This is the 634th edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue). Here is the 633rd edition. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
Dartagnan writes—The climate (and all of us) may have dodged a big bullet, all thanks to Trump's incompetence: “Nowhere is the Trump administration’s ineptitude more glaringly visible than in its arrogant approach toward managing and staffing our sprawling and complicated federal government. With few exceptions, the guiding principle has been to deliberately place inexperienced people—whose only common characteristic is their loyalty to Trump—in positions for which they are manifestly unsuited. Perhaps the philosophy aims to engender a disrespect for government in general, but whatever the reason, the people asked to carry out the responsibilities of Donald Trump’s government are not only unusually prone to making stupid mistakes, they are remarkably bald-faced and thuggish when called on it. An exclusive account authored by Robinson Meyer for The Atlantic provides a rare window into just how badly this administration bungled a major piece of attempted environmental “deregulation”—perhaps the most consequential of all in terms of the health of the planet—and how the climate (and all of us along with it) may have been spared a near-death blow as a result. It all boils down to something most of us do a couple times a month: fill up our gas tank.”
Mokurai writes—Renewable Thursday: Coal Fields to Solar Farms: “ It has been obvious that the strip mines on sliced-off mountaintops are roomy enough to fully power WV and KY with wind and solar, and much more. Now that renewables are cheaper than coal, we are taking that idea seriously for the first time. But there are obstacles. Here's how we turn former coal mine lands in West Virginia into solar fields. Around a quarter of a million people are employed by the solar industry at this time. The plan explains that West Virginia could encourage investment in its existing solar industry to increase rooftop installations and convert former mine lands into solar fields. Eriks Brolis, economic development lead for The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia, said in a statement that the state just needs the right policies in place. The more than 500 MTR sites in several states occupy more than 2000 square miles, which is 8% of the area of West Virginia.”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
OceanDiver writes—Dawn Chorus: Attracting Birds with Vegetation: “We all like seeing birds in our neighborhood, appreciating their beauty and marveling over the complexities of their lives. Setting out birdfeeders and nest boxes and birdbaths are great ways to support our local birds, and we’ve looked how to do that here at the Dawn Chorus. We’ve also explored how leaving fallen trees, dead branches and leaves alone rather than tidying up our yards will help birds survive.nAnother way to draw birds to your backyard is to grow particular types of plants that appeal to different kinds of birds for their food, nesting or protection. There are various websites with suggestions, a few linked below. I’ll set out some examples of bird-vegetation matchups from these websites as well as from what I’ve observed myself. [...] Your soil, topography, vantage and climate will be better suited to some vegetation than others, even in a plant’s native range. But with some canny landscaping choices, we can all make our yards more appealing. Yards can benefit from vegetable gardens and nonnative flowering perennials and annuals too, but for trees and thickets, native vegetation is more attractive to birds, especially during nesting season. Definitely try to stay clear of plants that are invasive or otherwise harmful to your environment and wildlife.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - windy to rainy to misty: “Spring weather is changeable in the PNW. Rarely extreme but not steady from day to day either. A few days ago we saw windy days, as strong as 30 knots and gusty. [...] Yesterday was pouring rain, and I didn’t even go out. Pretty chilly too, still low to mid 40s. Froggies are hedging their bets: there’s a chorus out there but it’s not very loud yet. This morning it’s calm but misty. A quick foray outside shows dampness everywhere.”
CaptBLI writes—The Daily Bucket - Mississippi things: “I’ll start off slow and easy, just like Tina Turner did in her song, “Rolling down the River” This new Dandelion head was growing out of the same plant that had last Fall’s stalk and ‘balding’ seed head.”
CLIMATE CHAOS
timlee writes—What happened to the climate crisis? Did it resolve itself when I wasn't looking? “At the beginning of the Democratic primary, the scientists told us that the climate crisis presents an unprecedented existential threat to humans if we don’t take drastic action to address it. And the polls told us that it was one of the top issues for Dem voters. And what have we heard on this critical issue in the last few months as the primary race heated up? Crickets! I don’t get it. Do we think the problem will go away if we ignore it (like the ‘hoax’ of coronavirus)? Shouldn’t this be the top issue on our list of priorities in determining who will lead our country for the next four years? But it seems like the issue is being buried in an avalanche of lesser issues and ‘electability’ arguments. The question keeps popping into my head of what does it profit man to gain the whole world and lose the earth?”
Groundnut writes—Yes the increase in disaster damage is due to global warming: “The above histogram is getting around as exhibit 50+ (too many to count) of evidence of climate change. Like all things science it comes with its share of caveats, it is not a good quantitative measure of warming, but it does have something to say about the direction of things, and says it in an eye catching way. It has now become famous enough that it needs to be ‘smeared,’ by the professional denialist class. Roger Pielke Jr, runs a small business claiming that the increase in disaster damage is not real. Pielke Jr testified before congress in 2017, 2019, etc. He also worked at 538.com for a while. He is the ‘most Discredited person in the blogosphere’ really.”
Dartagnan writes—Trump Interior Dept. reports distorted to say climate change is either 'uncertain' or a good thing: “From the The New York Times, just the latest example of how our federal agencies have been corrupted by the most anti-science administration in U.S. history: An official at the Interior Department embarked on a campaign that has inserted misleading language about climate change — including debunked claims that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is beneficial — into the agency’s scientific reports, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times. The misleading language appears in at least nine reports, including environmental studies and impact statements on major watersheds in the American West that could be used to justify allocating increasingly scarce water to farmers at the expense of wildlife conservation and fisheries. Indur M. Goklany must have seen his star rising with the election of Donald Trump. Just days after Trump’s inauguration, the longtime employee at the Department of Interior emailed the head of Trump’s transition team offering some friendly advice—that the incoming Interior Secretary (who turned out to be the corruption-challenged Ryan Zinke), could sidestep some messy political controversy if a certain page from Interior’s website referencing man-made climate change as a ‘priority’ for DOI was removed before he took office. ‘Goks,’ as he chummily refers to himself in the email, wanted to make things as smooth as possible for his new boss. Trying to be helpful, he even included some proposed language to replace the Department’s webpage.”
The Reasonable Voice writes—Severe Disruption to American Life: Coronavirus, Climate Change, Trump: “Despite the hysteria from the political class and the media, smoking doesn’t kill – Mike Pence 2 March 2001—I don’t believe effective anti-drug policy involves handing out drug paraphernalia—speaking of providing a proven effective program in the war on HIV/AIDS—Mike Pence 27 March 2015. The political dishonesty and religious hypocrisy of Mike Pence reflects his boss’ lack of ethics—not only profaning Good Samaritan Christian tenants like, Love thy neighbor as thyself, but denying what Americans learned in the 1980s from Conservative Evangelical Christion U. S. Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, regarding smoking and HIV. However, there’s no time for liars and hypocrites, nor panic and the pursuit of obvious villains, for unlike Coronavirus, the disruption of America as an exceptional, Land of the Free and Home of the Brave started decades before James Comey, Facebook, Russian hackers, compromised voting machines and mis-informed American voters elected Trump/Pence.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Deniers Think They Have Something With Fact That US Can’t Fight Global Warming Alone: “All the way back in 2014, we pointed to research showing that denial is driven by a rejection of climate solutions. Last year, we repeatedly warned about how while some on the right, particularly the young, are pushing for real climate solutions, and the industry is pretending to have solutions, the GOP remains committed to fossil fuels, peddling fake solutions and innovation denial. As the GOP pretends to start taking climate seriously, the hardcore deniers are figuring out how to respond. For the most part, they’ve been doubling down on denia. But a post from CFACT this week suggests they might be trying out a new strategy in response to calls for climate action. It is, as many denier tropes are, intuitively simple and clever, while also being completely stupid. The post describes modeling done by the Heritage Foundation. It comes to the conclusion that the US shouldn’t bother fighting climate change, because even if the US immediately zeroed out emissions, it would only limit warming ‘by less than one tenth of one degree Celsius by 2050, and by less than one fifth of one degree Celsius by 2100’.”
ECO-ACTION & ECO JUSTICE
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Heartland’s Anti-Greta Might Be an Anti-Semite, And That’s Not Even The Grossest Greta News: “In the span of just a few months, Naomi Seibt has gone from making a surprise appearance at a Heartland conference, to denying being a pawn of Heartland, to being on their payroll and speaking at CPAC (the ComicCon of conservative punditry), to being a guest on Fox News. Apparently in their haste to find an Anti-Greta, Heartland either failed to actually listen to what she’s said, or didn’t care that she’s anti-Semitic. The Guardian, reporting on some of her past comments, found that in the wake of a deadly attack on a synagogue, Seibt repeated ‘age-old tropes of Jewish power and white grievance: the idea that Jews are a privileged class and that white people are oppressed by them,’ according to Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Seibt has also called Stefan Molyneux an ‘inspiration.’ For those unfamiliar with the YouTuber Molyneux, the Guardian relays the SPLC’s description of him as an ‘alleged cult leader who amplifies scientific racism, eugenics and white supremacism’.”
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
poopdogcomedy writes—Warren Unveils 3 New Plans That Tackle Coronavirus, Farmworkers' Rights & Climate Change: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released a plan over the weekend that would aim to fight climate change by increasing regulations on fossil fuel financing. Her plan comes as some banks in recent months have said they will not directly finance oil and gas drilling in the arctic, as Democratic lawmakers step up the pressure on these institutions and as her campaign has lagged in the crowded Democratic nomination contest. As president, Warren says she would require banks to report how much fossil fuel equity and debt they create, direct credit agencies to impose a climate standard and appoint financial regulators who will hold financial institutions accountable for climate risks. The senator would also require major insurance companies to disclose the size of premiums they're getting from coal, oil and gas projects.”
A Siegel writes—Stop Financing Climate Crisis (Warren strikes again): “In no small part, the climate crisis is a problem of money and it is a challenge where better use and management of money could do much to address the crisis. Sunday, Elizabeth Warren released Stop Wall Street from Financing the Climate Crisis. Simply put, powerful, actionable, and effective measures that would do much to address that ‘problem of money’. Forget that ‘invisible hand’ malarkey, the reality is that economies have structures — rules, regulations, and even norms that provide the context in which economic interactions occur. Sometimes that is gang rule (think Libertarian Paradise of Somalia), sometimes dictatorial (think North Korea), and, for most of the world’s economies, mainly this is dominated by laws and regulations (even as perverted by corruption, illicit actions, cronyism to a greater or lesser extent everywhere) in various forms of (most often some degree of Social Democratic) capitalism. The key is to have a well-regulated economy that enables the positive aspects of capitalism while constraining or addressing its problems.”
A Siegel writes—Elections have consequences: Virginia Clean Economy edition: “The Virginia legislature just passed the Clean Economy Act. The Virginia CEA (VCEA):
- Mandates 100% clean electricity by 2045
- the first mandated Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in Commonwealth history
- Will shut down must coal powered plants no later than 2030 and all fossil-fuel (including fossil gas) electricity no later than 2045
- (In a ‘southern coal state’)
- Implicitly requires the use of social cost of carbon by the State Corporation Commission (SCC) for future regulatory decisions
- Has real energy efficiency targets (in one of the least-energy efficiency states in the Union)
- Has viable environmental justice elements, notably a meaningful allocation of energy efficiency resources for lower-income households.”
ENERGY
Renewables, Efficiency, Energy Storage & Conservation
Mokurai writes—Renewable Monday: Humor Helps with Climate Anxiety: “Comedy! Climate jokes 1/5. The first conclusive proof of global warming just happened. Recently on a cold, crisp day, a farmer in Iowa went out to check his crops and found 150 acres of popped popcorn. We produce 48% more carbon emissions than we did in the 1970s but that figure could be halved if we just divide it by two. Leave ‘em laughing instead of crying: Climate humor can break down barriers and find common ground. Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show,’ observed: ‘You know the crazy people you see in the streets shouting that the world is ending? Turns out, they’re all actually climate scientists’.”
Mokurai writes—Renewable Tuesday: Polluting Power Plant Data You Can Use at Home! “What if we knew the pollution coming from every power plant in the world? What if we could get electricity from the grid when it is using the most clean energy? Your wish is granted, by a combination of satellite data, AI, and the Internet of Things. We’ll soon know the exact air pollution from every power plant in the world. That’s huge. Satellite data plus artificial intelligence equals no place to hide. A nonprofit artificial intelligence firm called WattTime is going to use satellite imagery to precisely track the air pollution (including carbon emissions) coming out of every single power plant in the world, in real time. And it’s going to make the data public. This is a very big deal. Poor monitoring and gaming of emissions data have made it difficult to enforce pollution restrictions on power plants.”
Mokurai writes—Renewable Wednesday: The Rhode Island Plan—First State to 100% Renewable Electricity, by 2030: “OK, Rhode Island is a tiny state, but first in the nation is still first. It's going to be quite a race, with Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Maine, New York, Washington and Virginia also planning to get to 100% Renewables. Then we can talk about cars and charging stations and a lot more, as Rhode Island is also doing. And we can talk more about the rest of the states, and the nations of the world, of course. We’re developing a blueprint to transform Rhode Island into the first 100% clean energy state. Alack Sinner, DK Diary: We’re the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America and clean energy company Ocean State Community Energy, and we’re working together to develop a blueprint to transform Rhode Island into the first 100% clean energy state. It will produce over 100% of Rhode Island’s energy needs—including energy for heating, cooling, and transportation—by 2030.”
Mokurai writes—Renewable Friday: Fridge-Sized Algae Bioreactor Takes in CO2 by the Ton: “Algae take in light and CO2 and release O2 more efficiently than land plants. Oil companies in particular work on how to grow them and on what we can make from them. Biodiesel is not the answer we seek. But biochar? Carbon fiber? Now you're talking. And there are many other possibilities. Of course, we still have to talk about costs. There has been a lot of talk about using algae to capture CO2. Hypergiant is a startup with a product to do just that, as pictured above. This device is one of our first efforts focused on fixing the planet we are on. We hope to inspire and collaborate with others on a similar mission Hypergiant CEO Ben Lamm. This New Bioreactor Uses Algae to Capture as Much Carbon as an Acre of Trees— Good News Network That's about two tons of O2 produced each year, in a unit 3 feet on a side.”
gmoke writes—Simple Solar Education: “Back in the early 1980s I made some 15 second PSAs for the Urban Solar Energy Association [USEA] that were actually shown a couple of times late at night on the local TV stations. In the early 1990s, I made another set of 30 second PSAs for the Boston Area Solar Energy Association, the successor organization to USEA, but none of them were broadcast as local TV stations all had their own approved non-profits to soak up public interest broadcast time requirements by then. Or so I was told. At the same time, I was producing the monthly lectures of the Solar Association and putting them on local cable access. In the last decade or two I’ve put my share of solar video online at Youtube. You can see them at http://youtube.com/user/gmoke So I’ve been dabbling in solar video for a long time. But not for a long time. These are relics of what I’ve thought and done with simple solar throughout my life. The presentation may be amateurish at best but I believe the majority of the information and ideas is accurate although I may have made some mistakes in the details here and there.”
REGULATIONS & PROTECTION
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—New Report Details Strengths And Weakness of Federal Protections for Scientific Integrity: “As we noted yesterday, the Trump administration has been doing everything it can to incorporate denial into the federal government. While we’ve sung the praises of the Administrative Procedures Act for blocking Trump’s agenda by requiring a factual basis for policy changes, one of the unsung heroes of the resistance to Trump’s pro-polluter agenda have been the other various internal rules and regulations that protect the researchers who do the science that informs how the federal government makes rules and regulations. Fortunately, the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund just released a new report detailing and comparing the policies that nine key federal agencies have for making sure that scientists are capable of doing their job without political interference, and able to communicate their findings, however inconvenient, without facing blowback from their politically-appointed bosses. With 270 attacks on science documented in their Silencing Science tracker, it’s clear that this information is vital. (And if you’re a federal scientist, don’t hesitate to reach out to them for a free consultation!) ”
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Mokurai writes—EV Tuesday: The First All-Electric "Gas" Station: “Gasoline range anxiety, here we come. Not yet, but as surely as Ford destroyed the Edison electric car market. Or candles→whale oil→kerosene→natural gas→ coking gas→Incandescent light bulbs→fluorescent bulbs→LEDs. Standard disruptive marketing. D.C.-area gas station shuts off the pumps and goes all-electric. But one important detail remained: Nobody, including the station’s longtime owner or the Electric Vehicle Institute — a Baltimore-based company spearheading the transition with the help of a state grant program — was entirely sure what to call a gas station that doesn’t offer ... well, gas. The charging station is as much social experimentation as it is economic.If successful, Wade said, it could provide a model for replication elsewhere. I suppose we could still call them filling stations. Tesla, of course, has had all-electric stations for its own customers for years.”
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
Dan Bacher writes—Save Our Rivers March 2, Redding, CA - Stop the North Coast Water Grab! “Please share this new flyer for the only North State Delta Tunnel hearing on March 2nd. The artwork by Mahlija Florendo. Carpools are coming from all over to support the Tribal members and youth that demanded a North State hearing. According to Regina Chichizola of Save California Salmon: On February 28, the Trump administration signed the Westlands Water District's Permanent Contract to the North State's water, and said any money made from the contract would be used to build new reservoirs. This water, much of it which comes from the Trinity River, will water poisoned lands. The day before yesterday the state announced that the Klamath salmon numbers are expected to be low this year, and we will likely have another poor fishing season. Earlier this week we learned California is headed into another drought.”
Dan Bacher writes—Northern California Tribes and Youth Ask Gov. Newsom to Save Salmon at Redding Delta Tunnel Meeting: “El Pom (what is now known as Redding, CA): Yurok, Hoopa Valley, Karuk, Pit River and Miwok Tribal members, the Yurok Tribe, and supporters rallied on Monday evening with local Indigenous people to protest the Department of Water Resources’ Delta Tunnel proposal that threatens imperiled salmon and North State water quality, according to a press release. They are calling on Governor Newsom to adhere to his obligation, as required by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, to procure free, prior and informed consent from tribes for any project that may impact their ancestral homelands. They are also asking for the Governor to stand with them to fight the Trump administration's new water diversion rules from California’s salmon rivers. ‘We as a people are the Klamath River, and the Trinity is the Klamath, and feeds into the Klamath, and also needs our protection,’ said Yurok Tribe Chairman Joseph L. James. ‘In solidarity, the Yurok Tribe stands with the Trinity River and all its tributaries recognizing that as the rivers’ steward we must speak out for the Trinity’s viability and fight for its life’.”
Dan Bacher writes—Tribal Members and Youth Speak Out on Delta Tunnel: "Shut It Down!" “Over 200 people including members of at least seven California Indian Tribal nations, along with some recreational anglers and environmentalists, marched on the meeting room of the Sheraton Inn in Redding on the evening of March 2, shouting ‘Shut It Down’ and ‘No Water for Profits,’ in strident opposition to the Governor’s Delta Tunnel project. After marching into the room, they testified before the Department of Water Resources staff about damage that would be caused to their livelihoods and culture if the Delta Tunnel is constructed. The meeting only took place under pressure from the Hoopa High Water Protectors Club and their allies, who demanded at the first scoping meeting on February 3 that a meeting be held in the north state. There were so many speakers that the DWR moderators, under pressure from all of people who had traveled there, finally decided to hold the comment period a half hour longer than originally planned. Not one person who showed up indicated support for the Delta Tunnel.”
AIR POLLUTION
Meteor Blades writes—Study: Air pollution shortens lives by average of 2.9 years, causes 8.8 million early deaths a year: “Published in Cardiovascular Research, a new study—“Loss of life expectancy from air pollution compared to other risk factors: a worldwide perspective”—has concluded from 2015 data that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone (smog) shorten average life spans more than tobacco smoking, HIV/AIDS, violence, and vector-borne diseases like malaria. The leading culprit: the burning of fossil fuels in power plants, transportation, and the residential sector. The scientists used a new model created by other researchers, the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM), that offers improved coverage of exposure to PM2.5 matter 1/30th the diameter of a human hair: Using this model, we investigated the effects of different pollution sources, distinguishing between natural (wildfires, aeolian dust) and anthropogenic emissions, including fossil fuel use. Global excess mortality from all ambient air pollution is estimated at 8.8 (7.11–10.41) million/year, with an LLE [ loss of life expectancy] of 2.9 (2.3–3.5) years, being a factor of two higher than earlier estimates, and exceeding that of tobacco smoking.”
Angmar writes—"Air is cleaner than before the Industrial Revolution’:A best case scenario for the climate in 2050": “The Future We Choose, a new book by the architects of the Paris climate accords, offers contrasting visions for how the world might look in thirty years (read the worst case scenario here). It is 2050. We have been successful at halving emissions every decade since 2020. We are heading for a world that will be no more than 1.5C warmer by 2100 In most places in the world, the air is moist and fresh, even in cities. It feels a lot like walking through a forest and very likely this is exactly what you are doing. The air is cleaner than it has been since before the Industrial Revolution. We have trees to thank for that. They are everywhere. It wasn’t the single solution we required, but the proliferation of trees bought us the time we needed to vanquish carbon emissions. When we started, it was purely practical, a tactic to combat climate crisis by relocating the carbon: the trees took carbon dioxide out of the air, released oxygen and put the carbon back where it belongs, in the soil. This, of course, helped to diminish climate crisis, but the benefits were even greater. On every sensory level, the ambient feeling of living on what has again become a green planet has been transformative, especially in cities.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
Missys Brother writes—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging Vol 16.10: deconstructing a florist gift basket and more: “I returned early from Kentucky this past weekend because of some duties I had this week, including assisting with a historical display. So what I have to offer this morning is a plant gift basket that I had received and then what I did with it afterwards. As many of you are aware, I lost my good girl Lucy recently and wrote a diary about her — .. but she was a pit bull ...... There is a bit more to her rescue story than I had previously shared. The lady had to give Lucy up because her grandchildren were not allowed to visit. A Good Samaritan couple had driven Lucy up to me to save her from going to a dog pound as no one else wanted her and she would likely have been put to sleep. Several days after Lucy arrived, I received a phone call from the lady sobbing that she had been considering driving to my house to get Lucy back but her family was preventing it. She was completely distraught. I felt really bad for her so I kept in touch with her the first couple of years and then occasionally heard from her. Ever so often I sent photographs. When she had learned that Lucy had passed, the lady thanked me for the wonderful life that I had provided her girl. I was quite surprised a few days later when I received the above florist gift basket from her. The basket arrangement was truly appreciated but was really not my thing. There were eight plants of six different varieties crammed into the basket and they didn’t appear to have much room. With no drainage holes, I knew it was a matter of time before they would probably rot. I finally decided to deconstruct the basket.”
MISCELLANY
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Trump’s Environment Counsel In Bed With Chemical Lobby, And Other Tales From The Swamp: “One of the campaign promises that struck a nerve with Trump’s audience was his promise to Drain the Swamp. Now, it was relatively obvious at the time that this was referring to the Deep State (career government employees loyal to the Constitution) and Democrats, but many latched on to it as a promise to clamp down on lobbying and the proverbial revolving door between special interests and government. This has, to put it lightly, not happened. Trump basically just used the Koch network as a recruiting service when staffing up. Case in point: Clint Woods, who you may remember as the guy who worked on behalf of polluters who then went to the EPA and likely got caught inflating pollution figures to make California look bad, and then briefly went to a position created by the insurance industry at Ohio State University, and has now gone to work at the Koch’s Americans for Prosperity. Woods’ career cycle from pollution apologist to supposed regulator at EPA and eventually back to pollution apologist is just one way industry can influence the regulatory process.”