ecology
Newsletter
Credit: blackboard1965/Big Stock Photo
Arthur Neslen: EU retreats from environmental commitments amid far-right pressure
The EU has been backpedaling on its environmental promises, yielding to agribusiness and far-right demands, risking future ecological stability.
In short:
- The EU has scrapped initiatives aimed at reducing pesticide usage, protecting nature, and curbing toxic chemicals due to external pressures.
- This rollback is partly in response to fears of a far-right surge in upcoming elections, despite potential long-term environmental consequences.
- The EU's deforestation law, a critical part of its green agenda, faces threats of dilution, raising concerns about global forest conservation.
Key quote:
“Von der Leyen risks obliterating her last remaining achievement on land use over the last five years. There is already almost nothing left of the green deal.”
— Julia Christian of the forest conservation group Fern
Why this matters:
The recent electoral successes of right-wing parties are expected to influence the European Union's political priorities and policy initiatives, with potential shifts toward more conservative positions on issues like environmental policies.
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Newsletter
Credit: Jonathan Weiss/Big Stock Photo
West Coast embraces electric big trucks, leading by example
Titan Freight Systems is making a significant shift to electric trucks on the West Coast, showcasing both environmental and economic benefits.
In short:
- Titan Freight Systems in Portland, Oregon, transitions its fleet from diesel to electric, tapping into federal and state subsidies to offset costs.
- Electrification of Titan's fleet is deemed profitable, with savings on maintenance and fuel costs leading to substantial financial benefits.
- The move towards electric trucks is part of a larger effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution, with heavy-duty trucks being a primary focus due to their significant environmental impact.
Key quote:
"Look at my return on investment. Holy cow! It’s a 52 per cent cost reduction versus a diesel vehicle. That just takes your breath away."
— Keith Wilson, owner of Titan Freight Systems.
Why this matters:
Switching to electric trucks is not just an environmental imperative but also an increasingly viable economic choice. This shift is crucial for reducing emissions and pollution from one of the most significant contributors: the transportation sector. Titan's successful transition serves as a model for others, signaling a pivotal change in how goods are transported, aligning economic incentives with ecological sustainability.
Diesel trucks are causing environmental injustice across US cities.
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Image by Michael Kleinsasser from Pixabay
Scientists are pining to save the endangered whitebark tree
The balance of an ecosystem hangs on the survival of a scraggly mountain tree. In northwest B.C., ecologists are facing climate change, droughts and wildfires as they work to protect whitebark pine and the species that rely on it.
Spring Alaska Schreiner is championing traditional ecological knowledge
At Sakari Farms, Spring Alaska Schreiner maintains a seed bank, has launched a community kitchen, and teaches Native American youth traditional ecological knowledge.
Big Stock Photo
The sound ecologist capturing a disappearing world: ‘70% of habitats I recorded are gone’
Bernie Krause has been recording sounds from the natural world for 55 years. A new San Francisco exhibition of his work offers a moving plea for the environment.
Threatened red knots land along Delaware Bay
The annual red knot arrival is underway as federal regulators have unveiled a plan to protect nearly 700,000 acres in New Jersey, Delaware, and 11 other states.
Photo by Andrew Coates on Unsplash
Finland drained its peatlands. He’s helping bring them back
Tero Mustonen has led a successful effort to restore roughly 80 areas of ecologically critical peatlands across his native Finland. In an interview, he talks about the importance of bringing Indigenous knowledge to rewilding initiatives in far northern regions and beyond.
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