This is the 607th edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue). Here is the July 6 edition. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
Austin Bailey writes—Old Enemy Puts California Condors at Risk: “The California condor is the largest land bird in North America. These magnificent birds once ranged from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast. By the mid-20th century their range had been diminished by human activity to mountainous areas in Southern California. Condors feed on carrion acting as nature’s clean-up crew. This diet makes them susceptible to a variety of contaminants including lead fragments in carcasses, poison bait, and environmental pollutants. In 1987, faced with limited success after over two decades of efforts to preserve the species in the wild, the last 22 wild California condors were captured and a concerted effort was mounted to preserve condors in captivity with the goal of ultimately returning them to the wild. That effort is one of the great success stories in zoological intervention. Today, California condors are back in the wild, fulfilling the goal of establishing two distinct breeding populations – one in California – extending into Mexico (Baja peninsula), with the second along the Utah/Arizona border. A third breeding population is maintained in captivity as insurance for the species. 2018 statistics offer evidence of the success of the decades long project – from that low of 22 condors in 1987, there are now 312 California condors in the wild, with 176 individuals in captivity.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - Big news! Friendly Seal has a new pup! “July 13, 2019. Salish Sea, Pacific Northwest. You never know what you might see out in nature, maybe nothing in particular on a given excursion, but it’s a 100% certainty you’ll see nothing if you don’t go out and look. A day like this was a vivid reminder for me of that truism. I went out. Stuck at home lately recovering from injury, I talked Mr O into driving me down to the beach where we’d park the car and he could head off on his half hour cardio walk and I could breathe the sea air (to be fair, it doesn’t take much persuasion, he just doesn’t want me to get all wild and crazy leaping around making things worse). I hadn’t planned on walking down the beach very far but Mr O turned around shortly, coming back to let me know there was a seal on the little island right offshore. I hobbled down there and what did I see? Friendly Seal lounging on a low rock! and a pup!! Nursing!!!”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Cloudy With A Chance of Screwballs: Paper Purporting Clouds Control Climate Carried By Kooks: ”There’s a new paper out with a pretty bold claim, summed up by its title: ‘no experimental evidence for the significant anthropogenic climate change.’ (We’ll leave the questionable grammar aside, as it’s written by two Finnish scientists.) The paper has generated some sensational headlines at the usual places like WUWT, but also at some of the even-more-fringe sites like Infowars, NoTricksZone and ZeroHedge. As always, we must ask ourselves: is this paper credible? (Spoiler alert: no.) First off, is it peer-reviewed? No. [...] Secondly, who’s covering the paper? Are mainstream outlets vetting it with outside experts and deeming it worthy of discussion? Not hardly. For example, it’s up on Infowars, the online home of Alex Jones. (Remember the time Infowars claimed John Kerry shot an energy beam from Antarctica to Hawaii to destroy a hurricane?)”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
PHScott writes—The Daily Bucket with Photos of the Day: “The cover photo is Purple Passionvine and then I found a Maypop — the regional name for the fruit of the Passionvine. This was in a restored area with baby Longleaf pines. Converting old silviculture to Longleaf is a big push in this area of the state. As Longleaf grow and prescribed fire is implemented on a 2-3 cycle that mimics nature, you end up with all the herbaceous plants that should be there — not a monoculture of Loblolly, Sand or Slash pine.”
marsanges writes—The Daily Bucket: What grows there? “Because yesterday in the Daily Bucket the talk came to whats still blooming, when good parts of plantworld are now moving to fruit setting, I thought i could just get ahead and go out have a look myself. So, what do I have here? I live in a strip of coastal dunes, essentially a barrier line like they would have it in the Carolinas — or in the Baltic Sea — only the Dutch have poldered in the tidal mudflats behind them so that the barrier dunes are now the front of the coastside. Whatever it is, it is where I live, so what’s there? Going out behind the house, theres just a stretch of duneland which is just filling in the space to the coastline. Its not a nature reserve of any kind, people walk there and jog there and do whatever all day.”
sandbear75 writes—Daily Bucket- A lewd flower story, or, You wouldn't want to be this plant: “This is the time of year when the multiple sub-species of Agave bloom. Here in Arizona, they are commonly referred to as Century Plants. The common folk lore was that they grew to be a hundred years old and then they would bloom. Most types grow 10 to 30 years before they spend all of their energy developing one massive flower stalk, that can grow up to 25 feet tall, bloom and die. How’s that for a sex life? That type of reproduction is called Semelparity, or monocarpy. One and done, like Salmon. But with these adaptable plants, they send out adventitious shoots, or pups, also. Much better than just swimming around the cold ocean, waiting to be eaten.
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - sandbathing otter: “Usually river otters are a bit more circumspect than this fella last Sunday. I was standing on the road above the beach leaning on my stick, very definitely visible to him as he paddled up right in front of me. River otters are loners most of the year, except for moms with their youngsters, and sometimes a gang of youngsters on their own for a while. This one is at least a year old, full grown, but not too old judging by his sharp teeth. Occasionally I caught sight of sign that he was a he. He shook himself vigorously, climbed out onto the beach, gave me a long stare, shook himself again and started rolling in the sand. Skooching full length chin to tail, twirling, wiggling, scratching… must have felt wonderful. [...] ”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - oceanspray & elderberry: peak over: “Pacific Northwest. I was going to run a Bucket with the pictures I took of beautiful Oceanspray and Red Elderberry a couple of weeks ago in their peak glory, until I went out yesterday to see how they were doing, the first time I’ve been out walking since then. Rats. They have both faded. Here’s what the Oceanspray looks like now, flowers gone brown, heading toward dry, limp and crispy.”
giddy thing writes—Dawn Chorus: Cliff Nesters - Living on the Ledge: “Idaho’s complex topography has been sculpted over millions of years by sediment deposition, volcanism, thrust faults, glaciation, and erosion — even a giant meteorite. The legacy of these forces shaped a landscape with an abundance of cliffs, bluffs, and rocky outcrops used as breeding habitat by a diverse array of birds. Arguably, one of the finest places to view these spectacular landforms and their cliff-nesting denizens is the Upper Salmon River in east-central Idaho. I was fortunate to spend 16 years as a wildlife biologist in the Upper Salmon, in part monitoring peregrine falcon and bald eagle nests along its 170 miles of rugged river canyon. In my rounds, I observed ~20 bird species using ‘hard rock’ habitats for nesting, foraging, retreat sites from predators, and vantage points to hunt and defend territories. Jump on in and let’s take a virtual float trip downriver to chase some cliff nesters. What better way to spend a hot summer day?”
Angmar writes—Continued plummeting insect numbers 'threaten a collapse of nature': “Insect collapse: ‘We are destroying our life support systems’. Scientist Brad Lister returned to Puerto Rican rainforest after 35 years to find 98% of ground insects had vanished. His return to the Luquillo rainforest in Puerto Rico after 35 years was to reveal an appalling discovery. The insect population that once provided plentiful food for birds throughout the mountainous national park had collapsed. On the ground, 98% had gone. Up in the leafy canopy, 80% had vanished. The most likely culprit by far is global warming. ‘It was just astonishing,’ Lister said. ‘Before, both the sticky ground plates and canopy plates would be covered with insects. You’d be there for hours picking them off the plates at night. But now the plates would come down after 12 hours in the tropical forest with a couple of lonely insects trapped or none at all.’ ‘It was a true collapse of the insect populations in that rainforest,’ he said. “We began to realise this is terrible—a very, very disturbing result.”
CLIMATE CHAOS
Michael Brune writes—The Trillion Tree Solution: “I've got a confession. Like a lot of people, I suffer from a mild version of what botanists call ‘tree blindness.’ Sure, I can tell an oak from a gingko, but most of the hundreds of varieties of trees that grow here in Northern California remain, to me, just trees. I couldn't help but think about how we take trees for granted when I read about new research that found that planting a lot more of them could reduce climate pollution. Scientists examined areas around the globe where we could reforest and figured out that, even after you exclude agricultural and urban lands, we have room for another 1 trillion trees. For reference, the planet currently has about 3 trillion—which is only about half of what existed before human civilization. What's more, adding back 1 trillion trees, it's calculated, could capture up to 25% of global annual carbon emissions. That’s important because in addition to slashing carbon emissions, we must find ways to remove and store the excess carbon that’s already in our atmosphere.”
Pakalolo writes—Trumps' climate policies guarantee monster “humid heat waves” — with a lethal heat index of 131° F: “According to the National Weather Service, more than 126 million were under severe heat warnings and another 23,000,000 million are under a heat advisory today. Relief should begin tomorrow, the east coast, however, will roast over the entire weekend. Joe Romm in a must-read article explains exactly why Trump’s high emissions policies will kill billions of people, by putting us on a trajectory for the worst-case IPCC scenario. ‘On killing billions’ is my statement and it is is not hyperbole but scientific fact. We simply can’t allow a high emission scenario to occur if we have any hope of saving some of what is still left. Yet, that is what the pallin-around-with-pedophiles President has chosen to do to us.”
Angmar writes—"Earth just had its hottest June on record, on track for warmest July": “Boosted by a historic heat wave in Europe and unusually warm conditions across the Arctic and Eurasia, the average temperature of the planet soared to its highest level ever recorded in June. According to data released Monday by NASA, the global average temperature was 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit (0.93 Celsius) above the June norm (based on a 1951-to-1980 baseline), easily breaking the previous June record of 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.82 Celsius), set in 2016, above the average. The month was punctuated by a severe heat wave that struck Western Europe in particular during the last week, with numerous all-time-hottest-temperature records falling in countries with centuries-old data sets.”
Angmar writes—Climate Crisis News Roundup: Sea levels,Scotland, Greenland,Wildfires, clouds,Toxic soil(& more): “14 candidates asking for Climate debate: +Biden now=15
Jay Inslee April 17 [U.S. Youth Climate Strike, Twitter]
Kirsten Gillibrand April 17 [Daily Beast]
Mike Gravel April 19 [U.S. Youth Climate Strike, Twitter]
Julián Castro April 22 [Julian Castro, Twitter]
Tim Ryan April 22 [Tim Ryan, Twitter]
Andrew Yang May 6 [U.S. Youth Climate Strike, Twitter]
Beto O’Rourke May 6 [U.S. Youth Climate Strike, Twitter]
Bernie Sanders May 6 [U.S. Youth Climate Strike, Twitter] (promoted by Sanders on May 7)
Elizabeth Warren May 20 [Elizabeth Warren, Twitter]
Amy Klobuchar May 23 [U.S. Youth Climate Strike, Twitter]
Michael Bennet May 29 [Politico]
John Delaney June 4 [John Delaney]
Tulsi Gabbard June 6 [Gabbard press assistant Cullen Tiernan, Twitter]
Seth Moulton June 7 [Seth Moulton, Twitter]
14 candidates asking for Climate debate.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Science Integrity and Advisory Committees Get Congressional Hearings, Among Other Climate Issues: “It’s a packed week for congressional climate hearings, with at least five different hearings on the docket for today and tomorrow. First up is the House Climate Crisis committee, which is holding a 10am hearing today on ‘Cleaning up heavy duty vehicles.’ As E&E notes, the transportation sector is the country’s largest source of carbon emissions, so any attempt to get climate change under control is going to require some pretty heavy duty improvements to vehicles. In addition to testimony from leaders in environmental justice and executives from an electric bus company and an engine company, it will be interesting to hear from ranking Republican member Garret Graves (R-La) given his continued support for fossil fuels despite a nominal embrace of climate science.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Here Comes the Sun, And There It Goes, As Do We, Because Gravity: “On Monday, we started the week off with an illuminating discussion about a non-peer-reviewed paper that was getting some traction in the outermost fringe. Today, we’re ending the week with a (supposedly) peer-reviewed paper that’s no less flawed, but has found a bit more traction in mainstream media--if you consider Rupert Murdoch’s Australian to be mainstream. The study, published in Scientific Reports, basically claims that wobbles in the Sun’s movement in space change the distance between the Earth and the Sun, and that movement is what’s responsible for warming- and will cause another 2.5C warming over the next few hundred years. But is that really the case? Dr. Ken Rice over at And Then There’s Physics (ATTP) has a post on the paper, pointing out a pretty glaring and fundamental error. Given that the lead author Valentina Zharkova is no stranger to denial, it’s not exactly a shock that there’s a problem, but the fact that it somehow got through peer review is certainly an issue. Fortunately, the journal’s going to go back and double-check the work, but until then, here’s the situation.”
SmallTownHick writes—Things we will lose due to the Climate Apocalypse: “Assuming humanity survives the apparently inevitable mass extinction event to come, we will have kept much of our culture and technology — hunter gatherers would not survive the loss of food and resources. We WILL lose some things, however, starting with 1) Russia. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. When the going gets hot, the tough get going towards the Poles. And unless someone’s built a bridge to Antarctica I don’t know about, that means heading North. [...] 14) The 1%. The ultra-rich are not rocket scientists. Some are computer scientists, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that the trust fund babies, whose education stopped with their MBAs, are showing little or no understanding of the problems they are about to encounter. Some are looking at uploading their minds to the Cloud. I doubt they’ve given much thought to how to keep the Cloud from evaporating when the power grids go down.. Some are looking at New Zealand. The current environment of NZ is listed as sub-tropical to temperate, which in the future will mean Mad Max movie to lifeless. They will have to move underground, giving NZ another reason to call itself the Hobbit Capital of the World. Some are looking at The Moon and Mars, which would leave them spending the rest of their lives at the scout camp from hell. All of these cases have one thing in common — they will not be anywhere near us.”
Pakalolo writes—Damage to the Ozone Layer, along with climate change, has formed a worrisome feedback loop: “The earth’s sunscreen is interacting with climate change and is affecting marine and terrestrial systems in the Southern Hemisphere according to new research published in the journal Nature. From The New Polytechnic at Rensselaer: Increased solar radiation penetrating through the damaged ozone layer is interacting with the changing climate, and the consequences are rippling through the Earth’s natural systems, effecting everything from weather to the health and abundance of sea mammals like seals and penguins. These findings were detailed in a review article published today in Nature Sustainability by members of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, which informs parties to the Montreal Protocol.”
hay seed writes—What in the Blue Blazes? My Conundrum of the Climate Crisis: “One of the many things I can’t figure out is why so many people don’t seem to be convinced of this dire threat to our future and indeed to our present and past. Back in high school when my classmates were cracking jokes about the plight of people of Ethiopia, who could have known that we were the cause. Well now we know without question that we are all in trouble. With record setting events coming at a seemingly ever increased pace we cannot actfast enough. The very things predicted by scientist for years are front and center. The crisis at the southern border and it’s underlying cause is only the next wave of ever growing problems that will leave no part of the planet untouched.”
Mark Sumner writes—Massive heat wave brings life-threatening temperatures across much of United States: “Earlier this year, it was Australia setting all-time heat records that brought power outages and saw wildlife literally dropping from the trees. Last month, Europe broiled under a heat wave that drove blazing dry air up from the Sahara and saw all-time temperature records, for any date, convincingly topped. Now it’s the United States’ turn to bake under a relentless heat wave. On Thursday morning, more than 130 million Americans are under a heat watch or warning. Temperatures from the mid-90s to triple digits are being accompanied by humidity that is making the already miserable downright deadly—and it gets worse from here. The National Weather Service has forecast even higher temperatures on Friday and Saturday. Storms are expected to douse the heat in many locations on Sunday, but for other sites, the heat will continue unabated.”
Dartagnan writes—100+ degree heatwaves lasting for months will be the "new normal" in many U.S. states by mid-century: “Ninety percent of Americans will experience temperatures of 90 degrees or above this week, as a record-breaking heat wave begins its onslaught throughout the central and eastern United States. This particular heat wave is notably heedless of any political affiliation, as residents from Oklahoma to Massachusetts will be impacted by it. The ‘heat index’ (how the temperature “feels” to the human body when the air temperature is combined with the relative humidity) during this particular heat wave will range from 100-110 degrees ‘from the Plains to the Great Lakes and the Middle Atlantic to NYC,’ according to BAM Weather Meteorologist Ryan Maue Additionally, 123 new records for the warmest daily low temperature are forecast to be broken or tied this week, according to the National Weather Service. But eventually, possibly within a week, those temperatures are expected to revert back to their seasonal norms, at least for a little while, bringing people some relief from the searing, debilitating heat.”
ENERGY
gmoke writes—Zero Net Energy - July 18, 2019: “ Zero-energy demonstration project in Beijing made from pre-fab timber components. ArchDaily. Inhabitant. Energy blockchain for 55,000 rooftops in Japan planned, 100 rooftops now. Power Ledger - Australian company behind the project. Singapore’s first net zero energy building - 6 story building at the National University of Singapore School of Design and Environment. ‘S2A Modular in Southern California is building a factory to manufacture modular net-zero-energy private homes, condominiums, apartment complexes, and commercial buildings’.”
Green New Deal & 100% Clean Energy
occupystephanie writes—Jay Inslee's 'Gold Standard' Climate Plan Closest Match to Green New Deal by Large Margin: “US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, (co-author of the Green New Deal) has labeled presidential candidate Jay Inslee’s climate plans the “Gold Standard”. It appears that there is good data to support that view. Almost every one of the components of the Green New Deal are addressed in Jay Inslee’s climate plans, and his plans continue to emerge. Data for Progress devised a rubric to score each candidates’ published plans (rather than legislative history or public statements). Those debate-qualified candidates whose climate plans are as yet unpublished (and will be evaluated after they are) include: Cory Booker, Julian Castro, Bill de Blasio, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, and Eric Swalwell.”
Meteor Blades writes—Al Gore gives a thumbs-up as Gov. Cuomo signs climate law labeled New York's Green New Deal: “While the law puts New York ahead of the other 49 states in mandating renewables, it follows in the footsteps of eight pioneers that pushed aggressive moves to curb emissions and spread renewables—California, Colorado, Hawai’i, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. Seven of those states have called for 100% clean energy in the next few decades, but New York will get there first if the mandates in its law are attained. The New York plan exceeds the goals of other states by calling for 70% renewables by 2030, decarbonization of the state’s electricity system by 2040, and decarbonization of the state’s whole economy—or close to it—by 2050. Last year, renewables provided 26.4% of New York’s electricity. In addition, the law mandates slashing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to 85% below 1990 levels by 2050. The other 15% will be dealt with by planting trees and sequestering carbon underground. The law also requires that 35% of clean energy funding will be invested in low-income communities disproportionately affected by pollution. But the original proposal called for 40%. And Cuomo’s version cut out provisions in the original for workers.”
Angmar writes—"The Green New Deal Picks Up Major Christian Endorsements": “The Green New Deal Picks Up Major Christian Endorsements. What climate policy would Jesus choose? One that protects nature and lifts up the poor, these Christians say.www.huffpost.com/...’The Green New Deal has picked up endorsements from two major Christian groups, signaling a growing base of support among the faithful as climate change projections look increasingly apocalyptic. The Unitarian Universalist Association passed a resolution at its general assembly in late June endorsing the Green New Deal resolution that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) introduced in Congress five months ago. The main national organization for the egalitarian spiritual movement, which has over 1,000 churches in the U.S., vowed to ‘actively support the development of federal legislation to implement’ the deal.”
Fossil Fuels
Austin Bailey writes—800,000 Gallon Chevron Spill in California: “Since May 10, a leak in an oil well operated by Chevron has resulted in 800,000 gallons of an oil/water mixture flooding an arroyo in the company’s sprawling Cymric Oil Field in California’s Kern County. The leak, euphemistic call a “surface expression” is the result of the injection of steam through multiple injection sites to heat up crude petroleum at depths of 1000 feet below the surface. On June 11, the company, in a brief incident report to the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, said that a total of about 6,000 gallons of liquid had spilled by that date. On Thursday [July 11], the amount stood at nearly 795,000 gallons….The spilled material consists of about one-third oil and two-thirds water, according to Chevron's entries in the OES hazardous spill database. That would mean nearly 265,000 gallons of oil have been discharged. On Friday, July 12, the state finally cracked down on Chevron. The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) accused Chevron of failing to take immediate and appropriate actions to stop the discharge of additional liquid.”
Dan Bacher writes—Groups Say Huge Oil Spill Endangers Central Valley Residents, Highlights State Agency’s Negligence: “A massive oil spill even bigger than the Plains All American Pipeline disaster off Refugio Beach in Santa Barbara in 2015 has occurred in Kern County, as first reported by Ted Goldberg at KQED. The latest disaster has spilled more than a half-million gallons of combined oil and wastewater into the surrounding area over the past couple of months. The spill occurred about 3.5 miles from the town of McKittrick and about 6 miles from the nearest farm. The incident is about 35 miles west of Bakersfield, the historic center of California’s oil industry for over 100 years and also the heart of Southern San Joaquin Valley agribusiness operations, including those owned by Linda and Stewart Resnick, the owners of the Wonderful Company.”
Dan Bacher writes—Chevron oil spill in Kern County continues to leak, Senator Feinstein issues statement: “California regulators on Thursday revealed that a mixture of oil and gas continues to seep at the oil drilling site in Kern County where a massive spill of 800,000 gallons of combined oil and gas took place over the past two months. On July 18, the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) of the California Department of Conservation issued a statement that on Wednesday, July 17, ‘DOGGR field inspectors reported a small seepage of oil and water from one of three surface expression vents where the flow had previously ceased.’ ‘DOGGR notified Chevron, and the Acting Oil and Gas Supervisor amended the July 1, 2019 Notice of Violation to expand the well shut-in radius from 600 to 1,200 feet. The Acting Oil and Gas Supervisor and DOGGR field engineers were on site Thursday,’ reported DOGGR.”
Mark Sumner writes—George W. Bush doomed these coal miners, now Donald Trump is sealing their fate: “After all but eliminating black lung disease in the 1990s, America is now seeing a huge uptick in coal miners suffering and dying. And that spike in disease is coming even though the total number of working miners has significantly declined. This is what Donald Trump’s ‘clean coal’ does when it enters the lungs of a coal miner. The particles of coal enter the lungs and they never go away. Coal dust can’t be destroyed by the body. It doesn’t get broken down. It doesn’t get breathed out again. It only accumulates. But every particle of dust generates a response—a release of enzymes, hormones, and inflammatory responses that do break down something: the lungs of coal miners. At first, those particles of coal cause anthracosis, a relatively mild disease often characterized by tiredness and a hacking ‘smoker’s cough’ even among non-smokers. Its severity is very like that of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and it’s considered ‘mild’ only because of what comes next.”
Mark Sumner writes—Communities that depend on coal are collapsing, and it's up to everyone to catch them: “A new report from Columbia University makes it clear that the coal industry isn’t just a threat to the climate, national health, and the safety of workers. It’s also a looming fiscal crisis that is both dooming local communities and set to topple the economies of whole states. Not only does the income from miners and mining companies form the economic backbone of small communities in several regions, but for states that depend on commodity taxes on coal to balance the state’s books—and often to reduce or eliminate the need for state income taxes—the decline of coal is bringing on a different kind of crisis. Across the country, 26 counties, including some of the geographically largest in the nation, are considered ‘coal dependent,’ with a third or more of their revenue coming from the mining industry. But the production of coal is down by a third in just the last decade and continues to decline. In the same period, the largest coal companies have all declared bankruptcy, escaping their responsibilities to fund some programs.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Climate Advocates Giving Nat Gas Industry A Pounding Headache: “When you have the facts on your side,” an old legal adage goes, ‘you pound the facts. But if you don’t have the facts, but have the law on your side, you pound the law,’ it continues. ‘And if you don’t have either, you pound the table.’ Well, friends, as DeSmog’s Sharon Kelly reported on Tuesday, in the face of climate facts not in their favor, and with climate advocates scoring legal wins, the fossil fuel industry is increasingly left with no other option but to pound the table. Literally. Kelly reported that last month at a shale gas conference, it was clear that the industry is feeling the public pressure for climate action. Dominion Energy executive Donald Raikes explained to attendees that they ‘can't sit on the sidelines and be climate deniers ... we can't stick our head in the sand … We have to be a player at the table or this policy will be set without us.’ But instead of acknowledging that ‘more fossil fuels’ is hardly a climate policy, Raikes instead complained about those who recognize that reality. ‘Sophisticated’ and ‘well-funded’ environmentalists with ‘very good messaging have made [the industry] public enemy number one,’ Raikes warned his gassy comrades.”
Renewables, Efficiency, Energy Storage & Conservation
Mokurai writes—Renewable Friday: The Great Green Wall of Africa: “A Great Green Wall of trees in Africa 10 miles wide (15 km) and 4,350 miles long (7,775 km) is under "construction", bisecting a dozen countries from Senegal in the west to Djibouti in the east, covering something like 400,000 square miles (12 million hectares). It is estimated that it will take up a quarter of a gigaton of carbon, depending on the density of trees planted, and the other greenery that those trees will support.”
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
hcc in VA writes—A Serious Proposal for a National Infrastructure Bank: “The following may be one of the most important ideas which has received zero attention...and engendered zero excitement….during this campaign season. Infrastructure repair proposals pop up every few years. I saw a presentation of this one a week ago last Sunday at a Northern Virginia political meeting, it was presented by Alphecca Muttardy, former IMF Macroeconomist, and I wanted to present the idea here for your thoughts. The first question most asked….including the other day by Markos...is ‘how will this be capitalized?’ The bank will be capitalized like the successful National Banks that built the country. The capital will not be raised by new debt. $14 trillion in Treasury bonds have been sold in the country and internationally. The bank will offer holders of especially, longer term Treasuries, the opportunity to exchange their Treasury debt for preferred stock in the bank paying 4-5% annual interest. The expectation is that the bank would be able, in this way, raise $3-4 trillion in this new capital. The preferred stock, or bonds the bank will issue will be federally guaranteed, just like Treasury debt today, and is anticipated that it will offer 4% interest. These instruments can be subscribed to by banks, corporations, cities, states, pension funds, unions, universities, money market funds, etc. and will not exceed the amount of paid in capital of the bank.”
Lawrence writes—Battery Electric Vehicles Will Dominate the Future — Here’s Why: “The vast majority of people alive today only know a world fueled by oil. Because of its abundance and usefulness as an energy source, oil has driven industrialization of many a country, has been the key energy source in globalization, and has often dominated world politics. The Era of Oil is, however, about to end, due to the advent of modern, technologically-advanced electric vehicles that can easily utilize clean energy from renewable energy, especially from solar power. [...] Vested corporate interests and their pet politicians have been spending lots of money and energy on preventing, or at least delaying, vehicle electrification, despite it being clear to informed observers that large-scale vehicle electrification is inevitable. With visionary companies like Tesla already proving that Battery Electric Vehicles can be as good, or better, than Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles, it’s only a matter of time before other automobile manufacturers go all-in with the mass production of BEVs.”
Mark Sumner writes—An old man and his Tesla: “The particular Model 3 video that got to me was nothing special — just another in a long line of YouTube videos in which people recounted their experiences picking up their cars. Only in this video the new Tesla owner (who I’m sure is a perfectly nice person) made a comment about ‘not being a kid anymore’ and ‘being ready for a real car.’ She was, according to the video, 24. And that kind of made me pause for a moment. Did I want to see my bank account go down by half the price of my house? I did not. But it also seemed like a long time since I had really treated myself to something I wanted. Something that I honestly could have if I simply decided to have it. So, just under a month ago, I pressed the button and committed myself to buying a new Tesla Model 3. I splurged another $1k to buy the car in ‘midnight silver’ rather than the stock black. Ten days later I picked the car up from the local service center. To be honest … I kind of love it.”
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
Dan Bacher writes—Public Meetings on Trump Water Plan Set for July 30, July 31 and August 1: “Action Alert from Regina Chichizola: Save California Salmon The public hearings on the new Trump Water Plan for the Central Valley Project are set. There will be hearings in Chico and in Sacramento. It is very important we turn people out as this will lower flows in many rivers including the Sacramento and Trinity Rivers and Bay Delta. I believe it also does not include the fish reintroduction program for the Shasta Dam. Also of note, the Trump administration pulled, and replaced, the biologists and scientist working on the related Biological Opinion (BO) related to the plan. The rumor is it is because they found there was jeopardy to endangered species from the plan. A jeopardy opinion was issued last time the operations were updated and actions such as the reintroduction program were added to the BO to aid salmon. Obviously the last plan still killed off much of the Delta watershed's remaining salmon and smelt.”
Dan Bacher writes—Governor Newsom's Water Portfolio Input Meeting Set for July 30 in Sacramento: “The Portfolio Recommendations Group is an ad hoc gathering of leaders from over 80 urban water districts, ag water districts, tribes, environmental justice groups, business groups, environmental groups, flood agencies, fire agencies and watershed groups. All interested parties are invited to join this focused 3-month effort to develop recommendations for Governor Newsom’s Water Resilience Portfolio. The next meeting will be July 30, 1 to 5 p.m. at the Library Galleria, 828 I Street, Sacramento CA.”
Pakalolo writes—Over two million people have no water in Harare, Zimbabwe - typhoid reported: “Water shortages are happening faster than expected. Harare has joined the Indian city of Chennai and Cape Town that have endured water scarcity due to extended drought, polluted water and aging infrastructure. Sophie Mbugua writes in Climate Home News: Just 50% of 4.5 million people in Harare and four satellite towns currently have access to the municipal water supply, the city authority told Climate Home News. ‘There is a rotational water supply within the five towns,” Harare city council corporate communications manager Michael Chideme said. ‘Some people are getting water five days a week especially in the western suburbs, but the northern suburbs are going for weeks without a drop in their taps’.”
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
ARodinFan writes—Trump's Bee Minus Agriculture Policy - Just How Stupid and Destructive Can it Be: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on July 1 that it has suspended data collection for its Honey Bee Colonies census survey due to budgetary reasons, just weeks after researchers reported that nearly 40% of managed honey bee colonies in the country were lost over the past winter — a 7% increase and the worst winter mortality rate on record. www.nass.usda.gov/...An international survey released in June reported that the number of honey bee colonies fell by 16 percent in the winter of 2017-18 across 38 countries. www.sciencedaily.com/... ‘The decision to suspend (quarterly) data collection was not made lightly but was necessary given available fiscal and program resources,’ a July 1 statement from the USDA read. www.nass.usda.gov/… The announcement indicates that the annual reporting will not be affected. We’ll have to wait and see about that claim.”
tjlord writes—WTF? - Trump campaign website invites you to destroy the planet and own the libs: “Really, just really. The Trump campaign website is offering 10 plastic straws for sale for $15 to own the libs and their climate change agenda. CNBC has the article here. Now we have seen the effort that Trump and his spawn will crawl down to in their effort to get the last pennies from the couch cushions of their supporters. I mean, selling plastic straws for on a campaign website. This does however prove that the motivating factor that Trump believes his supporters have has nothing to do with science or their own well being. No, it is a misplaced belief that people who care about the planet and other people and the state of our country are to be scorned in a feeble attempt to prove one’s superior place in the world.”
Mark Sumner writes—State Department analyst resigns after his testimony on climate crisis is blocked by White House: “State Department intelligence analyst Rod Schoonover drafted a critical report on U.S. security issues, only to see half of that report cut away by officials from the Trump White House—the half of the report that dealt with threats caused by the climate crisis. In response to being asked to update Congress on national security, without discussing the biggest threat facing national security, Schoonover has resigned. As The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, Schoonover consulted with experts across a wide range of fields to perpare his paper, and the science he used in evaluating the effects of the climate crisis came primarily from peer-reviewed scientific journals. What that information revealed is the range of threats that a warming planet presents including huge shifts in population with climate refugees creating a series of humanitarian crises, a greater pressure on remaining resources, and widespread political instability.”
REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Go West, Young Man, Whether You Like It Or Not: DOI’s Relocation The Latest Move To Weaken Agency: “Yesterday, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management learned that hundreds of staffers will either have to quit their job or move to Grand Junction, Colorado. While the move to Grand Junction may be convenient for Secretary Bernhardt, who PolitioPRO notes is from nearby Rifle, it’s a major problem for, say, any of BLM’s employees who have a spouse employed in the DC area and/or don’t want to uproot their entire life. Especially since it's for something that will likely hurt the agency. As Kate Kelly of the Center for American Progress told The Washington Post, the move will ‘make the agency and its leadership invisible’ to decision-makers in DC, while “the constant shuffling, shrinking and disassembling of BLM’s workforce will have long-term implications for the health of the agency.” (If this all sounds familiar, that’s because we’ve seen this tactic before—a few months ago the USDA announced it would force a bunch of their researchers to move from DC to other areas of the country.) So why would the Trump administration do something that would hurt a federal agency charged with protecting public lands for the public use?”
Robert Flynn writes—A Clear and Present Danger: Trump's EPA: “American fetuses are ‘soaking in a stew of chemicals, including mercury,’ according to a report by the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org). The group tested ‘umbilical cord blood that reflects what the mother passes to the fetus through the placenta.’ The tests revealed 287 chemicals; 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests,” the report said. A Government Accountability Office report said the Environmental Protection Agency does not have the powers it needs to fully regulate toxic chemicals. (Reuters 7/14/05). Instead of increasing the power of the EPA to protect human life and well-being, the Trump administration and the EPA want to remove more regulations. ”
Mark Sumner writes—EPA refuses to ban pesticide proven to cause brain damage in children: ““A court ruling requiring that the EPA make a decision on banning pesticides that cause brain damage in children ended this week in the worst possible way, as EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler overrode the recommendation of the—now gutted—EPA scientific advisory board and announced that the EPA will not move to ban chlorpyrifos. The decision represents a big win for the chemical industry, and a major demonstration of how, in the Trump White House, lobbyists beat scientists every time. As The New York Times reports, this action follows the agency’s recent refusal to ban asbestos, despite the recommendation of the agency’s experts, and despite knowing that the fibrous mineral is the leading cause of mesothelioma. That action led to multiple, still-ongoing lawsuits in an attempt to force the EPA to act.””
ECO-ACTION & ECO JUSTICE
NHlib writes—We can't save the world by playing by the rules because the rules have to be changed: “Governor Inslee is way out in front of the other politicians on this issue and even he does not go as far and as fast as these people (and I) think is necessary. The American public is not prepared to hear about it because the news media and our politicians have chosen to keep them in the dark. ‘You can’t handle the truth.’ Carbon taxes will not do it (alone). Market forces will not do it (alone) [sorry, Senator Warren]. The Green New Deal will not do it (alone). The ultimate solutions to this crisis are not going to come from Washington, but that does not mean we can let them off the hook either.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
Mark Sumner writes—USDA squashed the report farmers needed to plan for the climate crisis, and we're all paying for it: “For years, the Agriculture Department worked on a plan to help farmers plan for and cope with the changes that are already affecting them as the climate crisis intensifies. Scientists across 21 agencies came together to develop a plan to safeguard the nation’s food supply, and the stability of the agricultural industry, for the next decade. That plan was completed in 2017 and the USDA prepared to distribute it to help farmers and ranchers adapt to a changing world. Then the USDA clamped down on the report and it was never issued. As Politico reports, release of the report was halted after the White House forbid the USDA from using the scientific evidence collected by its own researchers, and to stop even using the term “climate change” or any discussion of greenhouses gases. The halted report not only discusses topics that are now off limits for the Trump USDA, it also discusses ways in which farmers might change their own practices to reduce further environmental harm—an idea that Donald Trump has actively ridiculed.”
estreya writes—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging, Vol. 15.29: The Flowers of Love: “I recently attended my eldest nephew's wedding, which took place in a rustic little eatery at the corner of Commitment and Resolve. The groom was so dashing, the bride so ethereal, that the seemingly flawless cake-topper tried to tunnel through the tiramisu rather than face any unflattering comparisons. Since both bride and groom have impeccable taste, i wasn't the least bit surprised by the venue they chose - a witty pub/restaurant with the kind of character that only comes from serving the public for many years. Although i could easily wax lyrical about the entire celebration, their magnificent wedding flowers are the focus of the moment. I'll be honest with you, garden bloggers - i couldn't possibly name the individual flowers in the various arrangements that turned brick and mortar into a cathedral of romance. Many of you here are more qualified than i to play the game of Name That Bloom. Although some of the flowers escaped the camera's lens, i did manage to capture the most striking compositions throughout the course of the festivities.”
MISCELLANY
elenacarlena writes—Introducing Regenerative Culture For An Altered Planet: “We have created a new group on Daily Kos and you are invited! Many of you may have seen Angmar’s Rec-Listed diary, Continued Plummeting Insect Numbers "Threaten a Collapse of Nature" on Wednesday, July 17. Such news is certainly enough to cause some anxiety about the Climate Crisis, but to solve it, we have to face it! To that end, in Angmar’s diary is a link to the International Extinction Rebellion and its Declaration regarding the Ecological Crisis. They recommend, as part of our nonviolent rebellion against the governmental forces that want to ignore the climate crisis, that participants create a working regenerative culture to support each others’ needs. To this end, from our Profile Page: We will meet the challenges of our times by fighting negativity and creating a more beautiful world. We know we are in a marathon, not a sprint, so we need to take care of ourselves to take care of our neighbors and our world. The Regenerative Culture for an Altered Planet group is intended to joyfully embrace diversity and to care for the physical, mental, emotional, and cultural needs of all those who are building a better world. We are solutions focused.”