Sustainability Roundup

Good Morning,

Nord Stream pipelines leak gas into the Baltic Sea, Hurricane Ian leaves all of Cuba without electricity, hydrogen is not suitable source of energy for heating homes, broad expansions of world-wide oil pipelines contradict current climate goals, unforeseen melt rates are recorded at Swiss glaciers, and activists push to make ecocide a prosecutable international crime.

Let's jump to the major news.

EU's Carbon Allowance (ETS) price development

UK's Carbon Allowance (ETS) price development

Major News Roundup

• Gas from Russia's Nord Stream pipeline leaks into the Baltic Sea. Two seismographic spikes were detected on Monday, when Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines underwent dramatic falls in pressure. European leaders blame sabotage; experts suspect Russia to be the most likely culprit (HS)

• Hurricane Ian has caused complete blackout in Cuba: two people were reported dead and buildings have damaged across the nation. The category three hurricane approaches now Florida where the state has declared emergency (BBC)

• Hydrogen is unsuitable for home heating, a review concludes. Gas companies have promoted hydrogen-fuelled heating, but researches suggest it is not a viable low-carbon heating fuel due to multiple technical difficulties (Guardian)

• Broad expansions of world-wide oil pipelines endanger climate goals. According to researchers, the over 24,000 km of pipelines under development are "dramatically at odds with plans to limit global warming to 1.5 °C or 2 °C" (The Guardian)

• Worst melt year for glaciers in Switzerland – the previous record was set in 2003. This year the Swiss glaciers lost six percent of their volume (Al Jazeera)

• Activists in the US push to make mass damage and destruction of ecosystems a prosecutable crime. The group demands ecocide to be considered an international crime against peace (The Guardian)

Latest from the environmental news in Finland

• Nord Stream pipeline leak: Gas leaks near the Finnish coast are unlikely but cannot be ruled out, according to the Finnish Coast Guard (HS)

• A sustainable end to fur farming? Animalia's report lists policy propositions and future alternatives to give up fur farming minding a sustainable transition for the current practitioners. The fur farming industry doesn't agree with the report (Yle)

• Fall in Finland's groundwater levels compared to the record-breaking high levels at the beginning of the year (Yle)

• Innovation in the re-use of textile waste: the launch of recycled cotton yarn (Maaseudun tulevaisuus)

Climate pledges and action

• UN Summit discusses zero emissions target for air travel (Al Jazeera)

• A group of EU countries pushes Brussel for gas price cap (Reuters)

• Decarbonization software company SINAI Technologies has raised $22 million from investors. The Series A funding round was led by Energize Ventures (Reuters)

• Airline company EasyJet targets a 78 % drop in emissions by 2050 by improvements in aircraft, sustainable aviation fuel and operations (Reuters)

• The US Environmental Protection Agency will increase the role of racial equality in its Environmental Rules. According to the agency, there is a need for a more targeted approach to environmental justice due to the disproportioned harm climate change has caused in communities of color and low-income areas (New York Times)

• Swedish children's apparel brand Polarn O. Pyret will discontinue manufacturing rainwear products due to their harmful environmental effects (Helsingin Sanomat)

Latest from the academics on environment, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration

• Over half of the world's palm species are in danger of extinction, says a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. Researchers suggest that the likely extinction of hundreds of palm species presents vast threats to large number of people and ecosystems (Nature Ecology & Evolution)

• A study by the University of Gothenburg states that rainforests' ability to store carbon can decrease in pace with climate change. Rising temperatures cause overheating in trees which decreases photosynthesis rates in their leaves. Also increased droughts cause the trees' cooling systems to fail (Univeristy of Gothenburg)

• A study conducted by the University of Eastern Finland shows that plants can take up nano plastic from the soil and transfer them into the food chain. The lead author Fazid Monikh concludes: "The presence of tiny plastic particles in soil could be associated with a potential health risk to herbivores and humans if these findings are found to be generalizable to other plants and crops and to field settings." The study was published in Nano Today (University of Eastern Finland)

Picture of the week: Nord Stream gas leaks