel produces soot and water vapor, known as contrails, that contribute to warming, and these are not avoided by switching to sustainable aviation fuels.

Aviation is also one of the hardest-to-decarbonize sectors of the economy. Small electric and hydrogen-powered planes are being developed, but long-haul flights with lots of passengers are likely decades away.

We developed and analyzed nine scenarios spanning a range of projected passenger and freight demand, energy intensity and carbon intensity of aviation to explore how the industry might get to net-zero emissions by 2050.

Nine scenarios illustrate how much carbon offsets would be required to reach net-zero emissions, depending on choices made about demand and energy and carbon intensity. Each starts with 2021’s emissions (1.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent). With rising demand and no improvement in carbon intensity, a large amount of carbon capture will be necessary. Less fossil fuel use and slower demand growth reduce offset needs. Candelaria Bergero

We found that as much as 19.8 exajoules of sustainable aviation fuels could be needed for the entire sector to reach net-zero CO₂ emissions. With other efficiency improvements, that could be reduced to as little as 3 exajoules. To put that into context, 3 exajoules is almost equivalent to all biofuels produced in 2019 and far surpasses the 0.005 exajoules of bio-based jet fuel produced in 2019. An exajoule is a measure of energy.

Flying less and improving airplanes’ energy efficiency, such as using more efficient “glide” landings that allow airlines to approach the airport with engines at near idle, can help reduce the amount of fuel needed. But even in our rosiest scenarios – where demand grows at 1% per year, compared to the historical average of 4% per year, and energy efficiency improves by 4% per year rather than 1% – aviation would still need about 3 exajoules of sustainable aviation fuels.

Why offsets are still necessary

A rapid expansion in biofuel sustainable aviation fuels is easier said than done. It could require as much as 1.2 million square miles (300 million hectares) of dedicated land to grow crops to turn into fuel – roughly 19% of global cropland today.

Another challenge is cost. The global average price of fossil jet fuel is about about US$3 per gallon ($0.80 per liter), while the cost to produce bio-based jet fuels is often twice as much. The cheapest, HEFA, which uses fats, oils and greases, ranges in cost from $2.95 to $8.67 per gallon ($0.78 to $2.29 per liter), but it depends on the availability of waste oil.

Fischer-Tropsch biofuels, produced by a chemical reaction that converts carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons, range from $3.79 to $8.71 per gallon ($1 to $2.30 per liter). And synthetic fuels are from $4.92 to $17.79 per gallon ($1.30 to $4.70 per liter).

Realistically, reaching net-zero emissions will likely also rely on carbon dioxide removal.

In a future with similar airline use as today, as much as 3.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide would have to be captured from the air and locked away – pumped underground, for example – for aviation to reach net-zero. That could cost trillions of dollars.

For these offsets to be effective, the carbon removal would also have to follow a robust eligibility criteria and be effectively permanent. This is not happening today in airline offsetting programs, where airlines are mostly buying cheap, nonpermanent offsets, such as those involving forest conservation and management projects.

Some caveats apply to our findings, which could increase the need for offsets even more.

Our assessment assumes sustainable aviation fuels to be net-zero carbon emissions. However, the feedstocks for these fuels currently have life-cycle emissions, including from fertilizer, farming and transportation. The American Society for Testing Materials also currently has a maximum blend limit: up to 50% sustainable fuels can be blended into conventional jet fuel for aviation in the U.S., though airlines have been testing 100% blends in Europe.

How to overcome the final hurdles

To meet the climate goals the world has set, emissions in all sectors must decrease – including aviation.

While reductions in demand would help reduce reliance on sustainable aviation fuels, it’s more likely that more and more people will fly in the future, as more people become wealthier. Efficiency improvements will help decrease the amount of energy needed to power aviation, but it won’t eliminate it.

Scaling up sustainable aviation fuel production could decrease its costs. Quotas, such as those introduced in the European Union’s “Fit for 55” plan, subsidies and tax credits, like those in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act signed in 2022, and a carbon tax or other price on carbon, can all help achieve this.

Additionally, given the role that capturing carbon from the atmosphere will play in achieving net-zero emissions, a more robust accounting system is needed internationally to ensure that the offsets are compensating for aviation’s non-CO₂ impacts. If these hurdles are overcome, the aviation sector could achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Candelaria Bergero, Ph.D. Student in Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine and Steve Davis, Professor of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Climate change: Africa has a major new carbon market initiative - what you need to know

Jonathan Colmer from The Converstaion

Activists press for climate change financing during COP27. Mohamed Abdel Hamid/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Jonathan Colmer, University of Virginia

Climate finance for the African continent got a boost at the 2022 United Nations Climate Conference (COP27), with the launch of the African Carbon Markets Initiative. This aims to make climate finance available for African countries, expand access to clean energy, and drive sustainable economic development.

Led by a 13-member steering committee of African leaders, chief executives and industry specialists, the initiative promises to expand the continent’s participation in voluntary carbon markets.

Carbon markets are trading platforms which allow individuals, firms and governments to fund projects that reduce emissions (instead of reducing their own emissions).

Kenya, Malawi, Gabon, Nigeria and Togo have already indicated their intention to collaborate with the market.

Climate projects include reforestation and forest conservation, investments in renewable energy, carbon-storing agricultural practices and direct air capture. In return for funding projects like these, investors receive carbon credits – certificates used to “offset” the emissions that they continue to produce.

The African initiative’s goal is to produce 300 million new carbon credits annually by 2030, comparable to the number of credits issued globally in voluntary carbon offset markets in 2021.

However, there is considerable scepticism about whether carbon offset credits do mitigate climate change.

Two important issues

In assessing the effectiveness of carbon credits, one important concern is the concept of “additionality”. Emission reductions or removals are “additional” if the project or activity would not have happened without the added incentive provided by the carbon credits. For example, if a landowner is paid to not cut down trees, but had no plans to cut them down in the first place, the project does not deliver additional emissions savings. The landowner is paid for doing nothing and the buyer’s emissions are not offset.

Providing carbon credits to projects that would have been implemented anyway delivers zero climate mitigation, and can result global emissions that are higher than if the credits hadn’t been issued. This is a serious challenge for carbon offset markets because additionality is not measurable, despite industry claims. While project managers may claim that they are unable to proceed without funding, there is no way of knowing whether these claims are true.

A second issue is permanence. Carbon offsets have to be permanent because carbon emissions remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. It is almost impossible to guarantee that emissions will be offset for this length of time. But it depends on the type of offset project.

There are two types of carbon offset project:

• those that reduce the amount of carbon that is emitted

• those that remove carbon from the atmosphere.

In the case of carbon reduction projects, overall emissions remain positive. Examples of carbon reduction credits include investments in renewable energy. Even though the supplier of the carbon credit is not generating any emissions, the buyer continues to emit, and so the overall level of emissions is positive. Carbon neutrality – net-zero emissions – cannot be achieved using carbon reduction credits.

There should be more funding available for carbon reduction activities in Africa, but investors should not receive carbon credits to offset their own emissions when supporting these activities. Such investments would be philanthropic – for the good of the planet, not to balance the carbon accounting books.

Carbon removal projects do, however, have the potential to deliver a permanent net-zero emissions outcome. Direct air capture projects, which use chemical reactions to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store them deep underground, can meet this goal. The cost of direct air capture, however, remains very high.

Forest growth, a less costly type of carbon removal project, is less permanent. Landowners may commit not to cut down trees, but wildfires, disease, and other disruption events can release much of the stored carbon back into the atmosphere. There is still value to forest carbon credits, but they can’t guarantee permanence. Forest projects provide “carbon deferrals”. Additional forest growth projects remove carbon from the atmosphere for a fixed amount of time. There is value to this delay because it can reduce peak warming and gives society more time for the costs of decarbonising technologies to fall. While there is value to these carbon deferral projects they should not be used to generate carbon credits that are used to permanently offset the emissions produced through economic activity.

Goals of the market

The African Carbon Markets Initiative has bold ambitions. It will attract investments in Africa by firms, consumers and governments in countries that have historically contributed the most to climate change. Whether these investments result in any meaningful climate benefit, however, is unclear. Time will tell.

Existing carbon offset projects lack credibility. This doesn’t mean that carbon credits can’t be more useful in future. Being transparent about what projects actually deliver, rather than what we hope they deliver, is paramount. Given the limited resources available to mitigate climate change, we need more than good intentions.

Jonathan Colmer, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Virginia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Earth has lost one-fifth of its wetlands since 1700 – but most could still be saved

Christian Dunn from Conversation

Earth has lost one-fifth of its wetlands since 1700 – but most could still be saved

A capybara in the Iberá Wetlands (Esteros del Iberá) of northeast Argentina. Kylie Nicholson/Shutterstock

Christian Dunn, Bangor University

Like so many of the planet’s natural habitats, wetlands have been systematically destroyed over the past 300 years. Bogs, fens, marshes and swamps have disappeared from maps and memory, having been drained, dug up and built on.

Being close to a reliable source of water and generally flat, wetlands were always prime targets for building towns and farms. Draining their waterlogged soils has produced some of the most fertile farmland available.

But wetlands also offer some of the best natural solutions to modern crises. They can clean water by removing and filtering pollutants, displace floodwater, shelter wildlife, improve our mental and physical wellbeing and capture climate-changing amounts of carbon.

Peatlands, a particular type of wetland, store at least twice the carbon of all the world’s forests.

How much of the Earth’s precious wetlands have been lost since 1700 was recently addressed by a major new study published in Nature. Previously, it was feared that as much as 50% of our wetlands might have been wiped out. However, the latest research suggests that the figure is actually closer to 21% - an area the size of India.

Some countries have seen much higher losses, with Ireland losing more than 90% of its wetlands. The main reason for these global losses has been the drainage of wetlands for growing crops.

A wetland is, like this peat bog, a terrestrial habitat where water is held on the land. Kuttelvaserova Stuchelova/Shutterstock

Wetlands are not wastelands

This is the most thorough investigation of its kind. The researchers used historical records and the latest maps to monitor land use on a global scale.

Despite this, the new paper highlights some of the scientific and cultural barriers to studying and managing wetlands. For instance, even identifying what is and isn’t a wetland is harder than for other habitats.

The defining characteristic of a wetland – being wet – is not always easily identified in each region and season. How much is the right amount of wetness? Some classification systems list coral reefs as wetlands, while others argue this is too wet.

And for centuries, wetlands were seen as unproductive wastelands ripe for converting to cropland. This makes records of where these ecosystems used to be sketchy at best.

The report shows clearly that the removal of wetlands is not spread evenly around the globe. Some regions have lost more than average. Around half of the wetlands in Europe have gone, with the UK losing 75% of its original area.

The US, central Asia, India, China, Japan and south-east Asia are also reported to have lost 50% of their original wetlands. It is these regional differences which promoted the idea that half of all the world’s wetlands had disappeared.

Farming has driven the destruction of wetlands globally. Tridsanu Thopet/Shutterstock

This disparity is somewhat hopeful, as it suggests there are still plenty of wetlands which haven’t been destroyed – particularly the vast northern peatlands of Siberia and Canada.

An ecological tonic

Losing a wetland a few acres in size may not sound much on a global or even national scale, but it’s very serious for the nearby town that now floods when it rains and is catastrophic for the specialised animals and plants, like curlews and swallowtail butterflies, living there.

Wetlands offer food and habitat for a diverse range of species. Aleksandra Tokarz/Shutterstock

Fortunately, countries and international organisations are beginning to understand how important wetlands are locally and globally, with some adopting “no-net-loss” policies that oblige developers to restore any habitats they destroy. The UK has promised to ban the sale of peat-based composts for amateur growers by 2024.

Wetland habitats are being conserved around the world, often at huge expense. Over US$10 billion (£8.2 billion) has been spent on a 35-year plan to restore the Florida Everglades, a unique network of subtropical wetlands, making it the largest and most expensive ecological restoration project in the world.

The creation of new wetlands is also underway in many places. The reintroduction of beavers to enclosures across Britain is expected to increase the nation’s wetland coverage, bringing with it all the advantages of these habitats.

Beaver dams and the wetlands they create reduce the effects of flooding by up to 60% and can boost the area’s wildlife. One study showed the number of local mammal species shot up by 86% thanks to these furry engineers.

Wetlands hold and slowly release water, helping to ease flooding and stall drought. Steved_np3/Shutterstock

Even the sustainable drainage system ponds developers create on the fringes of new housing estates could see pocket wetlands appearing in towns and cities across the UK. By mimicking natural drainage regimes instead of removing surface water with pipes and sewers, sustainable drainage systems can create areas of plants and water that have been shown to increase biodiversity, especially invertebrates.

Whether the total global loss of wetlands is 20% or 50% doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that people stop looking at wetlands as wastelands, there for us to drain and turn into “useful” land.

As the UN recently pointed out, an estimated 40% of Earth’s species live and breed in wetlands and a billion people depend on them for their livelihoods. Conserving and restoring these vital habitats is key to achieving a sustainable future.

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Christian Dunn, Senior Lecturer in Natural Sciences, Bangor University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Power magnitude earthquake and aftershock leaves hundreds dead in Turkey and Syria

More than 500 people were killed in two countries after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in more than 100 years sent tremors across the region, collapsing buildings and sending residents running into the streets.

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck just after 4 a.m. Monday morning local time, 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. Nurdagi is located along the Turkey-Syria border, and the quake was felt in several countries across the region, including Syria and Lebanon.

In Turkey, at least 284 people were killed and more than 2,300 injured, according to Vice President Fuat Oktay. In neighboring Syria, at least 237 people died and more than 630 were injured, Syrian state news agency SANA reported citing a Ministry of Health official. The deaths were reported in Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus.

Aaref Watad/AFP/Getty Images I Syrian rescuers (White Helmets) and civilians search for victims and survivors amid the rubble of a collapsed building, in the rebel-held northern countryside of Syria's Idlib province on the border with Turkey, early on February 6, 2023.

Dozens of people are trapped under rubble, according to the “White Helmets” group, officially known as Syria Civil Defense, a humanitarian organization formed to rescue people injured in conflict. Much of northwestern Syria, which borders Turkey, is controlled by anti-government forces amid a bloody civil war that began in 2011.

The quake struck before daybreak on Monday, when residents were likely asleep and unprepared for the impact. Video from Turkey shared on social media showed dozens of collapsed buildings, while frightened residents huddled on the darkened streets amid the chaos. Rescue workers can be seen conducting search-and-rescue operations by flashlight.

Monday’s quake is believed to be the strongest to hit Turkey since 1939, when an earthquake of the same magnitude killed 30,000 people, according to the USGS. Earthquakes of this magnitude are rare, with fewer than five occurring each year on average, anywhere in the world. Seven quakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater have struck Turkey in the past 25 years – but Monday’s is the most powerful.

Karl Lang, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech University’s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, told CNN the area hit by the quake Monday is prone to seismic activity. “It’s a very large fault zone, but this is a larger earthquake than they’ve experienced any time in recent memory,” Lang said.

Eren Bozkurt/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images I Several buildings were destroyed following the powerful earthquake in southern Turkey on February 6, 2023.

‘It felt like it would never be over’

Journalist Eyad Kourdi, who lives in Gaziantep and was staying with his parents when the earthquake struck early Monday, said “it felt like it would never be over.”

When the shaking stopped, Kourdi and his parents walked out of their home still wearing their pajamas, he said.

With several inches of snow on the ground, they waited outside in the rain for about 30 minutes before he could go back inside to grab coats and boots.

Strong aftershocks have been felt in southern and central Turkey. About 11 minutes after the main quake hit, the strongest aftershock of 6.7 magnitude hit about 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of the main quake’s epicenter. Another intense aftershock with a magnitude of 5.6 then occurred 19 minutes after the main quake.

Omer Yildiz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images I A destroyed apartment and damaged vehicle in Yurt neighborhood of Cukurova district after the earthquake in Adana, Turkey, on February 6, 2023.

Kourdi said there were up to eight “very strong” aftershocks in under a minute after the 7.8 magnitude quake struck, causing belongings in his home to fall to the ground. Many of his neighbors had left their homes following the quake, he said.

Photos showing the true scale of the disaster are emerging as day breaks in Turkey. Entire buildings have been flattened, with metal rods scattered across the streets. Cars have toppled over, while bulldozers work to clear the debris.

A winter storm in the region is exacerbating the disaster, according to CNN meteorologists.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are impacted by this. It is cold. It is rainy. Roads could be impacted, that means your food, your livelihood, the care for your children, the care for your family,” CNN meteorologist Karen Maginnis said.

“Anything as far as crops or anything growing across this region will be impacted as well. The ramifications of this are broad and will impact this region for weeks, and months.”

A destroyed building after a powerful earthquake jolts Turkey on February 6, 2023. I Omer Yasin Ergin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Searching for survivors

Search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the south of the country, Turkey’s interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, said. AFAD, the disaster agency, said it had requested international help through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), the European Union’s humanitarian program.

Nearly 1,000 search and rescue volunteers have been deployed from Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, along with dogs, trucks and aid, according to its governor, Ali Yerlikaya.

“Sorry for our loss. I wish our injured a speedy recovery,” Yerlikaya wrote on Twitter.

The governor of Gaziantep, Davut Gul, said on Twitter that “the earthquake was felt strongly in our city,” and advised the public to wait outside their homes and stay calm.

“Please let’s wait outside without panic. Let’s not use our cars. Let’s not crowd the main roads. Let’s not keep the phones busy,” he said.

Gaziantep province has a number of small- and medium-sized cities, with a sizable refugee population, according to Brookings Institute fellow Asli Aydintasbas.

“Some of these areas are rather poor. Some are more richer, urban areas … but other parts that we’re talking about that seem to have been devastated, are relatively lower income areas,” she said.

Video from the city of Diyarbakir, to the northeast of Gaziantep, shows rescue workers frantically trying to pull survivors out of the rubble.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the quake was felt in many parts of the country.

“I convey my best wishes to all our citizens who were affected by the earthquake that occurred in Kahramanmaraş and was felt in many parts of our country. All our relevant units are on alert under the coordination of AFAD,” Erdogan wrote on Twitter.

Search and rescue operations are underway as many are fear trapped in the rubble. I Omer Yasin Ergin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Messages of condolences and support started pouring in Monday morning as world leaders woke to the news of the deadly earthquake.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States was “profoundly concerned” about the destruction in Syria and Turkey.

“I have been in touch with Turkish officials to relay that we stand ready to provide any & all needed assistance. We will continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Turkiye,” Sullivan wrote on Twitter.

Study Shows Exposure to Air Pollution Alters Brain Function

Jodie R. Gawryluk, Daniela J. Palombo, Jason Curran, Ashleigh Parker, Chris Carlsten

A new study has suggested that a brief diesel exhaust exposure acutely impairs functional brain connectivity in humans. The study was the first to show in a controlled experiment using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that exposure to diesel exhaust disrupts the ability of different areas of the human brain to interact and communicate with each other.

The peer-reviewed findings, published in the journal Environmental Health, show that just two hours of exposure to diesel exhaust causes a decrease in the brain's functional connectivity -- a measure of how The study provides the first evidence in humans, from a controlled experiment, of altered brain network connectivity induced by air pollution.

"For many decades, scientists thought the brain may be protected from the harmful effects of air pollution," said senior study author Dr. Chris Carlsten, professor and head of respiratory medicine and the Canada Research Chair in occupational and environmental lung disease at UBC. "This study, which is the first of its kind in the world, provides fresh evidence supporting a connection between air pollution and cognition."

For the study, the researchers briefly exposed 25 healthy adults to diesel exhaust and filtered air at different times in a laboratory setting. Brain activity was measured before and after each exposure using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

The researchers analyzed changes in the brain's default mode network (DMN), a set of inter-connected brain regions that play an important role in memory and internal thought. The fMRI revealed that participants had decreased functional connectivity in widespread regions of the DMN after exposure to diesel exhaust, compared to filtered air.

"We know that altered functional connectivity in the DMN has been associated with reduced cognitive performance and symptoms of depression, so it's concerning to see traffic pollution interrupting these same networks," said Dr. Jodie Gawryluk, a psychology professor at the University of Victoria and the study's first author. "While more research is needed to fully understand the functional impacts of these changes, it's possible that they may impair people's thinking or ability to work."

Taking steps to protect yourself

Notably, the changes in the brain were temporary and participants' connectivity returned to normal after the exposure. Dr. Carlsten speculated that the effects could be long lasting where exposure is continuous. He said that people should be mindful of the air they're breathing and take appropriate steps to minimize their exposure to potentially harmful air pollutants like car exhaust.

"People may want to think twice the next time they're stuck in traffic with the windows rolled down," said Dr. Carlsten. "It's important to ensure that your car's air filter is in good working order, and if you're walking or biking down a busy street, consider diverting to a less busy route."

While the current study only looked at the cognitive impacts of traffic-derived pollution, Dr. Carlsten said that other products of combustion are likely a concern.

"Air pollution is now recognized as the largest environmental threat to human health and we are increasingly seeing the impacts across all major organ systems," says Dr. Carlsten. "I expect we would see similar impacts on the brain from exposure to other air pollutants, like forest fire smoke. With the increasing incidence of neurocognitive disorders, it's an important consideration for public health officials and policymakers."

The study was conducted at UBC's Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, located at Vancouver General Hospital, which is equipped with a state-of-the-art exposure booth that can mimic what it is like to breathe a variety of air pollutants. In this study, which was carefully designed and approved for safety, the researchers used freshly-generated exhaust that was diluted and aged to reflect real-world conditions.

Africa climate woes, COP27 wins, misses and the way forward

KENNETH BUNDI & JANE KANYINGI

COP27 marked the fifth UN Climate Change conference in Africa.

People walk at the green zone of the Sharm el-Sheikh International Convention Centre, during the COP27 climate conference in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of the same name, on November 9, 2022. PHOTO | AFP

This conference was dubbed the African COP, a reflection of the weight Africans placed on this forum to highlight and find solutions to the effects of climate change in the continent.

Last year alone, every African nation felt the impact of climate-related challenges from wildfires in Algeria to catastrophic flooding in South Africa and Nigeria to the severe drought in the Horn of Africa.

All these combined experiences helped define key priorities for the continent, including a check on commitments from COP26 in Glasgow.

Some of the key tasks included delivery on finance for climate adaptation and mitigation — specifically an increase to climate financing directed to African countries to enable the transition to low-emissions and climate-resilient economies.

Financing in the form of the Loss and Damage Fund for vulnerable countries will provide the aid required to deal with climate change-related events.

The discussions throughout the various thematic sessions saw governments and the private sector address the various aspects of the climate finance ecosystem including financial instruments, tools and policies that have the potential to enhance access and scale up to green financing.

Amid the tough talks and the conflicting interests, developed countries agreed to provide funds to their developing counterparts to deal with the loss and damages due to the effects of climate change.

This was a key win for Africa, which has contributed the least to the climate crisis yet its ecosystems, people and economies are the most vulnerable and least prepared to adapt to the changes.

The challenge, however, is how the fund will be implemented and administered.

The continent must be well represented in the translation committee to ensure African interests are well articulated in the lead-up to COP28 where the translation committee recommendations are expected to be tabled for discussion and adoption.

The discussions did not make much progress in getting governments to accelerate their actions to tackle climate challenges and reduce carbon emissions.

Specifically, on climate negotiations, the more ambitious Paris Agreement temperature goal of 1.5 degrees Celcius has been weakened by its placing in the ‘science and urgency’ section.

By contrast, in the Glasgow Climate Pact, it sat alongside the solutions to the climate crisis in the ‘mitigation’ section.

As such, current scientific predictions have global temperatures set to rise by 2.4 degree Celsius over the next decade, way above what was envisaged in the Paris Agreement.

It’s critical that even with the funding, African countries and corporates keep pushing for the acceleration of the decarbonisation efforts and rewiring of the financial systems to support the continent’s climate adaptation in key sectors such as agriculture, energy, water, health and forestry to pull its population from abject poverty and the risk of starvation.

To support its efforts, Africa needs to rethink how the continent will push the developed economies to respond and recognise its needs.

Women Bear the Brunt of Climate Change

Natalia Milovanova

The effects of climate change are not equal across genders. Women, particularly in the global south, are more greatly impacted than men. This is a result of cultural and historical norms that put women in vulnerable positions. These norms, compounded with the fact that women make up the majority of agriculture producers in rural areas, make them more susceptible to the negative effects of climate change, such as droughts, floods, and crop failures.

In addition, women are expected to care for children, the elderly, and the sick in traditional patriarchal societies, leaving them with little mobility to migrate. Women also face a lack of equal opportunities compared to men in finding alternative employment in rural areas. The effects of natural disasters, such as the destruction of infrastructure, also disproportionately impact pregnant women in rural areas, contributing to the high rates of maternal mortality.

The root cause of these issues is the lack of land rights for women. Without ownership of the land they work on, women are not able to be active decision-makers and their labor remains invisible. This not only perpetuates their vulnerability to the effects of climate change, but also makes the current system unsustainable as women produce the majority of food.

It is imperative that advanced laws and legislation be put in place to give women rights over their land. This, along with governance support, could provide women with the necessary financial, humanitarian, and medical aid in times of disaster. We must also challenge cultural norms and prioritize equality, making women more visible and granting them full human rights. This, in turn, will lead to a more sustainable future.

Further Reading

UN Learning Centre course about Gender in Environment:https://unccelearn.org/course/view.php?id=39&page=overview

The vulnerability of women to climate change in coastal regions of Nigeria: a case of the IIaje community in Ondo state» By Adenike A. Akinsemolu and Obafemi A.P. Olukoya; 

Gender Equality and Sustainable Development: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nigerian Laws and Practices to Guarantee the Woman’s Human Rights» by Oluwakemi Odeyinde, Leccion of Amber Fletcher from Regina University,

CALL FOR PAPERS: World Sustainability Conference 2023

The Green Institute and the HeTa Food Research Centre of Excellence announce the 2023 World Sustainability Conference Call for Abstracts

Possible topics for submission include, but are not limited to:

• Education:

• Sustainable agriculture education in schools,

• lifelong learning for farmers and food producers

• innovative approaches to food and agriculture education

• Environment:

• Climate-smart agriculture practices,

• water conservation in food production,

• zero waste and circular systems in food systems

• Equity:

• Gender equality in agriculture and food systems,

• inclusive food systems for marginalized communities,

• land tenure and access to resources for smallholder farmers

• Energy:

• Renewable energy in food and water systems,

• energy-efficient food processing and distribution,

• decentralized energy systems for rural communities

• Economics:

• Sustainable and equitable value chains in food systems,

• community-based economic development through food systems,

• the economic impacts of food waste reduction

The deadline for abstract submission is April 28, 2023. Please visit our conference website for more information about the event.

For inquire email us at wsc@greeninstitute.ng

University of Pennsylvania Appoints Our President, Damilola Olawuyi as BOK Visiting International Professor

The Green Institute is proud to announce that our president, Professor Damilola Olawuyi, has been appointed as a BOK Visiting International Professor (VIP) at the University of Pennsylvania for the 2022/2023 academic year.

As a VIP, Professor Olawuyi will be mentoring students and providing valuable global perspectives on cutting-edge issues in international and comparative law. He will be teaching a course on "Energy Justice and Sustainable Development" and participating in university-wide events and activities related to these fields.

Professor Olawuyi is an internationally recognized expert in the field of law, with a particular focus on energy, environment, sustainable development, and business and human rights. He is the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Afe Babalola University and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He is also a leading voice in the field of international and comparative law, and we are thrilled to see him recognized by the University of Pennsylvania.

In his role as President of the Green Institute, Professor Olawuyi is dedicated to driving progress on environmental issues and promoting sustainable development. We are excited to see the impact he will have at the University of Pennsylvania and we look forward to his continued leadership at the Green Institute.

University of Birmingham announces Adenike Akinsemolu as a Vanguard Fellow

The Green Institute is excited to announce that our founder and director, Dr. Adenike Akinsemolu, has been named a Vanguard Fellow by the University of Birmingham. This prestigious fellowship recognizes Adenike's work as a leader and innovator in the field of sustainability and environmentalism, and we couldn't be more proud.

Adenike has been at the forefront of the sustainability movement for years, working to educate and engage people on environmental issues and promote sustainable development. From creating the Green Institute and training the next generation of sustainability leaders, to advocating for policies that protect the environment, Adenike has made a significant impact in the fight against climate change and other environmental challenges.

As a Vanguard Fellow, Adenike will be working with the University of Birmingham to continue her important work in the field of sustainability. She will be collaborating with researchers and students to address environmental challenges and drive progress on key issues, and sharing her knowledge and expertise through lectures and other public events.

We encourage you to learn more about Adenike's work and the Vanguard Fellowship by watching the video below. We are so proud of Adenike and all that she has achieved, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for her and the Green Institute.

The Green Institute 2023: The #OfficiallyGreen Message

The Green Institute has had a successful year in 2022, hosting the World Sustainability Conference, the World Environment Day Symposium, and several other conferences that brought together experts and advocates from around the globe. 

As we look to the future, we are excited to announce our focus for 2023: the #OfficiallyGreen campaign.

The #OfficiallyGreen campaign is all about inspiring people to take action for a more sustainable future. Whether it's picking up litter, reducing your carbon footprint, or advocating for policy change, every small action can make a big difference.

We want to make the #OfficiallyGreen campaign go viral, with people all around the world sharing their commitment to a sustainable future. On World Environment Day, we will be hosting special campaigns in cities around the world, with people taking pictures with their #OfficiallyGreen placards and sharing them on social media.

But the #OfficiallyGreen campaign isn't just about one day a year. We want to encourage people to make sustainable living a part of their everyday lives. That's why we will be providing resources and support throughout the year to help people take action in their own communities.

We are also excited to continue our research on climate crisis in coastal environments. These regions are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and we believe that it is crucial to understand and address these challenges in order to create a more sustainable future for all.

We hope you will join us in our mission to make the world #OfficiallyGreen. Whether you want to become an ambassador for the campaign, join our campus network, or simply take action in your community, we welcome your participation and support. Together, we can create a more sustainable future for all.

2022 was the year of drought

Denise Chow

Lakes and rivers in several countries shrank to extreme lows, and dry conditions threatened crops and fueled destructive wildfires across the globe.

It was a year characterized by extreme drought.

From North America to Africa to Europe to Asia, huge swaths of the planet were parched in 2022. Lakes and rivers in several countries shrank to extreme lows and dry conditions threatened crops and fueled destructive wildfires across the globe.

As the world warms, climate change will exacerbate drought conditions on the planet. Research has shown that global warming worsens drought by enhancing evaporation, depleting reservoirs and drying out soils and other vegetation.

Here’s what drought this year looked like on four of the hardest-hit continents.

Asia

The world’s largest continent provided a dire blueprint in 2022 of the consequences of drought and extreme heat in a warming world.

In March, an early heat wave gripped India and Pakistan, causing at least 90 deaths as temperatures in some spots soared as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit. The scorching conditions ignited forest fires in India and fueled the rapid melting of glaciers in northern Pakistan, which led to catastrophic flooding and even wiped out a bridge in the country’s Hunza Valley. A study released in May by the World Weather Attribution group found that the punishing heat in India and Pakistan was 30 times more likely due to climate change.

Dongshuimen Bridge in Chongqing, China, on July 17, 2018, left, and August 18, 2022.Imaginechina via AP Images; VCG via Getty Images

Over the summer, prolonged heat waves in China created severe drought conditions for many parts of the country. Sections of the Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia, reached record low levels in August, with some areas almost completely drying up. Some 400 million people in China depend on the Yangtze River for drinking water and to irrigate rice, wheat and other crops, according to the Nature Conservancy. The waterway is also a major source of hydropower for the country and plays a key role in shipping and global supply chain management.

In the country’s southwestern Sichuan province, the most extreme heat wave and drought in six decades caused water flow to the region’s hydropower reservoirs to plummet in late August, prompting the provincial government to warn of “particularly severe” power outages, the South China Morning Post reported. 

Poyang Lake in Jiangxi, China on Aug. 8, 2021 and Aug. 22, 2022.Planet Labs PBC

The following  month, September, officials in the central Chinese province of Jiangxi declared a water supply “red alert” for the first time as Poyang Lake’s water levels fell dramatically due to drought. The freshwater lake is the country’s largest and is normally a flood outlet for the Yangtze River.

Drought conditions gripped central China over the summer months, with the Jiangxi province experiencing 60% less precipitation from July to September compared to the same time last year, according to the Jiangxi Water Monitoring Center.

In Anhui province, which neighbors Jiangxi, water levels at 10 reservoirs fell below “dead pool” status, when the reservoir is so low that water cannot flow downstream from the dam.

Africa

The effects of extreme heat and drought were also dire for parts of Africa in 2022.

A woman waters goats from a shallow well dug into a dry riverbed at Eliye springs on the western shore of Lake Turkana in Kenya, on Sept. 28, 2022. Tony Karumba / AFP via Getty Images file

The Horn of Africa, which encompasses the easternmost part of the continent, experienced its longest drought in 40 years in 2022, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The region experienced drier than average conditions as it suffered through its fifth consecutive failed rainy season. Humanitarian organizations warned that the prolonged drought is exacerbating food insecurity issues for more than 50 million people in the region.

Parts of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia were among the hardest hit by drought this year. Guleid Artan, director of the WMO’s climate center for East Africa said in August that the three countries are “on the brink of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe” because of rainfall deficits and ongoing drought.

A woman carries a container of water during the water shortage in Nairobi, Kenya, on Jan. 11, 2022.Donwilson Odhiambo / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images file

The United Nations said severe drought and food shortages are likely to persist, which could lead to famine in parts of the Horn of Africa.

“Unfortunately, we have not yet seen the worst of this crisis,” Michael Dunford, the U.N. World Food Program’s regional director for eastern Africa, said in a Nov. 28 statement. “If you think 2022 is bad, beware of what is coming in 2023.”

In a report released in October, the United Nations and the Red Cross said certain regions of Africa and Asia will become uninhabitable within decades because of extreme heat. 

“The impacts would include large-scale suffering and loss of life, population movements and further entrenched inequality. These impacts are already emerging,” the organizations jointly wrote.

The carcass of an adult elephant, which died during the drought, at the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy in Samburu, Kenya, on Oct. 12, 2022Luis Tato / AFP via Getty Images file

Europe

Elsewhere in the world, conditions were similarly parched this past summer.

A preliminary report released in August by the European Commission found that Europe’s 2022 droughts were the worst in at least 500 years. Many regions were under drought since the beginning of the year, made worse by drier-than-usual conditions over the summer and a series of heat waves from June through October.

A boat moored on dry waters on the river Po in Ficarolo, Italy, on July 30, 2022. Nicola Ciancaglini / Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images file

In August, almost two-thirds of the European continent was under either drought warning or alert conditions, according to the report. Low rainfall over the summer months and persistent dry conditions added stress to summer crops in parts of Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and Hungary.

In Italy, rivers and lakes dried up over the summer. Large sections of the country’s longest river, the River Po, ran completely dry, forcing officials in July to declare a state of emergency in five northern regions. 

Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake, also shrank to near-historic lows over the summer. Water from the lake was diverted to local rivers to help farmers across the parched north of the country, leaving Lake Garda 12.6 inches above the water table, which approached the lowest levels recorded in 2003 and 2007.

Waterways elsewhere in Europe were similarly impacted by drought and extreme heat. In August, Serbia’s Danube River shrank to one of its lowest levels in almost a century. The Loire River in France also fell to historically low levels over the summer amid record drought in the country.

North America

Parts of North America, such as the western United States, remained in the grips of severe drought this year. Dry conditions fueled dangerous wildfires in Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon and Washington state. 

A study published in February in the journal Nature Climate Change found that ongoing “megadrought” conditions in the southwestern U.S., which have persisted for the past 22 years, are the worst since at least 800 A.D. 

Key reservoirs in the country shrank to alarming lows in 2022. In June, water levels at Lake Mead, which was created on the Colorado River on the Arizona-Nevada border, dropped to the lowest levels since the lake was filled in the 1930s. The historic low water levels carry enormous implications for water supply and the production of hydroelectric power for millions of people across Arizona, California, Nevada and parts of Mexico.

Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the U.S., was similarly affected by intense drought, with its water dropping to the lowest levels since it was filled in the mid-1960s, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory.

Water intake towers at the Hoover Dam in Las Vegas, on June 6, 1979, left, and on Aug. 19, 2022. Santi Visalli; Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Lake Mead’s declining water levels also had unexpected consequences: In May, two sets of human remains were discovered as a result of the reservoir’s receding shoreline.

EPA issues new rule to strengthen water protections in the U.S.

Lucas Thompson

Under the new definition of "waters of the United States," more wetlands, lakes and rivers will qualify as federally protected.

An airboat hovers over wetland in Everglades National Park, Fla., in September 2021.Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images file

The Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers on Friday announced a new definition of "waters of the United States," a classification that has been debated for decades.

At issue is which types of waterways  — wetlands, rivers, lakes, etc. — are protected under the Clean Water Act, which was signed into law 50 years ago. The act regulates water pollutants and empowers the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to define which particular bodies of water are protected by law. Protected bodies of water qualify for federal programs pertaining to oil spill prevention, water quality regulation and more.

During the Obama administration in 2015, the EPA established a relatively broad definition of waters of the United States, or WOTUS, that included navigable waters such as the Mississippi River and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, as well as rivers, lakes and wetlands that crossed state borders. But in 2020, the Trump administration limited the types of waterways that received the federal protections, excluding much of the country’s wetlands and smaller waterways.

The new definition announced this week instates similar protections to those that were in place before 2015, while also clarifying certain qualifications for protected waters. 

Like the 2015 rules, navigable waters, oceans, and interstate waterways are protected by default. Tributaries that flow into and affect larger bodies of water, as well as wetlands near protected waters and some additional lakes and ponds can also be protected. To qualify, such smaller waterways must meet a set of standards that focuses on their permanence and their interconnectedness with other bodies of water. These updated standards are, in part, a response to several Supreme Court decisions in cases that challenged past definitions of WOTUS over the last two decades.

In a news release, the EPA said the new rule is intended to "reduce uncertainty from changing regulatory definitions, protect people’s health, and support economic opportunity."

"What we are doing with this final rule is establishing a clear and reasonable definition of waters of the United States," Radhika Fox, the assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Water, told NBC News. 

She added, "We set water quality standards for lakes and streams all around the country, and that is what makes sure that if you’re eating out of that lake and if you’re swimming in that stream that it’s safe for you."

Historic biodiversity agreement reached at U.N. conference

Associated Press

"There has never been a conservation goal globally at this scale,“ said one observer.

Delegates applaud at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Dec. 19, 2022. Andrej Ivanov / AFP - Getty Images

Negotiators reached a historic deal at a United Nations biodiversity conference early Monday that would represent the most significant effort to protect the world’s lands and oceans and provide critical financing to save biodiversity in the developing world.

The global framework comes a day before the U.N. Biodiversity Conference, or COP15, is set to end in Montreal. China, which holds the presidency at this conference, released a new draft earlier in the day that gave the sometimes contentious talks much-needed momentum.

The most significant part of the agreement is a commitment to protect 30% of land and water considered important for biodiversity by 2030. Currently, 17% of terrestrial and 10% of marine areas are protected.

“There has never been a conservation goal globally at this scale,“ Brian O’Donnell, the director of the conservation group Campaign for Nature, told reporters. “This puts us within a chance of safeguarding biodiversity from collapse ... We’re now within the range that scientists think can make a marked difference in biodiversity.”

The draft also calls for raising $200 billion by 2030 for biodiversity from a range of sources and working to phase out or reform subsidies that could provide another $500 billion for nature. As part of the financing package, the framework calls for increasing to at least $20 billion annually by 2025 the money that goes to poor countries — or about double what is currently provided. That number would increase to $30 billion each year by 2030.

Some advocates wanted tougher language around subsidies that make food and fuel so cheap in many parts of the world. The document only calls for identifying subsidies by 2025 that can be reformed or phased out and working to reduce them by 2030.

Coral on Moore Reef off coast of Queensland, Australia on Nov. 13, 2022. Environmental leaders are gathering to provide much-needed protection for the world's biodiversity.Sam McNeil / AP

“The new text is a mixed bag,” Andrew Deutz, director of global policy, institutions and conservation finance for The Nature Conservancy, said. “It contains some strong signals on finance and biodiversity but it fails to advance beyond the targets of 10 years ago in terms of addressing drivers of biodiversity loss in productive sectors like agriculture, fisheries, and infrastructure and thus still risks being fully transformational.”

The ministers and government officials from about 190 countries have mostly agreed that protecting biodiversity has to be a priority, with many comparing those efforts to climate talks that wrapped up last month in Egypt.

Climate change coupled with habitat loss, pollution and development have hammered the world’s biodiversity, with one estimate in 2019 warning that a million plant and animal species face extinction within decades — a rate of loss 1,000 times greater than expected. Humans use about 50,000 wild species routinely, and 1 out of 5 people of the world’s 8 billion population depend on those species for food and income, the report said.

But they have struggled for nearly two weeks to agree on what that protection looks like and who will pay for it.

The financing has been among the most contentions issues, with delegates from 70 African, South American and Asian countries walking out of negotiations Wednesday. They returned several hours later.

Brazil, speaking for developing countries during the week, said in a statement that a new funding mechanism dedicated to biodiversity should be established and that developed countries provide $100 billion annually in financial grants to emerging economies until 2030.

“All the elements are in there for a balance of unhappiness which is the secret to achieving agreement in U.N. bodies,” Pierre du Plessis, a negotiator from Namibia who is helping coordinate the African group, told The Associated Press. “Everyone got a bit of what they wanted, not necessarily everything they wanted. Let’s see if there is there is a spirit of unity.”

Others praised the fact the document recognizes the rights of Indigenous communities. In past biodiversity documents, indigenous rights were often ignored and they rarely were part of the larger discussions other than a reference to their traditional knowledge. The framework would reaffirm the rights of Indigenous peoples and ensure they have a voice in any decision making.

“It’s important for the rights of Indigenous peoples to be there, and while it’s not the exact wording of that proposal in the beginning, we feel that it is a good compromise and that it addresses the concerns that we have,” Jennifer Corpuz, a representative of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity said. “We believe that it’s a good basis for us to be able to implement policy at the national level.”