September 2024: "C" Change is Here! |
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September 2024: C Change is Here!
Welcome back to C Change! Renewable energy is becoming increasingly important to start implementing on a larger scale. As it stands, the European Union is making major progress in its goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Currently, the U.S. is falling behind but could Chambers of Commerce play a role in encouraging a mainstream switch to renewable energy and other sustainability initiatives? It might be possible for chambers to use their influence on businesses to push for sustainability, cutting down their large annual greenhouse gas contributions. Finally, Great Plains Biomes are being threatened by woodlands. Is cutting down trees pro-conservation in this situation?
Here are this month’s topics:
1. Chambers of commerce are uniquely positioned to influence businesses to implement sustainable changes. Chambers have the power to network businesses with sustainable companies, nonprofits, and organizations to facilitate change on a massive scale. This is because the EPA has found that commercial businesses and residential homes account for 31% of greenhouse gas emissions.
2. The Mushrush family has cut down over 10,000 trees to combat woodland encroachment, which threatens the Great Plains Biome by damaging ecosystems and worsening climate change. Despite federal initiatives to address this issue, public awareness and appreciation of the importance of prairies remain limited, highlighting the need for greater conservation efforts.
3. While the United States struggles to pass bipartisan green energy legislation, the European Union has made significant strides, with renewable energy investments and the Net-Zero Industry Act aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. The EU's success, driven by initiatives like Waste-to-Energy technologies, positions it as a global leader in sustainability, prompting Americans to consider their role in the broader fight against climate change.
Sources Cited:
1. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.-b). Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions 2. Helzer, C. (2015, January 20). Ruminations on tree planting and prairie conservation. The Prairie Ecologist. https://prairieecologist.com/2015/01/20/ruminations-on-tree-planting-and-prairie-conservation/
3. Eswet Welcomes Landmark EU Parliament vote on Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) - ESWET - european suppliers of waste to energy technology. ESWET. (2024, May 13). https://eswet.eu/documents/eswet-welcomes-landmark-eu-parliament-vote-on-net-zero-industry-act-nzia
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SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS |
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What We Read (and Learned!) This Month |
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How Chambers of Commerce Can Drive the Next Wave of Sustainability |
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Autumn Marsh & Soham Arekar |
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Chambers of commerce hold a remarkable but untapped power in the world of sustainability. In-progress research happening here at Seaside Sustainability is finding that chambers of any size have the potential to influence dozens, if not hundreds of businesses to implement sustainable changes to their business structure.
Before investigating the methods chambers can implement to promote sustainable practices, what is a chamber of commerce? According to the ACCE, a chamber of commerce is a group of businesses either on community, regional, state, or national level trying to further their collective interests; commonly advocating on behalf of the community to further economic prosperity. This means that a multitude of businesses are working together to promote and push shared interests; meaning that if the businesses involved with the chamber implement a collective desire to become more sustainable, they’ll hold a lot of power in the area to encourage that change.
Additionally, chambers offer opportunities for networking and information sharing among businesses. This allows sustainability nonprofits to promote themselves to businesses that might use their resources or businesses that offer sustainable swaps such as solar panels and composting services to establish the needed connections with the businesses that need them.
Chambers of commerce are uniquely positioned to facilitate networking and resource sharing among businesses. This is especially vital for sustainability efforts, as it allows for the dissemination of best practices and the promotion of innovative solutions. Sustainability nonprofits can leverage these networks to promote their missions, connecting with businesses that can benefit from their resources. Meanwhile, businesses offering sustainable products or services, such as solar panel installations, energy-efficient technologies, and composting services, can establish valuable partnerships that drive widespread adoption of eco-friendly practices.
Beyond just networking, chambers of commerce often engage in advocacy work, representing the interests of their members at local, state, and even national levels. This advocacy can be a powerful tool for promoting sustainability. By championing policies that encourage green business practices—such as tax incentives for renewable energy use or regulations that promote waste reduction—chambers can help create an environment where sustainable practices are not only encouraged but also financially advantageous for businesses.
The EPA found that 31% of direct greenhouse gas emissions produced in the United States in 2022 came from residential and commercial businesses. We need accessible information and resources regarding sustainable alternatives and how to implement them on the broadest scale possible now more than ever. Organizations such as the U.S Green Chamber of Commerce provide toolkits to support chambers of any size to start implementing these important and highly influential changes regardless of the resources accessible to the chamber.
While many may think that chambers of commerce only work at the local or regional level. Their collective impact can contribute to global sustainability efforts. By promoting practices that reduce carbon footprints, conserve natural resources, and support sustainable development, chambers of commerce can help drive the broader movement toward a more sustainable world. As these practices become more widespread, the ripple effect can lead to substantial environmental benefits on a global scale.
Ultimately, chambers of commerce have a lot of unused influence on local businesses that can have monumental impacts on promoting sustainability within our local communities. For all readers looking to encourage more sustainability, consider sharing the chamber toolkits with your chamber, and be sure to keep an eye out for Seaside Sustainability’s white paper on sustainability in the chamber of commerce coming within the month!
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Encroaching Woodlands: A Threat to the Prairie Biome |
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Abby Frey |
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In this day and age, many people who support land and tree conservation would have trouble believing there could be a legitimate, understandable reason why the Mushrush family has killed over 10,000 trees in the past three years. The cutting down of over 10,000 trees seems like a devastating blow to the environment, but it might actually save theirs.
Since 1990, woodlands have started to encroach on the Great Plains Biome and the severity has gone from low to high in these areas. The encroachment of trees in these prairies and grasslands has led to negative consequences that are damaging these environmental systems. Some of these negative consequences include the loss of forage production for livestock, the displacement of grassland-dependent species, the increased risk of wildfires, the drying up of streams and reduced water quality, and the increased risk of vector-borne diseases. Not only does the introduction of trees damage the prairie biome, but it also makes climate change worse for the planet. Hasler and colleagues (2024) investigated the impacts of tree restoration on albedo, which is the amount of radiation from the sun that gets bounced back into the atmosphere. This solar radiation contributes to global warming. They found that planting trees in some locations, including grasslands, changes the albedo to the point where the positive effects of carbon storage by trees are countered. Research like this has brought awareness to the issues that woodland encroachment poses to prairie lands, resulting in the creation of federal initiatives to help people like the Mushrush family. The Great Plains Grasslands Initiative, developed and supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, has relieved some of the stress of the Mushrush family and allowed them to develop a concrete plan to save their land.
Even with the development of federal initiatives and research, the public is probably not aware of the threat to the prairie biome, or worse, they might not care. Chris Helzer, the Director of Science and Stewardship at the Nature Conservancy in Nebraska, believes that many people do not consider prairies to be naturally beautiful. This would result in Most people choosing to visit a wooded area instead of a grassland. In his opinion, it is important to encourage people to visit the prairies and make sure they enjoy their time there. Good naturalists and readers can have the power to showcase the prairie biome and help people appreciate its unique beauty. As more people appreciate and care about the prairie biome, efforts to protect it and help it thrive will grow.
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Sources:
1. Fogarty D.T., Baldwin C.E., Bauman P., Cram D., Goodman L., Thompson A., Treadwell M.L.,
& Twidwell D. 2023. Reducing Woody Encroachment in Grasslands: A Pocket Guide for
Planning & Design. Great Plains Grasslands Extension Partnership, GPGEP-PB-01
2. Hasler, N., Williams, C. A., Denney, V. C., Ellis, P. W., Shrestha, S., Terasaki Hart, D.
E., Wolff, N. H., Yeo, S., Crowther, T. W., Werden, L. K., & Cook-Patton, S. C.
(2024). Accounting for albedo change to identify climate-positive tree cover
restoration. Nature Communications, 15(1).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46577-1
3. Helzer, C. (2015, January 20). Ruminations on tree planting and prairie conservation. The
Prairie Ecologist. https://prairieecologist.com/2015/01/20/ruminations-on-
tree-planting-and-prairie-conservation/
4. Trees and shrubs are burying Prairies of the Great Plains. (2024, May 16). Science Friday.
https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/great-plains-trees-green-glacier/#:~:text=This%
20blanket%20of%20shrublands%20and,for%20a%20world%20that%27s%20
disappearing
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EU Leading World in Renewable Energy Efforts |
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Dennis Milazzo |
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In the United States, there has been a consistent struggle for Democratic lawmakers to pass policy and other legislation efforts in pursuit of green energy usage. Renewable energy is not a bipartisan issue in the US, which is the sole cause for the lack of success in passing legislation catered around green energy. The European Union however has found success in their renewable energy efforts, as wind and solar electricity is at an all-time high in the first half of 2024.
The United States is currently behind the EU in annual clean spending. In 2023, the EU invested $86 billion alone into clean-tech spending. In early 2024, the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) was passed by the European Parliament, providing a roadmap for the Union to meet its target of cutting emissions by 92% by 2040. The plan also aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050. This was a reaction to the US’ Inflation Reduction Act, as through NZIA the EU aims to support a plethora of industries such as homeshore supply chains and nascent industries. NZIA will also accelerate the deployment of technology aimed at decarbonizing the European industry, emphasizing the importance of private investment and streamlining the deployment of technologies. Some of these technologies include:
Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS): Due to waste’s 50-60% biogenic fraction, Waste-to-Energy plants can reduce waste and achieve net negative carbon emissions. For example, AVR Duiven has had a Co2 facility in operation since 2019 and has a capture capacity of 100,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. This capacity can be routed to local horticulture efforts in support of sustainable fruit and vegetable production.
- Sustainable Biogas and Biomethane Technologies: Municipal waste presents a viable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. At the Dietikon facility, energy is integrated with CO₂ derived from wastewater to create biomethane, resulting in an annual production of 18,000 MWh of a natural gas substitute and a reduction of CO₂ emissions by as much as 5,000 tonnes.
In addition to traditional incineration, the adoption of various technologies categorized as ‘net-zero technologies’ within the NZIA framework in Waste-to-Energy plants highlights the sector's crucial contribution to the transition towards net-zero emissions. As the legislative session concludes with notable advancements in both industrial and environmental domains, ESWET applauds the EU's aspirations and endorses the role of Waste-to-Energy in fostering a more sustainable Europe.
For the European Union, achieving climate neutrality by 2050 will be a challenging endeavor. Due to the existing variations different states and regions have on their reliance on fossil fuels, the plans in place will have to cater to these differences. The EU plans on becoming the first continent to reach a net-zero emissions balance, leading the world in seeking and achieving sustainability. In July of 2020, European Council President Charles Michel can be quoted saying, “Climate neutrality is no longer a question of choice, it is beyond doubt a necessity.” With these new plans not only in place but active in shaping the future of worldwide sustainability, Americans must ask themselves what they can do to aid in this humanitarian venture.
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