This is the 566th edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue). Here is the July 14 edition. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
cardinal writes—Dawn Chorus: Skellig Islands (Ireland): “My wife and I spent 16 days in Ireland in June, driving all the way around the island clockwise. Although we saw many noteworthy sights, the highlight was a boat trip to the Skellig Islands. The Skelligs, off the coast of County Kerry in Southwest Ireland, consist of two small islands: Skellig Michael (aka Great Skellig) and Little Skellig. Tourist interest in Skellig Michael has exploded over the last few years after it served as Luke Skywalker’s hideaway in the two most recent Star Wars installments. However, it was of great interest to birders and history buffs long before then. On the historical front, it features one of Ireland’s best preserved relics of early Christianity. It was settled between the 6th and 8th centuries by Gaelic monks, who braved the rough waters and steep slopes to build beehive huts 600 feet above the sea. Its foreboding location allowed it to survive the Viking raids that ravaged so many other Irish monasteries. It was abandoned, however, during the 12th or 13th centuries.”
Besame writes—Daily Bucket: The bicycle of phenology and RIP T-2: “To give context to natural events in the present and gauge the future, we must know the past. In the Daily Bucket, we track seasonal changes in our regions by documenting first garden tomato of the summer, first sight of a seasonal bird, when a plant species leafs out or flowers, and other natural occurrences. Scientists look at herbarium and natural history specimens, historic journals, and other written records to note such events in the past. These observations comprise phenology, the study of plant and animal life cycles. Now, another cycle has been added to this — bicycles. Researchers from Belgium looked at archived videos of an annual bicycle race in Flanders to gauge if these records were useful in mapping out phenology over the four decades the race has been filmed (1981-2016). The race covers the same route at the same time of year, April, when life wakes up from winter dormancy. While the course stays the same, clothing worn by racers and spectators and their natural surroundings have changed over the four decades. Researchers examined over 200 hours of video footage and saw bare leafless trees in the earlier years and the more recent videos show green vegetation.”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - algae explosion: “With the warmer than normal temperatures we’ve been having lately and the long sunny summer days, we’ve been seeing a massive proliferation of algae in the local bays. Blooms like these are not unprecedented, but they are a reminder of how quickly aquatic populations can change. I’m seeing both macroalagae and microalgae blooms. Macroalgae is the big stuff aka seaweeds, like what’s piled up along the shore here. The local brown algae, Rockweed, is growing as it always does, on rocks, not especially abundant. But the green algae Sea Lettuce has exploded in growth as it’s been doing the past few years. [...] Sea Lettuce has proliferated so quickly it’s filling local bays, getting floated by high tides and then settling on beaches when the tide goes out. A killdeer pokes around a mass. Decaying seaweeds attract small amphipods which are food for birds. The seaweed itself is food for geese.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - gulls & baitballs: “One more Bucket from our last boat excursion for our late Bucket today… This one features what’s going on with the local gulls, now in peak nesting time. Chicks are hatching out and those who are parents are extremely busy both defending them at the nesting sites and also fishing to feed them.”
Angmar writes—The Daily Bucket: 4 seasons of Lake Ontario-SUMMER STORMS (open thread): Photo diary.
Angmar writes—The Daily Bucket: Rockhounds pt.1 East and West [OceanDiver/Angmar]: “Rocks from Salish Sea beaches are various. These are from igneous and sedimentary sources, but often metamorphosed to some degree by tectonic forces here where the North American and the Juan de Fuca plates collide. Those with lines/cracks were fractured and filled with hardened mineral solutions after the rock was formed.Long before that, before the rock was pushed underground by tectonic forces, the rock itself formed. Some are sedimentary, composed of a mix of sediment particles. A confused unorganized mix like this might have come from an avalanche into the ocean nearby. Turbidites are formed this way.”
jamess writes—Endangered Species are about to face their Biggest Foe yet: “Is there nothing good and pure — and essential — that the Trump Administration won’t rollback, won’t stomp out — just for the short-term profit of it? Trump’s War on Endangered Species.Through the Department of Interior, the president is steamrolling animal habitats to own the libs. This week, the U.S. Department of Interior released a plan to essentially gut the Endangered Species Act, one of the most popular and powerful environmental laws on the books. The fact that we have any grizzly bears, blue whales, gray wolves and dozens of other iconic species left on our over-developed, over-mined, over-logged, heat-stressed planet is largely a tribute to the success of this law. And so, of course, the Trump administration must destroy it.”
6412093 writes—The Daily Bucket--Beehive under the Deck; Threat or Opportunity? “A couple of weeks go, I was walking across my outside deck in Northwest Oregon. I watch a portly bumblebee fly from our nearby ornamental garden, to the deck near my feet, and then it ducked through the cracks and disappeared under the deck. Every so often, more bees ventured to and from from that spot on that deck. An occasionally oversized bumblebee was too large to fit through the cracks, and it had to roam around for another opportunity to enter. Nearby, mature lavender bushes hosts many of the bumblebees, with a couple of dozen there at any one time. [...] I was concerned the bumblebees might damage the house’s wood. Fortunately bumble bees have dry nests and don’t chew on wood, so we’re not worried. They are our garden’s little helpers, and we credit the bees with our bountiful harvests of pretty flowers, grapes, berries, and vegetables.”
Eric Towles writes—Trump administration is planning to roll back the Endangered Species Act: “In yet another cataclysmic Trump failure, the orange buffoon has now introduced the idea of rolling back the Endangered Species Act. The decades old legislation needs modernizing, at least according to the Trump administration and this will potentially involve the removal of protections that currently look after some of the world's most endangered animals. The changes revolve around changing individual parts of the scheme. Wildlife Service (FWS) Deputy Director Greg Sheehan called the proposal a way of ‘providing clarity.’ ‘When some of our listing decisions have been challenged, courts have sometimes appeared to set a higher bar for removing a species from a list than putting it on — that takes valuable resources away from species that do need that determination under the act,’ he said. It's not the first time that Trump's green credentials have been called into question, Trump is a well-known lover of the oil industry and has sought to remove restrictions that he believes hamstring the industry.”
Seashells writes—Trump Admin Proposes Rolling Back Endangered Species Act Protections: ”The Trump Admin wants to change the way the Endangered Species Act is enforced. They want to make delisting species easier. The article by The Hill gives the rationale behind this move but conservationists and Democratic legislators say it’s goal is to help industry and land owners. [...] Environmentalists and animal conservationists pushed back on the package of changes to the ESA, saying the proposed efforts would ultimately weaken animal protections and benefits industry. ‘This proposal turns the extinction-prevention tool of the Endangered Species Act into a rubber stamp for powerful corporate interests,’ said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. ‘Allowing the federal government to turn a blind eye to climate change will be a death sentence for polar bears and hundreds of other animals and plants’.”
Pam LaPier writes—Rescue Me - California Wildlife Center: “With a population of over 10 million and an area of over 4700 square miles, Los Angeles is a densely packed metropolis. As people flock to the area for its beautiful beaches, phenomenal weather and scenic landscapes, they come in greater and greater contact with animals. Whether it’s accidentally knocking down a bird’s nest, or a piece of trash ingested by a sea lion, the human encroachment in Southern California is having a deleterious effect on its wildlife. While some animal adaptation occurs, at CWC our goal is to keep native fauna wild by rehabilitating animals as quickly as possible and releasing them back into their native territory. We accept animals 365 days a year. Whether directly from the public, through our relationships with local animal care centers or from local vets, animals in need know that they can come to CWC for care. We receive over 10,000 calls a year from the public that range from raccoons in the attic, a fox struck by a car or an orphaned duckling. Our staff and volunteers provide vital information that is key in saving the animals lives.”
CLIMATE CHAOS
Xaxnar writes—The NY Times Warns: "Climate Change is Killing the Cedars of Lebanon": “Ann Barnard and Josh Haner have come out with an article on the threat to one of the world’s iconic forests. Here’s how it starts. BAROUK CEDAR FOREST, LEBANON — Walking among the cedars on a mountain slope in Lebanon feels like visiting the territory of primeval beings. Some of the oldest trees have been here for more than 1,000 years, spreading their uniquely horizontal branches like outstretched arms and sending their roots deep into the craggy limestone. They flourish on the moisture and cool temperatures that make this ecosystem unusual in the Middle East, with mountaintops that snare the clouds floating in from the Mediterranean Sea and gleam with winter snow. But now, after centuries of human depredation, the cedars of Lebanon face perhaps their most dangerous threat: Climate change could wipe out most of the country’s remaining cedar forests by the end of the century. The story is accompanied by outstanding images. Take a look — it will break your heart to realize what is now at risk.”
Pakalolo writes—Vietnamese farmers are migrating en masse to escape climate change: “Alex Chapman and Van Pham Dang Tri of The Conversation note that a 2015-2016 drought (the worst drought in a century) caused salt water to intrude 50 miles inland and destroyed at least 160,000ha of crops. The rice paddies are the first to go with hardy tropical fruits, including saltwater tolerant coconut close behind. The drought has caused shrimp and fish ponds to dry up. These changes in combination have caused a migration of 1.7 million people out of the delta in the past 10 years. One relatively low profile article by Vietnamese academics may be a vital piece of the puzzle. The study, by Oanh Le Thi Kim and Truong Le Minh of Van Lang University, suggests that climate change is the dominant factor in the decisions of 14.5% of migrants leaving the Mekong Delta. If this figure is correct, climate change is forcing 24,000 people to leave the region every year. And it’s worth pointing out the largest factor in individual decisions to leave the Delta was found to be the desire to escape poverty. As climate change has a growing and complex relationship with poverty, 14.5% may even be an underestimate.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Homewood’s Tornado Strawman Blown Away by Reality: “Last week, Paul Homewood wrote about a decline in tornado activity over at WUWT. He introduces the topic by claiming that the downturn in tornadoes debunks alarmist claims of warming making extreme weather worse. Oddly, Homewood doesn’t link out to any examples of alarmists claiming climate change will make tornadoes worse--probably because such claims don’t exist. Despite deniers constantly claiming climate alarmists ignore uncertainty, the science on tornadoes and climate is actually still unsettled. What we do know, as good-faith critics have pointed out, is that our greenhouse gas emissions have changed the background climate in which all extreme weather develops. There is some science pointing to an increase in clusters of tornadoes--multiple touchdowns grouped closely together--as the planet has warmed. One study found the opposite of the what the researchers expected, an increase instead of decrease in wind shear, but that’s hardly a sign of the larger scientific community saying climate change will cause more tornadoes.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Mining Magnate Revealed as Main Funder of Australia’s Climate Denial Org: “Australia’s Institute for Public Affairs—IPA—is basically Australia’s Heartland or Heritage. They’re ostensibly a nonprofit think tank, but in practice they act a whole lot like an arm of the conservative political movement and fossil fuel industry. Now, thanks to court filings reported on by Graham Readfearn this week in DeSmog, we know that IPA is also funded by a major mining interest: Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart. Rinehart’s company, Hancock Prospecting Proprietary Ltd (HPPL), gave nearly $5 million to IPA in 2016 and 2017, according to documents produced as part of a lawsuit brought by Gina’s daughter Bianca accusing her mother of mismanaging company funds. This is particularly problematic for IPA, Readfearn notes, because it directly contradicts the organization’s own tax reporting. In 2017, IPA reported that 86 percent of its $6.1 million income for the year came from individuals, and only 1 percent from businesses. But that’s hard to square with the fact that it got $2.2 million from HPPL that year--a full third of its income.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—“Stop Suffering Fools and Stop Doing Stupid,” Area Man Says in Stupid Outlets: “CFACT ran an essay yesterday imploring the public to stop suffering fools, heading the post with a video of the protesters singing to drown out the Trump administration's pro-coal event at last year’s COP to imply that this is an anti-keep-it-in-the-ground-screed. It’s authored by James E. Smith, who, from what we can tell, is not necessarily a stupid man. The former West Virginia University professor and engineer boasts a relatively (for these people) impressive list of research--though we do notice a particular anti-clean energy and pro-gas bent. Unlike most of the pieces on CFACT, Smith’s essay contains no mentions of climate change--and makes some solid, if vague, points. Could we have finally found a piece of sense on a denier blog? The essay’s message is certainly something we can get behind. Smith starts by opposing the adage that we should ‘suffer fools gladly’ and instead counters that we should ‘stop doing stupid.’ Sounds great! Smith then writes that a social need for learning is ‘a clear necessity in staying ahead of the problems that prior generations created in solving even earlier problems.’ Could be a reference to the need to create and deploy clean energy to solve the climate problem created by prior generations. Let’s see!”
Pakalolo writes—Wildfires are raging inside the Arctic Circle: “Dozens of wildfires are raging in parts of Russia, Norway, Finland and Sweden. Eleven of the fires are within the Arctic Circle. The fires are a result of a dry and intense heatwave that has turned large swaths of Europe into a tinderbox. Sweden has seen the most extensive Arctic fires, which have forced four communities to evacuate, according to The Guardian. The Swedish government has requested emergency assistance from the European Union to help put out the flames. The Copernicus Earth observation programme, which gives daily updates of fires in Europe, shows more than 60 fires burning across Sweden, with sites also ablaze in Norway, Finland and Russia, including in the Arctic Circle. [...] All fires are a source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases notes climate.gov. ‘Fires are also a source of sooty “black carbon,” which rises above the flames and drifts with the smoke to higher elevations.’ These aerosols eventually will fall on the Greenland ice sheet as well as other glaciers throughout the arctic. ‘This soot falls on the ice sheets, turning it from pristine white to a darker color. And just like how wearing a black shirt on a sunny day makes you feel hotter, with the ice wearing its black carbon shirt, it melts faster than it would due to climate warming alone.”
DButch writes—In India, summer heat could soon be unbearable - literally: “I just read an article in the Seattle Times (reprinted from the NYT) about how climate change is already causing serious (as in life threatening) health issues in cities across India. Key quote: An analysis of South Asia’s biggest cities found that if current warming trends continued, wet bulb temperatures — a measure of heat and humidity indicating when the body can no longer cool itself — will become so high people directly exposed for six hours or more would die. The title (taken from the article) is a bit of an understatement — sounds like the heat is already health and life threatening to anyone who has to work outside of air conditioned buildings during the hot season. Worldwide, close to 100 of the most populous cities are expected to reach temperatures of at least 95 degrees (F) by 2050. Twenty-four of those cities are in India (and many of them are already way over that (Ahmedabad in western India hit 118 degrees (F) in May 2010 and has since gotten hotter, Delhi was at 111 degrees heat index recently). The heat index has been rising steadily since 1951. Differing rates and some timing differences in different cities in India — but steadily up.”
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
Dan Bacher writes—Resnicks, Corporate Agribusiness Fund Jerry Meral's Water Bond Campaign: “Many of the same agribusiness interests, including Stewart and Lynda Resnick of the Wonderful Company, that backed the water bond of 2014 and are promoting the Delta Tunnels are now funding the campaign to pass Jerry Meral's water bond, Prop. 3, on the November ballot in California. Wonderful Orchards LLC has donated $50,000.00 so far to the campaign. The billionaire Resnicks, who are known as the Koch Brothers of California, contribute many hundreds of thousands of dollars to candidates from the both sides of the political aisle and to proposition campaigns so they can continue selling back public water to the public at a huge profit while promoting legislation and other efforts to eviscerate laws protecting fish, wildlife and water. The Resnicks are among the biggest contributors to the University of California system — and Stewart Resnick served as an advisor to Linda Kathehi, the disgraced “pepper spray chancellor” at UC Davis. For a complete rundown on the Resnicks manipulation of California water politics and their long war on the public trust, go to: www.dailykos.com/...”
Dan Bacher writes—Natural Resources Secretary John Laird opposes rider banning judicial review of water projects: “In a victory for Delta Tunnels opponents urging the Brown administration to oppose Congressman Ken Calvert’s rider banning judicial review of the tunnels and other water projects, California Natural Resources Secretary Laird on July 17 sent a letter to members on the Senate and House committees on appropriations opposing the language. ‘Any proposal to exempt water projects from judicial review would violate due process and undermine public confidence,’ Laird wrote. This is the first official statement on the Calvert rider by any member of the Brown administration. Nonetheless, the Brown administration remains firmly committed to the construction of the Delta Tunnels/California Water Fix, considered by project opponents to be the most environmentally destructive public works project in California history.”
Dan Bacher writes—House Passes Interior Spending Bill with Riders Imperiling Bay-Delta, Water Law: “The House of Representatives today passed the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 6147), including three federal riders that would circumvent water rights laws and legal protections for the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary, according to public trust advocates. The package will now go to the U.S. Senate, where a big battle over the controversial riders is expected. Central Valley agribusiness representatives and Republican Congressmen lauded the passage of the controversial legislation, while environmental groups, fishing organizations, family farmers and Democratic Members of Congress blasted the bill's three riders for attempting to remove due process, water quality and quantity protections, and water rights for the Delta. Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale), the highest earner of farm subsidies in Congress, according to a report by the Environmental Working Group, praised the passage of the legislation. Farms that LaMalfa has ownership interest in have received at least $5.3 million in subsidies since 1995: www.ewg.org/...”
Back Porch Philosopher writes—Democrats actually CAN govern. Louisiana governor Jon Bel Edwards helping a plan to save coastline.“Takes a Democrat to face facts and work on figuring out how to deal with foreseeable problems. Louisiana's governor declares state of emergency over disappearing coastline: ‘Decades of saltwater intrusion, subsidence and rising sea levels have made the Louisiana coast the nation's most rapidly deteriorating shoreline,’ WWNO's Travis Lux tells our Newscast unit. ‘It loses the equivalent of one football field of land every hour.’ So Governor Jon Bel Edwards has a plan to speed up the chance to implement the plan to save the coastline. The state has a plan to implement more than 100 restoration and protection projects — like rebuilding marshes and barrier islands — but some of those projects are getting slowed down by federal environmental permits. Those projects are part of a 50-year, $50 billion master plan that was unanimously approved by a state panel on Wednesday, according to The Times-Picayune. The newspaper says the plan ‘relies largely on money from settlement of the 2010 BP oil spill litigation to speed restoration of coastal land and wetlands and protect them from hurricanes’."
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
RobDavidsonforCongress writes—More poisoned water in Michigan: GOP congressman takes thousands of dollars from polluter CEO: “SPRING LAKE, Michigan — Congressman Bill Huizenga should return campaign contributions from the CEO of Wolverine World Wide, which is facing lawsuits by hundreds of people for contaminating West Michigan water, threatening public health and causing property values to nosedive. Wolverine CEO Blake Krueger gave Huizenga $2,700, maximum allowed individual contribution before the Aug. 7 primary; his wife, Mary, also gave $2,700. The donations to Huizenga—who slashed environmental protection funding and has not acted on the issue—were made in June 2018. ‘Across Michigan, corporate polluters are poisoning the water our families drink and now they’re buying their way out of being held accountable,’ [said Democratic candidate Rob Davidson]. ‘West Michigan families will have a hard time believing Congressman Bill Huizenga is looking out for them when he just got thousands of dollars from the CEO of a company that’s blamed for poisoning our water. Regardless of what Congressman Huizenga says publicly about Michigan water, what’s in his wallet is going to speak louder, and this is the kind of corruption that folks are tired of’.”
WILDERNESS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND PARKS & OTHER PUBLIC LANDS
Ojibwa writes—Public Lands: Oregon Beaches (Photo Diary): “Should beaches be public land or private land? In 1913, Oregon Governor Oswald West wrote a concise sixty-word bill which declared Oregon’s seashore a public highway. While he realized that someday there would be an actual road along the coast, by declaring the seashore a public highway meant that Oregon beaches were remain public lands. In 1966, the idea of beaches as public lands was challenged when the owner of a Cannon Beach motel fenced off a portion of the beach adjacent to the motel and put up a sign: ‘Guests Only Please.’ Beachgoers, accustomed to using the beach, were upset about this action and contacted state authorities. In the spring of 1967, HB 1601 (the Beach Bill) was introduced by Rep. Sidney Bazett, Rep. W. Stan Ouderkirk, and Sen. Anthony Yturri. The bill initially attracted little attention, but then reporter Matt Kramer wrote a series of stories explaining what the public would lose if the bill failed to pass. The political battle over the bill became intense, but it was finally passed by the House and the Senate. On July 6, 1967, Governor Tom McCall signed the bill into law. Oregon’s beaches now belong to all, not just the wealthy elite. While there are conservative Republicans today who would like to see this change so that beaches could be privatized, Oregon’s beaches remain open to the public—meaning all public, not just those who can afford to pay to use them.”
BYPRODUCTS, TRASH, TOXIC & RADIOACTIVE WASTE
TXL writes—Meet the douchey lobbyist working to bring a toxic waste dump to Laredo: “We’ve covered before the ongoing saga related to a proposed toxic waste dump in Laredo, Texas, that could risk poisoning the Rio Grande and whether or not the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will put a stop to this. But if you didn’t already come to the conclusion that the people pushing for the toxic waste dump were awful, here’s a fresh reason to think so. It looks like one of the lobbyists pushing hardest for this is a big game hunter who likes to turn hippopotamuses into bar furniture. [...] As a reminder, one of the arguments that proponents of this landfill have been making is that it will be environmentally-friendly (despite being situated in a floodplain). Connor is, of course, the former general counsel to the TCEQ. That’s why he was hired to bring this landfill over the line.”
ENERGY
Fossil Fuels
Mark Sumner writes—New energy report shows Trump's efforts to upend the market are futile—coal still headed down: “Donald Trump has done everything he can to prop up the failing coal industry, but the latest report from the U. S. Energy Information Administration shows that coal is continuing along the path it’s been following for years … down. Despite a slight increase in US coal exports, overall coal production is down by 9 million tons in the first half of the year. The EIA projects no growth over the remainder of the year—with an increase in production from heavily automated western mines being offset by a sharp drop in the Appalachian region. For 2018, the EIA is forecasting a further decline of 3 percent for the overall coal market. Those numbers should be of particular concern to the industry, because a cold snap at the start of the winter, and a severe heat wave through much of the early summer, has driven up electrical demand … just not demand for coal. That’s happening despite Trump’s interference in the markets and despite and International Energy Agency report that worldwide investments in renewable energy took a tumble in 2017.”
Mark Sumner writes—US fossil fuel companies spent $2 billion to Make America Dirty Again—and won: “US energy providers love to spread horror stories of what it would cost to actually clean up America’s power supply and slow global warming. But they certainly don’t mind spending money when it comes to keeping American covered in soot, coal ash, mercury, and all the other byproducts of a dirty energy industry. As a new study shows,the fossil fuel industry has spent over $2 billion fighting to make sure that America stays dirty. That expenditure, coming in just the period since 2000, means that over 10 times as much was spent by fossil fuel companies lobbying Congress to resist making any changes to address climate change than by all science, health and environmental groups pressing to take action. [...] Under President Obama, fossil fuel companies massively ramped up their lobbying effort. In 2009 and 2010, those groups spent more than nice percent of all money spent on lobbying for anything. That includes health care, even though this was right in the midst of the shaping of the ACA legislation. And how much did the pro-fossil fuel forces overwhelm environmental groups in lobbying in favor of legislation to regulate greenhouse gases during this critical period? By almost 50 to 1.”
Mark Sumner writes—Coal miners are contracting the worst form of black lung disease at a record rate: “Miners who work for an extended period in Appalachia have odds worse than playing Russian roulette with their lives. NPR reports that 20 percent—one in five—of all miners who have worked in the region for 25 years or longer, are now suffering from coalworker's pneumoconiosis, better known as black lung disease. When mining safety laws were passed in 1969, it brought an almost immediate decline in black lung cases. And miners today should be protected by a number of measures meant to ensure adequate ventilation and the reduction of coal dust in their environment. But, as Donald Trump continually attempts to boost the coal industry and the EPA under both Scott Pruitt and Andrew Wheeler cuts regulations on coal, conditions for miners are sliding. With coal-powered plants still closing, and projections showing that coal will continue to lose market share over coming years, mine owners are trying to squeeze every last penny out of their declining industry. That is causing some operators to cheat on measures meant to protect miners. In the last month, a company in Kentucky was convicted of repeatedly gaming the system by falsifying results of dust monitors. That conviction seems to be emblematic of whole swathes of the industry in Appalachia.”
mettle fatigue writes—Small California Town Puts the Screws to Local Petroleum Industry Operations: “ Just heard on the local late-night news broadcast: the city council of Arvin, with a population of about 20,000 and listed as having the highest levels of smog of any community in the United States a decade ago. voted in their health-defense oil-and-gas ordinance after half a century of no updated local regulation for where, when and with what impacts upon residents the petroleum industry can operate. On hand was Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president of the Western States Petroleum Association with reservations to express to the news crew about added environmental problems the ordinance may create for people who live in Arvin.”
Emissions Controls & Carbon Pricing
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Energy Lobbying Outspends Enviros 10:1, So Of Course House Anti-Carbon Tax Vote Passes ClimateDenierRoundup: “On Monday, Dana Nuccitelli at the Guardian wrote his column on the results of a Stanford energy modeling forum, where eleven different teams all confirmed what’s already well known: a carbon tax can be an efficient way to fight climate change without unduly harming low-income communities. On Thursday, the House of Representatives decided to put facts to a vote with a nonbinding resolution, and decided that no, actually, a carbon tax is bad. The public’s opinion on Congress is always pretty low, but how is it a whole group of people who should be well aware of policy impacts come to the totally wrong conclusion? Why are conservatives so against this conservative, market-based policy? Even those conservatives belonging to what is supposed to be a pro-climate caucus, and who could have sunk the resolution? Maybe this disparity has something to do with the findings of a new study published Thursday in Climatic Change. Research found that $2 billion was spent lobbying Congress on energy between 2000 and 2016. Was this spending split evenly between those for and against climate action? Of course not! The energy industry outspent environment and public health groups by an incredible 10 to 1. This is a staggering, depressing figure.”
Renewables, Efficiency & Conservation
Abraham1771 writes—Rainer Pitthan: Now finally All Rare Earth Mining is in Chinese Hands: “If the Chinese would have owned Solyndra they would have subsidized a 10-fold increase of production, which at a doubling rate of 1.25 would have dropped the prize by 89%. Repeat: DoE didn’t make a mistake, except for not financing an increase in production. But which it could not: it would mean to pick winners, and so it was verboten by politically correct Republicans. Consider this: the low installation cost SOLYNDRA products had a chance to keep green jobs here, using the reverse Moore Law, http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/4623 which says cost drop when quantity rises. The Chinese would have given a factory money until they could produce enough at low prices to be competitive. US Government used to do this with airplanes, hiding behind the military. Instead of letting Solyndra go bankrupt, it should have been converted into a National Solar Cell Development Laboratory.”
gmoke writes—Zero Net Energy: “Carbon Positive Towers for Stockholm; Carbon Neutral Headquarters for Solvay in Brussels; Sendero Verde - Passive House development of 650 affordable housing units in East Harlem, NYC; New Block Sustainable Design concept earns a patent - “live green roof" included; “Ask This Old House” visits a net zero community; Futurology: the New Home in 2050 from UK’s National House Building Council Foundation [...]
Meteor Blades writes—U.S. wind investment grew faster in second quarter: “BloombergNEF has a new report out, “Clean Energy Investment Trends” for the second quarter of 2018. Here are three informative charts from that report, showing clean energy investment from 2005 to 2018. You can view larger versions of these charts by visiting here and scrolling a bit.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
LIcenter writes—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging Vol. 14.29 The good, the bad and ugly of it all: “The critters are what keep me gardening and yes the pretty flowers are a plus also. I think I need to start the show with photos from the past as this year has gone nowhere but downhill. Rain has been nonexistent with very clear hot sunny skys. Perfect for the beach goer, but not so for a halfway decent garden. We Long Islanders always brag on how good our earth is. No clay to speak of, loose rich well draining soil. The only time it is not to our benefit is when we get summers like I/we are having now. Even with running the sprinklers every other day, it just wasn’t enough. That’s when I had to make the decision to just shut-em down and let nature takes its course. There are plants like my hydrangeas and my newly planted red butterfly bush that still gets water, but not much else. So with that lets look at some past pics and finnish up with how it looks today. I hope a few may remember last years zinnias, which were stunning. They really put a smile on my face as to how many butterflies they brought in. I planted a larger bed this year, that I’ll show later in the comments.”
MISCELLANY
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Study Shows Satire And Sarcasm Can Be Effective Science Communications Tools: “The Onion may be everyone’s favorite fake news site--but apparently it’s also good science communications! That’s the gist of a new study in Science Communication, which measured how watching an Onion video changed people’s perceptions on the certainty and risks of climate change. The study looked at two different snarky videos: one from the Onion and one from the Weather Channel. In the Weather Channel’s video on ‘Saving Smalltalk,’ the silliness and sarcasm was two-sided, with both denier and alarmists’ responses to weather chit-chat getting skewered. The Onion’s video, on the other hand, was one-sided, with deniers being mocked through a satirical video wherein a climate scientist explains just how hard it was to pull off the global hoax. According to the study, based on the responses of 142 undergraduates, those who weren’t all that interested in climate change before watching the Onion video reported an increase in concern about the risks of climate change. The Weather Channel’s video didn’t have that effect, and those who were already concerned showed no changes in their perception either.”