Written by rjs, MarketWatch 666
This is a collection of interesting news articles about the environment and related topics published last week. This is usually a Tuesday evening regular post at GEI (but can be posted at other times). This week it is posted Wednesday morning.
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Note: Because of the high volume of news regarding the coronavirus outbreak, that news has been published separately:
- 20 Jun 2021 – Coronavirus Disease Weekly News 20June 2021
- 20 Jun 2021 – Coronavirus Economic Weekly News 20June 2021
It appears that the rapid slide of new US Covid cases and deaths has resumed this week, if it ever slowed. Actually, it seems more than likely last week’s apparent slowing was just due to reporting issues during Memorial Day week, which made last week’s comparisons look stronger than they were. With holidays now out of the picture, new US cases during the week ending June 19th were 20.0% lower than they were during the week ending June 12th, and are now down 95.4% from the peak week in January. Likewise, US deaths attributed to the coronavirus during the week ending June 19th were 23.2% lower than the prior week, and down 91.3% from the worst week in January.
Globally, new cases reported during the past week were 5.5% lower than the prior week, and down 56.4% from the late April global peak. The decrease in the global infection rate has slowed somewhat because new cases in several countries are rising again, most notably in Brazil, Columbia, Russia, Indonesia, South Africa, Iran, and the UK. With over a half million new cases this week alone, Brazil now accounts for 20% ofthe new cases; India, whose new cases fell by another 30% this week, now accounts for just 17.5% of the global total.
Deaths attributed to Covid worldwide now appear to be down 10.6% from last week’s total, which, you might recall, appeared to be 6.0% higher than the prior week. Last week we pointed to what appeared to be a 12% increase in Covid deaths in India as a reason for the increase; however, this week’s Covid deaths in India are reported to be down 33%. So it seems that the reason for last week’s death increase was some kind of statistical catching up on the part of the Indian health authorities, rather than a real week over week increase in deaths. Since we saw no news to indicate that had happened, we could only report what the numbers showed at the time. No doubt, there have probably been such reporting glitches and miscues in other countries worldwide which have otherwise gone unnoticed, while only a country with as many cases and deaths as India has had could throw the change in the global totals off by such a significant amount.
Some of the COVID-19 graphics presented in the articles linked at the beginning of this post have been updated below.
Summary data graphics:
Below are copies of graphs WorldOMeters so you can get a visuallization of what the growth and decline of this pandemic looks like in the U.S. (data through June 22):
New cases and deaths data globally are shown in the Johns Hopkins graphics below (first two graphics). These graphics shows the daily global new cases (red) and deaths (white) since the start of the pandemic up through 22 June. The third graphic shows the cummulative total vaccine doses delivered to date.
Here’s the week’s environment and energy news (Ohio corruption stories at the end):
Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found in Mainstream Cosmetics —A new study found toxic PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” in hundreds of widely used cosmetic products produced by major brands throughout the U.S. and Canada. The study, published in Environmental Science and Technology, found “high levels of organic fluorine,” which is a prevalent indicator of PFAS, in over half of 231 makeup and personal care products. The specific products include lipstick, eyeliner foundation, concealer, lip balm, blush, and nail polish, according to The Guardian.”This is the first study to look at total fluorine or PFAS in cosmetics so we just didn’t know what we were going to find,” Tom Burton, one author of the study, and a senior scientist with Green Science Policy Institute, said toThe Guardian. “This is a product that people are spreading on their skin day after day, so there’s really a potential for significant exposure.”Those who wear makeup may be absorbing these chemicals through their skin, tear ducts, or potentially by ingesting them.”Lipstick wearers may inadvertently eat several pounds of lipstick in their lifetimes,” Graham Peaslee, senior author of the study said to Eureka Alert. “But unlike food, chemicals in lipstick and other makeup and personal care products are almost entirely unregulated in the U.S. and Canada; as a result, millions of people are unknowingly wearing PFAS and other harmful chemicals on their faces and bodies daily.”PFAS are not only in cosmetic products but also contaminate drinking water and are also tied to several negative health effects including cancer, obesity, birth defects, liver disease, thyroid disease, decreased immunity, hormone disruption, and potentially more severe COVID-19 effects, according to Eureka Alert andThe Guardian.Each product tested in the study contained anywhere from four to 13 individual PFAS compounds. Brands tested include L’Oréal, Mac, Ulta, Cover Girl, Clinique, Nars, Smashbox, Estée Lauder, and many other commonly found makeup brands.
Antidepressants in the Water Change Crayfish Behavior – Antidepressants are designed to make humans feel better, but they can have a surprising impact on non-human animals when they enter the environment. That’s the take-away of a study published in Ecosphere Tuesday, which tested the impact of antidepressants on crayfish, important players in freshwater ecosystems, and found that they altered the animals’ behavior in ways that could threaten their survival.”Our study is the first to look at how crayfish respond when exposed to antidepressants at levels typically found in the streams and ponds where they live,” lead author and University of Florida assistant professor A.J. Reisinger said in a press release.To test the impact of common antidepressants on crayfish behavior, the researchers mimicked natural conditions in a lab. In one artificial stream, the water was not treated with any medication. In the other stream, the crayfish were exposed to 500 nanograms per liter of citalopram, a type of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), as National Geographic reported. The scientists observed the two groups over a two-week period and took notes on their behavior.What they found was that the crayfish exposed to the antidepressants stuck their heads out of their built-in shelters twice as quickly when they smelled food, emerged altogether almost one minute earlier and spent 400 percent more time in the food section of their environment. For crayfish in the wild, such actions could be dangerous. “This change in behavior could put them at greater risk of being eaten by a predator,”
Young Clownfish Likely to Die Faster When Exposed to Artificial Light, Study Finds –New research suggests that young clownfish who live in coastal reefs are dying faster due to artificial light exposure.An international team of scientists from France, the United Kingdom, Chile and Australia studied the coral reefs of Moorea, an island of French Polynesia. They found that a species of clownfish that were exposed to human-generated light for long periods of time were 36% less likely to live, as compared to clownfish residing farther from the coast, according to The Guardian. Of the clownfish that did survive, 44% of them grew slower than the fish who lived under natural lighting conditions.”Clownfish exposed to light pollution were more likely to die than fish under natural light cycles,” said Jules Schligler, lead author of the study, to ScienceDaily. “Like humans, fish need a period of inactivity, which is crucial for their well-being.”One of the study’s authors, Stephen Swearer, a marine biology professor at the University of Melbourne, said Moorea has many luxury hotels, and their bungalows hang over the water and cast light at night, according toThe Guardian.The researchers studied the young clownfish living close to the shore, and their counterparts who live in anemones away from areas inhabited by humans.”Rooms have these little windows, like a portal in the floor, so you can turn the light on and look at the fish swimming around underneath,” Swearer told The Guardian.It is unclear why fish exposed to artificial light grow at a reduced rate, and are more likely to die, Swearer said. A possible explanation is that the light attracts more predators. Another reason may be that long-term exposure to the light may have adverse physiological effects on the young clownfish.Swearer said that the clownfish are “just really tired” because they can’t lower their activity levels at night time.
Could the ‘Loneliest Whale’ Teach Us About the Need to Connect? – For decades, legendary oceanographer and marine mammal researcher Bill Watkins tracked a mysterious creature without ever finding it. Watkins realized it was probably a whale. Researchers nicknamed it “The World’s Loneliest Whale” because they hypothesized that it sang at a frequency that other whales could not hear or understand – one that rang out clearly at 52 hertz. They thought it might have spent its entire life in solitude, and they, and the rest of the world, found its existence captivating and almost haunting. Watkins often insisted, “What we can hear is sometimes more powerful than what we can see.” In his new film, The Loneliest Whale, award-winning filmmaker Joshua Zeman takes up the mission to find the “52 Hertz Whale” and suggests that what we feel may perhaps eclipse both what can be seen and heard. Put forth by executive producers Leonardo DiCaprio and Adrian Grenier, the film uses the sciences of tracking whales and their songs to explore the human experiences of connection and communication. This all happens through the artistic lens of this solitary whale and the expedition searching for it. “It’s been said this whale has spent its entire life swimming through the oceans, calling out and never once receiving a response. No one has heard from this whale since the Navy stopped listening 10 years ago. No one’s ever seen this whale. No one knows if he’s the first of his kind or the last,” Zeman opens the film saying. “52,” as the whale is also referred to, sings notes three times higher than those of other fin or blue whales, the species whose migratory patterns his most closely resemble. Key notes in 52’s song fall at a frequency of 52 hertz and sound, to human ears, like low bass notes, BBC reported. Blue and fin whales, on the other hand, sing between 10 to 40Hz and at 20Hz, respectively. Some scientists have suggested that 52’s song is too high a frequency for other whales to hear or too different for them to understand, Deep English reported. “Such an obscure song receives no response from other whales. Scientists are confused why a healthy creature doesn’t change its tune and communicate in a regular pattern used by other whales,” Deep English added. The leading hypothesis, according to BBC, is that 52 is a hybrid fin and blue whale, with an unusual body shape that might affect its song. Zeman and the scientists in the film follow a pod of blue whales to an area where 52 has been heard more recently and find one “interesting” looking individual – with apparent characteristics of both species. Before they can tag the whale, a ship blares into the scene, and the entire pod scatters.
Not Exactly a Silent Spring Due to Cicadas, but the Birds Are Dying Again – In the introduction to Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring. she wrote of a “Fable for Tomorrow” and a “strange blight” that had crept over the land, in the form of a white powder called DDT that was being sprayed all over the country to kill mosquitoes.“There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example – where had they gone? Many people spoke of them, puzzled and disturbed. The feeding stations in the backyards were deserted. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund; they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh.”It took a decade, but DDT was banned in the United States in 1972, and in recent years, scientists have reported a strong return of the bald eagle and other birds. Another blight seems to be killing the birds in the D.C. Metro Area, now living under the once in a 17-year hum of the Brood X cicadas – first written about by William Bartram in 1732 in Philadelphia before the Unites States won its independence from Great Britain.Could this new blight be due to the birds eating the cicadas that have been waiting under pesticide soaked ground for 17 years to come out again to breed? That was the suggestion of one scientists interviewed on WAMU, the NPR radio station in Washington. Reports of blind and dead birds have been coming in from southern Maryland, the District of Columbia and across Northern Virginia into the West Virginia Panhandle since May, according to a recent report from the U.S. Geological Survey, which is now urging people to stop filling bird feeders and bird baths in case the cause is a communicable dsease.“Birds congregating at feeders and baths can transmit disease to one another,” the agency said. Therefore, the state and District agencies recommend that the public in the outbreak area:
- * Cease feeding birds until this wildlife mortality event has concluded.
- * Clean feeders and bird baths with a 10 percent bleach solution.
- * Avoid handling birds, but wear disposable gloves if handling is necessary.
- * Keep pets away from sick or dead birds as a standard precaution.
Solve nature and climate together or not at all − Two of the world’s leading scientific institutions have joined forces to arrive at a not very surprising conclusion: solve nature and climate together, or forget them both. If the world does not work to tackle the climate crisis and the extinction threat confronting millions of wild species together, it has little hope of solving either of them separately. So says a report published by the snappily-titled Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), each respected for their commanding knowledge in their own fields. The report, the IPBES/IPCC Workshop Report, which marks the first collaboration between the two bodies’ scientists, is not content simply to urge joint action on the intertwined problems threatening the world. It goes on to identify what it says are key options for solving them. Both biodiversity loss and climate change are driven by human economic activities and mutually reinforce each other, the report says. While previous policies have largely tackled the twin crises independently of each other, addressing the synergies between the two simultaneously offers hope of maximising benefits and meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.“Human-caused climate change is increasingly threatening nature and its contributions to people, including its ability to help mitigate climate change. The warmer the world gets, the less food, drinking water and other key contributions nature can make to our lives, in many regions”, said Prof. Hans-Otto Pörtner, co-chair of the report’s scientific steering committee.“Changes in biodiversity, in turn, affect climate, especially through impacts on nitrogen, carbon and water cycles,” he said. “The evidence is clear: a sustainable global future for people and nature is still achievable, but it requires transformative change with rapid and far-reaching actions of a type never before attempted, building on ambitious emissions reductions.
‘Rare, dangerous and deadly’ heat wave tightens grip on western US – The magnitude of the heat across the western United States through the coming week will be one for the record books, according to forecasters. And it’s not just how hot it will get that will set this particular heat wave apart from others the region has frequently endured in the past — it’s how long it will last.The hot pattern could set dozens of new daily record highs through the middle of June, in addition to potentially setting new all-time high marks for the month as a whole in some locations.This image captured early Monday morning, June 14, 2021, shows all of the alerts in effect for the Southwest, most of them related to excessive heat. (AccuWeather)The intense heat has prompted the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue excessive heat watches and warnings throughout California, southern Nevada, western and southern Arizona and Utah. Many of these alerts last through Friday, June 18.The hot air began to build on Sunday with records falling from Arizona and California to Wyoming and Idaho. One of the longest-standing records to be broken was in Salt Lake City, where the mercury rose to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the date’s record of 100 from 1918. June 13, 2021, is now also the earliest instance of a 102-degree temperature in Salt Lake City, breaking the previous record from June 15, 1974, according to the NWS. Other record highs fell in Stanley, Pocatello and Idaho Falls, Idaho; Safford, Tucson and Nogales, Arizona; Rock Springs and Laramie, Wyoming; and Anaheim, California, as highs in the 80s, 90s and 100s were recorded. Such temperatures are more typical of July and August.AccuWeather meteorologists expect these mid-summerlike conditions to persist as the jet stream bulges northward and keeps the hot air flowing into the region.”The heat will only become more intense through the week,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert said.In an area of the country that is no stranger to hot weather, the intensity and longevity of this heat wave is what has forecasters particularly concerned this go-round. Highs can trend as much as 15-25 degrees Fahrenheit above normal at the peak of the heat wave.
Dangerously High Temperatures in West Expected to Threaten Lives, Power Grids – Dangerously high temperatures are gripping the West with more to life- and grid-threatening heat expected in the coming days. Phoenix hit at least 113°F over the weekend and temperatures from the Southwest to Northern Rockies are forecast to be 15-25°F above average. Texas officials are already asking customers to conserve electricity as the extreme heat, combined with multiple gas and coal plants broken down and offline for repairs, have created an unusual early electricity shortfall just months after widespread blackouts lead to hundreds of deaths across the state.. Combined with the current climate-fueled megadrought, wildfire danger is also exceptionally high. Nearly 40 million people as far north as the Canadian Border could see triple-digit highs this week, and some parts of Arizona, including Phoenix, could see overnight lows in the 90s, which are often more dangerous because the human body is deprived of its nocturnal cool-down period and and cooling shelters for those without air-conditioners are closed. The heat will also be especially deadly for those who work outside, like farmworkers, and cannot escape the heat without risking loss of income. As reported by Earther:Extreme heat is becoming all the more common due to the climate crisis. It isn’t just uncomfortable, it can also be deadly. Research shows that high temperatures are the deadliest form of extreme weather on the planet due to increased threat of conditions like heat stress, heatstroke, and cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Older people are especially at risk, and the National Weather Service underscored that in its warnings this week referring to the heat as “DEADLY” in all caps.⚠️Dangerous Heatwave!⚠️ Extreme heat arrives soon & will last several days. Many places are under an Excessive Hea… https://t.co/fYIdKsl1lx – NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas)
“Mega-drought” in West means threat of extreme fire season ahead – By almost any measure the drought in the Western states this year is about as bad as we’ve ever seen – perhaps the worst in modern history. A severe lack of rainfall over the past two years, combined with a steadily heating climate, has turned California into a tinderbox, setting the stage for what will likely be a catastrophic fire season ahead.This comes on the heels of the worst fire season in recorded history in the West, setting a new bar for what seemed possible. In 2020, more than 8 million acres burned, withCalifornia and Colorado experiencing their largest fires ever. That’s why it’s startling to see the comparison between last year’s relatively modest drought and this year’s record-setting drought. Drought conditions this time last year are a blip on the radar compared to where we are right now. The orange in the above map represents severe drought, the red is extreme drought and the dark red is exceptional drought. A total of 72% of the West is blanketed in one of these three categories and more than one-quarter is in exceptional drought – the highest category. Over the past 20 years, the coverage of exceptional drought has never surpassed 11%. Right now it is a staggering 27%.The escalating drought has severely dried out vegetation weeks before fire season really kicks in. The energy, or fuel, available to feed fires, technically called the Energy Release Component, is at a record level for this time of year. In the chart below for the Central Sierra mountains of California, the blue line represents the current energy available for fires, and the red line shows the previous highs. Although it appears that our current level is a record for all time, not just for the date, that needs some context. The data plotted for the Central Sierras only spans the last 10 years, so incorporating more years would likely show that the current amount of available energy is indeed a record for the date, but not for the entire fire season.
Unprecedented drought conditions across Western US fuel wildfires and water disputes – The wildfire season has arrived in the Western United States and once again revealed the glaring increase in drought conditions throughout the region. Experts predict that temperatures and blazes this year will likely surpass all-time records set last year. The National Weather Service (NWS) has recorded skyrocketing temperatures in Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, which have reached 116 degrees Fahrenheit and 111 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively. Several other areas in the American West set new temperature records, with Salt Lake City hitting 107 degrees, a record that has only been reached twice before in 147 years of records, while Denver broke its seasonal record on June 15 of 97 degrees to reach 101 degrees. Direct exposure to such temperatures is unbearable to humans after just minutes. According to the June 8, 2021, US Drought Monitor, a project run by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, moderate to exceptional drought covers 37.8 percent of the US, an increase from last week’s 36.5 percent. The worst drought categories (extreme to exceptional drought) increased from 17.5 percent last week to 17.8 percent. Abnormal dryness and drought are currently affecting over 143 million people across the continental US and Puerto Rico – about 45.9 percent of the population. As shown by the long-term forecasts for temperature and precipitation produced by NWS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), drought conditions are likely to continue to become far worse, especially in the West and Southwest US. Record high temperatures and very low precipitation in the region create the conditions for wildfires to burst out of control during the entire year, well into the fall and winter of 2021. Sudden thunderstorms that move in after an area has been burned over by wildfire can create destructive mudslides and landslides that can destroy homes, farms and entire neighborhoods. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported Wednesday that “Currently, 33 large fires have burned more than 360,000 acres in 10 states. Eleven new large fires were reported yesterday. Wildland fire activity increased in the Northern Rockies and Rocky Mountain areas where seven new large fires were reported. More than half of the 33 uncontained large fires are in the Southwest and Great Basin areas.” Current and predicted weather conditions will likely further fan new flames. According to the NIFC, the strong high pressure weather front that remains over Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, the northern Rockies into Canada, and upper air moving into the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, combined with very hot, record-setting temperatures in the Southwest, southern California, and the northern Rockies, are creating an extremely dangerous situation that will exacerbate wildfires in the region. Moreover, isolated dry thunderstorms are expected for the Southwest and southern Colorado. Lightning strikes during these extreme conditions can set off a massive wildfire that would be difficult to contain.
Rocky Mountain Forests Burning More Now Than Any Time in the Past 2,000 Years – The exceptional drought in the U.S. West has people across the region on edge after the record-setting fires of 2020. Last year, Colorado alone saw its three largest fires in recorded state history, one burning late in October and crossing the barren Continental Divide well above the tree line. Evidence now shows the 2020 fire season pushed these ecosystems to levels of burning unprecedented for at least 2,000 years.That evidence, which we describe in a study published June 14, 2021, serves as a sobering example of how climate change is altering the ecosystems on which lives and economies depend.A previous study nearly a decade ago warned that by the mid-21st century, climate warming could increase burning past historical levels and transform some Rocky Mountain forests. Our results show such changes in fire activity are now underway. Historically, fires burned in the subalpine central Rockies every 230 years, on average. That has increased significantly in the 21st century. Philip HigherAs paleoecologists we’ve spent decades researching how wildfires, climate and forests change over time.We used to be able to look to the past when rare events like large wildfires occurred and say “we’ve seen this before and our ecosystems have generally bounced back.” In the last few years, however, it’s become icreasingly clear that many ecosystems are entering uncharted territory.Witnessing the exceptionally large fires burning in high-elevation forests in 2020, unusually late in the season, we wondered if we were experiencing something truly unprecedented.In Colorado and Wyoming, the largest fires of 2020 were burning in a region where our researchteams have spent over 15 years developing records of fire history and ecosystem change from materials preserved in the bottom of lakes. By plunging a long tube into the mud and extracting a core, we can examine the history of the surrounding landscape – revealed in the layers of everything that sank to the bottom over thousands of years.Carbon dating of tree needles and twigs helps us determine the age of each layer in a core. Pollen preserved in the sediments can tell us what grew nearby. And dense charcoal layers tell us when fires burned.We used such records of past fires preserved in the sediments of 20 lakes in the central Rocky Mountains.The result: The extensive burning over the 21st century is unprecedented in this region in the past 2,000 years.
‘Death Valley, Las Vegas smash records as heat wave in West persists –A blistering heat wave lingering over the western U.S. has smashed record temperatures in multiple states, increasing wildfire danger and worsening historic and life-threatening drought. Triple-digit highs were felt in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nevada as well as in California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an emergency proclamation on Thursday over concerns regarding energy grid capacity. To the south of Sacramento, the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center (WPC) announced that California’s Death Valley had reached a scorching 128 degrees Fahrenheit.The desert valley has long been the record-holder for the highest air temperature ever recorded on Earth – 134 degrees Fahrenheit recorded in 1913, though that figure is reportedly contested – and just last year the agency reported a temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley, which the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said at the time would be the third-hottest temperature ever recorded if verified after a months-long analysis.In Nevada, the NWS and forecaster AccuWeather said Friday high temperatures in Las Vegas would peak at a toasty 114 degrees, challenging records.The NWS said Wednesday that that Sin City had broken a decades-old temperature record with a thermometer at McCarran International Airport recording a high of 116 degrees.The all-time high for Las Vegas is 117, reached in June 2017.In a release, the WMO noted that the extreme temperatures were part of a trend due to climate change, with heat waves “more frequent and more intense.”
Apocalyptic’ heat wave scorches US Southwest again – An extreme heat wave that has already shattered temperature records across the U.S. Southwest threatened on Friday to push power systems to the brink of failure as residents cranked up air conditioners. California power grid operators, who have so far been able to keep the lights on, issued their latest “flex alert” for Friday, asking homeowners across the state to conserve energy in the late afternoon and evening when demand surges. The heat, which comes amid years of drought across the Southwest, has strained power grids in California and Texas and fueled the spread of wildfires. “It feels somewhat apocalyptic with the record high heat, the smoke from wildfires tearing through the Sonoran desert and the news on the drought,” said Emily Kirkland, a communications organizer for a Phoenix nonprofit group. The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings for five states – California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and parts of Colorado – warning that temperatures soaring well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) can be dangerous. “Very hot conditions will continue for interior areas through Saturday, followed by gradual cooling into next week. Until then, USE CAUTION as heat can be deadly! Most importantly, stay hydrated and never leave kids or pets in a hot car!!” the National Weather Service station for Los Angeles said on Twitter. Temperature records have already been tied or broken in Salt Lake City, Palm Springs and elsewhere and record highs were forecast for Phoenix on Friday at 117 degrees. Many other cities were expected to come close to tying or breaking their daily records, including Las Vegas where a high temperature of 114 degrees was forecast. Power systems in Texas and California have so far withstood the strain but operators said that if residents did not conserve energy in the late afternoon, rolling blackouts could be required to keep the system running. In Texas, where temperatures have moderated, demand hit a record on Monday, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). California’s power demand peaked on Thursday at 41,364 megawatts and was expected to surpass that level on Friday, according to the California Independent System Operator, which operates the grid in most of the state. One megawatt can power about 200 homes on a hot day. The heat wave extended to the Midwest, prompting weather services to issue advisories for Kansas, Missouri and Illinois, before a strong cold front brings relief by the end of the weekend. Temperatures in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, were forecast to top 100 degrees on Friday.
The Record Temperatures Enveloping The West Are Not Your Average Heat Wave : NPR –It might be tempting to shrug at the scorching temperatures across large swaths of the West: This just in, it gets hot in the summer. But this record-setting heat wave’s remarkable power, size and unusually early appearance is giving meteorologists and climate experts yet more cause for concern about the routinization of extreme weather in an era of climate change.These sprawling, persistent high pressure zones popularly called “heat domes” are relatively common in later summer months. This current system is different. “It’s not only unusual for June, but it is pretty extreme even in absolute terms,” says Daniel Swain, climate scientist at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. “It would be a pretty extreme event for August,” Swain says, when these typically occur.This heat dome’s reach is remarkable, too: It has set record highs stretching from the Great Plains to coastal California. And these aren’t just records for that specific date or month but in a few spots they are records for the singularly hottest day in the entire period of record, sometimes stretching back 100 to 150 years. “That’s a pretty big deal,” Swain says.”It’s unusual in that it’s more intense in terms of the maximum temperature,” says Alison Bridger, a professor in the Meteorology and Climate Science department at San Jose State University. “And how widespread the impact is.”For example, Palm Springs, Calif., recently hit 123 degrees, equaling its highest recorded temperature.Las Vegas set a daily record of 114 degrees. Phoenixreached a record 118 degrees, the earliest the city has hit that high a mark. It broke the previous record of 114 set in 2015.Sacramento, Calif., set a new daily record of 109 degrees. The National Weather Service just extended its excessive heat warning through Sunday night in the Central Valley and parts of northern California.Denver this week hit 100 for three straight days, the earliest date of such a streak on record, tweeted meteorologist Bob Henson. He noted that all of the 100 degree streaks in Denver’s 150 years of climate record keeping have occurred in the last three decades. And in the Plains, several cities including Omaha, Neb., set records, including a dailyrecord high of 105 degrees. That breaks an Omaha daily record set in 1918.
Doctors Warn of Third-Degree Burns From Touching Pavement as Temperatures Soar and Grids Strain in West – Mutually worsening heat and drought are stifling the American West, stoking wildfire fears and straining electrical grids – and the worst is far from over.”We could have two, three, four, five of these heat waves before the end of the summer,” Park Williams, a UCLA climate and fire scientist, told the AP. A record-breaking heatwave trapped by an area of high atmospheric pressure, known as a heat dome, is pushing temperatures as much as 30°F above normal and subjecting 40 million people to temperatures over 100°F.Doctors in Arizona and Nevada warned touching pavement could cause third degree burns. The extreme heat is also straining electrical grids. California grid operators called for voluntary demand reduction and, for the second time in four months, Texas grid operators are asking their customers to reduce their energy usage – including using less air conditioning and putting off cooking and washing their clothes – prompting jokes that Sen. Ted Cruz would soon be flying to Alaska.The intense heat and drought are fueling wildfires across the region and stoking fears that more will come as the season is just starting. And so is the warming. “We’re still a long way out from the peak of the wildfire season and the peak of the dry season,” Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist, told The New York Times. “Things are likely to get worse before they get better.”Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan, agreed. “As bad as it might seem today,” he told the Times, “this is about as good as it’s going to get if we don’t get global warming under control.”As reported by The Associated Press:In the Southwest, the problem of burns from hot surfaces is growing as temperatures rise due to climate change and increasing urbanization.And it shows up in emergency rooms like the one at the Arizona Burn Center in Phoenix, where director Dr. Kevin Foster said 104 people were admitted in June, July and August 2020 with serious burn injuries due to contact with scorching surfaces. Seven people died.Many more received outpatient treatment.“It doesn’t take much time to get a full thickness or third degree burn when exposed to hot pavement,” Foster said in a press briefing last week. “Because if you look at hot pavement or asphalt at two o’clock in the afternoon in direct sunlight, the temperature is usually somewhere around 170 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Mumbai soaked by 6 months’ worth of rain in 5 days, India (videos) India’s largest city Mumbai registered a total of 715.3 mm (28.2 inches) from June 8 to 12, 2021 — nearly six months’ worth of June rain (126.1 mm (5 inches)). Heavy downpours are expected to continue until June 17. This year, the city may overtake its all-time June record of 1 106.7 mm (43.6 inches) set in 2015. From June 8 to 9, the city already received about 60 mm (2.4 inches) of rain in just an hour, leading to waterlogging in several places, including Hindmata, Milan Subway, and Sion. “BMC is working on war footing to drain out the excessive rainwater,” said BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal. “Though the flooding disrupted traffic in some parts, in most areas there were no major disruptions. The local train services were suspended for a brief period.” Heavy rains continued for days and from June 8 to 12, the total amount reached 715.3 mm (28.2 inches)– almost six months the average rain for the month of June of 126.1 mm (5 inches). This year, the city may overtake its all-time high June record of 1 106.7 mm (43.6 inches) set in 2015. “With the active meteorological conditions hinting at vigorous monsoon rains, these records could go for a toss very soon,” SkyMet Weather meteorologists said. A yellow alert is in place until June 17 as heavy downpours are expected to continue. “Cyclonic circulation earlier persisting over the Arabian Sea off the Konkan coast has weakened. However, an east-west trough still is marked across Konkan, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and the center of low pressure,” SkyMet added. “Low pressure is expected to become more marked and westerly streams along the west coast will pick up strength. Monsoon rains will accentuate again in general over Konkan and Mumbai in particular.” “South Konkan and Goa are heading for extremely heavy rains over the next three to four days. Mumbai, Thane, Alibag, and Palghar also will have intense rains over the next two to three days.”
Major summer storm hits Greece with a month’s worth of rain in just 40 minutes (videos) A major summer storm hit Greece, particularly the municipality of Attica, on Friday, June 11, 2021, bringing extremely heavy rain, lightning, and hail. A month’s worth of rain fell in 40 minutes, causing traffic disruption across Athens and power outages to wide swaths of the city.”The rainstorm, which produced what is usually a month’s worth of rain in Greece in just 40 minutes, caused major traffic jams across Athens, and even left large swaths of the city without power,” the Greek Reporter reports.Meanwhile, an intense hailstorm hit Psychiko, Agia Paraskevi, and many areas in the northern suburbs. The severe weather caused power outages in Agia Paraskevi, Nea Ionia, Psychiko, Papagou, and Chalandri. Traffic lights were shut, mainly in Kifissia, according to authorities. A new atmospheric disturbance is forecast to reach northern parts of the country on Monday, June 14. Rains and thunderstorms are possible in Central and Eastern Macedonia, Thrace, and the islands of the Eastern Aegean.From Monday noon onwards, heavy rains are likely in Thrace, Thessaly, Eastern Sterea, Macedonia, Crete, and Eastern Aegean. There is a chance of hail mainly in the northern and eastern regions, as well as the mountainous areas of Western Greece.
Severe storms and flooding continue to batter northern Spain – Severe storms, including intense rain and hail, have been affecting northern Spain over the past 10 days, causing widespread flooding that led to hundreds of incident reports. On Monday, June 14, 2021, emergency services reported 54 weather-related incidents in a three-hour period in La Rioja, most of which involved people trapped in floodwaters. On Saturday, June 5, heavy rain, hail, and strong winds lashed Pozoblanco, Cabra, and Bujalance in the province of Cordoba, with some houses engulfed by floodwaters.Heavy rains continued into the next day, June 6 when around 70 mm (3 inches) of rain fell within just two hours, flooding areas in Tomelloso, Castile-La Mancha. 140 weather-related incidents were reported to authorities. Between June 5 and 6, the Emergency Coordination Center of the Region of Murcia attended to a total of 61 incidents.The worst-hit areas were Yecla with 15 incidents, Molina de Segura with 13, Murcia with 9, and Jumilla with 7.A powerful storm wreaked havoc in Ourense on Sunday, June 13, leaving a path of destruction. Authorities received hundreds of reports about flooded areas, uprooted trees, and damaged properties, describing the storm as the worst to hit the province in recent years.According to Meteo Galicia, 16 mm (0.62 inches) of rain felSevere weather continued into Monday, June 14, particularly affecting the province of La Rioja. SOS Rioja reported 54 incidents in a three-hour period, mostly in places between Haro and Logrono. In Navarrete, emergency services rescued a driver trapped in the flood as waters blocked roads in Briones and Urunuela. In Ezcaray, 31.1 mm (1.2 inches) of rain was registered, while in Haro and Najera, 19 mm (0.7 inches) fell, along with wind gusts of more than 70 km/h (43 mph). Among the worst-hit areas was the town of Fuenmayor, where two rivers burst their banks, damaging roads and buildings.
NIWA releases figures for historical ‘one-in-200-year’ event in Canterbury, New Zealand -Preliminary analysis by NIWA scientists has shown that the severe weather event in Canterbury, New Zealand, from May 29 to 31, 2021 was so extreme in some inland areas that it could be considered a “one-in-200-year” event. On May 29, extremely heavy rainfall hit north Canterbury, triggering rapid rise of rivers and widespread flooding. Many properties and roads were flooded, and hundreds of residents were evacuated. The New Zealand MetService has issued a rare Red Warning for Heavy Rain for the Canterbury region prior to the deluge.On Monday, June 14, NIWA has released the figures after conducting a preliminary analysis of the event. Between May 29 and 31, Environment Canterbury’s rain gauge near Mt. Somers recorded its largest 48-hour rainfall event totaling 526 mm (20.1 inches).Meanwhile, the nearby plains on the other side of Mt. Somers, just 10 km (6.2 miles) away, recorded only 310 mm (12.2 inches) in the same period, its largest-ever total. The data indicates that from May 29 to 31, the 48-hour rainfall totals registered at Mt. Somers, Geraldine, and Snowdon would all be expected on average only once in 200 years. These rain gauges span 100 km (62 miles) southwest to northeast in inland Canterbury. “These results show how widespread this event was, although it is interesting to note that the most extreme rainfall only occurred in a relatively thin strip along the Canterbury foothills,” said Dr. Carey-Smith, a climate scientist. Nearer to the coast, at places like Darfield, Oxford, Ashley, and Methven, the rainfall event observed was lower and reduces the expected probability of the event happening to about once in 50 years on average.
More than 260 000 affected as heavy rains hit Guatemala – At least five people have lost their lives and a total of 266 408 have been affected in Guatemala since the rainy season began in May, according to the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED). The latest fatalities were in Solola Department, where three people lost their lives in flash floods on Saturday, June 12.According to CONRED, 368 houses have been slightly damaged, 768 moderately, and 34 severely, while 39 roads have been affected. Five people have lost their lives so far this rainy season, with the latest fatalities coming from Solola Department.On Saturday, heavy rainfall caused the Quiba River to break its banks, flooding the village of Guineales, Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan.Around 30 houses were severely damaged, while 85 people have been transferred to safer grounds. Three people, two of whom were children, were swept away by the current.The Red Cross said they were working to accommodate around 10 000 residents who have been displaced in the village.In Amatitlan, a mudslide blocked a road on June 12, disrupting the travel of thousands of motorists. On the same day, 25 people have been displaced after flooding damaged buildings in San Cristobal Verapaz.
Severe floods and landslides wreak havoc across Nepal’s Gandaki Province – (videos) Incessant heavy rainfall battering Nepal’s Gandaki Province since Tuesday, June 15, 2021, resulted in damaging floods and landslides in which at least 7 people lost their lives. At least 19 others are still missing as of Thursday, June 17.Heavy monsoon rains began Tuesday, with the areas of the Sindhupalchok District the worst hit. Many residential building complexes were damaged in Helambu and Melamchi.According to chief district officer Bishnu Lamichhane, the complete assessment of damage is yet to be finalized, but reports have shown so far that flooding submerged 30 houses in Talgaun, 48 in Chame, and 15 in Dharapani, partially damaging or destroying them.Seven people were killed in floods and landslides. The bodies of the victims, who went missing on Tuesday, were retrieved Wednesday morning. At least 19 others are still missing.The victims were working in Melamchi trout farm, Sindhupalchok chief district officer Arun Kumar Pokharel told the media. The government has deployed the army to conduct rescue missions for people trapped in flooded houses, he added.Rudra Prasad Dulal, Ward Chair of Sindhupalchok, told ANI that the flooding incident could be the result of a glacial outburst near Tibetan territory. “The reason behind this flash flood is attributed to heavy rainfall in upper lying areas. Shaken by the 2072 (Nepali date of 2015 earthquake) earthquake, creeks on the inner areas of the hills are suspected to be swept by large masses of ice and muds contained by it. We have suspected it to be a reason for flooding,” he explained. This year’s monsoon season in Nepal started on June 12.
Relentless heavy rains trigger severe flash floods and landslides in Bhutan – (videos) At least 10 people have died as persistent heavy rains triggered major flash flooding in Bhutan, authorities reported on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Residents in the Himalayan region were caught off guard by rising rivers and streams, inundating homes and buildings.Heavy monsoon rains caused rivers and streams to burst their banks, sending floodwaters to many areas.According to Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, at least 10 people have died and five others were hurt, two of whom sustained serious injuries. The victims are believed to be a group that was collecting cordyceps at the campsite near Laya.”Our hearts are with the people of Laya today, as we hear about the tragedy that struck a group of cordyceps collectors in the highland,” the PM said in a statement.”Along with local authorities and medical teams, we have coordinated the rescue efforts since 09:00 UTC (15:00 LT). For now, as you have heard, we have lost 10 previous lives and five others are injured.”Rescue operations are continuing while helicopters have been deployed to evacuate other victims. Crews, including military personnel, have been sent to an extremely remote area that was badly affected.Tshering urged people to avoid visiting or camping near rivers during this time, as well as to be aware of the hazards brought by the heavy monsoon rains. In the neighboring country of Nepal, monsoon rains have killed at least seven people and submerged almost 100 homes, with many others feared missing.
Floods, mudflows and rockfalls hit Dagestan after nearly half a month’s worth of rain in a day, Russia – Severe thunderstorms triggered paralyzing flooding, mudflows, and rockfalls in the Russian Republic of Dagestan on Monday, June 14, 2021. Meteorological stations said the area registered between 21 and 33 mm (0.8 and 1.3 inches) of rain in a day, which is nearly half the monthly average for the month of June. Heavy rains hit the area on Monday, which was equivalent to nearly half the June average. As a result, mudflows and rockfalls blocked 11 roads in several districts, sweeping away vehicles. Authorities had to reroute motorists due to the debris. In the capital city of Makhachkala, a girl standing at an open window was killed by a lightning strike.
Tropical Storm “Koguma” makes landfall over Thanh Hoa, Vietnam – (videos)Tropical Storm “Koguma” — the fourth named storm of the 2021 Pacific typhoon season — made landfall over Thanh Hoa Province at 18:00 UTC on June 13, 2021, with winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) and barometric pressure of 996 hPa. The cyclone weakened shortly after landfall but continued to produce strong winds and damaging rainfall.According to the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority (VDMA), more than 130 homes were damaged due to strong winds, including 104 in Nam Dinh Province and 21 in Ha Nam.Heavy rain accompanied strong winds, with 321 mm (12.6 inches) recorded in Dau Lieu, Ha Tinh Province, and 240 mm (9.4 inches) in Vinh, Nghe An Province.A total of 19 733 ha (48 761 acres) of farmland was flooded, 15 400 ha (38 054 acres) in Ha Tinh, and 3 463 ha (8 557 acres) in Nghe An.Ahead of Koguma’s approach to Vietnam from the Gulf of Tonkin, the city of Thai Bình ordered the suspension of all fishing activities (55 000+ fishing boats) in the area due to the forecasted rough waters and urged the individuals in the area to cut the trees that would disrupt major roadways and put support on their houses, warehouses, schools, hospitals, aquaculture, and fishing farms to prevent any damages.According to local media reports, many farmers also hurried to harvest the spring rice crops to prevent them from being destroyed and flooded.Evacuations in the area and its nearby cities and provinces were also ordered.
Tropical Storm “Bill” forms off the coast of North Carolina, U.S. – Tropical Storm “Bill” formed off the coast of North Carolina, U.S. at 03:00 UTC on June 15, 2021, as the 2nd named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Bill is moving fairly swiftly toward Newfoundland, Canada, and is expected to dissipate on June 16.At 03:00 UTC on June 15, the center of Tropical Storm “BIll” was located about 540 km (335 miles) ENE of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The system had maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h (45 mph) and was moving NE at 37 km/h (23 mph). Its minimum central pressure was 1 003 hPa.Bill is expected to continue moving NE through Wednesday, June 16 with increasing forward speed. Some additional short-term strengthening is possible today, however, the system is expected to become a post-tropical low and dissipate on June 16.
Tropical Storm Claudette forms and makes landfall along Gulf Coast – A Gulf storm was upgraded to Tropical Storm Claudette after coming ashore in southeast Louisiana on Saturday, as millions across the South are under storm warnings, according to the National Hurricane Center. Claudette, previously referred to as Potential Tropical Cyclone Three, upgraded to a tropical storm in the early morning hours as the center of the storm was about 45 miles southeast of New Orleans. The maximum sustained winds are at 45 mph, according to NHC. Tropical storm warnings remain unchanged throughout the region, and the main threats are heavy rainfall and tropical-storm-force winds. Claudette is forecast to weaken into a tropical depression by tonight and become post-tropical on Sunday. The system is then forecast to re-develop over the western Atlantic Ocean on Monday as it moves away from the East Coast of the US. Parts of Louisiana were bombarded with more than 9 inches of rain Friday into early Saturday, according to CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford. Residents have prepared over the last couple days for the storm. We’ve moved out cars, but we can’t move our house,” McCarthy told CNN affiliate WDSU. “We’ve got our sandbags ready. We’ve got our tarp ready and we’re just … hoping for the best.” In Mississippi, people started filling sandbags Thursday to help aid potential flooding, CNN affiliate WLOX reported. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a state of emergency on Thursday and activated the Crisis Action Team to support local agencies with resources needed beyond parish capabilities. A tornado watch was issued for the Gulf Coast including parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and the panhandle of Florida until 11 a.m. Central time, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Some of the cities under that watch are Gulfport, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida.
Tropical Storm Claudette Floods Streets, Spawns Tornadoes Across Upper Gulf Coast –Tropical Storm Claudette flooded streets and brought heavy winds and severe weather to some areas of the Gulf Coast as it moved across shore Saturday morning. The storm, brewing for several days in the Gulf, was named overnight. Claudette’s effects are stretching from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle and are expected to move further inland throughout the day. Some of the worst damage reported so far is in Brewton, Alabama, where a tornado destroyed homes and other buildings. The town is about 60 miles north of Pensacola, Florida. At least three mobile homes were destroyed, according to WEAR-TV. There were reports of minor injuries. Aerial drone video showed splintered debris scattered across a neighborhood. Tornadoes were also reported in several other areas. Several houses were damaed in Pace, Florida, which is in Santa Rosa County between Pensacola where the other homes were damaged in Alabama. Highways and bridges were closed throughout the region Saturday morning, including parts of Highway 90 between Biloxi and Pass Christian, Mississippi. Flooding and sand covered much of the roadway, the Sun-Herald newspaper reported. A journalist for the Sun-Herald shared video of elevated homes surrounded by water in Hancock, Mississippi. In Slidell, Louisiana, police deployed high-water rescue vehicles due to widespread flooding in the city. “We are currently clearing/have cleared approximately 40 to 50 vehicles out of the roadways due to them being flooded with water,” the agency said in a social media post at about 6:30 a.m. CDT. “Last night/early this morning, we had to rescue multiple people from their flooded cars, along with a woman, who was on her way to the hospital, possibly going into labor.” There were no reports of major injuries or damage. “We ask people to please use caution when driving around this morning,” the post continued. “There is still a lot of debris and stalled vehicles in the area. Water is still high in some neighborhoods. Drive slow through floodwaters, especially in neighborhoods.” A wind gust of 81 mph was recorded in Pensacola Beach, Florida, where some windows were blown out of at least one hotel and a tractor trailer blew over on the Interstate 10 bridge across Escambia Bay. About 13,000 homes and businesses were without power early Saturday morning in the Florida Panhandle counties of Santa Rosa and Escambia, according to poweroutage.us. There were also reports of downed trees and power lines and damaged buildings in both those counties after high winds and possible tornado Saturday morning.
Tropical Storm Claudette is on the move. Louisiana to the Panhandle getting drenched – Tropical Storm Claudette is drenching Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle as it continues to move inland, marking the first storm this season to touch land. As of the 2 p.m. update, the National Hurricane Center says Claudette is still maintaining 40 mph sustained winds as it moves north-northeast at 14 mph. Claudette 80 miles north-northwest of Mobile, Alabama and 140 miles west-southwest of Montgomery, Alabama. Claudette’s tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles southeast of the center. It reached tropical storm status around 5 a.m. as it crossed the 40 mph sustained wind threshold to become the third named storm of the season. The tropical storm warning from the Mississippi/Alabama border to the Mouth of the Mississippi River had been discontinued by the 2 p.m. advisory. However, a tropical storm warning is still in place from the Mississippi/Alabama border to the Okaloosa/Walton County line in Florida. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Cape Fear to Duck, North Carolina, Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. Forecasters say Claudette is expected to weaken to a tropical depression later today as it continues to move farther inland across portions of the southeast U.S., however, it is forecast to become a tropical storm again when it moves across the Carolinas Sunday night or early Monday. By Monday, forecasters predict Claudette will be over the western Atlantic Ocean. Storm surge predictions for the area are low, around one to three feet, and there’s a potential for some tornadoes. But the real threat is rain, forecasters say.
Tropical Storm “Dolores” forecast to be near hurricane strength as it hits Mexico – Tropical Storm “Dolores” continues intensifying on its way toward Mexico. Landfall is expected today, June 19, or early June 20, 2021, along the southwest coast of Mexico. Dolores formed at 15:00 UTC on June 18 as the 4th named storm of the 2021 Pacific hurricane season. At the time, its center was located about 370 km (230 miles) S of Lazaro Cardenas and 515 km (320 miles) SSW of Manzanillo, Mexico.Dolores is expected to continue strengthening today up until landfall, and it could be near hurricane strength when it reaches the coast of west-central Mexico by this afternoon (LT). A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch are in effect for portions of the southwestern and west-central coasts of Mexico. Heavy rains are forecast over coastal sections of the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco, and Nayarit during the next few days, which could result in life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides.A Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch are in effect for Lazaro Cardenas to Cabo Corrientes, Mexico, and a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for areas north of Cabo Corrientes to Escuinapa, Mexico.At 09:00 UTC on June 19, the center of Tropical Storm “Dolores” was located about 145 km (90 miles) SW of Lazaro Cardenas and 225 km (160 miles) SSE of Manzanillo.Its maximum sustained winds were 95 km/h (60 mph) and minimum central pressure 995 hPa.The storm is moving NNW at 17 km/h (10 mph) and this motion is expected to continue with a gradual acceleration prior to landfall.Dolores is expected to make landfall along the southwest coast of Mexico later today (LT), NHC forecasters said.Additional intensification is expected prior to landfall, and Dolores is forecast to be near hurricane intensity when it makes landfall.Rapid weakening is expected after landfall and the system is expected to dissipate by the end of the weekend.
44% of Ocean Plastics Are Linked to Takeout Food – In recent years, it’s been a fad to skip the straw to save the turtles, but what you may not know is that straws are not the biggest offenders when it comes to ocean plastic, according to a new study.Instead, researchers are turning their attention to takeout containers and convenience food as the worst offender in plastics polluting the ocean.Widespread plastic contaminants such as food containers and wrappers, single-use bags, and plastic bottles are the most widespread pollutants of the seas, making up almost half of human-made waste, according toThe Guardian.”It was shocking to find out that bags, bottles, food containers and cutlery together with wrappers account for almost half of the human-made objects on a global scale,” said study leader Dr. Carmen Morales of the University of Cadiz, Spain to BBC. “We found them in rivers, on the deep seabed, on shorelines and floating off our coasts.”Only 10 plastic products make up 75% of the oceans’ litter, the scientists found, due to the volume in which they are used and their slow degradation periods. The list also includes plastic lids and fishing gear, which are also huge plastic polluters. These findings are a result of collecting data from 36 global inventories.Eight of the 10 cataloged items were made of plastic, and 44% of the waste was from takeout food and beverages.Tackling the overconsumption of straws, cotton swabs, and drink stirrers has been popular, as they are easy to replace, but the researchers also recommended eliminating plastic from takeout food. Takeout containers are often discarded outside and soon after the food is purchased.
Ice Shelf Holding Pine Island Glacier Could Collapse Within a Decade – The Pine Island Glacier is currently Antarctica‘s greatest contributor to sea level rise, and, now, a new study warns that it could be closer to collapse than previously thought.The research, published in Science Advances Friday, found that the vulnerable glacier had sped up by 12 percent over the last three years as the ice shelf holding it in place breaks up. This finding could accelerate the timeline for when the entire glacier collapses into the sea, and underscores the urgency of acting to combat the climate crisis.”These science results continue to highlight the vulnerability of Antarctica, a major reservoir for potential sea level rise,” Twila Moon, a National Snow and Ice Data scientist who wasn’t part of the research, told The AP. “Again and again, other research has confirmed how Antarctica evolves in the future will depend on human greenhouse gas emissions.”The Pine Island Glacier is one of two Antarctic glaciers that most concerns scientists. It and the Thwaites Glacier sit side-by-side in western Antarctica, and keep the rest of the region’s ice in check.If that happened, global sea levels would rise by several feet within a few centuries, a University of Washington (UW) press release explained. The Pine Island Glacier on its own contains enough ice to bump sea levels up by 1.6 feet if it melted. And it is already having an impact. It raises sea levels by a sixth of a millimeter each year and, according to The AP, accounts for about 25 percent of Antarctica’s total ice loss.But the glacier is kept from retreating further by its ice shelf, which acts like a flying buttress on a cathedral, containing its mass, the press release explained. That is why Friday’s study is concerning. It analyzed satellite images to show that the ice shelf lost a fifth of its area between 2017 and 2020, and retreated by 19 kilometers (approximately 12 miles) during that time, the study authors wrote. The images, recorded by the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites, were taken every 12 days between 2015 and 2017, and every six days between 2017 and the present. They revealed that the ice shelf lost most of its mass in three big breakages, calving icebergs more than five miles long by 22 miles wide, according to The AP.
On Climate Crisis and COVID-19, G7 Is Judged a ‘Colossal Failure’ –Anti-poverty groups, climate campaigners, and public health experts reacted with outrage and howls of disappointment Sunday after the G7 leaders who spent the weekend at a summit in Cornwall, England issued a final communique that critics said represents an extreme abdication of responsibility in the face of the world’s most pressing and intertwined crises – savage economic inequality, a rapidly-heating planet, and the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.”This G7 summit will live on in infamy,” declared Max Lawson, Oxfam’s head of inequality policy, in a statement responding to the G7 communique at the conclusion of the weekend summit – a gathering characterized by the global progressive movement as an unmitigated disaster compared to what could have been achieved. “Faced with the biggest health emergency in a century and a climate catastrophe that is destroying our planet,” Lawson said, the leaders of the richest nations “have completely failed to meet the challenges of our times. Never in the history of the G7 has there been a bigger gap between their actions and the needs of the world. In the face of these challenges the G7 have chosen to cook the books on vaccines and continue to cook the planet. We don’t need to wait for history to judge this summit a colossal failure, it is plain for all to see.” The G7 member nations pledged a collective 1 billion doses will be donated to benefit middle- and low-income nations. However, public health experts have been adamant that voluntary charity and empty rhetoric – especially in the the absence of a joint commitment to lift patent protections for life-saving vaccines at the World Trade Organization – makes clear the richest nations would still rather protect the profits of the pharmaceutical industry than serve the world’s poor or see the pandemic eviscerated. Meanwhile, the G7’s specific response to the climate crisis was seen as paltry, even if a modest step in the right direction. Thousands of climate activists demonstrated Saturday to demand the G7 leaders finally match their actions with some of their recent promises, but again the ambitions put forth Sunday by U.S. President Joe Biden, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, and the other powerful leaders were seen as more of the same kind of failure that has become all too familiar.”This summit feels like a broken record of the same old promises,” said John Sauven, Greenpeace UK’s executive director. “There’s a new commitment to ending overseas investment in coal, which is their piece de resistance. But without agreeing to end all new fossil fuel projects – something that must be delivered this year if we are to limit dangerous rises in global temperature – this plan falls very short.”
Climate Change Is Happening Faster Than Britain Can Manage – The U.K. is struggling to put in place adequate measures to deal with rising sea levels and warmer temperatures caused by pollution, the government’s independent adviser on climate matters has warned. Average land temperatures in the U.K. have risen by around 1.2-degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, while sea levels have risen by 16 centimeters since 1900, the Climate Change Committee said in a report. Yet adaptation isn’t happening fast enough. In the last five years, more than half a million new homes were built that won’t be resilient to future high temperatures, according to the panel. More than 4,000 heat related deaths have taken place in England alone since 2018. “The longer action to address these risks is delayed, the higher the costs the Government and the U.K. public will face,” the CCC said in a statement. The committee called on the country’s leaders to boost their efforts to address climate change, including delivering a better action plan to support adaptation planning. The U.K. is hosting global climate talks this year, culminating with the United Nations’ COP26 summit in Glasgow in November. At the Group of Seven summit in Cornwall last weekend, world leaders including Prime Minister Boris Johnson stopped short of setting concrete measures to limit global warming to well below 2-degrees Celsius. The CCC’s report highlighted eight areas where urgent action is needed, including managing risks to soil health from flooding and drought, and addressing risks to human health from increased exposure to heat.
China is kicking out all its bitcoin miners – and a lot of them could be headed to Texas -China has long been home to more than half the world’s bitcoin miners, but now, Beijing wants them out ASAP. In May, the government called for a severe crackdown on bitcoin mining and trading, setting off what’s being dubbed in crypto circles as “the great mining migration.” This exodus is underway now, and it could be a game changer for Texas. Mining is the energy-intensive process which both creates new coins and maintains a log of all transactions of existing digital tokens. Despite a lack of reserves that caused dayslong blackouts last winter, Texas often has some of the world’s lowest energy prices, and its share of renewables is growing over time, with 20% of its power coming from wind as of 2019. It has a deregulated power grid that lets customers choose between power providers, and crucially, its political leaders are very pro-crypto – dream conditions for a miner looking for a kind welcome and cheap energy sources. “You are going to see a dramatic shift over the next few months,” said Brandon Arvanaghi, previously a security engineer at crypto exchange Gemini. “We have governors like Greg Abbott in Texas who are promoting mining. It is going to become a real industry in the United States, which is going to be incredible.” 2021 data for the global distribution of mining power is not yet available, but past estimates have shown that 65% to 75% of the world’s bitcoin mining happened in China – mostly in four Chinese provinces: Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Sichuan and Yunnan. Sichuan and Yunnan’s hydropower make them renewable energy meccas, while Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia are home to many of China’s coal plants. The drawdown in miners has already begun in Inner Mongolia. After failing to meet Beijing’s climate targets, province leaders decided to give bitcoin miners two months to clear out, explicitly blaming its energy misses on crypto mines. Castle Island Ventures founding partner Nic Carter says that while it’s not totally clear how China will handle next steps, a phased rollout is likely. “It seems like we’re going from policy statement to actual implementation in relatively short order,” he said. The way this exodus is measured is by looking at hashrate, an industry term used to describe the computing power of all miners in the bitcoin network. “Given the drop in hashrate, it appears likely that installations are being turned off throughout the country,” continued Carter, who also thinks that probably 50% to 60% of bitcoin’s entire hashrate will ultimately leave China. Although China’s announcement hasn’t been cemented in policy, that isn’t stopping miners like Alejandro De La Torre from cutting their losses and making an exit. “We do not want to face every single year, some sort of new ban coming in China,” said De La Torre, vice president of Hong Kong-headquartered mining pool Poolin. “So we’re trying to diversify our global mining hashrate, and that’s why we are moving to the United States and to Canada.” One of bitcoin’s greatest features is that it is totally location agnostic. Miners only require an internet connection, unlike other industries that must be relatively close to their end users.
Elon Musk says Tesla will accept Bitcoin payments again once miners use 50% clean energy — Tesla will resume accepting bitcoin payments for its cars once miners of the cryptocurrency can show they are using roughly 50% clean energy, CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet on Sunday. “When there’s confirmation of reasonable (~50%) clean energy usage by miners with positive future trend, Tesla will resume allowing Bitcoin transactions,” he said. This is the first time Musk has detailed the conditions where the company would start accepting Bitcoin again.Musk announced in March that Tesla would accept payment in Bitcoin, then reversed this position in May when he said the company would no longer accept Bitcoin because is was too environmentally costly to mine the cryptocurrency. He said at the time that Tesla intended to use Bitcoin again in future “as soon as mining transitions to more sustainable energy.”Musk’s Sunday tweet caused the price of Bitcoin to jump to almost $40,000. His tweet was a response to a Cointelegraph article that contained quotes from Magda Wierzycka, the CEO of asset manager Sygnia. Wierzycka said Musk had deliberately pumped up the price of Bitcoin so Tesla could sell off a big chunk of it. Musk disputed this.”This is inaccurate. Tesla only sold ~10% of holdings to confirm BTC could be liquidated easily without moving market,” Musk said. He said in April that Tesla had sold 10% of its Bitcoin holdings to prove it was a viable alternative to cash. The electric-car maker bought $1.5 billion of Bitcoin in February.
What you need to know about El Salvador’s plan to use volcano-powered bitcoin as legal tender – When El Salvador voted this week to make bitcoin legal tender, it marked the start of an experiment sure to draw close attention amid a global surge in interest in cryptocurrency. Nayib Bukele, the Latin American nation’s meme-loving millennial leader, claims that embracing the cryptocurrency “will generate jobs and help provide financial inclusion to thousands outside the formal economy.” Remittances from citizens living abroad make up about a fifth of El Salvador’s gross domestic product, according to World Bank figures, and Bukele believes that bitcoin has the potential to transform the way that money is sent across borders. But critics suspect that the move is a publicity stunt intended to distract from what they see as Bukele’s authoritarian tendencies, including his party’s ouster of El Salvador’s attorney general and several top judges.The new law has also raised numerous questions about how goods and services will be priced, and the environmental ramifications of bitcoin mining. Here’s what we know so far. Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, is a decentralized digital currency that has gained traction as an alternative to money issued by governments. Its value has been highly volatile.Merchants in El Salvador were already free to accept bitcoin as a form of payment. Once the new law goes into effect several months from now, however, they’ll be required to do so unless they lack access to the necessary technology. People will also be permitted to pay their taxes in bitcoin.The U.S. dollar will remain El Salvador’s main currency, Miguel Kattfln, El Salvador’s secretary of commerce and investment said Monday, according to El Mundo, a Salvadoran newspaper. Goods are to be priced in U.S. dollars, rather than bitcoin, which tends to fluctuate wildly and involve long strings of decimals. The law passed by El Salvador’s legislative assembly makes no mention of mining. But during a live conversation on Twitter Spaces on Tuesday night, Bukele announced an idea that had suddenly occurred to him: El Salvador’s volcanoes could be used as a renewable source of geothermal energy.“Every day is going to be a new idea,” Bukele told the audience of over 25,000,according to Coindesk. The following day, he announced on Twitter that he had directed the country’s state-owned geothermal electricity company to develop a plan that would allow bitcoin miners to tap into “very cheap, 100% clean, 100% renewable, 0 emissions energy from our volcanoes.”Hours later, Bukele said that engineers had already dug a new well that would become the center of a new bitcoin mining hub, and shared a video of the steam pouring out.
Is the Only Green Thing about Cannabis the Almighty Dollar? — Lambert Strether In my day cannabis seemed like a small-scale affair. One purchased a baggie and shared it with friends. Rolling a joint was a skill both necessary and shared with others.Fast forward to 2021, where cannabis is the #1 cash crop in the United States, valued at $35.8 billion (2006), compared to corn ($23.3 billion), and wheat ($7.5 billion). Then fast foward to 2021:06, vaccination summer. Forbes: Ben Kovler, the founder and chief executive of Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries, a cannabis company with operations across 12 states, is getting ready to sell more weed than ever this summer.On Wednesday, Kovler held a ribbon cutting after expanding capacity at GTI’s 250,000-square-foot production facility in Oglesby, Illinois, where his company grows -end cannabis flower, produces pre-rolled joints, manufactures THC-infused edibles, and runs a cannabis beverage line. Right before Memorial Day weekend, as Covid-19 restrictions around the country ease and nearly half of Americans are now vaccinated, Kovler says GTI is focused on its goal to produce as much as product as possible to keep up with what will be a summer-long surge of demand.“The Roaring Twenties is on,” says Kovler. “It’s unprecedented demand and we’re making supply – nothing fancy from us.”Throughout the pandemic, the cannabis industry saw record levels of consumption. Americans bought $17.5 billion worth of marijuana in 2020, a 46% increase from 2019, and annual legal sales will reach $41 billion by 2025, according to Cowen. Yet, now that the economy is opening back up another demand surge is hitting the cannabis industry. “People also want to consume during high-energy good times – it’s a tidal wave of demand,” says Kovler. “The sun is out, people are seeing friends they haven’t seen for a long time coming out of the pandemic. Cannabis is evolving the American experience.” Nice little industry. The only cloud on the horizon is that “evolving the American experience” with cannabis is an ecological disaster, the very reverse of the green that the green leaves of cannabis suggests. From Jason Quinn and Hailey Summers in Nature, “The greenhouse gas emissions of indoor cannabis production in the United States“: In this study we analysed the energy and materials required to grow cannabis indoors and quantified the corresponding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using life cycle assessment methodology for a cradle-to-gate system boundary. The analysis was performed across the United States, accounting for geographic variations in meteorological and electrical grid emissions data. The resulting life cycle GHG emissions range, based on location, from 2,283 to 5,184 kg CO2-equivalent per kg of dried flower. The life cycle GHG emissions are largely attributed to electricity production and natural gas consumption from indoor environmental controls, high-intensity grow lights and the supply of carbon dioxide for accelerated plant growth.
Haaland recommends full restoration of monuments Trump altered: report — Interior Secretary Deb Haaland recommended fully restoring protections to three national monuments that former President Trump either shrunk or otherwise rolled back, The Washington Post reported on Monday. She reportedly recommended the changes to the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments in Utah, as well as the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the coast of Massachusetts. Trump reduced the size of Bears Ears, designated by former President Obama, by about 85 percent, and Grand Staircase-Escalante, designated by former President Clinton, by nearly half. He also decided to allow commercial fishing in the marine monument. Two sources told the Post of Haaland’s recommendations. They also said that the White House hasn’t made a final decision, but that President Biden favors undoing his predecessor’s actions. Spokespeople for the White House and the Interior Department declined The Hill’s request for comment. In an executive order, Biden directed Haaland to review monument boundaries and conditions changed under Trump to decide whether “restoration of the monument boundaries and conditions that existed as of January 20, 2017, would be appropriate.” He also directed her to submit a report detailing her findings. In April, Haaland visited Utah to meet with stakeholders on the matter. Many tribes and environmental groups have pushed for restoring the monuments, while some fishing groups, Utah politicians and ranchers have favored the Trump-era changes.
Nebraska ethanol plants could soon store carbon dioxide underground – A new industry is set to take off in Nebraska. If it works out as backers hope, it would create jobs in the state and offer financial advantages for the state’s ethanol producers. In addition, the industry could have significant implications in the effort to combat climate change. The groundwork was laid by State Sen. Mike Flood’s Legislative Bill 650, which all but one legislator voted to pass last month. Since then, multiple companies have announced plans to contract with ethanol producers in Nebraska to filter carbon dioxide and permanently store that element in the ground – either in the state or piped elsewhere. Other production facilities, such as power and fertilizer plants, are also eligible to participate. Here’s how it essentially works: Instead of allowing carbon dioxide to emit from a producer’s stacks, those stacks would be capped and route the carbon dioxide to a series of compressors. The carbon dioxide is then converted into a transportable form such as liquid and stored well below the surface – at least 2,600 feet below. The specific storage plan varies. Research and development organization Battelle and investment firm Catahoula Resources, for example, want to put the carbon dioxide underneath the ethanol plants or, at most, a few miles away. According to Jon Cartlidge, commercial sales director at Battelle, the companies expect to spend anywhere between $20 million and $50 million per plant. The companies do not intend to seek public financing. Cartlidge said the company is exploring locations in the state where the rock below the surface is porous and thus conducive to carbon storage.
U.S. lawmakers urge EPA to reject exempting refiners from biofuel mandates – Democratic U.S. congressional members sent a letter on Wednesday to the Environmental Protection Agency, urging it to reject any action that would exempt oil refiners from obligations to blend biofuels into the nation’s fuel mix. The letter comes after a report from Reuters last week that said President Joe Biden’s administration, under pressure from labor unions and U.S. senators, including from his home state of Delaware, is considering ways to provide relief to U.S. oil refiners from the mandates. The letter was signed by lawmakers from both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives and states, including Iowa and Illinois. It included Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota and Representative Cheri Bustos from Illinois. The letter was also addressed to the National Economic Council. “We support your efforts to address climate change, but we are concerned that rolling back the RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard) obligation for refiners directly contradicts this work,” the letter said. “Following through on the actions reportedly under discussion would directly undermine your commitment to address climate change and restore integrity to the RFS and we urge you to reject them.” Under the RFS, refiners must blend biofuels into their fuel or buy credits, known as RINs, from those that do. Refiners can apply for exemptions to the obligations if they prove the mandates harm them financially. In the letter, the lawmakers asked the EPA instead to issue a proposed rule for renewable volume blending obligations for 2021 and 2022 with “strong blending targets.” It also asked the agency to respond to a court remand to reinstate 500 million gallons of blending requirements waived from 2016 blending targets. The lawmakers behind Wednesday’s letter represent corn farmers. The RFS policy has pitted some oil refiners and corn groups against each other, as oil refiners find the mandates expensive, while farmers and biofuel producers say they help boost demand for corn-based ethan
A power play? Steam plant owner aims to decarbonize downtown with huge building project – The owner of the steam plants that heat and cool much of downtown Boston has teamed up with a prominent local builder on an ambitious plan to both decarbonize a broad swath of office towers and medical buildings and finally redevelop a long-underused stretch of land above the O’Neill Tunnel. It could be a neat trick, if they pull it off. But first the partners need to navigate the bureaucracy at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, which controls the property at the heart of this proposal. The state agency already has several bidders jockeying for one section, a 1.3-acre vacant parcel on Kneeland Street that Vicinity Energy and National Development say is crucial to their plan to convert the main source of the city’s steam to electricity from natural gas.
Rockton chemical plant explodes, residents evacuated; no injuries reported – – Residents within a one mile radius of Chemtool, 1165 Prairie Hill Road, are being asked to evacuate due to possible dangerous chemicals being released in a large fire at the facility Monday morning. A massive dark plume of smoke can be seen for miles, and as far away as DeKalb. According to Chemtool, the fire began around 7 a.m. “We have confirmed all on site are safe and accounted for. Our concern right now is for the safety of all our employees and the surrounding community. As a precaution, authorities have evacuated residents in a one-mile radius of the site. “We do not yet know what caused this incident, but we will be working with local authorities and with our own risk management team to determine what happened and identify any corrective actions. We will share more details as they are known.” The company manufactures fluids, lubricants and grease products which are distributed worldwide. Fire officials say residents and businesses within a one mile radius of Chemtool have been ordered to evacuate due to potentially hazardous chemicals in the air. “The center of this plume of smoke is dead-center where my property is,” a neighbor said. “The chemicals that go into that building all day long… (I) have no idea what’s going to happen to the neighborhood.” The Ogle County Sheriff released a statement at 10:50 a.m., saying: “The fire in Rockton has caused smoke to cover the eastern third of Ogle County. Close windows and doors if you live east of Meridian Rd and monitor your indoor air quality. Please do not call 911 unless you’re having an emergency.”
Massive Rockton chemical plant fire could burn for days, officials say (WTVO) – Officials say a massive fire at a Rockton chemical plant could burn for days.Residents within a one mile radius of Chemtool, 1165 Prairie Hill Road, were asked to evacuate due to possible dangerous chemicals being released in a large fire at the facility Monday morning. Approximately 70 employees were evacuated and were uninjured. Rockton Fire Chief Kirk Wilson said one firefighter was treated for injuries. Wilson also said air quality tests had been performed by the City of Rockford HAZMAT team, and “there is no danger to air quality” at ground level, but it is unknown when residents would be allowed back in their homes. A massive dark plume of smoke extended south-southeast from the fire, raining ash and debris on residents as far south as DeKalb. Wilson said about 150 residents and businesses within a one mile radius of Chemtool were “strongly suggested” to evacuate as a precaution, due to potentially hazardous chemicals stored at the facility.The fire chief also said that it will likely take several days for the oil-based fire to burn off. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has arrived on-scene to determine if hazardous chemicals are a danger to surrounding residents following Monday’s massive fire at Chemtool. Officials said the company stored lead, antifreeze, nitrogen, and sulfuric acid, among other chemicals. The Winnebago County Emergency Operations Center is tracking the smoke plume and wind direction, and says the area directly impacted is two miles to the south of Chemtool.The county health department is asking residents within one mile of Chemtool to evacuate, and those within 2 miles to stay indoors and close windows and doors, and turn off air conditioners. The Illinois Department of Public Health is advising those residents to wear a mask if they are within 3 miles of Chemtool. According to Chemtool, the fire began around 7 a.m. “We do not yet know what caused this incident, but we will be working with local authorities and with our own risk management team to determine what happened and identify any corrective actions. We will share more details as they are known.” The company manufactures fluids, lubricants and grease products which are distributed worldwide.
Rockton fire: Public health administrator urges residents near chemical fire to wear a mask and not pick up debris falling from the sky – A public health official is asking residents within a 3-mile radius of a chemical fire that broke out Monday to wear a mask when outside to avoid respiratory irritation. The fire at the Chemtool Inc. plant in Rockton, Illinois, broke out Monday morning and prompted the city fire department to order a mandatory evacuation for all residents and businesses in a 1-mile radius of the plant, police said in a message on Twitter.The mandatory 1-mile evacuation area around the site, as well as the mask wearing, is due to concerns about “particulate matter that can become pulmonary irritants,” especially to those with compromised immune systems, said Dr. Sandra Martell, public health administrator for Winnebago County. “Please do not pick up waste that falls from the sky and is related to the fire,” Martell advised at a news conference Monday evening. “We do not know what that waste contains. Please do not handle it with bare hands. Use a shovel, use gloves and sequester it — meaning keep it separate from your household waste — so that we know how to properly dispose of it. It’s very important. We are reliant on our groundwater in this community and keeping that safe is of utmost importance to us.”Rockton Fire Chief Kirk Wilson said the incident is expected to be a “several-day event” for the product to burn off. A large plume of smoke has been seen moving south and southeast of the explosion site. However, Wilson said, air quality analysis has shown no compromise of quality at ground level at this time. Wilson said the city hopes to avoid “an environmental nightmare” that could occur if any of Chemtool’s oil-based lubricants ran off into the Rock River, about 300 meters (330 yards) west. One of their main concerns is product spilling into the river, he said. Speaking at a news conference earlier Monday, Wilson said the department’s water-based firefighting suppression has stopped inside the building, and they’re now letting the product “burn off.” About 150 homes are in the evacuation zone, he said.The burn-off at the plant is expected to take several days. More than 40 agencies and 150-175 fire personnel are on the scene. The cause of the “catastrophic incident” has not been determined, Wilson said.The 70 employees at the factory were able to get out safely, Wilson said. When fire crews arrived, the flames were through the roof and clouds of smoke filled the sky, CNN affiliate WREXreported. Wilson said Monday night one firefighter was hospitalized with breathing difficulties.
Massive explosion at Rockton, Illinois Chemtool plant causes evacuations and environmental risk -Local emergency personnel responded to a massive explosion at the Chemtool Inc. plant in Rockton, Illinois north of Rockford at around 7 a.m. Monday. It was classified a four-alarm fire – defined as a “catastrophic” fire – due to its continuing explosive nature. The fire is being allowed to continue and flame out on its own and is not expected to go out for at least several days, according to Rockton Fire Chief Kirk Wilson. According to witnesses, one firework-sized explosion was first heard from the direction of the plant before more, louder explosions were heard. Soon, a large pillar of smoke was visible and citizens in Rockton were told to evacuate. At the plant itself, the 70 workers on site were evacuated safely with no one wounded except one firefighter, who was mildly injured in response. The plant is closed until further notice with no estimate done on the damage it has caused to the building. News coverage throughout the day showed more explosions in the plant going into the afternoon as the smoke continued to consume almost the entire plant. All those living within one mile of the plant (consisting of roughly 150 homes) were evacuated from the area, while those in the Rockford region are encouraged to wear masks and stay indoors as the fire continues. Forbes reported the smoke could be seen from Chicago as the wind continues to carry it south and southwest. On Monday afternoon, Governor JB Pritzker sent the Illinois National Guard to the plant to ensure its containment and assist local agencies in evacuating the town’s residents. At least 40 agencies and 175 firefighters were on scene with approximately 60 firefighters from 18 departments in Wisconsin also being sent across the state border to assist Rockton emergency responders.The black clouds of smoke from the explosion became so large they were visible on weather radar. The massive scale of the fire and its environmental risks bring up questions regarding the nature of the company itself. The Chemtool production facilities, owned by Lubrizol, are reported to contain some of the largest grease reactors in the world and the plant in Rockton is one of its largest sites. Still, there is little information regarding the cause of the fire or what lead it to spread so quickly to consume such an enormous facility. After the fire broke out and forced workers and residents to evacuate, Chemtool released a statement saying, “We do not yet know what caused this incident, but we will be working with local authorities and with our own risk management team to determine what happened and identify any corrective actions. We will share more details as they are known.” This statement will come as little comfort to Chemtool and Lubrizol workers in light of the company’s response to another massive fire in Rouen, France two years ago. On September 25-26 2019, an enormous fire broke out in the Rouen plant for causes that still remain unknown despite an investigation by the company. The plant contained toxic materials and chemicals that were released into the air at a rapid rate, causing numerous cases of headaches, vomiting, and eight hospitalizations. The plant already had multiple incidents in which harmful chemicals were released into the environment. Lubrizol still has yet to determine how the fire was started and has not officially acknowledged that toxic chemicals were released during the fire.
Texas, California Gird for Power Shortfalls as Heat Bakes West – -Electric grid operators in California and Texas are struggling to keep up with crushing demand for power this week as a sprawling heat wave smothers the western U.S.Heat watches and warnings stretch for more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers), from Northern Montana to Southern California. Temperatures are forecast to reach 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius) in Sacramento later this week, according to the National Weather Service. Dallas could hit a sultry 98.Texas grid operators said they didn’t expect power shortfalls Tuesday night. But they’re asking residents to cut back on electricity use through Friday to avoid blackouts because so many plants are down for repairs. California officials warned that power demand could outstrip supply later in the week. The searing weather marks the first heat-related stress tests of the year for U.S. grids as a historicdrought grips the western half of the nation. It comes nearly one year after California’s rolling blackouts last summer and four months after Texas’s energy crisis in February, when a deep freeze paralyzed power plants, blacked out much of the state and left more than 150 people dead. In California, power supplies could be tightest on Thursday, when demand could top 43 gigawatts, or about 3.4 gigawatts more than projected supplies, according to the California Independent System Operator, which manages most of the state’s power grid. Though it often relies on electricity from neighboring states during heat waves, this week’s heat is expected to stretch clear to the Canadian border, limiting imports, the operator said.Officials in California have ordered utilities to line up extra power supplies and giant batteries to prepare for this summer, but they warn the system could still face shortfalls.By Tuesday afternoon, the Texas grid operator said the grid remained stable despite crushing demand. It reported having about 3.4 gigawatts of power reserves, representing a extra-supply margin of about 10%. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said it would call the first stage of a grid emergency should reserves fall below 2.3 gigawatts and would start rolling blackouts if they fell below 1 gigawatt.
Texans asked to conserve energy as temperatures approach records Texans are being asked to conserve energy through Friday as temperatures in the state climb, approaching record levels.The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) issued a news release on Monday urging Texans to “reduce electric use as much as possible” through the end of the work week. “A significant number of forced generation outages combined with potential record electric use for the month of June has resulted in tight grid conditions,” ERCOT wrote. ERCOT recommended that Texans take “simple actions to help reduce electric use,” including setting thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, turning off lights and pool pumps, and avoiding using large appliances such as ovens, washing machines and dryers. “If you don’t need something – we are asking you to turn it off and unplug if possible,” ERCOT wrote. According to ABC13, officials are basing the tight grid conditions on a notable number of forced generation outages as well as the potential for record electric use this month. Data from ERCOT shows that electric demand is expected to exceed supply on Monday afternoon as temperatures rise into triple digits throughout the state, according to WFAA. “We will be conducting a thorough analysis with generation owners to determine why so many units are out of service,” ERCOT’s vice president of grid planning and operations, Woody Rickerson, said in a statement. He added that the situation is “unusual for this early in the summer season.”
Texas power grid manager issues weeklong conservation alert – On the cusp of summer, the electric power grid manager for most of Texas on Monday issued its second conservation alert since the deadly February blackout, calling on users to dial back energy consumption through Friday to avert an emergency. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said many forced generation outages and record June demand has squeezed the power supply. It appeals to users to lower thermostats to 78 degrees and avoid using large electric appliances until demand decreased late in the day. ERCOT predicted a peak demand load on its system of 73,000 megawatts, far above the June record of 69,123 megawatts set between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on June 27, 2018. However, as of 2:30 p.m. Monday, 12,178 megawatts of the grid’s 86,862 megawatts of generating capacity was offline, ERCOT said, leaving a razor-thin margin of reserve capacity of about 2,000 megawatts. “We will be conducting a thorough analysis with generation owners to determine why so many units are out of service,” Woody Rickerson, ERCOT vice president of grid planning and operations, said in a statement. “This is unusual for this early in the summer season.” ERCOT spokeswoman Leslie Sopko said 9,066 megawatts of the idled capacity were from steam-powered generator units fueled by gas, coal or nuclear fission. “We’re currently seeing three to four times the number of forced thermal (steam-powered) generation outages on our system than we would typically expect to see this time of year,” Sopko said in an afternoon telephone conference. “All of these thermal units are offline due to mechanical failure or the need for repairs,” she said. Also, wind-powered generator output was producing 3,500 to 6,000 megawatts between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Monday, about 1,500 megawatts less than what is typically available for peak conditions, according to an ERCOT statement. Solar power was producing more than 5,000 megawatts, Sopko said. “ A megawatt usually powers about 200 homes on a summer day. Summer officially begins on Sunday.
As Temperatures Soar, So Does Demand for Home Generators – Soaring temperatures and ERCOT’s request for consumers to conserve energy means the demand for home generators is sky-high. “In the North Texas area, this is the highest we’ve ever seen,” said Travis Burns, owner of Generator Superstore in Denton. From small businesses to big-box retailers, fear of a repeat of power outages, like what happened during the February freeze, is driving demand. Generator Superstore sells permanent home standby generators and phones were ringing nonstop. “How fast can they get it? They want it and they want it now, so that’s the typical question,” Burns said. Since the winter storm, Burns said demand remained high but spiked Monday following ERCOT’s energy alert. Burns said Generac, the manufacturer he uses, can’t make the generators fast enough. As a result, customers who order now won’t receive their generator until next year. “Probably February for the most common models,” Burns said. With scorching temperatures already upon us, those unwilling to wait headed to stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s to buy portable generators. Many were surprised to see ERCOT’s energy alert before summer officially starts June 20. “It was one of those things, like, ‘Oh, here we go again,'” homeowner Pedro Garcia said. Garcia said he just bought a large portable generator to power his home in Houston.
What Caused ERCOT Call to Conserve Energy Monday – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is urging Texans to conserve power after a large number of power plants unexpectedly shut down in the summer heat. ERCOT said Monday that the number of plants offline for maintenance issues was three to four times the usual number for this time of year. The broken plants put Texas at risk of power outages again in extreme temperatures, just four months after dozens of power plants broke down in the winter cold triggering the worst electricity crisis in Texas history. The February outages left millions of Texans freezing, some even dying in their homes. During a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon, ERCOT said it would investigate why so many plants were apparently unprepared to deal with the early summer heat. At 12:15 p.m. ERCOT issued an unprecedented conservation alert — asking Texans to cut back on power not just Monday but for an entire workweek. The alert was issued after demand for power appeared to be on track to exceed the level of supply on Monday afternoon. “We are deeply concerned about the issues associated with these plants that are offline at this time and we will be doing a thorough investigation to understand what the issues are and to assess what the implications are for the grid,” said Warren Lasher, ERCOT senior director of system planning.
Did Lawmakers Fix Texas’s Electric Grid? – Governor Greg Abbott had just signed into law two bills meant to ensure that the state’s grid would never again collapse, as it had in February when blackouts left millions of Texans without heat or power and killed an estimated seven hundred. Despite the criticism by many former industry experts and Democrats, Abbott said the legislation would “fix all the flaws” that led to the blackouts and that “everything that needed to be done was done to fix the power grid in Texas.” Senate Bill 2 reorganizes the governance of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, ERCOT, the state’s main grid operator, a third of whose board members lived out of state at the time of the blackouts. Senate Bill 3 requires the Public Utility Commission and the Railroad Commission, which oversee the electric and natural gas industries, respectively, to establish rules for the weatherization of power plants, transmission lines, and gas facilities deemed critical to the electricity supply chain. Both commissions are tasked with inspecting facilities and can levy fines as large as $1 million to those that don’t comply with weatherization rules within an unspecified “reasonable period of time.” The legislation also requires natural gas facilities along the electricity supply chain to register as “critical infrastructure” so their electricity is kept on during blackouts. Lawmakers also passed four “securitization” bills. Securitization is admittedly a bit of a wonky topic, but it’s the primary financial tool by which lawmakers are managing the $10 to $16 billion in costs incurred by utilities and suppliers during the blackouts. Recall that the Public Utility Commission, overseen by Abbott’s appointees, forced wholesale power prices to remain at maximum levels for 32 hours longer than an independent market monitor determined was necessary. Not everyone shared Abbott’s conviction that the bills that did pass were comprehensive enough to prevent future grid failure, including the man who had carried SB 2 and SB 3 through the House, Chris Paddie, chairman of the House State Affairs Committee. “There’s more to be done,” Paddie said at the Tuesday bill signing. Other experts agree. Last week, five former Public Utility Commission commissioners made twenty recommendations for actions that go beyond what the Legislature did this year – including requiring weatherization of a larger pool of natural gas plants and requiring new buildings to be more energy-efficient. Other critics include Democrats who unsuccessfully tried to increase fines for poor compliance and require that facilities weatherize within six months of the PUC and RRC approving standards. Then, on Monday, ERCOT asked Texans to voluntarily conserve energy when electricity demand threatened again to outpace supply because of unexpected plant outages that caught regulators flat-footed. Texas Monthly spoke with four experts from across the energy and electric industries to make sense of what the bills do and whether they will go far enough to prevent future blackouts. The interviews have been lightly edited for clarity.
Higher temps, statewide shortfall a boon for Denton power plant –With four days remaining before the official start to summer, high temperatures have climbed into the 90s, two generation facilities in Texas are offline, and the agency that operates the statewide power grid continues to ask residents to conserve energy to avoid blackouts. But in Denton, Tony Puente, the general manager ofDenton Municipal Electric, says the city-owned Denton Energy Center has sold more than $2 million in electricity to the Electric Reliability Company of Texas – the agency it sued following February’s snowstorm – since June 1. That lawsuit has been dismissed, the city announced Wednesday, but may be refiled by the city. “Certainly, what’s driving this is the recent shortages in generation,” Puente said of the plant’s electricity sales. “Also, it’s the fact that prices for electricity hit the cap of $2,000 per megawatt. From June 1 through June 15, our operating revenue for DEC is about $2.3 million.” Puente said for the same period last year, DEC received $237,000 in revenue. ERCOT continues to remain under a conservation alert because of demand after two power plants – Colorado Bend southwest of Houston and Comanche Peak southwest of Fort Worth – went offline. In a news release on Monday, ERCOT asked for conservation at least through Friday, urging people to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, turn off lights or pool pumps and avoid using large appliances such as ovens, washing machines and dryers. The Denton Energy Center, one of the largest natural gas-fired power plants in the country, buys power from and sells it to ERCOT, helping to keep rates low for residential Denton Municipal Electric customers, officials have said. “Typically, [the city] is making money to basically cover the high expense that we incur” to produce energy, Denton City Council member Paul Meltzer said. “The purpose of the DEC is a hedge.”
Texas thermostats adjusted remotely during heat wave residents claim – Some residents in Texas are feeling the heat despite setting their home thermostats at a comfortable temperature. Brandon English said his wife had turned on their home’s air conditioning this week and then she and their daughters took a nap. When English got home, the house inside was 78, hotter than what the family expected with the air conditioning running. “They woke up sweating,” English told KHOU. He said that no one adjusted the thermostat but it was changed as the family slept, making the house potentially too hot for his 3-month-old daughter. “Was my daughter at the point of overheating? She’s 3 months old. They dehydrate very quickly,” English told KHOU. Apparently English was enrolled in a program called Smart Savers Texas operated by EnergyHub. When users sign up for perks to save money, they give permission to the company to remotely adjust smart thermostats, like the one that was installed in English’s home, when energy demand is high. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) asked customers to set their thermostats at 78 to cut power usage as temperatures climbed into the high 90s, The Verge reported.English wasn’t the only one who was surprised with a warm home. KHOU found complaints on Reddit where others claim their smart thermostats were turned up remotely.Scientific America reported about how utility companies can control Nest thermostats remotely when energy demand is high back in 2013.It is called demand response, and allows companies to tweak how much energy customers use, Scientific American reported.
California just avoided blackouts, but experts say the risk remains for the rest of the season – California avoided blackouts from the latest drought, but the threat is far from over for this summer, experts warned on Saturday. Power grids were under severe strain from from heat waves and low reservoir levels, and operators asked residents to conserve electricity to prevent the blackouts the state suffered in 2020. On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency as record high temperatures hit the Western US. The excessive heat “has and will continue to put significant demand and strain on California’s energy grid,” he said. Meteorologists expect conditions to become less dangerous as cool air moves inland by Sunday, relieving the blackout threat temporarily. Californians aren’t from safe from blackouts, though California Independent System Operator (California ISO) CEO Elliot Mainzer said that the power grid is in a better position than it was last year. “We’ve characterized the situation going into this summer as guarded optimism,” Manzier told the AP. The drought in the West and Southwest US is more widespread and intense than ever before in the 20 years they’ve been monitored, Morgan McFall-Johnson reported for Insider. Heat waves lead to greater demand for energy as people try to keep their homes cool – if the strain becomes enough on the power grid, the state risks rolling blackouts. Depleting reservoirs exacerbate this problem. Water levels at Lake Orville, that second largest in the state, reached “alarming levels” of just 35% of capacity. The reservoir provides power to 800,000 California homes through a hydroelectric power plant. Officials say they’ll likely be forced to close the plant for this first time ever within a few months as drought conditions continue. Long-term forecasts predict higher than usual temperatures through at least September, meaning the threat of blackouts will be ongoing. “It’s not just whether there is enough water — there’s not — and whether there’s enough power or whether there are wildfires. If you have a combination of all those things, you have an Armageddon on your hands,”
N.C. energy bill revealed after months of secret talks | Energy News Network -After months of secret negotiations between Duke Energy, House Republican leaders, and other select stakeholders in North Carolina, sweeping energy legislation has been unveiled at last. But the 47-page bill (pdf) is no grand compromise. Duke and other groups involved in the closed-door talks were seeing the proposal for the first time Tuesday afternoon, and one – the state’s leading clean energy nonprofit – announced its opposition hours later.The North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association took particular issue with the bill’s initial pages, which call for shuttering five of Duke’s coal-fired power plants but ushering mostly new gas plants in their place. While only 900 megawatts of new gas infrastructure is spelled out in one provision, another section requires state regulators to approve coal-replacement units that meet criteria only natural gas could satisfy. This “mandate to replace costly coal with risky natural gas” must be “eliminated,” the association said.Environmental advocates, excluded from the last several months of talks, agreed. “This legislation appears to bind the hands of the commission by mandating new fossil-fuel power plant construction, irrespective of how those projects stack up against alternatives,” David Kelly, director of North Carolina political affairs for the Environmental Defense Fund, said in a statement. As a result, the measure would push the state “perilously close to trading one fossil-fueled future for another.”Duke is also limited to retiring only $200 million of its coal assets using securitization, a tool that allows it to repay its debt to investors using ratepayer-backed bonds that bring a lower interest rate.“Duke has control over what they propose to securitize, so why do we need a cap?” asked David Rogers, Southeast deputy campaign director for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. “They’ve got $6 billion in plant balances remaining.” The legislation curbs utility-sector carbon emissions by 61% from 2005 levels by 2030, while the administration of Gov. Roy Cooper has set a 70% reduction target in the same time frame. By mandating new gas and leaving several coal units online, the bill could actually prevent further pollution cuts, Rogers said. “This bill will make it harder to hit the governor’s 70% goal,” he said, “not easier.”
Ohio bill would let locals ban wind and solar (but not fossil fuels) – The Ohio State Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee will consider Senate Bill 52 today, which would allow townships to designate “energy development districts” for wind and solar farms or just veto them altogether. However, locals would not have the same rights when it comes to fossil fuel plants. Energy News Network elaborates on the bill, which has a companion bill in the House, Bill 118: The latest version of Senate Bill 52 would prevent wind or solar companies from applying to build projects unless townships first set up an ‘energy development district.’ As few as 50 people in the smallest townships could force a referendum on the districts, and local boards would be able to veto projects even after they are approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board. Fossil fuel, nuclear, and other energy projects would not be affected by the legislation… The state – the only US state to do so – sets Ohio’s wind property line setbacks. (So, to recap, the state sets the property line setbacks, but legislators want to allow townships to create clean energy districts.) Ohio has some of the strictest setback regulations in the US, and that impedes clean energy growth. And the latest legislation would expand property line setbacks for wind and solar even further. S&P Global Market Intelligence wrote in February 2020: ‘The biggest impediment to development in Ohio are the setback regulations that were enacted in 2014,’ Amy Kurt, senior manager of regional government affairs at project developer EDP Renewables North America LLC, said in an early January interview. Jane Harf, executive director of Green Energy Ohio, said of SB 52 [via ENN]: There is just no reason why you would invest in Ohio if this bill passes. So that would be why the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) isn’t so keen on this bill. The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, which declares that its mission “is to protect and grow Ohio manufacturing,” says that it “is monitoring the legislation with interest and will be advocating for professional siting policies that allow markets to work, including markets for renewable energy and other energy innovations.” It also states that the bills “would deter development of new wind farms or solar arrays, which already face heavy restrictions in Ohio.” And no wonder the OMA is concerned: An Ohio University study concluded that utility-scale solar projects could support between 18,000 and 54,000 jobs during construction over several decades. The Ohio Pork Council, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the Affiliated Construction Trades Ohio testified against the bill on May 19, reports WKBN [via Farm and Dairy]. Ohio farmers’ reactions to the bill were split. Dairy farmer Connie Schoultheis, who opposes the bill, said: Senate Bill 52 is unfair because it penalizes the farmer. We pay the mortgage, insurance, and taxes on our farm land. This is our land to do with what we please. I support private property rights, and if you do as well then you should be against Senate Bill 52.
Ohio’s ‘Voltage Valley’ looks to develop EV workforce – eAuto industry jobs are returning to Ohio’s Mahoning Valley with the growth of a fledgling electric vehicle manufacturing cluster. Now, local leaders are taking steps to make sure there will be enough qualified workers to fill those new positions. Youngstown State University is hosting a virtual job fair Wednesday for the region’s emerging electric vehicle, energy storage and other tech companies, as well as other employers. The school is also launching a “skills accelerator” program to help train workers. Despite decades of layoffs, Ohio still ranks second only to Michigan in jobs making automotive parts and third nationwide in jobs for manufacturing motor vehicles. Some jobs in the electric vehicle industry will resemble those for fuel-powered cars. Others will be dramatically different. “There is not repetitive work in our environment,” said Tom Gallagher, chief operating officer at Ultium Cells, a joint venture of General Motors and LG Energy Solution, which is set to open a battery factory in Warren next year. He spoke at a June 7 panel that was part of Green Energy Ohio’s 2021 Electric Vehicle Tour. Work with raw materials at the front end of the process requires an understanding of chemistry. Battery assembly will take place in an automated clean-room environment. Gallagher said the company is seeking employees who can work with programmable logic controllers and handle troubleshooting and other aspects of automation. That demands skills in STEM fields – science, engineering, technology and math. “You may not necessarily need an advanced degree, but you need more than a high school diploma,” said Jennifer Oddo, who heads Youngstown State University’s division of workforce education and innovation. In January, the Department of Energy announced a $1 million project to help Youngstown State and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory set up an energy storage workforce training center. Labor unions also will play a role. The Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce is actively recruiting more companies in the supply chain. BRITE Energy Innovators has a growing e-mobility practice. And auto parts maker Aptiv has an electric vehicle charging research center in the area.
Lordstown Motors CEO, CFO resign – The top two executives of electric pickup truck maker Lordstown Motors have resigned, possibly further clouding the company’s future even as some industry analysts approve of the management changes. Lordstown Motors on Monday announced that company founder Steve Burns resigned as chief executive officer and from the board of directors. Also resigning was Julio Rodriguez, chief financial officer. The resignations took place Sunday, with letters from the Northeast Ohio company saying the employment of both men had been terminated. The announcement sent Lordstown Motors stock down sharply Monday. Shares closed down $2.15, or 18.8%, to $9.26. The company did not cite specific reasons for the two resignations in its filing Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. But in a separate news release, Lordstown Motors said the company has made inaccurate statements tied to non-binding pre-orders of its Endurance full-size electric pickup truck. That announcement comes after the company last week said it needs significant infusions of money to remain in operation. The second release was in response to a highly critical March analysis of the company by Hindenburg Research, a firm that specializes in short selling, that Lordstown Motors referred to as the Hindenburg Report. Lordstown Motors said its investigation of the Hindenburg Report concluded that the report “is, in significant respects, false and misleading. In particular, its challenges to the viability of Lordstown Motors’ technology and timeline to start of production are not accurate. The investigation did, however, identify issues regarding the accuracy of certain statements regarding the company’s pre-orders.” Lordstown Motors made periodic disclosures regarding pre-orders that were, “in certain respects, inaccurate,” the company said. “Lordstown Motors has stated on several occasions that its pre-orders were from, or ‘primarily’ from commercial fleets,” the company said. “In fact, many pre-orders were obtained from … fleet management companies or other end users that indicated interest in purchasing Endurance trucks, similar to commercial fleets, and so-called ‘influencers’ or other potential strategic partners that committed to attempt to secure pre-orders from other entities, but did not intend to purchase Endurance trucks directly.” “One entity that provided a large number of pre-orders does not appear to have the resources to complete large purchases of trucks,” Lordstown Motors said. “Other entities provided commitments that appear too vague or infirm to be appropriately included in the total number of pre-orders disclosed.” The SEC earlier this year subpoened Lordstown Motors for documents and information related to the merger between DiamondPeak and Legacy Lordstown that created the publicly traded company, and pre-orders of vehicles. The company said it is cooperating with the SEC.
Illinois poised to ban coal-fired power plants – Chicago Tribune – Illinois, one of the nation’s largest producers of coal, is on the verge of becoming the first Midwest state to ban energy companies from burning the lung-damaging, climate-changing fossil fuel to generate electricity. The end of gas-fired power might not be far behind. Phasing out the combustion fuels – coal by 2035 and gas a decade later – is a key element of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plans to move Illinois into a clean energy future. If the Chicago Democrat can muscle his legislation through the General Assembly this week, new government requirements would speed up a transition to climate-friendly electric generation and transportation that already is embraced by some in the private sector.Among other things, the bill would double the state’s commitment to renewable energy, with a goal of raising the amount of wind and solar power to 40% of the state’s electric generation by the end of the decade, up from 8% in 2019. Several hurdles remain, in particular opposition from five Chicago suburbs and dozens of Downstate communities that during the mid-2000s agreed to help pay off more than $5 billion in debt for the Prairie State Generating Station – one of the Top 10 industrial sources of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the United States.Municipal investors in the massive coal burner, including Batavia, Geneva, Naperville, St. Charles and Winnetka, want Prairie State exempted from the governor’s fossil fuel phaseout. So does Springfield, which built a new coal plant around the same time even as private investors abandoned dozens of similar projects, scared off by skyrocketing construction costs and the likelihood that climate pollution would eventually be regulated
ENERGY TRANSITIONS: Midwest coal plant in crosshairs of Ill. energy bill — Monday, June 14, 2021 — The Prairie State Energy Campus hasn’t celebrated its 10th birthday. But the hulking coal plant southwest of St. Louis could face a death sentence if Illinois lawmakers vote next week to approve a wide-ranging energy proposal backed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
WV lawmakers shuffle responsibility on “billion-dollar” mine reclamation problem –Moments after West Virginia lawmakers received copies of an audit report warning that state mine cleanup funds are nearing insolvency, the Senate president sought to put the problem on someone else’s table. “We need to be able to take your report and repackage it in such a way that we can actually put that on Senator Manchin’s desk,” state Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, said to Patrick Renick, the legislative auditor who spent 20 minutes Monday guiding senators and delegates through the 80-page report filed by the state Post Audit Division. Blair recalled a meeting with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in Morgantown. The session highlighted $38 billion in federal funding that a White House-formed federal work group has identified as available for communities hit hard by the nation’s transition from fossil fuels. “When they were asking how they could help,” Blair said, “I brought up this issue.” But the report that Blair wanted on Manchin’s desk calls for West Virginia legislators and environmental regulators to fix the mine cleanup fund themselves, something they have put off for years. In its 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 annual reports, the fund’s advisory council called for a legislative study of the reclamation program. The Legislature has conducted no such studies to analyze the program’s efficacy or solvency. So the audit of the state’s reclamation funds calls on the Legislature to commission a study to evaluate the state’s mining reclamation program. Legislative audits have found extended vacancies and expired terms dating to 2012 for members of the advisory council statutorily responsible for ensuring the financial stability of state reclamation funding. Governors appoint advisory council members with Senate approval. A previous audit found members weren’t updated on key factors affecting the funding. The state Department of Environmental Protection has shared in the lax state mine cleanup fund oversight, the audit found. The agency has failed to comply with state and federal law in its reclamation program oversight, resulting in missed opportunities to financially shore up a program that will need hundreds of millions of dollars to reclaim permit sites under federal regulations.
House hearing highlights concerns with federal mine reclamation oversight as state leaders look to feds for reclamation help –After years of overseeing a rise in abandoned mine liability in West Virginia, the eyes entrusted to look out for the state’s coal communities have turned to the federal government.A U.S. House subcommittee hearing Tuesday focused on how the feds should respond.The House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources virtual hearing on environmental justice for coal communities highlighted the threat of abandoned, unreclaimed mines throughout Appalachia.Witnesses argued that federal regulators need to do more to hold coal companies accountable to contain that threat through more stringent mine reclamation bonding requirements – and do it quickly.“In short, the window is closing fast on the opportunity to ensure that the coal industry pays to clean up its own mess,” said Mary Cromer, attorney at Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, a Whitesburg, Kentucky-based nonprofit representing miners, individuals and communities affected by coal mining in Central Appalachia. “The industry will never have more money than it has now to pay for reclamation.”Cromer called on the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, which works with states to oversee mine cleanup, to require strict enforcement and forfeiture of all permits for sites on which coal companies are neither mining nor reclaiming, actively engage in all coal bankruptcies to oppose attempts to sidestep federal enforcement and issue a directive asserting that reclamation includes long-term water treatment. The House hearing came six days after a legislative audit report found that state government leaders and environmental regulators have put West Virginia’s reclamation funds at risk of insolvency through lax permitting and statutory oversight of coal companies.
With ominous mine reclamation liability, West Virginia looks to federal dollars – West Virginia lawmakers are aiming to draw down millions of federal dollars to help assuage the increasing possibility that mine reclamation costs could spiral out of control and swamp the state budget. During interim meetings last week, legislative leaders agreed to establish a Joint Committee on Mine Reclamation. Its mission is to establish a plan to access federal stimulus money for mine reclamation and report back by June 25. The Biden administration has made clear that it has identified hundreds of millions of dollars meant to revitalize coalfield communities and to bolster employment while also improving the environment. West Virginia lawmakers see yet another need: economic support for the increasingly perilous problem of mine reclamation. Funding for mine reclamation in West Virginia has become such a question that environmental groups including the Sierra Club filed a federal lawsuit last month aimed at pressuring the federal government to intervene. This past week, lawmakers had just heard the summary of a 52-page report laying out the likelihood of mine reclamation as a budget bomb when Senate President Craig Blair proposed getting into position for a federal lifeline.
I-TEAM: Email reveals how much coal ash has leaked from stranded barge – An internal email obtained by the News4JAX I-TEAM from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission details how much coal ash has spilled from a leaking barge off the coast of Atlantic Beach. The barge has been stuck for more than two months. The email reveals at least 9,300 tons of coal ash — referred to as Agremax — has leaked from the 418-foot barge and coal ash is sitting on the ocean floor. In March, a Moran tugboat that was pushing the vessel from Puerto Rico lost control near the mouth of the St. Johns River, causing it to crash into the jetties. The state’s pollution response team coordinator writes: “Heavy weather/seas during the night of May 14, turned the barge 90 degrees and also blew most of the cargo hatch covers off. The cargo hold and Agremax product are now open to the elements with a noticeable turbidity plume around the barge. Our initial resources at-risk report indicate that Agremax toxicity is low in seawater, but the primary concern being physical smothering of benthic resources.” ″This is different than what we initially believed when we heard about this incident,” said Rod Sullivan, a maritime attorney. Sullivan said the amount of coal ash that spilled is alarming. He fears it’s having a negative impact on the ocean environment. “Agremax is used as a cap on landfills. Once it covers over the bottom of that area, nothing will get through it. So any sea life that was underneath it won’t survive, and I doubt anything is going to grow on top of it. So while I don’t have a concern of Agremax itself being poisonous to the water, it will destroy any sea life that it falls on,” Sullivan said. Dr. Quinton White, executive director of the Marine Science Research Center at Jacksonville University, has also shared grave concerns over the ash.
ENERGY TRANSITIONS: Democrats vow fossil fuel areas be prioritized for jobs — Thursday, June 17, 2021 — Democrats in a House oversight hearing yesterday said climate policies must first create new employment opportunities in areas reliant on fossil fuel industries instead of subtracting existing jobs.
US and Japan leave G7 stuck on coal – – At a global summit meant to showcase their efforts to rescue the climate, the leaders of the richest, most advanced countries on the planet were left stuck on the rock that fueled the 19th century. Days of negotiations at the G7 leaders summit in Cornwall failed to set an end-date for coal after the U.S. and Japan blocked a deal. The meeting was pitched as a moment for the group to set a benchmark for other countries to tackle emissions and scrub out fossil fuels ahead of the COP26 U.N. climate talks this November. “We were clear this weekend that action has to start with us,” U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters immediately after the meeting ended Sunday. But the Biden administration – fixated on cultivating the Democrats’ razor-thin Senate majority and the coal mining sympathies of West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin – was wary of any language specifically clamping down on coal. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: “We sought language that aligns with the president’s domestic commitments, including a carbon pollution free power sector by 2035. We secured that language.” The 25-page final statement committed to “an overwhelmingly decarbonised power system in the 2030s” and to “accelerate the transition away from unabated coal capacity,” meaning coal without carbon capture technology. The “overwhelming majority” of G7 members backed a phaseout in the 2030s, an EU official said. But Japan, which since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident has viewed coal power as critical to its energy security, was also opposed, according to someone with knowledge of the discussions. “No specific date could be named, that was not our doing,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in response to a question from POLITICO. Of the G7 countries that have set a coal phaseout date, Germany is the latest at 2038. “We are setting a good example,” Merkel said. “Others have not yet verified their plans so far.”
Tester Urges State Department to Tackle Transboundary Water Pollution – The uninterrupted passage of Canadian mining waste into Montana’s transboundary waterways continues to gain urgency as proposals for new mines in British Columbia file into the provincial government’s regulatory queue, prompting U.S. Sen. Jon Tester to ramp up pressure on the State Department for intervention, a move the Montana Democrat says is years overdue. In a June 9 letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Tester described the environmental concerns in grave terms, requesting an immediate referral to the independent commission charged with resolving cross-border environmental conflicts after negotiations between the two governments stall. In the letter, Tester urged Blinken to request a referral to the International Joint Commission (IJC) concerning the increasing levels of the mining contaminant selenium in Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenai River watershed, which spans the border with British Columbia, and for the State Department to engage with the Canadian government and the IJC “to resolve this critical transboundary water quality issue.”It marks the third time in 15 years that a member of Montana’s congressional delegation has pressed the nation’s top diplomat to make a referral for IJC intervention, which is testament to the scope of the contamination as well as the influence of B.C.’s mining industry and the challenge of stemming the flow of pollution from one nation into another. Meanwhile, Canada’s largest mining companies are proposing new mines and mine expansions without a tested plan in place to control the inrush of selenium, nitrates, and other contaminants, which are harmful to aquatic species. In March, federal prosecutors with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) laid a $60 million fine against Teck Coal Limited, the largest punishment ever brought under the Canadian Fisheries Act. Teck’s top executives pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawfully depositing deleterious substances into water frequented by fish, admitting that their operations on the Fording River, a tributary of the Elk River near Elkford, B.C., as well as at nearby Greenhills, caused the mining contaminants selenium and calcite to leach from spoils of waste rock and into downstream tributaries, having an adverse effect on native westslope cutthroat trout, including causing fish deformities and mortalities.
Seabrook nuclear plant safe NRC reports despite alkali-silica reaction – According to federal experts, annual inspections throughout 2020 show NextEra Energy Seabrook’s nuclear power plant again ran safely over the past year. According to Chris Newport, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s senior on-site resident inspector at the Seabrook plant, in 2020 the facility operated in a manner that preserved public safety and protected the environment. That evaluation came after 6,000 hours of inspections and related activities, encompassing maintenance, surveillance, adverse weather preparedness, operator performance and emergency preparedness, as well as other issues specific to the Seabrook facility. The report was presented on June 8, at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s annual safety assessment meeting. Each year the NRC holds a meeting to discuss its findings in relation to the safety of each of the 90-plus nuclear power plants in the nation. Traditionally, meetings take place in the community where the plant is located. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, for the past two years the meetings have been held remotely. At last week’s meeting, NRC staff held the remote meeting, which included reports from a number of specialists who deal with the nuclear plant located in Seabrook. Involved were the two full-time NRC resident inspectors who are onsite at Seabrook Station daily, living in nearby communities for 24/7 availability. They have “unfettered access” to all the plant’s activities for daily evaluations, according to the NRC. Evaluation of NextEra’s plant in Seabrook also included inspections by Nuclear Regulatory Commission specialist teams. Periodically throughout the year, specialist teams traveled to the plant to scrutinize issues such as the fitness for duty of the plant’s operators, fire protection, security, as well as alkali-silica reaction, a concrete concern peculiar to Seabrook Station since it was discovered in its walls in 2009. NextEra Energy Seabrook is the only American nuclear power plant so far exhibiting ASR. A slow-developing type of degradation found in some concrete when moisture is present, ASR is most commonly found in dams, bridges and highways, but it has been found in nuclear power plants elsewhere in the world. ASR manifests as micro-cracking, staining and deformation of concrete. So far, the NRC’s has determined ASR in Seabrook Station’s structures poses no immediate public safety concerns because of the significant safety margins built into the plant, such as its steel-reinforced, two-feet thick walls.
U.S. nuclear regulator approves fuel for next-generation reactors – (Reuters) -The U.S. nuclear power regulator has approved production of uranium fuel that is far more enriched than fuel for conventional nuclear power plants, the company aiming to make the material said on Monday. The fuel is known as high-assay, low-enriched uranium, or HALEU. Nonproliferation experts are concerned about the fuel as it is easier to convert into fissile material, the key component of nuclear weapons, than conventional reactor fuel. Centrus Energy Corp said the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC, approved the company’s request to produce HALEU at a Piketon, Ohio, plant, and it expects to be demonstrating production of the fuel early in 2022. “This approval is a major milestone in our contract with the Department of Energy,” said Daniel Poneman, Centrus’ president and chief executive. Under a 2019 contract with the Energy Department, Centrus is constructing AC100M centrifuges to demonstrate HALEU production. The $115 million, cost-shared contract runs through mid-2022. Centrus said HALEU offers advantages for both existing and next-generation reactors, including “greater power density, improved reactor performance, fewer refueling outages, improved proliferation resistance, and smaller volumes of waste.” The fuel will be allowed to be enriched to 5% to 20% uranium-235. That is less than the enrichment level of about 90% used in a nuclear weapon, but is far higher than fuel used in conventional nuclear reactors, which is about 3% to 5% enriched.
Exclusive: US assessing reported leak at Chinese nuclear power facility – The US government has spent the past week assessing a report of a leak at a Chinese nuclear power plant, after a French company that part owns and helps operate it warned of an “imminent radiological threat,” according to US officials and documents reviewed by CNN. The warning included an accusation that the Chinese safety authority was raising the acceptable limits for radiation detection outside the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong province in order to avoid having to shut it down, according to a letter from the French company to the US Department of Energy obtained by CNN. Despite the alarming notification from Framatome, the French company, the Biden administration believes the facility is not yet at a “crisis level,” one of the sources said.While US officials have deemed the situation does not currently pose a severe safety threat to workers at the plant or Chinese public, it is unusual that a foreign company would unilaterally reach out to the American government for help when its Chinese state-owned partner is yet to acknowledge a problem exists. The scenario could put the US in a complicated situation should the leak continue or become more severe without being fixed.
Biden administration eyes step toward Trump-era proposal for uranium reserve — The Biden administration will take a step toward establishing a reserve for uranium, a proposal pushed by the prior Trump administration that could boost mining of the mineral as well as nuclear energy potential. Testifying before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said her department would take a step this month toward establishing the reserve. “We’re about to issue a request for information [RFI] regarding establishing a reserve,” Granholm said. “We are, I think this month, issuing an RFI on that.” Late last year, Congress provided money to establish the strategic reserve, which would buy U.S.-mined uranium from domestic producers, as one of many provisions in a major government funding bill. Asked why the administration’s budget request for next year didn’t include funding for the reserve, Granholm cited the current funding for the project. “It had been appropriated for last year so it’s carrying over,” she said. A 2020 Trump administration report endorsed spending millions on the reserve, which would aim to boost domestic mining. The concept is similar to that of the already existing strategic petroleum reserve, where the government can hold up to 714 million barrels of that fuel in case of an emergency. During her testimony on Capitol Hill, Granholm also promoted President Biden’s infrastructure proposal, touting it as a way to boost low-carbon technology, among other things. “We need to be exporting technologies that can ensure a decarbonized future around the world and new need to deploy them here, which is why the American Jobs Plan has such a big commitment on demonstration projects … both in carbon capture and in hydrogen,” she said.
Coal plants’ owners fight to protect ‘worst of the bad subsidies’ – Subsidy? What subsidy?Three Ohio utilities and a representative of the coal-fired power plants they jointly own appeared before a Senate committee Tuesday to defend an estimated $700 million subsidy they’re set to receive from ratepayers through 2030.The committee met to consider a bipartisan effort to repeal the subsidy, which was codified in 2019 via legislation that’s now at the center of a criminal prosecution against the former Speaker of the House and his allies.Sen. Mark Romanchuk, the lead Republican from Ontario seeking to repeal the bailout, said Ohio’s 1999 energy deregulation law requires a utility to operate “fully on its own” in the market. So why, he asked Duke Energy executive Amy Spiller, is Duke receiving a subsidy for its losses incurred through its equity in the Ohio Valley Electric Corp.?“This is not a subsidy,” she said. “The OVEC plants, as has been confirmed this morning, are in fact economic, they are participating in the wholesale market in addition to serving other purposes. This is not a subsidy that ensures the ongoing operation of uneconomic generating resources.”Whatever the label used, the utilities recoup their OVEC losses through all Ohio ratepayers. Ownership of OVEC, formed in the 1950s to power a now-shuttered nuclear facility for the federal government in Piketon, is split between American Electric Power (43% equity), Buckeye Power (18%), Duke Energy (9%), AES Ohio (4.9%), and others.The companies charged $114 million in 2020 alone from ratepayers via the “legacy generation resource” rider, according to a spokesman for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.OVEC owns two plants, one in Indiana and one in Ohio, that are laden in debt from large capital investments. An analysis by the Ohio Manufacturer’s Association, which opposed the bailout, also found OVEC has sold power at a loss since 2012.OMA estimated the bailouts will amount to $700 million by 2030, though it’s ultimately dependent on energy markets. U.S. coal production has plummeted since 2012, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Agency. Ohio produced about 26,000 tons of coal that year and less than 8,000 in 2019. Meanwhile, domestic natural gas production has boomed.
‘This is all purely political’ Former Ohio House Speaker to address lawmakers mulling his ouster – Ohio lawmakers could move closer Tuesday to expelling fellow State Rep. Larry Householder, who faces charges in what federal prosecutors say is likely the biggest public corruption scandal in state history. The proposal would require a two-thirds vote in the Ohio House of Representatives, or 66 members out of 99. If it happens, it would be the first time in more than a century lawmakers ousted one of their own. In 1857, a Democrat from Hamilton County, Rep. John P. Slough, was kicked out after punching another lawmaker in the mouth on the House floor, according to our media partner, the Cincinnati Enquirer. Now, both Democrat and Republican lawmakers are backing resolutions saying Householder should not continue to serve in public office in light of his indictment on bribery and racketeering charges. They heard arguments for and against expelling him last week. On Tuesday, Householder has the chance to speak during the 4 p.m. House Rules and Reference Committee meeting. Householder, R-Glenford, tells FOX19 NOW he will address the committee in person at the statehouse. “This is a big day for me. This is a coming out party for me,” Householder said. “This is the first time since July 20 last year I have a stage to be able to talk.” He’s fighting their attempts to remove him from office and all federal charges, saying “This is all purely political.” He cites “the left who spent millions trying to beat me in the primaries,” “the globalists movement backed by George Soros” and “the socialist playfield” that “totally goes against our constitutional republic democracy that we have in the United States that the people elect the representatives.” “They try to defame you, they investigate you and they indict you. They did it to me, and they are trying to do it to (former President) Donald Trump,” Householder said. “The next thing they do is try to remove you from office. If all else fails, they just try to reverse the will of the voters and the election and if that happens it’s just a terrible, horrible day for voters all over the state of Ohio.”
Larry Householder makes case against Ohio House expulsion – – Larry Householder has found himself under the cloud of a federal investigation before. The last time it happened, the once-powerful Ohio state lawmaker was ultimately never charged, bided his time and then returned to the House and eventually to his second stretch as House speaker. In politics, sometimes what’s past is prologue. If he manages to prevent the bipartisan effort to remove him now, it could set the stage for yet another political comeback by the Perry County Republican. The difference this time is that Householder is under federal indictment. And while he has pleaded not guilty, two co-defendants and an involved nonprofit have all pleaded guilty in the case and FirstEnergy, the energy company at the heart of the latest scandal, has acknowledged in court filings making the bulk of the payments in an alleged $60 million bribery scheme. Householder made an impassioned case Tuesday for not being expelled as a House member while he awaits the outcome of his criminal case, declaring his innocence and asserting that charges against him do not constitute “disorderly conduct” warranting removal. “I have not nor have I ever taken a bribe or solicited or been solicited for taking a bribe,” Householder told a House committee weighing an expulsion resolution, saying he was in “complete shock” when charges were leveled against him. Before Republican and Democratic colleagues, Householder made references to the Civil War and how that was the last time the Ohio House expelled a sitting lawmaker, John P. Slough for punching a fellow legislator. “To say the resolution pending before this committee is unprecedented is an understatement,” Householder said. “Ohioans were traveling around in buggies and carriages the last time the House exercised its authority to expel a member.” Householder suggested that physical acts like Slough’s are appropriately defined as “disorderly conduct,” while his criminal charges are not. He declined upon repeated questioning to provide any precedent for his legal argument, calling one such question “preposterous.”
Ohio House expels former Republican speaker in historic vote (AP) – Members of the Ohio House expelled Rep. Larry Householder, the federally indicted Republican ex-speaker, Wednesday in a bipartisan vote that invoked their powers to remove a member for the first time in 150 years. The GOP-controlled House voted 75-21 to remove Householder, of Perry County, approving a resolution that stated he was not suited for office because of the indictment. The state Constitution allows expulsion for “disorderly conduct” without defining it. Defiant to the end, Householder reiterated his innocence in a House floor speech before the vote and predicted again he would be acquitted of accusations that he orchestrated a $60 million bribery scheme meant to approve legislation to prop up two nuclear power plants and then kill a ballot issue trying to overturn the law. “I have not nor have I ever taken a bribe or solicited or been solicited for taking a bribe,” Householder said. After the vote, Speaker Bob Cupp paused the House session briefly while Householder left without incident, trailed by reporters. The full House took to a vote after Republican lawmakers forced the measure to the floor instead of waiting for the expulsion resolution to work through the committee process. Reps. Brian Stewart and Mark Fraizer, both Republicans representing districts that border Householder’s, encouraged their colleagues to “do the right thing” and remove Householder from his seat. “If racketeering, bribery and money laundering do not constitute disorderly conduct, then frankly nothing ever could,” Stewart said. Fraizer called the indictment a stain on the institution and said, “it is time for us to come together as one body.” Among other Republicans voting to expel their GOP colleague were eight of the 13 remaining members Householder had recruited to help him win the speakership and Cupp. Cupp said the federal grand jury indictment was the deciding factor for him. “It seems to me that clearly meets the definition in the Ohio Constitution of disorderly conduct,” he said.
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