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).
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Note: Because of the high volume of news regarding the coronavirus outbreak, that news has been published separately:
- 22 Aug 2021 – Coronavirus Disease Weekly News 22August 2021
- 22 Aug 2021 – Coronavirus Economic Weekly News 22August 2021
There are quite a number of articles in the “disease news” citing studies that the vaccines aren’t working well against the Delta mutant, even as they protect against the worst outcomes, while there are also quite a number of articles in the “economic news” collection about governments and businesses imposing vaccine mandates on their workers or students or on those who might want to dine out or attend public events..
Although US Covid deaths continued to rise at a rather brisk pace, the incidence of new cases appears to have slowed considerably. However, there has been considerable divergence between sites reporting this data since the last time I compared them.
New Covid cases reported in the US over the week ending August 21st were 2.5% higher than those reported over the week ending August 14th, but that now represents a 1,069% increase from the number of Covid cases reported eight weeks earlier, during the week ending June 26th. This week’s new cases were also 96.5% greater than the new case count during the worst week of last summer, but they remain 46.7% below the worst week of this year’s mid-winter surge.
In contrast to the Covid data that I retrieve from the WorldoMeters website, the CDC website reports a 7-day average of new cases that is about 10% lower, but a week over week increase of 14.0%. The New York Times data tracker reports a 14-day new case average that is only slightly lower than WorldoMeters, and they give a 14-day increase in new cases of 37%. Johns Hopkins reports more than 5% more new US cases over the past week than does WorldoMeters, but they don’t provide a week over week comparison. I continue to use the WorldoMeters site because they present the historical 7-day average data interactively, allowing for an easy access of prior weekly averages and hence enabling the kinds of comparisons that I make every week.
US deaths attributed to the coronavirus during the week ending August 21st were 18.7% greater than during the week of the 14th, and they’re now 320% higher than number of deaths reported during the week ending July 10th, which was the week that US Covid deaths were at their low for this year. However, this week’s Covid deaths were still 33.6% below the deaths recorded during the worst week last summer, and 77.2% below the Covid death rate peak in January of this year, when more Americans were dying of Covid than of cancer and heart disease combined.
Both new infections and deaths reported globally were a bit lower this week than a week earlier. New Covid cases reported worldwide during the week ending August 21st were 1.6% lower than those reported during the week ending August 14th, but still 76.2% higher than those recorded during the week ending June 26th. Covid deaths reported worldwide this week were 0.4% lower than the prior week, but still 25.0% higher than during the week ending July 3rd, when global death totals bottomed out this year. The US now accounts for 21.4% of all new cases globally, and had more new cases this week than the next four highest new infection countries combined.
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 August 24):
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 24 August. The third graphic shows the cummulative total vaccine doses delivered to date.
Here’s the week’s environment and energy news. There are a handful of articles on Ohio’s utility corruption at the end:
Deadly ‘kissing bug’ that kills thousands needs to be taken seriously now –It’s the kiss of death for Latin American communities in the US. While health experts often warn of mosquitoes and other disease-carrying bugs, the deadly kissing bug – aka the triatomine bug, which kills 10,000 people per year globally – continues to be overlooked in the US, as it disproportionately affects poor Hispanic communities. That alarming disparity is the subject of the new book“The Kissing Bug: A True Story of a Family, an Insect, and a Nation’s Neglect of a Deadly Disease.” Apparently, not even the infectious disease world is immune to racism. “[The disease] was still very much being neglected by medical schools, medical institutions and public health officials, that was such a shock,” author Daisy Hernflndez told NBC of the shocking find. The Colombian American’s first experience with the scourge came when her aunt died from complications of Chagas disease, a parasite spread by the kissing bug. (Its colloquial name is due to its habit of biting sleeping victims on their faces, according to USA Today.) Most fatalities are caused by the Chagas parasite ravaging the patient’s heart and digestive system. Today, the underreported affliction affects 300,000 people in the US, predominantly Latin American immigrants in Texas, California and Florida, NBC reported. Unfortunately, as there is no national surveillance program, it’s unclear where people are most affected by Chagas in this country. “Chagas disease is a disease of inequity,” lamented Dr. Norman Beatty, a University of Florida medicine professor who has been studying Chagas since 2015. That apparent lack of attention – and data – is particularly problematic given the insidious nature of the disease, which can spread from person to person via everything from organ donations to blood transfusions, the CDC reported. Mothers can even infect their babies with Chagas during pregnancy. In addition, many victims aren’t even aware they’ve contracted Chagas, as they don’t exhibit any symptoms. Or if they do, they often entail “fever, fatigue, enlarged lymph nodes” and other “flu-like” symptoms that will dissipate quickly, providing no indication that the parasite is still coursing through their system, according to Beatty.When it finally manifests, the effects are usually cataclysmic, with 20 to 30% of patients experiencing cardiac and gastrointestinal complications – as was the case with Hernflndez’s aunt.
EPA bans use of pesticide linked to developmental problems in children – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to ban the use of a pesticide that has been linked to developmental issues in children from use on foods. In a statement on Wednesday, the agency said that it was revoking all food tolerances for a chemical called chlorpyrifos, which has been linked to lower IQ, impaired working memory and negative effects on motor development. The agency said it would be reckoning all “tolerances” which establish how much of a pesticide is permitted in food, through a new final rule. In addition, it will issue a notice outlining its intent to cancel existing registered uses of the chemical. “Today EPA is taking an overdue step to protect public health. Ending the use of chlorpyrifos on food will help to ensure children, farmworkers, and all people are protected from the potentially dangerous consequences of this pesticide,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. “After the delays and denials of the prior administration, EPA will follow the science and put health and safety first,” he added. The Trump administration had sought to continue the use of chlorpyrifos, issuing a proposal to do so in December. That proposal was never finalized, though, as it was issued shortly before the Biden administration took over. In its announcement on Wednesday, the EPA indicated that it would continue to review non-food uses of chlorpyrifos. The latest move follows a court order earlier this year that gave the agency limited time to either find uses for the pesticide that are safe or outlaw it. “The EPA has spent more than a decade assembling a record of chlorpyrifos’s ill effects and has repeatedly determined, based on that record, that it cannot conclude, to the statutorily required standard of reasonable certainty, that the present tolerances are causing no harm,” the majority opinion in that case stated.
EPA to Ban Chlorpyrifos Use on Food Crops, Review Other Non-Food Uses — EPA delivered the final death blow to agricultural uses of the insecticide chlorpyrifos Wednesday, Aug. 18, in a long-awaited victory for environmental, labor and public health groups that have lobbied against the chemical for decades.”In a final rule released today, EPA is revoking all ‘tolerances’ for chlorpyrifos, which establish an amount of a pesticide that is allowed on food,” the agency explained in a news release. “In addition, the agency will issue a Notice of Intent to Cancel under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to cancel registered food uses of chlorpyrifos associated with the revoked tolerances.”The news release quoted EPA Administrator Michael Regan stating: “Ending the use of chlorpyrifos on food will help to ensure children, farmworkers, and all people are protected from the potentially dangerous consequences of this pesticide.”Use of chlorpyrifos (Lorsban) in agriculture has already dropped significantly in the past decade, particularly after its primary registrant, Corteva Agriscience, halted production in 2020. But this action effectively ends all agricultural uses of chlorpyrifos on food and feed crops, including generic products. It does not immediately affect non-food uses of chlorpyrifos, such as mosquito control, which will be under review later in 2022, EPA noted.”After considering public comments, the agency will proceed with registration review for the remaining non-food uses of chlorpyrifos by issuing the interim decision, which may consider additional measures to reduce human health and ecological risks,” the press release read. See the news release here: https://www.epa.gov/ … and a pre-publication version of the new rule here: https://www.epa.gov/ … . Chlorpyrifos, better known to farmers as the former product Lorsban, is an insecticide that targets biting and sucking pests such as aphids and is primarily used in soybeans, corn, wheat, cotton and orchard crops. Although a popular pest control option in the past, its use has fallen from 13 million pounds per year in the late 1990s, to 5 million to 7 million pounds per year starting around 2010, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In February 2020, citing this falling demand, Lorsban production was discontinued by Corteva. At the time, the Trump-led EPA vowed to continue its re-registration of the chemical, which would allow generic versions to stay on the market indefinitely. (See more here: https://www.dtnpf.com/ … ). And in December 2020, it did so, releasing a proposed interim registration decision keeping it on the market, with some label adjustments.
More algae blooms found at Lake Anna – Harmful algae blooms have spread to more areas at Lake Anna. The Virginia Department of Health collected samples from the lake on Aug. 5 and recently updated the harmful algae bloom map, which shows seven areas that now have no-swim advisories. The harmful algae blooms have been detected in the upper areas of the North Anna and Pamunkey branches this summer. Now the blooms have spread to the middle and lower areas of the branches. Three areas in the North Anna Branch have the advisories: the upper branch or the “Sandbar,” north of Holladay Bridge, and the lower area.Four locations on the Pamunkey branch have the no-swim advisories: upper branch, below U.S. 522; upper branch tributary at Terry’s Run branch at State Route 719; upper branch tributary at Simms Point/Harris Lane; middle branch at Dillards Bridge/Route 719.The harmful algae is a cyanobacteria that can cause skin rashes and stomach illnesses. Other cyanobacteria found at the lake, including the Lake Anna State park beach area on the Pamunkey branch, were deemed to be at acceptable levels.The advisories mark the fourth straight year with harmful algae blooms in the 13,000-acre manmade lake, which cools the Dominion Virginia Energy North Anna nuclear power plant and is surrounded by hundreds of homes. There also is a no-swim advisory for the swimming beach area at Widewater State Park on Aquia Creek in Stafford County because of a harmful algae bloom. Samples for that area were last taken on July 14, according to the task force online algae bloom map.
Human Noise Pollution Is Causing Seagrass Beds to Uproot Themselves – Noise is a nuisance that can sometimes be unbearable. This is true even in the ocean, where an unrelatedstudy from 2021 found that human-created noise pollution is harming marine animals by damaging their hearing, changing their behaviors and even harming their chances of survival. The newest study, published inCommunications Biology, linked noise pollution to another crippling effect – this time in seagrasses. Unwanted noisiness is altering the marine plants on a cellular level and causing them to uproot themselves. Humans have ruined the ocean’s natural soundscape through shipping, oil and gas extractions and renewable energy development, Inside Science reported. All of these act as a noise pollutant underwater, with far-reaching consequences.Authored by Michel Andre from the Technical University of Catalonia in Spain, the study initially focused on creatures with hearing organs, such as dolphins and fish, the news report said. Then, they studied noise impacts on animals that lack traditional hearing structures, like octopuses and squids. They found that noise damages the organs these animals use to orient themselves.”And this was truly something that changed our perspective of how noise pollution could affect [the] marine environment,” Andre told Inside Science.His curiosity led him to wonder if a similar organ in plants that helps them detect gravity and push their roots down into the seafloor might also be affected by artificial, subaquatic noise, Hakai Magazine reported. He and his team focused on a species of seagrass, P. oceanica, prevalent near their laboratory in Barcelona, Spain. Playing sounds with changing frequency representative of human activities, the scientists measured the effects of such sound drowning on 84 seagrass plants in experimental tanks.The noise level was roughly 157 dB underwater, which is “somewhere between a bass drum and a subway train,” Inside Science reported. As it turns out, just two hours of noise exposure damaged the plant organ responsible for detecting gravity, which could affect the plant’s ability to stay rooted in the soil, the report continued.The scientists involved in the study believe it to be the first-ever to inquire into the impact of noise on plant structure. Andre believes that plants could be harmed more than other organisms because they cannot get up and leave, should a location become unbearably and excessively noisy, Inside Science reported.The team also found that the number of starch grains inside the organ decreased, and a symbiotic fungus inside the organs likely involved in nutrient uptake also suffered, Hakai Magazine reported. This type of damage could affect seagrass’s ability to store energy and continue to grow.
Colorado River Water Shortage Declared for First Time in History – Federal officials, for the first time ever, declared a water shortage from the Colorado River on Monday – yet another bleak indicator of the magnitude of the drought across the West made worse by climate change.”It’s a historic moment where drought and climate change are at our door,” Chuck Cullom of the Central Arizona Project told the AP. The “Tier 1″ cuts were triggered by projections that Lake Mead – the largest reservoir on the Colorado River, created by the Hoover Dam – will be nearly 10 feet below the Tier 1 cutoff point on January 1, 2022. It was just three feet above that level, about 35% of its total capacity, on Monday.”It’s as if a switch got flipped in 2000, and we now have a completely different river than we had in the 20th century,” Brad Udall, a senior water and research scientist at Colorado State University, told The Washington Post.Under the complex system established 99 years ago, Tier 1 cuts, which take effect next year, will hit Arizona hardest, losing about 8% of its total water use. Nevada and the country of Mexico will also see cuts, but California, because of its water rights seniority, will not see immediate cuts.As reported by The Washington Post: The shortage should serve as a call for intensified conservation efforts and reductions of planet-warming emissions. Human activities have already raised global average temperatures more than 1 degree Celsius – 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit – above preindustrial levels. In many Western states, the increase is close to 2 degrees Celsius – a threshold the United Nations associates with catastrophic warming.“The Colorado River is ground zero for climate change in the U.S.,” said Kevin Moran, senior director of the Environmental Defense Fund’s Colorado River program. “We have to shift our thinking from managing supply and demand in the context of temporary drought to managing the reality of a permanently more arid climate.”
Colorado River Water Shortage Forces First-Ever Cutback to Southwest States – WSJ – The federal government has declared the first-ever shortage of water on the Colorado River, triggering cutbacks in several states that will hit farmers particularly hard during a drought that has punished the Southwest with little letup since the turn of the century.The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation made the declaration Monday after forecasting that Nevada’s Lake Mead, the river’s biggest reservoir, would remain below 1,075 feet above sea level – the mark previously set to trigger mandatory cutbacks – through at least early next year. As of Monday, Lake Mead measured 1,068 feet, the lowest since the reservoir was created by construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s. The bureau estimates the level will dip further to 1,066 by Jan. 1 next year. The cuts, set to take effect in 2022, will primarily affect Arizona, which stands to lose 512,000 acre-feet, or 18% of its annual allocation – enough water to meet the annual household needs of a city the size of Phoenix. An acre-foot is roughly the amount of water a family of four uses for one year. Nevada and Mexico will see their water allocations cut as well, by smaller amounts of 7% and 5%, respectively. They and Arizona have the most junior rights under a 14-year-old water-sharing agreement with the seven Colorado River Basin states, which also include California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. If the reservoir keeps falling, as federal and state water managers fear it will, mandatory reductions could be imposed on states with higher-ranking rights, including California.The 1,450-mile river is a lifeblood for the Southwest, supplying drinking water to 40 million people, irrigating 5.5 million acres of farmland and accounting for an estimated 16 million jobs. In many states, the river represents the most important source of water; Arizona officials say 40% of the state’s supplies come from the river.The Colorado is also an important electricity generator. With the river’s flow slowing, the Bureau of Reclamation said in July that it was taking the unprecedented action of releasing more water from reservoirs upstream to the river’s second-biggest depository, Lake Powell, on the border with Utah and Arizona to help keep its level high enough for power generation. Agency officials said Monday that dam releases from Lake Powell to Lake Mead would be reduced next year as part of the agency’s water management plan. The reduced flows will diminish the amount of power generated from the facilities, as they have at other rivers throughout the parched West – putting a strain on the electric grid, federal officials say. Farmers and ranchers will be among the first to face the mandatory cuts. Although agriculture users can also draw water from wells, state officials say that won’t make up for a 30% reduction in their allocation next year and likely will cause thousands of acres to go unplanted.
Lake Mead hits record low, triggering its first-ever shortage declaration, U.S. –Water levels at Lake Mead have fallen to record lows this summer, prompting officials to declare the reservoir’s first-ever water shortage on August 16, 2021. Lake Mead is a man-made reservoir on the Colorado River formed in the 1930s from damming the river at the Nevada-Arizona border — Hoover Dam. It’s the largest reservoir in the United States, providing household water to 40 million people in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Mexico, and irrigation for large areas of farmland. Given the ongoing historic drought and low runoff conditions in the Colorado River Basin, downstream releases from Glen Canyon Dam and Hoover Dam will be reduced in 2022 due to declining reservoir levels. In the Lower Basin, the reductions represent the first ‘shortage’ declaration – demonstrating the severity of the drought and low reservoir conditions.1 Based on projections made by the Bureau of Reclamation, Lake Mead’s January 1, 2022, elevation is expected to be 324.87 m (1 065.85 feet), which is about 2.74 m (9 feet) below the Lower Basin shortage determination trigger of 327.66 m (1 075 feet) and about 7.31 m (24 feet) below the drought contingency plan trigger of 332.23 m (1 090 feet).1 As a result, Lake Mead will operate in its first-ever Level 1 Shortage Condition in the calendar year 2022 — from January 1 through December 31, 2022. This means Arizona will lose approximately 18% of the state’s annual apportionment, Nevada 7%, and Mexico 5%. Further rounds of cuts will be triggered if projected water levels drop to 320 m (1 049 feet), 318 m (1 043 feet), and 312 m (1 023 feet). The cuts mean less water and tough allotment decisions for agriculture, cities, and Native American tribes in a region suffering historic — 22nd year of drought.2 “Although agriculture in some of the counties we serve will be affected, it is important to note that the drinking water that AWC serves its residential and business customers statewide will not be affected by the initial shortage declaration,” the Arizona Water Company (AWC) said in a statement.3 “Equally important, is the strong water conservation ethic in Arizona communities across the state. Your local water conservation achievements have helped avoid this declaration for several years. We encourage all Arizonans to continue to do their part in securing our water future by using water wisely at home and at work.” Total Colorado River system storage is currently at a capacity of 40%, down from 49% at this time last year.
Is Western U.S. experiencing a ‘megadrought’? » The Western U.S. is shattering drought records this summer. For the first time since the drought monitor was created, over 95% of the region is in drought. Near Las Vegas, Lake Mead – the largest reservoir in the U.S. – is at its lowest level since it was built. “This is a bigger event than the 1950s drought in the Southwest or the Dust Bowl drought in the Central Plains,” says Benjamin Cook, a climate researcher at NASA, in this new video by independent videographer Peter Sinclair. “We have to go back at least 500 years before we find any event that’s even similar in magnitude.” Scientists have found from clues in tree rings have that intense, prolonged droughts called “megadroughts” occurred regularly during the Middle Ages. Now the West may be in another megadrought period, this one made even worse by climate change. Climate change makes historical drought patterns more intense by increasing temperatures and thus evaporation. This poses challenges to water supplies in the West as they come primarily from surface water like the Colorado River. Much of the population growth in the Southwest happened during the 1980s and 1990s, which were relatively wet decades. Though there have been many improvements in water use efficiency in recent decades, they have not been able to match losses from drought. “The Colorado River drains the entire Southwest – it’s about an eighth of the U.S. The river itself is actually not that big, it’s about the size of the Hudson and if you can imagine, it’s serving 40 million people,” says Brad Udall, a research scientist at Colorado State University’s Colorado Water Institute. “If it suffers, everyone suffers.”
July 2021 was the warmest July on record for the globe; global land surface was also record warm – NOAA – The global temperature for July 2021 was the highest for July in the 142-year NOAA record, which dates back to 1880. The year-to-date (January-July) global surface temperature tied as the sixth highest on record. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Rankings Outlook, it is very likely that the year 2021 will rank among the 10 warmest years on record.The July 2021 global surface temperature was 1.67 degF (0.93 degC) above the 20th-century average of 60.4 degF (15.8 degC) – the highest for July in the 142-year record. This value was only 0.02 degF (0.01 degC) higher than the previous record set in 2016, and tied in 2019 and 2020. The seven warmest Julys have all occurred since 2015. July 2021 marked the 45th consecutive July and the 439th consecutive month with temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th-century average.Climatologically, July is the warmest month of the year. With July 2021 the warmest July on record, at least nominally, this resulted in the warmest month on record for the globe.The global land-only surface temperature for July 2021 was 2.52 degF (1.40 degC) above average and the highest July for the land-only surface temperature on record, surpassing the previous record set in 2020 by 0.31 degF (0.17 degC). The warmth across the global land surfaces was mainly driven by the very warm Northern Hemisphere land, which also had its highest July temperature at 2.77 degF (1.54 degC) above average.During the month, temperatures were much warmer than average across parts of North America, Europe, northern and southern South America, northern Africa, the southern half of Asia, Oceania and parts of the western and northern Pacific, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Temperatures were cooler than average across parts of northeastern Canada, the south-central and southeastern contiguous U.S., southern Africa, northern Russia and the southeastern Pacific Ocean.Regionally, Asia had its warmest July on record, besting the previous record set in 2 010. Europe had its second-warmest July (tied with 2010) on record, trailing behind the record warm July set in 2018. Meanwhile, North America, South America, Africa and Oceania had a top-10 warm July on record. The July 2021 Arctic sea ice extent was 687,000 square miles below the 1981-2010 average and was the fourth-smallest July sea ice extent in the 43-year record, according to an analysis by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) using data from NOAA and NASA. Only Julys of 2012, 2019 and 2020 had a smaller sea ice extent in July. The 10 smallest July sea ice extents for the Arctic have occurred since 2007.The Antarctic sea ice extent during July 2021 was above average. The July Antarctic sea ice extent was 6.32 million square miles – the largest July sea ice extent since 2015 and the eighth highest in the 43-year record.
July 2021 Hottest Month Ever Recorded, Says NOAA –The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US said on Friday that July 2021 was the hottest month ever recorded globally.”July is typically the world’s warmest month of the year, but July 2021 outdid itself as the hottest July and month ever recorded. This new record adds to the disturbing and disruptive path that climate change has set for the globe,” said Rick Spinrad, administrator of NOAA.NOAA said the average global temperature this July was 16.73 degrees Celsius(62.07 degrees Fahrenheit), exceeding the previous record set in July 2016 by .01 degree Celsius.NOAA climatologist Ahira Sanchez-Lugo said land temperatures over the Northern Hemisphere, withheatwaves in North America and parts of Europe, pushed the mercury past the record.The last seven Julys from 2015 to 2021 have been the hottest ever, in 142 years of recordkeeping, Sanchez-Lugo added.Although temperature data released by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service showed 2021 as third hottest July ever recorded, Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the Breakthrough Institute, a California-based research center, told AFP news agency that data differences among agencies is not unusual.”The NOAA record has more limited coverage over the Arctic than other global temperature records,” he said.”Regardless of exactly where it ends up on the leaderboards, the warmth the world is experiencing this summer is a clear impact of climate change,” Hausfather said.”The extreme events we are seeing worldwide – from record-shattering heat waves to extreme rainfall to raging wildfires – are all long-predicted and well understood impacts of a warmer world. They will continue to get more severe until the world cuts its emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases down to net-zero,” he added.A report released by the UN last week issued a red alert for climate goals, are “nowhere close” to achieving the 1.5-degree target set during the Paris climate agreement.Earlier this week during a heatwave in the Mediterranean region, a temperature of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 degrees Fahrenheit) was reported in Sicily, which if officially confirmed, would be the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe.
There’s no place in the US safe from the heat – Following multiple record-breaking heatwaves this summer, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held its first-ever hearing on extreme heat. This marks a positive step for the U.S. to seriously and immediately address heat as the nation’s most deadly climate risk. The Pacific Northwest heatwave in June 2021 was a mass casualty event, estimated to have caused around 600 deaths in Oregon and Washington alone. These extreme heat events are increasingly more frequent, longer in duration and more intense due to climate change. They are also compounded by the urban heat island (UHI) effect, where urban areas are hotter than surrounding rural and natural areas due to how cities are planned, built and operated.Yet, the national perception of heat as a climate risk remains subdued compared with more visually dramatic hurricanes or wildfires. Heat is a silent and invisible killer and impacts the most marginalized and vulnerable communities. Heat also has real impacts and costs to infrastructure, economic productivity, vegetation and wildlife, and energy and water use. Over the past year, our coverage of heat equity has focused mainly on the inequitable distribution of heat severity in the urban heat island effect in cities across the U.S. – revealing how the hottest land surface temperatures tend to be in the poorest communities and communities of color. However, individuals experience personal heat exposure throughout their day, not just at home, but also during transportation and at work and school. Heat risk is particularly high for the elderly, children and those with health conditions, like high blood pressure and breathing difficulties. Chronic diseases like diabetes and lung, heart and kidney disease can also be worsened by heat exposure. An analysis of early mortality data from the Pacific Northwest heatwave in Portland, Ore., suggests that the majority of deaths occurred in poorer parts of the city. In Seattle, the elderly and people experiencing homelessness were particularly harmed by the heatwave. During these heatwaves, low-income residents often have a difficult time affording crucial indoor cooling and getting transport to cooling centers. Chronic heat exposure particularly impacts people experiencing homelessness, those without adequate indoor cooling, those unable to pay for utilities and those who work outdoors. A significant number of heat-related deaths throughout 2020 in Phoenix occurred among homeless senior citizens experiencing homelessness. People experiencing homelessness are vulnerable to all forms of heat exposure and are difficult to reach with early warning systems and information about the location of cooling centers. Increasing homelessness has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the housing affordability crisis and an estimated shortage of 3.8 million housing units. It should come as no surprise that a disproportionate share of those experiencing homelessness are Black and Latinos, who also represent some of the hardest-hit communities by the pandemic and live in the hottest neighborhoods in urban areas.
Significant loss of livestock in North Korea – Continued heatwaves and minimal rainfall have led to significant loss of livestock in North Korea this summer. The worst affected are South and North Hamgyong provinces and North and South Hwanghae. As of late July, more than 100 000 heads of livestock have died in the province of South Pyongan due to heatwaves. A total of 90 000 chickens have died, the highest death rate of any animal. Meanwhile, another 7 000 pigs, 2 500 ducks, and 100 cows have perished due to the intense heat. According to Daily NK, many animals died in other provinces due to last month’s heatwaves, including South and North Hamgyong provinces and North and South Hwanghae provinces. With pork prices in the country falling this month, an expert NK Daily spoke with said that markets might be selling meat from animals that perished in the heat.
Spain confirms new highest temperature record – 47.4 degC (117.3 degF) in the city of Montoro, Cordoba – Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) confirmed1 the country’s highest temperature on record was set at 47.4 degC (117.3 degF) in the city of Montoro, Cordoba on Saturday, August 14, 2021. The record was set at 15:10 UTC (17:10 LT). The city’s minimum temperature that day was 20.9 degC (69.6 degF) recorded at 05:20 UTC.The country’s previous highest temperature record was 47.3 degC (117.1 F) set on July 13, 2017, also in Montoro. Montoro is located about 45 km (28 miles) ENE of the capital of the province, Cordoba, at an altitude of 155 m (508 feet). The event comes 3 days after the Sicilian province of Siracusa, Italy registered 48.8 degC (119.8 degF) at 11:14 UTC (13:14 LT) on August 11, 2021, potentially setting a new European record.2 This temperature would also beat Italy’s unofficial record of 48.5 degC (119.3 degF) set in Catenanuova, Sicily in August 1999.The current highest temperature record in Italy is 47 degC (116.6 degF) set in Foggia, Apulia region on July 25, 2007.The current highest temperature record in Europe is 48 degC (118.4 degF), set on July 10, 1977, in Athens and Elefsina, Greece.
California utility shutting off power to 51K customers to prevent wildfires –Pacific Gas & Electric on Tuesday evening said it has begun shutting down power to around 51,000 California customers to prevent wildfires.The shutoffs will affect around 18 counties in northern California, including the “Sierra Nevada foothills, the North Coast, the North Valley and the North Bay mountains,” according to a press release from PG&E. The company cited “dry offshore winds, extreme to exceptional drought conditions and extremely dry vegetation” as reason for this precautionary measure. PG&E is predicting that “all clears” will be occur around Wednesday afternoon. “With these high winds and extremely dry climate conditions, we are focused on customer and community safety. It’s never an easy decision to turn off the power for safety, but it is the right thing to do to keep everyone safe,” said PG&E Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Marlene Santos. “We understand how disruptive and inconvenient it is to lose power. The sole focus of a PSPS is to keep our customers safe. As soon as this extreme weather passes, our crews will be inspecting our equipment and the vegetation around it, making repairs and restoring power as soon as it’s safe to do so,” Santos added. The company had announced earlier on Tuesday that it expected to carry out preemptive shutoffs in order to reduce the risk of wildfires. At the time, it was reported that the shutoffs would affect around 48,000 customers in 16 different counties. The Dixie Fire in northern California has burned for the past 34 days and is only 31 percent contained according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The counties where the Dixie Fire is currently burning – Butte, Plumas and Lassen – will all be affected by PG&E’s shutoffs.
Dixie fire: fresh concerns over gusting winds and potential power cuts – Firefighters battling flames in northern California were preparing for fresh bouts of windy weather, as a utility warned it might cut electricity for thousands of people to prevent new fires from igniting. Conditions that suppressed the huge Dixie fire overnight were expected to give way late in the day to winds that could push flames toward mountain communities, in a region where drought and scorching summer heat have turned vegetation to tinder. Information officer Jim Evans said: “In this environment, any type of wind, no matter what direction – especially the way the fire’s been going – is a concern for everyone.” The Dixie fire has scorched 890 sq miles (2,305 sq km) in the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades since it ignited on 13 July and eventually merged with a smaller blaze called the Fly fire. More than 1,100 buildings have been destroyed, including 625 homes, and more than 14,000 structures remained threatened.Numerous evacuation orders were in effect. Pacific Gas & Electric has notified utility regulators that the Dixie and Fly fires may have been caused by trees falling into its power lines. The Dixie fire began near the town of Paradise, which was devastated by a 2018 wildfire ignited by PG&E equipment during strong winds. Eighty-five people died. On Sunday evening, PG&E notified 39,000 customers that it may have to shut off power Tuesday evening due to a forecast of dry winds out of the north-east. It said: “Given this wind event and current conditions including extreme to exceptional drought and extremely dry vegetation, PG&E has begun sending 48-hour advance notifications to customers in targeted areas where PG&E may need to proactively turn power off for safety to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized power lines.” The Dixie fire was among 97 large, active wildfires burning in the United States on Monday, the National Interagency Fire Center said. More than 25,000 firefighters, support personnel and management teams were assigned to the blazes.
Thousands Evacuate as Wildfires Ravage Utah and Northern California – As intense wildfires continued to burn across parts of the western United States on Sunday, prompting thousands of evacuations in Utah and Northern California, firefighters in Oregon announced on Sunday that they had fully contained what had once been the country’s largest wildfire this year. The Dixie Fire in California had spread to more than 550,000 acres across four counties in the northern part of the state and was 31 percent contained as of Sunday morning, according to Cal Fire. The blaze is now the largest on record in the United States, pushing to second place the Bootleg Fire in Oregon, which the authorities said on Sunday was 100 percent contained after ravaging more than 400,000 acres since early July.In eastern Utah, the fast-moving Parleys Canyon Fire, which ignited on Saturday afternoon, quickly forced the evacuation of at least 6,000 homes, according to the authorities. Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah warned that Sunday would be “another difficult fire day,” as the blaze had charred at least 1,500 acres east of Salt Lake City and was 0 percent contained.Mr. Cox said that some of Utah’s firefighters were returning from wildfire duty in other states to fight the blaze in Parleys Canyon.The Federal Emergency Management Agency said on Sunday that it had agreed to a request from officials in Utah to help cover the cost of fighting the fire. The American Red Cross of Utah said that 25 people had stayed in a shelter that the organization had set up at a high school in Park City on Saturday night.State fire authorities said the fire started when a car sent sparks flying along a highway after its catalytic converter, a device that controls exhaust emissions, malfunctioned.The Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement on Saturday that the authorities had discovered two fires burning a mile apart along a highway in Parleys Canyon, and that the blaze quickly spread up a nearby mountain.The fire continued on an eastward path and was moving “at a rapid pace,” the department said.The sheriff of Summit County, which includes Parleys Canyon, said on Twitter on Saturday night that some residents had refused to evacuate, and that their decision was putting firefighters and other emergency workers in danger.
Dixie Fire explodes past 600,000 acres, forcing more evacuation orders -Small, rural California communities are threatened by the nation’s largest wildfire and officials warned the danger of new blazes erupting across the West was high because of unstable weather.The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch from Tuesday through Wednesday night near the Dixie Fire in Northern California, where dry, gusty winds are forecast. Pushed by winds, the megafire spread east and was near Susanville in Lassen County. Authorities told some residents in the mountain town of Janesville to leave. Lines were holding in the community of Westwood, just east of Lake Almanor. Fire surrounded the town to the north, south and east. At Lassen Volcanic National Park, firefighters worked aggressively to build lines around Manzanita Lake and communities like Old Station. The fire pushed northwest inside the park, torching about 22,000 acres. Firefighters described continued challenging conditions as the Dixie Fire exploded overnight, increasing by more than 25,000 acres to 604,511 acres, officials said Tuesday. “Intense fire activity continued into the evening hours under the influence of southwest winds,” Cal Fire said in its morning update. The fire remains 31% contained. Meanwhile, officials are concerned about a separate fire outside of Janesville that was sparked by lightning a few days ago. The fire is about 300 acres in the Thompson Peak area, said Dan McKeague, public information officer with the U.S. Forest Service. All told, the Dixie Fire has destroyed 1,180 structures, including 630 homes, and nearly 16,000 homes are threatened by the massive wildfire, McKeague said. Briefing firefighters Tuesday morning, supervisors talked about the danger of spot fires, saying that for every 10 embers that cross the fire line, 12 new spot fires are started. “Once they build energy, they are going to run away from you and create havoc,” a supervisors said.
Caldor Fire Ignites 30,000 Acres in California, Destroys Town of Grizzly Flats – The Caldor Fire, which ignited over the weekend, exploded nearly five-fold to roughly 30,000 acres Tuesday, incinerating much of the 1,200-person town of Grizzly Flats.At least two people with serious injuries were airlifted to hospitals from the Grizzly Flats area and about 22,000 residents have been forced to evacuate.”It’s a pile of ash,” Derek Shaves, who evacuated but was able to reenter the town after the fire had passed through, told the AP. “Everybody[‘s house] on my block is a pile of ash and every block that I visited – but for five separate homes that were safe – was totally devastated.” The only thing left of Walt Tyler Elementary School was a metal playground structure, save for the plastic slide melted away by the fire. Strong winds, and the underlying megadrought, fueled the conflagration and the National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings for much of North California and Nevada citing the perilous trifecta of low humidity, extremely dry vegetation, and strong wind. The Caldor Fire was 0% contained Tuesday evening.
Anger and evacuations as deadly wildfires char France and Greece – Hundreds of firefighters struggled for a third day Wednesday to contain France’s worst wildfire of the summer near the glitzy Riviera resort of Saint-Tropez which has forced thousands of residents and tourists to flee. Officials in the Var region confirmed the first death blamed on the blaze Wednesday morning and said about 20 others were being treated for smoke inhalation. Firefighters were also battling deadly wildfires in Greece, and large blazes have ravaged parts of Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania, Northern Macedonia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco this year. Russia’s northern Siberia region has also been battered by a wildfire season that started early this year, in May, and blanketed a huge area in thick smoke that spread as far as the North Pole for the first time ever.The Mediterranean basin has long faced seasonal wildfires linked to its dry and hot weather in the summer, but climate scientists warn they will become increasingly common because of man-made global warming. In Greece, there was mounting criticism over what many consider negligent fire control measures, leaving both the ecosystem and residents vulnerable. The French fire has scorched some 12,000 acres in a region known for its forests, vineyards and fauna since it broke out in the Plaine des Maures nature reserve on Monday evening.Some 1,200 firefighters were deployed, using high-pressure hoses and water-bombing planes and helicopters to control the flames. High temperatures and strong winds forced local authorities to evacuate around 7,000 people from homes and campsites, the Var prefecture said Tuesday, many to the safety of municipal buildings and schools.Among them were 1,300 people staying at a campsite in the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas down the coast from Saint-Tropez.”We started smelling the smoke around 7:00 pm, then we saw the flames on the hill,” said Cindy Thinesse, who fled a campsite near Cavalaire on Monday evening. “We hesitated, but when we saw that, we decided to leave,” she told AFP.”The coming hours will be absolutely decisive” for the firefighting effort, President Emmanuel Macron, who has been taking his summer break on the Mediterranean coast, said during a visit to first responders Tuesday evening.
Severe floods hit Germany again, destructive tornado in Lower Saxony –A new round of heavy rains hit Germany and Austria on August 16 and 17, 2021, causing severe floods and landslides and spawning at least one destructive tornado.One person was killed and another is still missing in Germany after sudden floods swept them away off a bridge in Hollentalklamm, a popular destination for hikers also known as Valley of Hell, Bavaria on August 16.According to witnesses, a number of people were carried away after the wooden bridge they were standing on collapsed, prompting a major rescue operation.1 Other reports say 2 people were swept away when the bridge collapsed while others were caught by the raging water or cut off from their hiking paths by the flood elsewhere.2A state of emergency was declared in northern Germany after a tornado damaged more than 50 homes in the village of Grossheide, Lower Saxony. DW reports roofs ripped from homes, vehicles overturned, and toppled trees.3While nobody was injured, a spokesman for the fire brigade described the storm’s power as unprecedented in the region. “It was a pure chaos that had to be cleared up,” he said. At least 4 people were injured on August 17 in neighboring Austria and around 100 were rescued from their cars after heavy rains caused severe floods and mudslides, particularly in the Pinzgau and Pongau regions in Salzburg. Roads and railway tracks were engulfed by raging waters and a small train was swept away and engulfed in mud in Salzburg on August 17.A bus with two people and a car were also swept into a creek by a mud avalanche in the community of Dienten, Pinzgau.Three people were injured, one of them seriously, in the incident and rescued by firefighters. Another person was injured in Guntramsdorf after falling during cleanup efforts.More than 1 500 emergency services were called to more than 500 incidents from Gmunden am Traunsee to Wolfern in the Steyr-Land region, Upper Austria.The storms flooded roads, blown off manhole covers and inundated cellars.4
Heavy Rain Causes Floods, Mudslides in Southwestern Japan – (AP) – Torrential rain continued to trigger floods Saturday in wide areas of southwestern Japan, damaging homes and disrupting transportation a day after a landslide killed one person and left two others missing. In the southern city of Kurume, rivers overflowed and residents evacuated from their homes on rubber boats as rescue workers pulled them while wading through muddy water. Heavy rain has dumped on southern Japan this week, and the Japan Meteorological Agency said more rain is expected in the coming days as a front is stuck above the Japanese archipelago. The agency expanded heavy rain and mudslide warnings in the Kyushu region to other parts of Japan, including Hiroshima, as the rain front slowly moved eastward, bringing downpours to the ancient capital of Kyoto and Nagao in central Japan. The rains triggered a mudslide Friday in the city of Unzen in Nagasaki prefecture, burying four people. One of those buried was killed and another was seriously injured. Rescue workers are searching for the two others. Another mudslide in Hiroshima late Friday left one person seriously injured. Dozens of homes around the country have been damaged by floods and mudslides, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Local authorities have issued the highest-level disaster alert for parts of Kyushu and Hiroshima, affecting about 1.4 million people, though evacuation is not compulsory.
Roads, bridges and homes destroyed as severe floods hit Ghana’s Upper West Region – (video) Heavy rains affecting Ghana’s Upper West Region on August 13, 2021, caused severe floods in which major roads, bridges, and more than 150 homes were destroyed.According to National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) the worst-affected are Nadowli-Kaleo District, Jirapa District, and the Lawra municipality.Bridges were destroyed and several major roads were severely damaged, disrupting transport and isolating communities.At least 155 homes have been destroyed and more than 700 farms suffered some extent of damage.
Tropical Storm Fred makes landfall with 65-mph winds –Power outages were on the rise across the Florida Panhandle Monday afternoon as Fred came ashore just shy of hurricane force. Tropical Storm Fred is continuing to advance inland after making landfall just west of Apalachicola, Florida, on Monday afternoon. The center of Fred is forecast to move over eastern Alabama and western Georgia Monday night into Tuesday, but some towns closer to the Gulf Coast are still flooded from Fred. Flooding will be a concern all the way into the mid-Atlantic as moisture from Fred fuels tropical downpours through Thursday in the eastern U.S.Elsewhere in the Atlantic, AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring two other features. Tropical Storm Henri is currently spinning near Bermuda where it is anticipated to cause disruptions throughout the week. Elsewhere, Tropical Depression Grace is passing near Haiti, which is still recovering following a deadly magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Saturday. In the long-term, Grace is predicted to make its way into the Gulf of Mexico where it could organize into a hurricane.The center of Tropical Storm Fred is moving inland, but people along the coast should not let their guard down. Dangerous storm surge is still possible along the Florida Big Bend. The highest water levels are likely between Indian Pass and Steinhatchee River. Damaging wind gusts are also still likely for portions of the Florida Panhandle, southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia as the center of Fred advances inland. Tropical Storm Fred has weakened slightly since making landfall on Monday afternoon, but it is still the strongest of the three active storms in the Atlantic hurricane basin. As of 5 p.m. EDT, Fred was packing winds up to 60 mph. Grace remains a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, but it could evolve into a hurricane as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend. Meanwhile, newly-formed Tropical Storm Henri is swirling near Bermuda with winds up to 40 mph.
Storm surge, heavy rains and high winds hit Florida as Tropical Storm “Fred” makes landfall, U.S. – (multiple videos) Tropical Storm “Fred” — the 6th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season — made landfall at 19:15 UTC (15:15 LT) on August 16, 2021, near Cape San Blas, Florida, U.S. The storm peaked at 100 km/h (65 mph) just one hour before and maintained that strength until landfall. Multiple people had to be rescued from their flooded homes, including a young child, said AccuWeather National Reported Bill Wadell1 who was at the scene in Havenwood Garden Apartments at the time. This is less than 16 km (10 miles) N of Panama City, FL. “This region just really got hammered by the back end of Fred,” Wadell said. “Storm surge, howling winds, and power outages all preceded Fred, and they continued to build upon landfall. Over 36 000 customers in Florida were without power at one point Monday evening,” AccuWeather’s Adriana Navarro reported.1 Fred weakened into a depression over extreme southeastern Alabama at 09:00 UTC on August 17. At the time, its center was located about 25 km (15 miles) SSW of Columbus, Georgia. However, the system continues dumping heavy rain, spreading flood threats inland across portions of eastern Alabama and western Georgia. “Heavy rainfall may lead to considerable flash, urban, small stream, and isolated river flooding impacts across portions of the Florida Panhandle, southeastern Alabama, and from western Georgia into the southern Appalachians through Tuesday, August 17,” NHC forecaster Stewart noted.2 “By the middle of the week, Fred or its remnants will lift northward and impact the central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic. Landslides are possible across the mountains of North Carolina and Blue Ridge Escarpment today.”
Tropical Depression Fred unleashing tornadoes and rain in the Southeast – CNN – Tropical Depression Fred unleashed heavy rain and a number of tornadoes from Georgia to the Carolinas on Tuesday. A tornado watch is in effect for parts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia until 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center.Tens of thousands of customers were without power from Florida to North Carolina, according topoweroutage.us, amid reports of downed trees and power lines.Flash flood warnings are in effect for parts of north Georgia, western South Carolina and North Carolina, and flood watches are in effect from Georgia to south-central New York.At least two tornadoes were reported in Georgia and three in North Carolina, and several tornado warnings were issued for South Carolina.Fred made landfall in the Florida Panhandle at Cape San Blas on Monday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. It was downgraded to a tropical depression Tuesday morning as it lost strength over land.The storm is expected to move across the southern Appalachian Mountains and approach the central Appalachian Mountains by early Wednesday, the NHC said.Fred was expected to drop up to 8 inches of rain over portions of Georgia and the southern Appalachians on Tuesday, with isolated totals of 10 inches possible.
35 missing after remnants of Tropical Storm “Fred” hit North Carolina, U.S. -Heavy rains brought by remnants of Tropical Storm “Fred” triggered floods and mudslides in North Carolina after the storm made landfall near Cape San Blas, Florida1 on August 16, 2021. Fred then moved through parts of Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina while weakening. Its remnants brought heavy rains to the region, leaving at least 35 people missing or unaccounted for after floods ripped through the Canton area in Haywood County, North Carolina.County officials described the floods around the Pigeon River in Canton as historic.The river peaked at 6.02 m (19.76 feet) on August 17 near Canton, above Major Flood Stage of 5.79 m (19 feet). The East Fork Pigeon River above Canton reached a record high of 4.92 m (16.15 feet) on the same day, breaking the previous record high of 3.99 (13.1 feet). The river’s Major Flood Stage in this area is 3.65 m (12 feet). “At this time we have around 35 people still unaccounted for. Several people were located safe and reunited with their families, and several others were added to the list throughout the day as loved ones called in,” NC Emergency Services Department said.Roads and bridges sustained significant damage, especially in Cruso, with at least 10 – 15 bridges damaged or destroyed. Ten people had taken refuge in an emergency shelter in a school building in Waynesville.Other affected counties include Jackson, McDowell, Madison, Mitchell, Rutherford, Transylvania, and Yancey which have all declared local states of emergency.2NC Governor Roy Cooper issued the State of Emergency on August 18 to activate the state’s emergency operations plan. In addition to 35 people unaccounted for, one person was killed after a car hydroplaned near Panama City, Florida.
Tropical Storm “Henri” expected to pass south of Bermuda – Tropical Storm “Henri” formed at 21:00 UTC on August 16, 2021, as the 8th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm is expected to pass south of Bermuda today, bringing tropical storm conditions to the island nation.At 12:00 UTC on August 17, Henri’s center was located about 210 km (130 miles) SSE of Bermuda. It had maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h (50 mph) and was moving WSW at 7 km/h (5 mph). Its minimum central pressure was 1 004 hPa.A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Bermuda – tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 24 hours.A turn toward the W is forecast by tonight (LT), followed by a motion to the WNW or NW by late Thursday, according to the NHC.On the forecast track, the center of Henri should pass well to the south of Bermuda later today, August 17, and tonight, August 18 (LT). Swells generated by Henri are expected to begin affecting Bermuda later today.”Tropical Storm “Henri” will continue to take a clockwise track around the south of the Island over the next few days as it intensifies,” the Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) meteorologists said.Winds could approach tropical storm force at times, especially towards the south of the marine area, and as such a tropical storm watch remains in effect. Expect occasional spells of inclement weather mainly from later this afternoon into Wednesday, August 18.”Henri will pass its closest point of approach to the island and will gradually begin to move further away. An upper trough will steer the storm towards the northeast and it will complete the clockwise loop around the island,” BWS said.”This will bring additional rainfall, however, current guidance has seen the possibility for ‘tank rain’ decrease. Weak outer bands will traverse through the island on Wednesday bringing periods of rain or shows which do not seem heavy or long lasting from the latest model run.
Henri to reach hurricane force, make close approach to East Coast –Tropical Storm Henri, after forming Monday afternoon south and east of Bermuda, has been circling the island nation menacingly this week. AccuWeather forecasters warned Wednesday that a shift in its strength, the storm is now expected to reach hurricane force, and its track will bring it close to the East Coast of the United States — perhaps close enough to brush the coast or even make landfall. Henri (pronounced: ahn-REE) was packing maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and was located about 235 miles southwest of Bermuda on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Henri was swirling about 790 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts. “Henri will continue to make a clockwise circle around Bermuda through the end of this week but also gradually pull farther away as it does so,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Rob Miller said. Henri will finally break out of its loop this weekend, and it will take a more northerly or northeasterly track, AccuWeather forecasters say. The storm may also further strengthen as it moves closer to the East Coast. As Henri churns off the coast, the primary risks will be rough surf and dangerous rip currents at the beaches up and down the Eastern Seaboard through the rest of this week and this weekend. Through Saturday, Henri will spin well offshore, but by later this weekend and early next week, Henri could set its sights closer to the coast. The AccuWeather Eye Path was updated on Wednesday afternoon and showed the outer edge of the forecast cone swiping the Jersey Shore and much of Long Island and eastern New England were within the possible cone of movement. The final weekends of August are big with vacationers who visit places like North Carolina’s Outer Banks, the Jersey Shore, Montauk, New York, and Nantucket and Cape Cod in New England.
Henri closing in on New York area with hurricane-strength force – Tropical Storm Henri is barreling towards the New York area with hurricane-strength winds and potential storm surges that have already shut down local beaches and prompted severe weather warnings along Eastern Long Island.Henri is expected to hit the Hamptons as early as 7 a.m. Sunday, packing winds up to 75 mph and heavy rains through much of the region.Officials throughout the Northeast urged residents in the storm’s path to stay indoors and prepare for flooding and potential widespread power outages.”Hurricane conditions are expected to begin Sunday in portions of Long Island and Connecticut, where a Hurricane Warning has been issued,” the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory Friday.”Heavy rainfall may lead to considerable flash, urban, and small stream flooding along with the potential for widespread minor and isolated moderate river flooding over portions of Long Island and New England Sunday into Monday,” the advisory said.The storm is due to hit the Hamptons with sustained winds up to 75 mph – enough to classify it as a Category 1 hurricane, Accuweather said.The storm’s arrival will coincide with a full moon Sunday, which could prompt higher tides and more widespread coastal flooding, the outlet said.”This is the most serious hurricane risk in New England in 30 years,” Accuweather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said.City officials said Friday that all city beaches will be closed on Sunday and Monday.The storm is also threatening the planned “homecoming” concert at Central Park but officials at City Hall said the event was still on as of late Friday evening. Henri is expected to hit Long Island early Sunday morning before moving north into Massachusetts, where Gov. Charlie Baker has deployed 1,000 National Guard troops.
Grace to threaten two landfalls in Mexico after dousing Caribbean — Grace strengthened into the second hurricane of the 2021 season in the Atlantic on Wednesday morning as it was aiming for the Cayman Islands on its path toward Mexico. AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting two landfalls in Mexico, as a 2 on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes, due to the heavy rainfall, strong wind gusts and storm surge that can create flash flooding, structural damage and power outages. Grace remained a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon, packing winds sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The center of Grace was 250 miles to the east of Tulum, Mexico, and moving west-northwest at 16 mph.Cancun, Mexico, and a stretch of the Yucatfln Peninsula, were under hurricane warnings on Wednesday as Grace was expected to continue strengthening through Wednesday night. “It’s not out of the question that Grace undergoes rapid intensification before making landfall on Thursday morning in the Yucatan,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda. Rapid intensification, as defined by the NHC, is a meteorological process where tropical systems gain wind intensity very quickly, strengthening 35 mph (55 km/h) in just 24 hours. Grace neared that feat already from Tuesday into Wednesday when the system’s maximum sustained winds increased from 52 mph to 75 mph late Wednesday morning. The strengthening system is likely to unleash wind gusts greater than 80 mph across parts of states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo on the peninsula Wednesday night and Thursday.Near where Grace makes landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula, as well as on the island of Cozumel, winds can gust past 100 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 135 mph. Winds of this magnitude could cause extensive power outages and structural damage.
Hurricane Grace makes landfall near Mexico’s Tulum temples – Hurricane Grace struck Mexico’s Caribbean coast just south of the ancient Mayan temples of Tulum early Thursday, pushing a dangerous storm surge. Heavy rain and strong winds threatened to destroy flimsier homes and keep tourists off white sand beaches until it crosses the Yucatan Peninsula. The Category 1 storm had already soaked earthquake-damaged Haiti, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands en route to a direct hit on the Riviera Maya, the heart of Mexico’s tourism industry. Grace’s center struck just south of Tulum at 4:45 a.m. with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Quintana Roo state opened shelters and evacuated some hotels and residents ahead of the storm’s arrival. Grace missed the popular cruise ship destination Cozumel and came ashore south of Playa del Carmen, where the downtown, usually thumping with music and clubgoers, was eerily desolate Wednesday night. Authorities had ordered all businesses closed and people inside by 8 p.m. With little to stand in its way on the peninsula, Grace was expected to weaken slightly then regain hurricane strength in the Gulf of Mexico before making a second landfall in Mexico later this week. Quintana Roo Gov. Carlos Joaquin said authorities had evacuated hotels that were not made to withstand hurricanes and he called a halt to alcohol sales in the region at 5 p.m. Some airlines cancelled flights to the peninsula. On Tulum’s main drag, tourists in plastic ponchos splashed through puddles as the wind picked up. On the beach side, the surf grew and beachgoers took shelter from the blowing sand. Armed soldiers and sailors patrolled Tulum’s streets in trucks, and businesses taped and boarded up windows as lines formed at grocery stores with families stocking up on essentials. Meanwhile, some tourists fretted over a lost day at the beach while others prepared for their first hurricane experience. “It’s a little scary because it’s unknown, but besides that we’re okay. We made it through Covid.” Up the coast in Cancun, fishermen dragged their boats away from the water’s edge in preparation. “Last year it caught us like that (unprepared) because the information we get sometimes is not correct and sometimes we can endure them (the storms.),” said fisherman Carlos Canche Gonzalez. “But I don’t think it will strengthen, and from the experience we have from last year, well, if it does or it doesn’t, we have to protect our equipment. That’s what we live off, we’ve been fishermen for years.”
Violent M7.2 earthquake hits Haiti, causing widespread damage and leaving hundreds dead, injured and missing – A violent earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.2 hit Haiti at 12:29 UTC on August 14, 2021. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
- This is the 4th M7+ earthquake in the world since August 11 (M7.1 Philippines, M7.5 South Sandwich Islands, M8.1 South Sandwich Islands).
- The epicenter was located about 75 km (46 miles) W of the M7.0 January 12, 2010 earthquake that caused major damage to the capital Port-au-Prince and left between 160 000 and 316 000 people dead.
- Haitian Civil Protection Agency (DPC) confirmed 1 297 fatalities at 22:52 UTC on August 15.
- The death toll is expected to continue rising.
The epicenter was located 13.5 km (8.4 miles) SSE of Petit Trou de Nippes (population 2 130), 37.3 km (23.2 miles) NE of Les Cayes (population 125 799), 40.9 km (25.4 miles) W of Mirogoane (population 89 202), 64.5 km (40.1 miles) W of Tigwav (population 117 504) and 72.8 km (45.3 miles) ESE of Jeremie (population 97 503) and about 125 km (77 miles) W of capital Port-au-Prince (population 987 310).6 000 people are estimated to have felt violent shaking, 590 000 severe, 518 000 very strong, 791 000 strong, and 4 353 000 moderate.The USGS issued a Red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses — high casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread. Past red alerts have required a national or international response.Estimated economic losses are 6 – 60% GDP of Haiti. Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are mud wall and informal (metal, timber, GI, etc.) construction. Landslide population exposure is estimated to be significant. A small tsunami wave (up to 2 cm / 0.1 feet) was observed in the capital city. The first interventions, carried out by both professional rescuers and members of the population, made it possible to extract many people from the rubble, DPC said. Hospitals continue to receive wounded. 12 moderate to strong aftershocks were registered by 18:11 UTC. The Haitian Civil Protection Agency (DPC) confirmed 1 297 fatalities at 22:52 UTC on August 15 – 1 054 in the South, 122 in Nippes, 119 in Grand’Anse, and 2 in the North-West. Search and rescue operations are still in progress and the death toll is expected to continue rising.
Violent M7.2 earthquake in Haiti claims 1 419 lives, leaves 6 900 injured and 84 585 homes damaged or destroyed –1 419 people have been killed and more than 6 900 others injured after a violent M7.2 earthquake1struck Haiti at 12:29 UTC on August 14, 2021, the Haitian Civil Protection Agency (DPC) said at 22:17 UTC on August 16.1 133 people were killed in the South, 162 in Grand’Anse, 122 in Nippes, and 2 in the North-West. This is a very partial assessment and the death toll is still expected to rise, DPC said.6 975 people were injured — 5 207 in the South, 1 065 in Grand’Anse, and 704 in Nippes. A total of 84 585 homes were damaged or destroyed — 41 594 in Grand’Anse, 36 585 in South, and 6 046 in Nippes. In addition, hospitals, schools, offices and churches were also destroyed or badly damaged.2″We are working now to ensure that the resources we have are going to get to the places that are hardest hit,” DPC head Jerry Chandler told AP.A hospital in southwestern Haiti was so overwhelmed with patients that many had to lie in patios, corridors, verandas, and hallways, AP reported.With heavy rains in the forecast due to Tropical Depression Grace3, the officials had to relocate patients to other hospitals while rescuers rushed to find as many survivors as possible. The epicenter was located about 75 km (46 miles) W of the M7.0 January 12, 2010 earthquake that caused major damage to the capital Port-au-Prince and left between 160 000 and 316 000 people dead.
Earthquake-struck Haiti braces for Tropical Storm Grace — Haitians scrambled overnight to try to find survivors trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings after a major earthquake killed more than 1,200 people and injured 5,700 in the Caribbean country Saturday.The 7.2-magnitude quake injured hundreds more and flattened churches, homes and government buildings.The temblor, which was felt in Cuba and Jamaica and was followed by a string of aftershocks, hit around 5 miles from the town of Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, just over 90 miles west of the capital, Port-au-Prince, at a depth of about 6 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Video posted to social media showed residents pulling stunned survivors out of the rubble of collapsed buildings after homes, hospitals, schools, churches and other buildings were damaged or destroyed.The earthquake was a terrifying reminder of the devastating temblor that rocked Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, 11 years ago, killing tens of thousands of people.Yvon Pierre, the former mayor of Saint Louis du Sud, said he would sleep outside because of the aftershocks. “I am strong, but this affected me psychologically, and that is probably the same as the rest of the population,” Pierre said.As well as the aftermath of the most recent quake, Haiti must also brace for the likely impact of Tropical Storm Grace, which appears to be headed toward it and could bring heavy rains and strong wind this week.The quake also hit at a time of deep political turmoil, just weeks after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated on July 7.Looking to offer words of comfort to a devastated population, Prime Minister Ariel Henry said: “We need to show a lot of solidarity with the emergency.” Henry, who found himself at the helm of the struggling country after Moise’s assassination, has said officials will look to hold elections for a new president as soon as possible.
Complex earthquake: USGS says M7.5 in South Sandwich Islands was foreshock of M8.1 – Seismic observations suggest that M7.5 earthquake1 that struck South Sandwich Islands at 18:32 UTC on August 12 is a part of a complex seismic sequence.”Our current interpretation is that this earthquake is a foreshock to a M8.1 that occurred about 170 seconds later. Research is being conducted on this sequence to better understand the faulting geometry and details of rupture. This analysis will take time and our understanding will likely evolve,” the USGS said.The location, depth, mechanism, and magnitude of this earthquake are still preliminary and less well constrained than typical events of this size due to interference from the preceding M7.5 foreshock, the agency added. There were at least 126 earthquakes in this region by 08:52 UTC on August 15. The current understanding of the August 12 M8.1 earthquake in the South Sandwich Islands is that it occurred as the result of reverse faulting at approximately 48 km (30 miles) depth in the Scotia subduction zone, according to the USGS tectonic summary report.2 The focal mechanism solution indicates slip occurred on either a steeply dipping fault dipping to the northwest, or on a shallowly dipping plane dipping to the southeast. Note that in this location, the subduction zone interface dips to the west. The earthquake occurred ~3 minutes following a M7.5 foreshock that was located at a depth of about 63 km (39 miles) and about 90 km (56 miles) to the north. At the location of the M8.1 earthquake, the South America plate subducts westward beneath the Scotia Plate and the South Sandwich microplate (a component of the broader Scotia plate). The South America plate subducts at a rate of ~71 mm (2.8 inches) per year relative to the South Sandwich microplate. The depth and the mechanism of this event are consistent with the earthquake rupturing within the subducted South America plate (an intraplate earthquake), rather than on the interface between the two plates. Given the temporal proximity of these two large earthquakes, however, a faulting mechanism for the M8.1 mainshock is difficult to accurately constrain due to the overlapping seismic waves. While commonly plotted as points on maps, earthquakes of this size are more appropriately described as slip over a larger fault area. Events of the size of the August 12, 2021 M8.1 earthquake are typically about 150 km x 75 km (93 x 46 miles) in size (length x width). Over the previous century, eight other M7+ earthquakes, including the M7.5 foreshock, occurred within 250 km (155 miles) of the M8.1 earthquake. The largest of these previous earthquakes was an M8.1 in May 1964.
Strong aftershocks continue after M8.1 earthquake hits South Sandwich Islands region – A very strong M6.9 earthquake hit South Sandwich Islands region at 11:10 UTC on August 16, 2021, at a depth of 14 km (8.7 miles). This is the strongest of 127 aftershocks registered by the USGS after M7.5 and M8.1 on August 12. While this intense earthquake sequence is still being analyzed, the current understanding is that M7.51 was a foreshock to M8.12 which took place about 170 seconds later. The M8.1 earthquake occurred as the result of reverse faulting at a depth of approximately 48 km (30 miles) in the Scotia subduction zone. The focal mechanism solution indicates slip occurred on either a steeply dipping fault dipping to the northwest, or on a shallowly dipping plane dipping to the southeast, according to the USGS.3 “The location, depth, mechanism, and magnitude of this earthquake is preliminary and less well constrained than typical events of this size due to interference from the preceding M7.5 foreshock,” the USGS said. In the 24 hours following the M8.1 mainshock, the USGS located 61 aftershocks of M4.5 or greater. The aftershock sequence during this time frame includes three aftershocks larger than M6 (M6.0, M6.2, and M6.3). The aftershocks span a trench-parallel distance of about 470 km (290 miles), stretching from the M7.5 foreshock southward to the triple junction between the South America, South Sandwich, and Antarctica plates. Preliminary locations for a subset of the aftershocks are located east of the trench indicating the potential presence of outer rise earthquakes, which occur as a result of downward flexure of the subducting slab. From August 12 at 18:35 UTC (M8.1) to 11:52 UTC on August 16, the USGS registered a total of 126 aftershocks – 32 M4 – 5, 90 M5 – 6, and 4 M6 – 7.
New vent opens at Fagradalsfjall, ground cracks observed in Gonholl, Iceland – A new vent has opened close to the main crater at the Fagradalsfjall eruption site, Krysuv’k-Trolladyngja volcanic system in Iceland, which continues to erupt since March 19, 2021.1According to the Institute of Earth Sciences photographs of the flow field captured on August 8 suggested that the lava effusion rate averaged 9.3 m3 (328 feet3) per second over the previous 12 days. The area of the flow field had grown to 4.4 km2 (1.7 mi2), and the total volume erupted was 119 million m3 (155.6 million yd3).2In addition, new ground cracks were observed in Gonholl, a hill south of the fifth vent — which is now the main crater.A statement by the South Iceland Volcanology and Natural Disaster Team confirmed on August 16 that the vent that opened on August 9 was separate from the nearby main vent.”On the mbl.is webcam, the new vent can be seen beside the crater, from where lava spatters. This opening has been visible for the past days, but it was [at first] believed that lava was simply flowing through the rim of the crater,” the team said.3″Now, however, it appears fairly clear that this is an independent vent, separate from the lava lake in the crater. A small crater bowl has formed around said vent, by the main crater.”The new vent has grown rapidly as lava gushed out with great force, ‘creating even higher spatters than has the larger crater.’
Rising trend of SO2 emission at Taal volcano, Philippines – The first measurement of volcanic sulfur dioxide or SO2 flux from the Taal Main Crater on August 19, 2021, totaled 15 347 tonnes/day. This marks a rising trend in volcanic SO2 degassing since August 13, with the short-term average from then until present measured at 8 351 tonnes/day, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said in an advisory issued August 19. In the same period, tall steam-rich plumes that rose 1 – 3 km (3 280 – 9 840 feet) were also generated by the Taal Main Crater.1 Atmospheric conditions of air temperatures at 32.2 C (90 F), relative humidity at 55.8% and wind velocities at 0 to 2.3 meters/second within the lower 3 km (1.8 miles) of the atmosphere prevailed over Taal Caldera today. The high SO2 flux, water vapor emitted in plumes, weak air movement, and solar radiation will continue to produce volcanic smog or vog over the Taal region. Reports of adverse effects on some residents of Talisay and Brgy. Barigon, Agoncillo have been received, PHIVOLCS said. Hazy conditions were also observed over Taal Lake and municipalities surrounding Taal Lake. In 24 hours to 00:00 UTC on August 20, the Taal Volcano Network recorded 64 volcanic earthquakes, including 50 volcanic tremor events having durations of 2 to 24 minutes, 14 low-frequency volcanic earthquakes, and low-level background tremor that has persisted since July 7, 2021.2 Based on ground deformation parameters from electronic tilt, continuous GPS, and InSAR monitoring, Taal Volcano Island has begun deflating in April 2021 while the Taal region continues to undergo very slow extension since 2020. “As a reminder, vog consists of fine droplets containing volcanic gas such as SO2 which is acidic and can cause irritation of the eyes, throat and respiratory tract in severities depending on the gas concentrations and durations of exposure. People particularly sensitive to such ill effects are those with health conditions such as asthma, lung disease and heart disease, the elderly, pregnant women, and children,” PHIVOLCS said. “The public is reminded that Alert Level 2 (Increased Unrest) prevails over Taal Volcano and that the threat of sudden steam- or gas-driven explosions and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within and around TVI. “Increasing SO2 flux may also forewarn potential phreatomagmatic activity similar to the July 1, 2021 eruption. Venturing into TVI must therefore remain strictly prohibited, and LGUs are advised to continually check on the preparedness of their constituent communities.”
Asteroid 2021 PA17 flew past Earth at 0.17 LD – A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2021 PA17 flew past Earth at a distance of 0.17 LD / 0.00045 AU (67 320 km / 41 830 miles) from the center of our planet at 14:11 UTC on August 14, 2021. This is the 75th known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year and 4th so far this month.The object was first observed at ATLAS-HKO, Haleakala, Hawaii on August 15, one day after it made its close approach.2021 PA17 belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and has an estimated diameter between 7 and 16 m (23 – 52 feet).It flew past us at a speed (relative to the Earth) of 17.43 km/s.
Rain Observed at Greenland Ice Sheet Summit for First Time on Record -This past weekend, researchers at the National Science Foundation’s Summit Station observed rainfall at the peak of Greenland’s rapidly melting ice sheet for the first time on record – an event driven by warming temperatures.”This was the third time in less than a decade, and the latest date in the year on record, that the National Science Foundation’s Summit Station had above-freezing temperatures and wet snow,” the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said in a press release earlier this week. “There is no previous report of rainfall at this location (72.58 degN 38.46 degW), which reaches 3,216 meters (10,551 feet) in elevation.”Temperatures at the summit of the ice sheet rose above freezing at around 5:00 am local time on Saturday, “and the rain event began at the same time,” NSIDC noted. “For the next several hours, rain fell and water droplets were seen on surfaces near the camp as reported by on-station observers.”The anomalous rainfall at the ice sheet’s peak marked the start of a three-day period during which “above-freezing temperatures and rainfall were widespread to the south and west of Greenland… with exceptional readings from several remote weather stations in the area,” said NSIDC. “Total rainfall on the ice sheet was 7 billion tons.”The warmer-than-usual temperatures caused significant melting of the ice sheet, with melt extent peaking at 337,000 square miles on August 14. “Warm conditions and the late-season timing of the three-day melt event coupled with the rainfall led to both high melting and high runoff volumes to the ocean,” NSIDC observed. “On August 15 2021, the surface mass lost was seven times above the mid-August average… At this point in the season, large areas of bare ice exist along much of the southwestern and northern coastal areas, with no ability to absorb the melt or rainfall. Therefore, the accumulated water on the surface flows downhill and eventually into the ocean.”
The planet is in peril. We’re building Congress’s strongest-ever climate bill | Bernie Sanders (long OpEd) … The $3.5tn budget resolution that was recently passed in the Senate lays the groundwork for a historic reconciliation bill that will not only substantially improve the lives of working people, elderly people, the sick and the poor, but also, in an unprecedented way, address the existential threat of climate change. More than any other legislation in American history it will transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy.This legislation will be a long-overdue step forward in the fight for economic, racial, social and environmental justice. It will also create millions of well-paying jobs. As chair of the Senate budget committee my hope is that the various committees will soon finish their work and that the bill will be on the floor and adopted by Congress in late September.Let me be honest in telling you that this reconciliation bill, the final details of which are still being written, will not do everything that needs to be done to combat climate change. But by investing hundreds of billions of dollars in the reduction of carbon emissions it will be a significant step forward and will set an example for what other countries should be doing.Here are some of the proposals that are currently in the bill:
- Massive investments in retrofitting homes and buildings to save energy.
- Massive investment in the production of wind, solar and other forms of sustainable energy.
- A major move toward the electrification of transportation, including generous rebates to enable working families to buy electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances.
- Major investments in greener agriculture.
- Major investments in climate resiliency and ecosystem recovery projects.
- Major investments in water and environmental justice.
- Major investments in research and development for sustainable energy and battery storage.
- Billions to address the warming and acidification of oceans and the needs of coastal communities.
- The creation of a Civilian Climate Corps which will put hundreds of thousands of young people to work transforming our energy system and protecting our most vulnerable communities.
Fossil Fuel Companies Are Quietly Scoring Big Money for Their Preferred Climate Solution: Carbon Capture and Storage – Over the last year, energy companies, electrical utilities and other industrial sectors have been quietly pushing through a suite of policies to support a technology that stands to yield tens of billions of dollars for corporate polluters, but may do little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.These policies have fast-tracked environmental reviews and allocated billions in federal funding for research and development of carbon capture and storage, or CCS, technologies that pull carbon dioxide out of smokestacks or directly from the air before storing it underground. Just a single bill – the bipartisan infrastructure legislation that passed the Senate last week and is now headed to the House of Representatives – includes more than $12 billion in direct support for carbon capture, and could unlock billions more through other programs, according to the recent drafts.Many environmental advocates argue that the massive government support would be better spent on proven climate solutions like wind and solar energy, which receive far less in direct funding under the infrastructure bill. “We know today that renewable energy is ready to be deployed, it works, it helps decarbonize the energy sector,” said Josh Axelrod, a senior advocate in the nature program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. “On the flip side, carbon capture has a mixed record, is not widely deployed anywhere, and if it holds promise, it holds promise in the next decade or the next 20 or 30 or 40 years.”
Enchant Energy spent more on lobbying than planning its coal carbon capture project – The developers of a controversial coal carbon capture proposal at the San Juan Generating Station in New Mexico have not attracted interest from outside investors and failed to fund even their share of the study for the billion dollar proposal. Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that the Department of Energy revised the cost sharing agreement in January 2021 to increase the share paid by taxpayers for the study; the agency now has confirmed to the Energy and Policy Institute that the decision was made during the final week of the Trump administration. In the absence of investor interest, Enchant Energy is now also seeking a $906 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy for the carbon capture proposal, lobbying Congress for expanded 45Q tax credits and other subsidies, and urging the state of New Mexico to accept long-term liability for sequestered carbon dioxide – on top of the federal funding it is already receiving for the study. Environmental and Native groups in the region wrote to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and other officials in May to request that the agency stop spending federal dollars on the carbon capture proposal until it completes an Environmental Impact Statement.Enchant Energy is proposing to build the world’s largest carbon capture project at the San Juan Generating Station, a coal plant near Farmington, New Mexico. But as the Albuquerque Journalreported in June, the proposal “is facing yearslong delays in nearly all its plans, spurring renewed debate on whether the project will ever get off the ground.” PNM, the operator of the power plant and largest utility in the state, plans to close the 50-year-old coal plant next year and replace it with renewable energy and battery storage projects. But Enchant Energy and the municipal utility for the city of Farmington, which owns a portion of the plant, want to fully acquire the plant, continue operating it, and retrofit it with a massive carbon capture project and carbon dioxide pipeline. In 2019, the Department of Energy provided a grant to Enchant Energy to help fund a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study about the proposal, as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to fund coal and gas power plant carbon capture proposals.A cost sharing agreement between Enchant Energy and the Department of Energy (DOE) suggest that the parties expected that Enchant Energy would provide the majority of the funding for the FEED study, according to DOE documents.
Carbon capture can’t save us – – Randi Pokladnik – The AFL-CIO and Energy Futures, a think-tank led by former Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz, have formed a new group, called the Labor Energy Partnership. They are proposing that the Ohio River Valley become a storage hub for fossil-fuel generated hydrogen and carbon dioxide using carbon capture storage technology.Some of the biggest cheerleaders of this plan include fossil fuel companies and Brian Anderson, the former West Virginia University professor who spoke in favor of a petrochemical hub in the Ohio River Valley. Anderson was tapped by President Biden to head up the White House Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization. He will be holding public meetings and no doubt singing the praises of CCS to save coal-fired power plants and jobs in areas where there are coal-centered economies.CCS uses a technique to strip the carbon dioxide from a waste stream such as effluent from a coal-fired power plant smokestack. Although the oil industry has been using this technique for years, MIT Technology Review points out in an Aug. 9 article, “carbon-sucking machines require large amounts of energy and materials.” According to the Global Carbon Capture Storage Institute, the current amount of carbon emissions being captured and stored by this technique is about 40 million tons or 0.1 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions. The United Nation’s Climate Report released on Monday says we have to remove “5 billion tons of carbon a year by 2050 and 17 billion by 2100 to maintain a 2 degree C increase in the average global temperature.” That’s 125 times more CO2 than we are currently removing with CCS.There are many environmental and economic problems associated with using CCS. The main use of the carbon dioxide captured is for enhanced oil recovery to help “bolster” production of older oil fields. During this procedure, pressurized CO2 is pumped into old oil field wells to help force out any remaining oil deposits. Using the carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery does not guarantee the gas is permanently removed from the atmosphere as it can leak from wells and fissures.The majority of the world’s 21 large-scale CCS plants are located in the United States and Canada, and all but five sell or send their carbon dioxide to facilities involved in enhanced oil recovery. This serves to encourage more fossil fuel extraction. Additionally, an enormous system of pipelines will be needed to transport the captured carbon dioxide to other areas of use. These pipelines have been known to rupture as was the case in Yazoo, Miss., where on Feb. 27, 2020, a CO2 line ruptured. The carbon dioxide filled the air, causing the evacuation of more than 300 people and the hospitalization of 45. First responders reported citizens foaming at the mouth from the CO2 and combustion engines stopped from the lack of oxygen.In the 2019 Center for International Environmental Law report “Fuel to Fire” Exxon stated that it had a working interest in one quarter of the world’s total carbon capture and storage capacity and Shell is involved with four current CCS projects. Chevron has invested $75 million in CCS research in the past 10 years, while BP is a current sponsor of the CO2 Capture Project. There are economic incentives that are encouraging fossil fuel industries to champion the use of CCS. These include government programs as well as tax incentives.The very industry that is a main contributor to climate change will profit from tax breaks and government funding being directed at CCS projects. The CIEL Report states, “It is not surprising that the fossil fuel industry has invested and is investing heavily in the technologies that would render a transition from fossil fuels less urgent.” Carbon capture is one of those technologies.
Firms line up ‘green’ ammonia for fertilizer and future fuel – As society attempts to find ways to reduce its environmental footprint, decarbonizing a broad range of sectors and industrial processes will be crucial in the years ahead. Time is of the essence when it comes to finding new solutions and technologies to do this, if the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest findings are anything to go by.. Published last week, its report warned that limiting global warming to close to 1.5 degrees Celsius or even 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would “be beyond reach” in the next two decades without immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Against this sobering backdrop a number of firms are attempting to reduce the environmental effects of ammonia production, which is responsible approximately 1.8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, according to a policy briefing from The Royal Society. On Monday, for instance, three Norwegian firms – energy powerhouse Statkraft, Aker Clean Hydrogen and fertilizer specialist Yara – launched a company focused on the production of so-called “green” ammonia. The new company, called HEGRA, is jointly owned by the three businesses. According to Statkraft, which is itself owned by the Norwegian state, HEGRA will focus on electrifying and decarbonizing an ammonia plant located in Heroya, Norway. The broad idea behind the initiative is that it will use renewable energy to generate ammonia at scale. The ammonia would then be used to produce carbon-free fertilizer. Statkraft also described green ammonia as “a promising zero-emission fuel for the maritime sector.” Speaking to CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Monday morning, Yara CEO Svein Tore Holsether stressed the importance of developing big-picture solutions. “The technology is there, but it’s also about turning it into a product,” he said. “And the nice thing about ammonia production and fertilizer production is that you have an existing infrastructure already.” “By converting part of that to renewable energy using hydropower, as we’re talking about here in Norway, we can produce a renewable fertilizer product and supply that to the farmers at scale, rather quickly.” In terms of a timeline, Holsether indicated it would take five to seven years to get the project up and running.
‘Expensive distraction’: Chair of UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association resigns citing blue hydrogen concerns | BusinessGreen News – Protium CEO Chris Jackson claims blue hydrogen risks locking UK into reliance on fossil fuels as he quits the trade body Chris Jackson has stepped down from his role as chair of the UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (UKHFCA), arguing that he is no longer able to advocate in good faith on behalf of ‘blue’ hydrogen made using fossil fuel gas with carbon capture….
Biden wants a national efficiency standard. Would it work? During his 2020 campaign, President Biden began pitching an energy efficiency and clean electricity standard to push the United States to carbon-free electricity by 2035 – a target now being weighed in Congress. Biden repeated his support for the dual-standard approach in a tweet two weeks ago, noting the need to act to curb the effects of climate change that “Americans across the country can see and feel.” But his administration has not offered details on the energy efficiency part, and it’s unlikely to be included in the Senate version of a clean electricity standard (CES) – now called a clean electricity payment program – that supporters hope to include in the sweeping $3.5 trillion Democratic budget resolution unveiled last week. The omission is frustrating advocates who say an efficiency standard could help slash emissions significantly and reduce the demand for energy. “We see an efficiency standard as well as a clean electricity standard as peanut butter and jelly: It’s hard to imagine one without the other,” said Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, which recently issued a policy brief to make the case for a federal efficiency standard alongside a clean electricity standard. “It’s a powerful strategy to help meet emissions goals.” Nadel published an additional blog post last week saying a national efficiency standard would cut carbon emissions more than what is released annually from all U.S. passenger vehicles. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia already have energy efficiency standards that require utilities to save energy through programs for consumers. The council says the standards save enough electricity each year to power 2 million homes. However, efficiency standards have run into opposition in some states, and it’s unclear how such a plan would fare nationally.
Biden’s pro-car, pro-gasoline moves leave green allies fuming – President Joe Biden is pushing ambitious plans for tackling climate change by weaning the U.S. off fossil fuels – but he’s also taking short-term actions that would make it cheaper and more convenient for Americans to keep driving their gasoline-powered cars. The White House’s latest moves include imploring OPEC and Russia to increase oil production in the name of lowering fuel prices, as well aschampioning a trillion-dollar infrastructure deal loaded with money for new and wider highways. The Biden administration has also declined to block a series of oil pipeline projects – despite killing Keystone XL – and has greenlit drilling on leased federal land at a faster rate than former President Donald Trump’s agencies had.The pro-fossil-fuel actions are opening the door to sniping from Republicans, who took special delight in lampooning the request to OPEC. They’re also sowing frustration among green groups, which say Biden is undercutting his climate strategy and sending mixed messages about the urgency of lessening the nation’s reliance on oil and natural gas. “Biden can’t be the climate leader he thinks he is if he’s lobbying oil states to produce more fossil fuels,” said Deirdre Shelly, an organizer for the Sunrise Movement, a grassroots climate group that endorsed Biden after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) dropped out of the presidential race. Shelly noted the awkward timing of Biden’s OPEC plea, given that just days ago, the United Nations’ latest climate assessment warned that the world will surpass a crucial warming threshold up to a decade sooner than previously predicted. Even environmental groups that credit Biden with pursuing the most aggressive climate policy of any U.S. administration in history say he’s undermining his own achievements in combating fossil fuel use. Those including pausing oil and gas drilling on public lands, jump-starting rules to slash greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks, and negotiating historic amounts of spending on charging stations for electric vehicles in the very same infrastructure deal.
Biden admin weighs penalty increase for car companies – The Biden administration is weighing a sharp increase in penalties car companies must pay for not complying with fuel economy standards from model years 2019 to 2021, potentially costing the industry hundreds of million of dollars. In a proposed rule, a division of the Transportation Department this week said it is seeking public comment on whether to reinstate an Obama-era rule that imposed an inflation adjustment to the civil penalty rate starting in 2019. A 2015 law required a number of agencies to adjust their Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, rates, which had not been updated since 1997. Accordingly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration bumped its penalties from $5.50 per tenth of a mile per gallon to $14. The Trump administration tried to roll the penalty rate back to $5.50, but the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the effort. Still, in his final days in office, President Trump issued a rule delaying the start date of the penalty hike to model year 2022. The recent move to reconsider the start date of the penalty increase is part of President Biden’s broader push to undo a number of Trump-era policies. In January, Biden signed an executive order requiring all federal agencies to review regulations and rollbacks implemented between 2017 and 2021 that are not consistent with science and environmental safety. While NHTSA is considering reinstating the Obama-era standards, the agency said it has not yet reached any final determination and is seeking additional public comment. Public comments are due within 30 days. The announcement follows a series of Biden administration efforts to boost fuel economy and increase adoption of electric vehicles as part of a broader effort to decarbonize the transportation sector, which accounts for the bulk of climate pollution in the United States. Earlier this month, the president signed an executive order calling for half of new car sales to be electric or plug-in electric hybrids by the end of the decade (E&E News PM, Aug. 5).
Fires, probes, recalls: The shift to electric vehicles is costing automakers billions – Automakers are spending billions of dollars to transition to cleaner and greener battery-powered vehicles, but the new technology has come with an even steeper cost: Reputation-damaging vehicle fires, recalls, sudden power loss and problems getting some of the cars started. The learning curve with batteries is steep for traditional automakers, and battery technology remains challenging even for Tesla, which has faced similar issues. But automakers are eager to embrace the new technology with President Joe Biden in the White House pushing for half of new car sales to beelectric by 2030, a plan that will likely come with billions of dollars in tax and other incentives.While costly recalls occur in traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines, many of the current trouble spots for electric vehicles are software and batteries – two areas crucial to EVs that are not historically core areas of expertise for Detroit automakers. “Anytime you go into a new area of technology, there’s more to be learned than there is that you know,” Doug Betts, president of J.D. Power’s automotive division, told CNBC. “There are risks, and there are things to be learned.”The problems are already showing up on corporate balance sheets. Three high-profile automaker recalls within the last year – by General Motors, Hyundai Motor and Ford Motor – involving about 132,500 electric vehicles cost a combined $2.2 billion. Most recently, GM said it would spend $800 million on a recall of its Chevrolet Bolt EV following several reported fires due to two “rare manufacturing defects” in the lithium-ion battery cells in the vehicle’s battery pack.Recalls are common in the automotive industry, especially for new vehicles. It’s one of the reasons vehicles with the newest technologies traditionally perform poorly in some J.D. Power studies.”When you go from gas to electric, there’s going to be a whole new set of problems you have to deal with, and we just have to figure out how to deal with those issues that you know that we haven’t had to deal with in the past,” said Guidehouse Insights principal analyst Sam Abuelsamid.Recent recalls or problems with batteries or software of new EVs have included:
- GM last month issued a second recall of its 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVs after at least two of the electric vehicles that were repaired for a previous problem erupted into flames. The automaker said that officials with GM andLG Energy Solution, which supplies the vehicle’s battery cells, identified a second “rare manufacturing defect” in the EVs that increases the risk of fire. The $800 million recall covers about 69,000 of the cars globally, including nearly 51,000 in the U.S.
- Porsche recalled the Taycan, its flagship EV, due to a software problem that caused the vehicle to completely lose power while driving.
- In April, Ford Motor said a “small number” of early customers of its Mustang Mach-E crossover EV reported the 12-volt batteries in their vehicles wouldn’t charge, preventing those cars from operating. Ford said it was due to a software issue.
- In Europe, Ford last year recalled about 20,500 Kuga plug-in hybrid crossovers and suspended sales of the vehicles due to concerns that the battery packs in the vehicles could potentially overheat and cause a vehicle fire. It cost the automaker $400 million.
- Hyundai Motor earlier this year said it would spend $900 million for a recall following fires in 15 of its Kona EVs.
- BMW, Volvo and others also have recalled EVs, including plug-in hybrid models, due to issues with battery systems.
Infrastructure bill contains less transmission funding than advertised – News articles on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which passed the Senate last week, have reported that it contains $73 billion for power grid upgrades and transmission, a figure drawn from a July 28 White House fact sheet. “The deal’s $73 billion investment is the single largest investment in clean energy transmission in American history,” the fact sheet states.An updated fact sheet released by the White House on Aug. 2 reduced that number to $65 billion, yet retained the description of its impact in “building thousands of miles of new, resilient transmission lines to facilitate the expansion of renewable energy.”But a close look at the bill’s specifics reveals that very little of that $65 billion is dedicated to building the high-voltage transmission lines that experts say the U.S. must have to enable the level of wind and solar power deployment necessary to decarbonize the grid.Instead, much of the “power infrastructure” funding is dedicated to research and demonstration of batteries (about $6 billion), carbon capture and storage (about $8 billion), clean hydrogen production (about $9.5 billion) and nuclear power (about $6 billion). Of the funding that is dedicated to the power grid, most of it – between $11 billion and $14 billion – is aimed at making the existing grid more resilient, not necessarily building new power lines. Only $2.5 billion is explicitly targeting transmission grid expansion, in the form of federal loans to help projects reach financial viability. Other funding streams could be directed toward new transmission, but likely little more than $5 billion total, according to an analysis by Rob Gramlich, executive director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid. And the bill’s other transmission-specific provision – giving federal agencies more authority over siting new power lines – doesn’t address the cost challenges that have stymied new transmission development over the past decade. So says a lettersent last week from 50 companies and groups to the leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee. The letter notes that the infrastructure bill – which is expected to be passed by the House and signed by President Biden – does not contain the advertised $73 billion for transmission. It asks lawmakers to boost federal transmission grid support in a separate $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill being crafted by Congressional Democrats and the Biden administration.
Lines to plug NYC into green power to be buried or submerged – (AP) – There’s a disconnect in the effort to make New York state less reliant on fossil fuels. Solar farms, wind turbines and hydro dams are producing more renewable power for the state, but it can be difficult to deliver that power south to the massive New York City market. So state officials are considering proposals to effectively plug the city into more green power through high-voltage transmission lines that would run underground or underwater for more than 100 miles (161 kilometers). Different proposed lines would go beneath the Hudson River or be buried along the state Thruway. One long-planned line would run down the entire state to deliver hydropower from Canada. The proposals are designed to bring New York state a big step closer to its goal of relying on renewable sources for 70% of its power by 2030. The Cuomo administration this year offered incentives to build the lines after analysts concluded it would be difficult to hit the statewide goal without targeting New York City, which relies heavily on fossil fuel. That reliance is expected to increase in the short term because of the recent closure of Indian Point nuclear facility just north of the city. “We’re going to need more efficiency. We’re going to need more rooftop solar. We’re going to need offshore wind. But we also are likely really going to need power from upstate and north of New York in order to meet our objectives,” said Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters. Transmission constraints in the electrical grid currently limit the ability to send more renewable energy downstate. Backers of the proposed transmission lines say they could help solve that problem by tapping into the grid north of the congestion. The state will provide incentives through the purchase of “renewable energy certificates” representing the new clean power sent into the grid. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is reviewing plans for transmission lines from seven bidders. Multiple bids are for 1,200 megawatt direct current lines, which could provide an estimated 15% of the city’s electricity needs.
Solar coalition: Chinese firms ‘gravely’ imperil U.S. clean energy – A newly formed coalition of solar companies is warning that “exploitative” Chinese trade practices could endanger U.S. clean energy goals, raising alarm bells among industry advocates even as the Biden administration has pledged to boost solar power. On Monday, a group of solar manufacturers known as the American Solar Manufacturers Against Chinese Circumvention (A-SMACC) asked the Biden administration to slap fresh tariffs on Chinese-linked solar imports routed through three Southeast Asian countries. In petitions filed with the Department of Commerce, the coalition alleged that Chinese companies have been setting up shop in Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand to avoid paying U.S. tariffs. It said allowing the practice to continue would cede “monopoly control” of the industry to China, leaving the administration’s zero-carbon electricity goals “gravely imperiled.” The petitions were backed by at least three companies, although the group declined to identify its members. The names were redacted in copies of the petitions made available to E&E News, and in those filings, the coalition cited the threat of “retribution” if their members’ identities were disclosed. The solar industry’s chief trade group, the Solar Energy Industries Association, promised to fight the petitions, which it said came from four companies. In a note to members yesterday, SEIA’s president and CEO, Abigail Ross Hopper, said that her group would “aggressively contest” the coalition’s bid for a quick and favorable decision from Commerce on new tariffs. “While we are still assessing the potential impact of these petitions, the disruption to the U.S. solar market could be severe,” added Hopper. Some 20 Chinese solar companies and subsidiaries, including several of the world’s largest suppliers like JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. and LONGi Solar, were called out in the A-SMACC petitions. Those companies had made only “the bare minimum investment” in their Southeast Asian facilities, the petitions alleged. Solar cells were sent to those facilities from China to undergo “minor processing” before being exported to the U.S. – with the real goal of avoiding American trade policies aimed at China, A-SMACC wrote. A JinkoSolar spokesperson declined comment, and several other Chinese companies did not respond to questions from E&E News. A-SMACC wants Commerce to expand anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese-made solar panels and cells – first enacted under former President Obama in 2012 – to encompass panels and cells made in the three Southeast Asian countries as well. The exact tariff percentage can vary widely, but last year, Chinese-origin solar cells made by many large suppliers were facing tariffs of close to 100%.
Bitcoin mining comes to Pennsylvania coal country – and raises tough questions – How fast will Chinese Bitcoin miners – all and sundry recently ejected from what was formerly the world’s largest nation for minting coins – find new homes, and where will they land? Overnight, the Chinese exit banished half the competition for the producers who never stopped cranking in the rest of the world, hugely expanding their profits. The quicker the displaced Chinese can relocate, the more of that bounty they’ll reap for themselves, bounty greatly enhanced by Bitcoin’s one-third leap in price (to $46,000) since Beijing’s late-June crackdown.The Chinese earthquake also spotlights the environmental issue that’s crucial to Bitcoin’s future: If most of the displaced Chinese miners choose locales where they’ll run on fossil fuels, the industry’s already gigantic carbon footprint, the size of Greece’s before the lockdown, could grow far vaster. In part, that’s because the hydroelectric plants in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces hosted by far the world’s largest share of green production before the exodus. Now, miners that once drew their power from China’s raging rivers are moving to regions offering cheap natural gas, fuel oil, and even coal.BIT Mining, one of China’s largest producers, along with numerous others from the diaspora, are powering up on coal in Kazakhstan. At an old Alcoaaluminum smelting plant in Rockdale, Texas, giant expatriate Bitmain installed banks of computers extending the length of three football fields that will run on natural gas – – one of Bitmain’s executives proudly posed by the towering racks in a ten-gallon hat. A Nevada energy company called Black Rock Petroleum recently announced a deal with a group of Chinese producers that, if it happens, would move 1 million mining machines, and a huge share of the uprooted industry, to Canada’s oil-rich Alberta province. The Chinese migration is obscuring another trend that’s at least as important: The mother lode in Bitcoin, boosted by the sudden shrinkage in mining capacity and jump in prices, is luring U.S. and other non-Chinese entrepreneurs, mostly backed by venture capital and independent power suppliers. Where these startups go will play a lead role in establishing whether Bitcoin leans green, or spews ever greater quantities of greenhouse gases. And no startup underscores that urgent emissions question more than Stronghold Digital Mining, a new U.S. miner that expects to build a very profitable business around one of the world’s dirtiest energy sources. In Kentucky, the largest coal-producing state in the nation, the legislature just passed tax incentives that will benefit such Bitcoin miners as Blockware, which is planning a new plant in Paducah that will run on a blend of hydro, wind, and of course coal. Wyoming has joined Kentucky in offering tax benefits. Crusoe Energy Systems is an operator in the Powder River Basin that takes excess natural gas that’s now flared and uses it for mining. Crusoe is now seeking $100 million to $125 million in loans to rechannel the energy that’s now burned and wasted, creating a flaming eyesore for nearby communities.
US coal and oil demand on the rise again in blow to climate goals – America’s appetite for fossil fuels has come roaring back as the economy cranks into gear, providing a boost to energy groups but flying in the face of Washington’s drive to slash emissions.Motorists’ return to the roads following the loosening of pandemic restrictions is pushing up fuel demand and the bottom lines of oil refiners, while a shift away from natural gas in power generation has been a boon to coal miners.The resurgence comes as floods and wildfires in many parts of the world lay bare the destructive impacts of climate change, which a landmark report last week determined was “unequivocally” the result of human activity – mainly through the burning of fossil fuels. Petrol demand collapsed last year as the pandemic forced people to stay home. But the vaccine rollout and a loosening of restrictions has allowed American motorists to return to roads in force this summer. Petrol consumption hit record levels of more than 10m barrels a day early last month.The surge in demand has pushed up fuel prices and sparked alarm in the Biden administration, which last week pressed Russia and Saudi Arabia to increase oil production to cool the rally. The federal Energy Information Administration expects Americans to burn through a daily average of 8.8m barrels of petrol this year, up 10 per cent on last year, but below the 9.3m b/d consumed in 2019, largely thanks to an increase in people working from home.Burgeoning fuel demand has provided a boost to oil refiners that were hit hard by last year’s collapse. Companies have ramped up volumes, with many swinging back into profit after posting hefty losses last year.”There was a significant increase in mobility in the second quarter, driving higher demand for refined products, particularly in the US,” Joseph Gorder, chief executive of Texas-based Valero, the biggest global independent refiner, told analysts recently. “In fact, we’re seeing demand for gasoline and diesel in excess of pre-pandemic levels in our US Gulf Coast and mid-continent regions.”US coal demand is also rising sharply, but for a different reason. Climbing natural gas prices have spurred power producers to burn more of the dirtiest fossil fuel once again. The EIA estimates that coal consumption in US electricity generation will jump 17 per cent to 511.7 short tons this year. It means that as Joe Biden battles to push sweeping new clean energy legislation through Congress, his first year as president will coincide with a resurgence in the use of coal.
US coal exports on the mend despite mixed long-term outlook | S&P Global Market Intelligence – The amount of coal shipped from U.S. shores rose during the second quarter, buoyed by robust demand from international markets, particularly in Asia. Exports of U.S. coal jumped 52.5% year over year to 20.6 million tonnes in the June quarter from 13.5 million tonnes, according to an S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused electricity consumption to tank, decimating demand for U.S. coal. But the economic recovery in 2021, combined with stronger international coal demand, especially from China, has led to a resurgence in coal exports. What is more, low investment in coal over roughly the past decade made it challenging for the industry to keep supply on pace with demand when markets did recover. Of the top 10 U.S. ports analyzed by Market Intelligence, only two recorded year-over-year declines in seaborne shipments: the ports in Mobile, Ala., and Seattle. The remaining eight ports booked increased second-quarter shipments compared to the same quarter of 2020. Coal shipments from New Orleans, which exports a significant amount of Illinois Basin coal, surged in the second quarter to 2.8 million tonnes, 398.5% more than in the same quarter in 2020. “With coal prices up, a lot of Illinois Basin coal production can now be reasonably exported again,” Nelson told Market Intelligence. “That helps explain why exports from New Orleans’ ports were up so much during the quarter. It’s a function of where that coal is coming from and what is going on there.” A significant portion of the country’s metallurgical coal, a primary ingredient in steelmaking, departed from Norfolk, Va., during the three-month period. Producers shipped about 6.2 million tonnes of metallurgical coal from Norfolk, a 31.7% increase from the 4.7 million tonnes of metallurgical coal exported during the second quarter of 2020. Total coal export volumes from Baltimore also jumped during the June quarter, by 101.5% year over year to total 5.1 million tonnes. Producers in Northern and Central Appalachia service ports in Baltimore and Norfolk.
Soaring demand for the world’s least-liked commodity sees coal prices jump 106% this year – Soaring electricity demand, infrastructure woes and a surge in global gas prices have triggered an extraordinary rally for the world’s least liked commodity. Australian thermal coal at Newcastle Port, the benchmark for the vast Asian market, has climbed 106% this year to more than $166 per metric ton, according to the latest weekly assessment by commodity price provider Argus. The Newcastle weekly index, which stood at a 2020 low of $46.18 in early September, now appears to be closing in on an all-time high of $195.20 from July 2008. Its South African equivalent, the Richards Bay index, ended the week through to Aug. 13 at $137.06 per metric ton, up more than 55% this year. To put thermal coal’s remarkable rally into some context, international benchmark Brent crude is one of few assets to have recorded comparable gains this year. The oil contract is up 33% year-to-date. The resurgence of thermal coal, which is burned to generate electricity, raises serious questions about the so-called “energy transition.” To be sure, coal is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel in terms of emissions and therefore the most important target for replacement in the pivot to renewable alternatives. Yet, as policymakers and business leaders repeatedly tout their commitment to the demands of the deepening climate emergency, many still rely on fossil fuels to keep pace with rising power demand. It comes shortly after the world’s leading climate scientists delivered their starkest warning yet about the speed and scale of the climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s landmark report, published Aug. 9, warned a key temperature limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius could be broken in just over a decade without immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, pushed for all governments, private companies and local authorities to “end the deadly addiction to coal” by scrapping all future global projects. Yulia Buchneva, director in natural resources at Fitch Ratings, told CNBC that thermal coal remains a key global energy source, noting the commodity still has a more than 35% share in global power generation. “We expect that the share of coal in energy generation will decline driven by the energy transition agenda, however this will have a rather longer-term impact on the market. In the medium-term demand for coal in emerging markets with less strict environmental agenda, in particular in India, Pakistan, and Vietnam, where coal-fired power dominates generation, is expected to rise,” Buchneva said. By comparison, Buchneva said that since the U.S. and EU account for only 10% of worldwide demand for coal, an expected contraction in these regions would have a limited impact on the global market. When asked whether thermal coal prices could push even higher in the coming months, Buchneva replied: “The current high thermal coal prices have decoupled from costs and are therefore not sustainable. We expect that prices will normalize during the remainder of the year.”
Biden administration releases guidance limiting international financing for fossil fuels – The Biden administration on Monday said it would vote against decisions by the World Bank and other multilateral development banks to fund most projects that would develop fossil fuels. The announcement was released in guidance that said the U.S. would oppose new coal-based projects and would also oppose most oil-based projects – with a few exceptions. The U.S. will still offer support for some natural gas projects and is also open to carbon capture projects in which emissions from burning fossil fuels are captured and stored instead of being released into the atmosphere.”Today, the United States takes bold, proactive steps to address the climate crisis by working with our international partners to establish a clear path to end Multilateral Development Banks’ support for fossil fuels except in exceptional circumstances while helping developing countries build a strong and sustainable future,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement about the new guidance. Multilateral development banks provide funding for economic projects in developing countries meant to promote growth. Some environmental groups were unsatisfied with the guidance, arguing that it did not go far enough to eliminate fossil financing. “The Treasury guidance leaves loopholes for continued fossil fuel financing that are so big, you can drive an LNG ship through them,” Luisa Galvao, International Policy Campaigner at Friends of the Earth U.S., using an acronym ot reference liquified natural gas.
Memphis City Council to TVA: Don’t bury coal ash here -The Memphis City Council made a clear statement Tuesday – it told the Tennessee Valley Authority, the city’s electricity provider, don’t bury coal ash within Memphis, Light, Gas and Water’s service area. The city council passed a resolution Tuesday that asked TVA not to bury coal ash from the retired Allen Fossil Plant in the South Shelby landfill near Whitehaven. The resolution’s passage was purely symbolic. It has no binding authority on TVA. It passed without dissent. But it is an expression of political will from a body that is still very much divided over the question of whether the city-owned utility, Memphis, Light, Gas and Water, should continue purchasing all of Memphis’ electricity from TVA. TVA first broke the news that it was going to bury coal ash from the Allen plant in Memphis this summer when it came out during questioning from the city council. After hearing political pushback, the utility pressed pause on those plans. They remain paused. For now. In response to the council’s resolution, TVA said it is still listening to Memphis. “We are going to continue to do what we said we’re going to do, which is to honor our commitment to listen and engage with the people of Memphis, community partners, and city leaders,” TVA said in a statement. Under a 2016 agreement with Memphis, Shelby County, and the Memphis and Shelby County Port Commission, TVA agreed to dispose of the coal ash. It has control over how the ash is buried. Any consultation with Memphis is voluntary, but a lack of cooperation comes with political ramifications. The passage comes as MLGW is receiving bids on its electricity supply from the private sector and evaluating whether it would leave TVA. MLGW is TVA’s largest customer and represents about 9% of its revenue.
Indigenous people find legal, cultural barriers to protect sacred spaces off tribal lands — To the Havasu ‘Baaja, known to the world as the Havasupai Tribe or “People of the Blue-Green Water,” Red Butte (Wii’I Gdwiisa or “Clenched Fist Mountain”) is the abdomen of Mother Earth. Mat Taav Tiivjunmdva, a meadow about 3 miles north of the distinctive mountain close to the Canyon’s South Rim, is her navel. But Red Butte and Mat Taav Tiivjunmdva are part of the Kaibab National Forest and do not lie within the trust land borders of the Havasupai, who were evicted from Grand Canyon National Park in 1919.That means a federal agency and not the Havasupai control the land, deciding who uses it and how. It means the Havasupai must argue their interests alongside other public land users. And often it means someone else is allowed to use the land and, in the eyes of the Havasupai, desecrate it. Native peoples have always regarded certain places, like mountains, springs, particular groves of trees, rock formations or petroglyph sites as sacred spaces. These sites serve as churches, much like synagogues, mosques, temples or other structures serve Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and other religious communities. But like Red Butte and Mat Taav Tiivjunmdva, many of these spaces lie outside of tribal trust land borders, often on public lands. Some of the most well-known places are in Arizona and the southern Colorado River Valley. Federal laws meant to protect these spaces or Native American religious practices, often come up short. Some legal experts say the federal government seems to practice a double standard when it comes to upholding the religious rights of Native peoples. Tribes must deal with a revolving door of federal officials and opposition by stakeholders like recreation companies or extraction firms. They also face a lack of knowledge by the public about these places and why Indigenous peoples fight to keep them from harm, or at least further harm.The Mining Act of 1872 gives U.S. citizens the right to stake claims on federal lands. One claim led to a now-idled mine on the plateau in the vicinity of Mat Taav Tiivjunmdva.The 750-member Havasupai tribe, the only U.S. tribe that still lives below the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, has long been concerned about the mine. They fear radioactive materials will contaminate their water supply and spoil the sparkling turquoise waters tourists seek out that provide tribal members with their principal revenue source, rendering what’s left of their ancestral homeland uninhabitable.The environmental damage could irreparably alter the ecology of the Canyon, the Havasupai say, and as it worsens, they could perish as a distinct people.
Bye, Bye Byron? Exelon Prepares to Shutter Illinois Nuclear Plants – Byron, Illinois – about 11 miles outside of Rockford – has had various identities since its founding in 1849. It’s been home to canning plants, railroad stops and a milk depot.Mayor John Rickard says all of those have come and gone. But since 1985, Byron has had a new identity: It’s home to a pair of nuclear generators.At full power, Byron’s nuclear plant is pumping out enough energy to power some 2 million northern Illinois homes.But Byron’s power is literally running out. “This particular plant has a fixed amount of fuel loaded in it and that was loaded 18 months ago,” said Exelon Executive Vice President and Chief Generation Officer Bryan Hanson. “That fuel is losing energy. In fact I think in the next couple of days we’ll start to see the reactor lose its power, from 100% power it will slowly trickle down to about 70% power, then the plant shuts down on Sept. 13.” Nuclear plants have to refuel from time to time; at Byron, a reactor is temporarily shut down to refuel every 18 months. But Exelon has already given notice to regulators that it may not refuel, and may in fact retire the Byron plant completely. That’s a big deal. If you don’t put more gas in the car when the tank’s nearing empty, you can wait and fill it up later. When you’re dealing with radioactive nuclear fuel rods, it’s not so simple. “We’re preparing right now to shut down these reactors forever,” Hanson said. “That means shutting the plant down, turning the turbines off, the generators off, shutting down the reactor.” Rickard says Exelon pulling the plug on the plant would be devastating for Byron and the entire region. Byron’s population has more than doubled since the generators were built, from about 1,200 to 3,800. “We feel like we’re pawns in a game we can’t control,” Rickard said. “The discussions in Springfield we don’t seem to have any influence on anymore. We’re kinda sitting here going ‘do you realize what you’re doing to us?'”
After scandal broke, FirstEnergy lobbyist pushed DeWine on “covid response” – On Sept. 23, 2020, McKenzie K. Davis, a lobbyist with the Success Group, registered to lobby the administration of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on “covid response.” The timing is curious because only six weeks earlier, federal authorities announced they’d arrested then-Speaker Larry Householder and four associates in what they said was “likely the largest bribery and money-laundering scheme ever in the state of Ohio.” Also implicated in the corrupt scheme was the company on whose behalf Davis had registered to lobby: Akron-based FirstEnergy. Davis’s ties to the bribery scheme, as first reported by the Energy and Policy Institute, run deeper than that. In 2019, he served on the board of Partners for Progress, a 501(c)(4) “dark money” group that federal prosecutors say funneled tens of millions of FirstEnergy dollars into the corrupt effort to make Householder speaker and pass a $1.3 billion package while McKenzie served on the money group’s board. The law, signed by DeWine, propped up two aging nuclear plants, as well as two 66-year-old coal plants – including one that isn’t even in Ohio. And in this time of dire climate news, it gutted standards forenergy efficiency and renewables.Householder has been removed as speaker and expelled from the House, two of his associates havepleaded guilty and a third has died by suicide. A separate dark-money group, Generation Now, has also pleaded guilty.FirstEnergy last month entered into a deferred-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors in which it admitted to its role in the scandal and agreed to pay the state $230 million.It also admitted paying $4.3 million to Sam Ramdazzo just before DeWine appointed him to be the state’s top utility regulator. Randazzo proceeded to do favors for the utility that were worth at least hundreds of millions, the agreement said.DeWine won’t say he regrets appointing Randazzo and Randazzo – who hasn’t been charged – denies wrongdoing. But Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican like DeWine, last week added Randazzo and former FirstEnergy executives as defendants in a racketeering suit against FirstEnergy, calling the company’s payment to Randazzo a “bribe.” Then on Friday, Yost moved to freeze Randazzo’s assets, saying Randazzo this year transferred a $500,000 property to his son and sold others worth $4.3 million.
After House Bill 6, new bill would revive voluntary energy efficiency – Bipartisanship and energy policy haven’t gone hand-in-hand recently at the Ohio Statehouse, where lawmakers passed then repealed a $1 billion nuclear bailout that’s now at the heart of a federal bribery probe. But a new proposal from Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Green Township, and Rep. Dave Leland, D-Columbus, is bucking that trend. Their new bill could cut Ohioans’ electric bills while helping the environment – adding an incentive for companies to push energy efficiency programs that were axed by House Bill 6. House Bill 389 would allow Ohio electric companies to submit a portfolio of ways to reduce residential customers’ energy use, such as smart thermostats or more efficient appliances, to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for approval. Customers who don’t want to participate could opt out. “The cleanest, cheapest kilowatt of energy is the one you don’t use,” Leland said. If approved, the companies could charge customers up to $1.50 a month for these energy efficiency programs. Customers would see a net drop in their bills because they would spend less money on energy. The PUCO would review the portfolio each year to ensure customers weren’t being charged for “dubious” programs, Seitz said. At least one program must target low-income residential customers. The proposal is different from pre-House Bill 6 energy policy in two ways. First, the program is optional rather than mandatory. Second, the targets are more modest, reducing energy use by 0.5% a year rather than the 2% required toward the end of 2027 under prior mandates. “I was never opposed to energy efficiency. It is the cheapest form of energy,” said Seitz, who backed House Bill 6 that eliminated prior incentives. “The past program suffered from a number of defects.” In addition to bipartisan support, the proposal is backed by three of the state’s four investor-owned utilities – American Electric Power, Duke Energy, and AES, formerly Dayton Power and Light – and environmental groups like the Ohio Environmental Council and the Environmental Law and Policy Center. Seitz said he had not seen or heard from the fourth utility: Akron-based FirstEnergy. The company recently entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, accepting a $230 million fine for bribing public officials. A senior consultant said the company was reviewing the new bill.
FirstEnergy’s admissions feed call for regulatory review –The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio should conduct a big-picture, in-depth review of FirstEnergy’s spending and governance in light of the company’s admissions last month about former PUCO Chair Sam Randazzo, critics say.”It’s not a debate anymore whether the company engaged in corruption,” said Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “The company did so. With this pervasive corruption, the PUCO needs to mind the store in order to protect the public interest and to protect consumers.”On July 22, FirstEnergy admitted it used nonprofit entities “to conceal payments for the benefit of public officials and in return for official action.” A federal court filing on the same day details multiple interactions with and payments to former House Speaker Larry Householder, who faces criminal charges for an alleged $60 million conspiracy to pass and defend House Bill 6. That nuclear and coal bailout law gutted Ohio’s clean energy standards.The federal court filing also details FirstEnergy’s dealings with Randazzo. The former PUCO chair helped shape HB 6, and his companies received approximately $22 million from FirstEnergy entities from 2010 through 2019. According to the filing, FirstEnergy increased those payments in 2015 in exchange for Randazzo having his longstanding client, Industrial Energy Users-Ohio, drop opposition to an earlier nuclear and coal bailout plan.FirstEnergy paid the last $4.3 million shortly before Randazzo became PUCO chair in 2019. “In return, [Randazzo] would perform official action in his capacity as PUCO Chairman to further FirstEnergy Corp.’s interests,” the filing said. That included work on HB 6 and “other specific FirstEnergy Corp. legislative and regulatory priorities, as requested and as opportunities arose.”Ohio Attorney General David Yost has now sought to add Randazzo, two of his companies, and former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling to astate court civil action. But questions remain about how FirstEnergy routed the money, what amounts may have come from ratepayers, and how to prevent future abuses.
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