2024 C.E.

Second Japanese high court rules in favor of same-sex marriage

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A Tokyo high court in Japan recently ruled that the government’s policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The ruling marks the second time that one of the nation’s eight regional high courts has ruled in favor of marriage equality. The Tokyo high court ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is “a groundless legal discrimination based on sexual orientation” that violates the constitutionally guaranteed right to equality and dignity regardless of sex.

Coal pollution

German coal use plunges nearly 40% in 2024

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In the first nine months of 2024, the consumption of hard coal in power plants to generate electricity fell by 39% compared to the same period the previous year. This was a result of an overall decrease in electricity generation, an increase in electricity production from renewables, and increased electricity purchasing from neighboring countries. Overall energy use also continued to fall and is set to reach a new annual record low since Germany’s reunification in 1990.

Colombian woman in traditional clothing weaving looking at the camera

Colombia’s new decree recognizes Indigenous people as environmental authorities

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Indigenous peoples in Colombia have been granted the authority to protect, manage, and conserve biodiversity within their territories according to their knowledge. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has issued a decree that lays out the standards required for Indigenous authorities to issue regulations regarding the protection, preservation, use, and management of natural resources in their territories and effective coordination with state authorities. These powers will be exercised according to their self-government structures.

Cattle

Brazil fines meat ranchers and packers $64 million for raising and purchasing cattle from deforested Amazon

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IBAMA, Brazil’s environmental protection agency, has fined meat packers and cattle ranchers — including the largest on the planet, JBS — $64 million for buying or raising cattle on illegally deforested land in the Amazon rainforest. The agency said 69 properties had been identified that had sold a total of 18,000 cattle who had been raised on deforested land. They also found 23 meat packing companies that had bought the cattle in Amazonas and Para states. Cattle ranching is the biggest driver of deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.

Professional workers clean and inspect solar panels on a floating buoy. Power plant with water

China adds unprecedented 160 GW of solar power in first 3 quarters of 2024

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China has added a total of 160 GW of solar power so far this year. Putting that total into some context, China hit a total, country-wide solar power capacity of 770 GW in August. After years of installing more solar power than any other nation, the first 9 months of this year accounted for roughly 20% of China’s total solar installations and roughly 10% of humanity’s total solar installations, a truly astounding and record-breaking amount. China yet again has proven itself as the undisputed global leader in renewable energy.

Salmon run

Salmon return to Klamath River for first time in 112 years

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On October 16, biologists with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife spotted the fish above the former site of the J.C. Boyle Dam in the Upper Klamath River. The dam was one of four that had blocked the salmon’s migration between the Klamath Basin and the Pacific Ocean. Each of those dams was recently deconstructed in the largest dam removal project in United States history, which has restored the river to its natural, free-flowing state.

Doctor with Red Ribbon for December World Aids Day

Biden administration adds injectable PrEP requirement for insurance providers

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The Biden-Harris administration has announced a new requirement for insurance providers to cover injectable PrEP in their policies without a co-payment for consumers. The new rule, built on previous guidance for the Affordable Care Act, also applies to increased choice in contraception. The Biden-Harris administration announced Monday a new requirement for insurance providers to cover injectable PrEP in their policies without a co-payment for consumers. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, was first approved by the FDA in 2012 to prevent people exposed to HIV from becoming infected with the virus. Truvada in pill form was the first prescriptive PrEP to hit the market, followed by Descovy. The injectable PrEP Apretude was approved in 2021.

Holding turmeric-like substance in front of Berkeley's Campanile

U.C. Berkeley researchers use turmeric-like powder to ‘clean the air entirely’ of carbon dioxide

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New research from U.C. Berkeley, published in Nature, points to a new material – a bright yellow powder that resembles turmeric – that could help rid the air all around us of CO2. The scientists say that just 200 grams of the material can absorb up to 20 kilograms of carbon in a year – which is approximately the same absorption potential as a tree. The substance could be easily integrated into carbon capture systems already deployed to remove CO2 from refinery emissions or to capture atmospheric carbon and store it underground.

Consumers embrace Ireland’s first bottle deposit return scheme

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After initial consumer confusion and irritation, Ireland’s first-ever deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and cans has finally been embraced by the public, with 111 million containers returned in August – up from 2 million in February when the scheme launched. In the eight months since its launch, 630 million containers have been deposited at reverse vending machines up and down the country.

Island off the shore of the Azores

The Azores creates largest marine protected area network in the North Atlantic

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The Azores, an autonomous Portuguese archipelago, has approved legislation to create the largest marine protected area (MPA) network in the North Atlantic Ocean. Spread across about 110,800 square miles, the new MPA network covers 30% of the ocean surrounding the archipelago. Half of the network is “fully protected,” and half is “highly protected.” In the “fully protected” parts, extractive or destructive activities like fishing are not allowed, while activities such as diving, swimming, and marine tourism are regulated.

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