Maddie Maffia 
Highlights: As of January 1, 2020, new houses in California are required to install rooftop solar. “One utility, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, has asked regulators to approve a plan that says builders in its territory can comply with the solar mandate by subscribing to the utility’s community solar programs instead of putting solar on every … Read more
by Carolyn Fortuna, Clean Technica, January 20, 2020 Highlights: The littlest state in the US has set the biggest goals for renewable energy. Democratic governor Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island signed an executive order this month calling for an end to fossil fuel dependence in Rhode Island by 2030 The governor outlined her goal of … Read more
Highlights: A report found that the top methane point source polluters are landfills. The three landfill operators, Republic Services, Waste Connections and Waste Management, “represent 26.8% of all methane from California facilities – the warming equivalent of more than 725,000 cars on the road annually.” The large emitters have plans to offset their emissions generated … Read more
by Damian Carrington, The Guardian, January 22, 2020 Highlights: The report highlights that every person’s ecological footprint equates to 13 tonnes of materials per year Half of the 100.6 billion tonnes of material consumed in 2017 were sand, clay, gravel, and cement Only 8.6% of the material consumed is recycled and this percentage is falling … Read more
by Matt McFarland, CNN Business, January 22, 2020 Highlights: GM and Honda have engineered a new 6-seat electric vehicle, the Origin, that drives itself The self-driving car isn’t for sale but is rather available for rides through a ride-share app The six-seat electric vehicle has no steering wheel, brake or accelerator pedals, windshield wipers or … Read more
by Carly Cassella, Science Alert, January 21, 2020 Highlights: According to data from more than 20,000 weather stations and Antarctic research stations, 2019 was the second-hottest year ever recorded, beaten only by 2016 The earth has continually warmed since the 1960’s Since 1750, the global annual mean CO2 level has gone up by 46 percent Rapid … Read more
by Jana Randow, Bloomberg Green, January 20, 2020 Highlights: Climate change threatens to provoke “green swan” events that could trigger a systemic financial crisis unless authorities act against such risks, according to the Bank for International Settlements Many central banks already contribute to the effort by monitoring climate-related risks through stress tests, incorporating environmental, social … Read more
by Jennifer Nastu, Environmental Leader, January 20, 2020 Highlights: A report published last summer from Ethical Markets showed an upward trend in private “green” investments worldwide and claimed these investments equal a cumulative $10.387 trillion as of 2019 68 out of the 153 active ESG managed US stocks didn’t make Barron’s list of the most … Read more
by Alyssa Danigelis, Environmental Leader, January 20, 2020 Highlights: The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland is providing sustainable aviation fuel for its arriving business jets Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has an 80% smaller carbon footprint compared to normal aviation fuel The use of the SAF is meant to demonstrate that the fuel is available, … Read more
by Chris D’Angelo, Grist, January 19, 2020 Highlights: The United Nations proposal outlines the need for world governments to protect nearly one-third of all lands and oceans and slash major sources of pollution by the end of the decade, in addition to a major reduction in emissions A United Nations report in May found that … Read more
