3.4 million adults in U.S. were displaced by extreme weather last year: Census Bureau survey & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Tuesday, February 7, 2023 “Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the Earth.” — Henry David Thoreau 3.4 Million Adults in U.S. Were Displaced by Extreme Weather Last Year: Census Bureau Survey About 3.4 million adults in the U.S. (1.4% of the adult population) were displaced from their homes by extreme weather disasters in 2022, a new survey from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals. Those findings, based on the 68,500 responses to the Bureau’s [Jan. 4-16 Household Pulse Survey]( , are far higher than figures from the International Displacement Monitoring Centre, which estimates an average of 800,000 U.S. residents were displaced annually from 2008 through 2021, including the 1.7 million people the Centre estimates were displaced in 2017 when Hurricanes [Harvey]( [Irma]( and [Maria]( all rocked the country. [Read More]( Related: Weather 101: Everything You Need to Know]( Wood Stoves Could Cause ‘New Air Pollution Hotspots’ in the UK The crackle and glow of a wood stove may be comforting, but the [pollution]( it produces is pretty frightening. Burning wood releases high levels of [toxins]( into the environment, creating localized pollution hot spots. Even in newer wood stoves that are certified, many of the [harmful chemicals]( found in [tobacco]( smoke are emitted by [wood burning]( but it may be even more toxic, according to [Doctors and Scientists Against Wood Smoke Pollution](. [Read More]( Related: [Blame Wood-Burning Stoves for Winter Air Pollution and Health Threats]( 54% of New Electric-Generating Capacity in U.S. Will Be Solar in 2023, EIA Says A new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects 54% of new electric-generating capacity in the U.S. to come from [solar energy]( for 2023. Developers are planning to add 54.5 gigawatts of new utility-scale electric-generating capacity to the country’s power grid this year, most of it being solar, according to EIA’s [Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory]( in which developers and power plant operators report upcoming projects to EIA. [Read More]( Related: [Analysis Shows U.S. Wind and Solar Could Outpace Coal and Nuclear Power in 2023]( Single-Use Plastic Production Surged in 2021, Despite Growing Awareness of Environmental Impact In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the risk that single-use plastics pose to the environment and human health as well as greater efforts made to regulate them. Despite this, the number of single-use plastics produced in 2021 rose to record heights at 139 million metric tons. That’s six million metric tons more than in 2019, according to the Australia-based Minderoo Foundation’s second-ever Plastic Waste Maker’s Index. [Read More]( Related: [20 Companies Produce 55% of All Single-Use Plastic Waste, Report Finds]( Zero Waste 101: Everything You Need to Know You’ve likely heard the old adage, “reduce, reuse, recycle.” While this has been a cornerstone of sustainability, with many kids hearing this golden rule over the years and repeating these steps well into adulthood, there’s a more updated framework that can help consumers [strive for zero-waste]( lifestyles. Zero-waste refers to principles of minimizing waste production as much as possible. Béa Johnson of Zero Waste Home calls the framework for zero-waste the 5 Rs: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot. [Read More]( Related: [8 Zero Waste and Toxin-Free Cleaning Hacks]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2023 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](