This is the 560th edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue). Here is the June 2 Spotlight. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Hungry Hungry Hypocrites: Trump and Perry’s Coal Bailouts and Pruitt’s Pricey Pens: “Last week, Scott Pruitt went on a conservative media blitz hitting up friendly outlets for softball interviews. In a chat with former Trump aide Boris Epshteyn, of Trump-friendly Sinclair, Pruitt claims he cares ‘so much about taxpayer money.’ Given Pruitt’s first-class travel on the taxpayer dime and new reports that he spent $1,560 on a dozen personalized pens, it doesn’t take too keen an eye to see some hypocrisy. But in so much as Pruitt cares about the money because he likes to spend it, he might not be lying. (On the other hand, if he said he cared about taxpayer’s health…) On the same note, it doesn’t take a sharp eye to spot the hypocrisy of Trump’s decision to invoke national security powers to bail out coal and nuclear plants. Dictating the operations of the electricity grid is a classic example of liberal ‘command and control’ policy--an odd decision from the party ostensibly for personal responsibility, small government and the free market. In terms of climate, ‘command and control’ hasn’t really been a liberal policy preference for years. Instead, democrats have supported conservative-friendly free market-based policies like cap and trade, a price on carbon, and subsidies for renewables. But if Trump can demand the free market buy coal, why can’t liberals demand the opposite?”
Dan Bacher writes—California lacks real marine protection as offshore drilling expands in state waters: “One of the most neglected news stories by both the mainstream and ‘alternative’ media is the capture of California politics and the regulatory apparatus by Big Oil and other corporate interests in recent years - and the massive expansion of offshore drilling that has occurred in state waters under the helm of Governor Jerry Brown as a consequence of this regulatory capture. The enormous power that Big Oil exerts over California regulators was inadvertently revealed in a March 10, 2012 article in the Santa Barbara Independent that discussed a so-called “marine protected area” created under the privately funded Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative that went into effect on January 2 of that year. The official language for the marine protected area in the Isla Vista area of Santa Barbara County, the Campus Point State Marine Conservation Area, reads, ‘Take of all living marine resources is prohibited, except for take pursuant to operation and maintenance of artificial structures inside the conservation area …’ ”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - 3 ospreys: “Salish Sea, Pacific Northwest. So far this spring I’ve seen three different ospreys in my local neighborhood of two beaches separated by a small headland. The reason I can be sure of that? I saw three at one time a few days ago. Since then I’ve been interested in distinguishing them as a way to figure out the dynamics between them. The first osprey of the season was the one I reported on in the second week of May that was fishing in the bay and perching by beach M (that earlier Bucket: www.dailykos.com/...). Since then I’ve seen an osprey every few days, and was assuming it was the same one, sometimes in beach B. Last weekend while I was out kayaking in the bay of beach B, I spent a half an hour watching an osprey perched and flying and fishing. These photos were all taken May 27.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - roadside hues of red: “Last week of May, first week of June, 2018. Pacific Northwest. Alongside the road in the bushes I’m seeing RED everywhere amidst the green. Are there names for all these shades of red?? Also worth noting: every single one of these plants is native to western Washington! Yay!”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - birds at the beach, early summer: “June 2018. Salish Sea, Pacific Northwest. Transitioning into summer, I’m seeing some typical birds and some more unusual ones this year. Here’s a few who I’ve crossed paths with on my walks down to the beach a quarter mile away. Cedar Waxwings have been more abundant than usual, likely because there’s a bumper crop of Soapberry, aka Soopolalie aka Shepherdia canadensis berries this year. There’s a big patch of Soopalalie bushes along the beach road. On the beach itself, Brown headed Cowbirds were posturing, choosing mates. I’ve seen a flock hanging around — and on — the horses in the field behind the beach. Cowbirds parasitize other birds’ nests, laying eggs there to be cared for, and the question has been asked whether people should intervene, removing those eggs. The answer, according to Audubon, is no, unless it’s an endangered host. Birds may abandon a nest that has fewer eggs than they have become accustomed to, or cowbirds may go mafia and destroy the eggs/nestlings of a host if their egg goes missing.”
6412093 writes—The Daily Bucket--Rear Window: “We re-landscaped a dark corner of our side yard four years ago, taking out the sickly arborvitae (skinny pines) and regrading a 15 X 40 area to feature two small ponds and a shallow stream, bordered with ornamental plants, centered on a Bosc pear tree. Once that area was opened up, the view from the porch became very inviting. I had hoped to attract frogs, which it did, but it also attracted a whole range of birds, ranging from hummers to robins and flickers, who visited for the water, and the mud and other nesting materials, and to eat bugs. I’m not getting around much now, so like Jimmy Stewart in the famous movie, I spend a lot of my days in bed, looking out the sliding doors and spying on the birds. I don’t have a fancy camera with the cool extensions like the Jimmy Stewart character. Grace Kelley isn’t hanging around either, but that’s ok. I prefer a dirt-under-the-fingernails woman gardening addict like my mate salmonwoman. I am however just as snoopy as Stewart, who had colorful neighbors. I am chronicling the little birds who stop by to entertain me, some colorful, some not.”
Pakalolo writes—Buffalo to be flown to Siberia's 'Pleistocene Park' in effort to slow deadly permafrost feedback: “ ‘People say, Oh, mammoth cloning is bad because it’s playing God. Are we trying to play God? We personally don’t have any problem with that. People were geoengineering all our lives. We invented towns. That’s also called geoengineering. It’s been happening and will be happening.”’—Sergey Zimov. When it comes to sharing climate change scientific findings, and global warming’s devastating impacts to the Earth, there is simply no good news to report, says Alan Martin writing for alphr. Martin highlighted a ‘study from the University of Rochester in New York which has mathematically modeled the outcome of an intelligent species mining a planet’s resources and growing their populations accordingly.’ The findings showed that there will be three likely sorry outcomes for us: the die off, the soft landing or full blown collapse of the biosphere. The soft landing version of events leads “to the planet irreversibly changing, but somehow civilisation transitions to a ‘new, balanced equilibrium.’ The planet transforms, but those to blame for its transformation get to live another day. Lucky for them huh? It buys some of us time, but eventually, the end result will be the same as in the other two versions. Apologies for being Debbie Downer once again, but we just might be able to assure that the soft landing will be our fate. If we choose to.”
Aashirs nani writes—Dawn Chorus: Nest Watch: “There are some ethical standards when tracking bird nests. Rather than write it all again, or even try to condense it, I’ll just link to the page at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Nestwatch site. If you aren’t doing it already, consider signing up for Project Nest Watch. Any data at all is appreciated. I keep from leaving a trail by traveling a circular route around my field and pasture. It’s one of the good reasons I don’t go up in a tree or a structure to look into a nest. I never know who will follow my scent trail up there. (The other reason is my age— 70s—and serious physical limitations.) Equipment you may want: Binoculars are almost a must. You don't need, or maybe even want, extra strong ones, nor even expensive ones. It's far easier to keep track of rapidly moving birds with an 8X or 10X pair. Stronger ones make the things you are focusing on seem to jump around. A spotting scope is fine once you have located a nest, but I've never used one.”
owktree writes—Daily Bucket: Sunday Pot-au-Feu - Flowers in the Forest: Photo Diary.
enhydra lutris writes—The Daily Bucket - Band Tailed Pigeon: “Castro Valley, CA. Norcal, East Bay. 1) There is no bucket. 2) About 2 hours ago I startled a band-tailed pigeon in my platform feeder. OK. They are Patagioenas fasciata. They are a California native. They are a close relative of the extinct passenger pigeon.They really are huge, for a pigeon, and also have a yellow bill and feet. Annnnd, that’s all I got.”
Besame writes—Daily Bucket: My summer style relies on the sound of aircraft and the kindness of strangers: "Yesterday morning I awoke at sunrise with a heart-pounding mind-racing urgency. Instantly, I went from dreamy sleep to wide awake mentally triaging what to do first — just because a helicopter flew over my home. Aircraft rarely fly overhead. Because my home area isn’t on regular flight paths, months pass without the sight or sound of a plane. When I hear one, the most likely reasons are either (1) someone needs rescuing from the canyon, usually a drunk young man who stumbled off a trail; or (2) WILDFIRE! Both rescues and wildfires are more common in dry season, which runs from June until November, roughly. Due to global warming, drought, and increased residential development (which means increased human carelessness), fire season has lengthened. I already knew it had begun, but yesterday morning was an actual wake-up call that shifted me into summer mode. As birds change into breeding plumage and mammals put on winter coats, so do I put on my summer style. I’m not talking about swim suits, sandals, and sunscreen. Summer style means being ready for wildfires. Two small fires already have flanked my town, one downslope to the west in late May and one below me to the southeast earlier this week. During my decades in wildfire country, I’ve been through more fires than I can remember, evacuated three times, and been warned of potentially imminent evacuation twice. So far, my land has only burned up once, in 2008. I don’t live on that property any more, but still live in the same general area in the northern Sierra foothills.”
CLIMATE CHAOS
AmericaAdapts writes—Venture Adaptation: Jupiter Intel and the Emerging Business of Climate Change: “In episode 67 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons talks with Rich Sorkin, CEO and Co-Founder of Jupiter Intel. Rich shares the history of Jupiter Intel as a silicon valley start up and his short and long term goals in this emerging field. Doug and Rich discuss Jupiter’s core business of risk modeling and the uncertainties associated with future modeling. They also talk about emerging businesses in the adaptation sector and the role of profit making entities like Jupiter and the ‘wild wild west’ mentality that exists in some areas of future modeling. These topics and much more! Bonus: Doug hosts Claire Wayner, a Baltimore area teen who is leading efforts to recruit youth for the upcoming Zero Hour Climate March. Be inspired by her story!”
Xaxnar writes—Do You Know Who David Buckel Was? Faced With A Burning Planet, He Set Himself On Fire in Protest: “Via Washington Monthly, I was pointed to a NY Times article by Annie Correal on the life and death of David Buckel. He spent much of his life as a lawyer working on civil rights for LGBTQ causes. More recently he had become focused on the issue of Climate Change, and had been instrumental in operating a major composting operation in NYC. From the Times: [...] After Mr. Buckel left Lambda in late 2008, he was inspired by President Barack Obama’s call to volunteerism and took a composting class at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. He was captivated by the idea of community composting, which involves locals in the process of turning orange rinds and coffee grounds and flower stems into enriched soil, while reducing landfill waste and greenhouse gases. […] In just a few years, Mr. Buckel created one of the largest compost sites in the country operated without heavy machinery — using only solar power, wind power and the labor of volunteers. He told no one of his plans, but growing concerns and frustrations over the way the Trump administration and Scott Pruitt at the EPA were negating his efforts led him to emulate the example of Buddhist monks who had set themselves on fire as a means of protest. He did it early in the morning on April 14, 2018.”
FJA writes—DrawDown #7: Walkable Cities and Man Who Stopped the Desert: “Welcome friends to meeting #7 of the bookclub where we read DrawDown, the book of climate change solutions. This week we discuss two chapters ‘Walkable Cities,’ page 86, and a special essay chapter, ‘The Man Who Stopped the Desert’ page 118. [From the DrawDown site: ‘Project Drawdown is the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming. Our organization did not make or devise the plan—we found the plan because it already exists. We gathered a qualified and diverse group of researchers from around the world to identify, research, and model the 100 most substantive, existing solutions to address climate change. What was uncovered is a path forward that can roll back global warming within thirty years. It shows that humanity has the means at hand. Nothing new needs to be invented. The solutions are in place and in action. Our work is to accelerate the knowledge and growth of what is possible. We chose the name Drawdown because if we do not name the goal, we are unlikely to achieve it.’ Announcement: next week we'll read one chapter instead of the usual two.”
AKALib writes—Tangier Island, Virginia - Victim of Climate Change: “"Tangier Island" is a short documentary that takes a look at the island of Tangier, located in the Chesapeake bay. The quiet, peaceful, salt-of-the-earth kind of place, home to a closely knit community of about 700 residents, may soon, within the next 25 to 50 years, become a casualty of rising sea-levels and its inhabitants may become among the first U.S. climate refugees. [...] Jeff Leeds Cohn’s short film is a solemn, atmospheric journey into the town’s partially water-logged streets. Visiting Tangier for the first time with his camera in tow, Cohn walked around, talked to people he encountered, and sometimes followed them as they went about their daily routines. “’I tried to focus on the people rather than the politics,’ Cohn told The Atlantic, ‘but it’s an inherently political subject… The idea of man-made climate change is not widely accepted there.’ In September 2017, after a major report detailing Tangier’s fate was published in Nature, President Trump called the town’s mayor, James Eskridge, to reassure him that ‘your island will be there for hundreds [of years] more’.”
CliimateDenierRoundup writes—A More Inclusive Climate Movement Is Bad, Says Kochy Dark Money Director: “Yesterday, the Kochs announced that brother David, due to health reasons, would be stepping down from Koch Industries and Americans for Prosperity. Unfortunately, that probably does not mean the vast network of Koch interests will stop trying to influence the public. For example, an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal yesterday carried on the Koch’s message--but, of course, without any disclosure of the Koch money behind its author. The piece by Steven Hayward argued that ‘climate change is no longer a pre-eminent policy issue,’ based on a handful of seemingly random reasons. By way of introduction, Hayward seems like a ramblin’ man, having bounced around from Ashland University, Georgetown U, UC-Boulder, and Pepperdine. He is now a resident scholar at Berkeley where he co-teaches a course formerly taught by a grad student. While Hayward’s academic career has careened all over the place, he has been consistent in working with Koch affiliated groups. He was a fellow at the conspiracy theorist’s nightmare Mont Pelerin society, the Pacific Research Institute, Heritage, AEI, and is currently treasurer and on the board of directors at the dark money group Donors Capital.”
POPULATION, SUSTAINABILITY & EXTINCTION
catgrin writes—The U.S. isn't alone. International birth rates have been dropping since the 1950's: “I’m writing this diary as a direct response to ‘The birth rate is declining because the U.S. is a hostile place to raise a kid’ by Wagatwe Wanjuki. I felt a diary response was needed because Wagatawe’s diary, while noting genuine current and ongoing concerns about rearing children in the U.S., failed to note that birth trends in our country are really no different from the majority of the world — regardless of political and societal attitudes. The maps above show the decreasing rates from 1970 to 2014. Internationally, birth rates have been dropping steadily since the 1950s for a variety of well-documented reasons. It’s a well established fact that when societies move from agrarian to industrial to technological, birth rates trend downward. You can see this trend even in the short time span that the above maps display. There are several reasons for the change, and they relate in various ways to changing economy and technology. For example, in areas where people continue to rely heavily on farming and mining for income, you’ll still see higher birth rates than those which have converted largely to industry and technology.”
Walter Einenkel writes—Netherlands working on world's first 3D-concrete printed housing project: “The city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands will be the testing ground for the first ever set of 3D-printed concrete homes. According to The Guardian, the builders hope to present a much lower-cost alternative to current building workflows. Cheaper housing costs, in theory, should lead to lower housing costs in general. Known as Project Milestone, the development is said by the Dutch construction company Van Wijnen to offer a solution to a shortage of skilled bricklayers in the Netherlands. The method will also cut costs and environmental damage by reducing the amount of cement that is used, said Rudy van Gurp, a manager at the firm, which is working in collaboration on the project with the Eindhoven University of Technology. The project as it stands right now would include production of five new homes, the first four of which would still need manual plumbing installed. The hope, according to the designers, is that by the time they are in production for the final, largest home, 3D printing of drainage systems will be available to them. 3D printing would allow for a lot more latitude in what could be incorporated into the building designs as well, including easier integration of “smart home” capabilities.”
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
AKALib writes—World Oceans Day - Preventing Plastic Pollution: “Today, June 8, is World Oceans Day. The day is celebrated globally with the launch of new campaigns and initiatives, special events at aquariums and zoos, outdoor explorations, aquatic and beach cleanups, educational and conservation action programs, art contests, film festivals, and sustainable seafood events. The theme for this year is "Preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean." Here are some tweets and images about the event, There are plenty of links to additional info and events around the world, including actions we as individuals can take to reduce our plastic footprint. We start with a few announcements and tweets that focus attention on the scourge of plastics in our environment.”
A Siegel writes—Drinking plastic: “Having the opportunity to turn on the tap and have clean, drinkable water is core to a well-run, civilized society. ‘Drinkable,’ regretfully, all too often means lead (think Flint) and other dangerous materials. Courtesy of #WorldEnvironmentDay, a stark statement as to one set of dangerous materials in that tap water that few of us ever think about.
Almost no one asks to have plastic or plastic-related chemicals in their body. Hmmm … I don’t recall ever saying ‘please, oh please, put some plastics in me ...’ Did you?”
gmoke writes—MIT Solve Coastal Communities Challenge: “How can coastal communities mitigate and adapt to climate change while developing and prospering?https://solve.mit.edu/challenges/coastal-communities. Challenge deadline July 1, 2018. Challenge Overview: Over 30% of humanity lives near coasts, ranging from massive cities to key ports and naval bases to small islands. The effects of climate change – including sea level rise, stronger storms, ocean warming and acidification – are causing increasing negative impacts on these communities’ lives and livelihoods. For the 600 million people supported by the fishing industry, a majority of them women, overfishing, pollution, and acidification threaten their livelihoods and the fragile ecosystems on which they depend. In cities and elsewhere, some communities already face regular flooding due to higher tides, some will see more frequent natural disasters, and others will see tourist-attracting coral reefs or surfing fade. Further, as 60% of global GDP and 90% of global trade moves through coasts, increased flooding or damage to port infrastructure poses risks for communities and businesses alike, whether or not they are near the ocean. In addition, coastal and ocean ecosystems absorb 25% of our excess CO2, but are often degraded through coastal development, making climate change harder to mitigate.”
WILDERNESS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND PARKS & OTHER PUBLIC LANDS
Ojibwa writes—Public Lands: Glacier's Mountains (Photo Diary): “The most iconic part of Glacier National Park in Montana is not the scenery which was carved by glaciers, but the magnificent road that runs through it: Going-to-the-Sun Road. While the Road is an amazing feat of engineering and construction, winter in the Rocky Mountains closes the Road. Each spring crews begin the process of clearing snow from the Road, plowing through snowdrifts that can exceed fifty feet in height, and repairing damage caused by the winter avalanches and rock slides. In most years, the goal is to have the road open for the three million tourists who visit the Park by mid-June or early July. While the crews are working in the high mountains, visitors can drive to the Avalanche Campground area and from their they can walk or bike up the Road for several miles. The lack of automobiles on the Road, means visitors can stop and enjoy McDonald Creek and the many changing views of the mountains. ”
BYPRODUCTS, TRASH, TOXIC & RADIOACTIVE WASTE
FJA writes—DrawDown #8: BioPlastic v. PetroPlastic: “A San Francisco Board of Supervisors debate in 2007 dragged for weeks, weighing whether to ban plastic bags at retail checkouts. Dozens testified in support, but momentum stalled with an industry lobbyist urging instead, a ban on plastic bag bans. A conservative, usually combative, drop-by visitor, jolted the idea back into motion: 40-ish Irish-American man, president of the Residential Builders Association, stood to report a similar ban passed in Ireland and ‘we keep bags in the trunk of the car’ there now, it couldn't be easier to comply! [Pew Research Center: ‘Majorities See Government Protections to Protect the Environment as Insufficient.’ People are talking about #plastic this week. We're talking ‘BioPlastic’ page 168 for the eighth meeting of DrawDown bookclub. Part I is Review, part II covers ‘Bioplastics’ page 168 and Part III decides what to read next. Do know plastic news is breaking as we begin this meeting.”
ENERGY
Karen Rubin via NewsPhotosFeatures writes—US Climate Alliance States Press Ahead with Renewables, Challenge Trump Efforts to Prop Up Coal, Oil: “Trump is doing all he can to force renewed demand on fossil fuels and derail the transition to clean renewable energy sources. In fact, it is The official policy of the Trump White House is to undermine climate scientists and ignore scientific findings about climate change from its own federal agencies. This not only results in costly destruction to communities and public health, and force dependency on a fuel source that is inevitably more expensive to deliver, but endangers national security, requiring costly military ($700 billion in defense spending!). How ironic after Republicans spent so much effort deriding Obama for incentivizing the development of fledgling solar, wind and other renewable energy industries, that this administration is putting a fist on the scales to bolster enterprises that would otherwise be obsolete. We’re already paying higher prices at the pump thanks to Trump policies.”
Nuclear
luber writes—We (Still) Need Nukes! “Here's the pro-fission letter I wrote in response to a 2007 NYT Magazine article in Dubner and Levitt’s Freakonomics series, called The Jane Fonda Effect. I've been meaning to update it, but the basic physics haven't changed, only politics and economics. Things were looking up slightly since then, although Fukushima was obviously another big blow to public confidence in nuclear. With the recent push by the Trump administration to use more coal, it seemed like a good time to trot it out for a new audience; the authors include a coal analogy which I elaborate on in my reply. I’m not a rabid pro-nuker; we need to develop ALL possible alternative energy sources to replace petroleum – solar in particular, although the Fed should invest more research effort into fusion. Future generations will deride us not only for the environmental damage but the folly of wasting such a useful raw material as petroleum by burning it when we have good energy alternatives now. Also see the film Pandora’s Promise, in which several noteworthy environmentalists come to the conclusion that nuclear is our best carbon-free alternative for large-scale energy production.”
Fossil Fuels
Mark Sumner writes—Shortfall in Black Lung Fund threatens the life of coal miners and acts as a subsidy for mine owners: "While Donald Trump is planning an extraordinary, unprecedented intervention into the energy market to benefit coal mine owners, coal miners are getting something else: black lung. What they’re not getting is enough money to fund the cost of a debilitating and ultimately fatal disease that comes from inhaling coal and rock dust over years on the job. The under-funding of black lung costs is great enough that payouts to disabled miners could drop more than 50 percent by the end of the year. As CNN reports, the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund is deep in debt, and long-term trends predict it may need a $15 billion infusion from the government to keep going. The fund borrowed $1.3 billion this year alone, and already owes $4.3 billion. That’s after the government already forgave a $6.8 billion debt. And the rate of the shortfall is continuing to increase. That gap between what comes in and what is paid out is money that the coal companies were supposed to provide in support of their workers. But the funding from companies has never been adequate. First, there’s been a long term, deliberate undercount of the number of workers effected and a similar effort to downplay the cost of treatment.”
Emissions Controls & Carbon Pricing
AnneWalsh1972 writes—Carbon capture on verge of being commercially viable: “This is the best news I've heard so far this weekend: Siphoning carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere could be more than an expensive last-ditch strategy for averting climate catastrophe. A detailed economic analysis published on 7 June suggests that the geoengineering technology is inching closer to commercial viability. The study, in Joule, was written by researchers at Carbon Engineering in Calgary, Canada, which has been operating a pilot CO2-extraction plant in British Columbia since 2015. That plant — based on a concept called direct air capture — provided the basis for the economic analysis, which includes cost estimates from commercial vendors of all of the major components. Depending on a variety of design options and economic assumptions, the cost of pulling a tonne of CO2 from the atmosphere ranges between US$94 and $232. The last comprehensive analysis of the technology, conducted by the American Physical Society in 2011, estimated that it would cost $600 per tonne. In some instances, the cost dipped below $100 a tonne.”
Renewables, Efficiency & Conservation
Meteor Blades writes—Solar tariff is delaying billions in projects and killing jobs. Sens. Heinrich, Heller seek repeal: “Bipartisanship in any matter of importance is rare these days in Washington. But there’s an occasional example to show it’s not wholly impossible. With a focus on jobs, Sens. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Dean Heller of Nevada have joined forces in introducing a bipartisan bill to repeal the 30 percent tariff on imported solar cells that Pr*sident Donald Trump imposed in January. [...] In the short term, the idea that the tariff is a good way to boost solar power is harmful nonsense, just as critics noted when it was announced. As for the long-term, we’ll have to wait and see. If the Trump regime were truly intent on giving renewables the added momentum needed to quickly wean us off fossil fuels, there are plenty of means available. But, of course, keeping coal, oil, and natural gas in the ground isn’t part of the White House agenda. Quite the contrary.”
Pipelines & Other Oil and Gas Transport
Ivy Main writes—Dominion won’t build new baseload gas plants. Why is it still building the Atlantic Coast Pipeline? “Utility giant Dominion Energy and gas turbine maker General Electric reportedly agree on a startling fact: there is no market for new baseload gas plants. As recently as two years ago, Dominion’s utility subsidiary in Virginia had as much as 8,000 megawatts (MW) of new combined cycle gas plants on the drawing board. Combined cycle plants, designed to run most of the time, have become the dominant source of power generation in Virginia. [...] It’s not just Virginia. According to the Forbesarticle linked above, Dominion Energy has no plans to build any more combined cycle plants anywhere, due to competition from wind and solar. [...] All this is very bad news for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The ACP received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last year on the strength of supply contracts with the utility subsidiaries of Dominion Energy and Duke Energy, Dominion’s major partner in the pipeline. If these utilities don’t actually need the gas, the whole basis for FERC’s approval of the pipeline collapses.”
REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Prince Pruitt and the Pea: Illegally Find Me a Trumpy Mattress and a Good Neighborhood: “In a letter sent Monday to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chair Trey Gowdy (R-SC), House Democrats request Gowdy subpoena Scott Pruitt regarding personal tasks he had an aide perform. These activities appear to have violated the laws that prohibit government officials from receiving favors or taking gifts (or advantage of) subordinates, written to prevent the waste of government officials’ time and taxpayer-derived salary by performing non-work related tasks for their supervisors. The letter includes a transcript of an interview the Committee conducted with the aide, former Director of Scheduling and Advance, Millan Hupp. According to the transcript, Hupp apparently acted as Pruitt’s personal real estate agent, his family’s travel agent, and most bizarrely, procurer of an old mattress from a Trump hotel. Why would Pruitt want a used mattress from a hotel? Only Pruitt knows for sure, but we have some ideas.”
Walter Einenkel writes—Greenpeace delivers new mattress to EPA's Pruitt to replace the one he 'wore out' with lobbyists: "Every day there is a new example of how erroneous the corruption is in our current government. On Monday, God’s most corrupt little elf and our country’s Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt was in the news again. This time it came out in reports that Pruitt inquired about “securing” a mattress from a Trump hotel. On Wednesday, Greenpeace went to its social media accounts to offer up some assistance to Pruitt who also happens to be covered in fossil fuels, and likely soiled his previous bedding in Oklahoma crude. Under this heading, Greenpeace USA bought and tried to deliver a brand-new mattress to Scott Pruitt. BREAKING: We're delivering a mattress to EPA head Scott Pruitt from Trump hotel because he wore out his last one in bed with Energy Lobbyists. #BootPruitt. ”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Judge Rules Pruitt Must Provide Evidence for his Climate Denial: “Remember last March, when Pruitt’s scandal du jour wasn’t about trying to get himself a used mattress or his wife a fast food gig or wasting money on fancy pens or any of the other 10 scandals this month? Remember when all we were concerned about was how he said climate change wasn’t caused by human activity? As it turns out, a federal judge hasn’t let herself be distracted by the increasingly outrageous revelations against Pruitt from that original concern. On Friday, US District Court judge Beryl Howell ordered the EPA to produce the evidence upon which Pruitt based his comments. This could be a tall order, because, of course, there is no good evidence to suggest humans aren’t driving climate change. At least none solid enough to hold up in court. But tobacco lobbyist-turned-fossil-fuel-defender-turned-shadow-EPA-admin Steve Milloy isn’t worried. He suggested on Twitter that Heartland’s climate report is all the proof Pruitt needs for the judge.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Tell Pruitt Lives Count More than Industry: EPA’s Cost-Benefit Analysis Comment Period Opens: “Yesterday Scott Pruitt announced that the EPA would begin taking comment on a potential new rule on how the agency conducts cost benefit analyses. The draft notice has the details, but the press release had the basics. And it’s clear from the agency’s language that this move is intended to legally justify devaluing American lives, now and in the future. Specifically, the agency’s press release provides background information on how the Clean Power Plan calculated the social cost of carbon, and counted co-benefits, the value of reducing other pollutants that comes with reducing CO2. In adjusting the discount rate, Pruitt can reduce the perceived benefits of a policy by lowering how much we consider future lives to be worth. The less we value the health of our children, grandchildren and their children, the easier it is to justify letting industry pollute. By excluding the benefits of reducing certain pollutants not specific to the policy at hand, like how the CPP reduced PM2.5 pollution from coal plants while cutting CO2, Pruitt can write off the thousands of lives saved by those reductions. The agency can, very literally, not count lives saved by a policy if the particular pollutant isn’t the primary target of the policy.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
estreya writes—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging, Vol. 14.23: Colorful Container Gardens: “Not far from my front door, a rhododendron, a clematis and a ceanothus simultaneously bloomed over the Memorial Day weekend. It's always so much fun when something unexpected happens in a garden, and the patriotic display of red, white, and blue was surprisingly appropriate for the holiday. But once those blooms started to fade, the front entry looked a little anticlimactic. Planting anything new in the garden beds with the summer drought approaching isn't something i'm eager to sign myself up for. However, the month of May came and went and i still had empty planters sitting on my patio (oh, the horror!). Filling those empty pots with a little texture and color seemed like the perfect way to give my front door a refreshing, easy to maintain lift. Would you like to see how they all came out?”
MISCELLANY
billofrights writes—Some Modest Reflections Upon the Ellicott City Flooding Disasters...: “When I saw photos of this year’s flooding, just a few weeks ago, I thought at first I was looking at images from a small village in the Alps, where a mountain lake, dam or glacial impoundment had given way, and sent the torrent rushing at great force and velocity down the mountainside. We’ve all seen images like that before, but in eastern Maryland, which doesn’t have those types of slopes?? Unimaginable. I was tempted to write then, but held off, needing to ground the two torrential rains of the past two years in the history of the region. So brace yourself, this is not a conventional answer. From my own environmental history, I got educated in stormwater engineering by Diane Cameron, formerly of NRDC, and the Delaware Riverkeeper’s favorite engineering firm, Cahill Associates, whose principle, Tom Cahill, seemed deeply versed in all the softer, biologically friendly ways to handle stormwater other than the often aesthetically horrible detention basins, grassy or even worse, concrete. The key ideas from Tom and a broader reform movement, was to keep the stormwater on site, not ship it off, and make sure it infiltrated back into the soil, and eventually, into the aquifer if there was one. But solutions and retrofitting especially, don’t come cheap.”