The U.S. now has its first nationwide standards limiting the so-called "forever chemicals” in drinking water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued final rules last week on several types of PFAS chemicals, requiring water systems to limit the toxic chemicals to very trace amounts of a few parts per trillion. The standards come after decades of rising concern and mounting medical evidence linking PFAS exposure to birth defects, some cancers and other ailments. The toxic chemicals were used in a range of nonstick, stain-resistant and flame-retardant products and persist in the environment and accumulate in the body. Crusading environmental lawyer Rob Bilott, who represented communities contaminated with PFAS, called the EPA standards a long-overdue victory for public health.
For more background, this Better Planet story from February profiles companies filtering PFAS from water systems and has some tips on how you can filter water at home.
A lack of water is becoming a problem for many major wine-producing regions of the world as climate change makes places hotter and drier, and a recent study maps how increased warming could threaten vineyards in California, Spain and Italy. Researchers told Newsweek that while grape growers can adapt to some degree of climate change, more extreme warming could make 90 percent of major wine regions unfavorable for grapes. A few growers are acting now to both adapt to changing conditions and make their vineyards contribute to climate solutions.
In climate and sustainability news elsewhere, the AP reported that the Biden administration is raising the rates that oil and gas companies must pay to drill on federally owned lands, so that drilling royalties more closely match what most states and private landholders charge. The Interior Department’s rule raises royalties for drilling by a little more than a third to about 17 percent. Interior officials said the higher rate will provide a better return for taxpayers by generating more revenue for use of public lands while encouraging a more responsible leasing process.
Also, the EPA said last week that total greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. rose slightly in 2022 compared to the previous year, but that the longer-term trend still shows the country’s emissions have been decreasing over the past decade. The EPA’s annual inventory of greenhouse gases tracks both the emissions from human sources and the carbon dioxide sequestered by land, forests and other plants. In 2022, net emissions rose by about 1 percent, largely due to burning more oil and gas for transportation and electricity generation as the economy continued to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. Longer-term, the EPA said, U.S. net emissions have fallen 17 percent since 2005 as electric utilities used less coal and various parts of the economy adopted more energy-efficient technologies.
Stay with Better Planet for the latest on climate and sustainability solutions. Coming this week, we’ll learn about the race to get more charging stations in place for electric cars and trucks.
