Sunday, December 27, 2020

The global distribution of acute unintentional pesticide poisoning: estimations based on a systematic review | BMC Public Health | Full Text

Human poisoning by pesticides has long been seen as a severe public health problem. As early as 1990, a task force of the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about one million unintentional pesticide poisonings occur annually, leading to approximately 20,000 deaths. Thirty years on there is no up-to-date picture of global pesticide poisoning despite an increase in global pesticide use. Our aim was to systematically review the prevalence of unintentional, acute pesticide poisoning (UAPP), and to estimate the annual global number of UAPP.

Source: https://www.migrantclinician.org/files/2017-07-05-man-spraying-pesticide-on-field-of-plants.jpg

Continue reading at: The global distribution of acute unintentional pesticide poisoning: estimations based on a systematic review | BMC Public Health | Full Text

Friday, December 11, 2020

Oceans: they pollute, they pay - AllThings.Bio

"Extended producers responsibilities (EPRs). EPRs are based on the polluter pays principle, which simply means that manufactures of these products are responsible to help with clean-up and recycling." A good step toward paying all costs - which will move these companies to produce less or none - and in an effort of doing so, influence our consumer behavior to use less single use - or even other types of plastic...


Wikimedia

Continue reading at: Oceans: they pollute, they pay - AllThings.Bio

Take action to ensure polluters pay for their role in the single-use packaging crisis

The UK Government is currently consulting on a major reform to packaging legislation in a move that could force producers to foot the bill for dealing with ever-growing mountains of single-use packaging waste.
We are urging tougher measures to clamp down on pointless packaging altogether and drive a transition away from our single-use society.
You can help by sending an email supporting these core principles for revamping the system! Just copy and paste the text at the end of this article (adding any additional points you may wish to make as to why it’s time to get tough on single-use packaging) and send it to packaging@defra.gov.uk by 13 May.
  • Address the root cause of the problem: A significant reduction in single-use packaging is needed to close the gulf between packaging use and recycling levels in the UK. The EPR scheme must be designed to encourage a wholescale move away from non-essential packaging, with a shift into reusable and refillable alternatives
  • Make sure ‘full costs’ mean full costs: Packaging doesn’t just become a problem at the point of disposal. From sourcing through to consumption, there are social and environmental costs all along its life cycle. Producers must be made to consider these under EPR requirements to properly satisfy the ‘polluter pays principle’
  • Set producer fees to ensure sustainable design: Non-recyclable, excessive and toxic packaging must be phased out through the ‘approved list’ for packaging design, with a fee system designed to encourage reusable and sustainable design choices
  • End the shameful social and environmental impacts of so-called ‘recycling’ exports: The UK must end its reliance on exporting waste overseas, focusing instead on building a circular economy in the UK. The very highest environmental and social responsibility standards must be met for any future waste exports
  • Implement robust monitoring and full transparency: Strong accountability and enforcement measures must be put in place, with third party audits rather than self-monitoring by producers.
Continue reading at: https://eia-international.org/news/take-action-to-ensure-polluters-pay-for-their-role-in-the-single-use-packaging-crisis/ 

Summary of Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2020

    The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act will include the following elements:
    • Require Product Producers to Take Responsibility for Collecting and Recycling Materials
    • Require Nationwide Beverage Container Refunds
    • Source Reduction and Phase-Out Certain Polluting Products
    • Carryout Bag Fee
    • Minimum Recycled Content Requirement:  Plastic beverage containers will be required to include an increasing percentage of recycled content in their manufacture before entering the market.  Additionally, the EPA will be required to implement post-consumer minimum recycled content for other covered products after a review with the National Institute of Standards and Technology is completed to determine technical feasibility.  
    • Recycling and Composting
    • Plastic Tobacco Filters, Electronic Cigarettes and Derelict Fishing Gear
    • Prevent Plastic Waste from Being Shipped to Developing Countries that Cannot Manage It
    • Protect Existing State Action
    • Temporary Pause on New Plastic Facilities
    Read the entire story here: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/break-free-from-plastic-pollution-act-summary

    Friday, November 27, 2020

    Solar farm being installed on Lake Wilson Road - News - Hillsdale.net - Hillsdale, MI - Hillsdale, MI

    Interesting that conservative Hillsdale County goes solar while Deerfield/Riga are resisting to "destroy prime agricultural land"...

    JONESVILLE - Pine Gate Renewables and Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors announced their first wave of solar energy projects into Michigan, with the closest being built near Lake Wilson Road.
    Due to interest posed by local residents, Hillsdale Daily News sought answers from both companies involved and the Fayette Township Planning Commission.
    Tami von Isakovics, director of communications and marketing for Pine Gate Renewables, said the company is a fully integrated utility-scale solar development company headquartered in Asheville, N.C.
    “We operate 480MW of renewable energy in five states and have more than 8GW in development,” von Isakovics said. “As a leader in the industry, Pine Gate focuses on forging partnerships to expand its renewable energy footprint nationwide. It’s mission is to provide renewable power for local communities across the country through project development, financing, construction and environmental preservation.”

    Continue reading at: Solar farm being installed on Lake Wilson Road - News - Hillsdale.net - Hillsdale, MI - Hillsdale, MI

    Sunday, November 22, 2020

    Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Solution | Fortum

    Good news for getting electric cars to be the standard while reducing the total number of cars.

    To achieve a high recycling rate of 80% with a low-CO2 we use hydrometallurgical recycling process. The lithium-ion batteries are first made safe for mechanical treatment, with plastics, aluminium and copper separated and directed to their own recycling processes. And what is left of the battery after these processes are the chemical and mineral components, the ‘black mass’  and in our facility in Harjavalta the ‘black mass’ can be treated on an industrial scale.

    The black mass typically consists of a mixture of lithium, manganese, cobalt and nickel in different ratios. Of these, nickel, cobalt and lithium are the most valuable and most difficult to recover. Most of today’s recycling solutions for EV batteries are not able to recover these valuable minerals.

    Fantastic Tools for Investigative Journalism: Investigations ← Forensic Architecture

    Fantastic tools for investigative journalism.

    Forensic Architecture (FA) is a research agency, based at Goldsmiths, University of London, investigating human rights violations including violence committed by states, police forces, militaries, and corporations. FA works in partnership with institutions across civil society, from grassroots activists, to legal teams, to international NGOs and media organisations, to carry out investigations with and on behalf of communities and individuals affected by conflict, police brutality, border regimes and environmental violence.

    Our investigations employ pioneering techniques in spatial and architectural analysis, open source investigation, digital modelling, and immersive technologies, as well as documentary research, situated interviews, and academic collaboration. Findings from our investigations have been presented in national and international courtrooms, parliamentary inquiries, and exhibitions at some of the world’s leading cultural institutions and in international media, as well as in citizen’s tribunals and community assemblies.

    Continue reading at: Investigations ← Forensic Architecture

    Wednesday, November 18, 2020

    Experts: Whitmer has upper hand in Line 5 case, but May shutdown is uncertain | Bridge Michigan

    Their rationale was twofold: Michigan should never have granted the easement in the first place, Whitmer and Eichinger wrote, because allowing Enbridge to transport oil through the Straits poses a spill risk that “cannot be reconciled with the public’s right in the Great Lakes and the state’s duty to protect them.” 
    It could be months or years before Michiganders know for sure when or whether Enbridge must decommission Line 5, legal experts say. (Shutterstock photo by JHVEPhoto)

    Second, state officials determined Enbridge has repeatedly violated the terms of its easement by failing to properly support the pipeline, allowing the pipe to bend in ways that could compromise its structural integrity, and failing to maintain the pipeline’s protective coating, among other issues.

    Continue reading at: Experts: Whitmer has upper hand in Line 5 case, but May shutdown is uncertain | Bridge Michigan

    Saturday, November 14, 2020

    UK plans to bring forward ban on fossil fuel vehicles to 2030

    Forgot to share this ambitious decision of a conservative government. Definitely not the same as the Trump administration.

    The UK is poised to bring forward its ban on new fossil fuel vehicles from 2040 to 2030 to help speed up the rollout of electric vehicles across British roads.
    Graeme Cooper, the director in charge of National Grid’s electric vehicle project, told the Guardian that fears over the UK electricity grid’s ability to cope with a boom in vehicle charging are unfounded. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

    Boris Johnson is expected to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles this autumn with the announcement, one of a string of new clean energy policies to help trigger a green economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

    The government had hoped to set out the plans as early as this week, according to sources in the energy and transport industries, but the announcement will be delayed until later this year as it focuses on tackling the rising number of coronavirus cases.

    Continue reading at: UK plans to bring forward ban on fossil fuel vehicles to 2030

    Friday, November 13, 2020

    Governor Whitmer takes legal action to force shut down of Enbridge’s Line 5 | Michigan Radio

    Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer plans to revoke the easement the state granted in 1953 that allows Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 to cross the Straits of Mackinac.


    Enbridge Energy's 67 year old dual pipeline named Line 5 lies on the bottom of the Mackinac Straits connecting Lakes Michigan and Huron. It's near the Mackinac Bridge.
    Credit Lester Graham / Michigan Radio

    The announcement came as the Department of Natural Resources released a review of Enbridge’s record over the 67 years the Line 5 dual pipelines have sat on the bottom of the Straits between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The DNR cited the Canadian pipeline company’s “historic failures and current non-compliance” as reasons to revoke the easement.

    “The Notice concludes that Enbridge’s Line 5 is a grave and unreasonable risk to the state’s residents and natural resources and requires the pipeline to be shut down 180 days from now, on May 12, 2021,” a release from Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office said.

    Continue reading at: Governor Whitmer takes legal action to force shut down of Enbridge’s Line 5 | Michigan Radio

    Tuesday, November 10, 2020

    Happy 200th birthday to Eunice Foote, hidden climate science pioneer | NOAA Climate.gov

    Eunice Foote described the Climate Crisis more than 200 years ago!

    She was the first scientist known to have experimented on the warming effect of sunlight on different gases, and went on to theorize that changing the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would change its temperature, in her paper Circumstances affecting the heat of the sun's rays at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in 1856.




    Continue reading at: Happy 200th birthday to Eunice Foote, hidden climate science pioneer | NOAA Climate.gov

    Sunday, November 8, 2020

    Study: Fix to food climate problem doesn't require veganism

    Changing our diet can solve some of the Climate Crisis.

     In this Dec. 9, 2015 file photo, cattle graze in a pasture against a backdrop of wind turbines near Vesper, Kan. A study published on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020 in the journal Science, says how we grow, eat and waste food is a big climate change problem that may keep the world from reaching its temperature-limiting goals. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)


    The world likely can’t keep global warming to a relatively safe minimum unless we change how we grow, eat and throw away our food, but we don’t need to all go vegan, a new study says.

    Researchers looked at five types of broad fixes to the food system and calculated how much they fight warming. They found that sampling a buffet of partial fixes for all five, instead of just diving into the salad bar, can get the job done, according to a study published in Thursday’s journal Science.

    Continue reading at: Study: Fix to food climate problem doesn't require veganism

    Friday, November 6, 2020

    A crucial collapse in 'The Ministry for the Future' » Yale Climate Connections

    Called the “greatest political novelist” of our time by the New Yorker, Kim Stanley Robinson has infused his science fiction with real-life political, sociological, and ecological concerns for decades. He’s a writer who does his research. His work is often pegged as “hard” science-fiction for the level of detail with which he writes about social and technological advances. But he’s equally known for his optimism. His 2017 novel New York 2140 depicts a New York City half-submerged by rising seas, but by the story’s end, the city’s collective action suggests that a more just and sustainable future lies ahead.

    Tuesday, August 4, 2020

    Gaia theory creator on coronavirus and turning 101 - BBC News

    One of my biggest science heroes turns 101 and got a little more optimistic about the future of mankind – even through COVID. Congrats James!

    James Lovelock: Gaia theory creator on coronavirus and turning 101 ...



    Stay safe!

    Sincerely, Tom


    Gaia theory creator on coronavirus and turning 101 - BBC News

    Friday, July 10, 2020

    Revealed: Pesticide giants make billions on toxic, bee-harming chemicals - Unearthed

    If we would practice smart polyculture, we would not need all this poison. Unfortunately, these companies make so much money of it that they fight tooth and nails to keep us poisoning the planet. Maybe we have to stop them doing so? Planet before Profits!







    Revealed: Pesticide giants make billions on toxic, bee-harming chemicals - Unearthed

    Wednesday, July 1, 2020

    Soaring Beyond the Green New Deal - Stan Cox: The Green New Deal and Beyond: Ending the Climate Emergency While We Still Can - Resilience

    This book is an inspiration!



    Stan Cox: The Green New Deal and Beyond: Ending the Climate Emergency While We Still Can

    When Stan Cox was writing his book, The Green New Deal and Beyond: Ending the Climate Emergency While We Still Can, he scripted these prophetic words: “The oft-predicted national decline in use of fossil fuels is nowhere to be seen, and it is unlikely to occur on its own, at least until the next economic meltdown.”  He became one of those few people who dare predict the future; but it was unfortunate for humanity that his prediction came true.  Between the time that Cox foresaw the conditions under which fossil fuel usage would go down and his book appeared in print, the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe, production crashed in country after country, and CO2 emissions dropped even more than they did during the 2008 financial crisis.

    Continue Reading at: Soaring Beyond the Green New Deal - Resilience

    America Is Reopening. But have we flattened the curve? - Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center

    As states throughout the U.S. lift stay-at-home orders, reopen businesses, and relax social distancing measures, this graph shows whether cases of COVID-19 are increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant within each state.

    Continue reading at: America Is Reopening. But have we flattened the curve? - Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center

    Sulfur Dioxide Concentrations Drop 40% Over India During COVID-19

    Unfortunately we will rush back to normal - or even worse...

    Concentrations of sulfur dioxide in polluted areas in India have decreased by around 40% between April 2019 and April 2020. Using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, from the European Union Copernicus program, scientists have produced new maps that show the drop in concentrations across the country in times of COVID-19.

    Sulfur Dioxide Concentrations Over India 2019 2020
    SO2 concentrations over India from April 2019, compared to April 2020. Credit: Contains modified Copernicus data (2019-20), processed by BIRA-IASB

    In a report by Greenpeace last year, India was named the world’s largest emitter of anthropogenic sulfur dioxide – a significant contributor to air pollution. Sulfur dioxide causes many health-related problems, can harm sensitive ecosystems and is also a precursor to acid rain.

    Continue reading at: Sulfur Dioxide Concentrations Drop 40% Over India During COVID-19

    Milking the Planet | IATP

    How Big Dairy is heating up the planet and hollowing rural communities

    Milking the Planet cover

    Thirteen of the world’s largest dairy corporations combined to emit more greenhouse gases (GHGs) in 2017 than major polluters BHP, the Australia-based mining, oil and gas giant or ConocoPhillips, the United States-based oil company. Unlike growing public scrutiny on fossil fuel companies, little public pressure exists to hold global meat and dairy corporations accountable for their emissions, even as scientific evidence mounts that our food system is responsible for up to 37% of all global emissions.

    Continue reading at: Milking the Planet | IATP

    Tuesday, June 30, 2020

    Tainted love | Corporate Europe Observatory

    Germany is assuming the EU presidency at a crucial moment, as the body sets a path out of the pandemic-induced financial crisis and considers key climate legislation.

    Researchers at Corporate Europe Observatory have put together a really interesting report on how Germany, despite its climate bonafides, is remarkably close to many polluting industries - such as cars, gas and chemicals.

    Tainted love horizontak cover

    Tainted love | Corporate Europe Observatory

    Arctic Circle sees 'highest-ever' recorded temperatures - BBC News

    Arctic Circle sees 'highest-ever' recorded temperatures - BBC News

    Saturday, June 27, 2020

    Opinion: The climate crisis is like a world war. So let’s talk about rationing

    “Science shows we have barely 10 years to avoid disaster, suggesting we shouldn’t count entirely on technological innovation or self-moderation. Meanwhile, we’re all in a lifeboat with just enough space for each of us. Should we really be complaining about not getting first-class seats if doing so would bump others?” Eleanor Boyle, 2019.



    Opinion: The climate crisis is like a world war. So let’s talk about rationing

    Saturday, June 6, 2020

    How the country's history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America - 13TH | FULL FEATURE | Netflix

    Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, director Ava DuVernay's examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country's history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America.

    This piercing, Oscar-nominated film won Best Documentary at the Emmys, the BAFTAs and the NAACP Image Awards.

    US Rating: TV-MA For mature audiences. May not be suitable for ages 17 and under.







    Friday, June 5, 2020

    Act on Climate Change - Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

    What can you do about climate change?

    There are many practical actions individuals can take to address climate change. Here are some resources to help you get started.


    Continue reading at: Act on Climate Change - Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

    Tuesday, June 2, 2020

    Ann Arbor unanimously adopts ambitious roadmap to carbon-neutrality - mlive.com

    Something positive in all the ongoing insanity...

    Climate change signs in Ann Arbor
    "No one is immune to climate change," reads an "Extinction Rebellion" sign in downtown Ann Arbor on June 1, 2020. "Demand action on climate change now."Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News



    Ann Arbor unanimously adopts ambitious roadmap to carbon-neutrality - mlive.com

    Monday, June 1, 2020

    Fossil fuels appear to release far more methane than we thought | Science News for Students

    Ice-core measurements suggest most of today’s methane releases are due to human activities

    Using fossil fuels releases far more methane — a potent greenhouse gas — than people had thought. Possibly 25 to 40 percent more, new research suggests. The finding could help point toward ways to reduce these climate-warming emissions.

    Oil and natural gas plants burn off some methane with “flaring,” as seen here. Gas also escapes into the air via leaky pipes and venting. A new study suggests that methane emissions from fossil fuels have been way underestimated. LANOLAN/ ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
    Like carbon dioxide, methane is a greenhouse gas. But the impacts of these gases are not the same. Methane warms the atmosphere more than CO2 does. Yet it stays around for only 10 to 20 years. CO2 can linger for hundreds of years. “So the changes we make to our [methane] emissions are going to impact the atmosphere much more quickly,” says Benjamin Hmiel. He’s an atmospheric chemist at the University of Rochester in New York. He worked on the new study.
    In the 1900s, coal mining, natural gas and other fossil fuel sources raised methane levels in the atmosphere. Those emissions fell early in this century. However, beginning in 2007, methane began to rise once again. It’s now at a level not seen since the 1980s.
    Continue reading at: Fossil fuels appear to release far more methane than we thought | Science News for Students


    Steady State - Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy

    The CASSE position sets the record straight on the conflict between economic growth and environmental protection. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are just three powerful examples. And how will the next generation find jobs when the planet can’t support our overgrown economy? The CASSE position calls for a desirable solution – a steady state economy with stabilized population and consumption – beginning in the wealthiest nations and not with extremist tactics. Join the likes of E. O. Wilson, Jane Goodall, and David Suzuki; fill in the information below to sign the position and support a healthy, sustainable economy.

    Steady State Economy - Environmental ProtectionSteady State Economy - Jobs and Economic Sustainabilityblank

    Continue reading at: Steady State - Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy

    Saturday, May 30, 2020

    EU Plans To Reduce Pesticides By 50%

    The European Commission today proposed a plan to transform the European Union’s agricultural system, to make it more sustainable and safer from a health perspective.

    The plan includes a target of reducing the use of pesticides by 50% in the next decade. The plan would also reduce sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals by 50%, and the use of fertilizers by 20%, by 2030. The share of organic farming would also be increased by 25% by 2030 - up from the current 8%.

    “The coronavirus crisis has shown how vulnerable we all are, and how important it is to restore the balance between human activity and nature,” said EU Vice President Frans Timmermans unveiling the plan.

    AGRICULTURE-CLIMATE-WEATHER-LOCUSTS
    AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

    “Climate change and biodiversity loss are a clear and present danger to humanity. At the heart of the Green Deal the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies point to a new and better balance of nature, food systems and biodiversity; to protect our people's health and well- being, and at the same time to increase the EU's competitiveness and resilience. These strategies are a crucial part of the great transition we are embarking upon.”

    Continue reading at: EU Plans To Reduce Pesticides By 50%

    Sunday, May 24, 2020

    What lifestyle changes will shrink your carbon footprint the most? | Science News

    We've all heard countless ways to reduce our emissions. Here are the steps that actually make a difference.

    illustration of an eco-friendly neighborhood
    Continue reading at: What lifestyle changes will shrink your carbon footprint the most? | Science News

    Bee Abundance and Diversity in Suburban Yards Depends on How Often You Mow

    The research team found that while mowing every 3 weeks resulted in as much as 2.5 times more lawn flowers (aka dandelions and clover) and greater diversity of bee species, the abundance of bees was greatest when lawns were mowed every 2 weeks. Further, the researchers documented 93 species of bees with supplemental observations reaching 111 bee species.




    Contionuies reading: Northern Research Station

    Sunday, May 17, 2020

    Rural Landowners, Farmers, and Conservation Groups Celebrate Court Victory Halting Risky Oil and Gas Giveaway of 150,000 Acres of Montana Public Lands | Earthjustice

    Victory: Federal judge rules BLM failed to consider risks to Montana’s environment and water supply before issuing 287 oil and gas leases
    MAY 1, 2020
    Great Falls, MT — Today, Montana landowners, farmers, and conservation groups won an important victory to protect local groundwater and the climate when a federal judge ruled that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) failed to consider risks to Montana’s environment and water supply before issuing 287 oil and gas leases covering 145,063 acres in December 2017 and March 2018 lease sales. The court’s decision will protect Montanans, their livelihoods, clean water, public lands, and our climate by reversing the Bureau of Land Management’s recent approval of oil and gas leases across staggering swaths of Montana’s public lands.
     A full moon is seen above Mount Baldy in the Big Belt Mountains near Townsend, Montana, April 2019. Nearby land was recently protected by a federal judge ruling; however, the Big Belt Mountains are still at risk.
    A full moon is seen above Mount Baldy in the Big Belt Mountains near Townsend, Montana, April 2019. Nearby land was recently protected by a federal judge ruling; however, the Big Belt Mountains are still at risk. JOHN LAMBING / ALAMY
    Continue reading at: Rural Landowners, Farmers, and Conservation Groups Celebrate Court Victory Halting Risky Oil and Gas Giveaway of 150,000 Acres of Montana Public Lands | Earthjustice

    Tuesday, May 5, 2020

    Future of the human climate niche | PNAS

    The authors show that for thousands of years, humans have concentrated in a surprisingly narrow subset of Earth’s available climates, characterized by mean annual temperatures around ∼13 °C. This distribution likely reflects a human temperature niche related to fundamental constraints. They demonstrate that depending on scenarios of population growth and warming, over the coming 50 y, 1 to 3 billion people are projected to be left outside the climate conditions that have served humanity well over the past 6,000 y. Absent climate mitigation or migration, a substantial part of humanity will be exposed to mean annual temperatures warmer than nearly anywhere today.


    The realized human climate niche relative to available combinations of MAT and precipitation. Human populations have historically remained concentrated in a narrow subset (AC) of the available climatic range (G), which is not explained by soil fertility (H) or potential primary productivity (I). Current production of crops (D) and livestock (E) are largely congruent with the human distribution, whereas gross domestic product peaks at somewhat lower temperatures. Reconstructions of human populations 500 BP are based on the HYDE database, whereas those for 6 Ky BP are based on ArchaeoGlobe (https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/CQWUBI, Harvard Dataverse, V4). NPP, net primary productivity. See SI AppendixMethods.

    Continue reading at: Future of the human climate niche | PNAS

    Monday, May 4, 2020

    Judge Vacates Oil and Gas Leases on 145,000 Acres in Montana - The New York Times

    Another legal victory against Trump's insane clear-cut of environmental regulations and protections...

    A federal judge, rapping the Trump administration for its weak environmental assessments, has vacated hundreds of oil and gas leases across a large swath of Montana.

    WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Friday vacated 287 oil and gas leases on almost 150,000 acres of land in Montana, ruling that the Trump administration had improperly issued the leases to energy companies in 2017 and 2018.



    Custer County in Montana is predominately covered by livestock grazing and agricultural use with drilling sites and resource extraction scattered throughout.Credit...Kristina Barker for The New York Times

    The judge, Brian Morris of the United States District Court for the District of Montana, said the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management failed to adequately take into account the environmental impacts of the drilling. In particular, Judge Morris found that the officials had not accounted for the drilling’s impact on regional water supplies and the global impact that the increased drilling would have on climate change.
    Continue reading at: Judge Vacates Oil and Gas Leases on 145,000 Acres in Montana - The New York Times

    Monday, April 27, 2020

    Will protecting 30 percent of Earth prevent the extinction crisis? | Science News

    What is needed = at least 30% by 2030, 50% by 2050. How can we do this with 9 Billion people?



    Nations are drafting a plan to protect 30 percent of Earth by 2030 to save biodiversity. The number reflects politics more than scientific consensus.

    Nature needs to be protected, scientists agree, but how best to do it is up for debate.
    For millions of years, giants graced the murky depths of China’s Yangtze River. The Chinese Paddlefish (Psephurus gladius), which could reach 7 meters in length, used its swordlike snout to sense the electrical perturbations made by smaller prey, snatching them in the dark. But no more.

    The fish was declared extinct in 2019, a victim of overfishing and habitat loss.

    Its story is being played out across the world. From winding rivers to the windswept tundra to the dense tropical forests of Borneo, nature is in trouble.

    Plants and animals are increasingly threatened by human activities and habitat encroachment. One study estimates a million species face extinction within decades (SN: 5/8/19). That’s 1 million distinct, idiosyncratic answers to the basic question of how to make a living on planet Earth, gone.

    Amazon logging

    Habitat loss and such human encroachment as this clear-cutting in the Amazon (shown) are a major threat to biodiversity worldwide. The United Nations is drafting an ambitious new set of conservation targets to safeguard species and prevent further losses. LUOMAN/E+/GETTY IMAGES PLUS



    Continue reading at: Will protecting 30 percent of Earth prevent the extinction crisis? | Science News

    Why Covid-19 Will Not Be The Last Pandemic - Alum Knight Partners - Medium

    Zoonotic pathogens — those which transmit naturally between non-human animals to humans — have been the subject of extensive research for decades. These pathogens originate in a host or natural reservoir which is their natural habitat for survival and reproduction. Humans, animals and even the environment (plants, soil and water) are reservoirs of different types of pathogens (infectious agents). When a pathogen is transmitted under natural conditions to humans, the process is called zoonosis.

    Over the last four decades, there has been an increase in emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) in humans, and nearly three-quarters of them have been zoonotic infections. Zoonosis is not a new occurrence; the origins of a wide range of human diseases, including plague, influenza, anthrax, yellow fever and tuberculosis, can be traced back to animals, with most of them originating in domestic animals (including livestock) and poultry. However, recent emergences of infectious diseases are frequently being traced back to wild animals. Some of these pathogens transmit directly from the reservoir to humans, while others transmit via an intermediate animal host.



    Continue reading at: Why Covid-19 Will Not Be The Last Pandemic - Alum Knight Partners - Medium

    We are creating conditions for diseases like COVID-19 to emerge | Ensia

    As habitat and biodiversity loss increase globally, the novel coronavirus outbreak may be just the beginning of mass pandemics

    Intro image
    Illicit Endangered Wildlife Trade in Möng La, Shan, Myanmar Photo courtesy of Dan Bennett from Wikimedia, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

    Continue reading at:We are creating conditions for diseases like COVID-19 to emerge | Ensia

    Escaping Pandora’s Box — Another Novel Coronavirus: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2002106?query=TOC in the New England Journal of Medicine

    Habitat Destruction And Biodiversity Loss at the Root of Emerging Infectious Diseases: https://www.ucdavis.edu/one-health/habitat-destruction-and-biodiversity-loss-root-emerging-infectious-diseases/

    Global shifts in mammalian population trends reveal key predictors of virus spillover risk: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.2736

    Why Jane Goodall says human disregard for nature led to the coronavirus pandemic | PBS NewsHour

    Many infectious diseases that have emerged in our lifetime — Zika virus, MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome), AIDS and Ebola, among them — have stemmed in some way from human interference with wildlife and their habitats, creating the conditions that allow new viruses, like COVID-19, to spill over from animals to people.


    Continue reading at: Why Jane Goodall says human disregard for nature led to the coronavirus pandemic | PBS NewsHour

    and here: https://thehill.com/homenews/coronavirus-report/492357-jane-goodall-blames-disregard-for-nature-for-coronavirus-pandemic

    Scientific study warning about this in 2009: Biodiversity loss and the rise of zoonotic pathogens: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1198743X14604122


    Thursday, April 23, 2020

    Supreme Court Leaves the Clean Water Act Intact | Earthjustice

    Victory: Court decision leaves in place vital protections for the nation’s oceans, rivers, lakes

    APRIL 23, 2020

    Washington, D.C. — Today the Supreme Court issued its opinion in County of Maui v. HawaiÊ»i Wildlife Fund siding with clean water advocates that point source discharges to navigable waters through groundwater are regulated under the Clean Water Act.

    The following is a statement from David Henkin, Earthjustice attorney who argued the case defending clean water:

    “This decision is a huge victory for clean water. The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration’s effort to blow a big hole in the Clean Water Act’s protections for rivers, lakes, and oceans.

    A turtle surfaces offshore of Kahekili Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii.

    A turtle surfaces offshore of Kahekili Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii. COURTESY OF DON MCLEISH

    Selected portion of a source document hosted by DocumentCloud
    Continue reading at: Supreme Court Leaves the Clean Water Act Intact | Earthjustice

    Saturday, April 18, 2020

    Do not believe demagogues on coronavirus - Opinion - The Daily Telegram - Adrian, MI - Adrian, MI

    In response to your article “Lawmakers criticize governor’s extended ‘stay home’ order” from April 11.

    Unfortunately, our own Lenawee County state Rep. Bronna Kahle and state Sen. Dale W. Zorn are following President Donald Trump’s denial of sound science and become conspirators of unnecessary deaths by not supporting social distancing and stay home orders and attacking our Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s prudent decisions. Anybody with a minimum of common sense and some basic science education can find the relevant information, and if you compare the expected death rates of doing nothing compared to measures as the governor promotes, it takes basic math skills to realize how criminal calls for a loosening of the rules are. And if you did not realize yet, Lenawee County is not isolated from the rest of Michigan and if travel, work and gathering restrictions are softened, we can easily see hundreds if not thousands of cases and many deaths!

    Inform yourself — do not believe the demagogues!
    Compare the severity of COVID-19 to the flu and other recent pandemics: http://adrianoil.blogspot.com/2020/04/to-all-who-compare-covid-19-to-seasonal.html
    Compare today’s U.S. numbers: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html
    to what it would be without the commonsense measures in place now:
    www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2020/03/a-new-analysis-predicts-1-1-million-coronavirus-deaths-in-a-medium-case-scenario/
    Original study published by the Imperial College in London, which estimated the death rate from the pandemic if no control measures are taken: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf

    You may say we need to go back to work to make money so we can survive, but is it worth your life, your health, and the health and life of others? In the richest country on Earth, nobody should be forced back to work during a pandemic. What you should do is demand that the stimulus money goes to people who need it to survive instead of big corporations. What you should do is support politicians who run to change the broken system and create sick leave, unemployment benefits and health insurance for everybody as a human right.

    Read at the DT: Do not believe demagogues on coronavirus - Opinion - The Daily Telegram - Adrian, MI - Adrian, MI

    We Need to Change Our Food System to Stop the Next Pandemic | Time

    Once a dangerous new pathogen is out, as we are seeing, it can be difficult if not impossible to prevent it going global. One as contagious as SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to infect the whole of humanity. Eighty per cent of cases may be benign, but with such a large pool of susceptible hosts, the numbers who experience severe illness and die can still be shockingly high. So the only sensible answer to the question, how do we stop this from happening again, is: by doing all we can to prevent such pathogens infecting humans in the first place. And that means taking a long, hard look at our relationship with the natural world, and particularly with the animals that sustain us.

    Agricultural laborers spray against insects and weeds inside the orchards of a fruit farm in Mesa, California.
    Agricultural laborers spray against insects and weeds inside the orchards of a fruit farm in Mesa, California. Brent Stirton—Getty Images

    Continue reading at: We Need to Change Our Food System to Stop the Next Pandemic | Time

    Thursday, April 16, 2020

    Scientific Research and Pandemic Prevention - EcoHealth Alliance

    Building on over 45+ years of groundbreaking science, EcoHealth Alliance is a global environmental health nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting wildlife and public health from the emergence of disease.



    Continue reading at: Scientific Research and Pandemic Prevention - EcoHealth Alliance

    Dramatic Satellite Images Show Air Pollution Remains Low as Europeans Stay at Home

    Further analyses are showing the continued low levels of nitrogen dioxide concentrations across Europe – coinciding with lockdown measures implemented to stop the spread of the coronavirus. New data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, from the European Union Copernicus program, show some cities seeing levels fall by 45—50% compared to the same period last year.

    NO2 Concentrations Over Europe March April 2020
    These images, using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, show the average nitrogen dioxide concentrations from  March 13 to April 13, 2020, compared to the March-April averaged concentrations from 2019. The percentage decrease is derived over selected cities in Europe and has an uncertainty of around 15% owing to weather differences between 2019 and 2020. Credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2019-20), processed by KNMI/ESA

    Continue reading at: Dramatic Satellite Images Show Air Pollution Remains Low as Europeans Stay at Home

    Wednesday, April 15, 2020

    To all who compare Covid-19 to the seasonal flu and think the shutdown is not necessary

    To all who compare Covid-19 to the seasonal flu and think the shutdown is not necessary.

    • Seasonal flues affect about 1,000,000,000 (that is 1 billion) people per year, causing 290,000 to 650,000 deaths - a death rate of 0.07%. Source: WHO March 1, 2020
    • As of 4/15/2020, COVID-19 affected 1914916 people worldwide (confirmed cases) with 123010 confirmed deaths - that is a death rate of 6.42% - or about 100 times the death rate of a regular seasonal flu. Source: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/
    • The only seasonal flu that was as devastating was the Spanish flue of 1918 that infected about 500 million people or one-third of the world's population and killed an estimated 50 million people (10%). Source: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/reconstruction-1918-virus.html
    • All other significant epidemic and pandemic outbreaks in recent history infected far less people and/or had a much lower fatality (see Figure below)
    INTERACTIVE: Global epidemics March 2, 2020

    Friday, April 10, 2020

    Why we must close high-risk wildlife markets | Stories | WWF

    The disease COVID-19 has caused a health crisis worldwide. We don't know the full and devastating reach of this pandemic yet, but we do understand how it underscores the destructive impacts of wildlife trade and consumption on human health and societies.



    COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus, is a zoonotic disease, meaning it originated from an animal. The source of the outbreak is believed to have been a "wet market" in Wuhan, China, that sold live and dead wildlife and domestic animals, along with other foods for human consumption. Such markets can be a living petri dish, with viruses shed by stressed animals warehoused together mixing with other bodily fluids in unhygienic conditions. When these often new or unknown viruses jump to people, the results can be catastrophic.

    Continue reading at: Why we must close high-risk wildlife markets | Stories | WWF

    Thursday, April 9, 2020

    We just spent two weeks surveying the Great Barrier Reef. What we saw was an utter tragedy

    Unfortunately, while the world is paralyzed by COVID-19, the climate catastrophe gets worse...


    The 2020 coral bleaching event was the second-worst in more than two decades. ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

    Continue reading at: We just spent two weeks surveying the Great Barrier Reef. What we saw was an utter tragedy

    Thursday, March 26, 2020

    Standing Rock Tribe Wins in Court After Years of Perseverance | Earthjustice

    A federal judge struck down permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline, even after COVID-19 precautions led to an unconventional day in court.
    Tribes and allies gathered to defend Standing Rock Sioux territory from the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016. A federal judge struck down the pipeline's permits on March 25, 2020, after years of litigation.Tribes and allies gathered to defend Standing Rock
    Tribes and allies gathered to defend Standing Rock Sioux territory from the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016. After years of litigation, a court struck down the pipeline's water permits on March 25, 2020.

    Continue reading at: Standing Rock Tribe Wins in Court After Years of Perseverance | Earthjustice

    Monday, March 23, 2020

    Corona Virus Rap: Flatten the Curve: Mach die Kurve flach | MaximNoise - YouTube

    Now with embedded subtitles...

    Flatten the Curve

    Today, stay home under your own roof
    Flatten the curve
    Between your four walls, whether day or night
    Flatten the curve
    Don't just think about yourself - pay attention to others. Flatten the curve
    Together we're strong; alone we're weak. Flatten the curve.

    The sun's shining outside, but I'm staying in today
    'Cause I think about others, too, and I'm not egotistic
    Because even though I'm healthy, it sadly makes no sense
    For me to make things hard for Grandma and Grandpa
    So much is unknown about the virus
    But it spreads aimlessly across the land, and at the same time, causes fear
    So I don't cough on you or reach for your hand
    We want to break these chains and slow the whole thing down
    Sure, we all had other plans
    But we still won't make a scene today
    We're getting into quarantine
    'Cause we can all meet up when it's over
    So why not consider others and save a few lives on the way?
    Isolation's no easy situation
    But we've got to get through it, so long as viruses threaten us
    We want to protect doctors and hospitals;
    That's why, today, we're staying right where we live

    Come and sing with me:
    Today, stay home under your own roof
    Flatten the curve
    Between your four walls, whether day or night
    Flatten the curve
    Don't just think about yourself - pay attention to others
    Flatten the curve
    Together we're strong; alone we're weak
    Flatten the curve

    I flatten the curve like the paper in my toilet
    And if I have no more, I wash my poop off with a rag
    It'll be washed well, then hung up to dry
    There'll be no trouble started here over a pack of toilet paper
    Ay, I flatten the curve like my belly at my morning workout
    Full energy; it makes me fit and calms my worries
    I drink water, and pay attention to nutrition while I'm at it
    And when this whole horrible mess is over, I'll be fit as a fiddle
    I flatten the curve, flat at jokes no one laughs at
    And finally we come to the things you don't1 have time for
    We can learn foreign languages or read a book for once
    We can play Playstation and have a good time
    I flatten the curve for everyone who wouldn't make it otherwise
    For everyone who's too weak, and who the curve would steal forever
    'Cause this curve can be the world to someone
    Just stay home and you can be a hero

    Come and sing with me:
    Today, stay home under your own roof
    Flatten the curve
    Between your four walls, whether day or night
    Flatten the curve
    Don't just think about yourself - pay attention to others
    Flatten the curve
    Together we're strong; alone we're weak
    Flatten the curve

    It's all just so crazy.
    But one day we'll be back, stronger than ever
    Avoid contact and keep your distance
    Today we keep the curve flat, man, yeah

    It's all just so crazy.
    But one day we'll be back, stronger than ever
    Avoid contact and keep your distance
    Today we keep the curve flat, man, yeah

    Come and sing with me:
    Today, stay home under your own roof
    Flatten the curve
    Between your four walls, whether day or night
    Flatten the curve
    Don't just think about yourself - pay attention to others
    Flatten the curve
    Together we're strong; alone we're weak
    Flatten the curve

    Thursday, March 19, 2020

    9th Environmental Documentary Series Scheduled

    DUE TO PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES TO REDUCE THE CHANCES OF CONTRACTING THE CORONA VIRUS, WE HAD TO CANCEL THE 9TH SERIES. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CLICK ON THE LINKS ON THE NAMES OF THE FILMS, MANY ARE AVAILABLE FOR PAY-PER-VIEW AT MODERATE COSTS.

    All films will start Wednesdays 7:00 PM on the Adrian Campus in the Science Building, Room SCI 131 and are free and open for everybody. This faculty-led program and any related discussion is for educational benefit only. A campus map can be found at:
    sienaheights.edu/About/Campus-Map-Parking

    The tentative schedule can be found at:
    http://sustainability.sienaheights.edu/environmental-documentaries.html


    Come and bring a friend – the more the merrier – feel free to forward widely.

    Tuesday, March 17, 2020

    Coronavirus: 4 Lessons We Can Learn About Responding to a Global Health Crisis

    From vaccine alliances to social safety nets, there's a lot we can learn for the future.


    Empty chips shelves in AH Delft. Wikipedia
    1. The need to protect workers who are sick
    2. The need for global cooperation
    3. The importance of trusted information
    4. The need for community spirit during social distancing
    Read more at: Coronavirus: 4 Lessons We Can Learn About Responding to a Global Health Crisis

    Wednesday, March 11, 2020

    Bernie Sanders: What I just told the press about our campaign



    A short while ago, I gave a brief statement to the press about our campaign, and where we go from here. I want to share some of those thoughts with you today, and to ask you, once again, for your financial support.

    If you can do that now, please use this link to contribute $27:

    Let me start by saying that last night was not a good night for our campaign from a delegate point of view.
    We lost the largest state of the night, Michigan, but we won in North Dakota and currently lead in the state of Washington, the second largest state of the evening.
    But what has become more and more apparent, with each passing primary, is that while we are currently trailing in the delegate count, we are strongly winning the debate about the future of our country.
    In poll after poll after poll, including exit polls, a strong majority of the American people support our progressive agenda.
    The American people are deeply concerned about the grotesque levels of income and wealth inequality in this country.
    The American people believe it is time for the wealthy and profitable corporations to be paying their fair share.
    The American people understand that the federal minimum wage is a starvation wage and that it is time to raise it to a living wage of $15 an hour – nothing less.
    The American people understand that if our kids are going to make it into the middle class, we must make public colleges, universities and trade schools tuition free.
    The American people understand that we cannot continue a cruel and dysfunctional health care system where we are spending twice as much per capita as any other nation, yet 87 million of our neighbors remain uninsured and underinsured.
    And that last point is becoming more and more obvious to the American people as we face the challenge of the coronavirus. Imagine a pandemic where 87 million people have a difficult time going to a doctor.
    The American people understand that climate change is an existential threat to our planet and we need to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels.
    The American people understand that we need to transform our broken and racist criminal justice and immigration system that locks up four times as many people as communist China and leaves millions here at home living in fear.
    But it is not just the ideological debate we are winning.
    We are winning the generational debate as well.
    While Joe Biden does well with older Americans, especially those over 65 years old, our campaign continues to win a vast majority of younger people in this country.
    But while we are winning — very clearly — the ideological debate, we are losing, right now, the electability debate.
    I cannot tell you how many people I and our campaign have spoken to that tell me that they like what our campaign stands for but they are going to vote for Joe Biden because they believe he is the best candidate to beat Trump.
    Needless to say, I strongly disagree.
    So, on Sunday, I very much look forward to debating Joe Biden about these issues in Arizona. This will be the first 1-on-1 debate of this campaign, and I am eager for the American people to see which candidate — which agenda — is best positioned to defeat Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in modern American history.
    Thank you for reading, but before you go, I must ask:
    Thank you again for everything you have done to support our campaign so far. Let’s go forward together.
    In solidarity,
    Bernie Sanders


    Paid for by Bernie 2020
    (not the billionaires)
    PO BOX 391, Burlington, VT 05402