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Environmental Activist Says Opening Hearts Is Key    The Earth & I Editorial Team Wanjira Mathai  ©Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation Wanjira Mathai sees green in Africa’s future. Perhaps she has always seen things that way, but there is a rich history behind how this lover of nature became the environmental champion she is today. Now at mid-life, Wanjira Mathai has garnered global acclaim for her many contributions to sustainable development, such as leading the AFR100 initiative, which aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land across 31 African countries by 2030. She has also led and now serves on the Board of the Green Belt Movement, founded by her mother, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, and is currently serving as managing director for Africa and Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute (WRI), and as the Africa advisor at Bezos Earth Fund. Wanjira Mathai’s many awards include BBC’s 100 Women (2023), TIME’s 100 Climate list of most influential climate leaders in 2024, and the 2025 Sunhak Peace Prize (see “World Peace Education Center Events Open New Era of Global Cooperation”). In brief remarks at an environmental conference organized by HJIFEP on April 12, 2025, in Seoul, Mathai said, “The Earth is our life support system … it is what we need to survive … I cannot tell you how many times people ask me, ‘What is the choice we have to make in this relationship between economic sustainability and environmental protection?’ It is a false choice … if we destroy the planet, we will have nothing to build these future economies on.”   Being an environmental activist wasn’t always in Mathai’s future. In her interview with editors of The Earth & I, she said, “I studied biology in college (Hobart & William Smith Colleges, USA) and then thought I wanted to be a doctor.” She added, “I decided at last that it didn't really energize me.” She went on to get a master’s degree in public health at Emory University in Atlanta and worked for six years at the Carter Presidential Center on disease eradication. At that stage, she decided to take a break and returned to Nairobi where she began to work with her mother. “And it was again about community and people,” she said, though this time, “the work was about planting trees and saving the environment.” She soon realized her mother’s work “was no different [than working in public health] because it was about a healthy environment that supports healthy people.” ‘Green’ is More than Planting Trees Today, “green” means more to Wanjira Mathai than planting trees, though she is setting records for doing that—as of 2023, the Green Belt Movement had planted over 51 million trees. Transformation requires cross-boundary cooperation, something that is hindered by silos built around expertise. She told The Earth & I that transformation requires cross-boundary cooperation, something that is hindered by silos built around expertise. “People have the best of intentions, they intellectually know that they should be integrating, but it's very difficult to do when you are an expert in your own domain.” “That's why we work at the World Resources Institute (WRI) in teams,” she adds. “You need to consider community perspectives on the issues. The carbon issue, for example—it's very complex, and often the part that is left out is the people. Who benefits, who gains, who wins, who loses?”  Mathai’s passion for this type of work is palpable. “Right now, I'm in the middle of an initiative that is extremely exciting, trying to work on the protection of the Amazon, the Congo Basin, and the forests of Indonesia. We're saying that … those three forest blocks, as the lungs of the planet, require all of us to … work together. Because if we lose any of them, we all lose.” Green Belt Movement tree nursery in Tumutumu Hills, Kenya.  Courtesy of Wangari Maathai Foundation/Ariel Poster ‘All Decisions Are Local’ Mathai “gets” effective cooperation. She says it involves everyone, up and down. “We have to encompass everything, because the global diplomatic narrative feeds the local. In the end, all solutions are local. It all happens on the ground; but it's so important that there's global solidarity because the financing, the solidarity around what people believe, the priorities that are set by multinational organizations or even multilateral processes, come from the realities on the ground. So, we have to have a constant conversation up and down.” An important part of her work involves mobilizing funds, getting global finances to communities where they are needed. “I think philanthropy is getting smarter and smarter about working with community, working and being partners. We're actually dropping the use of words like ‘donors,’ because it implies a one-way relationship. But if they're your partners, they're in this with you.” Skipping the High Emissions Phase When asked if it’s possible for developing nations to skip the high emissions stage that plagued developed countries, Wanjira Mathai was optimistic. “Take the example of the epic leapfrogging that was mobile telephony,” she said. “On the African continent, we went straight to mobile telephony at a speed that even the consultants who had been hired to model transformation could not appreciate. It transformed everything we know about mobile telephony … We leapfrogged [the landline stage].” “Africa today is arguably more connected than most places. More young people are on their mobile phones, on AI, on all sorts of technology, than anywhere in the world.” “Investing in the future is the way to go,” she advised. “Africa today is arguably more connected than most places. More young people are on their mobile phones, on AI, on all sorts of technology, than anywhere in the world.” Is education in Africa keeping up with the future? “I think not enough. I think there's a lot more relevant education needed. We are seeing a huge growth in tech-based solutions. FinTech, AI, data hubs, data languages, models that need to be instructed in African languages.” Simple is Luxurious Does she think that as we move into this more ecologically friendly future, people will need to adopt a simpler, less materialistic lifestyle to protect the environment? Or does she think advanced technology will be the key? “Technology has brought a lot of benefits. But in terms of lifestyle, we have to break the mold we have. It's not sustainable. So, we need to move into a more sustainable mode. It may still be luxurious. It's luxurious to eat healthy. It's luxurious to eat local.” “It's luxurious to eat superfoods today,” she added. “But a lot of those are local. For many Kenyans, the vegetables we find in our supermarkets today were not there 10 years ago. They were not considered supermarket worthy. But they are superfoods. There are seven, eight green vegetables that I can buy in my supermarket today that I couldn't buy [before].” “That's progress!” she said. “I think the nomenclature is a little bit confusing because we almost imply that sustainable is ‘less than.’” Family Traditions “As a family, we compost to make sure that we reduce the sort of waste that leaves our house and make sure that what we can use, we use,” she told The Earth & I. “In our neighborhood we have a program where all that compost comes back to our gardens … [in six weeks] we get an announcement: The compost is ready.” She said her teenage children “have grown up separating their waste in Nairobi.”   Does she think her children will carry on her mission of protecting the environment? “Oh, absolutely, I think so. It's now stuck in their heads.”

Event to Coincide with COP30, Raise $1 Billion for Amazon Region Anitta.  ©Agência Brasília Chris Martin.  ©Raph_PH (CC-BY-2.0) The plight of the Amazon Rainforest will be the focus of a major “impact concert” held in Brazil later this year. The first Global Citizen Festival: Amazonia will take place November 1, 2025, in Belém, a city in northern Brazil that is regarded as the gateway to the Amazon River. The festival will bring together world leaders, activists, and celebrities to raise awareness and take action about climate change and deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest. It will precede the United Nations Climate Change Conference ( COP30 ), which will be held in Belém on November 10-21.   Why the Amazon? Why Now? The Amazon Rainforest, often called the "lungs of the Earth," plays a huge role in regulating the planet’s climate and helping keep it healthy. However, rising deforestation and biodiversity loss threatens the rainforest’s well-being, including its wildlife and ecosystems, and the people who depend on it. Global Citizen’s Amazonia Campaign Hugh Evans.  ©Frank Schwichtenberg (CC BY-SA 4.0) Global Citizen Festival: Amazonia is a project of Global Citizen, an international movement founded in 2008 by Australian Hugh Evans, a winner of the 2025 Sunhak Peace Prize. Global Citizen has used music and celebrity power to tackle major issues like poverty, climate change, and inequality. The goal of the Amazonia campaign is to raise awareness and $1 billion in support of the Amazon’s protection, including strengthening the rights of Indigenous people, moving away from fossil fuels, and reducing poverty. A Green and Sustainable Event Global Citizen promises that this festival will be one of the most eco-friendly events ever held in South America. They will use solar power for the main stage, hire local workers to reduce transportation impacts, eliminate single-use plastics, and set up free water stations for attendees.  Star-Studded Performances Hugh Jackman. ©Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 3.0) Global Citizen Festival: Amazonia will feature a star-studded lineup of performers, many of whom are from Brazil. Brazilian superstars like Anitta , Gaby Amarantos, and Seu Jorge will be taking the stage. Amarantos expressed  her pride in participating in the festival: “This event is much more than music; it is a global call to protect the Amazon and its biodiversity,” she said. In addition, Coldplay’s Chris Martin  and actor Hugh Jackman  will join the event to show their support for the cause. Hugh Jackman has been a long-time supporter of Global Citizen, which has helped raise over $49 billion to fight extreme poverty worldwide.   Supporting partners include global consulting firm Teneo, global conservation group Re:wild, and the philanthropic Bezos Earth Fund. Voices for the Amazon In addition to the performances, the event will feature speeches from environmental leaders, policymakers, and Indigenous representatives, such as Brazilian Chief Raoni Metuktire , who has spent his life fighting for the protection of the Amazon and its people.   How to Get Involved Global Citizen offers a unique way for people to earn tickets to the festival. Instead of buying tickets directly, they can participate in campaigns, sign petitions, and take part in advocacy actions to earn points. These points can then be used for tickets to events like the Global Citizen Festival: Amazonia. This approach gives everyone a chance to be part of the solution and show support for the protection of the Amazon.   Looking Ahead As the festival date approaches, more announcements about performers and fundraising efforts will be revealed.  For more information on how to attend or get involved, visit the Global Citizen website .

Over 3,500 Species Threatened, Nearly Half Are Terrestrial Animals Researchers from Oregon State University  conducted a study on the threat of climate change to wild animal species and biodiversity. The study , published in BioScience , assessed 70,814 species from 35 existing classes and assessed climate threat to wild species. Species data was compared with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ Red List  of Threatened Species. System Category Number of Species Threatened Percentage of Total (3,585) Terrestrial 1,774 49.5% Freshwater 712 19.8% Marine 441 12.3% “Multiple” 658 18.3% Overall, 3,585 species were threatened by climate change, or about 5.1% of the total number of assessed species. The species system categories are given above. There were five categories of climate change threats: 1) droughts; 2) habitat shifting or alteration; 3) storms or flooding; 4) temperature extremes; and 5) “other impacts.” The top two threats for each species system are given below. The three classes with the greatest number of climate-threatened species were amphibians (662), Actinopterygii or bony fish (600), and insects (596). In reference to other studies, the authors stated that some animal populations collapsed “likely due to at least partly to climate change.” These include sunflower sea stars along the Pacific Northwest (80% to 100% decline), mollusks along Israel’s coastline (about a 90% decline), and snow crabs in the Bering Sea (declined by about 10 billion). The Catalogue of Life , an international collaboration of efforts and contributions from taxonomists and informaticians and up-to-date listing of known species, had at least 1,281,520 species according to the study . This number has increased since the study’s publication. System Category Number 1 Threat Percentage of Species Affected Number 2 Threat Percentage of Species Affected Terrestrial Habitat Shifting or Alteration 58% Droughts 47% Freshwater Droughts 85% Habitat Shifting or Alteration 23% Marine Temperature Extremes 84% Storms or Flooding 62% “Multiple” Habitat Shifting or Alteration 52% Droughts 46%   Sources: https://news.oregonstate.edu/news/thousands-animal-species-threatened-climate-change-novel-analysis-finds https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biaf059/8127685 https://www.iucnredlist.org/en https://www.catalogueoflife.org/about/colusage

Up to 30% Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Possible   Low carbon fun.  ©Barbara Olsen A new study published in Nature Communications  reveals that "low carbon [emissions] lifestyles" could play a significant role in helping the world meet its climate goals. The research quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential of 21 low-carbon consumer actions in 116 countries, offering a compelling case for personal behavior changes as a critical strategy in the fight against climate change. The findings suggest that targeting higher-emitting households—specifically those exceeding the global per-capita average—could reduce global emissions by up to 30%. Potential for Global Emissions Reductions The study, led by professor Yuli Shan, PhD, of the University of Birmingham in the UK, predicts that if households representing the top 23.7% of global carbon emitters make low-carbon expenditures, the global carbon footprint could be reduced by an astounding 10.4 gigatons of CO2 equivalent. This would require substantial reductions in regions like North America and some unexpected opportunities in those like Sub-Saharan Africa. The research suggests that consumer-led decisions can have a profound impact, especially in wealthy regions where carbon footprints are particularly high. "The potential for reducing emissions through changes in consumption patterns is enormous," said Dr. Shan. "Our study shows that adopting low-carbon lifestyles can play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change by targeting households with the highest emissions." Targeting High-Emitting Households The study highlights the disproportionate carbon footprint  of wealthier households, which contribute significantly more to global GHG emissions. For instance, the average carbon footprint of the wealthiest households is 15.6 tons of CO2 per capita, compared to just 0.5 tons for the poorest households. The researchers say wealthy households tend to have larger footprints due to higher consumption of services and mobility, while food consumption is the primary driver of emissions for poorer households. Key areas identified for potential emissions reductions include: Restaurants and home entertainment are types of commercial services.  pexels (free): mohit marwaha / ©shippee/iStock Reducing Use of Commercial (Business-to-Consumer) Services, such as Hospitality, Entertainment, Financial, etc. : Shifting to more sustainable options, such as preparing more meals at home or sharing one tv per household, could reduce emissions by 10.9%. Adopting a Plant-based Diet : A significant reduction of 8.3% could be achieved by reducing consumption of animal-based foods and processed products. Energy-Efficient Building Standards : Implementing these could reduce emissions by 6.0%. Shifting from Private to Public Transport : This could cut emissions by 3.6%. Sharing and Repairing Home Appliances : This would result in a 3.0% reduction in emissions.   The study shows that changes in mobility and services could account for up to 22% of total emissions reductions globally. Global carbon reduction potentials of 21 low-carbon expenditures. ©2025, Yuru Guan, et al. Global Variation in Emissions Exceedance The study also reveals regional variations in households surpassing the global target. Luxembourg is a high-income country with low total emissions (14.2 tons per capita). However, it has the largest share of carbon-exceeding households (99.7% of its population). China has carbon footprints of 5.2 tons per capita with “a substantial share of carbon-exceeding households (24.0%).”   North America, with an average footprint of 17.2 tons per capita, has the highest proportion of carbon-exceeding households. North America, with an average footprint of 17.2 tons per capita, has the highest proportion of carbon-exceeding households, with 85.4% of its population exceeding the 2020 target. Sub-Saharan Africa has a much smaller footprint by comparison, though 5.4% of the population shows “a much larger footprint (9.7 tons per capita) compared to its carbon-compliant households.” Some countries within this region, such as Mauritius, Namibia, and Chad, were found to present “unexpected” potential for mitigation, highlighting the diverse opportunities for carbon reductions across different economies. A Call to Action for Policymakers and Consumers The findings underline the importance of engaging consumers in addressing climate change and shifting household consumption patterns toward more sustainable practices. The research team, including Yuru Guan from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, emphasizes that while wealthier nations have the greatest emissions reduction potential, all regions must take action to meet global climate targets. Remote work lowers commuting emissions.  ©USMC "This research provides valuable insights into how lifestyle changes can reduce carbon footprints," said Professor Klaus Hubacek, another corresponding author from the University of Groningen. "Policymakers need to consider these findings when formulating strategies to promote sustainable consumption." As the world grapples with the climate crisis, the adoption of low-carbon lifestyles offers a tangible path forward, with the potential for significant, scalable reductions in global emissions. For more details, visit Nature Communications  ( link ), Science Daily  ( link ) and Nature Climate Change ( Link ).

Data Volume and Live IT Capacity on the Rise Data centers—such as those used by Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta—are crucial for data connectivity, storage, and processing. However, these pose concerns given their large real estate footprint and energy consumption. Knight Frank , an independent real estate consultancy firm based in London, released a report  on global data centers in 2025, including power output. Below are some figures from the report. In 2024, total data “created, captured, copied, and consumed” was around 150 Zettabytes (10^18 bytes or 1 billion terabytes) and global mobile data traffic was around 125 Exabytes (10^15 bytes or 1 million terabytes) per month. These are projected to increase sharply to just under 500 Zettabytes and just over 350 Exabytes per month, respectively, by 2030. By 2026, global Live IT capacity is estimated to reach 66,504 megawatts (MW), about a 45% increase from 45,676 MW in 2024. Just over half—33,316 MW—is planned in North America, with 6,623 MW alone in Ashburn, Virginia (also known as the “ data center alley ” of the world). Outside the US, locations with the top Live IT capacities in 2026 will be London (1,828 MW), Tokyo (1,489 MW), Dublin (1,471 MW), Sydney (1,123 MW), and Singapore (1,091 MW).  Over the next three years, data center capacity is projected to increase by 35 gigawatts (GW), of which 30% would be for artificial intelligence (AI) processing. The real estate footprint is also projected to increase from 120 million square feet (about 2,754 acres) to 150 million square feet (about 3,443 acres). In the US, in six of eight locations, renewable and clean energy standards for data centers are expected to increase between 2035 and 2050. Notably, these standards are projected to increase to 100% in Illinois, Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, and North Carolina. Projects are planned in some locations to provide residential heating using excess heat from data centers. Microsoft is aiming for 6,000 homes in Denmark; UK’s Old Park Royal Development Corporation is aiming for over 10,000 homes in the UK; and Fortum is aiming for 250,000 “heat users” in Finland.   Sources: Knight Frank - About Us Knight Frank - Data Centres Global Report 2025 Loudon Virginia Economic Development - Data Center Valley

Some Areas Darkened by 21%; Others Lightened by 10% in 20 Years World Oceans Day —celebrated each year on June 8—was designated in 2008 by the UN to “raise global awareness of the benefits humankind derives from the oceans and our individual and collective duty to use its resources sustainably.” A recent study  by researchers at the University of Plymouth, UK, has found that a portion of the world’s oceans have darkened from 2003 to 2022. This is concerning because marine life depends on light for hunting, migration, and reproduction. Changes in depth of the photic zone (or sunlit/euphotic zone )—which has depths of 0 meters to 200 meters (656 ft)—were used to determine the darkening and lightening of the oceans. Plankton depend on this zone for photosynthesis. Key findings from the study include: The total ocean surface area is roughly 360 million square kilometers  (138 million square miles). However, in the past two decades, over 21% (75,341,181 square kilometers or 29 million square miles) of ocean waters experienced darkening. Another 10% (37,269,515 square kilometers or 14 million square miles) experienced lightening. During the day, about 19% of the world’s oceans had their photic zones reduced by more than 10 meters (32.8 ft). Of this amount, about 47% was a reduction of 50 to 100 meters (164 ft to 328 ft) while 13% was a reduction of more than 100 meters. During nighttime, just under 14% of the world’s oceans had their photic zones reduced by more than 10 meters. Of this amount, about 4% was a reduction of 50 to 100 meters and less than 0.1% was a reduction of over 100 meters. There were no changes in the photic zone depths for about 70.9% and 69.7% of the total ocean surface area during either day or night, respectively. Photic zone depths increased (meaning more lightening) for about 9.3% and 9.8% of the total ocean surface area during the day and nighttime, respectively.   Sources: About - United Nations World Oceans Day   Global Change Biology | Environmental Change Journal | Wiley Online Library Ocean Zones - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

RFK Jr.: ‘Get these toxic dyes out of the foods our families eat’ Candies and other foods sold in the US are colored with a variety of petroleum-based dyes.  Adithyavr (CC-BY-SA-4.0) Wikimedia It isn’t easy being a food dye named FD&C Green No. 3. That’s because on April 22, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced  an initiative to phase out petroleum-based synthetic food dyes from the US food supply by the end of 2026. This move aims to address growing health concerns  associated with these additives, particularly their potential impact on children's health.   According to ABC News , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary told reporters at a news conference that “the FDA is taking action to remove petroleum-based food dyes from the US food supply and from medications. For the last 50 years, American children have increasingly been living in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals,” he said.      Speaking at the same event, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., said that “four years from now, we're going to have most of these products off the market, or you will know about them when you go to the grocery store.”   HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  ©US DHH FDA Commissioner Marty Makarty.  ©US FDA Why Phase Them Out? Petroleum-based food dyes, such as Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Blue No. 1, have been linked to various health issues , including hyperactivity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and potential carcinogenic effects. For instance, Red No. 3 has been associated with cancer in animal studies, leading to its ban in 2023. The FDA's decision to phase out these dyes is part of a broader effort  to reduce children's exposure to potentially harmful substances in food.   How Are These Dyes Produced? In a recent article in Prevention , Scott Keatley, R.D., co-owner of  Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy , explained that “petroleum-based food dyes are synthetic color additives derived from crude oil.”   “They’re manufactured in a lab through a multi-step chemical process and are used to enhance the appearance of processed foods, making products more vibrant or consistent in color,” he added.   Petroleum-based compounds, like benzene, are commonly used in the production of artificial food dyes, with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifying benzene as “carcinogenic to humans.”      Which Dyes Are Affected? The FDA plans to revoke the authorization for two rarely used synthetic food colorings—Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B—within the coming months. Additionally, the agency aims to eliminate six other synthetic dyes from the food supply by the end of 2026. According to the New York Post , these dyes include FD&C Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, and Blue No. 2.   According to Prevention , petroleum-based food dyes can be found in a variety of food types, including candy, baking decorations, packaged frostings and icings, ice cream cones, frozen dairy desserts, meal replacement drinks and bars, cookies, toaster pastries, ice pops, certain baby foods, sports drinks, some supplements, and some medications. They can also be found in some packaged cereals  in the US.   Who Supports the Ban? Consumer advocacy groups and public health organizations have largely supported the FDA's decision. A survey  by CivicScience found that 79% of US adults “at least “somewhat support” the phase-out of artificial food dyes, with parents of older children showing particularly strong approval. According to verywellhealth , Brian Ronholm , director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said “the bright colors send a message especially to kids that the product is appealing, leading them to potentially consume high amounts of foods that are laden with sugar and can contribute to obesity and other health issues."   Will There Be Opposition? "There are animal studies that show that food dyes have been associated to outcomes such as cancer," said   ABC News  Medical Correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton. "But the FDA maintains that these studies have not shown sufficient evidence that that harm could be effected in humans."   "When you look at the overall evidence, it is difficult to see a clear cause and effect. But if there's no clear benefit when adding something like a food additive other than making food look better, then many argue let's just simply take it out," Sutton said.   The Road Ahead The FDA's initiative represents a significant step toward reformulating the US food supply to prioritize health and safety. While the transition to natural color additives may present challenges, the move aligns with similar actions taken by other nations, such as within the European Union, which has implemented warning labels on foods containing certain synthetic dyes, namely Red 40, Yellow 6, and Yellow 5. As the phase-out progresses, ongoing research and collaboration between regulatory agencies, the food industry, and public health organizations will help ensure the successful implementation of this policy.   “For too long, some food producers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent,” Kennedy said  in the FDA press release. “These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children’s health and development. That era is coming to an end. We’re restoring gold-standard science, applying common sense, and beginning to earn back the public’s trust. And we’re doing it by working with industry to get these toxic dyes out of the foods our families eat every day.”

Shows Progress Toward ‘Triple Billion’ Target and Health-Related Mortality Rates     The World Health Organization (WHO) has been publishing annual reports on world health statistics since 2005, with a focus on health-related sustainable development goals (SDGs) since 2016. WHO’s 2025 report  focuses on global healthy life expectancy (HALE), prevalence of infectious diseases, and health risk factors (such as malnutrition, tobacco use, and air pollution). Below are some key findings from the report. Data in tabulated form  is also available. Global HALE increased from 58.1 years in 2000 to 63.5 years in 2019, but then dropped to about 61.96 in 2021. This decrease in life expectancy was primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Globally, babies born in 2000 had about a 40.4% chance of dying before reaching 70 years old. By 2019, this mortality risk fell to 29.9% for babies born that year.  Overall, Africa had the highest mortality risk, with babies born in 2019 having a 46.3% chance of dying before age 70. The Western Pacific region had the lowest mortality risk, at 21.5%.  SDG Target 3.1  is to “reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.” According to the report, this ratio has declined from about 328 per 100,000 live births (or 444,000 maternal deaths) in 2000 to 197 per 100,000 live births (or 260,000 maternal deaths) in 2023.  SDG Target 3.9   is to “reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.” The WHO report said 1.4 million deaths were attributed to lack of access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services in 2019, or 18.3 deaths per 100,000 people overall. Africa had the highest rate at 46.7 per 100,000.   There was an estimated 6.7 million deaths globally attributed to air pollution (particulate matter) in 2019, or about 104 deaths per 100,000 people.  In 2018, WHO started the Triple Billion target  of reaching 1 billion people in three categories: “healthier populations,” universal health coverage, and health emergencies protection.  The “healthier populations” goal was met in 2022 and reached about 1.4 billion in 2024. This is projected to increase to 1.5 billion in 2025.  Universal health coverage stood at 431 million in 2024 and is projected to reach 500 million—the halfway point—by 2025.  Health emergencies protection reached 637 million in 2024, with an expected increase to 697 million by 2025.  Sources:   WHO - World Health Statistics 2025 Report WHO - World Health Statistics 2025 Report Data Annex    WHO - SDG Target 3.1 WHO - SDG Target 3.9 WHO - Triple Billion Progress

California Overrepresented in Ozone and Particulate Matter Pollution Whether a resident or visitor to the US, air pollution—including particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and the like—is a concern given its potential health and environmental impacts. The American Lung Association released its annual "State of the Air" report  that highlights particulate matter and ozone pollution data in the US, by county and city from 2021 to 2023. Below are key findings from the report. About 46% of Americans—156 .1 million people—were living in places with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution in 2021-2023. This is a 19% increase from 131.2 million in the previous year’s 2020-2022 report . In 2021 to 2023, 125.2 million people (about 37% of the population) were exposed to levels of ozone that “put their health at risk.” States from the Midwest down to Texas were most affected, and Canadian wildfires in 2023 and high temperatures with emissions were major contributing factors. California had the most counties in the top 10 for ozone and particulate matter pollution. San Bernardino had the highest ozone pollution at 153.7 weighted average days, while Kern had the highest particulate matter and annual particulate matter pollution at 44.3 weighted average days and 16.2 micrograms per cubic meter, respectively. The location with the highest ozone pollution was Los Angeles-Long Beach in California. Other areas with highly polluted air included Houston-Pasadena, Texas; Las Vegas-Henderson, Nevada; the New York-Newark metropolitan area; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. The top 25 locations with the highest daily particulate matter pollution included Bakersfield-Delano, California; Los Angeles-Long Beach, California; Seattle-Tacoma, Washington; San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California; and Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem in Utah. The top three cleanest locations for ozone pollution were Augusta-Richmond County on the border of Georgia and South Carolina; Bangor, Maine; and Bellingham, Washington. For daily particulate matter pollution, the top three cleanest areas were Asheville-Waynesville-Brevard in North Carolina; Bangor, Maine; and Burlington-Fort Madison on the border of Iowa and Illinois.   Sources: American Lung Association - State of the Air 2025 Report American Lung Association - State of the Air 2024 Report

Experts Analyze 'Sudden' Loss of 15 Gigawatts of Power  By David Dodge* Critics blamed Spain’s reliance on renewable energy sources for causing the nationwide blackout on April 28, 2025.   ©Fahroni/shutterstock On April 28, 2025, a catastrophic electricity blackout left 60 million people in Spain and Portugal without power when 15 gigawatts vanished from the grid in seconds. The cascading outage affected businesses, transportation, and many other sectors for 12 to 14 hours. The pundits weighed in quickly, blaming such things as renewable energy  usage , atmospheric vibrations , frequency oscillations across Europe , a lack of grid inertia , failure of control systems, and a plethora of other factors. The 150 MW  Andasol solar power station  in Spain is a commercial parabolic trough solar thermal power plant. It uses tanks of molten salt to store solar energy to generate electricity even when the sun isn't shining.  Photo: kallerna   (CC BY-SA 4.0) So, Were Renewables to Blame? “Great question,” says Michael Liebreich, an investor, advisor, and the founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, in an interview with The Earth & I. Twenty years ago, Spain had about 18% renewables in its energy mix. This has shot up to 56% as of today. And ironically, just a few weeks before the blackout, fans of renewable energy were celebrating that Spain had generated 100% of its electricity from renewables  during one day.  In 20 years, Spain’s renewable energy portion has grown from 18% to 56% of total capacity. This graph shows the 2020–2024 growth. On April 28,  2025, solar photovoltaics provided 60%, wind 12%, and solar thermal 5%, for a total of 78% of the electricity demand at the time. ©ree.es “And then, of course, two weeks later, you had the power cut. And the finger is pointed at renewables because wind and solar don’t provide what are called grid stability services,” says Liebreich. In order to meet electricity demand, “you have to do some very specific things to manage the voltage, to manage the frequency, and deal with all sorts of harmonics and artifacts across this incredibly complex system.” To get the grid back on, “black start” capability—which is essentially having power to run the stuff that generates the electricity—is needed. This can be provided by diesel generators or batteries, but wind and solar cannot provide this service, Liebreich says. And to be clear, he adds, “This system is incredibly complex, and we don’t know the official version of what happened.  We reached out to Spanish officials, and they were not ready to comment on the cause of this, which is under investigation and will take some time to sort out. What the European grid is trying to do is to keep the same frequency across the whole thing, all the way from the Baltic republics down to the edge of Portugal and, of course, down into the Balkans as well.” Managing the European grid (map, left) is challenging. Interarea oscillations (right) vary considerably from the Iberian Peninsula across Europe right down to the Balkans.  IEEE Explore  ( CC BY 4.0 ) Frequency Needs to Be in Tune The North American grid operates at 60 hertz, while the European grid operates at 50 hertz, and “all of [Spain’s] equipment is designed to work at that frequency,” says Liebreich. He likens the situation to a car’s speed control, where the driver sets the cruise control to the 60-mph limit and “if it fluctuates between 59 and 60, you won’t get a ticket.” But if the cruise control is out of whack and varies between 65 and 75, the driver might get a ticket. On the grid, inertia stops that from happening. “Generally, big spinning resources stop it from speeding up and slowing down and [keep] the voltage [from] wandering all over the place,” he says. Grid services such as short-circuit current and black-start capability help keep things from changing too fast. Services like reactive power help control the rate of change of frequency, also known as ROCOF. Strange Things Happened Pre-Blackout Prior to the blackout, there were weird artifacts, harmonics, and bouncing frequencies. For example, physicist Philippe Jacquod noticed these oscillations  against Latvia’s grid. Spain’s grid frequency (ES) started to oscillate against Latvia’s frequency (LV) at ~0.21Hz before the event. ‘Could the culprit be interarea oscillations?’ physicist Philippe Jacquod asked in a Linked I n p ost . Prior to the blackout, there were weird artifacts, harmonics, and bouncing frequencies. “An analogy would be your heart rhythms. You can have arrhythmias in your heart because electrical signals are bouncing around. And this is exactly the sort of stuff that happens on this system,” says Liebreich. When frequencies get out of whack, plants shut down. So, how could so many plants act the same way, resulting in the sudden loss of 15 gigawatts of electricity? “We don’t know because the report’s not been written, but it looks very likely that those plants, to protect themselves from damage, were all set to switch off at the same frequency,” says Liebreich. There are at least 10 areas to examine that could have contributed to the crisis, which is why it’s very hard to guess at the cause of the Spanish blackout. Grid Inertia Grid inertia refers to the grid’s resistance to changes in frequency due to sudden changes in power availability. Spinning resources such as generators provide inertia services, because it takes time for friction to slow them down, just as when a driver takes their foot off the gas, it takes a little time to decelerate. Hydro, gas, and nuclear turbines are helpful in providing such grid stability. A wind turbine can provide some inertia, too, but solar does not. When the sun goes behind a cloud, the power disappears. But that’s probably not what happened in Spain. “Hydro, gas, and nuclear turbines are helpful in providing such grid stability.” Remember, 15 gigawatts of power production shut down in seconds, with catastrophic consequences. While Spanish officials are waiting for a detailed analysis, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and power grid operator REE President Beatriz Corredor have both said record levels of renewable energy were not to blame for the blackout . What Can Stabilize Rapidly Decentralizing Grids? Nearly all experts agree that batteries can help with the challenge of modernizing grids to manage thousands of decentralized energy resources. But batteries won’t help what the Germans call the Dunkelflaute —doldrums or periods when the wind doesn’t blow and/or the sun doesn’t shine for extended periods. “Batteries will definitely help,” says Liebreich, but one robust solution may be one that neither renewable advocates nor fossil fuel advocates are touting. Flexible Gas One answer may be to keep some gas, something Anders Lindberg, the head of Wärtsilä, a Finnish company, calls “flexible gas,” in its recently published “ Crossroads to Net Zero” report . Liebreich just had Lindberg on his Cleaning Up  podcast. Flexible gas plants are designed differently to provide fast start-up times and low minimum operating levels, and have high ramping ability, which means they can quickly increase or decrease output. Standard gas plants run high, take hours to start up, and are designed to provide so-called baseload power. This locks the grid into higher emissions, while the job of flexible gas plants is to provide necessary services for the grid and allow it to use as much cheap renewable energy as possible. As it turns out, Lindberg’s company makes engines that are ideal for flexible gas plants. Experts urge policymakers to invest in the grid, grid stability services (such as black start services), and digitization and artificial intelligence to track and react to changes. Consider Chile, a country running on 75% renewable energy but with 25% coal as well. The idea is to ditch the coal and run the grid with 4% flexible gas. This would produce 1/12th of the emissions of the coal and would be much more affordable—and grid-protective—than trying to achieve 100% renewable energy. So, what needs to be done to build an affordable, reliable, low-carbon grid? Experts urge policymakers to invest in the grid, grid stability services (such as black start services), and digitization and artificial intelligence to track and react to changes. Blaming Renewables Renewable energy delivers cheap power, and it brings new challenges. But there has been a long history of conventional-industry advocates blaming renewables every time the grid hiccups. They were blamed in Texas  when, as it turned out, the cold snap resulted in piles of frozen coal and the failure of a gas pumping station that wasn’t winterized. “Certain power plants within each category of technologies (natural gas-fired power plants, coal power plants, nuclear reactors, wind generation, and solar generation facilities) failed to operate at their expected electricity generation output levels,” says a recent report  by the Energy Institute of the University of Texas. Renewables were blamed for failures in Australia, too, which had multiple factors at work. But instead of stepping back from renewables, South Australia has doubled down , successfully moving from 41% renewables (when they had problems) to 75% in 2023, and they are pursuing 100% renewable energy even after a catastrophic outage. In a  Reuters report  (June 17) the Spanish government was quoted that the “grid operator Redeia miscalculated the correct mix of energy in the system. The government also blamed some conventional power plants, or thermal power plants using coal, gas and nuclear, for failing to help maintain an appropriate voltage level and as a result, the grid was unable to cope with a surge in voltage that triggered a cascade of power plant disconnections, ultimately leading to the outage.” Electrification is underway and has trillions in investment behind it. The incumbents are certainly threatened by this revolution, but it is happening quickly. Global investment in clean energy is set to hit a record $3.3 trillion in 2025 , says the International Energy Agency. It’s critical to invest in modernizing grids to work efficiently in this new energy reality. *David Dodge   is an environmental journalist, photojournalist, and host and producer of GreenEnergyFutures.caGreenEnergyFutures.ca , a series of micro-documentaries on clean energy, transportation, and buildings. He’s worked for newspapers, published magazines, and produced more than 350 award-winning EcoFile radio programs on sustainability for CKUA Radio.

Populations Living in Drylands on the Rise World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought —held each year on June 17—was designated in 1994  by the UN. The day “raises awareness and promotes solutions to desertification, land degradation and drought.” Desertification, or land degradation in dry areas often leading to deserts, has potential impacts  on biodiversity, human poverty, reduction of soil fertility and agricultural production, and increase in water scarcity. It can even contribute to climate change, as desertification reduces the soil’s capacity to store carbon. Below are key findings on desertification issues from the 2024 report  released at 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (or UNCCD COP16) in December 2024. The Earth’s land area percentage of drylands increased from 37.5% in 1961–1990 to 40.6% in 1991–2020, or by 4.3 million square kilometers (1.6 million square miles). This is comparable to a land mass  the size of Egypt, Libya, and Chad combined. Based on six aridity index classes of global lands, 55.1% was “humid”; 14.3% was “semi-arid”; 10.5% was “arid”; 9.1% was “hyper arid” (such as the Sahara); 6.7% was “dry subhumid”; and 4.3% was “cold” (such as Greenland). Aridity is considered the world’s largest single driver behind the degradation of agricultural systems, affecting 40% of Earth’s arable lands, or about 5.7 million square kilometers. The lowest percentage of drylands is in Europe, with 12.1% in 1991–2020. But Europe had the highest increase—4.8%—in drylands from in 1961–1990. Europe also had the least percentage of human population living in drylands in 2020 at 10.7%, but this was an 87% increase from 5.7% in 1990. Africa has the highest percentage of drylands at 70.5% in 1991–2020. Almost half of its population—49.6%—lived in drylands in 2020, the highest among all regions. The number of people living in drylands was about 2.3 billion in 2020, almost double from 1.2 billion in 1990. In terms of global population, this was an increase from 22.5% in 1990 to 30.9% in 2020. Based on worst-case climate models, as many as 5 billion people could be living in drylands by 2100. Antarctica is also a desert , but as an ice-covered polar area, it is excluded from the UN’s drylands analysis.     Sources: United Nations World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought United Nations Desertification and Drought Day 2025 IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land - Chapter 3: Desertification UNCCD COP16 Report: "The Global Threat of Drying Lands: Regional and global aridity trends and future projections" Worldometer - Largest Countries in the World (by area) NASA - Frequently Asked Questions About Antarctica

Can robotics and AI compensate for population declines that may threaten net zero?  istock A recent report by global consulting firm, McKinsey & Company , highlights a concerning demographic trend: Falling fertility rates worldwide are steering major economies toward a potential population decline.   This shift poses significant challenges to achieving net-zero carbon emission goals, as it could stress economies and reduce necessary investments in sustainable infrastructure and research.  ​ "Falling fertility rates are propelling major economies toward population collapse in this century," McKinsey warns, adding that three-fifths of advanced economies, plus China, already have more deaths per year than births. The firm says its research finds sustained economic growth necessary to fund the net-zero transition. Implications of Shrinking Populations  According to McKinsey, two-thirds of the global population resides in countries with fertility rates below the population replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman of childbearing age. Projections suggest that by 2100, populations in several major economies could decrease by 20% to 50%.   This decline upends economic models that rely on a stable working-age population to support the national economy and its nonworking population, including retirees. Japan and South Korea have been grappling with this demographic decline for years. According to a recent article  in The Washington Times (TWT), Japan reported 720,998 births in 2024, “the lowest number of births since Japan started taking the statistics in 1899.”     TWT  had somewhat better news for South Korea, reporting that the nation’s birth rate rose in 2024 for the first time in nine years, partially due to an uptick in marriages that had been postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic.   Diverse Perspectives  Not everyone is worried  about population declines. While the McKinsey report underscores significant risks, saying "the current calculus of economies cannot support existing income and retirement norms," Axios  reports that relief could come from technological advancements and policy interventions.   The publication says that increased adoption of automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics might offset labor shortages, while policies promoting increased fertility rates, delayed retirement, and increased immigration could help to compensate for demographic challenges.   Sources: https://www.yahoo.com/news/top-economies-face-population-collapse-220006371.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/dependency-and-depopulation-confronting-the-consequences-of-a-new-demographic-reality https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/population-decline-will-change-the-world-for-the-better/ https://www.axios.com/2025/01/16/fertility-rates-economy-pensions https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/27/birth-rate-japan-hit-record-low-2024-fell-ninth-straight-year/