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China's Diesel Trucks Are Shifting to Electric. This Could Change Global LNG and Diesel Demand.

China is rapidly replacing its aging diesel trucks with electric models, signaling a major shift in the world’s largest vehicle market

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — China is replacing its diesel trucks with electric models faster than expected, potentially reshaping global fuel demand and the future of heavy transport.In 2020, nearly all new trucks in China ran on diesel. By the first half of 2025, battery-powered trucks accounted for 22% of new heavy truck sales, up from 9.2% in the same period in 2024, according to Commercial Vehicle World, a Beijing-based trucking data provider. The British research firm BMI forecasts electric trucks will reach nearly 46% of new sales this year and 60% next year.Trucking has been considered hard to decarbonize since electric trucks with heavy batteries can carry less cargo than those using energy-dense diesel. Proponents of liquefied natural gas have viewed it as a less polluting option while technology for electric heavy vehicles matures.Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, is natural gas cooled to a liquid fuel for easy storage and transport. China’s trucking fleet, the world’s second-largest after the U.S., still mainly runs on diesel, but the landscape is shifting. Transport fuel demand is plateauing, according to the International Energy Agency and diesel use in China could decline faster than many expect, said Christopher Doleman, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. Electric trucks now outsell LNG models in China, so its demand for fossil fuels could fall, and "in other countries, it might never take off,” he said. Costs fall in China’s electric truck pivot The share of electrics in new truck sales, from 8% in 2024 to 28% by August 2025, has more than tripled as prices have fallen. Electric trucks outsold LNG-powered vehicles in China for five consecutive months this year, according to Commercial Vehicle World.While electric trucks are twice to three times more expensive than diesel ones and cost roughly 18% more than LNG trucks, their higher energy efficiency and lower costs can save owners an estimated 10% to 26% over the vehicle’s lifetime, according to research by Chinese scientists.“When it comes to heavy trucks, the fleet owners in China are very bottom-line driven,” Doleman said.Early sales were buoyed by generous government incentives like a 2024 scheme for truck owners to trade in old vehicles. Owners can get up to about $19,000 to replace older trucks with newer or electric models.Investments in charging infrastructure are also boosting demand for electric trucks.Major logistics hubs, including in the Yangtze River Delta, have added dedicated charging stations along key freight routes. Cities like Beijing and Shanghai have built heavy-duty charging hubs along highways that can charge trucks in minutes.CATL, the world’s largest maker of electric vehicle batteries, launched a time-saving battery-swapping system for heavy trucks in May and said it plans a nationwide network of swap stations covering 150,000 kilometers (about 93,000 miles) out of China's 184,000 kms (about 114,000 miles) of expressways. Global energy markets will feel the impact The surge in sales of electric trucks is cutting diesel use and could reshape future LNG demand, analysts say.Diesel consumption in China, the second-largest consumer of the fuel after the U.S., fell to 3.9 million barrels per day in June 2024, down 11% year-on-year and the largest drop since mid-2021, partly reflecting the shift to LNG and electric trucks, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.“The rise of China’s electric truck sector is one of the more under-reported stories in the global energy transition, especially given its potential impact on regional diesel trade flows,” said Tim Daiss of APAC Energy Consultancy.LNG truck sales peaked in Sept 2023 and March 2024 after China eased transport restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Liuhanzi Yang of ICCT Beijing. By June 2025, sales had slipped 6% as electric trucks gained ground.Shell’s 2025 LNG Outlook projects that demand for imported LNG in China, the world’s largest LNG importer, will continue to rise partly due to LNG trucks. It also suggests LNG trucking might expand to other markets, such as India.China’s electric trucks are already cutting oil demand by the equivalent of more than a million barrels a day, estimates the New York-based research provider Rhodium Group.But Doleman views LNG as a “transitional step” unlikely to be seen apart from in China, where a vast pipeline infrastructure, abundant domestic gas production and byproducts like coke oven gas created conditions conducive to LNG-fueled trucking not seen elsewhere. China’s is planning new emission standards for vehicles that will limit multiple pollutants and set average greenhouse gas targets across a manufacturer’s fleet. This will make it “almost impossible” for companies relying solely on fossil-fuel vehicles to comply, Yang said.A 2020 ICCT study found LNG-fueled trucks cut emissions by 2%-9% over 100 years but can be more polluting in the short run due to leaks of methane, a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. Modern diesel now nearly matches LNG in air-quality performance. China is eyeing the global electric truck market Already the world’s largest exporter of passenger cars, China is turning its sights to the global electric truck market. Chinese automakers have kept costs down and sped up truck manufacturing while ensuring different parts work seamlessly together with in-house production of most key components, from batteries to motors and electronics, said Bill Russo, founder and CEO of the Shanghai-based consultancy Automobility Limited. China's hyperactive delivery industry, particularly urban freight trucks, has been an early proving ground for these vehicles, he noted.In 2021-2023, exports of Chinese heavy-duty trucks including EVS to the Middle East and North Africa grew about 73% annually while shipments to Latin America rose 46%, according to a McKinsey & Company report. The share of electrics is expected to grow, though limited charging infrastructure could pose a challenge.China's Sany Heavy Industry says it will start exporting its electric trucks to Europe in 2026. It is has already exported some electric trucks to the U.S., Asian countries like Thailand and India, and the the United Arab Emirates, among others.In June, Chinese EV maker BYD broke ground in Hungary for an electric truck and bus factory, with an eye toward a mandatory European target of cutting carbon emissions from new trucks by 90% by 2040 compared to 2019 levels.Prices of zero-emission trucks in Europe must roughly halve to become affordable alternatives to diesel, according to another study in 2024 by McKinsey.Volvo told The Associated Press that it didn't comment on competitors but welcomed “competition on fair terms," while Scania did not respond.“Things are shaking up,” Daiss said. ___The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See – Nov. 2025

Climate
CO2
Energy

Onboard the world’s largest sailing cargo ship: is this the future of travel and transport?

The Neoliner Origin set off on its inaugural two-week voyage from France to the US with the aim of revolutionising the notoriously dirty shipping industryIt is 8pm on a Saturday evening and eight of us are sitting at a table onboard a ship, holding on to our plates of spaghetti carbonara as our chairs slide back and forth. Michel Péry, the dinner’s host, downplays the weather as a “tempête de journalistes” – something sailors would not categorise as a storm, but which drama-seeking journalists might refer to as such to entertain their readers.But after a white-knuckle night in our cabins with winds reaching 74mph or force 12 – officially a hurricane – Péry has to admit it was not just a “journalists’ storm”, but the real deal. Continue reading...

It is 8pm on a Saturday evening and eight of us are sitting at a table onboard a ship, holding on to our plates of spaghetti carbonara as our chairs slide back and forth. Michel Péry, the dinner’s host, downplays the weather as a “tempête de journalistes” – something sailors would not categorise as a storm, but which drama-seeking journalists might refer to as such to entertain their readers.But after a white-knuckle night in our cabins with winds reaching 74mph or force 12 – officially a hurricane – Péry has to admit it was not just a “journalists’ storm”, but the real deal.Part way through the journey the front sail had to be repaired. Photograph: Arthur Jacobs/NeolineI am onboard the Neoliner Origin, the world’s largest sailing cargo ship, for its two-week inaugural voyage from the west coast of France to Baltimore, Maryland, in the US. And it is not all plain sailing.By operating at a reduced speed, and chasing the wind, the Neoliner Origin’s goal is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared with an equivalent diesel-powered cargo ship – and in the process, chart a course to decarbonise the notoriously dirty shipping industry.It is being powered primarily by the two semi-rigid sails made from carbon and fibreglass and a backup diesel-electric engine.Onboard are eight passengers, more than a dozen crew and 1,204 tonnes of cargo, including 500,000 bottles of Hennessy cognac, container-loads of refrigerated French brioche, a dozen forklifts and eight hybrid Renault cars.I accepted the invitation to sail on the Neoliner Origin because, as an environmental writer, its first transatlantic journey happened to align with my own goal: to travel from my home in Berlin to visit my family in Canada without flying, in a bid to reduce my carbon footprint.Roughly 80% of goods traded worldwide are transported by ship, and the industry accounts for about 3% of global carbon emissions. If shipping were a country, it would be the world’s sixth-largest emitter. Much of the shipping industry also uses one of the dirtiest of all fossil fuels: called heavy fuel oil, or bunker fuel, it is the tar-like sludge found at the bottom of a barrel of refined oil.To do something real for the planet – it’s the dream of my lifeWind-powered cargo ships could even offer an alternative to flying, one of the most carbon-intensive activities. Though only 10% of the global population flies, aviation accounts for 2.5% of global emissions.“I’ve been dreaming about being captain on this ship for 15 years,” says one of the Neoliner Origin’s captains, Antonin Petit, who grew up sailing off Brittany with his family, collecting rubbish from the sea as they went along the French coast.Two semi-rigid sails made of carbon and fibreglass power the Neoliner Origin, which also has a backup diesel engine“To do something real for the planet by not burning any fuel oil into the atmosphere to carry goods by sea – it’s the dream of my life,” he says.Onboard, the days soon find their own rhythm: breakfast, lunch and dinner with the other passengers and crew in the dining room, meals often inspired by French cuisine, and always followed by a cheese plate. We entertain ourselves with card games in the passengers’ lounge and whale-watching from the top deck, where we spot fin whales and dolphins, as well as seabirds of all shapes and sizes.We are invited up to the bridge, where we learn that the engine is only being used at 20% to 50% of its capacity, which means the sails are doing their job and reducing fuel consumption.But three days into the journey, things take a turn. The top panel of one of the carbon sails cracks and then shatters, rendering it unusable – suspected to be due to a flaw in the design and dimensions of the panel.Dolphins were seen on the voyage, as well as fin whales. Photograph: Arthur Jacobs/NeolineThe sail cannot be repaired until we arrive in the tiny archipelago of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon off Canada’s coast a week later, when a team of five technicians fly in from France and painstakingly reconstruct the sail in a makeshift workshop in the cargo hold over the next five days.The front sail is still usable, so onward and westward we go. But this single sail throws the ambitious fuel and emissions reductions goals for the journey into disarray. The crew are forced to rely on the 4,000kW engine for the next 12 days of the crossing until Baltimore.It is also bad timing. We have navigated towards a low-pressure system, hoping to use the powerful winds to propel us. But the winds do not behave as the weather-forecasting software has modelled – a gap between prediction and reality that crew members say is becoming more common thanks to the effects of climate breakdown.Antonin Petit, one of Neoliner Origin’s captains. Photograph: Arthur Jacobs/NeolineInstead, the depression stops right on top of the ship and stays there for a day and a half, resulting in the slip-sliding dinner and leaving me relieved I remembered to pack sea sickness tablets.The new ship is still in its pilot phase, fresh from the shipyard, the crew reminds us, so hiccups are to be expected. For now, adventure is part of the cost of the journey.So is this really the future of transport and travel?According to research by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), 90% of shipping decarbonisation will require a switch from dirty bunker oil to greener fuels – renewable hydrogen, ideally – with the other 10% including efficiency improvements such as retrofitting sails to ships for wind-assisted propulsion.Bryan Comer, marine programme director with the ICCT, says: “There is an opportunity for wind-assisted propulsion to reduce fuel consumption and costs, which is useful because renewable hydrogen will be three to four times more expensive than fossil fuels.”For passenger ships, however, there is an additional cost – that of a ticket: a two-week crossing from Saint-Nazaire to Baltimore on Neoline costs €3,200 (£2,800).For cargo ships, using wind is not as simple as adding two sails, however. A cargo ship with sails must either be built from scratch – the Neoliner Origin cost €60m to build – or undergo an expensive retrofit.Neoliner Origin prepares to depart on its maiden voyage from Saint-Nazaire in Brittany. Photograph: A Jacobs/NeolineThere is also the question of size: the 136-metre-long roll-on, roll-off Neoliner Origin is the largest of a new wave of sailing cargo ships, but small compared with the 400-metre Suez canal-blocking behemoths used in international shipping.Wind propulsion can have a greater impact for smaller ships, but it would “require more of those ships to move the same amount of cargo,” says Comer.“So that doesn’t seem like a realistic pathway for international shipping, where things are just getting bigger and bigger.”Michaela onboard Neoliner Origin. Photograph: Arthur Jacobs/NeolineDespite the broken sail and low-pressure system, we arrive at the port of Baltimore only a day later than planned. Though Neoline will not publish its first set of data on its fuel consumption for another six months, estimates from the captain suggest that the ship reduced its fuel consumption by nearly half of what a conventional cargo ship would use, relying on just one sail and the engine. Neoliner Origin has sold more than 100 passenger tickets for further journeys over the next few months.After two weeks of adventure, I am happy to be reunited with terra firma. And the final accounting for my journey from Berlin to Ottawa without flying wound up as 22 days travelling over 9,500km (5,900 miles), through nine cities, with 30 hours spent on trains and 15 days on one very low-carbon and exciting cargo-ship crossing of the ocean.It was the end of my journey, but Petit sees the Neoliner Origin’s first crossing as not just the beginning of the ship’s life, but the culmination of decades of work. “I’m so proud to finally be here,” he says.To align his personal convictions with his professional life was worth waiting for, he says. “It’s a reconciliation of two parts of my life that were previously separate. Neoline allows me that – and we’ll try to strengthen that and make it last.”

Climate
Transportation

New Texas petrochemical facilities are mostly in low income areas, communities of color, study finds

Researchers evaluated the neighborhoods around 89 proposed or expanding petrochemical facilities across the state using a screening tool from the EPA.

Environment Researchers evaluated the neighborhoods around 89 proposed or expanding petrochemical facilities across the state using a screening tool from the EPA. David J. Phillip/APThis aerial photo shows the TPC petrochemical plant near downtown Houston, background, on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)A recent report from Texas Southern University found that new and expanding petrochemical facilities in Texas are overwhelmingly located in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Researchers evaluated the neighborhoods around 89 proposed or expanding petrochemical facilities across the state using a screening tool from the Environmental Protection Agency. They looked at air pollution and proximity to other "hazardous facilities" in the areas. Data related to the race, education, income level and languages within the areas was also collected. Sign up for the Hello, Houston! daily newsletter to get local reports like this delivered directly to your inbox. "The communities that are on the fenceline are getting pollution and they also are getting poverty," said Robert Bullard, one of the study's authors. "And also, if you look at the infrastructures within those neighborhoods that have these facilities, they are of poor quality." The report found that 9 in 10 of the facilities are located in counties with "higher demographic vulnerability" – meaning they had more people of color, more low-income residents, or both, compared to the state and national averages. Over half of the new facilities were slated to be built in communities that have a higher proportion of people of color than the national average. Meanwhile, 30% of the facilities were slated to be built in areas with a poverty rate higher than the national average. "Segregation and racial redlining actually segregated pollution, and it segregated people," Bullard said. The analysis also found that the proposed facilities were being built in areas that are already struggling with air pollution. About 1 in 5 of the proposed facilities are located within the top 10% of areas nationwide with the highest amount of particulate matter pollution, and 46% of the new facilities are slated to be built within the top 10% of communities across the country with the highest amount of air toxins. The facilities were concentrated in 9% of Texas counties, with nearly half of them located in Harris County or Jefferson County.

Chemicals
Education
Pollution

Introducing the MIT-GE Vernova Climate and Energy Alliance

Five-year collaboration between MIT and GE Vernova aims to accelerate the energy transition and scale new innovations.

MIT and GE Vernova launched the MIT-GE Vernova Energy and Climate Alliance on Sept. 15, a collaboration to advance research and education focused on accelerating the global energy transition.Through the alliance — an industry-academia initiative conceived by MIT Provost Anantha Chandrakasan and GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik — GE Vernova has committed $50 million over five years in the form of sponsored research projects and philanthropic funding for research, graduate student fellowships, internships, and experiential learning, as well as professional development programs for GE Vernova leaders.“MIT has a long history of impactful collaborations with industry, and the collaboration between MIT and GE Vernova is a shining example of that legacy,” said Chandrakasan in opening remarks at a launch event. “Together, we are working on energy and climate solutions through interdisciplinary research and diverse perspectives, while providing MIT students the benefit of real-world insights from an industry leader positioned to bring those ideas into the world at scale.”The energy of changeAn independent company since its spinoff from GE in April 2024, GE Vernova is focused on accelerating the global energy transition. The company generates approximately 25 percent of the world’s electricity — with the world’s largest installed base of over 7,000 gas turbines, about 57,000 wind turbines, and leading-edge electrification technology.GE Vernova’s slogan, “The Energy of Change,” is reflected in decisions such as locating its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts — in close proximity to MIT. In pursuing transformative approaches to the energy transition, the company has identified MIT as a key collaborator.A key component of the mission to electrify and decarbonize the world is collaboration, according to CEO Scott Strazik. “We want to inspire, and be inspired by, students as we work together on our generation’s greatest challenge, climate change. We have great ambition for what we want the world to become, but we need collaborators. And we need folks that want to iterate with us on what the world should be from here.”Representing the Healey-Driscoll administration at the launch event were Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper and Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development Eric Paley. Secretary Tepper highlighted the Mass Leads Act, a $1 billion climate tech and life sciences initiative enacted by Governor Maura Healey last November to strengthen Massachusetts’ leadership in climate tech and AI.“We're harnessing every part of the state, from hydropower manufacturing facilities to the blue-to-blue economy in our south coast, and right here at the center of our colleges and universities. We want to invent and scale the solutions to climate change in our own backyard,” said Tepper. “That’s been the Massachusetts way for decades.”Real-world problems, insights, and solutionsThe launch celebration featured interactive science displays and student presenters introducing the first round of 13 research projects led by MIT faculty. These projects focus on generating scalable solutions to our most pressing challenges in the areas of electrification, decarbonization, renewables acceleration, and digital solutions. Read more about the funded projects here.Collaborating with industry offers the opportunity for researchers and students to address real-world problems informed by practical insights. The diverse, interdisciplinary perspectives from both industry and academia will significantly strengthen the research supported through the GE Vernova Fellowships announced at the launch event.“I’m excited to talk to the industry experts at GE Vernova about the problems that they work on,” said GE Vernova Fellow Aaron Langham. “I’m looking forward to learning more about how real people and industries use electrical power.”Fellow Julia Estrin echoed a similar sentiment: “I see this as a chance to connect fundamental research with practical applications — using insights from industry to shape innovative solutions in the lab that can have a meaningful impact at scale.”GE Vernova’s commitment to research is also providing support and inspiration for fellows. “This level of substantive enthusiasm for new ideas and technology is what comes from a company that not only looks toward the future, but also has the resources and determination to innovate impactfully,” says Owen Mylotte, a GE Vernova Fellow.The inaugural cohort of eight fellows will continue their research at MIT with tuition support from GE Vernova. Find the full list of fellows and their research topics here.Pipeline of future energy leadersHighlighting the alliance’s emphasis on cultivating student talent and leadership, GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik introduced four MIT alumni who are now leaders at GE Vernova: Dhanush Mariappan SM ’03, PhD ’19, senior engineering manager in the GE Vernova Advanced Research Center; Brent Brunell SM ’00, technology director in the Advanced Research Center; Paolo Marone MBA ’21, CFO of wind; and Grace Caza MAP ’22, chief of staff in supply chain and operations.The four shared their experiences of working with MIT as students and their hopes for the future of this alliance in the realm of “people development,” as Mariappan highlighted. “Energy transition means leaders. And every one of the innovative research and professional education programs that will come out of this alliance is going to produce the leaders of the energy transition industry.”The alliance is underscoring its commitment to developing future energy leaders by supporting the New Engineering Education Transformation program (NEET) and expanding opportunities for student internships. With 100 new internships for MIT students announced in the days following the launch, GE Vernova is opening broad opportunities for MIT students at all levels to contribute to a sustainable future.“GE Vernova has been a tremendous collaborator every step of the way, with a clear vision of the technical breakthroughs we need to affect change at scale and a deep respect for MIT’s strengths and culture, as well as a hunger to listen and learn from us as well,” said Betar Gallant, alliance director who is also the Kendall Rohsenow Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. “Students, take this opportunity to learn, connect, and appreciate how much you’re valued, and how bright your futures are in this area of decarbonizing our energy systems. Your ideas and insight are going to help us determine and drive what’s next.”Daring to create the future we wantThe launch event transformed MIT’s Lobby 13 with green lighting and animated conversation around the posters and hardware demos on display, reflecting the sense of optimism for the future and the type of change the alliance — and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts — seeks to advance.“Because of this collaboration and the commitment to the work that needs doing, many things will be created,” said Secretary Paley. “People in this room will work together on all kinds of projects that will do incredible things for our economy, for our innovation, for our country, and for our climate.”The alliance builds on MIT’s growing portfolio of initiatives around sustainable energy systems, including the Climate Project at MIT, a presidential initiative focused on developing solutions to some of the toughest barriers to an effective global climate response. “This new alliance is a significant opportunity to move the needle of energy and climate research as we dare to create the future that we want, with the promise of impactful solutions for the world,” said Evelyn Wang, MIT vice president for energy and climate, who attended the launch.To that end, the alliance is supporting critical cross-institution efforts in energy and climate policy, including funding three master’s students in MIT Technology and Policy Program and hosting an annual symposium in February 2026 to advance interdisciplinary research. GE Vernova is also providing philanthropic support to the MIT Human Insight Collaborative. For 2025-26, this support will contribute to addressing global energy poverty by supporting the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) in its work to expand access to affordable electricity in South Africa.“Our hope to our fellows, our hope to our students is this: While the stakes are high and the urgency has never been higher, the impact that you are going to have over the decades to come has never been greater,” said Roger Martella, chief corporate and sustainability officer at GE Vernova. “You have so much opportunity to move the world in a better direction. We need you to succeed. And our mission is to serve you and enable your success.”With the alliance’s launch — and GE Vernova’s new membership in several other MIT consortium programs related to sustainability, automation and robotics, and AI, including the Initiative for New Manufacturing, MIT Energy Initiative, MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium, and Center for Transportation and Logistics — it’s evident why Betar Gallant says the company is “all-in at MIT.”The potential for tremendous impact on the energy industry is clear to those involved in the alliance. As GE Vernova Fellow Jack Morris said at the launch, “This is the beginning of something big.”

Energy
Climate
Education

Costa Rica Environmentalists Face Rising Threats and Harassment

Environmental activists in Costa Rica continue to face escalating threats, harassment, and legal intimidation as they challenge projects that harm ecosystems. Groups report a systematic pattern of repression, including public stigmatization, digital attacks, and abusive lawsuits meant to exhaust resources and silence opposition. In Puntarenas, billboards have appeared labeling local defenders as “persona non grata,” […] The post Costa Rica Environmentalists Face Rising Threats and Harassment appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

Environmental activists in Costa Rica continue to face escalating threats, harassment, and legal intimidation as they challenge projects that harm ecosystems. Groups report a systematic pattern of repression, including public stigmatization, digital attacks, and abusive lawsuits meant to exhaust resources and silence opposition. In Puntarenas, billboards have appeared labeling local defenders as “persona non grata,” a form of symbolic violence that isolates activists in their communities. Similar tactics include online campaigns spreading disinformation and gendered threats, particularly against women who speak out against coastal developments or illegal logging. Legal actions add another layer of pressure. Developers have sued content creators for posting videos that question the environmental impact of tourism projects, claiming defamation or false information. Organizations identify these as SLAPP suits—strategic lawsuits against public participation—designed to drain time and money through lengthy court processes rather than seek genuine redress. In recent cases, bank accounts have been frozen, forcing individuals to halt their work. The Federation for Environmental Conservation (FECON), Bloque Verde, and other groups link these incidents to broader institutional changes. The State of the Nation Report released this month documents sustained weakening of environmental bodies. Budget cuts and staff reductions at the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) have left larger protected areas with fewer resources. Policy shifts concentrate decision-making power while reducing scientific and community input. Activists argue this dismantling exposes water sources, forests, and biodiversity to greater risks. They point to rapid coastal development in areas like Guanacaste, where unplanned tourism strains wetlands and mangroves. Indigenous communities and rural defenders face added vulnerabilities, with reports of death threats tied to land recovery efforts. These pressures coincide with debates over resource extraction and regulatory rollbacks. Environmental organizations stress that protecting nature supports public health, jobs in sustainable tourism, and democratic rights. They maintain that freedom of expression and participation remain essential for holding projects accountable. Without stronger safeguards for defenders and reversal of institutional decline, groups warn that Costa Rica risks undermining its conservation achievements. They call for protocols to address threats, anti-SLAPP measures, and renewed commitment to environmental governance. Defending ecosystems, they say, equals defending the country’s future stability and justice. The post Costa Rica Environmentalists Face Rising Threats and Harassment appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

Activism
Conservation
Forests

Bhutan PM on leading the first carbon-negative nation: ‘The wellbeing of our people is at the centre of our agenda’

Exclusive: Tshering Tobgay says his country is doing ‘a lot more than our fair share’ on climate and west must cut emissions ‘for the happiness of your people’The wealthy western countries most responsible for the climate crisis would improve the health and happiness of their citizens by prioritising environmental conservation and sustainable economic growth, according to the prime minister of Bhutan, the world’s first carbon-negative nation.Bhutan, a Buddhist democratic monarchy and biodiversity hotspot situated high in the eastern Himalayas, is among the world’s most ambitious climate leaders thanks to its people’s connection with nature and a strong political focus on improving gross national happiness rather than just GDP, Tshering Tobgay told the Guardian. Continue reading...

The wealthy western countries most responsible for the climate crisis would improve the health and happiness of their citizens by prioritising environmental conservation and sustainable economic growth, according to the prime minister of Bhutan, the world’s first carbon-negative nation.Bhutan, a Buddhist democratic monarchy and biodiversity hotspot situated high in the eastern Himalayas, is among the world’s most ambitious climate leaders thanks to its people’s connection with nature and a strong political focus on improving gross national happiness rather than just GDP, Tshering Tobgay told the Guardian.“Even with our limited resources and huge geographical challenges, we have managed to prioritise climate action, social progress, cultural preservation and environmental conservation because the happiness and wellbeing of our people and our future generations is at the centre of our development agenda,” Tobgay said in an interview. “If we can do it, developed rich countries with a lot more resources and revenue can – and must do a lot more to reduce their emissions and fight the climate crisis.”Tshering Tobgay in 2016. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The GuardianAs the UN climate summit enters its final few days, Bhutan’s climate pledge stands out as among the most ambitious with mitigation efforts across every sector of the economy, including boosting energy generation from hydro, solar, wind, distributed energy resource systems and piloting green hydrogen, as well as enhanced efficiency and regulations for transport, buildings and agriculture.Bhutan is a landlocked nation sandwiched between India and China with a population of 750,000 people, about half of whom are subsistence farmers. In 2023, it became only the seventh country to graduate from the UN’s least developed country (LDC) category, thanks to significant progress over the last three decades since transitioning to democracy in areas such as poverty reduction, education and life expectancy.It did so not by tearing up environmental regulations to incentivise economic growth but rather by tightening standards and prioritising air, water and land quality. “For us, gross national happiness is the goal, and GDP is just a tool which means economic growth cannot be detrimental to the happiness and wellbeing of our people,” Tobgay said.But while lifting itself out of the LDC ranking represented an important milestone, it also reduced access to international climate finance, aid and technical assistance – even as climate shocks such as floods, drought and erratic rainfall increased.Bhutan has contributed negligibly to global heating, and 72% of the territory is forested, making it a crucial carbon sink. It is among only a handful of countries with plans that are fully or almost compliant with the Paris agreement goal of limiting global heating to 1.5C above preindustrial levels, according to the Climate Action Tracker.Bhutan’s focus on environmental and climate protection is not driven only by its commitment to the UN climate process. Bhutanese people believe their deities reside within all parts of the natural environment, which means forests and certain water bodies are off limits and mountaineering is banned. Bhutan is home to the highest unclimbed mountain, Gangkhar Puensum, which rises to more than 7,500 metres above sea level.An entire article of the young democracy’s constitution is dedicated to protecting the environment, requiring at least 60% of the country to be under forest cover. It mandates the government and every citizen to contribute to the protection of the natural environment, conservation of the rich biodiversity and prevention of all forms of ecological degradation.Tobgay said: “We are sequestering around five times the amount of carbon dioxide we emit We are taking care of our biodiversity, taking care of our forests. We are nature positive, carbon negative. Yet, because we are a landlocked mountainous country, we bear the brunt of climate change impacts.”Mountain ranges are warming faster than the global average, causing Bhutan’s glaciers to melt and lakes to overflow. Floods have already displaced farming communities and the cost of road maintenance has more than doubled.skip past newsletter promotionThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essentialPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionSeventy-two per cent of Bhutan’s territory is forested, making it a crucial carbon sink. Photograph: Suzanne Stroeer/Getty Images/Aurora Open“The developed world must do more to fulfil their moral and legal obligations. They must help the developing world adapt and reduce emissions by providing finance and resource and technology transfers, but most importantly they must reduce their own emissions,” Tobgay said. “Small countries like Bhutan, we are actually doing a lot more than our fair share. The effects of climate change are disastrous, even for rich countries.”Last year at Cop29, Bhutan led the launch of an alliance with Panama, Suriname and Madagascar, three other carbon-negative or carbon-neutral countries, with the aim of gaining greater recognition and influence at the UN climate talks for the oversized contribution they make to global climate action.“In all the climate change discussions, the focus is on promises for the future, not on actual results,” Tobgay said. “We want our contributions and foregone opportunities to be acknowledged and compensated. This would incentivise other countries to not just aspire but actually work towards carbon neutrality as soon as possible. Too often bad behaviour is recognised and rewarded and good behaviour is not seen, it’s taken for granted. We’ve got to reverse that.”Leaders of the so-called G-Zero countries held talks during the UN general assembly in New York in September and agreed on an inaugural summit in Bhutan next year to showcase and share climate solutions and deliver a message to the developed world, which is lagging behind.“So you may be an industrialised country, you’ve reaped the rewards and spread the benefits of industrialisation throughout the world, but it’s time to now take stock of where we are. You don’t need to reverse industrialisation and economic growth but you need to make it sustainable,” Tobgay said.“GDP is for what? Reducing carbon emissions is for what? It has to be for the happiness and wellbeing of your people. Earth will survive no matter what we do. The urgency to control global warming, to fight climate change, is for us people now and for our future generations.“We are taking care of our people, our economy is growing, and at the same time we’ve been able to take care of our environment. If such small developing countries can do it, there’s no excuse that larger countries cannot play bigger roles. After all, they are the leaders of the world.”

Climate
Conservation
Crisis

Artificial Intelligence Sparks Debate at COP30 Climate Talks in Brazil

Artificial intelligence is being cast as both a hero and a villain at the U.N. climate talks in Brazil

BELEM, Brazil (AP) — At the U.N. climate talks in Brazil, artificial intelligence is being cast as both a hero worthy of praise and a villain that needs policing.Tech companies and a handful of countries at the conference known as COP30 are promoting ways AI can help solve global warming, which is driven largely by the burning of fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal. They say the technology has the potential to do many things, from increasing the efficiency of electrical grids and helping farmers predict weather patterns to tracking deep-sea migratory species and designing infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather.Climate groups, however, are sounding the alarm about AI's growing environmental impact, with its surging needs for electricity and water for powering searches and data centers. They say an AI boom without guardrails will only push the world farther off track from goals set by 2015 Paris Agreement to slow global warming.“AI right now is a completely unregulated beast around the world,” said Jean Su, energy justice director at the Center for Biological Diversity.On the other hand, Adam Elman, director of sustainability at Google, sees AI as “a real enabler" and one that's already making an impact.If both sides agree on anything, it's that AI is here to stay.Michal Nachmany, founder of Climate Policy Radar, which runs AI tools that track issues like national climate plans and funds to help developing countries transition to green energies like solar and wind, said there is “unbelievable interest” in AI at COP30.“Everyone is also a little bit scared,” Nachmany said. “The potential is huge and the risks are huge as well.”The rise of AI is becoming a more common topic at the United Nations compared to a few years ago, according to Nitin Arora, who leads the Global Innovation Hub for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the framework for international climate negotiations.The hub was launched at COP26 in Glasgow to promote ideas and solutions that can be deployed at scale, he said. So far, Arora said, those ideas have been dominated by AI.The Associated Press counted at least 24 sessions related to AI during the Brazil conference's first week. They included AI helping neighboring cities share energy, AI-backed forest crime location predictions and a ceremony for the first AI for Climate Action Award — given to an AI project on water scarcity and climate variability in the Southeast Asian nation of Laos.Johannes Jacob, a data scientist with the German delegation, said a prototype app he is designing, called NegotiateCOP, can help countries with smaller delegations — like El Salvador, South Africa, Ivory Coast and a few in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — process hundreds of official COP documents.The result is “leveling the playing field in the negotiations," he said.In a panel discussion, representatives from AI giants like Google and Nvidia spoke about how AI can solve issues facing the power sector. Elman with Google stressed the “need to do it responsibly" but declined to comment further.Nvidia's head of sustainability, Josh Parker, called AI the “best resource any of us can have."“AI is so democratizing," Parker said. “If you think about climate tech, climate change and all the sustainability challenges we’re trying to solve here at COP, which one of those challenges would not be solved better and faster, with more intelligence.”Princess Abze Djigma from Burkina Faso called AI a “breakthrough in digitalization” that she believes will be even more critical in the future.Bjorn-Soren Gigler, a senior digital and green transformation specialist with the European Commission, agreed but noted AI is “often seen as a double-edge sword” with both huge opportunities and ethical and environmental concerns. Booming AI use raises concerns The training and deploying of AI models rely on power-hungry data centers that contribute to emissions because of the electricity needed. The International Energy Agency has tracked a boom in energy consumption and demand from data centers, especially in the U.S.Data centers accounted for around 1.5% of the world’s electricity consumption in 2024, according to the IEA, which found that their electricity consumption has grown by around 12% per year since 2017, more than four times faster than the rate of total electricity consumption.The environmental impact from AI, specifically the operations of data centers, also includes the consumption of large amounts of water in water-stressed states, according to Su with the Center for Biological Diversity, who has studied how the data center boom threatens U.S. climate goals.Environmental groups at COP30 are pushing for regulations to soften AI’s environmental footprint, such as mandating public interest tests for proposed data centers and 100% on-site renewable energy at them.“COP can not only view AI as some type of techno solution, it has to understand the deep climate consequences," Su said.Associated Press writer Seth Borenstein in Belem, Brazil, contributed to this report.The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.orgThis story was produced as part of the 2025 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

Climate
Energy
Technology

Data centers are the desert’s thirsty new neighbor

In arid New Mexico, a massive data center campus promises jobs, but residents fear it will drain their most precious resource: water

Words by Annie Rosenthal | Edited by Kate SchimelSunland Park, New Mexico, is not a notably online community. Retirees have settled in mobile homes around the small border town, just over the state line from El Paso. Some don’t own computers — they make their way to the air-conditioned public library when they need to look something up.Soon, though, the local economy could center around the internet: County officials have approved up to $165 billion in industrial revenue bonds to help developers build a sprawling data center campus just down the road.“Project Jupiter” is the latest in a tidal wave of data center projects popping up across the country. Once built, the giant buildings full of computer hardware work 24/7 to power artificial intelligence and web searches for tech companies. Developers BorderPlex Digital Assets and STACK Infrastructure have been the public faces of Project Jupiter — but last week, after local officials voted to support the effort, tech giants OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank revealed that they’ll be the clients for the campus. In a press release, they announced that the project is part of their Stargate initiative, which includes plans to invest $500 billion in new AI infrastructure in the next few years. The agreement approved by Doña Ana County commissioners on September 19 will allow developers to avoid paying property taxes on Project Jupiter for 30 years. In exchange, the companies are pledging $360 million in payments to the county over that period — plus more than $50 million for local infrastructure improvements. They say they’ll hire 2,500 people to build the campus, starting later this year, and then 750 for permanent roles, all prioritizing locals.That’s a big deal for Doña Ana County. Here, where the Rio Grande peels away from the Mexican border, a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line. Sunland Park’s most prominent business is a racetrack and casino complex that looks out on a long string of strip malls leading into the desert below Mount Cristo Rey. To the west, the small town of Santa Teresa — the proposed home for Project Jupiter — has worked for decades to court development around its port of entry to rural Chihuahua.But in a few short weeks, the deal has generated intense controversy. Like the residents of dozens of other U.S. communities facing the arrival of a data center, many in Doña Ana County are wary. A large data center could use millions of gallons of drinking water a day to keep its equipment cool, and the industry already accounts for more than 4% of total U.S. electricity consumption in a given year.Project Jupiter’s developers have promised to build their own microgrid and said they’ll use a small fraction of that water, but residents are urging caution.Residents of Sunland Park, New Mexico, gathered in August at the local library to discuss the effects that a proposed $165 billion data center might have on their community. Photo by Alberto Silva Fernandez/Puente News Collaborative & High Country NewsPalabraIn late August, about 15 people from Sunland Park and organizers from the nonprofit Empowerment Congress of Doña Ana County met at the library to discuss the proposal. “I don’t understand much of the technology,” said attendee Alma Márquez, in Spanish. “But we have a lot of basic needs here in Sunland Park.”The city started as a group of colonias — unplanned settlements that emerged along the border in the 1980s and ’90s when developers sold off plots for low prices, often without ensuring that residents would have basic services. Decades later, people here and in Santa Teresa are still struggling to access clean water.“This thing that’s coming consumes a lot of power, a lot of water,” Márquez said. “What’s going to happen with us, with that water we need (to be) clean?” Looking around the room, she asked, “And why here?”Santa Teresa has long harbored dreams of becoming a hub for cross-border industry. BorderPlex Digital says its location on the edge of two states and two countries makes it a particularly attractive place to invest. “We firmly believe that the next wave of frontier tech belongs on the American frontier,” the company’s CEO said in a press release.But the county’s colonia residents aren’t convinced. Even as their leaders give developers the green light, they’re joining a growing number of communities around the country that see data centers as a threat, not a boon.‘I don’t want a PowerPoint presentation that just says, ‘Don’t worry, we’re not going to use that much water.’ And I think the community deserves to know.’The proposed site for Project Jupiter is a flat stretch of scrub along the highway just north of the port of entry. Its closest neighbors include a set of industrial parks built to complement the maquiladoras across the border, and a new solar plant where thousands of panels point skyward.As data centers proliferate, many are landing in rural or exurban areas like this, where open space abounds. And local leaders are often eager to welcome them. When Gov. Michelle Luján Grisham first announced a partnership with BorderPlex Digital in February, she called it an opportunity to “position New Mexico as a leader in digital infrastructure.” In the same press release, Davin López, president of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance, wrote that Project Jupiter is “precisely the type of development we’ve been working to attract — one that leverages innovation to strengthen our position as a key player in global trade.”In the earliest phases of the AI boom, such developments were often quietly approved, with limited public input or outcry. But that’s changing. Data Center Watch, an industry research firm, has counted $64 billion of data center projects that have been delayed or paused in just two years amid local opposition.Construction near a housing development in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, not far from the proposed site for “Project Jupiter.” Photo by Alberto Silva Fernandez/Puente News Collaborative & High Country NewsPalabraProtests started in Virginia, currently the data center capital of the world. But as the industry moves west, it’s facing increasing backlash in states from Texas to Oregon to California. In Cascade Locks, Oregon, voters recalled two local officials for supporting a $100 million data center. In Mesa, Arizona, the city government just passed new regulations restricting data center construction. The California legislature is currently considering multiple bills focused on data center energy use.As the research group Data Center Watch notes, opposition cuts across party lines, with frustrated neighbors criticizing everything from tax breaks and rising utility costs to noise pollution and decreasing property values. In the arid Borderlands, water use tops the list of concerns. This summer, when Amazon attempted to quietly push through a massive data center near Tucson, hundreds of people showed up to city council meetings, bearing pamphlets that said, “Protect our water future.”In Doña Ana County, the opposition has been led by colonia residents focused on an already too-dry present. In early 2024, after residents reported slimy water coming from their taps, a state investigation found dozens of violations by the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) — including evidence that the utility had been bypassing arsenic treatment for over a year, selling contaminated water to more than 19,000 customers. The county has since announced plans to end its relationship with CRRUA, and the state has sued the utility over a decade of mismanagement. But residents cite continued issues with their water: yellow discoloration, sediment in the stream, and taps that barely drip despite escalating bills.Paulina Reyna speaks at a gathering of Doña Ana County residents in Sunland Park. Photo by Alberto Silva Fernandez/Puente News Collaborative & High Country NewsPalabraAt the library in Sunland Park, Joe Anthony Martínez, 76, pointed to scars on his neck, where a surgeon removed skin cancer that he believes was caused by the water. Unwilling to trust the tap, he and his wife have spent years paying for filtered water. Now, as the county and city work towards establishing a new utility system, they worry that even if the water improves, it will go to the data center.“We don’t want any of that,” Martínez said in Spanish. “What we want is quality water.”As concerns about data centers’ resource use gain traction, the industry is working quickly to demonstrate its environmental consciousness. BorderPlex Digital says Project Jupiter will minimize water use by employing a cooling system that recycles water, rather than the more traditional system that evaporates it. A company spokesperson said in an email that their partner firm, STACK, currently operates data centers in Oregon using the same technology. “The closed-loop cooling system requires only a one-time fill-up and will therefore limit ongoing water use to domestic needs of employees (similar to an office building with 750 employees),” he wrote. According to documents detailing the agreement between developers and the county, “ongoing operations” for the campus will rely on treated drinking water provided by the county and CRRUA, the utility that county officials plan to replace. In a public meeting, developers said that the initial fill would require about 10 million gallons of water, and that the system would use 7.2 million gallons annually. Daily water use for the campus will average around 20,000 gallons a day, capped at 60,000. Daisy Maldonado, director of the civic engagement group Empowerment Congress, remains skeptical. “I want scientific reports about how a closed-loop system works and what is the level of water evaporation and recharge needed every year,” she said. “I don’t want a PowerPoint presentation that just says, ‘Don’t worry, we’re not going to use that much water.’ And I think the community deserves to know.”Empowerment Congress director Daisy Maldonado says she is concerned that the massive infrastructure complex will cause more issues with the local water supply. Photo by Alberto Silva Fernandez/Puente News Collaborative & High Country NewsPalabraWhile the state of New Mexico announced the BorderPlex Digital partnership in February, many in Doña Ana County didn’t learn about Project Jupiter until details of the plan were unveiled in late August, just weeks before commissioners planned a final vote on the bond proposal.At a county meeting on August 26, commissioners tried to assuage residents’ concerns. “One of the things that we insist on as part of this discussion is that … this data center is not going to have a negative impact on the water situation down in Santa Teresa and in Sunland Park,” County Commissioner Shannon Reynolds said, according to El Paso Matters. “If it does, then I promise you, we will be on top of it.”Over the following weeks, however, local tensions around the project rose. Early last month, Reynolds posted on Facebook the names of dozens of people who submitted public comments in opposition to the project.In a press release, the New Mexico Environmental Law Center called the post “An act of intimidation intended to deter participation and silence community members exercising their right to participate in public and government processes.” Reynolds did not respond to a request for comment, but said on Facebook that he was naming the residents to thank them publicly.Leading up to the scheduled vote, developers launched a website outlining their pitch and hosted a series of community meetings around the county. Dozens of people showed up to ask questions — and as the public hearing neared, residents on both sides of the issue pushed for more time to get answers. On September 16, the city of Sunland Park joined calls to delay the vote, saying its leaders hadn’t had a chance to fully assess the proposal.But developers reportedly said postponing the decision would mean losing the development altogether. On September 19, after hours of heated debate in public comment and multiple requests from one commissioner to delay, county commissioners went ahead with the vote, approving the bond proposal 4-1.To Daisy Maldonado, the decision wasn’t a surprise — but it did feel like a betrayal. She said she had hoped the county would ask more questions about the kinds of development it seeks. Driving down McNutt Road, the main thoroughfare through Sunland Park, she pointed out more than a dozen cannabis dispensaries. A total of 43 have filled vacant storefronts and warehouses in the city since New Mexico legalized the drug in 2021, catering to customers from across the state line.“You know how many grocery stores are in the city of Sunland Park, in Santa Teresa?” she asked. “It might be one. For a community of almost 20,000 people.”She sighed.“So how is New Mexico taking care of its residents? They’re failing the people in Sunland Park, in Santa Teresa, because all they can see is the dollar signs.”—Annie Rosenthal is the Virginia Spencer Davis fellow at High Country News, where she covers migration, rural communities, and life in the borderlands. She was previously the border reporter at Marfa Public Radio, and her work has appeared in or on NPR, Marketplace, Politico Magazine, and the Washington Post, among other publications. She’s based in Marfa, Texas. @AnnieRosenthal8Alberto Silva Fernandez is a bilingual photojournalist based in El Paso, Texas. He has worked at the student newspaper The Prospector as the Photo Editor and as Editor in Chief, and was a photojournalism intern with the El Paso Times from April 2023 to December 2023. His coverage of events includes the Aug. 3rd, 2019, Walmart mass shooting, and high school and collegiate sports. His goal is to capture moments of his community through photography, and to continue the efforts of honest and passionate journalism. @albert.sf08Kate Schimel is the news and investigations editor at High Country News. She lives in Bozeman, Montana. @kateschimelIf you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Water
Business
Government

‘Sustainable’ Cambridge busway will cause irreversible ecological harm, inquiry told

Planned route linking Cambourne to Cambridge will go through one of county’s last traditional orchards A £160m busway scheduled to be built through one of Cambridgeshire’s last traditional orchards would cause irreversible ecological harm, a public inquiry has been told.The plans being examined for an off-road busway linking Cambourne to Cambridge follows a route through Coton Orchard, a 24-hectare (60-acre) orchard and nationally recognised priority habitat. A public inquiry, held by planning inspectors appointed by the transport secretary, is examining the scheme until 21 November. Continue reading...

A £160m busway scheduled to be built through one of Cambridgeshire’s last traditional orchards would cause irreversible ecological harm, a public inquiry has been told.The plans being examined for an off-road busway linking Cambourne to Cambridge follows a route through Coton Orchard, a 24-hectare (60-acre) orchard and nationally recognised priority habitat. A public inquiry, held by planning inspectors appointed by the transport secretary, is examining the scheme until 21 November.Coton Orchard is one of the county’s last large traditional orchards, home to century-old Bramley trees, rare moths, bats, birds and butterflies. Its age and structure mean it is classed as an irreplaceable habitat under national planning policy.The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) and Cambridgeshire county council, who are proposing the route, say the busway is essential for housing growth, congestion reduction and sustainable travel.But more than 24,000 people have signed a petition opposing it, and Coton parish council has proposed an alternative using an on-road section of the A1303, with targeted bus priority. “The community does not feel they have been listened to,” said Coton parish councillor Carolyn Postgate. “They fear a massive waste of public money: people believe that the on-road solution is, on balance, a much better solution.”Anna Gazeley, whose family has owned the site for generations, said the scheme was “sacrilege” when viable alternatives exist. “To sacrifice a century-old orchard for no discernible public good is unthinkable,” she said.There is particular disagreement over the issue of biodiversity loss. GCP said it had “voluntarily committed to delivering 20% biodiversity net gain (BNG) across its infrastructure programme” and that Coton Orchard had been assessed “using the statutory Defra metric”. It said only 0.42 hectares qualified as traditional orchard habitat, and three trees had been deemed “irreplaceable” and would be “translocated”.However, chartered ecologist Dominic Woodfield told the inquiry that GCP’s consultants, WSP, misclassified large areas of the orchard as grassland, even though “most of the site falls squarely within the priority habitat definition”, and had “disregarded trees”, including veterans. This had “a very, very profound impact” on the BNG score, because grassland is replaceable and can be offset elsewhere.Gazely told the inquiry: “You cannot replace a habitat that has taken decades to form with credits from another council-owned site … species that rely on these trees will simply disappear.”GCP said the scheme was necessary to accommodate housing expansion, with thousands of new homes and jobs coming to the area. They said it would help unlock developments such as the 3,500-home Bourn airfield site, whose planning consent requires the busway once the first 500 homes are built. They said they have “thoroughly assessed other options, including on existing roads, but found these won’t give people the same benefits as our scheme.”The inquiry is taking place as the government advances its planning and infrastructure bill, aimed at accelerating the delivery of housing and infrastructure. Environmental groups warn it could weaken protections for irreplaceable habitats, saying developers should be required to avoid harm on site, rather than relying on off-site biodiversity offsetting.Inspectors will submit recommendations to the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, after evidence concludes on 21 November. Environmental groups say the decision could set a national precedent for how irreplaceable habitats are treated in future infrastructure schemes.

Sustainable
Government
Waste

Agriculture Linked To Melanoma Cluster In Pennsylvania

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Nov. 18, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A melanoma cluster found in the heart of Pennsylvania farm country...

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Nov. 18, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A melanoma cluster found in the heart of Pennsylvania farm country has highlighted potential links between agriculture and skin cancer.Adults 50 and older living in a 15-county stretch of south-central Pennsylvania were 57% more likely to develop melanoma than people living elsewhere in the state, researchers reported Nov. 14 in the journal JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics.The risk wasn’t limited to farm workers who spend their days toiling in the sun, either. Risk was higher in both rural and metropolitan areas located near active farmland, and the risk remained even after researchers accounted for residents’ exposure to ultraviolet radiation.“Melanoma is often associated with beaches and sunbathing, but our findings suggest that agricultural environments may also play a role,” researcher Dr. Charlene Lam, an associate professor of dermatology at Penn State Health across several locations in central Pennsylvania, said in a news release.“And this isn’t just about farmers. Entire communities living near agriculture, people who never set foot in a field, may still be at risk,” Lam said.For the study, researchers analyzed five years of cancer registry data from 2017 through 2021 in Pennsylvania.They found that counties in the melanoma clusters had more cultivated farmland — an average of 20% versus 7% for non-cluster counties.For every 10% in the amount of cultivated land in a region, melanoma cases rose by 14%, results show.Melanoma also coincided with more use of herbicides, researchers said, with an average 17% of herbicide-treated land in cluster counties versus less than 7% in non-cluster counties.Every 9% increase in herbicide use corresponded to a 14% increase in melanoma cases, researchers said."Pesticides and herbicides are designed to alter biological systems,” senior researcher Eugene Lengerich, a professor of public health sciences at Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania said in a news release. “Some of those same mechanisms, like increasing photosensitivity or causing oxidative stress, could theoretically contribute to melanoma development.”Previous studies have found that pesticides and herbicides heighten sensitivity to sunlight, disrupt immune function and damage DNA in animals and plants — all of which might increase melanoma risk in humans, researchers noted.The researchers noted that the risk isn’t limited to farm workers applying herbicides to a field. These chemicals can drift through the air, settle in household dust and seep into water supplies.“Our findings suggest that melanoma risk could extend beyond occupational settings to entire communities,” Lam said. “This is relevant for people living near farmland. You don’t have to be a farmer to face environmental exposure.”Similar patterns have been found in agricultural regions in Utah, Poland and Italy, researchers noted.However, researchers noted that the new study doesn’t prove a cause-and-effect link between agriculture and melanoma, but only shows an association."Think of this as a signal, not a verdict,” lead researcher Benjamin Marks, a medical student at the Penn State College of Medicine in Pittsburgh, said in a news release.“The data suggest that areas with more cultivated land and herbicide use tend to have higher melanoma rates, but many other factors could be at play like genetics, behavior or access to health care,” Marks said. “Understanding these patterns helps us protect not just farmers, but entire communities living near farmland.”In the meantime, people who live near agricultural areas should protect themselves from melanoma by performing regular skin checks, slopping on sunscreen, and slipping on hats and clothing to protect against sun exposure, Lengerich said.SOURCES: Penn State, news release, Nov. 14, 2025; JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, Nov. 14, 2025Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Agriculture
Health
Chemicals

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