full transcript:

from unclean air hovering over cities to unhealthy smoke in homes, air pollution continues to put human health and climate on the line. cameroon, popularly referred to as africa in miniature, is reputed for its geographical and cultural diversity, especially when it comes to traditional meals. for most cameroonians, the three stone fireside method of cooking transcends just making food. it speaks to generational cultures and bonds built over moonlight folklore and folktales of their shared history.

but, for the longest time, the process of preparing these meals has been largely powered by biomass fuels, made possible by the cutting down of trees. the health challenges associated with exposure to these cooking methods cannot be undermined as about 3.2 million worldwide deaths in 2020 were attributed to household air pollution, according to the world health organization. despite these health consequences, most people across sub-saharan africa still cannot afford clean cooking technologies.

aisata ibamie is a young renewable energy engineer, innovative clean energy activist, and a mandela washington fellow (mwf) from logone, a charey village in the far north region of cameroon, and she has had first-hand experience with the challenges of cooking in the country. (in full disclosure, mwf is where this author first met ibamie.) growing up in a rural community, fetching firewood for cooking was one of her least favorite chores –– a routine she shares with more than 70% of cameroonians who still do not have access to clean cooking technologies, as revealed by the world bank. 

driven by curiosity, ibamie’s rare passion and determination to change this narrative for cameroonians led to her creation of an energy efficient and affordable cooker: a cordless, portable, and non-electric bag made from cotton. ibamie hopes the asaab thermal cooker will go a long way to reduce deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions.

“if i want to cook red beans for example, it often takes us two to three hours with firewood or gas. with the thermal cooker, you need just 15 minutes of gas or firewood to boil it, take it off and place in the asaab thermal cooker and close. after 3 hours, it is ready. rice is just 25 minutes on the cooker after heating on any classical fire for 3 minutes. you can leave the food in the cooker for up to 10 hours and it will still be hot when you get back. our customers testify that they are preparing red beans, meat, and others. this is a way for the woman to be free. we have natural and artificial carbon footprints. using the asaab thermal cooker reduces co2.”

the tragic and avoidable chronic illnesses from unhealthy cookstoves continue to put women and girls at the most vulnerable positions as they often stand at the frontline of gathering fuels and preparing meals. to ibamie, providing the thermal cooker solution will not only save lives and the climate, but go a long way to address gender inequalities and promote girl child education in cameroon. 

“one of the motivations for the asaab thermal cooker is that i come from the far north region of cameroon, where women are often marginalized. so they don’t really go to school as they are are expected to take care of the family and not supposed to be educated in school. every time they are cooking — for up to three times per day. always cooking, so they don’t have to go anywhere because they are controlling food. for me, it was a way to give them a chance to take care of the family and also go to school, do business, or go on vacation if they want to. in fact, to be free of always going to the kitchen every time.”

a recent research publication in the pan african medical journal found that indoor pollution already kills about 7,000 people in cameroon annually. considering the numerous kitchen accidents recorded from cooking appliances, ibamie designed the asaab thermal cooker with user-safety in mind.

“i was thinking about safety. i wanted something light that customers would not need too much (experience) to use. the asaab thermal cooker is very safe to use as you don’t have to plug into current or put in the sun before using. it is very simple to use. even your children can come back from school, open it, and serve themselves easily — unlike gas, where you maybe worried that they are exposed to fire, which is very dangerous for the household.”

as the number of internally displaced women and girls continue to rise in cameroon due to security concerns such as the ongoing anglophone crisis in the northwest and southwest regions, and the boko haram insurgency in the northern regions of the country, ibamie believes the thermal cooker could not be more timely.

“the cooker is a blessing for displaced women because they are never stable. they are always moving from one place to another, so it is easy to handle. it is very light. it is less than three kilograms (approximately 6.5 pounds) and you can pack it in a handbag and you go anywhere you want to go with. i can say it is very practical.”

as an emerging young african leader, participating in the 2022 mandela washington fellowship at the university of reno, nevada, served as an opportunity to scale her business by expanding to new markets.

“i met fellows that i can work together with, in the same areas like cooking and climate change and thermal energy efficiency. so yes, i really met people and made customers who brought me other customers, so i have to ship asaab thermal cookers to the u.s.”

by helping to reduce the cutting of trees, ibamie is contributing to one of the focal points of the united nations environmental program (unep), which is to achieve a significant reduction in deforestation while boosting agricultural productivity. it also aligns nicely with one of the resolutions of the climate pact during the 26th edition of the united nations conference of parties in glasgow (cop26 glasgow climate pact), which hammered on the protection, conservation, and restoration of natural ecosystems such as forests.

according to project drawdown, if global adoption of clean cookstoves grows to 16% by 2050, 15.8 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced. as the world prepares to unite for the 27th u.n. conference in egypt to reflect on the progress with pledges and commitments to accelerate global actions in the climate fight, ibamie hopes that access to clean cooking will give climate delegates food for thought.

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[editor’s note: this transcript was edited for clarity.]

washington — supreme court justices stumbled this week when hearing arguments about the most impactful environmental case in a generation. 

the problem, in part, is that the case concerns nothing.

“there isn’t really anything for the supreme court to consider,” said joe minott, executive director and chief counsel of the clean air council. “what’s interesting to me is why the court should have agreed to this case at all.”

west virginia v. environmental protection agency concerns an obama-era environmental regulation — the clean power plan (cpp) — that the court suspended in 2016 before it could ever take effect. then, the trump administration further squashed it, replacing it with the weaker affordable clean energy (ace) rule. 

but coal industry representatives and a bloc of red states are now calling on the court to say congress, under obama’s plan, didn’t authorize the epa to exercise “unbridled” power to regulate power plants’ greenhouse gas emissions. 

if the justices agree –– and at least five on the 6-3 conservative majority did voice some alignment — the agency’s ability to control power plant emissions overall could be ravaged. this would be bad news for president biden, who aims to cut the nation’s emissions in half by 2030. 

“electricity generation is a pervasive and essential aspect of modern life and squarely within the states’ traditional zone,” solicitor general lindsay see told the justices, speaking on behalf of state petitioners. “congress did not green light this transformative power.”

red states pulled evidence from the clean air act, particularly section 111(d), which instructs the epa to set emission standards, taking into account factors like cost, that consider the application of the “best system of emission reduction.”

“it takes an existing pollution source as a given and asks what emissions rate is achievable for that source,” said jacob roth, who represented private companies in the case. 

roth and fellow cpp opponents argued obama’s plan would impose such strict emission standards that the energy sector’s only option would be “generation shifting,” or transitioning away from dirtier options like coal to production technologies that use relatively clean natural gas and renewable energy to emit less. 

to some justices on monday, this argument walks an “inside the fence” line. 

“inside the fence” regulation would determine how a specific plant operates, which is how cpp opponents interpret the clean air act. “outside the fence” measures would regulate the nation’s electricity grid as a whole — stretching epa authority.

“traditionally, epa regulations under section 111(d) have concerned only what goes on within the fenceline of the sources,” said craig oren, professor emeritus of rutgers law school and clean air act expert. “epa’s clean power plan is a very extensive program that goes beyond what happens inside the fence line.”

to justice elena kagan, this argument has contradictions and bears no necessary relationship.

“inside-the-fence reform can be very small or it can be catastrophic,” she said. “there are inside-the-fence technological fixes that could drive the entire coal industry out of business tomorrow.” 

per justice clarence thomas’ example, this could look like the epa requiring a power plant to install such a costly technology that it would be unable to compete in the electricity market. 

applying the major questions doctrine

justices struggled on monday with whether this case applied to what’s called the “major questions doctrine,” which limits federal agencies’ power to affect consequential regulations. 

according to utility air regulatory group v. epa’s ruling, the court should block these regulations with “vast economic and political significance” unless congress’ statute very clearly gives the agency authority. 

“this is a major question because it allows epa to determine what the power sector as a whole should look like and who can be in it,” see argued.

many justices appeared to be fumbling through how to apply this vague doctrine to a defunct rule. 

“i think the potential surprise here…doesn’t go to regulating co2….but is using a cap-and-trade regime,” justice brett kavanaugh said. 

he suggested that the epa threatened to install such a “regime” for any state non-compliant with the cpp. while the epa issued a model cap-and-trade plan, it never formally imposed it on any states. 

justice sotomayor grappled with how the court could apply this doctrine given kagan’s explanation of the “fence” contradiction. 

“how do we define this major question?” she asked see. “it can’t be that what congress has chosen might lead in or outside the fence because there’s some out-of-fence activities that don’t necessarily lead to generation system-changing.” 

what happens next

at least five right-leaning justices appeared to voice some agreement with cpp’s opponents, increasing the likelihood the court may strike down the obama-era plan. 

only justice amy coney barrett expressed a mixed opinion.

“if we’re thinking about epa regulating greenhouse gases, well there’s a match between the regulation and the agency’s wheelhouse, right?” she said. 

the court is expected to rule on the case by the end of its term in late june or early july. until then, environmental advocacy groups will continue to rally in support of the clean air act. 

“if they do sort of move on this, then it’s to me truly a very political thing to do,” said minott of the clean air council. “that’s a really dangerous precedent.” 

while the perils of plastic pollution in our oceans and landfills are well-known, obstetricians have recently discovered a startling new development—the first evidence of microplastics have been found in human placentas.

the destructive nature of microplastics is no longer confined to ecological consequences; it permeates human health too.

the effects of plastic consumption remain poorly understood, as research is still in its infancy. however, early literature suggests several reasons for concern.  

synthetic microfibers, such as those from clothing, make up 14% of all global plastic production, according to a global study conducted in 2020. these fibers are especially harmful given the ease at which they break into smaller pieces—fragments so small, that they can be inhaled. the study suggests that inhalation of microfibers can cause localized toxicity in the body—thereby inducing or enhancing an immune response. chronic exposure to these fibers are anticipated to have the worst effects, given that the accumulation of chemicals such as bpa in the body have been shown to depress the immune system, trigger cancerous growths, prompt neurotoxicity, and disrupt the microbiome in the gut.

another emerging area of research on microplastics concerns the gut microbiome. the gut microbiome refers to all the microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract; it’s essential for the function of mammals.

preliminary findings show that when microplastics interact with gastrointestinal microorganisms, it can increase the phagocytic activity of immune cells, impacting metabolism, immune function, and behavior.

worse still, nano plastics, the smallest of plastic particles, are small enough to pass through intestinal barriers, just like placental barriers. last year a study on nano plastics demonstrated they can cross the blood-brain barrier, causing brain damage in fish. 

the uncontained spread of plastics in our environment leaves everyone vulnerable. microplastics are now entering the terrestrial food web at alarming rates. particles in soil can be ingested at multiple stages of the food chain. scientists recently observed nano plastic transfer from soil to chickens via earthworms, raising concerns for human consumption. 

the microscopic size of these pollutants allows them to travel enormous distances. in a single day, some particles can travel up to 95km (59 miles). plastic will soon be on every inch of our planet; in fact, some were just found on the glaciers of the tibetan plateau.

even in remote locations, levels of microplastics are plentiful. in the french pyrenees mountains, microplastic fragments, fibers, and films were found at relatively high levels, despite the area being sparsely populated, and far from any industrial, commercial, or large agricultural activities.

in confronting the pervasive and universal threat of microplastics, our collective responsibility becomes increasingly evident. plastic is no longer just a marine issue; it has become a global challenge.

as we navigate the delicate implications of curbing plastic production, the role of the private sector will be a pivotal force in shaping the collective response. the symbiotic relationship between plastic production and cheap fossil fuel feedstock demands international intervention and a recalibration of industrial practices. 

as individuals, we can wield collective power by pressuring our policymakers to enforce industry change. today, sadly, industry change is the most effective way forward. because it doesn’t matter how many times i remember my reusable bags if the producers aren’t incentivized to ditch the plastic wrap covering every item i buy. 

as new research continues to demonstrate the detriments of plastics, it is only a matter of time before the evidence overwhelms policymakers to take action. 

navigating the anthropocene epoch is no easy task. perhaps plastics in our placentas will be just enough to move the needle this time around.

—

cate twining-ward is a senior correspondent at planet forward, a grand-prize winner of storyfest 2020, and a student at the george washington university.

phoenix – for some metro phoenix residents, the steady drumbeat of fourth of july fireworks were replaced with the high-pitched whine of electric motors as hundreds of drones took to the sky.

for the second fourth in a row, carefree sponsored a swarm of drones bearing led lights in lieu of a more traditional fireworks display. the display was at civana, which is a spa and resort in carefree.

there are several reasons to rely on drones, not the least of which is the risk of fire.

“we wouldn’t be able to do fireworks up in the dry desert like it is now,” mayor les peterson said. “we’re in the throes of year 20 of what could be a 30- to 50-year drought. so there’s no prospect, literally, of us being able to utilize fireworks in the foreseeable future.”

but that’s not the only local consideration driving interest in drone shows.

“up in (the) carefree, cave creek, north scottsdale area, a lot of people have horses, dogs, et cetera, and fireworks scares a lot of the animals,” peterson said. “we’ll have people call us and say, ‘our horses broke out, they were so spooked by fireworks.’

“another one is veterans. we’ve had veterans groups call us and say, ‘for someone with ptsd who’s been in a battlefield situation, the fireworks brings back all kinds of memories.’”

although the drone show is more expensive that traditional pyrotechnics, the mayor said, “they are immensely safer, and both easier on the environment and easier on animals.”

firefly drone shows of detroit put on civana’s fourth of july show. ryan sigmon, the company’s co-founder, said drone shows are the future, but not just because they can go where fireworks can’t. drone displays are more customizable than fireworks, he said.

“a lot of our clients love to do different formations or designs that fit their brand or their story that they’re trying to tell in the sky,” sigmon said. “it’s tough to compare it directly to fireworks because it’s such a different experience.”

the cost of a drone show depends on the production’s size, which can vary from 100 to 300 drones. sigmon wouldn’t give an exact cost but he said the price increases based on the level of customization.

“when we launched the company, our goal was never to revolutionize fireworks or compete against fireworks,” he said. “we definitely saw that there were some environmental aspects to what we did that were a bonus, especially where it comes to places like arizona.”

sigmon said the drone shows are a new form of media, “a new form of nighttime entertainment that has so much creative freedom… that really inspired us and motivated us to work towards this dream.”

——

republished with permission. see the original piece at cronkite news. for more stories from cronkite news, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org. follow them on twitter.

acid rain was first discovered by a scientist from england, but his work was not recognized until later on when connections were made between pollution and acid rain in canada, europe, north america, and australia. it can have impacts on ecosystems such as causing nutrients to be taken out of soil, eroding rock surfaces, and causing bodies of water to become more acidic. these impacts can be seen in the adirondacks, with the source of acid rain being coal-fueled power plants in the midwest.

the impacts that acid rain can have can be devastating to the surrounding ecosystems. air pollution has nitrogen oxides in it, which when combined with rain can easily enter bodies of water. when this happens, the nitrogen oxides can increase the rate at which aquatic plants reproduce. this can result in eutrophication, which is when other aquatic life, such as fish, suffocate and die off due to a lack of oxygen in the water. on land, acid rain has similar impacts. acid rain can alter the chemistry of forest soils, making them either more or less acidic. this change in soil chemistry can lead to different nutrients in the soil becoming more and less abundant. plant species depend on particular levels of nutrients, which must remain within a certain range for the plant to survive. the components in acid rain enter the soil when it falls, and disrupt the balance of nutrients, and can cause plant species to die off. acid rain can also impact rock surfaces. any kind of exposed rock surface can be eroded away by acid rain. this can have an impact on the structure of mountains, by weakening the exposed rock and altering its shape, as well as increasing the potential for landslides and rock falls. other rock surfaces such as gravestones and statues can be altered by acid rain as well.

the adirondacks were once greatly impacted by acid rain. in the 1970s, the scientists who made the connection between pollution and acid rain grasped the attention of governments, policymakers, the media, and the public. these groups of people realized the importance of this issue, and took action to further protect the environment from acid rain. these actions led to the creation of the first air pollution regulations ever created in the united states. these regulations called for the reduction of the emission of the chemical compounds that are the main components of acid rain. europe, australia, and other eastern countries were soon to follow in their air pollution regulation efforts.

since these new air pollution regulations were put in place, there has been a drastic change worldwide in the quality of the environments that were once severely impacted by acid rain. in the adirondacks alone, ecosystems both in the water and on land have greatly improved. waters have become less acidic and fish species that were once subjected to eutrophication have begun to recover and repopulate. plant species such as the sugar maple, which is iconic to the northeastern united states, have also made a recovery because of pollution regulation efforts.

places all around the world are being impacted by so much more than just acid rain. the adirondack park is only one example of a place being able to recover from something that once had such a negative impact. it has been proven time and time again that taking action, and being persistent, is an effective way for an issue to be resolved. it is up to us to speak up for what we think is wrong so we can be a part of the solution.

six years ago on a coarse, sandy beach, the calm breeze scooted light clouds across the beautiful, cape cod night sky. with the pouncing sand fleas nipping at your ankles, there stood my grandfather and myself.

grandude spent most of his life outdoors whenever he could. in a small town outside of boston, he was involved in the local boy scouts troop with my father, and his family would spend their free time in the white mountains or at any local beauty throughout new england. we grew up hearing his tales from the tops of the presidentials or the wild beaches of plum island.

despite spending my entire life in the urban sprawl of the windy city, my father passed grandude’s appreciation for the world onto my three brothers and me. we spent every summer traveling as a family across the country to visit national parks. we would talk about their importance as us peppy, young boys walked, talked, and hiked with our parents.

our family would escape the big lights of the city for the starry skies of the peninsula that is door county, wisconsin. we would be camping out with the wildlife and learning how to whittle tiny boats out of twigs or what proper trail etiquette was. in kindergarten, i remember sitting next to the lake with my father and brothers as my dad told us about the constellations, with my young mind wondering about the stunning views up above.

flash forward to the summer after graduating eighth grade: i had just received my first dslr camera from my mother, a professional photographer. immediately i began documenting everything in sight, and eventually also what was not so clear to the naked eye where i live.

the summer of 2012, grandude had noticed my passion for photography and invited me to join him after sunset at the nearby beach, where my brothers and cousins spent many hours as children. with our wobbly tripods jamming as the gritty sand snuck its way into the components of the camera stands, we turned our lenses to the heavens and i was shown how to photograph the stars.

this lesson quickly became an integral part of whenever i would travel – i always wanted to see how the stars would twinkle their lights across the world. i tried it on every camping trip, where i would be blessed with a sky lit up like in the movies. while in cities, my images reflected the blaring light from the streets, drowning out the heavenly horizons.

my interest in star photography developed from something to practice into a way for me to appreciate the magical things that the environment has to offer. while my eyes were on the skies throughout my camping and traveling during my late teenage years, my mind began to ponder the impacts of light pollution on viewing the beauty above. at the end of this story is an interactive map showing my astral documentations across the world since 2012.

piercing through the hazy, bright night skies of chicago, you can usually pick out a star or two on a good day thanks to the rampant light pollution found here. it’s only once you get outside of the urban sprawl that you can truly experience the greatness mother nature can provide, both in outer space and right here on earth.

we lost grandude in 2015 but his memories live on with me through my passion for nature and star photography. it is at this intersection where i feel like he is still most present, and i find much of my drive to do environmental reporting through his love for the environment.

from up above to the vast surface of our planet, i learned that it is incredibly important to do what is possible to preserve and protect the stunning landscapes that we all call home. through the vista of the skies seen in my experiences of photographing stars, i find inspiration to do my job as an environmental correspondent for planet forward by bringing light to sustainability news. as stunning as the sight of stars is, it is only attainable when pollution is not shrouding the views. this is almost poetically reflective of the beauty of the world despite the trials of unsustainable actions.

through the fleeting memories of nights on a beach with my grandfather and our cameras, i have been inspired to appreciate everything around me while understanding the gravity of what’s at stake with our planet’s at-risk state.

i, a 52-year-old male technician from oakville, ontario, canada, have created and built a working prototype hydrogen generator that mounts right in my van. it saves me about 80-90 percent on my fuel bills for this van. this van is a 2005 chevrolet express six-liter engine, and it used to love drinking gasoline. now it loves drinking hydrogen (water). it is an on-demand system. this means that no hydrogen is stored in or on the vehicle, which in my mind is the safest. it makes enough hydrogen to run the engine and its operating temperatures are lower than gasoline. the engine also supplies more horsepower. the end results are clean, drinkable water coming out of my tailpipe which is good for us all. i am doing my part to reduce the carbons that would be normally coming out of my tailpipe. now what about the rest of you? thank you for the opportunity during this amazing time in technologies.

terry jackson
oakville, ontario, canada.

matt raymond, the chief communications officer for metro, is the brainchild behind metro’s marketing push. “the key to putting together the group,” mr raymond said, referring to the in-house ad agency known as creative services, “was that we wanted to make public transportation cool.”

read more on embarq’s blog, thecityfix.com.

watch more videos from embarq: www.embarq.org/multimedia