Amazon ramps up UK electric fleet with rail and cart deliveries

Amazon is expanding its eco-friendly delivery network in the UK with the purchase of over 140 electric trucks, an increase in rail freight and the use of post-style delivery carts in cities.

Sarah Butler reports for The Guardian.

In short:

Amazon has ordered 148 electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from Mercedes-Benz and Volvo as part of its plan to decarbonize UK operations by 2040.
The company will also use electric trains on the west coast mainline to transport up to 20 million products annually.
New delivery carts will reduce van usage in London, with pilot programs already running in Hackney, Westminster and Islington.

Key quote:

"Decarbonising our transport network is key in helping us achieve our goal to reach net zero carbon emissions across our operations by 2040."

— Nicola Fyfe, European vice president of Amazon Logistics

Why this matters:

Heavy freight transport is a significant source of carbon emissions, and Amazon’s investment in electric trucks and rail could set a precedent for other logistics companies. However, insufficient charging infrastructure and high costs remain hurdles to widespread adoption.

www.theguardian.com

Heavy ice build up on a truck during an ice storm

Credit: Montegari Photography/BigStock Photo ID: 4268515

A winter storm fueled by global warming tests U.S. disaster response

A sprawling winter storm that left hundreds of thousands without power, grounded thousands of flights and disrupted travel across the eastern half of the U.S. could be the first real test of the second Trump administration’s Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Read the Full Article on

insideclimatenews.org

$Aerial view of Marcellus Shale fracking well in Pennsylvania$

Copyright: shutterrudder/BigStock Photo ID: 53059774

Despite limited interest in drilling on federal land, US Forest Service ‘streamlines’ oil and gas leasing rules

The U.S. Forest Service announced revisions to its oil and gas leasing rules today that the agency promises “modernizes and streamlines” the permitting process to drill for fossil fuels in the nation’s forests and grasslands.

Read the Full Article on

insideclimatenews.org

Amazon ramps up UK electric fleet with rail and cart deliveries

'Doomsday Clock' advances to 85 seconds till midnight

US withdrawal from Paris Agreement comes into effect

Trump’s biggest climate rollback stalls over fears it will lose in court

A winter storm fueled by global warming tests U.S. disaster response

What Americans lose if their National Center for Atmospheric Research is dismantled

Despite limited interest in drilling on federal land, US Forest Service ‘streamlines’ oil and gas leasing rules

Trump admin clips EPA oversight amid deregulatory blitz

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.