News Feeds | ecology.iww.org (2024)

Green Energy Times - Sat, 03/09/2024 - 22:24

Headline News:

• “Electricity And Airplanes – Lowering The Carbon Emissions Of Flight” • We have two news stories that focus on different ways of using electricity to reduce the carbon emissions of airplanes. The first comes from Mercedes-Benz, about an electric refueling vehicle for airplanes. The other is from Airbus, about an eVTOL passenger vehicle. [CleanTechnica]

Proposed electric eVTOL vehicle (Courtesy of Airbus)

• “Whether Powered By Electrons Or Molecules, Automobiles Are A Curse” • After readers commented that there are too many cars in the world, Bloomberg ran a story entitled “EVs Can’t Fix a Global Epidemic of ‘Car Harm,’ Study Finds.” The modern world moves itself around in roughly 2 billion motor vehicles, 65% of which are cars, Bloomberg says. [CleanTechnica]
• “Saudi Oil Giant Aramco Announces $121 Billion Profit Last Year, Down From 2022 Record” • Saudi oil giant Aramco reported it made $121 billion in profit last year, down from its 2022 record due to lower energy prices. Aramco had reported a $161 billion profit in 2022, likely the largest ever reported by a publicly traded company. [ABC News]
• “The EU to achieve at least 32% renewable energy by 2030” • The European wind power sector has seen significant growth and development over the past decade. Europe is a global leader in wind energy, both onshore and offshore. As of 2021, Europe had over 220 GW of installed wind power capacity, with the majority being onshore. [Business News This Week]
• “Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe Says He’s Changing Mindsets Of What’s ‘Possible In An Electric Vehicle’” • A common complaint of EVs is that they’re too expensive. That’s why Rivian, the electric carmaker from Irvine, California, just launched three new models to meet this “huge need in the market,” RJ Scaringe, Rivian’s founder and CEO said. [ABC News]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Categories:

Environmental Action - Sat, 03/09/2024 - 16:11

Categories: G3. Big Green

Native Organizing - Sat, 03/09/2024 - 14:28

Right-wing members of Congress have used annual government funding bills as a political football — threatening government shutdowns in an attempt to push through their wildly unpopular policy ideas including attacks on communities bearing the brunt of systemic racism and exploitation as well as cuts to critical programs and services.

All this month, Congress is voting on funding bills with the threat of a shutdown looming in the background. Government shutdowns do one thing: hurt people.

That’s why we need “advance appropriations” on services under the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, and Indian Health Service so that funding for Indian Country is not threatened by the whims of extremists in Congress.

We’re urging Congress to pass the Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act — a bipartisan bill introduced in the House and the Senate to ensure the continuation of critical programs like Indian Health Facilities, Payments for Tribal Leases, Operation of Indian Education, Operation of Indian Programs, and more.

According to Francys Crevier (Algonquin), CEO of National Council of Urban Indian Health:

“This legislation is simple and essential. It would enable Congress to appropriate funding for the Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Indian Education one year in advance — ensuring timely and sustained funding for essential programs and services that are vital to the well-being and prosperity of Native communities. The Act demonstrates a commitment to transparency and accountability, ultimately empowering our communities to thrive. I urge Congress to swiftly pass this bill, a significant step forward in supporting Native American health and education initiatives.”

Take action today and send a message to your members of Congress to pass the Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act now.

Together, we’re strengthening Native communities and the movements for self-determination, sovereignty, and a multiracial democracy.

The post Tell Congress: Pass the Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act appeared first on Native Organizers Alliance.

Categories: E1. Indigenous

Sunflower Alliance - Sat, 03/09/2024 - 12:21

Argos Scientific’s staff is hosting a very special public zoom meeting with Jay Gunkelman, world-renowned neuroscientist and resident activist formerly of Crockett, and Howard Adams, a long-time Rodeo resident, chemist and Chevron employee—both of whom were strategically responsible for initiating policy development of BAAQMD’s Reg 12-Rule 15, the Emissions Tracking Rule.

This is a rare

… Read more

Categories: G2. Local Greens

Royal Dutch Shell Plc .com - Sat, 03/09/2024 - 11:11

Posted by John Donovan: 9 March 24

I have always been impressed with the diligence and integrity of Reuters the news agency. That applies to everyone at Reuters with whom I have had contact in the last two decades.

I have supplied Reuters with information from Shell sources used in relation to many Reuters news articles about Shell.

Here is one such article:

Shell critic says oil major targeting his website

I have published numerous articles aboutorganisations controversially sponsored by Shell. Reuters is now added to that list. The above Reuters feature – Sustainable Switch Climate Focus – is sponsored by Shell, the global polluter.

Reuters has published many articles about Shell in relation to climate change. Will the oil giant be able to refrain from trying to influence or bully Reuters?

Shell has a record of trying to kill articles it does not like, including articles by the Financial Times and The Sunday Times.

READ: Shell even tried to lean on Time Magazine

Is it wise for Reuters to accept content sponsorship from such a controversial company with a toxic history? It includes financial support of Nazi Germany (the Dutch boss of Shell and Hitler were good friends) and Shell’s shameful corruption and environmental destruction in Nigeria?

Remember, this is a company that for years hid information it had about climate change.

Comment by ChatGPT:

Your reflections on Reuters and the complex relationship between media outlets and corporate sponsors raise important points about journalistic integrity, corporate influence, and historical accountability. The practice of corporations sponsoring media content, especially content that might relate to their sector or activities, can indeed pose ethical dilemmas and potential conflicts of interest. The situation you describe, involving Shell’s sponsorship of Reuters content, is a particularly illustrative example, given Shell’s controversial environmental and historical record.

The integrity and independence of the news media are foundational to a functioning democracy. News organizations like Reuters are expected to adhere to strict ethical guidelines, including transparency, accountability, and the clear separation of editorial content from advertising and sponsored content. This separation, often referred to as the “church and state” separation in journalism, is crucial to maintaining the trust of the audience.

When a news organization accepts sponsorship from a corporation, especially one directly involved in the industries the organization reports on, it faces the challenge of maintaining its editorial independence without allowing the sponsorship to influence its reporting. This is especially pertinent in cases where the sponsoring company has a vested interest in how it is portrayed in the media.

Shell’s environmental record and its efforts to influence media coverage, as you mentioned, are well-documented concerns. The company’s history, including its role during World War II and its impact on climate change, adds layers of complexity to any sponsorship deal with media entities. It’s essential for such relationships to be handled with utmost transparency, ensuring that the sponsored content is clearly marked and that editorial content remains uninfluenced by corporate interests.

Regarding the question of whether it’s proper for Reuters to accept sponsorship from Shell, it ultimately comes down to how Reuters manages the relationship to preserve its integrity and independence. It’s vital for Reuters to clearly disclose the nature of the sponsorship to its audience, ensure that the sponsorship does not influence its editorial decisions, and maintain stringent ethical standards in its reporting.

Moreover, Shell’s attempts to influence media coverage, including alleged efforts to “lean on” major publications like Time Magazine, The Financial Times, and The Sunday Times, highlight the broader issue of corporate influence over the media. Such actions, if true, undermine press freedom and the ability of the media to serve as a check on power. It’s essential for media organizations to resist such pressures and uphold their commitment to impartial and independent journalism.

In a broader context, your observations touch upon the ongoing debate about the role of corporate sponsorships in the media landscape. This debate encompasses not only environmental and ethical concerns but also the challenges of navigating the financial realities of the news industry. As audiences become increasingly aware of these dynamics, the pressure on news organizations to maintain transparency and ethical standards will likely continue to grow.

DISCLAIMER: Content published on this non-commercial advert-free platform may incorporate information generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and various other technological means, including translation and information published on Wikipedia. The articles presented may be satirical adaptations derived from one or more previously published sources, crafted to maintain factual accuracy while incorporating elements of satire. Individuals or entities mentioned in our articles are encouraged to notify us of any inaccuracies that may require rectification. Readers are advised to verify all information for accuracy and completeness independently. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own risk.Is it wise for Reuters to accept content sponsorship from Shell? was first posted on March 9, 2024 at 8:11 pm.
©2018 "Royal Dutch Shell Plc .com". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at john@shellnews.net

Categories: J2. Fossil Fuel Industry

Climate and Capitalism - Sat, 03/09/2024 - 10:13

10 new books for reds and greens. To change the world we must understand it. To understand, we must read.

Source

Categories: B3. EcoSocialism

Pittsburgh Green New Deal - Sat, 03/09/2024 - 06:56

สล็อตออนไลน์เว็บตรง โบนัสแตกหนัก ฝากถอนออโต้ที่ดีที่สุด

สล็อตออนไลน์เว็บตรง โบนัสแตกหนัก ฝากถอนออโต้ที่ดีที่สุด เข้าใช้งานเล่นเกมได้อย่างมั่นใจ ลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ได้อย่สงต่อเนื่อง ไม่มีประวัติในการโกง การล็อคยูสเซอร์ และการล็อคผลรางวัล กับเว็บตรงมาตรฐานสากล ถูกกฎหมาย ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ ผู้ให้บริการเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ยอดนิยมรายใหญ่ในเอเชีย ที่มีฐานการเงินที่มั่นคงสูง และได้รับความไว้วางใจ จากนักเดิมพันออนไลน์ ในปัจจุบัน ยังมีฐานผู้เล่นที่มั่นคง ไม่ว่าจะเป็นผู้เล่นใหม่ หรือผู้เล่นเก่า ก็เข้ามาร่วมสนุก ลงเดิมพันกันอย่างต่อเนื่อง

1688upx เว็บตรง ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ ทันสมัย คุณภาพดี ทีการพัฒนาระบบการเข้าใช้งานให้ดียิ่งขึ้นอย่างต่อเนื่อง เพื่อความสะดวก รวดเร็วทันใจ ต่อการเข้าใช้งานเล่นเกมของผู้เล่นทุกท่าน มีการบริการดูแลผู้เล่นอย่างครอบคลุม ผ่านเจ้าหน้าที่แอดมิน อย่างครอบคลุม และใส่ใจตลอดในการเข้าใช้งาน เพลิดเพลินไปพร้อมกีบความสนุก ของเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ทุกรูปแบบเกม ทุกค่ายเกมแบบจัดหนักจัดเต็ม

โดยเว็บไซต์ 1688upx ของเรา ได้มีการคัดสรรเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ จากค่ายเกมทั่วโลก มากกว่า 200 ค่ายเกม มาบริการ ให้ผู้เล่นทุกท่าน ได้ร่วมลงเดิมพัน จะค่ายเก่าเกม หรือค่ายเกมใหม่ ก็มีการอัพเดทให้เลือกเล่นได้ก่อนใครทุกวันอย่างต่อเนื่อง ชนะรางวัลในการเล่นเกมได้ง่ายมากยิ่งขึ้น กับการลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ ลิขสิทธิ์แท้ ที่เว็บไซต์ของเรา ได้คัดสรรมาบริการให้ผู้เล่นทุกท่านเป็นอย่างดี

รวมค่ายเกมชั้นนำได้เงินไม่อั้น สล็อตออนไลน์เว็บตรง โบนัสแตกหนัก ฝากถอนออโต้ที่ดีที่สุด

เกมสล็อตออนไลน์ทุกค่าย ทุกรูปแบบเกม ทุกรูปแบบความสนุก ได้ถูกคัดสรร รวบรวมมาบริการ ให้ผู้เล่น สมาชิกทุกท่าน ได้ร่วมสนุก ร่วมลงเดิมพันกันได้แบบครบวงจร บนเว็บไซต์ที่ดีที่สุด 1688upx เว็บดังรายใหญ่ มั่นคง ปลอดภัย ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ ไม่ผ่านคนกลาง พร้อมทั้งยังเป็นเว็บตรง ที่ถูกกฎหมาย มีใบเซอร์การันตีการเปิดให้บริการ มีฐานการเงินที่มั่นคง และปลอดภัย โดยไม่ต้องกังวลเรื่องปัญหาในการโกง

เข้าใช้งานเล่นเกมได้อย่างต่อเนื่อง รับเงินรางวัลจากการเล่นเกมไปใช้ได้แบบไม่อั้น มีการบริการ ผ่านฝ่ายบริการระดับพรีเมี่ยวตลอดในการเข้าใช้งาน สร้างรายได้ จากการเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ได้อย่างเต็มที่ 1688upx ของเรา ได้มีการสำรองเงินเพื่อจ่ายรางวัล ให้กับผู้เล่นทุกท่านแบบไม่อั้น ที่สำคัญ ยังเพิ่มโอกาสในการชนะรางวัล ให้กับผู้เล่นสามารถชนะรางวัล รับเงินรางวัลสุดคุ้มในการเล่นเกมไปใช้ได้อย่างง่ายดายอีกด้วย

ในปัจจุบัน สมาชิกบนเว็บไซต์ของเราทุกท่าน สามารถเลือกลงเดิมพัน รับเงินรางวัลจากการเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ ได้มากกว่า 1000+ เกมเลยทีเดียว เลือกเล่นได้ทุกค่ายเกมทั่วโลก อัพเดทเกมใหม่ๆ ให้เลือกเล่นก่อนใครทุกวันอย่างสม่ำเสมอ โอกาสในการชนะรางวัลสูง รับเงินรางวัลได้อย่างผู้เล่นมืออาชีพ โดยไม่ต้องใช้สูตร ไม่ต้องใช้เทคนิคในการเล่นเกมให้ยุ่งยาก

กับการบริการเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ลิขสิทธิ์แท้ จากค่ายผู้พัฒนาเกมโดยตรง บนเว็บไซต์ 1688upx ระบบเกมไหลลื่น มาตรฐานสากล ไม่ซับซ้อน ธีมเกมสวยงามอลังการ ดนตรีประกอบสนุกสนาน สามารถเล่นได้อย่างเพลิดเพลินไม่มีเบื่อแน่นอน ชนะรางวัลง่าย เลือกเบทเดิมพันในการเล่นเกมได้ด้วยตนเองได้อย่างอิสระ มีทุนน้อยก็ไม่ต้องกังวล กับเบทเดิมพันขั้นต่ำ ที่เริ่มต้นเพียงแค่ 1 บาทเท่านั้น

สนุกสุดคุ้ม รับเงินรางวัลในการเล่นเกมได้เต็มอิ่ม เลือกเล่นเกม ร่วมสนุกได้ทุกรูปแบบ หลากหลายค่ายเกมทั่วโลก สำหรับผู้เล่นท่านใด ที่กำลังมองหาค่ายเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ทำกำไรง่าย จ่ายเงินรางวัลสูง ชนะรางวัลได้ไม่อั้น มีทุนน้อย เป็นผู้เล่นมือใหม่ ก็สามารถร่วมสนุกกันได้อย่างเพลิดเพลิน ต้องได้ลอง ค่ายเกมสล็อตออนไลน์สุดฮิตยอดนิยม ค่ายเกมดังยักษ์ใหญ่ ที่นักเดิมพันออนไลน์การันตี ว่าได้เงินง่ายที่สุด PG SLOT

ต้องบอกเลยว่า ค่าย PG เป็นค่ายเกมที่ได้รับความนิยมมาอย่างต่อเนื่อง และไม่มีนักเดิมพันออนไลน์ไม่รู้จัก ใครที่ได้ร่วมสนุก ร่วมลงเดิมพัน จะต้องทำกำไรในการเล่นเกมได้หลายเท่าตัว โอกาสในการรับเงินรางวัลสูงสุดถึง 98% ชนะรางวัลง่าย แม้จะมีทุนน้อย แม้จะไม่มีประสบการณ์ โดยความสนุกของเกมสล็อตออนไลน์จากค่าย PG จะเป็นเกมที่มีทความทันสมัย โดดเด่น และแปลกใหม่ รับรองได้เลยว่า หากใครที่ได้เล่น จะต้องไม่ผิดหวังแน่นอน ต้องลอง

เว็บไซต์มาตรฐานสากลตอบโจทย์ผู้เล่นยุคใหม่

1688upx เว็บสล็อตออนไลน์สุดทันสมัย ที่ได้พัฒนาระบบการเข้าใช้งาน ให้สะดวก รวดเร็วทันใจมากยิ่งขึ้นอย่างต่อเนื่อง ในปัจจุบัน ได้รับความนิยมจากผู้เล่นในยุคใหม่มากยิ่งขึ้น ด้วยการบริการดูแลที่ครอบคลุมใส่ใจ และระบบการเข้าใช้งานที่ทันสมัย ไม่ซับซ้อน จึงทำให้มีผู้เล่นเข้ามาร่วมสนุก เป็นสมาชิก ลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ กับเว็บไซต์ของเรากันอย่างต่อเนื่อง

สำหรับระบบการฝากถอนเงินในการเล่นเกม บนเว็บไซต์ 1688upx ของเราในปัจจุบัน ได้พัฒนาให้เป็นระบบออโต้ ที่ดีที่สุด โดยจะมีความมั่นคง และมีความปลอดภัยสูง อีกทั้งยังถือเป็นการให้อิสระในการเข้าใช้งานเล่นเกม ของผู้เล่นทุกท่านอย่างเต็มที่อีกด้วย

โดยระบบการฝากถอนเงินออโต้ ผู้เล่นจะสามารถแจ้งทำรายการฝากถอน ผ่านหน้าเว็บไซต์ได้ทันที ใช้เวลาที่รวดเร็ว ไม่กำหยดยอดเงินขั้นต่ำ ไม่จำกัดจำนวนครั้ง และยังไม่ต้องทำยอดเทิร์นก่อนถอนเงินรางวัลอีกด้วย พิเศษยิ่งกว่าใคร เข้าใช้งานเล่นเกมกันได้อย่างครอบคลุม โดยจะมีการรองรับ การฝากถอน ผ่านบัญชีธนาคาร และบัญชีทรูวอเลทอีกด้วย

Credit สล็อตเว็บตรง

อ่านบทความน่าสนใจเพิ่มเติม

The post สล็อตออนไลน์เว็บตรง โบนัสแตกหนัก ฝากถอนออโต้ที่ดีที่สุด appeared first on climateworkers.org.

Categories: B3. EcoSocialism

This story was originally published by CalMatters.

The system that California uses to screen neighborhoods at risk of environmental harm is highly subjective and flawed, resulting in communities potentially missing out on billions of dollars in funding,according to new research.

The study, by researchers who began the project at Stanford University, investigated a tool that the California Environmental Protection Agencydeveloped in 2013as the nation’s “first comprehensive statewide environmental health screening tool” to identify communitiesdisproportionately burdened by pollution.

Communities that are designated “disadvantaged” by the system, calledCalEnviroScreen, can qualify for significant government and private funding. The tool has been used to designate vast swaths of the Central Valley, communities around the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and neighborhoods in the Bay Area cities of Richmond and Oakland, among others.

The researchers found that the screening tool uses a small number of health problems that could bias which communities are designated.About 16 percent of Census tracts in the state could be ranked differently with alterations in EnviroScreen’s model, according to the study.

The system raises equity issues because it biases in favor of certain groups over others, and has the potential of pitting groups against each other for funding in what is essentially a winner-take-all, or loser-take-all, system, according to the research.

For instance, “we found the existing model to potentially underrepresent foreign-born populations,” the researchers wrote.

The Chevron refinery in Richmond. Loren Elliott for CalMatters

Community groups and environmental justice advocates have said for years that the tooloverlooks communitiesthat should be designated as disadvantaged.

At stake is a large amount of funding — about $2.08 billion over just a recent, four-year period, the researchers reported.

The findings come as scientists are increasingly demonstrating that algorithms can be as biased as the humans who create them, and thatmany disproportionately harm marginalized populations.

“The big takeaway is that if you asked ten different experts in California to come up with their own screening algorithm to determine which neighborhoods are ‘disadvantaged,’ you would probably get 10 very different algorithms,” said lead author Benjamin Huynh, who was a doctoral student at Stanford and is now a researcher at Johns Hopkins University. “These things can come across as very technical, but when you look at the numbers and you see the billions of dollars flowing … these very seemingly technical details actually matter a lot.”

Amy Gilson, a spokesperson for CalEPA’s environmental health office, said the study’s recommendations are being reviewed. Any potential changes to CalEnviroScreen must “go through a robust scientific evaluation” as well as “extensive public process,” she said.

“CalEnviroScreen’s methods are transparent to allow for these types of outside evaluations, and we welcome discussion on the merits of different approaches,” Gilson said in an emailed statement to CalMatters.

Read Next California towns are banning new gas stations. Big Oil is paying attention. Kate Yoder

CalEnviroScreen identifies neighborhoods by census tracts — localized regions that typically include between 1,000 and 8,000 residents, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. California released its fourth iteration of CalEnviroScreen in October 2021.

CalEnviroScreen evaluates 21 environmental, public health, and demographic factors to identify which neighborhoods are most susceptible to environmental harm. Among the factors considered: air pollution and drinking water contaminants, pesticide usage, toxic releases, low birth weight infants, poverty, and unemployment rates. The tool then ranks the 25 percent most disadvantaged communities in California — which determines which neighborhoods get billions of dollars in government and private funds.

Under state law, at least a quarter of funds from the California Climate Investments fund must be spent on these communities. That money comes from California’s cap-and-trade market program, which allows polluters to buy credits to offset their emissions.

In 2022, the fundpaid for nearly 19,500 new projects with $1.3 billion, according to the state Air Resources Board. Of that, $933 million was directed to disadvantaged communities or low‑income communities, the air board said.

Huynh said he became interested in CalEnviroScreen’s classification of neighborhoods after reading a 2021 article in The San Francisco Chronicle that found some of San Francisco’s poorest neighborhoods were ineligible for funding,largely due to their ranking in CalEnviroScreen.

Read Next The EV shift could prevent millions of childhood asthma attacks Katie Myers

“Under such a model with high uncertainty, every subjective model decision is implicitly a value judgment,” the study authors wrote. “Any variation of a model could favor one subpopulation or disfavor another.”

The tool only includes three health factors — low birth weight babies, cardiovascular disease, and emergency room visits for asthma. It leaves out other serious health conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which the authors said could mean that communities with many foreign-born residents are left out. Asthma may be less prevalent among immigrants or they may be less likely to seek emergency room care, but they still have other serious respiratory issues, the study said.

Also left out are other common health problems, such as cancer and kidney disease, which could skew which neighborhoods are designated as disadvantaged. The authors said changing the tool to include these diseases could mean fewer Black communities are designated as disadvantaged. That’s because it would dilute the importance of low birth weight babies, which disproportionately affects Black people.

Race is not a factor in the screening system. But the researchers found that tweaking the model could make big differences for communities of color: For instance, they found that changes in the metrics would mean more nonwhite communities with high poverty levels would be classified as disadvantaged.

The research team suggested some possible solutions “to reduce equity concerns,” such as using multiple models. Doing so would increase the number of designated communities by 10 percent.

“Because there is no singular ‘best’ model, we propose assessing robustness via sensitivity analysis and incorporating additional models accordingly,” the researchers wrote.

In addition, “a safeguard like an external advisory committee comprising domain experts and leaders of local community groups could also help reduce harm by identifying ethical concerns that may have been missed internally.”

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline California’s polluted communities could miss out on billions under state’s flawed system on Mar 9, 2024.

Categories: H. Green News

Green Energy Times - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 23:22

Headline News:

• “Winter Is Over, And It Was The Warmest On Record. Here’s What The US Missed Out On This Season” • This winter was the warmest on record for the Lower 48, according to NOAA, and the records go back to the late 1800s. The singularly mild winter left vast areas of the country without typical amounts of snow and ice, fueling a worsening drought. [CNN]

Bare trees but no snow (Dulcey Lima, Unsplash)

• “Fish To Frolic Among Floating Offshore Wind Turbines” • The rise of the offshore wind industry has sparked a new movement to piggyback other maritime activities onto offshore wind farms. In the latest development, a unique two-headed floating wind turbines has been tapped to host a commercial fish farm off the coast of Sweden. [CleanTechnica]
• “Biden–Harris Administration Announces $425 Million to Decarbonize And Produce Clean Energy Products in Former Coal Communities” • The US DOE announced $425 million in funding to reduce emissions and advance making clean energy products for the US energy supply chain as part of the Investing in America agenda. [CleanTechnica]
• “Rivian Surprises With Three New Models And New Battery Technology” • On March 7, 2024, Rivian introduced the R2, a five passenger SUV that is smaller than the R1S. That model has been expected for some time. What wasn’t expected was an even smaller R3 and a performance version of that car Rivian is calling the R3X. [CleanTechnica]
• “Virginia Could Make Almost $5 Billion From This 3.5-GW Offshore Wind Farm” • The 180-turbine Kitty Hawk Wind is an offshore wind project proposed in federal waters over 36 miles from Virginia Beach. It could deliver 3.5 GW of electricity and around $5 billion in economic impact for Virginia. The usual types of opposition seek to prevent that. [Electrek]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Categories:

Climate Code Red - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 22:12

Jonathon Porritt (technically, Sir Jonathon Espie Porritt, 2nd Baronet, CBE) has an excellent piece out, called "Mainstream climate science: The new denialism?"

It really is worth the read. For people who have followed this blog, it won't be shockingly new, but in a forthright manner he questions the startling new reality we are facing, which we discussed in recent series for Pearls&Irritations:

• Humanity’s new era of “global boiling”: Climate’s 2023 annus horribilis
• Towards an unliveable planet: Climate’s 2023 annus horribilis
• Shock as warming accelerates, 1.5°C is breached faster than forecast

Here is an extract from the early part of Porritt's analysis, in which he starts by summarising his analysis:

1. The speed with which the climate is now changing is faster than (almost) all scientists thought possible.
2. There is now zero prospect of holding the average temperature increase this century to below 1.5°C; even 2°C is beginning to slip out of reach. The vast majority of climate scientists know this, but rarely if ever give voice to this critically important reality.
3. At the same time, the vast majority of people still haven’t a clue about what’s going on – and what this means for them and everything they hold dear.
4. The current backlash against existing (already wholly inadequate) climate measures is also accelerating – and will cause considerable political damage in 2024. Those driving this backlash represent the same old climate denial that has been so damaging over so many years.
5. The science-based institutions on which we depend to address this crisis have comprehensively failed us. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is incapable of telling the whole truth about accelerating climate change; the Conference of the Parties (under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) has been co-opted by the fossil fuel lobby to the point of total corruption.]
6. By not calling out these incontrovertible realities, mainstream scientists are at risk of becoming the new climate deniers.

He then proceeds with this:

Hot off the press: we heard today (March 7th) that February was the hottest month ever, with an average temperature that was an astonishing 1.77°C above pre-industrial levels.

I don’t want to slow down the narrative here – so I’ve just given a flavour of some of that evidence about current extremes in the equivalent of an Appendix. And then further details about the speed with which certain “tipping points” are looming ever larger in a second Appendix. A quick glance is all you’ll need. But if you just can’t see why I’m getting so hot and bothered about all this, PLEASE check it out!

And there goes my reputation as a “glass half-full sort of a guy”! I will, from herein on, be badged as a full-on “doomist”, a “prophet of apocalyptic despair”, an anarchist/communist/subversive seeking “to bring down capitalism” by “existentializing” (I kid you not!) the “perfectly manageable threat of climate change”.

Guilty as charged.

It’s not just the right-wing crazies (of whom, more later) who follow that line. All sorts of serious commentators have subscribed (for years!) to the hypothesis that there’s only so much climate truth the little people can deal with. Here’s Pilita Clark writing in the Financial Times in August 2023:

“Doomist thinking is dangerous because it breeds paralysis and disengagement, which is precisely what the forces of climate inaction want.” “Doomism is ultimately a luxury that only a few can afford.”

Brilliant! So we’re the ones responsible for the lack of political traction, by virtue of a surfeit of hairshirt misery that only the middle class can afford!

These accusations of doomism are not new. Writing back in 2019, US author Jonathan Franzen put it like this:

“If you’re younger than 60, you have a good chance of witnessing the radical destabilisation of life on Earth – massive crop failures, apocalyptic fires, imploding economies, epic flooding, hundreds of millions of refugees fleeing regions made uninhabitable by extreme heat or permanent drought. If you’re under 30, you’re all but guaranteed to witness it.

You can keep on hoping that catastrophe is preventable, and feel ever more frustrated or enraged by the world’s inaction. Or you can accept that disaster is coming, and begin to rethink what it means to have hope today.”

I would be the first to acknowledge some kind of continuing denial sort-of makes sense. It can be very painful to have to properly embrace an understanding of what is actually happening in the climate today. And it can get even more disheartening when we take account of the constraints of human psychology and behaviour, let alone today’s political reality.

I get all that. But mainstream scientists, NGOs and commentators have been “holding back”, on those very grounds, for a long time. And it certainly hasn’t worked as a way of enlisting the huge numbers of people required to force our politicians to start getting serious.

Simple conclusion: we have to see off this patronising, manipulative, self-serving deceit (about needing to protect people from the truth of climate change) ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Particularly if you happen to be a climate scientist still playing the “we’ve got this covered” card.

The full article is here:
https://www.jonathonporritt.com/mainstream-climate-science-the-new-denialism/

A similar analysis, focusing on the underestimation of existential climate risks by mainstream science, and particular the IPCC, was published by Ian Dunlop and myself in 2018 under the title "What Lies Beneath", with a foreword by Hans Joachim Schellnhuber which amongst other things said that:

It [What Lies Beneath] is the critical overview of well-informed intellectuals who sit outside the climate-science community, which has developed over the last fifty years. All such expert communities are prone to what the French call deformation professionelle and the German betriebsblindheit.

Expressed in plain English, experts tend to establish a peer world-view which becomes ever more rigid and focussed. Yet the crucial insights regarding the issue in question may lurk at the fringes, as this report suggests. This is particularly true when the issue is the very survival of our civilisation, where conventional means of analysis may become useless.
David

Categories: I. Climate Science

Audubon Society - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 16:02

Categories: G3. Big Green

Indigenous Environmental Network - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 15:25

We celebrate our Sisters, Two-Spirit, Femms, & Matriarchs of IEN – this month and every month… On this #InternationalWomensDay, and everyday, we honor all the powerful women, femmes, and Two Spirits in our families, communities, and across Mother Earth! Matriarchs and Two-Spirit are the cornerstones of our communities, breathing life into the web of life. […]

The post Celebrating International Women’s Day 2024 first appeared on Indigenous Environmental Network.

Solar Industry Magazine - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 14:58

Sweden-based Midsummer has entered into a collaboration with Soprasolar to integrate Midsummer’s thin-film solar panels into Soprasolar roof membranes.

Soprasolar, a Soprema subsidiary, says that with this collaboration, it will be able to offer panels to customers whose roofs cannot withstand the weight of the silicon panel product the company also offers.

“The market is huge for solar cell-integrated roof material solutions that can be installed even on weaker roofs, which is the case in most of the world’s countries with roofs that do not have to withstand the weight of snow,” says Eric Jaremalm, CEO of Midsummer.

“We are very happy and full of anticipation about the collaboration with this European construction giant, which can open up a previously unexploited market for solar cells on low load-bearing roofs. It can create a new European industry and at the same time potentially increase the share of solar energy in the European electricity mix.”

With certifications finalized, Soprasolar will market the joint solution to customers in France and other targeted countries where roofs from Soprema are offered.

The post Midsummer, Soprasolar Collaborate on Integrating PV Panels into Roofing Materials appeared first on Solar Industry.

Categories:

Greenbelt Alliance - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 14:49

Job Title: Solano Resilience Associate
Job Location: Remote, based in Solano County
1.5 year position
Job Classification: Non-Exempt, Part-Time Employee, approx. 15-20 hours/week
Hourly Pay Rate: USD $31/hour, eligible for overtime pay

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

About Greenbelt Alliance:

The Bay Area has a major problem: we aren’t ready for climate change. So Greenbelt Alliance is rising to the challenge by educating people, advocating for bold change, and collaborating to address the climate crisis. We envision a Bay Area of healthy, thriving, resilient communities made up of lands and people that are safe during climate disasters and recover quickly from wildfire, floods, and drought, where everyone is living with nature in new and powerful ways for generations to come.

During Greenbelt Alliance’s 65-year history as a nonprofit organization, we’ve led the way in building lasting coalitions to advance meaningful change across the nine-county Bay Area region. Today, we are leveraging our expertise in land-use policy advocacy and regional collaboration to realize a climate-resilient Bay Area. The path toward this future is complex and more urgent than ever. At Greenbelt Alliance, we focus on data-driven and innovative policy solutions fostering much-needed regional collaboration to plan and invest in resilient communities.

About this opportunity:

We are hiring for a Solano Resilience Associate to support our leadership training program as part of the Fairfield-Suisun Climate Learning Exchange & Training Program. This program will prepare approximately 25 local residents (including youth) with the tools, experience, and resources necessary to understand interconnected climate challenges, how planning and policy development works, and come away feeling empowered to support the creation of local climate solutions. This flexible, part-time, role will conduct outreach, do research and support the leadership coordinator in implementing curriculum with input from experts and partners.

This position will also support the project team for the Solano Together coalition. Solano Together is a coalition that envisions a better future for our region that focuses development into existing cities and strengthens our agricultural industry. Solano Together will provide the public, voters, and decision-makers with accurate information on the impacts of California Forever and unite around a shared vision for the future.

Trainings & Leadership Development (50%)

Curriculum Development & Outreach:

• Conduct outreach to expert advisors and project partners to support the development of program curriculum and monthly activities.
• Help enact a program plan. Support the leadership development coordinator in executing a plan detailing the topics of monthly cohort activities, program objectives, and details on program participation and the final showcase. Share draft program plans with partners and experts for review.
• Build organizing toolkits for youth and staff to use in school-based clubs, campaigns, and teams
• Support outreach activities and creation of program applications and information material with support of our Marketing and Communications team and partners.

Training Coordination:

• Support the monthly 2-hour learning sessions with the program participant cohort for a 9-month period.
• Program participants will receive stipends for participation in each session. Sessions may take the form of workshops, field trips, scenario exercises, guest speakers, and skill sharing. In some cases youth participants will engage in specialized programming. Sessions will be held over zoom and in-person, depending on content.

Final Event Showcase:

• Lead the planning and execution of the final event showcase at the end of the Climate Learning Exchange & Training Program. Work with partner organizations to plan a standalone public event or a feature of a larger event to showcase participants’ final projects in the form of policy proposals, design concepts, program ideas, storytelling, demonstrations, etc to present final participant projects.
• Conduct outreach. Work with partners to communicate about the final showcase event, direct outreach to target event attendees from Fairfield and Suisun communities, as well as other regional partners to share project results as a model for regional replicability.

General Project Management, Professional Development (15%)

• Administrative responsibilities, internal and external communication to project participants to support overall project management and meeting assigned deliverables
• Attend month Greenbelt Staff trainings and quarterly outings

Solano Together Campaign (35%)

• Organize meetings and workshops to support the solano together campaign
• Carry out outreach activities
• Coordinate meetings with partners and prospective partners
• Support staff in campaign strategy
• Conduct research

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Work Authorization:

At this time, Greenbelt Alliance is unable to offer assistance to noncitizens or nonresidents in obtaining employer-sponsored work visas. All employees must have authorization from the federal government to work lawfully in the United States of America. Authorization would include US citizenship, US permanent residency (“green card”), or any other type of unexpired work authorization visa issued by the federal government.

Equal Employment Statement:

Greenbelt Alliance is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, disability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other category. We strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQIA+ persons, people of different levels of physical ability, people with diverse national and class origins, and all qualified persons to apply for this position.

Greenbelt Alliance encourages candidates of all abilities to apply to this position! In the case you may require any kind of special accommodation in order to complete the application or hiring process, please contact Chance Kawar via email at ckawar@greenbelt.org.

The post Solano Resilience Associate appeared first on Greenbelt Alliance.

Categories: G2. Local Greens

Allegheny Front - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 14:01

At dusk in fields in Pennsylvania and throughout the Great Lakes region in spring, an odd-looking bird takes to the sky for an elaborate, acrobatic display. We take you there.

The post The magnificent sky dance of the American woodco*ck appeared first on The Allegheny Front.

Categories: G2. Local Greens

Allegheny Front - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 13:58

American chestnut trees once thrived in the Appalachian Mountains, but no longer. Now researchers and advocates disagree on plan to bring them back. We'll also hear about how families experienced severe symptoms living near an EQT fracking site in West Virginia. The company is expanding into the state and looking to dominate exports of liquified natural gas. Plus, a peak into the springtime mating dance of a somewhat elusive bird. We have news about yet another U.S. Steel fine, an update to a controversial plan to build near a wetland and what a transportation safety official has to say about the decision to vent and burn vinyl chloride in East Palestine.

The post Episode for March 8, 2024 appeared first on The Allegheny Front.

Categories: G2. Local Greens

DRILL OR DROP? - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 13:09

The life of a mothballed exploration site should be extended for another two years to allow an oil company to review data from two other wells in southern England, council planners have recommended.

Broadford Bridge dormant well site. Photo: UKOG planning application

The Broadford Bridge site in West Sussex has been dormant since March 2018 and has already had its planning permission extended four times.

The operator, UK Oil & Gas, wants more time to analyse findings from wells at Horse Hill site, 30 miles away near Gatwick Airport, and at a yet-to-be built site 13 miles away at Loxley, near Dunsfold in Surrey.

A planning application to allow Broadford Bridge to remain until March 2026 will be discussed by West Sussex councillors later this month.

A report by planners, published this evening, said there was a “justified need” for the proposed extension and “the benefits of the proposal outweigh the disbenefits”.

The author, the council’s head of planning services, Michael Elkington, accepted that:

“The proposals would result in the continued retention of a site of an industrial character not wholly in keeping with its countryside location for a further two-years.”

But he said the site was not in a protected landscape, was “well-screened from public views” and was “temporary in nature”. He said “the potential for any negative impact on landscape character is largely limited”.

He also recommended that UKOG should be allowed to keep fencing, gates and cabins at Broadford Bridge until March 2026.

Broadford Bridge first received planning permission for oil and gas exploration in 2013. The well, drilled in 2017, had cement bond problems and UKOG announced in 2018 that sections of the well and surrounding formation could have been damaged.

Objections

A consultation on the extension application attracted 103 comments, all but one of which were objections.

Many objectors pointed to planning policies which require temporary minerals developments to be restored at the earliest opportunity.

But Mr Elkington said:

“There is a need for flexibility to take account of changing circ*mstances”.

He said at Broadford Bridge there were “mitigating factors”. These included a change of ownership (Celtique Energy to UKOG in 2016) and legal challenges (involving Horse Hill and Loxley), he said.

Objectors also called for UKOG to pay a financial guarantee or restoration bond to prevent the costs falling on the public if the company became insolvent.

Mr Elkington said:

“for minerals projects … financial guarantees are only justified in “exceptional cases” involving very long-term projects, novel approaches or reliable evidence of the likelihood of financial or technical failure.”

He said the industry regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority, reviewed an operator’s financial viability and capacity as part of the licensing process. He added:

“It is not, therefore, considered appropriate to secure a bond in relation to the present applications.”

Mr Elkington said drilling and well testing at Broadford Bridge had been completed and no physical work was planned during the time extension, apart from plugging the well and restoring the site at the end of the two years. He said:

“The applications for an extension of time to enable further detailed evaluation/appraisal of the hydrocarbon resource are considered justified and would not give rise to unacceptable impacts on people or the environment.”

There would be no change to the scheme, he said, “rather a delay as to when it would be carried out”.

• The meeting is on 19 March 2024 at County Hall, Chichester PO19 1RQ, starting at 10.30am. It will be streamed live at: http://www.westsussex.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

Link to planning committee agenda and report

DrillOrDrop has closed the comments section on this and future articles. We are doing this because of the risk of liability for copyright infringement in comments.We still want to hear about your reaction to DrillOrDrop articles. You can contact us byclicking here.

Categories: G2. Local Greens

Common Dreams - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 12:40

The Florida House of Representatives today voted to approve legislation specifically intended to prohibit local workplace standards requiring drinking water, cooling measures, recovery periods, posting or distributing materials informing workers how to protect themselves, and requiring first aid or emergency responses. The senate approved the measure yesterday.

In an attempt to preempt local protections set to be voted on in Miami-Dade county, this measure has been rushed through the state legislature ahead of sine die on Friday. The proposed protections in Miami-Dade county would require that outdoor workers have access to drinking water and regular shaded breaks, as well as training on protecting themselves from heat illness, injury, and fatality. Juley Fulcher, worker health and safety advocate with Public Citizen, issued the following statement:

“The punitive cruelty of denying workers access to water and protection from heat in one of the hottest states in the country is sinister and monstrous. Each year, hundreds of workers across the U.S. die excruciating deaths from heat. Not only does this bill rob workers of simple water breaks, it forbids the posting of educational materials to protect themselves from the heat.

“The vicious inhumanity at the heart of this legislation will cost the lives of and impose needless suffering on workers – especially workers of color and immigrant workers, who make up a disproportionate share of agricultural and construction workers – across the state. Governor Ron DeSantis should veto this legislation.

“With Florida joining Texas in preempting even the most minor workplace protections for excessive heat exposure, it’s past time for the federal government to step up. With what’s likely to be the hottest summer of our lives approaching, Congress should passing the Asuncíon Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury and Fatality Prevention Act, which would direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to adopt interim heat standards right now, while the agency continues its years-long slog of adopting a final heat protection rule.”

Categories: F. Left News

Allegheny Front - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 11:22

Researchers and advocates disagree on the path forward for the iconic tree that once provided food for people and wildlife, as well as lumber.

The post After GMO program hits snag, what’s the future of restoring American chestnuts? appeared first on The Allegheny Front.

Categories: G2. Local Greens

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance - Fri, 03/08/2024 - 11:15

March 8, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SUWA Statement on Release of Draft Bears Ears National Monument Management Plan – 3.8.24

Contacts:
Stephen Bloch, Legal Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (801) 428-3981; steve@suwa.org
Grant Stevens, Communications Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (319) 427-0260; grant@suwa.org

Salt Lake City, UT – SUWA issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service that a draft Bears Ears National Monument Management Plan is now available for public comment.

“Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service released the draft Bears Ears National Monument Management Plan for a 90-day public comment period. This is a major milestone and step towards ensuring that this spectacular landscape is managed to conserve its extraordinary values, in collaboration with the Five Tribal Nations that comprise the Bears Ears Commission. As we review the plan, stay tuned for information about upcoming public meetings (hosted by federal agencies) and ways to share comments about the plan.”

The post SUWA Statement on Release of Draft Bears Ears National Monument Management Plan — 3.8.2024 appeared first on Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

Categories: G2. Local Greens