Stark climate choice in US election

Happy Sunday!

For anyone with us for the first time, welcome to Voyage Green News! We provide a weekly dose of news and inspiration for a sustainable life. 💚 

♻️ This week’s sustainability news

Winner of US election to impact extent of climate action

What’s happening: The US election is now less than ten days away on November 5. Early voting is well under way in most states that allow it. The two candidates for president represent two very different approaches to climate change. On the one hand, Democratic nominee for president Vice President Kamala Harris has called climate change an “existential threat”. On the other hand, Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump has previously called climate change a “hoax”.

The choice between the two candidates: Here are five key ways the Harris or Trump administration could affect our lives if they have the opportunity to implement their climate and environmental policies.

1. Energy mix: Trump’s motto is ‘Drill, baby, drill’, and he reportedly demanded $1 billion from the fossil fuel industry at a fundraiser in return for gutting environmental regulations. Harris meanwhile has reversed her stance on banning fracking but will continue the Biden administration’s focus on providing incentives for the production and use of clean energy via the Inflation Reduction Act (which Trump would rescind).

2. Natural disasters: Under the Stafford Act, which controls how the federal government responds to disasters, the president can send help to areas affected by big events like hurricanes, floods, or fires. In September, Trump said that he might only give disaster aid to places that support him politically if he becomes president again. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also currently provides a home insurance program for people in flood prone areas who can’t be insured by the private market. Project 2025, the 900-page blueprint that will likely form the basis of Trump’s administration, wants to wind down the program completely and leave it to the private market.

3. Transport: The offical 2024 Republican platform calls for electric vehicle mandates to be rolled back and is light on any other transport policy details. Harris is dedicated to pushing forward the Biden administration's infrastructure plan, which involves spending billions to encourage the use of electric vehicles, making them in the US, and installing 500,000 charging stations by 2030. It also aims to improve public transportation by making buses electric, upgrading passenger trains, and expanding mass transit systems.

4. Plastic pollution: The United Nations is hammering out a global plastics treaty, due by the end of the year. The Biden administration announced their support to limit plastics production as part of the treaty, which Harris is expected to support too. Trump meanwhile hasn’t mentioned the treaty specifically but has in the past promoted the use of plastic straws, supports the fossil fuel industry, and takes a dim view of the US joining global treaties.

5. Clean water: In his first term, the Trump administration repealed the Clean Water Rule. This important rule restricted how much pollution companies could release near streams, wetlands, and other water sources used by the public. While in office, Trump helped create a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Last year, this led to a decision that greatly reduced the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to control pollution in some wetlands, causing the agency to relax its own clean water rules. A Harris administration is most likely to continue the efforts of the Biden administration to protect drinking water from harmful substances. For instance, in April, the EPA introduced the first national rule to shield about 100 million people from synthetic chemicals known as PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals’.

Why it’s important: The next US administration will play a key role in the country's progress on important climate goals. By 2030, a year after the next president's term ends, the US aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 52 percent compared to 2005 levels and plans to produce up to 13 million electric vehicles each year. Looking further ahead, the country also aims to have all electricity be carbon-free by 2035 and to have a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.

The impacts of the administration won’t be felt just in the US. Their influence and support will affect the success of global efforts to develop effective policies and technology to successfully transition to a clean energy economy. Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement in his first term and has promised he would do so again if president for a second term. The Biden administration rejoined the Paris Agreement and has funded billions of dollars to tackle climate change globally.

📖 Read the full article from Grist for more details and other ways we could be impacted: The climate stakes of the Harris-Trump election

Levy on Europe’s frequent flyers could cut emissions

What’s happening: A report shared with the Guardian found that a ‘jet-setter’ tax on frequent flyers in Europe could help reduce global warming and generate €64 billion ($69 billion USD) a year, without costing most people anything extra. According to a study by the New Economics Foundation and other groups, carbon emissions from planes could drop by 21% if people had to pay more for each additional flight after their first round trip. More than half of the reduction would come from the 5% of people who fly the most. Meanwhile, 72% of people would not have to pay extra fees because they fly only once or not at all.

Why it’s happening: The report is the first to look into how a frequent-flyer tax might be implemented in Europe. Researchers from CE Delft studied the impact of a new flight tax and found that it could lead to 26% fewer passengers and 21% less emissions by 2028 compared to if no changes were made. The levy would begin at zero for the first round-trip flight in a year and increase by €100 for each additional round-trip. There would be extra charges for longer flights and first-class tickets.

Why it’s important: Air travel emissions are increasing, but flights still receive a lot of financial support in Europe. Jet fuel doesn't have fuel taxes, plane tickets often don't include a consumption tax, and many flight emissions aren't included in the EU's emissions trading system, which charges for pollution that contributes to global warming. The report suggested that a levy across the EU would be a good way to address the increasing pollution from the sector. However, all member countries would need to agree, which is difficult for tax issues. It also mentioned that individual countries or small groups could start this process, but did not discuss which countries might do this or how it could affect the market.

📖 Read the full article: Tax on Europe’s frequent flyers could raise €64bn a year – study

🌐 Travel to Mexico

Explore stunning natural swimming holes

The magical Cenotes Santa Barbara: This natural water park boasts four different cenotes and is a great day trip from Mérida in Yucatán. See its natural beauty and learn our tips from travelling there in our article.

😇 People doing great things

Researchers develop a way to ‘clean the air’ of CO₂

Groundbreaking performance: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says we need to take greenhouse gases out of the air to stop carbon dioxide (CO₂) from increasing. They have stressed that capturing carbon has an important part to play in reducing global warming. With improvements in carbon sequestration and big shifts towards renewable energy, we're making progress worldwide. However, it's still not happening quickly enough. According to scientists at the University of California Berkeley, today's carbon capture technologies are effective mainly for concentrated sources of carbon, such as power plant emissions. They say we need new ideas to effectively capture CO₂ from the air around us, where levels are lower and more difficult to collect. Their new research, published in Nature, introduces a new material that could help remove CO₂ from the air around us. A bright yellow powder that looks like turmeric, it's called a ‘covalent organic framework’ and is made from a porous substance that captures carbon dioxide from the air around us. The scientists say that only 200 grams of this material can absorb up to 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of carbon in a year, about the same amount a tree can absorb. Omar Yaghi, a chemistry professor and senior author of the research, has been developing the material with colleagues for the last 20 years. The new material can be easily added to existing systems that capture CO₂ from refinery emissions or remove carbon from the air to store it underground.

⭐️ Weekly inspiration

New ‘bioplastic’ degrades faster than paper in water

Could replace styrofoam and single-use plastics: A new type of cellulose diacetate (CDA), a polymer made from wood pulp, has been discovered to break down the quickest among bioplastics tested in sea water, according to a new study by scientists at the Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution published in ACS Publications.

European medical schools to train on climate change

Aims to train 10,000 doctors in the next three years: Twenty-five medical schools from 12 European countries have started a network to teach students about health problems caused by climate change, with just extreme heat leading to over 47,000 deaths in Europe last year.

India’s renewable energy accounts for 46.3% of power

Exceeded 200 gigawatts this month: A variety of renewable energy resources are being used across the country, with solar power leading the way at 90.76 GW, wind power following closely with 47.36 GW, and hydroelectric power the other key contributor with large hydro projects generating 46.92 GW, according to NDTV Profit.

Australia has more capacity in rooftop solar than coal

More than one in three homes across the country: Generate their own power with rooftop solar panels, generating 24.6TWh over the last year of data to contribute 11.6% of electricity, which is nearly as much as wind farms, more than large-scale solar farms or hydro plants, and twice as much as gas-fired power.

Rwanda’s endangered mountain gorillas surging back

Once on the brink of extinction: In the 1980s, there were less than 300 mountain gorillas in Rwanda's Virunga mountains but there are now more than 600 largely because of the collaboration between public and private sector actors such as the Rwanda Development Board and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

H&M to halt sale of all virgin down by 2025

Already uses 90% post-consumer down in its products: The company is committed to transitioning to using only synthetic or recycled down from used products for its jackets and home goods, which comes after pressure from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) who call it a “lifesaving win for ducks and geese”.

Biggest area for oil demand to peak in 2027

Due to the rise of electric vehicles (EVs): EVs are already replacing about 1.8 million barrels of oil each day, similar to what Mexico uses, and this number is expected to double by 2027 and triple by 2029, leading to a peak in oil use for road transportation in three years, according to BloombergNEF’s Road Fuel Outlook.

Thanks for reading! 😄 

Don’t be shy! Hit reply to this email if there’s anything you want to share. We love to read what’s on our readers’ minds and respond to everyone.

We’ll be in your inbox again next Sunday. Until then, we hope to see you around on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok. 💚