This is the 499th edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue) usually appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Here is the May 13 Green Spotlight. More than 26,910 environmentally oriented stories have been rescued to appear in this series since 2006. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—What’s it Mean to be Virtue Signalling? Probably Means You Aren’t Awful: “We can’t even keep up with all the scandals coming out of the Trump administration right now, so we’re going to take this time to discuss a phrase that you may have been trolled with: virtue signalling. It’s the idea of ‘you talk the talk but don’t walk the walk’ rebooted for the alt right and others who need to disguise their trolling as intelligent discourse. The climate debate is increasingly seeing accusations of virtue signalling. Last year, an Investor’s Business Daily editorial decried Leonardo DiCaprio’s climate change speech at the UN as empty virtue signalling, rather than an example of putting star power to good use. In a similar vein, the Paris Agreement, according to deniers, isn’t a laudable effort to get almost 200 different nations on the same page on the need to reduce emissions, but instead is just a virtue-signalling farce. (If it’s such a farce, why all the pressure for Trump to leave?)This rhetorical tool allows the user to write off any argument or action to solve a problem as meaningless virtue signalling. WUWT labels most climate action and policies as meaningless virtue-signalling, from fossil fuel divestment to energy efficient light bulbs.”
Food and Water Watch writes—Why Public Control of Infrastructure Matters: (By Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director, Food & Water Watch; and Donald Cohen, Executive Director of In the Public Interest.) We’ve all heard the statistics about our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and agree it needs to be fixed—the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates we need to invest $4 trillion in our infrastructure across the country. But what’s still up for debate is how improvements will be financed and who will be in control—the public, or corporations and big banks? It’s an important distinction—privatized infrastructure projects have a troubling track record. [...] But there are alternatives to privatization. The American public is willing to pay for improvements to make their communities stronger and safer. Last November, voters approved hundreds of local and state bond measures to bolster public schools, transit and water systems. Residents of California’s Alameda County approved $580 million in municipal bonds to provide affordable housing. A large majority of Los Angeles voters approved a permanent sales tax increase to fund a major public transit expansion.”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
6412093 writes—The Daily Bucket: Where's the Weed, Dude? “I mean duckweed, of course. Usually the Frog Mitigation Area is 80% covered with duckweed, and the thousand peeper frog tadpoles are chowing down on it. This year I’m tossing in Romaine lettuce for a supplement. In the newly dug Upper Pear Pond, the tadpoles measure 3/4”, counting the tail. They are bigger than than the more heavily populated lower pond. It’s a smaller pond, with fewer, larger tadpoles that the bigger lower pond.”
owktree writes—Daily Bucket: More Spring Flowers: Photo Diary.
ban nock writes—Late Spring Snowstorm Hits Rockies: “A spring storm is currently dumping snow all over my tomatoes (which are covered with plastic) and the predictions have changed from 1-2 inches to 8-12 (now back to 5-8). People in the mountains above here were reporting a couple feet this morning. Same thing from people in Montana I’ve been reading elsewhere. Vail pass was closed but is now open again. All the mountain passes are bad news. It’s a very heavy snow that started out as 12 hours of rain. The flakes are so heavy they are falling very fast, not floating like pretty snow is supposed to do. Big heavy wet pissed off flakes, angry to be falling so late and intent on hitting the ground with malice. It’s the kind of snow to break branches and flood creeks. The good news is it’s not yet time for fawns and calves to drop.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - pushy blackbirds (& cowbirds): “This is baby season for birds, and one of the most aggressive nesting birds I’ve ever seen is the Brewers Blackbirds. They aren’t very big, and foraging in a field look pretty harmless. They frequently follow the horses, finding seeds and bugs stirred up by big hooves. Edit: Based on a suggestion in the comments, I concur that at least some in this set might be Brown-headed Cowbirds, who have the same behavior. Will need to get a closer look at beak shape to be certain. Blackbirds are residents around here, but far more visible in spring and summer when they flock and nest. This field is a wetland. For more information, see the Cornell site. Brewer’s Blackbirds nest in colonies of a few to more than 100 pairs. After the first few females have chosen nest sites, others pick among nearby offerings. In some years this means you might find colonies in low shrubs; other years the same birds might nest in treetops. The birds typically nest in shrubs or trees near water, but may also nest in reeds and cattails or, occasionally, on the ground or in tree cavities. Both Blackbirds and Cowbirds actually come in black and brown.”
CLIMATE CHAOS
xaxnar writes—While the Trump White House is Unraveling, So are the Ice Sheets of Antarctica: “The New York Times has a special report titled Miles of Ice Collapsing into the Sea. As snow falls on central Antarctica, its accumulating weight over thousands of years turns into rivers of ice that flow out into the sea. The special dispatch from the Times has fascinating graphics that show how these rivers of ice are flowing — and how they’re speeding up. THE ACCELERATION is making some scientists fear that Antarctica’s ice sheet may have entered the early stages of an unstoppable disintegration. Because the collapse of vulnerable parts of the ice sheet could raise the sea level dramatically, the continued existence of the world’s great coastal cities — Miami, New York, Shanghai and many more — is tied to Antarctica’s fate. ...Recent computer forecasts suggest that if greenhouse gas emissions continue at a high level, parts of Antarctica could break up rapidly, causing the ocean to rise six feet or more by the end of this century. That is double the maximum increase that an international climate panel projected only four years ago.”
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
Walter Einenkel writes—Billionaire who started as a fisherman will give away most of his money to help clean up oceans: “Kjell Inge Rokke is a Norwegian billionaire businessman who owns the majority share in Aker USA. CNBC reports that he has plans for his money: to build a “marine research ship,” that will work to scoop up plastic waste in the ocean. The plan is so ambitious that it would require most of his money. The Research Expedition Vessel , built in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund, will be able to hoover up around 5 tons of plastic a day which will then be recycled. According to one media report the ship will be the world's largest of its type, able to carry 60 scientists and 40 crew. [...] According to Forbes, Rokke is worth $2.7 billion dollars—my guess is the Republican Party feels he needs a tax break.”
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
Dan Bacher writes—Californians Head to Sacramento to Demand Big Oil Money out of Politics! “You are invited to join a diverse array of people on Saturday, May 20, from 12 PM to 3 PM for the “Oil Money Out, People Power In” March and Rally in Sacramento, beginning and ending at the Governor’s Mansion, 1526 H Street. [...] While California has the reputation of being the nation’s “green leader,” it is in fact the third biggest oil producer in the nation, right after Texas, the number one state, and North Dakota, the number two state. During the 2015-2016 Legislative Session, the oil industry spent a historic $36.1 million to lobby California lawmakers and officials. During the last 6 years, the industry has spent $122 million in Sacramento, more than any other interest group. The Western States Petroleum Association was the top overall oil industry spender during the 2015-16 session, spending $18.7 million. Chevron, the second overall oil industry spender, spent $7 million in the 2015-16 session. More recently, the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) also topped the list of California lobbying expenditures in the first quarter of 2017, spending a total of nearly $1.4 million.”
ENERGY
Fossil Fuels
Walter Einenkel writes—Trump's oil drilling is threatening the only national marine sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico: “Donald Trump’s executive order to open the floodgates on offshore oil drilling means terrible things for the part of the Earth covered by the ocean. One of the more immediate casualties of this executive order is the end to a planned expansion of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico. The sanctuary actually protects three separate areas: East Flower Garden Bank, West Flower Garden Bank, and Stetson Bank. The reef caps at East and West Flower Garden Banks are about 13 miles apart, while Stetson Bank lies about 30 miles to the northwest of West Flower Garden Bank. The miles of open ocean between banks range in depth from 200 to 500 feet (61-152 meters). Each bank has its own set of boundaries. Inside Climate News explains that Trump’s executive order threatens to undo important steps forward in preserving our oceans, that have taken decades of data and years of consideration to arrive upon.”
Mokurai writes—Peak Gasoline Looming Out of Smog in India, China: “OilPrice.com sent me a link to this. Is This The Beginning Of The End For Gasoline In Asia’s Largest Markets? As the rise of electric cars looms ever larger on the horizon for India and China, far-reaching implications for the global oil market are impending. China released a ‘road map’ this month stating their plan to replace at least one-fifth of new car sales with alternative fuel vehicles by 2025. India proposed to take more extreme actions, creating strategies to electrify all vehicles in the country by 2032, as reported to Reuters. China’s Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) has already begun construction on a huge new manufacturing facility dedicated solely to the production of electric cars in the southern Guangdong province.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—AEI's Dirty Tricks to Make Dirty Fuels More Appealing: “Yesterday, Politico’s Morning Energy reported that the EPA has assigned 110 staffers to meet a court-ordered July 1 deadline to produce a study of the agency’s impact on coal jobs. This many staff on the job may be overkill, particularly since a recent Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy report already quantified the impact of EPA regulations on coal. While Trump and Pruitt have always been eager to blame the EPA for the fall of coal, the folks at Columbia found regulations for a scant 3.5% of the industry’s decline. The biggest winner in the so-called War on Coal has been, as we and others have said, natural gas. Per the Columbia report, natural gas is responsible for half of the coal industry’s decline, while reduced demand (thanks to energy efficiency) is responsible for a quarter, and renewables 18%. We’re guessing these findings are not what the Trump administration wants to hear, so it will be interesting to see how the EPA report lines up with Columbia’s.”
Renewables, Efficiency & Conservation
DWG writes—Trump to virtually eliminate clean energy R&D at Energy Department: “Among the largest victims of this bludgeoning of DOE’s clean energy budget will be the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado. The proposed cuts, if enacted, would reverberate dramatically at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., which has a $ 292 million federal budget and 2,200 employees. This research center — the incubator for the solar cell technology used by the U.S. firm First Solar — is highly dependent on research funding from EERE. The consequences of the proposed cuts could be wide ranging, potentially undermining the office’s SunShot Initiative, which has worked to drive down the costs of large-scale solar energy, which now runs about 7 cents per kilowatt hour. A goal of reaching 3 cents per kilowatt hour for large-scale solar electricity had been set for 2030.”
Meteor Blades writes—Open thread for night owls: Trump regime wants to chop 70% of the federal renewable energy budget: “The Trump administration is weighing putting the Energy Department's budget for its renewable energy and energy efficiency program on the chopping block with a proposal to slash it by 70 percent. That's according to a draft 2018 budget proposal obtained by Axios. It shows $613 million for sustainable transportation in 2017, but just $184 million for 2018—a nearly 70-percent drop. There was $451 million for renewable power in the budget for 2017 but $134 million proposed for 2018—a 70-percent drop. There was $762 million for energy efficiency in 2017, and $160 proposed for 2018. That's a 79-percent drop. In total, the data obtained by Axios show that Energy Department's office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy budget went from $2,073 million in 2017 to a proposed $636 million for 2018, which marks a nearly 70-percent decrease.”
According to Fish writes—California kicking butt on renewable energy usage: “According to SFGate (SF Chronicle Newspaper’s sister online site), California grid sets record, with 67% of power from renewables. I am very proud of my state for aggressively pursuing the fight to switch off of fossil fuels and move to renewables. From the article: Early Saturday afternoon, renewable sources produced a record 67.2 percent of the electricity on the portion of the state’s power grid controlled by the California Independent System Operator. That figure does not include large hydropower facilities, which added another 13.5 percent. Based in Folsom, the ISO runs 80 percent of the state’s grid. The article indicates that both solar and wind are having record setting days this year and that the solar production records are ‘falling like dominoes.’ Much of the credit to the renewable usage is due to lots of solar capacity coming online.”
WILDERNESS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND PARKS, OTHER PUBLIC LANDS
Morrell1983WI writes—Zinke to recommend repealing Bears Ears National Monument: “In a move that is certain to be challenged and overturned in court, Interior Secretary Zinke has told Utah officials that he will recommend repealing Bears Ears National monument in its entirety. the 1.35M acre monument was created in December by then-president Obama, its size was a compromise, being 50000 acres smaller than the conservation area proposed in the Public Land Initiative, and 550000 acres smaller than the proposal of the Native coalition. No president has ever overturned a monument created by his predecessors, findings by the AGs of both FDR and Bush 43 concluded that the president does not have that authority. Nor does the Interior Secretary. Congress repealed any authority to undo monuments by the Interior Secretary in 1976 when it passed the Federal Land management and Policy Act, by reserving the ability to shrink and undo monuments to Congress alone, Congress eliminated any implied ability of the president to undo monuments or shrink them, the last shrinking of a monument by a president happened during Lyndon Johnson’s tenure in the 1960s.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
randym77 writes—"Arctic stronghold of world’s seeds flooded after permafrost melts": “Well, this isn’t working out as planned… It was designed as an impregnable deep-freeze to protect the world’s most precious seeds from any global disaster and ensure humanity’s food supply forever. But the Global Seed Vault, buried in a mountain deep inside the Arctic circle, has been breached after global warming produced extraordinary temperatures over the winter, sending meltwater gushing into the entrance tunnel. The vault is on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen and contains almost a million packets of seeds, each a variety of an important food crop. When it was opened in 2008, the deep permafrost through which the vault was sunk was expected to provide ‘failsafe’ protection against ‘the challenge of natural or man-made disasters’. But soaring temperatures in the Arctic at the end of the world’s hottest ever recorded year led to melting and heavy rain, when light snow should have been falling. ‘It was not in our plans to think that the permafrost would not be there and that it would experience extreme weather like that,’ said Hege Njaa Aschim, from the Norwegian government, which owns the vault. Climate change is happening faster than even those who feared the worst imagined.”
SkepticalRaptor writes—GMO food safety – they can't infect your genes: “In case you’ve ignored this area of pseudoscience controversy, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are any type of organism where the genes have been modified by genetic engineering. Mostly, GMOs refer to agricultural crops, but there are other genetically modified foods, like salmon. To be clear, we have been genetically modifying food crops since the dawn of agriculture, over 10,000 years. However, we currently use GMO to explicitly mean genetic engineering in the modern sense. Using the same anti-science arguments employed by climate change deniers, anti-GMO forces ignore the overwhelming scientific consensus, and use their pseudoscience to push concerns about GMO food safety. Let’s remember, the vast scientific evidence says that GMO foods are safe to humans, animals and the environment. Unfortunately, like the zombie bad research on vaccines, a widely criticized article that seems to claim that DNA passes from GMO foods to humans continues to be an anti-GMO meme. Time to look at the article again, and see if gene transfer really is an issue to GMO food safety.”
MISCELLANY
GreenPowerCA writes—This Week in the Environment 5.18.17: “Here’s Greenpower’s third edition of This Week in the Environment. As we know (and rightly so), the news cycle over the past week has once again been dominated by the continued shenanigans at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., overshadowing for many of us some timely goings-on in the environmental sector. Thankfully, our Ph.D environmental scientist, Jon, is on the case, and has once again mined what we think are some of the most interesting tidbits from that arena. He’s turned up some gems. Whether it’s China putting the lie to conservative claims by cleaning up its coal industry, or American voters overwhelmingly desiring their nation’s continued support for the Paris climate agreement, or more holes in the claims of two ‘scientists’ who deny global warming, this week’s stories make a strong case that that peer-reviewed scientific research and the will of the people remain essential to a healthier planet, and that progress won’t wait.”