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world news Diabierna 22 aPriL 2022

Healing ozone hole, less smog, more eagles

(AP) - With climate ment Programme, to share cided to implement a solu-
change, plastic pollution their top stories about envi- tion,” former EPA chief Car-
and a potential sixth mass ronmental problems that the ol Browner said in an email.
extinction, humanity has world fixed.
made some incredible Scientists in the 1970s had
messes in the world. “There are some amazing discovered that a certain class
success stories,” said Stan- of chemicals, often used in
But when people, political ford University environmen- aerosol sprays and refrigera-
factions and nations have tal scientist Rob Jackson. “It’s tion, was eating away the pro-
pulled together, they have easy for us to get tunnel vi- tective ozone layer in Earth’s
also cleaned up some of those sion with everything going atmosphere that shields the
human-caused environmen- wrong, and there is a lot that planet from harmful ultra-
tal problems, including heal- needs to change quickly. But violet radiation linked to skin
ing the ozone hole, clearing it’s wonderful to remind our- cancer.
perpetually smoggy air and selves that other people in the
saving many species from the past have succeeded and that The ozone layer was thin-
brink of extinction. society has succeeded too, ning everywhere, creating a
both nationally here in the hole over Antarctica, which treaty that banned the ozone- United Nations Environ-
“We can be good at cleaning U.S. and also internation- not only threatened increased munching chemicals. At this ment Programme projects
up our messes, it’s whether ally.” skin cancer cases, but cata- point every nation in the that the ozone “ will heal
or not we choose to be and racts and widespread changes world has adopted the treaty, completely by the 2030s.”
what we prioritize,” said Here are the four successes to ecosystems around the 99% of the ozone-depleting
Michigan State University mentioned most often and a globe, said University of chemicals have been phased While activists point to the
environmental sustainability key aspect that so many eco- North Carolina atmospheric out, “saving 2 million people Montreal Protocol as a hope
researcher Sheril Kirshen- logical wins have in common. scientist Jason West. every year from skin cancer,” and example for the fight
baum. United Nations Environ- against climate change, it’s
Fixing ozone depletion was “It’s the first time we created ment Programme Director not quite the same. In the case
For Earth Day, The Associat- by far the top choice of sci- a planet-killing problem and Inger Andersen said in an of the banned ozone-sapping
ed Press asked more than 25 entists, officials and environ- then we turned around and email. chemicals the corporations
environmental scientists and mental policy experts. solved it,” Stanford’s Jackson that manufactured them also
policy experts, including two said. The ozone hole over Antarc- made their replacements.
former U.S. Environmen- “It was a moment where tica worsened for a couple But with climate change “it’s
tal Protection Agency chiefs countries that usually com- In 1987, the countries of the decades, but over the last sev- more of an existential threat
and the current director of pete with each other grasped world signed the Montreal eral years it has slowly started to the oil and gas companies,”
the United Nations Environ- the collective threat and de- Protocol, a first of its kind to heal in fits and spurts. The Jackson said.

Florida seeks 100% renewable electricity by 2050

(AP) — Florida utilities came following pressure from utilities when they burn is a start at tackling one of bon emissions from electric
would gradually increase from young people repre- coal and natural gas. the main sources of green- generation by 2050.
their electricity to 100% sented by the nonprofit Our house gas emissions in power
renewable by 2050 under Children’s Trust who filed a “This is one of the most ur- plants. The Florida Department of
a proposed rule unveiled petition seeking the proposal. gent issues of our time,” Agriculture and Consumer
Thursday by the state’s It’s the first of this magnitude Fried said at a news confer- “Today, Florida can begin to Services headed by Fried also
agriculture commissioner. in Florida, which is particu- ence in Miami. “We can’t af- address the core causes of cli- houses the state energy office.
larly vulnerable to climate ford to deny this reality and mate change,” Reynolds said. The agency will take public
The proposed rule is an out- impacts such as coastal flood- the urgency of what is hap- “We have no time to waste.” comment on the proposed
growth of a lengthy court bat- ing, stronger hurricanes and pening to our state.” rule for 21 days; there is also
tle involving dozens of young excessive heat. The state’s largest elec- the possibility of a hearing
people who claim Florida is Under the proposal, utilities tric utility, Florida Power & and potentially a challenge
violating their constitutional The rule is not final and in Florida would first have to Light, and its parent NextEra through an administrative
rights by continuing to pro- could face several challeng- meet three interim goals for Energy Inc., said in a state- law judge.
mote use of fossil fuels that es, and even afterward, the the energy they provide, 40% ment that it is already invest-
drive climate change. Similar state Department of Agri- by 2030, 63% by 2035 and ing heavily in solar energy Even if the rule goes into
lawsuits have been filed in culture and Consumer Ser- 82% by 2040. Ten years after with 50 centers in operation effect, the agency has no
other states. vices would mainly be able to that, in 2050, the rule envi- now and plans to quadruple mechanism to enforce it. But
track compliance with it, not sions 100% renewable energy the capacity by 2031. Indeed, it can collect annual data on
The rule announced by Agri- enforce it. Still, Fried said it for utilities. Energy experts Florida has been inching up whether utilities are mak-
culture Commissioner Nikki is “a monumental first step” agree interim goals are im- the national rankings for in- ing progress. It would be up
Fried, a Democratic candi- in curbing climate-altering portant so that major changes stalled solar. to the Florida Public Service
date for governor this year, greenhouse gases that flow are not put off even further Commission to take any reg-
into the future. “As Florida’s renewable en- ulatory actions related to the
ergy leader and the leader rule.
According to the federal En- of the nation’s largest solar
ergy Information Admin- expansion, we will continue Valholly Frank, a 19-year-
istration, only about 5% of to work with state leaders to old member of the Seminole
Florida’s electricity in 2020 smartly move Florida with Tribe of Florida, said their
was produced by sources even more cost-effective re- traditional home in the Big
such as solar, compared with newable energy,” the FPL Cypress Reservation adja-
75% by natural gas, which is statement said. cent to the Everglades faces
mainly methane. extreme threats from climate
Another large utility, Duke change.
The rule petition was signed Energy, said in an email it is
by more than 200 young still reviewing the proposed “Our culture really depends
people, including 22-year- rule but noted it plans to have on this land,” Frank said.
old Delaney Reynolds. She no coal-fired power plants by “Florida cannot exist the way
said at the news confer- 2035. And, the company said, it is now. We cannot continue
ence Thursday that the rule it is on pace to reach zero car- this way.”