This is the 594th edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue). Here is the April 6 edition. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
Pakalolo writes—"The entire biophysical system" of the Arctic is shifting toward an "unprecedented state": “A new study, spanning 47 years of key Arctic indicators, has revealed “the fundamental changes among nine key elements of the Arctic system”. According to the study abstract, warming Arctic temperatures has intensified the hydrological cycle which the authors note is ‘evident from increases in humidity, precipitation, river discharge, glacier equilibrium line altitude, and land ice wastage.’ The authors explain that ‘downward trends continue in sea ice thickness (and extent) and spring snow cover extent and duration, while near-surface permafrost continues to warm.’ A few of the climate indicators exhibit a direct correlation with rising air temperatures and precipitation are the smoking gun ‘of major changes in various components of the Arctic system.’ [...] Arctic forests are turning into bogs as permafrost melts beneath their roots. The icy surface that reflects the sun's radiation back into space is darkening and sea ice cover is declining. Warmth and moisture trapped by greenhouse gases are pumping up the water cycle, swelling rivers that carry more sediment and nutrients to the sea, which can change ocean chemistry and affect the coastal marine food chain. And those are just a few of the changes.”
Mokurai writes—Renewable Friday: Getting to 100%: “Can we meet the IPCC goal of 50% renewables by 2030, and 100% before 2050? tl;dr Yes, we can. Yes, we will. [...] In strict exponential growth the time to double something is constant. We never have exactly exponential growth, but we often get a fair approximation. Bloomberg New Energy Finance, as we have seen, has said that the world has a terawatt of wind and solar, and that the next terawatt, that is the next doubling, should take five years, from 2018 to 2023. So then maybe we could get to four in 2028 and eight in 2033, which is a bit more than half way there. That would leave us seventeen years to get to 16 TW of wind and solar by 2050. Or we could fit the slack in elsewhere as needed. As you can see in the diagram at the top here, the last doubling takes longer than the earlier ones. But there is no reason for it to take more than three times as long. Which is one of the reasons why I believe that we will get to 100% years before 2050, possibly before 2040.”
nmmokuena writes—Youth climate organizers demand a just, green future—no matter what Trump says: “Early in the morning of Friday, March 29, as Rick Perry and fossil fuel executives huddled inside Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill, local youth climate organizers gathered outside the exclusive restaurant in protest. The RealClearPolitics (RCP) event united Trump’s Department of Energy Secretary and coal execs to promote the continued use of coal and nuclear energy. Meanwhile, the climate organizers protesting from the sidewalks insisted the event was not just giving the fossil fuel industry a platform, but also serving to mislead the public in thinking that renewable energy is too expensive, thus promoting the myth that the country needs to continue its dependence on fossil fuels. I am thankful that I was able to attend this action in-person, and meet representatives from local climate groups 350 DC and Sunrise Movement’s DC Hub. Hearing demonstrators tell their stories and talk about the importance of youth organizing for a green and just future was very moving. One protestor shared that she feels empowered to work in the solar industry because she is building a livable future for youth and future generations. Protestors sang movement songs, chanting ‘Stop the Lies: Renewables save money and lives,’ ‘Hey hey, ho ho! Rick Perry has got to go!’, as well as highlighting their righteous desire for clean air and water.”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Milly Watt writes—Backyard BirdRace/The Daily Bucket Combo - April Tally: “In January, we introduced the new and revised version of the Backyard BirdRace. This time around, we each watch for birds in our yard — however you want to define that — and keep a list of them to share here each month in the BirdRace diary. We’ll each be keeping track of our own bird lists this time. eBird is a very easy way to do that. Or you can write them down in a notebook. We hope to generate some conversation amongst us comparing and contrasting who we see, and perhaps find some insights into the world of birds as they intersect with our lives. The ‘race’ aspect is a form of gentle humorous encouragement to keep watching throughout the year…. perhaps you will see more birds than you thought, or than you saw last year or a decade ago, or your fellow regional kossacks, or other birdracers who live in the same kind of setting as yourself. It’s all a discovery, and meant to be fun. So if you’d like to participate, please list the birds you’ve seen, naming your general locale and type of setting. Pointing out who are the new birds since last month will be useful information too.”
giddy thing writes—Dawn Chorus: Lights Out for Birds! “Dawn Chorus friends, I’ve started my transition moving from Idaho to Montana, so life is a bit crazy right now. For today’s DC I’m reprising an article I wrote a couple years ago (for a different blog) calling attention to ecological light pollution and its effects on our feathered friends, particularly during migration. I hope you’ll find the diary ‘illuminating’ – in a good way! [...] For millions of years, animals have relied on Earth’s predictable rhythm of day and night. This dark-light cycle governs many life-sustaining behaviors encoded in the DNA of all animals. In the mere span of the last century, the increasing proliferation of artificial lights has transformed the nighttime environment over large portions of Earth’s surface, not only obscuring our ability to marvel at the heavens, but also causing disruptions to animals dependent on the darkness of night. The phenomenon prevents nearly 80% of people in North America from seeing the Milky Way galaxy in the night sky.”
RonK writes—The Daily Bucket: Shore and Water Birds of Boundary Bay: “We took three of our grandchildren who were on spring break to Semiahmoo Resort located on Semiahmoo Spit on the US side of Boundary Bay. They of course loved the swimming pool, the game room, just hanging out and the food. I got in some bird watching which follows.[...] This time of year is herring spawning season which bring birds in from all around. Although this spit is not a primary spawning area, Point Roberts, 11 miles away is as I illustrated previously.”
Pakalolo writes—Lack of sea ice has forced hundreds of walrus to scale cliffs where they then plunge to their death: “Thanks to a new series on Netflix, distressing footage of walrus plunging from sea cliffs was captured for the first time in the Russian Arctic by a crew filming Our Planet, the new natural history series narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Attenborough's series is not just any nature program, he is pulling zero punches when he weaves hothouse earth into his film locations with a visual assault on the senses from an ever-changingclimate and biosphere. London’s Sunday Times (has a paywall) describes how ‘Two-tonne mountains of blubber and tusk may not be as iconic as polar bears, but the horrific deaths of hundreds of walruses could make these “Arctic refugees’”the grim new symbol of climate change’.”
Angmar writes—The Daily Bucket: Images of Spring: Photo diary.
sandbear75 writes—Daily Bucket - I just flew back from Jupiter and boy are my arms tired: Photo diary.
Besame writes—Daily Bucket: I tried Seek and this is what I found (lotsa photos): “I’ve been trying out the nature identification app Seek on various plants and animals I see around my neighborhood. Some IDs surprise me (a suspected invasive weed really is a native wildflower); some are so general and obvious they are useless (Dicot); and others are broadly informative but nothing I didn’t already know (Mustard Family, true moss). Seek is sharp on European wildflowers we call weeds in the US and I suspect this is due to abundant observations in the iNaturalist database for the image recognition program. Warning — there’s a known bug in the app that can result in a blank white page instead of your data. It happened to me on Friday as I tried to look back at my saved observations. iNaturalist developers know about this and are working to get an update fix out asap. Don’t delete the app or you’ll lose all your data. When the app is working properly, this is what the app’s home screen shows before it is ready to scan using your phone camera. (The wild life in the top of screen will be synched to your area.)”
CLIMATE CHAOS
Meteor Blades writes—Congressional Republicans think linking climate crisis to national security is a big joke: “Officials at the White House, the most prestigious refuge for the nation’s stubborn cohort of climate crisis deniers, are finding that some federal departments and agencies aren’t interested in or haven’t even heard about Donald Trump’s plan to set up a team to challenge scientific findings on climate change. And one of them, the Department of Defense, is especially out of step with this grotesque nonsense. The Pentagon has spent nearly a decade looking into, making plans, and adopting measures to deal with the impacts of climate change, which it considers a serious matter of national security.”
dailynooze writes—Weatherman Has Faith Book On Climate Will Change Hearts And Minds: “Paul Douglas, a well-known Minnesota meteorologist, believes in the science of climate change and has written a book on the subject. He is also an Evangelical. The book, ‘Caring for Creation: An Evangelical’s Guide to Climate Change and a Healthy Environment,’ hit the bookstores this month. It is co-authored by the Rev. Mitch Hescox, president of the Evangelical Environmental Network. ‘I figured if people didn’t want to hear from scientists, maybe they’d listen to a minister and a meteorologist,’ said Douglas. Douglas’s argument is that climate change is irrefutable and it is a Christian obligation to care for the planet and all that God has created.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Weather dot com Exposes Just How Unqualified Heartland’s Award Winners Are For Anything But Denial: “Everyone loves to win, but, unfortunately, not everyone can. Over at Heartland, though, the spirit of participation trophies is strong. To recognize leaders in the field of protecting fossil fuels, Heartland has been giving out awards at their annual conferences over the past few years. What sort of luminaries is Heartland rewarding? Certainly the honorees must be scientific titans if they know better than the thousands of scientists responsible for developing the vast body of evidence that has given rise to the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change. [...] Of the 19 ‘winners,’ only six have published on climate change in peer reviewed journals, and only five have a degree in climate science. Seven have no background in science whatsoever, one has no degree at all (glorified weather-reader turned blogger Anthony Watts, who last week formally joined Heartland) and another claims his expertise comes from reading ‘some 50 books… on the science of climate change’.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Heartland’s Timothy Benson’s Modest Proposal May Be Naughty Humor, But It Isn’t Funny:On Wednesday, the Daily Caller published an opinion piece by Heartland Institute policy analyst Timothy Benson that we can only assume is satire. Benson argues in the piece that when it comes to addressing the existential threat of climate change, ‘if we can’t persuade’ the current-top-emitters of China, Russia and India to cut their emissions, then the US ‘will have to invade and occupy these countries’ and force the emission reductions. The only way to do this, per Benson, would be by ‘reinstitution of the draft.’ This shouldn’t be a problem, he explains, because progressive ‘children should be filled with patriotic zeal and fervor’ and be excited to ‘be the first kid on their block to get a confirmed kill in the name of saving the planet.’ Benson concludes by admitting that ‘perhaps millions of American youth will die ridding the world of the climate menace, but what a noble sacrifice.’ It’s obvious that Benson simply intended his piece to mock calls for the WWII-style mobilization to fight climate change. He isn’t the first, because no one is seriously going to propose sacrificing millions of American children and, by extension, millions of Russian, Chinese and Indian citizens. After all, the whole point of fighting climate change is to prevent death and destruction, not to merely cut emissions at any cost.”
AmericaAdapts writes—PODCAST: Tribes, Indigenous People and the False Urgency of Climate Adaptation with Dr. Kyle Whyte: “In episode 87 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons interviews Dr. Kyle Powys Whyte . Kyle is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Community Sustainability and a faculty affiliate of the American Indian & Indigenous Studies and Environmental Science & Policy programs at Michigan State University. Kyle is also an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Kyle and I discuss how indigenous people define urgency in the face of climate change, managed retreat for tribal communities, the national climate assessment and tribal issues, the sometimes controversial relationship between tribes and climate scientists, climate change’s role in ongoing colonization of indigenous people, effective tribal engagement and much more in a fascinating and sometimes raw conversation.”
Jakko writes—Here is what we do about climate change: a technology (and politics) review: “Like utilities across the country, PGE, Portland (Oregon) General Electric, is closing its coal-fired power plant near Boardman, less because it is concerned with carbon than because carbon-capture and clean air requirements make coal unprofitable. They wanted to replace it with more gas-fired plants—they already own a couple—but ratepayers handed them their asses over that, so now they are going with wind, solar, and lithium-ion battery storage (when better is available). That will require back-up for when there is no wind or sun, and they will probably buy that power from some gas or coal plant several states away. They could continue to use the expensive, already-paid-for turbines and generators and condensers at Boardman, trash recycle the coal boilers, and replace them with molten salt fission reactors, MSRs. That should save their ratepayers money and it solves multiple problems. I will resist anyone trying to build a new pressurized water fission reactor, PWR, anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. PWRs are just as abysmally inefficient and dangerous as they were when Three Mile Island nearly took out Pennsylvania. MSRs are twice as efficient and far safer: loss of power causes a shutdown, not a meltdown, and they operate at atmospheric pressure, and so are not a steam explosion waiting to happen.”
Jakko writes—This is what we do about climate change. Part 2: “It alarms me that I see nothing in SR15 that says the IPCC is even considering “slow feedbacks,” like the tipping point to a methane “burp.” A methane excursion appears to have been the proximate cause of the End Permian mass extinction, the world’s worst; 90 percent of everything died out when the planet warmed ~5°C. 352 myago, over thousands of years, and then another 5° almost overnight. We are adding CO2 to the atmosphere about 50 times as fast as the Siberian Traps did, pouring CO2 into the atmosphere until the planet warmed enough to trigger that methane belch. Methane captures ~100 times as much heat initially as CO2, then ~86 times over 20 years, ~32 times over a century, while it decays into CO2 that will stick around trapping heat for centuries. We’re also emitting megatons of nitrous oxides, 265 times as bad as CO2 (or 320 x, depending on whom you read), refrigerants that can be 32,000 times as bad, and a bunch of other greenhouse gasses as we use the air we breathe as a sewer. Arctic permafrost is already melting, rotting, and releasing methane, and the seas off parts of Siberia boil with destabilized methane clathrates. That is a self-reinforcing feedback loop; warmer = more methane, more methane = warmer. Self-reinforcing feedback loops tend to grow exponentially.”
liberalismiscommonsense writes—GOP rep ad hominem against John Kerry: political science and climate science are pseudoscience: “First, he started with an ad hominem after saying he shouldn’t. Second, he deliberately states the obviously wrong thing: a BA in political science is not a science degree in the STEM sense. Third, even if you have a STEM major, you can get a BA degree. Fourth, even if political science isn’t real “science” (there can be a debate about this), what does it have to do with somebody pointing out that Trump’s cabinet do not have people educated about climate science? Finally, climate science is pseudoscience only in the fevered imaginations of GOP reps who bury their heads in the sand. His descendants should be ashamed of him when they read this in the official records of Congress.”
committed writes—Time for gills: “another one of the gop henchmen in action today. Dems grill EPA chief over auto emissions rollback plan. Wheeler told lawmakers that he did believe human activity is a cause of climate change, and fossil fuels play a part. But asked if he thought reducing emissions would help combat global warming, Wheeler said it was nuanced. “Yes, but it’s on the margins. I think adaptation is very important,” he said. yeah baby, say that when florida is under water. say that while swimming in lake nebraska. yeah say that in the next hurricane sandy. or hurricane harvey. or hurricanes mathew and florence. or hurricane maria. all you need to do is ADAPT!”
Extreme Weather & Natural Phenomena
xaxnar writes—Deja vu all over again: Another Bomb Cyclone in the Midwest. The Climate Change 'Hoax' Continues: “ The Midwest is about to get hammered again: "Potentially historic" storm to slam hard-hit Plains, Midwest. This intro from Andrew Freedman at AXIOS is not good news. A rapidly intensifying storm will send temperatures plummeting by more than 40°F across the western and Central Plains on Wednesday, spawning an April blizzard that could dump more than 2 feet of snow in some areas. Why it matters: This storm will paralyze a huge area of real estate and potentially set up beleaguered states such as Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, among others, for more flooding in coming days. It could also set records for snowfall — with the potential for as much as 30 or more inches in parts of the Midwest — and for the lowest atmospheric pressure reading observed during the month of April in particular states.”
ENERGY
Green New Deal
Campion writes—Green New Deal--A Look Inside: “Consider. The much larger but integral question of how humans and human culture are going to live with the rest of the biotic and non-biotic fields of forces will require a complete shift of mind and spirit, not just an acquisition of knowledge and a proper deployment of responses. We are going to have to change what we imagine the self to be; we are going to have to change our human place in a co-extensive world of nested sets, whose agencies, such as they are, we’ll call for now inter-sovereignities. The very definitions of things are going to have to change—for we do not even know how to think properly about the questions yet—we still think of them with 19th century language tools, and lo and behold, too often come up with 19th century (whatever) descriptions, and of course, solutions. In short, these tools (of language) helped create the mental underpinnings that helped justify and construct the capitalist dystopia that envelopes us; so it is likely that these same implements will reproduce and not repair.”
Nuclear
Dave from Oregon writes—In addressing climate change, would you accept a lot more nuclear power if it replaced coal? “Right now, the US gets roughly 27% of its electricity from coal, 37% from natural gas, 19% from nuclear, and 19% from renewables including hydro. I think we agree that coal is the most serious problem. It produces twice as much C02 as natural gas with the rest producing close to zero. If the administration were to say, we can zero out our use of coal in 12 years but at a cost of say doubling our use of nuclear with the rest coming from renewables and natural gas, would you accept it? I am fully aware of the issues with nuclear power and would much prefer massive use of renewables. I would love to see far more renewables, but the Question is would you accept a lot more nuclear power to zero out coal?”
Bethesda 1971 writes—Why is Trump selling nukes to the 9/11 hijackers' country? “There were nineteen hijackers on 9/11. Fifteen were from Saudi Arabia. This came to mind when I was reading Jamess' excellent diary: About that 'Back-room' Saudi Nuclear Transfer … revealing the wealthy interests trying to get their piece of the Saudi nuke deal. This is a natural issue for Democrats to use against the Trump Kleptocracy and the Republicans who aid and abet it. 9/11 was co-opted and exploited by the Bush administration, which started the disastrous Iraq war using two lies: (1) Iraq was the main culprit for 9/11 (with Cheney using torture to try to prove that lie); and(2) Iraq was developing WMD including nukes. And now, we have the bitter irony of Trump reversing these lies into a terrible truth:Trump wants to give potential nukes to the country with the actual 9/11 culprits.”
Fossil Fuels
randallt writes—North Carolina Open Thread: Duke Coal Ash Cleanup and Windmills: “Duke Energy — whose corporate power touches the lives of every North Carolinian every day — whose outsized political influence exerts itself via hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions every election — whose former employees-turned-state-officials, ex-Gov. Pat McCrory, ex-State Rep. Mike Hager and sitting State Sen. Paul Newton, among them, have represented the utility’s interests to the degree that at times the utility seems to operate as a shadow government — Duke Energy did not get what it wanted. On April 1, the NC Department of Environmental Quality determined that the utility must remove all coal ash from its remaining nine impoundments at six plants in North Carolina: Allen, Belews Creek, Cliffside/Rogers, Marshall, Mayo and Roxboro. According to the order, Duke can move the coal ash– roughly 100 million tons in total — to lined, dry landfills, either onsite or offsite. The utility can also recycle the ash at beneficiation plants, which prepare the material to be reused in concrete. Three such facilities are planned for North Carolina: in Wayne, Chatham and Rowan counties. A cleanup plan is due to DEQ by Aug. 1.”
Dan Bacher writes—Ventura Co. Supervisor to Call for Moratorium on New Drilling Until Water Contamination Addressed: “California politicians constantly portray the state as the nation's ‘green leader,’ but in fact California is a major oil and natural gas producer. Since 2011, California regulators under Governor Jerry Brown approved over 21,000 new oil and gas well drilling permits throughout the state, including over 200 offshore wells in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. This afternoon, Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett will call for a motion for a temporary ban on new oil drilling including steam-injection oil wells near Ventura County water sources, according to a news release from Food and Water Watch. ‘The call for a motion comes following the discovery by the U.S. Geological Service of explosive thermogenic gases, like methane, in water wells in the Fox Canyon Aquifer,’ said Tomas Morales Rebecchi.”
Dan Bacher writes—Ventura Co. Supervisor to Call for Moratorium on New Drilling Until Water Contamination Addressed: “California politicians constantly portray the state as the nation's "green leader," but in fact California is a major oil and natural gas producer. Since 2011, California regulators under Governor Jerry Brown approved over 21,000 new oil and gas well drilling permits throughout the state, including over 200 offshore wells in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. This afternoon, Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett will call for a motion for a temporary ban on new oil drilling including steam-injection oil wells near Ventura County water sources, according to a news release from Food and Water Watch. ‘The call for a motion comes following the discovery by the U.S. Geological Service of explosive thermogenic gases, like methane, in water wells in the Fox Canyon Aquifer,’ said Tomas Morales Rebecchi.”
Lefty Coaster writes—Norway decides NOT to drill for oil in the Arctic off of the beautiful Lofoten Islands: “Norway is walking away from billions of barrels of oil and natural gas. To the dismay of the nation’s powerful oil industry and its worker unions, the opposition Labor Party over the weekend decided to shift its stance and will end a push for oil exploration offshore the sensitive Lofoten islands in Norway’s Arctic. That means there’s now a solid majority in parliament to keep the area off limits for drilling. The dramatic shift is big a blow to the support the oil industry has enjoyed and a signal that the oil era that built the Scandinavian nation into one of the world’s most affluent is nearing an end.”
pwax writes—Going 'cold turkey' on fossil fuel: “How about we try to force out states to go “cold turkey” and only purchase clean energy? Clean energy activists might try to put propositions on state ballots requiring the state to only purchase clean electricity, generated from renewable sources and without fossil fuels. If Apple computers has the leverage to do this, then why not our state governments? Of course Apple suppliers can try to pass on the costs to Apple, and Apple can pass those costs to its consumers. So ‘cold turkey’ initiatives would include some hardships today. It is worth asking: How much hardship would be involved in refusing to purchase electricity that was generated from fossil fuels? Who has the leverage to make a difference? ”
Emissions Controls & Carbon Pricing
Lib Dem FoP writes—London - Ultra Low Emissions Zone Starts Operation: “The Congestion Charge applies to vehicles being driven within the zone between 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. Certain exceptions are allowed included cars owned by residents and electric and some hybrid vehicles. The current charge for cars is £11.50 a day. The number plates of vehicles entering the zone are read by “automatic number plate recognition”(APNR) cameras. The vehicle owner pays the charge either automatically (at a £1discount), on line or by phone. The incentive of not being liable for the charge was not enough for sufficient users to change to less polluting vehicles so from Monday, a further charge is being applied to vehicles which do not meet the latest EU standards for their class of vehicles. For some vehicles, heavier lorries up to 3.5 tonnes, these only became mandatory in September 2016. For the first time, older motorcycles are being charged to enter central London. This charge, in addition to the Congestion Charge, is £12.50 for smaller vehicles and £100 for lorries, buses, coaches and other large vehicles.”
Renewables, Efficiency & Conservation
Meteor Blades writes—Open thread for night owls. Report: Cheaper solar and wind cuts cost of dealing with climate crisis: “The cost of reaching global climate goals is falling rapidly as wind and solar prices plummet and policy makers push electrification as the main tool to cut pollution, the International Renewable Energy Agency said. The group known as Irena revised down its estimates for global investments needed by 2050 in clean energy to meet targets under the Paris Agreement on climate change. The Abu Dhabi-based group now says $115 trillion is needed, down from $125 trillion a year ago, reflecting lower costs to build wind and solar farms. The global energy shift needs significant investments but they will more than pay off in curbing emissions and in health and environmental benefits, Irena’s new Director-General Francesco La Camera said by email. Green energy costs are falling rapidly, he said. The agency cut its estimate for the additional costs needed to meet Paris Accord goals by 40 percent in the last year, according to the report.”
Walter Einenkel writes—Washington is about to become the next state to pass a 100% clean energy bill: “With a vote of 56-42, the Washington state House of Representatives passed a clean energy bill that would require the Evergreen State to use 100 percent clean energy for electricity needs by 2045. The Associated Press reports that the amended bill goes back to the state Senate, but is expected to pass and get signed by Gov. Jay Inslee as one of his campaign promises. The bill would require coal to be phased out by 2025, relying on a large amount of hydroelectric power to count on until the state finds more carbon-free sources. This bit of legislation would potentially add an even more clean juxtaposition of the conservative and progressive movements, with the Trump administration reportedly mulling over the idea of turning military bases on the coast of Washington state into coal export facilities. When this bill is signed into law it will make Washington the fourth state, following Hawaii, California, and New Mexico to commit to a 100 percent clean energy solution.”
Pipelines & Other Oil and Gas Transport
Dan Bacher writes—Trump signs two executive orders expediting oil and gas pipelines: “On April 10, President Trump signed two Executive Orders promoting oil and gas infrastructure development, drawing praise from Acting U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and oil and gas corporations — and condemnation from environmentalists, public interest groups and elected officials. The first order, the ‘Executive Order on Promoting Energy Infrastructure and Economic Growth,’ requires the Department of Transportation to change its policies so liquified natural gas can be shipped by rail and tanker truck. It also ‘seeks to limit shareholder ballot initiatives designed to alter companies' policies on environmental and social issues,’ The Washington Post reports. That executive order is available here: www.whitehouse.gov/… The second order, the ‘Order on the Issuance of Permits with Respect to Facilities and Land Transportation Crossings at the International Boundaries of the United States,’ states that the president is the only person responsible for approving or rejecting pipelines and other infrastructure that cross international boundaries. This responsibility previously fell on the Secretary of State. That executive order is available here: www.whitehouse.gov/...”
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
occupystephanie writes—Jay Inslee: Serious about Climate Change (CNN Town Hall Tonight): “As climate chaos makes itself felt throughout America, the 2020 election heats up with a multitude of pressing issues from government corruption to election fraud, white supremacy violence to the worst income inequality and health outcomes in any developed nation. However, none of these issues threaten the existence of life itself more than one issue: Climate Change. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee is the only candidate who has made climate change the centerpiece of his campaign. Analysis of Democratic candidates’ social media feeds by The Washington Post reveals the depth of Inslee’s commitment: 81 percent of his posts are about climate change; Hickenlooper comes in second at 33 percent; Gabbard at 13 percent, and Gillibrand at 12 percent. The remainder of the candidate’s mentions of climate change registers somewhere in the unreported zone of under 10 percent. Far from being a discrete isolated issue, climate change is an overarching reality under which all other issues exist.”
Lefty Coaster writes—Jay Inslee is on CNN's Town Hall Tomorrow - Updated with Poll: “Democratic candidates have typically treated climate change as just another talking point to breeze through before getting to their real policy priorities. Ever since a cap-and-trade bill flamed out on Capitol Hill a decade ago, the Democratic establishment has remained convinced that focusing too heavily on climate change is a losing strategy. But the 2020 race might be different. [...] Then there’s Jay Inslee. He was the climate candidate before the climate was a cool—or hot—topic. The genial, wonky 68-year-old governor of Washington state is pushing the envelope by betting his long-shot presidential run on an audacious pitch: Climate change isn’t a niche issue, Inslee insists; it is the issue, the one that ties together everything voters care about, from the economy and health care to immigration and national security. ‘You can hardly point to anything you care about and say it isn’t necessary to defeat climate change to protect it,’ Inslee told me from the ‘real Washington’ as he recharged between campaign stops. ‘So we can’t succeed on these other issues unless we defeat climate change’.”
Lefty Coaster writes—Watch Jay Inslee SLAM it out of the PARK on CBS's 'This Morning': “Jay was right on point in his answers to every question. Clear concise answers making these complex topics understandable to everyone in the audience. He really showed us how it’s done. [...] OK I’m a little biased, but I don’t think I’ve seen any candidate perform so well in a TV interview during this election cycle. I can’t wait to see Jay in the coming debates.”
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Lefty Coaster writes—Jay Inslee at CNN Town Hall: "Wind turbines don’t cause cancer, they cause jobs": “Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democratic presidential candidate, just wrapped his CNN town hall where he addressed a host of issues, including climate change, health care and President Trump. In case you missed it, here are five key quotes from Inslee's town hall: 1. On Trump's false claim that noise from wind turbines cause cancer: ‘We can get a president of the United States that understands wind turbines don’t cause cancer, they cause jobs’."
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Trump’s Pro-Enviro Putsch Shows Propaganda in Action in Swamps from Louisiana to DC: “Last week, McClatchy newswire ran a story that was just a day late to be an April Fool’s prank. According to two unnamed sources, part of Trump’s 2020 campaign will be touting his environmental achievements. Seems that even the Trump campaign recognizes that the vast majority of Americans support environmental policies, because no one thinks hundreds of billions of dollars in economic losses, every year, is a future we want. The bad news: that’s the future Trump’s pointing us towards. Not only did Trump’s campaign manager go on the record to claim the story is ‘100 percent fake news,’ but more importantly, Trump’s agenda is the opposite of the general public’s nearly universally held policy preference of not being sickened or killed by pollution. Unfortunately, as Paul Krugman put it succinctly last week, Donald Trump is trying to kill you. Does that mean reporters should just ignore these sorts of obviously bogus claims? Probably not, since what the most powerful person in the country is going to say and do is newsworthy. So should media report on the mismatch between Trump’s supposed green thumb with his blood-red hands?”
WILDERNESS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND PARKS & OTHER PUBLIC LANDS
Lenny Flank writes—Photo Diary: Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge: “This is a very nice NWR near Myrtle Beach SC. Although there are several miles of trails and bike paths, they actually cover only a portion of the park. There is also an Environmental Education Center, but I was on the other end of the park from that. It’s a great place though to walk around, see some wildlife, and have a picnic lunch. Especially now that spring has sprung and the wildflowers are starting to bloom.”
Meteor Blades writes—Open thread for night owls: Ignoring Congress, Trump regime trashes successful conservation program: “As part of its anti-environment agenda, the Trump administration has directly contradicted orders from Congress by cutting funding for a successful national conservation program. The Guardian reported Monday that numerous scientists and employees of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) say President Donald Trump unilaterally slashed funding for a program put in place by the Obama administration in 2010 called Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs). The president's actions were denounced as ‘disheartening and short-sighted’ by one critic on social media.”
BYPRODUCTS, TRASH, TOXIC & RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Optimal Idiot writes—Trump Welcomes the (New) Russian Asbestos Market: “My father worked in the Philadelphia Naval Yard building war ships for the USA during WWII, and then went on to start his own company involved with industrial boiler maintenance. He was around asbestos in both occupations. He contracted MESOTHELIOMA (asbestos related lung cancer) later in life and died before his time — enduring substantial pain and suffering. Asbestos is banned in over 60 countries. Now, in another TRUMPIAN ASSAULT on the American people, our child President aims to bring back ASBESTOS. The following is from a New York Times report: Under Trump’s rule, EPA director Scott Pruitt eased restrictions on its current use, for one reason - because Trump likes it. His 1997 book, ‘The Art of the Comeback,’ said that asbestos had ‘got a bad rap,’ claiming that efforts to force its removal from schools and other buildings were ‘led by the mob,’ rather than motivated by health concerns.”
REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS
Hunter writes—Congress launches investigation into top EPA officials' actions on behalf of former lobbying clients: “Everywhere you turn in the Trump administration, another scandal pops up. If it's not an appointed official using government workers for personal errands, it's someone drunkenly harassing coworkers or being accused of stealing over a hundred million dollars from his own business associates or arranging shockingly lax plea deals for billionaire child molesters. It's been the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency that have been the most popular grift magnets—which is to be expected, given the power those administrators hold over regulations that can make or cost fossil fuel industries billions with the stroke of a pen. And now there's another one, as the House Energy and Commerce Committee launches a new probe into whether two ex-utility company lobbyists now in top EPA roles violated ethics rules in their aggressive push to roll back pollution regulations—a move that coincided with the needs of their most recent clients.”
Dan Bacher writes—Senator Wyden Calls for Probe into David Bernhardt and Law Firm Over Apparent Unreported Lobbying: “Joining a growing number of elected officials and organizations calling for an investigation of Trump's Interior Secretary nominee David Bernhardt, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today requested that the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Lu "thoroughly investigate potential civil and criminal violations" of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) by Bernhardt and his former lobbying firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. Wyden’s request follows public reports and media investigations revealing that Bernhardt may have engaged in lobbying activities for the powerful Westlands Water District and others, including multiple direct lobbying contacts, after deregistering as a lobbyist for Brownstein in November 2016, according to Wyden's Office. ‘Add these troubling allegations to the long list of reasons why the nomination of David Bernhardt should be stopped, or at minimum delayed, until the Senate and the American people get all of the facts,’ said Wyden. ‘I’m requesting an investigation because of the serious legal questions that remain unanswered.’ A copy of Wyden’s letter to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia can be found here.”
Jen Hayden writes—Lobbyist-turned-acting Interior secretary had loads of unreported meetings with fossil fuel execs: “It’s another day, and another swamp creature-turned-governmental department head is meeting just about everyone he represents, except the American people. Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt seems to be steering away from his officially listed calendar meetings, so much so that his revised calendar has 260 differences from his original calendar. Turns out, Bernhardt has been very, very busy meeting with Big Oil, Big Gas, Big Timber, and Big Mining. From Roll Call: Recently posted versions of acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s daily schedules contain at least 260 differences from his original schedules, with the newest records shown McManus, President of the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA).ing meetings previously described as “external” or “internal” were actually with representatives of fossil fuel, timber, mining and other industries, according to a review by CQ Roll Call. Events left out of the original calendars but now disclosed or detailed further include a keynote address at the Trump International Hotel inWashington for the industry group Domestic Energy Producers Alliance, encounters with executives at Chevron Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell, and a meeting with the chairman of a conservative group Bernhardt previously represented in litigation that environmentalists believe was geared toward weakening the Endangered Species Act.”
Erin Tulley writes—Swamp Thing, you make my heart sing: an opposition to Bernhardt from the monsters: “On Wednesday, Daily Kos joined Greenpeace and Corporate Accountability in an action to oppose Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Interior, David Bernhardt. We marched into Mitch McConnell’s office with over 170,000 signatures from Americans demanding a better nominee. But we weren’t alone. We were joined in our protest against this hypocritical nomination by swamp monsters. Like, THE swamp monsters. These creatures of the sticky and stinky deep have been on Bernhardt’s tail for some time now, popping up at hearings and outside of the Capitol. And there’s no question why… Donald Trump has continually promised to “drain the swamp,” yet as a former oil lobbyist, Bernhardt IS the swamp. He has so many conflicts of interest, he carries them around on a card in order to keep track. Trump’s nominee EMBODIES the swamp. The Secretary of the Interior Department plays a key role in directing the management of our parks, monuments, forests, refuges, water and wildlife, including endangered species and management of oil, natural gas, and coal on public lands. Bernhardt’s confirmation would jeopardize these public resources for the benefit of fossil fuel interests.”
Michael Brune writes—A Stomach-Churning Nominee: “Does Donald Trump care that his nominee for Secretary of the Interior, David Bernhardt, is an ethically compromised lobbyist* who's been festering within the department for years like the chestburster from Alien? We're talking about a president who lies compulsively,treats the government like a get-rich-quick scheme, and has inspired a 257-page book about his epic cheating at golf. Of course he doesn't care. The real issue is whether your U.S. senators care, because they'll soon be voting on Bernhardt's confirmation, even as fresh scandals erupt around the man who's been called a walking, talking conflict of interest. Bernhardt famously used to carry around a laminated card that listed all of the former lobbying clients he briefly recused himself from interacting with (apparently, it wasn't effective). What every senator needs right now is a card that lists every one of Bernhardt’s scandalous and outrageous actions since he hopped on the Trump train in 2016. Alas, that list wouldn’t fit in anyone’s pocket.”
Dan Bacher writes—U.S. Senate votes 56-41 to confirm oil and Westlands lobbyist David Bernhardt as Interior Secretary: “The U.S. Senate today voted 56-41 to confirm President Trump’s nominee David Bernhardt, former oil and gas corporation and Westlands Water District lobbyist David Bernhardt, to be the Secretary of the Interior. Senators Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), as well as Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), joined Senate Republicans in voting for Bernhardt’s confirmation. Representatives of conservation, fishing, Native American and environmental justice organizations blasted the vote, with one group calling Bernhardt the ‘most conflict-ridden cabinet nominee.’ ‘After all of the clear documentation about his conflicts of interest and his apparent corruption, it’s really disappointing to seeing the Senate agree to make this guy the secretary with 56 votes,’ said John McManus, President of the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA).”
ECO-ACTION & ECO JUSTICE
Huiying B Chan writes—Indigenous resistance to big oil on Native lands: Kos Liberation League Round-Up: “While mainstream media continues to focus on replaying every bigoted word and tweet Trump spews, communities of color across the U.S. continue to resist racist and xenophobic local and national policies. Indigenous communities continue to unite against oil pipeline destruction, formerly incarcerated people continue to fight for their rights, and students are taking educational equity into their own hands. No matter what the media shares repeatedly in the news cycle, these narratives deserve our attention every day, but are rarely highlighted. These stories, published on Daily Kos, are rounded up by the Daily Kos Liberation League (DKLL). We focus on news media and campaigns that center racial justice, gender equality, and LGBTQ rights.”
Ntebo Mokuena writes—Youth climate organizers demand a just, green future—no matter what Trump says: “Early in the morning of Friday, March 29, as Rick Perry and fossil fuel executives huddled inside Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill, local youth climate organizers gathered outside the exclusive restaurant in protest. The RealClearPolitics (RCP) event united Trump’s Department of Energy secretary and coal execs to promote the continued use of coal and nuclear energy. Meanwhile, the climate organizers protesting from the sidewalks insisted the event was not just giving the fossil fuel industry a platform, but also serving to mislead the public in thinking that renewable energy is too expensive, thus promoting the myth that the country needs to continue its dependence on fossil fuels. I am thankful that I was able to attend this action in person and meet representatives from local climate groups 350 DC and Sunrise Movement’s DC Hub. Hearing demonstrators tell their stories and talk about the importance of youth organizing for a green and just future was very moving. One protestor shared that she feels empowered to work in the solar industry because she is building a livable future for youth and future generations. Protestors sang movement songs, chanting ‘Stop the Lies: Renewables save money and lives,’ ‘Hey hey, ho ho! Rick Perry has got to go!’ as well as highlighting their righteous desire for clean air and water.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
LIcenter writes—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging Vol. 15.15 Bud-E can you spare a little more warmth please: “So here we are. It’s April 6th (when photos were taken). Gug, kishik, and I are on the extreme east coast, and all three of us live in a thirtyish mile radius from each other. Right now kishik should be two weeks ahead in the growing season. Gug is roughly one week ahead due to him being more inland. I on the other hand bring up the rear, due to the lower ocean and sound temps. Patience ya old fart! Anyway here are a few photos of what is slowly happening around my neck of the woods. I planted a pussywillow bush a couple a years back. One reason was, I really like it, but the main reason was its habit of being a very early bloomer, which is quite beneficial for the early pollinators. My apologies in advance for not having each plants official name. My library on all my plants were lost in the sudden death of my prior laptop. I am tickled pink on the profuse bud-e ing it has awarded me this year.”
AKALib writes—The Impossible Burger - an Environmental Game Changer? “The food world is abuzz this week with news of the Impossible burger. On April 1, Impossible Foods, the maker of the plant-based burger patty, made the announcement that Burger King is testing its patty in St. Louis, with plans for wider availability soon from coast to coast. The burger has been available in gourmet restaurants and smaller chains since 2016, but a new recipe, dubbed Impossible Burger 2.0, was introduced this year by the silicon valley startup and food critics have been going gaga singing its praises as the closest thing to real beef they have ever tasted. The news attracted the attention of the Missouri Farm Bureau, which represents the interests of the meat industry. Eric Bohl, the Director of Public Affairs & Advocacy for the Bureau wrote this commentary.”
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
NoFortunateSon writes—Another Week, Another Bridge Collapse in America: ‘’This past Monday, news came of another bridge collapse in the United States, this time in Chattanooga. The fact that a bridge collapse has to be qualified with the determiner ‘another’ in the richest Country the World has ever know is distressing, even more so considering said bridge was also part of the largest infrastructure project the World has ever know. Late Monday morning, the side of an overpass on I-75 collapsed, tumbling onto the ramp headed to Chattanooga. This bridge had been built in the 1950’s, and was recently inspected in July 2018. The condition of the bridge was found to be ‘Fair’, which sounds more like a weather report than something very large that can collapse and kill you. Fortunately, no one was killed (this time), although one person was seriously injured. And fortunately, this particular failure didn’t appear to be directly related to neglect or structural deficiency.”
MISCELLANY
AuntieB writes—Thinking Outside the Plastic Box- Going Plastic Free in Rural America: “So much advice about living a zero-plastics life depend on access to large shopping experiences where you can purchase items in bulk. Many of us in middle America don’t have that sort of access. That doesn’t mean we rural and small town folks should just throw up our hands and give up. It also doesn’t necessarily mean we have to order all our zero waste goods online (though that is OK too!) Instead, we just need to think outside the box a little more. We rural folks can do many of the eco friendly basics: Shopping totes, fabric produce bags, reuseable water bottles and coffee containers, forego plastic straws unless you need them medically, pack a lunch instead of a store packaged one, and so on. But here, where so much of our world’s food is produced, we might have unique access to many things. And I think that local political action groups, churches, book clubs, mommy groups and any other meeting of like-minded people are gifts if you want to reduce your footprint.”
Laura Clawson writes—House Democrats propose new bill to help 'all Americans affected by natural disasters.' All of them: “Senate Republicans are still holding up relief for parts of the U.S. hammered by natural disasters, but House Democrats are showing what responsible governance would look like by proposing a new, bigger aid package. The Senate hold-up comes because Republicans won’t pass a bill that angers Donald Trump by helping Puerto Rico—showing again how much in Trump’s thrall Republicans are—even as the island and its millions of U.S. citizens struggle to recover from two devastating hurricanes. The House plan would add $2.5 billion in new aid for flood-stricken Midwestern states, many of them represented by Republican senators who will still reject the assistance because they see similar help for Puerto Rico as a poison pill. By contrast, a Democratic spokesperson said that ‘House Democrats have been clear that we support a comprehensive emergency supplemental to meet the needs of all Americans affected by natural disasters’.”