ENVIRONMENT

AP -  The top United Nations court took up the largest case in its history on Monday, hearing the plight of several small island nations helpless in combating the devastating impact of climate change that they feel endangers their very survival. They demand that major polluting nations be held to account. After years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters, the U.N. General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice last year for an opinion on “the obligations of States in respect of climate change.”

“The stakes could not be higher. The survival of my people and so many others is on the line,” said Arnold Kiel Loughman, attorney-general of the Vanuatu archipelago nation. “As the principal legal officer of my country, I have come before this court because domestic legal remedies are unable to address a crisis of the scope and magnitude,” he said during the opening session of two weeks of hearings. 

EcoWatch -  A new study led by researchers at University of British Columbia (UBC) shows that protecting key ecosystems across Canada could reduce the risk of flooding in over half of urban areas in the country that are at high risk. The study presents a global roadmap for the integration of nature-based solutions into flood management and urban planning, a press release from UBC said...

The research demonstrates that protecting the most essential five percent of watersheds, which equates to roughly two percent of Canada’s total land — 201,000 square kilometers — can greatly reduce the amount of rainwater runoff, protect croplands and safeguard homes and livelihoods.

EcoWatch -  According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 50th annual Automotive Trends Report, model year (MY) 2023 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles have led to an 11% decline in carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles.

The report noted that fuel economy reached a record high and greenhouse gas emissions from new vehicles reached a record low for MY 2023 vehicles, in part thanks to EVs. 

Further, the report found that all 14 of the major automotive manufacturers were meeting the light-duty greenhouse gas program requirements set by the EPA for the MY 2023 vehicles. The program requires MY 2023 through MY 2026 vehicles to prioritize vehicle technology that reduces pollution and emissions. According to the EPA, the light-duty greenhouse gas program could save more than 3 billion tons of emissions by 2050.