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Energy storage in New York isn’t easy

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The state of New York has the ambitious goal of having 70% of its electricity come from renewable sources in 2030 and a 100% zero-emission electric grid by 2040.  Meeting these goals is becoming increasingly unlikely as the state faces multiple challenges including local opposition to projects, rising inflation, and the termination of offshore wind projects.

Solar and wind power are key elements of New York’s renewable plans, and both require battery energy storage so that excess energy can be saved when there is plentiful sun and wind so that there will be power available when nature hasn’t cooperated.

There are now over 6,000 battery storage projects in the state, mostly relatively small in magnitude.  Currently, the state has a storage capacity of about 445 megawatts, enough to power roughly 300,000-400,000 homes.  The state has a goal of having 6 gigawatts of storage by 2030, more than a dozen times more than exists today.

Most of New York’s electricity demand is downstate, in and below the Hudson Valley.  Real estate is limited and expensive and there is lots of opposition to big energy projects in the region. 

However, installing the actual battery systems themselves can be one of the easier parts of the process.  Obtaining permits from state and local authorities, buying or leasing land, negotiating with grid operators, completing environmental reviews, overcoming local opposition, and especially, connecting to the electric grid, are all challenging and very time consuming.

Meeting the state’s energy storage goals is not easy.

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Figuring Out a Battery Storage System to Fit New York’s Wind and Solar Ambitions Has Not Been Easy

Photo courtesy of NineDot Energy.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The demise of American offshore wind

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Europe has 37 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity. China is catching up rapidly.  Across the globe, offshore wind is an increasingly important source of clean, renewable power.  The United States had previously set ambitious goals to join the international effort.  But in the aftermath of the 2024 election, offshore wind in the US is basically dead in the water, pun intended.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced at the end of July that it is rescinding all designated Wind Energy Areas on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, effectively ending all offshore wind development across the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Maine, the New York Bight, California, Oregon, and the Central Atlantic.  Additional policy measures announced by the Department of the Interior ended special treatment for what it called “unreliable energy sources, such as wind.” 

The two significant offshore wind projects underway in the US are both under serious attack by the administration and by newly emboldened special interests.  Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts, with 17 turbines already in operation, is under assault by tourist town forces and fishing groups.  Empire Wind, in New York, which resumed construction after efforts by Governor Kathy Hochul, is under pressure by various special interest groups that are urging President Trump to halt the project.

The current administration has very public and very pronounced antipathy towards wind power in general and towards offshore wind in particular.  And this has brought to a rapid halt billions of dollars in investments and will eliminate tens of thousands of jobs.

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US offshore wind, long ‘dead,’ now really dead

Photo, posted September 15, 2016, courtesy of Lars Plougmann via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

New nuclear power for New York

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Nuclear power has been around since the 1950s, but it has fallen out of favor in recent decades, in part due to a couple of traumatic disasters at nuclear power plants.  In fact, only two new nuclear power plants have been built in the US in the past 30 years, and they took a very long time and an enormous amount of money to build.

However, in recent times there has been a great deal of developmental work on nuclear power.  Such newer technologies as small modular reactors, molten salt reactors, light water reactors, and more hold promise for safer, less expensive, and higher performance nuclear power.

In late June, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she has instructed the New York Power Authority to develop and construct a zero-emission advanced nuclear power plant in Upstate New York.  The plant is to produce 1 GW of power, about half of what the decommissioned Indian Point Power Plant produced when it provided significant amounts of power to New York City residents.

Renewed interest in nuclear power has emerged in part because of the soaring electricity demand from AI data centers.  Companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have all begun investing in nuclear power for this reason.

NYPA is instructed to begin evaluating technologies, business models, and locations for the new power plant and will seek to secure key partnerships needed for the project.  As things stand, it is not known what technology the plant will use, where in Upstate New York it will be located, how much it will cost to build, who will pay for it, and how long it will take to build. 

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New York Again Embraces Nuclear Power With Plans to Build New Plant

Photo courtesy of Constellation Energy.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The cicadas are coming

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After hiding underground for the last 17 years, billions of cicadas are taking to the skies this summer.  This batch of insects, known as Brood XIV, will cover more of the U.S. than any other 17-year brood.  New York and at least 13 other states – Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and parts of Indiana are being serenaded by the sound of cicadas in May and June.

There are 15 broods of periodical cicadas that emerge every 13 or 17 years.  They come out when soil temperatures reach 64 degrees.  Around the world there are annual cicadas while periodical cicadas can only be found in the eastern United States.

Once the insects emerge, they will issue their noisy, chirping mating calls for just a few weeks before they lay eggs and die.  The offspring from the eggs will burrow underground and remain dormant or in the nymph stage feeding on tree roots for another 17 years.  Surfacing in vast numbers is a way to overwhelm predators and ensure that at least some cicadas survive to reproduce. 

The emergence of these insects provides a bounty of food to squirrels, lizards, birds, and other creatures.  A study found that once cicadas emerge, the population of cuckoos, blue jays, and red-bellied woodpeckers grows.

As the climate changes, the timing of cicada cycles may also change.  Warmer weather will lead to cicadas emerging earlier in the year.  Eventually, even the time they spend underground may shorten.

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After 17 Years Underground, Massive Cicada Brood to Swarm U.S.

Photo, posted July 16, 2017, courtesy of Renee Grayson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Empire Wind resumes

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In April, the Trump Administration issued a stop order for the Empire Wind offshore wind project in New York, pushing the $5 billion project to the brink of collapse.  The project is being built by the giant Norwegian energy company Equinor.  When completed, the wind farm is expected to deliver enough electricity to power 500,000 New York homes.

Equinor had obtained all the necessary permits for the project after a four-year federal environmental review and work had begun on laying foundations for the wind turbines on the ocean floor. 

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum claimed that the permits for the project been rushed and ordered the work stopped.  The stoppage was costing Equinor $50 million a week as well as jeopardizing an additional 1,000 jobs. 

Weeks of intensive interactions between New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Equinor officials, and the White House finally resulted in a decision by the administration to lift the stop work order and allow the project to move forward. 

The collapse of the project would have created major problems for New York.  The state’s grid operators have been counting on the construction of several new offshore wind farms to provide large additional amounts of electricity without producing greenhouse gas emissions.  New York has aggressive targets for using renewable energy.

Empire Wind is expected to have 816 megawatts of capacity.  Another offshore project in New York, Sunrise Wind, which is under construction 30 miles east of Montauk Point on Long Island, would have 924 megawatts of capacity.

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In Reversal, Trump Officials Will Allow Huge Offshore N.Y. Wind Farm to Proceed

Photo, posted August 9, 2022, courtesy of the Scottish Government via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Clean energy in New York

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The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority – NYSERDA – recently issued a report on clean energy progress in the state during 2024.  The report highlighted continued and increased growth in heat pumps, electric vehicles, and solar energy.

Heat pumps, which provide both heating and cooling, have outsold gas furnaces countrywide for three straight years.  Air source heat pumps outsold gas furnaces by 37%.  This does not include ground source heat pumps, also known as geothermal heat pumps. New York offers Clean Heat rebates to offset the cost of installing heat pumps.

2024 was a good year for electric vehicles in New York with 90,221 new registrations.  More than 60 car models are eligible for New York’s Drive Clean state rebates.

New York achieved its Climate Act goal of having 6,000 MW of distributed solar power in October.  The state is expected to have more than 10,000 MW of distributed solar by 2030.

Nationwide, solar energy represented 64% of all the new electricity generation capacity installed in 2024, up from 55.5% in 2023.  Utility-scale solar generation in the lower 48 states was 36% higher in the summer of 2024 than in summer 2023.

NYSERDA’s report points out that converting to clean energy technologies can bring multiple benefits that include energy efficiency, cost savings, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

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Heat Pumps, Electric Vehicles, and Solar Scale Up Through 2024

Photo, posted April 6, 2017, courtesy of Stephen Yang / The Solutions Project via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Empire Wind moves forward

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Empire Wind 1, the first offshore wind project that will connect to the New York City grid, has received the financing needed to move forward.  Equinor, the Norwegian state-owned multinational energy company developing the project, closed on a more than $3 billion financing package.

The wind farm will span 80,000 acres in an area 15-30 miles southeast of Long Island.  When completed, it will have a capacity of 810 megawatts.  Equinor has executed a Purchase and Sale Agreement with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to purchase power from Empire Wind 1 for 25 years at a strike price of $155/MWh. The operations and maintenance hub for Empire Wind 1 will be at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.  Commercial operation is expected by 2027.

The previously-planned Empire Wind 2 project was terminated a year ago because of inflation, interest rates, and supply chain disruptions.  More broadly, the U.S. offshore wind industry has been struggling for the past year. 

With the return of President Donald Trump to the White House, there is much greater uncertainty facing the industry.  As a result of the election, Attentive Energy, a planned 3-gigawatt wind project off the coasts of New York and New Jersey has been put on pause.  Trump’s public disdain for offshore wind energy is likely to create a major slowdown in the growth of the offshore wind pipeline.  On the other hand, the new administration is less likely to have much influence on projects already in progress including 4 gigawatts under active construction and more than 50 gigawatts in other stages of development.

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Empire Wind 1 secures $3B+ financing package, enters ‘full execution mode’

Photo, posted May 2, 2022, courtesy of California Energy Commission via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Climate risks for apple-growing areas

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The changing climate is creating challenges for some of the most productive apple growing regions in America.  A study by Washington State University analyzed over 40 years of climate conditions that impact the growth cycle of apple trees.

Many growing areas face increased climate risk, but the top three apple-producing counties are among the most impacted.  Yakima County in Washington is the country’s largest apple producer with more than 48,000 acres of apple orchards.  Kent County in Michigan and Wayne County in New York (located east of Rochester) are the next two largest.

The study looked at six metrics that affect apple production.  Two of these metrics relate to extremes:  extreme heat days (with temperatures above 93 degrees) that can cause multiple problems and warm nights (with minimum temperatures above 59 degrees) that adversely affect coloration.

Other metrics included the number of cold days, the last day of spring frost, and the number of growing degree days, which are the number of days above a certain temperature that are conducive for apples to grow.

Changes to these metrics can impact apple production, change the time when apple flowers bloom, increase risk of sunburn on apples, and affect apple appearance and quality.  In many places, nearly all of these metrics are changing in an undesirable direction.

Apples are the most consumed fruit in the United States.  27,000 American producers supply an industry with a downstream value of $23 billion.  Apples are a big deal.

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Prime apple-growing areas in US face increasing climate risks

Photo, posted August 8, 2020, courtesy of Sue Thompson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Dangers of distant fires

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Smoke from wildfires is well known to exacerbate health problems like heart disease, lung conditions, and asthma.  People living in the vicinity of where fires occur face these dangers.  But a new study at the University of Maryland has found that there are health impacts from wildfires occurring thousands of miles away.

During the summer of 2023, massive Canadian wildfires created a vast plume of smoke that drifted more than 2,000 miles across the country resulting in poor air quality across the entire East Coast of the U.S. 

Baltimore had very dark skies over a six-day period in June 2023, sending many individuals to doctors’ offices complaining of breathing issues.  University of Maryland researchers found that medical visits for heart and lung problems rose by nearly 20% during that period.

Using satellite and EPA data combined with electronic health records, the researchers found increased likelihood of patients going to the doctor for complications related to cardiopulmonary conditions during the days with the most smoke in the air.  They found a 55% increase in the risk for an outpatient visit for heart and lung conditions and these additional patients tended to be older, non-smokers, and more socio-economically affluent than the typical patients who see their doctors for such conditions when the air quality is good.

With more climate-related events likely to occur in the future, doctors may require better tools to help disadvantaged patients on so-called hotspot days when conditions are most dangerous.  Increasingly common wildfires are a particular danger to people even when those fires are far away from where they live.

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Exposure to Remote Wildfire Smoke Drifting Across the U.S. Linked to Increased Medical Visits for Heart and Lung Problems

Photo, posted June 8, 2023, courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Neighborhood geothermal energy

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Residential geothermal energy makes use of the constant, year-round temperature of the earth below the surface to efficiently provide both heating and cooling for a home.  In the summer, the cool earth beneath a house sits at about 55 degrees and can be tapped into with a heat pump to provide cooling.  In the winter, that 55-degree underground expanse provides a much warmer source of air to heat instead of the often freezing-cold air outside.  Geothermal systems are appealing because they use far less energy than other sources of heating and cooling.

Using geothermal energy to heat and cool buildings is nothing new.  But after years of planning and months of drilling into the ground, the first neighborhood-scale geothermal heating and cooling project has come online in Framingham, Massachusetts.

The project ties together 31 residential and five commercial buildings that share the underground infrastructure needed to heat and cool them.  This sort of shared geothermal system has previously been used on college campuses and similar places, but never before across a neighborhood in the United States.

The $14 million project, built by Eversource, broke ground in June 2023, and comprises 90 boreholes or wells drilled 600-700 feet underground. Approximately 135 customers are connected to the system, including low- and moderate-income customers, apartment buildings, a gas station, and a kitchen cabinet showroom.

A total of 13 states, including Massachusetts and New York, are considering pilot projects or advancing legislation that would allow gas utilities to develop networked geothermal heating and cooling.

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First-in-the-Nation Geothermal Heating and Cooling System Comes to Massachusetts

Photo, posted September 30, 2019, courtesy of Stephen D. Strowes via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Artificial plants to clean indoor air

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The average American spends about 90% of their time indoors breathing the air in our workplaces, homes, or schools.  The quality of this air affects our overall health and well- being.  Indoor air quality is an issue because many sources can generate toxic materials, including building materials, carpets, and more.  But high levels of carbon dioxide are a health hazard themselves. Indoor CO2 levels can often be 5 to 10 times higher than the already heightened levels in the atmosphere. 

Many of us make use of air purification systems, which can be expensive, cumbersome, and require frequent cleaning and filter replacements.

Researchers at Binghamton University in New York are working to develop artificial plants that consume carbon dioxide, give off oxygen, and, as a bonus, generate a little electricity. These artificial plants make use of the artificial light in the indoor environment to drive photosynthesis.  They achieve a 90% reduction in carbon dioxide levels, which is far more than natural plants can achieve.

The Binghamton researchers had been working on bacteria-powered biobatteries for various applications, but they repurposed the work into a new idea for artificial plants.  The artificial plants have “leaves” containing a biological solar cell and photosynthetic bacteria.  Their first plant had five leaves and demonstrated promising carbon dioxide capture rates and oxygen generation.  It also produced a little electricity.  If its generating capacity can be improved, it might also be useful for charging cell phones or other practical applications.

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Binghamton researchers develop artificial plants that purify indoor air, generate electricity

Photo, posted October 13, 2012, courtesy of F. D. Richards via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Where do states get their electricity?

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How the United States produces its electricity has changed dramatically over the past few decades.  Coal used to be the dominant source of power in this country, but natural gas surpassed it in 2016, and coal’s share has been shrinking ever since.  Fossil fuel still generates the majority of America’s electricity, but renewable power is increasing its contribution all the time.

On a state-by-state basis, there are very large variations in the mix of power sources.  Ten states still get their largest amount of power from coal, but this is down from 32 states in 2001.  Four states have hydroelectric power as their largest source, including Vermont which gets more than half of its power that way. 

Texas produces more electricity than any other state by a wide margin.  It’s not just because it has a large population. It is because it uses huge amounts of power to refine petroleum products.  Coal produces only 13% of Texas’ electricity and the state is by far the country’s largest producer of wind power.

New York gets nearly half of its power from natural gas, 21% from hydroelectric power, and 21% from nuclear power.  Wind and solar power are still small, but both are growing in the state.

When people try to assess the climate impact of driving electric cars, based on the origins of the electricity they use to power the car, the results can vary dramatically based on what state they live in.  Nationwide, electricity is getting cleaner and greener, but the process is by no means uniform across the country.

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How Does Your State Make Electricity?

Photo, posted March 17, 2021, courtesy of Bureau of Reclamation via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A dangerous invasive species

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Weeds are the bane of every gardener’s existence.  They pop up, uncontrolled and unwelcome, and must be tediously managed time and time again.  But in some cases, weeds are more than just a nuisance.  Some are a public health hazard. 

Meet giant hogweed.  Native to Europe’s Caucasus Mountains, giant hogweed belongs to the carrot family. The plant resembles Queen Anne’s Lace – on steroids. Giant hogweed can grow up to 15 feet tall with three inch stems, five-foot-wide leaves, and an umbrella-like canopy of white flowers.

Botanists brought giant hogweed to England as an ornamental plant in the 1890s.  It made its way to the U.S. via horticultural channels.  In fact, one of the first specimens was planted in a Victorian garden near Rochester, NY.  

As with most invasive plants, it quietly escaped cultivation. In the U.S., giant hogweed can be found in New England, the Mid-Atlantic Region, and the Northwest, with plants preferring moist habitat near roadside ditches and stream banks.   

While a seemingly innocent flowering plant, giant hogweed is actually one of the most hazardous plants in the U.S.  Brushing against or breaking the plant releases sap that, when combined with sunlight and moisture, can cause severe burn-like lesions, blistering sores, and purplish or blackened scars.  Getting sap in your eyes can result in temporary or even permanent blindness.

With each plant dropping up to 120,000 seeds, it’s no surprise that giant hogweed is proving difficult to eradicate.

If you suspect giant hogweed is growing near you, photograph the plant from a safe distance and report the sighting to local environmental authorities. 

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Plant Pest Risk Assessment for Giant Hogweed

Giant Hogweed

Photo, posted March 22, 2021, courtesy of Scottish Invasive Species Initiative via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The hottest day on record

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There have been numerous temperature records set in recent years.  Apart from record high temperatures for many places around the world, there were 13 consecutive monthly temperature records set for the planet since the previous summer.

According to NASA data, July 22, 2024, was the hottest day on record.  July 21st and 23rd also exceeded the previous daily record, which was set in July last year.  The new record was 17.16 degrees Celsius, or about 63 degrees Fahrenheit.

We are not used to thinking in terms of the global average temperature.  That is the number that keeps climbing and that climate goals seek to keep from getting too high.  The global average temperature is about 59 degrees Fahrenheit.  So, on July 22nd, the Earth was about 4 degrees warmer than usual.  That may not seem like much, but it takes an enormous amount of energy to raise the temperature of the planet by that amount.

The NASA report shows the global daily temperature throughout the year for the years 1980 to 2024.  It clearly shows how much warmer temperatures are now compared with the previous decades.

In many places, people experienced persistent hot weather during the month of July. New York’s Capital Region saw relentless hot and humid weather.  There were 9 days with high temperatures in the 90s.   July in Albany had a monthly mean temperature of 77.3 degrees, which was the highest in any current resident’s lifetime.  This is more than 4 degrees higher than the average over the past 30 years.  The last time the average temperature was over 77 was in 1887.  July was hot.

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NASA Data Shows July 22 Was Earth’s Hottest Day on Record

Photo, posted October 22, 2016, courtesy of Susanne Nilsson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Enforcing the Green Amendment

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 In November 2021, 70% of New Yorkers voted to include environmental rights in the Bill of Rights of the New York State Constitution.  The amendment recognizes and protects the rights of all New Yorkers to clean water and air and a healthful environment.  It places these rights on the same constitutional level as other enshrined freedoms, such as the right to freely speak and the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Since its passage, the Green Amendment has been at the center of controversy over how or even whether it is enforced.  The state has taken the position that the amendment does not empower citizens to dictate the actions of agencies like the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

A lawsuit filed in 2022 by residents who live near the High Acres Landfill in Monroe County demanding environmental cleanup resulted in a ruling that complying with the Constitution is not optional for a state agency.  That ruling was appealed, and the case is currently before an appeals court.

A similar lawsuit is now going on against the state’s largest landfill in Seneca Falls.  Once again, the position taken by the state Attorney General is that the Green Amendment does not alter the DEC’s enforcement discretion as to whether to force the landfill operators to take action.

Environmental activists have been staging protests at the state Capital, urging the governor, the state attorney general, and the DEC to shift their approach to applying the Green Amendment.  Until this issue is resolved in the courts, it is unclear whether this amendment, put in place by 70% of voters, will actually protect the citizens of New York and its environment.

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New York’s Green Amendment Guarantees the Right to a ‘Healthful Environment.’ Activists Want the State to Enforce It

Photo, posted April 22, 2023, courtesy of Pedrik via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Sunrise Wind construction begins

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In mid-July, construction started on New York’s largest offshore wind project.  Sunrise Wind is a 924-megawatt offshore wind farm located about 30 miles off the coast of Montauk Point on Long Island.  Sunrise Wind is expected to be operating in 2026 and will provide enough clean energy to power nearly 600,000 homes, making it the largest offshore wind farm in the United States.

The ongoing construction project will support more than 800 direct jobs.  It will be built under project labor agreements ensuring local union labor’s participation in all phases of construction.

Power from the wind farm will flow through an undersea cable coming ashore deep under the beach at Smith Point County Park.  From there, the power will travel primarily under roadways via a transmission line terminating at a power converter station in Holbrook, Suffolk County.

Sunrise Wind is being developed by Oersted, the largest energy company in Denmark and the world’s largest developer of offshore wind power by number of built offshore wind farms.

The second large offshore wind farm in New York, Empire Wind I, is being developed by Equinor.  These large wind farms are the result of New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation.  The two projects, totaling over 1,700 megawatts, will be the largest power generation projects in New York State in more than 35 years once they enter operation in 2026.

New York has also launched a fifth offshore wind solicitation for which final proposals will be due in September.  Offshore wind is a major component of New York’s effort to expand the use of clean energy, grow its green economy, and combat climate change.

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Construction begins on Sunrise Wind, New York’s largest offshore wind project

Photo, posted June 14, 2022, courtesy of Stephen Boutwell/BOEM via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Much more energy storage for New York

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As solar and wind power play an ever-growing role in the electricity grid, the need for energy storage also grows.  Even if sun and wind can provide more energy than is needed at a particular time, they can’t provide it at all times.  The ability to store excess energy waiting in reserve for when the sun and wind are not providing it is essential to avoid the need for burning fossil fuels to take up the slack.

The New York State Public Service Commission has announced that it has approved a new framework for the state to have in place a nation-leading six gigawatts of energy storage by 2030.  This represents at least 20% of the peak electricity load of New York State.

An extensive set of recommendations to expand New York’s energy storage programs describe cost-effective ways to unlock the rapid growth of renewable energy across the state as well as to bolster the reliability of the grid.  The buildout of storage deployment is estimated to reduce projected future statewide electric system costs by nearly $2 billion.  New York has previously established goals to generate 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040.

The new roadmap includes programs to procure an additional 4.7 gigawatts of new energy storage projects across large-scale, retail, and residential energy storage sectors across the state.  These future procurements, when combined with the 1.3 gigawatts already being procured or under contract, will allow the State to achieve the 6-gigawatt goal by 2030.

Energy storage plays a critical role in decarbonizing the grid, reducing electricity system costs, and improving the reliability of the electricity system.

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New York approves plan to add six gigawatts of energy storage by 2030

Photo courtesy of NineDot Energy.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Eliminating plastic shipping pillows

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Anyone who gets packages from Amazon is familiar with the plastic air pillows used to keep products safe in transit.  Amazon uses almost 15 billion of them a year in North America.

Environmentalists have been urging Amazon and other vendors to cut down on the use of plastic packaging. The air-filled plastic pillows are made from plastic film, which is the most common form of plastic litter found in the sea and in seabeds along the shore.  Plastic film can be deadly to wildlife such as sea turtles and sea birds.  Plastic film generally can’t be composted or recycled either.

Recently, Amazon announced that it will replace its plastic pillows with recycled paper filler in all its North American markets – the United States, Canada, and Mexico – which together account for more than 70% of the retailer’s global sales.  It is already making the switch in a big way and is working towards fully removing the plastic materials by the end of the year.

Replacing plastic packaging with paper is a definite improvement.  Paper is recyclable and biodegradable.  It isn’t perfect:  if it ends up in landfills, it can contribute to methane pollution as it biodegrades.  But, on the other hand, paper packaging is more likely to be recycled.

Stemming the tide of plastic waste is an ongoing effort by environmental and consumer groups.  There is pending legislation in New York that aims to reduce the use of plastic packaging by 50% over 12 years by requiring manufacturers to either replace it or pay fees.  The bill cleared the State Senate but has not come up to a vote in the Assembly.  Similar legislation has already been passed in California, Oregon, Maine, and Colorado.

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Amazon Says It Will Stop Using Puffy Plastic Shipping Pillows

Photo, posted November 20, 2018, courtesy of Todd Van Hoosear via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Offshore wind and the wake effect

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Electricity demand in the U.S. continues to grow and, in the summer, homes and businesses crank up their air conditioning which drives demand even further.  Many East Coast cities are banking on offshore wind projects that are underway in the Atlantic Ocean to help meet that growing demand.  The first offshore turbines are now producing power off the coasts of Massachusetts and New York.

Electric power utilities need to know how much power they can get from offshore wind farms, and this is not that easy to predict.  Wind is variable, so there is some built-in uncertainty.  But there is also a phenomenon known as the wake effect to contend with.

When wind passes through a series of giant turbines, the ones in front extract some energy from the wind and, as a result, the wind slows down and becomes more turbulent behind the turbines.  So, the downstream turbines get slower wind and may produce less power.

A study by the University of Colorado has modeled this phenomenon for planned wind farms in the Atlantic Coast region and has found that power output could be reduced by over 30%.  Researchers are installing weather monitors and radar sensors in islands off the New England coast to better understand the behavior of the wind in the area and improve prediction models.

The New England grid covers Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Even with the wake effect, offshore wind is predicted to be able to provide 60% of the electricity needs of the grid, but it is important to be able to accurately predict what it can produce.

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How much energy can offshore wind farms in the US produce? New study sheds light

Photo, posted August 31, 2022, courtesy of Nina Ali via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Balloon release laws

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The Florida state legislature has recently passed a law that bans the intentional release of helium balloons outdoors.  It is a rare example of a bipartisan piece of legislation.  Florida is joining six other states that have already enacted balloon restricting laws.

Balloons released into the sky don’t just disappear into the ether.  They often end up in oceans and waterways and the thin material that remains is 32 times more likely to kill seabirds than other types of plastic debris.  Aquatic animals often mistake balloons for jellyfish and fill up on them.   Balloons tied up with ribbons entangle turtles and manatees.  Even grazing cows have died from ingesting balloons.  Balloons contribute to microplastic pollution, which is a growing problem for all living things, including humans.

Other states with balloon release laws are Connecticut, Tennessee, New York, Texas, California, and Virginia.  Details of the laws vary.  They carve out exceptions for specific applications.  They exempt small children.  Some limit the quantity of balloon release.  Others require balloons to be weighted down to prevent them from rising too high.  California’s legislation is aimed at the metallized mylar balloons that have shorted out high-tension electrical wires and triggered wildfires.

The Florida law equates intentionally releasing a lighter-than-air balloon with littering.  It’s a non-criminal offense that carries a fine of $150.

People enjoy releasing helium balloons, particularly en masse.  The spectacle has become part of weddings, gender reveal parties, and even funerals.  But the practice has serious environmental repercussions, and its restriction is being pursued by more and more states and municipalities.

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Up, Up and Not OK: Letting Go of Balloons Could Soon Be Illegal in Florida

Photo, posted August 16, 2022, courtesy of Ryan Mandelbaum via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

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