ReportWire

Tag: Environmental impact

  • What if just 1 in 10 people changed how they eat, drive, heat or shop?

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    By AYA DIAB

    Climate change is often viewed as an issue that’s too big for individual action to matter. But calculations show that when personal choices add up, the impact can be significant.

    The Associated Press looked at four everyday behaviors in the U.S. ranging from food and transportation to home energy and clothing. The question was then posed: What if just one in 10 Americans who currently eat beef, drive gasoline cars, heat their homes with natural gas or buy new clothes changed each of those habits?

    To find out, the AP gathered data from federal agencies and other sources on each habit, then calculated how much emissions would be reduced if one out of every 10 users made a switch. The answer is tens, and in some cases hundreds, of billions of pounds of carbon pollution avoided each year.

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FILE – A line cook slices beef brisket June 12, 2024, at a barbecue restaurant in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)

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Food: Swapping beef for chicken

Beef is one of the most carbon-intensive foods in the global food system because cattle emit methane and require vast amounts of land and feed, creating large amounts of climate pollution. Producing beef generates greenhouse gas emissions several times higher than chicken.

The recommended serving size of meat in the U.S. is 3 ounces (85 grams), according to the American Heart Association. Swapping one serving of beef that size for chicken once a week would cut about 10 pounds (4.54 kilograms) of carbon dioxide. Over 52 weeks in a year, that would equal a reduction of about 525 pounds (238 kilograms) of carbon dioxide per person per year.

About 74% of Americans eat beef at least once a week, according to a 2023 survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. If one out of every 10 of them — or about 25 million people — swapped just one beef meal a week for chicken, emissions would fall by about 13 billion pounds (roughly 6 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide each year. That change is roughly comparable to the annual emissions from nearly 1.3 million gasoline cars.

“Beef is a commonly consumed item that has one of the largest carbon footprints per pound,” said Dave Gustafson, project director at Agriculture & Food Systems Institute. “It is probably one of the largest individual choices that people make with regard to what they eat that has a direct impact on personal carbon footprint.”

FILE - Vehicles drive along a highway July 30, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)
FILE – Vehicles drive along a highway July 30, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)

Transportation: Gas cars to electric vehicles

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, transportation is one of the largest sources of direct greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and personal vehicles account for a major share of that total. Transportation accounts for 28% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector.

The EPA says the average U.S. motorist drives 11,500 miles (18,507 kilometers) per year. The average gas powered car emits 400 grams (14 ounces) of carbon dioxide per mile, compared with about 110 grams (3.9 ounces) of carbon dioxide per mile for an electric vehicle. Driving an electric vehicle instead of a gas car cuts roughly 7,400 pounds (3,357 kilograms) of carbon dioxide per person annually, even after accounting for emissions from electricity generation.

If a number of Americans equal to 1 in 10 licensed drivers — or 23.77 million people — made that switch, the emissions savings would add up to roughly 175 billion pounds (roughly 79 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide every year, nearly 1.25% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

“If a large percentage of people changed a little bit of their travel, then all of a sudden the benefits are huge,” said Dillon Fitch-Polse, a professional researcher and co-director of Bicycling Plus Research Collaborative at the University of California, Davis.

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Associated Press

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  • House of the Seven Gables’ historic properties planned to relocate to address rising sea levels

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    SALEM — The House of the Seven Gables is earmarking money to move five of its historic structures further inland in anticipation of rising seas and groundwater levels caused by climate change.

    As such, the organization is seeking grants and donations to implement its 50-year climate adaptation plan. In 2022, the Gables received a $509,919 grant from the state to study site conditions and create the plan that was completed in May.

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    Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202

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    By Michael McHugh | Staff Writer

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  • House backs away from changes

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    BOSTON — House Democrats are walking back a controversial proposal to ease the state’s climate change mandates following pushback and threats of legal action from environmental groups opposed to the changes.

    Legislation pending before the House Ways & Means Committee would make the state’s benchmark goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% compared with 1990 levels by 2030 “advisory in nature and unenforceable” and slash funding for the budget for Mass Save — the state’s primary energy efficiency program.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • AGs sue Trump EPA over solar energy program

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    BOSTON — Attorney General Andrea Campbell has joined about two dozen other Democrats in suing the Trump administration over its decision to pull the plug on a $7 billion solar energy program for low-income households.

    The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, alleges that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency violated federal law and the Administrative Procedures Act when it terminated the Solar for All program, approved by Congress in 2023 as part of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.


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    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • AGs urge EPA not to scrap climate change findings

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    BOSTON — Attorney General Andrea Campbell is leading a group of Democrats demanding that the Trump administration scrap a controversial proposal to repeal a key scientific finding on climate pollution.

    In comments submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Campbell and 22 other Democratic attorneys general criticized the federal agency for its “illegal” and “fundamentally flawed” plans to ax a 2009 “endangerment finding” that concluded the accumulation of greenhouse gases pose a “serious threat” to public health.


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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Peabody Essex Museum furthers sustainability goals with renewable energy agreement

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    SALEM — The Peabody Essex Museum has recommitted to a three-year renewable energy agreement that matches 100% of the museum’s annual electricity use across its entire 23-building campus with renewable energy credits.

    And this Saturday, July 26, PEM will open a new climate-focused exhibition, titled “Knowing Nature: Stories of the Boreal Forest.” The exhibit, available in English and Spanish, will be on view until Sept. 27 of next year, and spotlights the boreal forest and its ecosystem’s vital importance to the health of the planet.


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    By Michael McHugh | Staff Writer

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  • State doles out $28M to preserve open space

    State doles out $28M to preserve open space

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    BOSTON — The state is distributing nearly $28 million to communities and regional organizations to upgrade parks and preserve open space as part of broader efforts to blunt the impact of climate change.

    The state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said it has awarded $27.8 million for park improvements and open space acquisition through several grant programs to help 54 communities and trusts to protect land. The spending will help preserve nearly 2,400 acres of open space statewide, the agency said.

    Gov. Maura Healey said the open space program’s projects will “boost public health, drive tourism, and strengthen our economy” and that the spending is part of a large effort “creating sustainable communities and safeguarding our natural resources for future generations.”

    “Investing in parks and open space is critical for our state’s resilience against climate change, tackling issues like urban heat islands, flooding, sea level rise, and drought,” Healey said in a statement.

    The funding includes $500,000 for Lawrence to cover upgrades to Campagnone Common, a 17.5-acre park in the city’s downtown that hosts festivals and other gatherings.

    “By enhancing public spaces for recreation and community, we’re not only fostering a healthier, more vibrant Lawrence but also contributing to our city’s economic vitality as more people come to enjoy everything Lawrence has to offer,” state Sen. Pavel Payano, D-Lawrence, said in a statement.

    Salem is receiving $500,000 from the Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities program for renovations at Curtis Memorial Park that will upgrade structures and a playing field, the agency said.

    The Essex County Greenbelt Association will receive $300,000 through the Conservation Partnership Grants program to preserve 84 acres of farmland, wildlife habitat and headwaters to the East Meadow River, a tributary to the Merrimack River and a major source of drinking water for Haverhill, the agency said.

    A 1972 amendment to the state constitution, approved by 82% of voters, gave the state Legislature the authority to order the purchase of land – by eminent domain or otherwise – for conservation, recreation or open space. It set a two-thirds vote requirement for lawmakers to approve or make changes to protections.

    A 2022 amendment to the law declares that land preservation is considered a “public purpose” by the state government and that “people have the right to clean air and water, freedom from excessive and unnecessary noise, and the natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic qualities of their environment.”

    The law includes a provision that allows for a cash payment in lieu of replacement land, which must be at 110% of the property’s value.

    Within three years of the transaction, the money must be deposited into a fund dedicated to the purchase of Article 97 land that is of “equal natural resource value and acreage.”

    The Resilient Lands Initiative, a coalition of state agencies, nonprofit environmental groups and land trusts, wants to speed up land conservation in Massachusetts with a focus on climate resilience and environmental justice. The group has set a goal of conserving 30% of land statewide by 2030 and 40% by 2050.

    Conservationists have faced a backlash from some local leaders who have raised concerns about the drain on their budgets when large tracts are taken off the tax rolls and made off limits to commercial development or housing projects that provide tax revenue.

    The scramble for undeveloped land has also pitted advocates of open space against those of affordable housing, who argue that the need for low-income housing in many communities often takes a back seat to creating new parks, protecting forests and preserving wildlife habitat.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Salem State to plant more trees at Harrington Campus thanks to Gateway City funding

    Salem State to plant more trees at Harrington Campus thanks to Gateway City funding

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    SALEM — New tree plantings are coming to Salem State University to help provide shade to Harrington Campus, after recent efforts to plant trees have been celebrated at other parts of SSU.

    The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced recently that it’s investing more than $1 million in grants to support tree plantings and expand urban tree canopies in gateway cities, such as Salem and Lynn. The two neighboring cities combined for a $310,931 from the Greening the Gateway Cities (GGCP) implementation grant program.

    Salem State’s share of the grant, worth $31,950, will bring 36 new trees to the Harrington Campus, while $120,000 goes to the city of Salem to plant 100 trees along entry routes, $123,981 to Lynn to plant 110 new public trees and prepare 80 new tree pits, and $35,000 to local nonprofit Salem Sound Coastwatch to help recruit residential properties into the program and find other high-priority planting spots in the area.

    Salem State recently partnered with the Department of Conservation and Recreation through the GGCP to plant 50 trees of diverse species on North Campus, at the O’Keefe Complex, Stanley Building, and along the bike path, with more trees to come this fall. The new grant funding allows the university to plant trees on the Harrington Campus, where students have specifically requested more trees. The Harrington Campus was previously ineligible for the GGCP, as it’s not within an environmental justice area.

    Bringing trees to campus “is transforming the landscape of Salem State for the future and is an important part of Salem State’s climate resiliency strategy,” said Tara Gallagher, sustainability coordinator in the university’s facilities department. “They say the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, and the second-best time is today. So, it’s never too late.”

    The program strives not just to plant trees, but to make sure those that are planted receive initial watering and treatment support, and that species planted are also diverse. Plantings last year brought Honeylocusts, Basswoods, Red Maples, and others in the areas around the Canal Street parking lots and the multi-use path that runs through the area.

    “Planting trees in urban areas helps neighborhoods that lack tree canopy and suffer from the urban heat island effect of being hotter than surrounding areas in the summer,” Gallagher said. “Tree planting also brings stormwater management, wildlife habitat and other benefits, as well as beautifying our campus.”

    Rebecca Tepper, secretary to the state’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said expanding the state’s forest canopy “is one piece of the larger puzzle to combatting climate change in Massachusetts.”

    “With continuous heat waves leading to higher energy bills and greater greenhouse gas emissions, our Greening the Gateway Cities Program leverages our state resources and engages residents to help plant trees and enhance public health,” Tepper said. “Reducing the urban heat island effect is a top priority, and our non-profit partnerships through the GGCP will help cool our neighborhoods, towns and cities.”

    As part of its efforts to advance and educate on sustainability, Salem State also held three events earlier this month to talk about low mow zones, the importance of trees in urban areas, and learn about pollinator habitats.

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  • Ecological study to focus on stream crossings

    Ecological study to focus on stream crossings

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    Two North Shore road stream crossings, including one in West Newbury, have been selected by the state Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration for future ecological restoration studies.

    The culvert replacement sites – one on River Road in West Newbury and the other on Concord Street in Gloucester – were selected due to their vulnerability to coastal erosion, flooding and future sea-level rise, agency said.

    Although the culverts are crossing freshwater streams, the division says they are expected to become tidal as sea levels rise, a transition presenting significant challenges for road infrastructure, DER officials said.

    The Division of Ecological Restoration announced it is funding and managing future studies at the sites to help the communities, nearby landowners and partners overcome technical challenges and plan for ecological restoration and climate adaptation.

    “Ecological restoration provides innumerable benefits,” Fish and Game Commissioner Tom O’Shea said in a prepared statement. “Projects like this will improve public safety, build resilience to sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and mitigate flooding, and restore water quality and wildlife habitat.

    “By supporting municipalities and partners, we can scale our efforts to steward a biodiverse and climate ready future.”

    “DER looks forward to helping these two communities evaluate and plan for sea-level rise while building resilient, fish-friendly road stream crossings,” Division of Ecological Restoration Director Beth Lambert said in a prepared statement. “Culvert upgrades and other nature-based solutions can be technically challenging and costly for our municipalities to pursue alone. State-municipal partnerships like this are key to successful implementation of ecological restoration and climate adaptation projects.”

    In West Newbury, the River Road culvert is on an unnamed stream of the Merrimack River. The crossing faces challenges due to flooding and erosion, and has the potential to be heavily influenced by increased storms and sea level rise.

    Conducting models of the way water moves at the culvert site and investigating potential ecological improvements through restoration would enable a systematic approach to improving infrastructure and natural resource resiliency, the state said.

    In Gloucester, the Concord Street culvert is along a tributary of Walker Creek.

    The DER indicated the culvert is affected by coastal storms and is at an increased risk for erosion and flooding. The replacement of the culvert with a structure of resilient design would address flood water retention and bank stabilization and sedimentation; improve fish passage and wildlife habitat; and increase climate resilience by preparing for sea level rise, storm surge, and coastal marsh mitigation.

    A 2019 technical report called “Great Marsh Barrier Mitigation: A comprehensive program to mitigate aquatic barriers in the Great Marsh Area of Critical Environmental Concern region” by the Ipswich River Watershed Association looked at the single culvert on Concord Street, among many other “priority barriers” in the region.

    “The site has been identified as a site that has experienced flooding and ranked as having poor aquatic organism passage in the (North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaboration) Tidal Crossing Assessment,” the report said. It singled out the culvert as having “no passage due to rock piles/undersized structures.”

    Ethan Forman may be contacted at 978-675-2714, or at eforman@northofboston.com.

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    By Ethan Forman | Staff Writer

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  • How to Choose Carbon Credits That Actually Cut Emissions | Entrepreneur

    How to Choose Carbon Credits That Actually Cut Emissions | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Across industries, businesses are taking drastic action to minimize their environmental impact — from slashing carbon emissions to utilizing recycled materials to minimizing corporate travel. Carbon offsets have become a major tactic for forward-thinking companies looking to meaningfully reduce their climate impact.

    The voluntary carbon market is expected to grow from $2 billion in 2020 to roughly $250 billion by 2050, indicating its immense viability to deliver meaningful climate solutions.

    However, for the industry to achieve its full potential, companies need clarity and transparency in the process of selecting carbon credits. For companies looking to meaningfully reduce their carbon footprint, there can be concern and confusion over picking the “right” credits — those that actually deliver the impact being paid for. The voluntary carbon markets lack clear standards, which can make it challenging for businesses that want to do the right thing to navigate.

    Related: The Carbon Credit Market Could Grow 50X Bigger: How One Pioneering Platform Is Meeting the Demand

    What are carbon credits?

    It’s crucial that companies make major strides in reducing the carbon that they produce. However, there will inevitably come a point when organizations have reduced their total emissions as much as possible. In order to bridge that carbon gap, companies rely on carbon credits — which represent the removal or protection of carbon by others.

    Companies purchase carbon credits from projects that draw down legacy carbon trapped in the atmosphere and protect existing stores of carbon from being released – both of which are needed to reverse the climate crisis.

    For instance, the crops of the globe’s two billion smallholder farmers naturally pull down carbon from the atmosphere, storing it back in the soil. Using sensors, satellite imagery, AI and regular monitoring, this stored carbon can be tracked and quantified then sold as a carbon credit.

    Most companies purchase carbon credits via the voluntary carbon markets, which are fast-emerging as a vital tool to help companies achieve their climate targets. While these carbon credits are a proven tool for offsetting emissions, there are a multitude of options that vary in quality and impact.

    Why carbon credits?

    Risk is the biggest driver in business and — with trillions of dollars in annual climate-related costs and damage – the climate crisis is fast becoming a business crisis. Corporations must act now to minimize losses, illustrate meaningful climate action to shareholders and comply with fast-approaching climate regulations.

    Carbon credits are an important approach to scaling climate action globally and are a fast-growing strategy for delivering on corporate ESG goals. While these offsets are part of nearly every scenario that keeps global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, legacy carbon markets lack broad public trust: Impactful carbon solutions require clear guidelines and proven, verifiable data.

    Delivering transparency via data

    In selecting carbon credits, consider the data:

    • What kind of data is provided — Is it clear who is responsible for carbon sequestration (i.e., smallholder farmers), and how they’re doing it (i.e., through the crops of their regenerative farms?
    • How is carbon removal calculated?
    • Who is verifying the data — Is it a third-party entity?
    • Is the carbon data auditable (this is especially important for public companies in light of fast-approaching SEC climate disclosure rules)?

    Businesses need auditable, transparent climate and social impact data to convey their actions to key shareholders.

    Without transparency about where carbon comes from, the positive and negative impacts of how it’s being captured and stored, and how it’s being calculated, there is a tremendous corporate risk for faulty carbon credits.

    Investors should turn to carbon credits that allow them to track the sourcing of their credits back to the specific farm and community they came from, and that robustly quantify how those communities are benefiting from the carbon markets.

    Climate justice: Merging social and environmental impact

    While legacy carbon markets rarely have focused on socio-economic impacts, the burgeoning generation of carbon markets will prioritize both social and environmental impact in their models. In action, these carbon credits will benefit the environment while equitably compensating those responsible for the carbon sequestration. Often, these carbon stewards are among the most vulnerable populations – including smallholder farmers, women and indigenous communities.

    When buying carbon credits, ensure that carbon stewards are equitably compensated by asking some basic questions of those selling carbon credits:

    • What language do they use to discuss the partnership with carbon stewards?
    • Is their data auditable?
    • Is the financial model of carbon credits disclosed? Are carbon stewards paid equitably and in a timely manner?
    • Is socioeconomic improvement data shared with investors according to accepted third-party standards?

    Incorporating social and environmental impacts into the next generation of carbon markets can further enhance their value, potentially benefiting vulnerable communities that play a key role in carbon sequestration. A well-designed carbon credit protocol can financially incentivize carbon stewards to bolster their future work – which increases the positive socio-economic and environmental impacts for generations to come.

    Other tactics for carbon removal

    Mechanical carbon capture comes in the form of big machines that effectively suck carbon dioxide out of the air to store, either by putting it underground or repurposing it in other ways. While mechanical carbon capture is promising, this technology is largely still in its infancy, enormously expensive, and still proving its ability to scale.

    Related: Blockchain Could Help Us Combat Climate Change — Here’s How.

    The time is now

    Forecasts now show that the planet will hit a threshold of 1.5C in global temperature change by 2027, which is far sooner than ever expected and carries the potential for massive damage, loss of human life and trillions of dollars in incurred damages for the global economy.

    This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. We must engage proven, reliable, and equitable methods to meet what may be the greatest threat to the future of humanity and the planet we inhabit. Carbon credits, when implemented responsibly and at scale, can be a very effective tool for humanity to use in the fight to limit the damages from climate change. However, the industry’s growth hinges on increasing transparency and standardization to ensure that carbon credits truly deliver the promised impact.

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    Josh Knauer

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