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1,293 results
Keeping the Catch Fresh with a Solar Minigrid
In Kiguna, Nigeria, a partnership between Husk Power and Coldbox Store, supported by the REA-RMI Energizing Agriculture Programme, has deployed a 3-ton walk-in cold room powered by a solar-hybrid minigrid. The facility maintains temperatures of -30 degrees Celsius, extending the shelf life of fish from days to months. This infrastructure allows local fishers and traders to avoid selling spoiled catch at a loss and instead access high-value urban markets. The project is expected to reduce annual post-harvest losses by over 30 metric tonnes and increase fishers' income per catch by over 30 percent.
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Document type: Case study
Scientists’ Statement to Strengthen the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Proposed Rules: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles-Phase 3 (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0985) and Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0829)
A statement signed by over 1,000 experts calling on the U.S. EPA to implement the strongest possible emissions standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles. The signatories argue that zero-emission vehicles are currently available and that the EPA should mandate 100% electric new vehicle sales by 2035 to protect public health and address the climate crisis, particularly in environmental justice communities.
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Document type: Statement
Avec un peu de chance, ce sera le pire été de nos vies
The author discusses the immediate impacts of climate-driven wildfires in North America, specifically the health risks associated with particulate matter and the necessity of implementing binding emission reductions and adaptation strategies in Canada.
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Document type: Statement
Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, Spring 2023
The report finds that a strong majority of Americans believe global warming is occurring and is mostly human-caused, with 66% expressing worry about the issue. While many perceive significant risks to their local communities and the United States—particularly from extreme heat, sea level rise, and wildfires—most Americans rarely discuss the topic with friends and family. The findings also indicate a general rejection of fatalism, with 66% disagreeing that it is too late to act, although a significant gap remains in public understanding of the strength of the scientific consensus on human-caused warming.
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Document type: Report
Ethiopia Saves Hundreds of Lives by Improving Road Safety
WRI has supported Ethiopia in implementing a "Safe System" approach to road safety, contributing to the development of the National Road Safety Strategy (2021-2030) and the Non-Motorized Transport Strategy (2020-2029). These initiatives aim to reduce traffic fatalities by 50% by 2030. Early results show a decrease in fatal crashes nationwide from 3,628 (2019-2020) to 3,149 (2021-2022), and a stabilization of road deaths in Addis Ababa.
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Document type: Case study
El incendio del incinerador de Doral
The report details a massive fire at the Doral waste incinerator that occurred from February 12 to March 2, 2023, causing significant air and water pollution. Despite initial official claims that air quality was not concerning, monitoring data showed levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) and other toxins that were unhealthy or dangerous for residents. The document also highlights water contamination in on-site retention ponds, the presence of asbestos in demolished structures, and a history of previous fires and regulatory violations at the facility. It concludes by advocating for a transition to a 'Zero Waste' model to protect marginalized communities.
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Document type: Report
Sunsetting Coal in Steel Production
The report identifies coal-based primary steel production as a critical driver of global greenhouse gas emissions, contributing at least 7% of annual totals. It highlights that the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route is heavily dependent on metallurgical coal, with emissions underestimated by excluding coal mine methane. The document warns that 'business as usual' trajectories would consume nearly 23% of the remaining global carbon budget for 1.5°C by 2050. It argues that efficiency gains and carbon capture (CCUS) are insufficient or unviable in the near term. Instead, it advocates for a transition to green hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) and electric arc furnaces (EAF). The report establishes 'red lines' against relining existing blast furnaces or building new ones, particularly in OECD countries, to avoid locking in high-emission infrastructure for decades.
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Document type: Report
The Renewable Revolution
The document asserts that the world is in the midst of a 'renewable revolution' characterized by exponential cost declines and adoption rates for solar, wind, batteries, and electric vehicles. It identifies China as the current leader of this transition, which is sparking a global race to the top. The report claims that global fossil fuel demand peaked in 2019 and will enter terminal decline after 2025. By 2030, the authors predict that renewables will dominate sector sales and be significantly cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives, creating a 'renewable supercycle' for investors and a necessity for petrostates to reform. The report also highlights the potential for the Global South to leapfrog old technologies and the ability of renewables to drastically reduce air pollution deaths and environmental pressure compared to fossil fuels.
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Document type: Report
Cleaner Cars, Cleaner Air
The report finds that passenger vehicles manufactured before 2004, while representing only 19% of California's fleet, produce the vast majority of nitrogen oxides and reactive organic gases, contributing to PM2.5 pollution. This pollution disproportionately affects Black and Latino Californians and low-income households, particularly in Southern California and Los Angeles County. The authors recommend prioritizing vehicle replacement incentives for these priority populations and expanding transportation solutions beyond private car ownership.
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Document type: Executive summary
The Electric School Bus Series: How Austin's School Board Resolution Created a Path for Cleaner Rides for Kids
Austin ISD passed a resolution in September 2022 committing to purchase exclusively electric school buses by 2030 and achieve full fleet electrification by 2035. This transition is aligned with the city of Austin's goal of net-zero community-wide emissions by 2040 and is supported by a $2.4 billion 2022 Bond, which allocated $25.7 million for bus replacement. The district is initiating the transition with a pilot of three electric buses arriving in fall 2023 to test performance across various routes. Key challenges include the higher initial cost of electric buses, which are three to four times more expensive than diesel models, leading to potential funding gaps in initial bond estimates.
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Document type: Case study
Stand up for a clean, reliable electricity grid for all Canadians
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment advocates for the Clean Electricity Regulations to ensure a net-zero electricity grid by 2035, emphasizing the need for interim targets and the removal of exemptions for emitting assets. The statement highlights that Canada's electricity sector was the sixth largest source of domestic greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, particularly in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia. It links the phase-out of coal and gas to significant health benefits, noting that coal causes severe respiratory and neurological issues, while gas plants are associated with adverse birth outcomes and increased hospital admissions for the elderly.
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Document type: Statement
South Tacoma Warehouse Project
The South Tacoma Warehouse Project involves a proposed warehouse complex on a 147-acre site containing wetlands and a Superfund site. Earthjustice highlights that the project would increase diesel truck traffic and greenhouse gas emissions in an area already overburdened by pollution and home to a disproportionate number of residents of color. Despite community opposition, the City of Tacoma approved a land use permit in April 2023 without requiring an Environmental Impact Statement under the State Environmental Policy Act.
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Document type: Case study
Declaración de GreenLatinos sobre las reglas de carbono de las plantas de energía de la EPA para reducir la contaminación climática de la industria de combustibles fósiles
GreenLatinos supports the EPA's proposal to set enforceable carbon pollution limits for coal and gas power plants to help the U.S. reach its 2030 and 2050 climate goals. However, the organization warns against the use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and hydrogen blending, arguing these unproven technologies could extend the life of the fossil fuel industry and harm frontline communities. GreenLatinos urges the Biden Administration to prioritize 100% renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, and to ensure that the transition is centered on equity and justice for Latino communities.
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Document type: Statement
Tackling climate change could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century
The document outlines the severe health threats posed by climate change, including increased mortality from heatwaves, air pollution, and infectious diseases, while highlighting the 'triple win' of improving public health, creating a sustainable economy, and protecting the environment through aggressive mitigation and adaptation.
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Document type: Briefing
A Sustainable Asset Valuation of Non-Motorized Transport in Coimbatore
The assessment of Coimbatore's proposed Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) network reveals that while traditional benefit-cost ratios suggest the project is not investment-worthy, a sustainable valuation (S-BCR) shows a ratio of 4.75 per USD invested. The project, which involves 300 km of routes to be completed by 2035, is projected to generate a cumulative net benefit of USD 486.1 million between 2022 and 2045, primarily driven by avoided costs from traffic accidents and improved public health.
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Document type: Fact sheet
A Sustainable Asset Valuation of Non-Motorized Transport in Coimbatore, India
The SAVi assessment of Coimbatore's NMT plan, which involves 300 km of routes to be implemented by 2035, demonstrates that the project is highly profitable from a societal perspective. While a conventional benefit-cost ratio (BCR) suggests the project is not economically viable (0.47 to 0.50), the sustainable benefit-cost ratio (S-BCR), which includes externalities, ranges from 4.75 to 4.93. The largest individual benefit is the avoided cost of traffic accidents, valued at INR 30,144 million. Other significant gains include health benefits from physical activity and reduced fuel costs, although these are partially offset by the health costs of increased air pollution exposure for cyclists.
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Document type: Report
Applying a data-driven gender lens to air pollution policies in the ASEAN region
The report highlights how gender and intersectional dimensions are rarely integrated into air pollution policy in the ASEAN region due to a lack of disaggregated data. It argues that gender influences exposure patterns—with women often facing higher household pollution and men facing higher occupational exposure—and calls for a 'data revolution' to identify vulnerable groups and design targeted mitigation measures.
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Document type: Report
The SEI Urban Toolbox for Liveable Cities
The SEI Urban Toolbox for Liveable Cities is a living digital resource hosted on the weADAPT platform, designed to gather SEI-developed tools for city officials, residents, and community groups. Developed through a four-phase co-design process involving internal reviews and workshops with stakeholders in Thailand, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, and Colombia, the toolbox focuses on improving environmental conditions, health, and well-being. Key findings from stakeholder workshops emphasized a strong demand for tools that foster citizen science, participatory mapping, and open data access to inform decision-making. The toolbox organizes resources into four main domains: residents' wellbeing, neighbourhood conditions, environmental quality and ecosystem services, and cross-cutting issues.
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Document type: Briefing
Potential health impacts of bypassing SO2 controls at Kusile
The document evaluates the consequences of bypassing Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) systems at the Kusile power station. It projects a six-fold increase in SO2 emissions and a 40% increase in mercury emissions, leading to an estimated 670 excess deaths and R16.8 billion in societal costs.
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Document type: Briefing
A Sustainable Asset Valuation of a Road Infrastructure Project in Queensland, Australia
The document presents an 'integrated' or 'extended' CBA model designed for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) to value 'betterment' road projects—investments that build infrastructure to a higher resilience standard than original specifications. Unlike traditional CBAs that focus on direct avoided reconstruction costs, this model incorporates 15 non-road indicators, including mental health impacts, market access for agriculture, and environmental externalities. Through case studies, such as the Aurukun Access Road, the report demonstrates that including these indirect and induced benefits can significantly alter the perceived economic viability of a project, potentially justifying investments that would otherwise appear financially non-viable.
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Document type: Report