Climate Change Superfund Act Becomes Law in New York
New York has officially become the second state in America to require fossil fuel companies to pay for costs associated with infrastructure damage that has led to climate change. At the end of December 2024, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Climate Change Superfund Act into law.
Over the next 25 years, fossil fuel companies must pay a total of $75 billion into a fund that will be used to improve stormwater systems, coastal infrastructure, and more. Vermont and New York are setting an example for other states interested in making companies pay for polluting the environment.
Upon signing this landmark legislation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “By ensuring those responsible for historic climate-altering emissions bear the costs of the significant health, environmental, and economic impacts already being passed on to New Yorkers, this law will complement the State’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help communities adapt to the climate-driven impacts experienced today, and leverage the significant investments the Governor is making in climate resilience.”
An Insightful, Reflective Commentary About Vanilla Beans
The New York Times has published an audio essay titled “The Secrets of the World’s Favorite Smell.” Available on the NYT’s ‘The Opinions’ website, as well as popular streaming services such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music, this intriguing audio essay is described as “an ode to the vanilla bean.” Writer Aimee Nezhukumatathil details why this fragrant, beloved plant is in danger due to ongoing climate change.
She emphasizes the labor-intensive process of harvesting vanilla beans, stating, “Farmers today grow about four and a half million pounds of dried vanilla beans annually, but it takes about 300 hand pollinated orchid blossoms to produce just one pound.”
This is one of many fascinating insights Nezhukumatathil offers during the audio essay, which is approximately 10 minutes in length.
Why Transparent Wood Could Promote a More Sustainable Future
Knowable Magazine has published an article exploring the benefits of transparent wood and how this sustainable material can be just as strong as glass.
The article explores how scientists studying transparent wood believe that it could be used to create :
“super-strong screens for smartphones; in soft, glowing light fixtures; and even as structural features, such as color-changing windows.” Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture calls transparent wood “one of most promising materials of the future.”
If transparent wood is eventually brought to market, it could lower energy costs and underscore the ongoing importance of embracing renewable resources with low carbon emissions.
Scientists Find a Way to Use Genetics to Reduce Food Waste
A new study released by the University of California – Riverside explains how scientists have discovered a way to remove toxic compounds from potatoes.
These chemical compounds—steroidal glycoalkaloids, or SGAs for short—protect potatoes from insects. UC Riverside molecular biochemist Adam Jozwiak, who led the study, said:
“These compounds are critical for plants to ward off insects, but they make certain parts of these crops inedible. Now that we’ve uncovered the biosynthetic pathway, we can potentially create plants that produce these compounds only in the leaves while keeping the edible parts safe."
If the potato plant’s natural defenses can be preserved and their toxicity reduced, researchers feel confident that this will make potatoes much easier to store as well as safer to eat. The aforementioned article further notes that:
“the breakthrough could cut food waste and enhance crop farming in extreme environments, like outer space.”
Celebrating Newly Discovered Plants, Animals, and Fungi That Call Earth Home
Often, we find ourselves lamenting over the species we’ve lost—but what about the species we’ve discovered? BBC recently published an article titled “Vampire Hedgehogs, Pirate Spiders and Fishy Fungi - The Strangest New Species of 2024.” This optimistic article begins with the following line:
“From the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the mountains of Vietnam, thousands of weird and wonderful new plants, animals and fungi have been discovered all over the world this year.”
Indeed, throughout 2024, scientists and researchers made rare and sometimes even “shocking” discoveries. Take the blob-headed fish, for example, that was found within a rock mountain stream in northwest Peru. These and other discoveries are a fantastic reminder that there’s so much biodiversity throughout the world to not only admire but also strive to protect in 2025 and beyond.
