1. USA
Rooftop solar panels help stabilize New England's power grid, even in winter. Officials say rooftop solar panels, long considered a small and unreliable source of power, are reducing demand and one of the region's biggest carbon emitters, Mystic Generating Station, could be shut down next May without compromising grid reliability .
"Surge" systems, such as Mystic, are used during high demand to avoid power outages. In winter, when demand for natural gas for heating is high, many peak-load power plants burn oil instead.
Why we wrote it
A story that focuses on thatIn our roadmap for progress, solar reduces demand on the grid, allowing New England's third-largest power plant to be safely decommissioned.
The Electric Power Research Institute and ISO New England, a six-state grid operator, found that behind-the-meter photovoltaic panels provide significant amounts of energy even when operating at low power. The study estimates that for every 700 megawatts of solar capacity, oil consumption is reduced by 7 to 10 million gallons and natural gas consumption by 1 to 1.5 billion cubic feet. The region currently has 5,400 megawatts of solar capacity, mostly on rooftops.
Brian Snyder/Reuters/Files
The researchers emphasized that network reliability remains a challenge and that weather forecasting needs to be improved. Mystic will be shut down while the nation's first large offshore wind farm, Vineyard Wind, will operate near Massachusetts.
Source: E&E News
2. Denmark
The world's first environmentally friendly, methanol-powered cargo ship departs on its maiden voyage from Seoul, South Korea to Copenhagen, Denmark. Denmark's Maersk, one of the world's largest shipping lines, ordered the ship two years ago after pledging to buy only ships that can run on clean fuel.
Marine biomethanol is a low-carbon fuel made from landfill gas that can reduce a ship's carbon emissions by 60-75%. (Green methanol is also made from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, which comes from renewable electricity sources.) Diesel fuel used in shipping is a major contributor to particulate pollution, accounting for about 1 billion tons of CO2 per year, or about 3% of the global emissions, emissions, and this number continues to grow. to grow
Investments in port infrastructure and increased production of environmentally friendly methanol are needed to make this fuel a key interim solution to achieving net zero emissions goals. Five other major shipping lines are purchasing green methanol vessels, and a total of 120 vessels are in the pipeline.
Sources: Fast Company, Canary Media, Safety4Sea
3. Colombia
Last year, Colombia slowed deforestation by 29%, the best result in ten years. Authorities say the 50,000 hectares saved are the result of a historic effort to put the protection of Colombia's natural resources, particularly the Amazon, at the forefront of negotiations with armed groups that still control some rural areas.
Deforestation for farming, logging, mining and agriculture has increased in Colombia since a 2016 agreement to disband the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which has carried out limited deforestation, in part to protect itself from government airstrikes. Colombia's new president, Gustavo Petra, is trying to fulfill his promise of "total peace" in 2022, and the Estado Mayor Central rebel group has ordered farmers to stop cutting down trees as a "peace gesture" to the government. Some doubt that any armed groups are following suit, but other observers say the insurgents' move reflects a growing awareness of the environment.
President Peter's administration also attributed the reduction in deforestation to the investigation of illegal activities and the closer cooperation with local communities to pay them to preserve the forests.
Sources: Guardian, Reuters
4. Nigeria
An organization of dedicated citizens monitors the Nigerian public sector to fight corruption. Since 2014, Tracka has been using open data research to encourage citizen participation in government processes.
Experts say widespread corruption in Nigeria is due to a lack of accountability and transparency, which allows fraud. In 2021, Nigeria's anti-corruption agency recovered 152 billion Nigerian naira ($386 million) in stolen rural development funds.
Tracka visits rural communities to record the progress of government development projects, train people to participate in the budget process, and gather public information that can be used to inspire action by officials. In 2018, a health facility in the northwestern state of Sokoto remained unrenovated, forcing patients to receive treatment in the open under trees, even though the federal government had allocated Sh34 million ($86,300) for the project. The state restored the facility after Tracka's social media campaign drew attention to the issue.
Tracka has had some trouble gaining the trust of community members, as some believe the group unfairly persecutes elected officials. In addition, representatives are prohibited from traveling to certain regions of the country for security reasons. But the organization reached 967 communities, improving the lives of more than a million people.
Source: Social Voices
5. India
The Indian state of Karnataka offers women and transgender people free travel on state buses. The aim of the initiative is to increase the mobility and participation of women in the labor market, which currently stands at 23%.
In the first month of the program, the number of women passengers on public buses increased from 4.18 million to 5.57 million. Half of the bus seats are reserved for men.
Savita / Reuters
Many Indian women refuse to travel because they have to ask male relatives for money to pay for the trip. "In India, women's mobility as a cultural practice has always been limited," said Tara Krishnaswamy, whose nonprofit works to get more women elected in India. "Even today, in many parts of the country, a woman's ability to travel alone is questionable."
While skeptics say the move will hurt the state's economy, the free buses were a campaign promise by the party that won Congress ahead of the May elections. The national capital and at least two other states offer free bus programs for women, but Karnataka is probably the biggest.
Sources: The Guardian, India Today, The Quint, Deccan Herald, The Indian Express
