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Author Topic: Pollution  (Read 58217 times)

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AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #600 on: October 12, 2017, 06:11:21 pm »
Agelbert NOTE: Nikola Tesla is proven right again.





The ozone layer over Antarctica follows a natural thinning cycle each year, which man-made pollutants exarcerbates. Ozone depletion is usually worse the further from the equator and recently an Ozone hole (as defined by a distinct area of very low ozone levels) has been detected above the North Pole in the arctic. Credit: NASA.

Human activity is destroying the ozone layer — again

LAST UPDATED ON OCTOBER 12TH, 2017 AT 8:13 PM BY TIBI PUIU  E-mail author

After scientists discovered a huge hole in the ozone layer above the Antarctic in 1987, an emergency UN panel banned the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) under the Montreal Protocol. CFCs build up in the atmosphere and react with the triple oxygen molecule to break it down. Thirty years later, the ozone hole is widely considered plugged — problem solved. Not so fast, caution scientists at the University of East Anglia in the UK. According to a new study, there are still threats to the delicate cushion in the stratosphere shielding us from harmful UV rays, which are due to harmful substances not regulated by the treaty.

A hole in the ozone (and the Montreal Protocol   

Many of the substances still harming the ozone layer were not included in the Montreal Protocol because their impact on the ozone layer was not considered damaging. Chemicals like dichloromethane, which has applications in paint stripping, agricultural fumigation, and pharmaceutical production, were thought to be “too short-lived to reach the stratosphere in large quantities,” explained David Oram, a research fellow at the UK’s National Centre for Atmospheric Science. 

At ground level, ozone or smog is a poisonous chemical often expelled by vehicle exhaust. High up in the stratosphere, ozone builds up at altitudes between 10 and 50 km where it acts as a shield against the harmful ultraviolet rays, which can cause cancer. Ozone holes occur naturally from cooling, but man-made chemicals greatly accelerate their formation. Currently, the ozone hole above Antarctica is the size of North America.

Besides dichloromethane, another highly concentrated chemical identified in the stratosphere includes 1,2-dichloroethane — an ozone-depleting substance used to make PVC, a popular construction material. PVC manufacturing has surged in the last couple of years in China, its main hotspot. What was unexpected, however, was the steep rise in dichloromethane emissions (mainly sourced from China) since this is not only expensive but also toxic. “One would expect that care would be taken not to release [dichloroethane] into the atmosphere,” Oram commented in a public statement. Over the past decade, dichloromethane became approximately 60% more abundant in the atmosphere as compared to the early 2000s.

“Our estimates suggest that China may be responsible for around 50-60% of current global emissions [of dichloromethane], with other Asian countries, including India, likely to be significant emitters as well,” says Oram.

Even though these emissions originate in China and other locations around East Asia, these industrial pollutants can easily leach into the tropics, where the air is more readily lifted into the upper atmosphere. In other words, these chemicals, albeit short-lived, have the time to interact with the ozone layer before breaking down.

“We found that elevated concentrations of these same chemicals were present at altitudes of 12 km over tropical regions, many thousands of kilometres away from their likely source, and in a region where air is known to be transferred into the stratosphere,” says Oram.

Ozone layer recovery could be delayed by as many as 30 years by rising industrial pollutants


Right now, the chemicals in question are not present in quantities significant enough to tear a new hole in the ozone layer but at the current rate of development, that may change. As such, the authors of the new paper published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics suggest this gap in the Montreal Protocol should be addressed by banning the chemicals or, at least, limiting their capability to leach into the atmosphere. According to Oram, the average date for ozone recovery, now set to 2050, could be delayed by 20-30 years, “depending on future emissions of things like dichloromethane.”

This is not the first study that identifies ‘very short-lived substances’ (VSLS) — chemicals which break down in less than six months — as ozone depleters. In 2015, a study published in Nature Geoscience found VSLS, dichloromethane included, are increasingly contributing to the depletion of the stratospheric shield.

“In the Antarctic region, where the ozone hole forms each year and where ozone decreases are the most dramatic, we estimate that VSLS account for about 12.5 per cent of the total ozone loss.”

“Globally averaged, the ozone loss due to VSLS in the lower stratosphere could be as much as 25 per cent, though it is much smaller at higher altitude,” Ryan Hossaini of the University of Leeds, UK, and lead author of the study said at the time.

https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/new-threats-ozone-layer-043242/

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #601 on: October 12, 2017, 10:36:46 pm »

California Wildfires: Death Toll Rises to 23, 'Worst Air Quality Ever Recorded' in Bay Area

October 11, 2017 By Lorraine Chow


Firefighters continue to battle the unprecedented wildfires ravaging Northern California.

As of Wednesday, the fast-moving blazes—aided by high winds and low humidity—have burned nearly 170,000 acres and destroyed at least 3,500 homes and commercial structures since the outbreak started Sunday.

The confirmed death toll has risen to 23, with 285 reported missing. Thousands have been forced to flee due to mandatory evacuations.

A forecast of of high winds on Thursday could deteriorate conditions.

"We're not going to be out of the woods for a great many days to come," Cal Fire director Ken Pimlott said at a news conference yesterday.

California's drought-busting rains from last winter led to "explosive vegetation," as Pimlott said, and a hot and dry summer left the brush and other vegetation tinder-dry, stoking the flames.

While the cause of the infernos has yet to be determined, some scientists have said that climate change may play a role.

"It's very clear that the increasingly hot summers are the product of climate change," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, told NBC News.

Alex Hall, a climate researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, also told the New York Times that global warming may at least be making the winds drier.

"That is a pretty key parameter for fire risk," he said.

The region's main utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, has acknowledged that gale-force winds downed some of their power lines.

"These destructive winds, along with millions of trees weakened by years of drought and recent renewed vegetation growth from winter storms, all contributed to some trees, branches and debris impacting our electric lines across the North Bay," company spokesman Matt Nauman told the Mercury News.

"In some cases, we have found instances of wires down, broken poles and impacted infrastructure. Where those have occurred, we have reported them to the CPUC and CalFire. Our thoughts are with all those individuals who were impacted by these devastating wildfires."

The wine country fires have released devastating air pollution.

"We are reporting the worst air quality ever recorded for smoke in many parts of the Bay Area," Tom Flannigan, a spokesman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, told the East Bay Times. "This is similar to what you see in Beijing, China in bad air days there."

The air pollution could even equal a year's worth of traffic, Sean Raffuse, an air-quality analyst at the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory at University of California in Davis, said. Raffuse estimates the fires have produced about 10,000 tons of fine particulate matter, about the same amount generated by the state's 35 million vehicles.

California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for the affected areas as well as for Orange County in the southern part of the state.

The National Weather Service has also issued Red Flag Warnings, the highest alert, for much of Northern California.

https://www.ecowatch.com/california-wildfires-air-2495879541.html


He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #602 on: October 15, 2017, 06:16:09 pm »
Almost 400,000 gallons of oil spilled into Gulf of Mexico 

BY JEFF CLARK jclark@sunherald.com

OCTOBER 14, 2017 12:45 PM

SNIPPET:

The Coast Guard is responding to the report of a crude oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans said it received a report from the National Response Center at 1:30 p.m. Friday of a discharge from a damaged pipeline associated with a subsea well about 40 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana.

Full article:

http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/article178904441.html

San Francisco Is Suing Major Oil Companies to Protect its Citizens from Climate Change
Sea level rise could lead to catastrophic flooding, and the city blames ExxonMobile and BP.

AMY THOMSONOCT. 14, 2017 6:00 AM

Full article:

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/10/san-franciscos-sea-level-rise-daniel-herrera-port-seawall/

With No Clean Water, Some Puerto Ricans Tap Toxic Waste Sites

OCT 12, 2017


SNIPPET:

As Donald Trump waffles between cruelly threatening to pull aid from Puerto Rico and pathetically whining about criticism of his terrible relief efforts there, the island continues to deal with ongoing devastation. According to a FEMA report, nearly 40 percent of Puerto Ricans have no access to clean drinking water. The situation is so dire that some residents are attempting to get water from polluted, contaminated and toxic sources.

“There are reports of residents obtaining, or trying to obtain, drinking water from wells at hazardous waste ‘Superfund’ sites in Puerto Rico,” the Environmental Protection Agency notes in a press release cited by Reuters. CBS News Correspondent David Begnaud tweeted an image of the report.

The EPA cites reports of Puerto Ricans “obtaining, or trying to obtain, drinking water from wells at hazardous waste “Superfund” sites” pic.twitter.com/UW4ZW7RBUG

— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) October 11, 2017

On the ground, groups of volunteer veterans have taken to social media to get out the message about how poorly this administration is handling aid efforts. In a widely shared video posted Monday, a group of four veterans, including a man identified as former Staff Sergeant and Cavalry Scout Jason Maddy, describe the lack of supplies coming in.

“We have an urgent message to get out about what’s really going on here in Western Puerto Rico,” Maddy says into the camera. “Right now, we’re only giving out, to people in the mountains, one small meal and six bottles of water per family. That is all they’re getting.”

“And the meals are really just kind of a snack pack,” another veteran, Chris Davis, says. “We can’t figure out why supplies aren’t coming in from San Juan. The local government here is doing all that they can.”

“In this area, we’re really the only ones here—we’re 12 volunteer veterans,” Maddy adds. “And people are hurting really bad right now.”

Full article:       

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/puerto-ricans-trying-drink-toxic-water-hazardous-waste-sites/

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #603 on: October 18, 2017, 01:00:18 pm »
Video of Oil Rig Fire in St. Charles Parish

One Missing, Six Injured in Platform Explosion on Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana

October 15, 2017 by gCaptain

Full article with a photo:

http://gcaptain.com/multiple-injuries-in-platform-explosion-on-lake-pontchartrain-louisiana/
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #604 on: October 20, 2017, 06:12:17 pm »


 
Global pollution linked to one in six premature death, It’s worse than wars, AIDS and road accidents combined


LAST UPDATED ON OCTOBER 20TH, 2017 AT 2:57 PM BY TIBI PUIU

An extensive study carried out by environmental experts found an alarmingly high percentage of all global premature deaths are linked to pollution, specifically airborne pollution. In 2015, nine million premature deaths or roughly 16 percent of all deaths can be attributed to pollution, according to the findings published in The Lancet. That’s one-and-a-half times more than the number of people killed by smoking, three times the number killed by AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined, more than six times the number killed in road accidents, and 15 times the number killed in war or other forms of violence.

“There’s been a lot of study of pollution, but it’s never received the resources or level of attention as, say, AIDS or climate change,” said epidemiologist Philip Landrigan, dean of global health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, and the lead author on the report.

The elephant in the room no one’s talking about

The international collaboration that included over 40 scientists from leading research instituted around the world examined data on premature mortality from Global Burden of Disease dataset, which estimates mortality from major diseases and their causes across populations. Researchers gauged the effects of air pollution (particle matter, toxic compounds), water pollution (contamination, unhygienic sanitation), and workplace pollution (toxins and carcinogens).

The investigation revealed a harrowing landscape where pollution is causing a massive death toll, especially in the developing world which is burning fossil fuels at an alarming rate.

Air pollution was linked to 6.5 million premature deaths;

Water pollution was linked to 1.8 million premature deaths;

Workplace pollution was linked to 1 million premature deaths;

Premature deaths resulting from pollution-related diseases like heart disease and cancer outnumbered AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined 3 to 1;

About 92% of all premature deaths linked to pollution occur in low and middle-income countries.

Up to one in four deaths can be attributed to pollution in countries like China, India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh.

In absolute numbers, China (1.8 million) and India (2.5 million) had the most pollution-related deaths for the year 2015.

The United States, home to the world’s biggest economy, saw 155,000 premature deaths linked to pollution in 2015.


In reality, the scope of pollution may be even worse
since the researchers used conservative data which likely underestimates the burden of pollution on people’s livelihoods. For instance, the study didn’t take into account the effects of endocrine disruptors, pesticides, or flame retardants, all of which are widely used and known to contribute to premature death.

Most of these premature deaths occur in developing countries and disproportionately affect the poor. Nations like India or China have grown their economies at full throttle using cheap fossil fuels as gas but in doing so they’ve sacrificed the health of their population. Yet this isn’t an indispensable trade-off. The United States or the European Union have shown that pollution can be curbed without sacrificing economic output through legislation that protects the environment and regulates water use.

The findings serve as a wakeup call to policymakers but also to the public which is often unaware of the full scope of pollution and how it affects livelihoods for generations to come.

https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/pollution-ecology/pollution-premature-deaths-s0534543/

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #605 on: October 21, 2017, 01:26:11 pm »
One Killed, One Still Missing After Explosion on Crude Oil Barge Off Port Aransas, Texas

October 20, 2017 by Mike Schuler


A barge on fire approximately three miles from Port Aransas, Texas, jetties Oct. 20, 2017. U.S. Coast Guard Photo

Update: The U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed that one person has died and another person was still missing after a fire on barge operated by Bouchard Transportation.

The company issued the following statement about the accident.

Bouchard Transportation reports that a fire occurred today aboard one of their barges at approximately 4:30 am local time near Aransas Pass, Texas.

For privacy purposes, we are not releasing any information about our crew and trust you respect this decision.

We have no information regarding pollution or the cause of the fire at this time.

Our tug which, was pushing the barge, had 6 crew members on board and we are working closely with the Coast Guard to ensure their safety.

All proper emergency notifications have been made and response resources have responded.

The incident is under investigation and Bouchard Transportation, as operator of the tug and barge, is working closely with the appropriate authorities.

The Company will provide further information on this incident as it becomes available.

The tug involved is the Buster Bouchard.

Earlier: The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for two missing crew members following an explosion and fire onboard a barge loaded with crude oil off Port Aransas, Texas on Friday.

A vessel with the Corpus Christi Fire Department was fighting to extinguish the fire.

The barge is located approximately three miles from the Port Aransas, Texas, jetties, according to the Coast Guard.


A Corpus Christi Fire Department vessel attempts to extinguish a fire onboard a barge approximately three miles from the Port Aransas, Texas, jetties Oct. 20, 2017. A Coast Guard Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin and HC-144 Ocean Sentry are searching for two missing crewmembers. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

A Coast Guard Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin and HC-144 Ocean Sentry are searching for two missing crewmembers.

There were a total of eight crew members on board, according to reports.

The barge was carrying 140,000 barrels of crude oil to a refinery when the incident occurred, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

The fire is believed to have started about 4:30 a.m. local time.

gCaptain has learned that the barge in question is the 158,000 barrel capacity B255, which was connected to the tug Buster Bouchard.

The articulated tug-barge (ATB) unit belongs to Bouchard Transportation, the United States’ largest independently-owned ocean-going petroleum barge company.

A safety zone has been established surrounding the vessel. There are reports of minor pollution in the water.

Bouchard has not yet responded to gCaptain’s request for comment.


http://gcaptain.com/two-missing-after-explosion-on-crude-oil-barge-off-port-aransas-texas/

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #606 on: October 21, 2017, 01:50:25 pm »
New Estimate Doubles the Size of Last Week’s Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

October 20, 2017 by gCaptain

Authorities have doubled the size estimate of last week’s offshore oil spill from a damaged pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 40 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana.

On Wednesday, LLOG Exploration, which operates the pipeline, issued a revised estimated volume of unaccounted-for oil to the Coast Guard and BSEE. The new calculations indicate that the total volume of oil discharged may be as much as 16,000 barrels (672,000 gallons), nearly double the maximum 9,350 barrels (392,700 gallons) initially reported.

The pipeline was secured upon discovery of the leak.

The oil was discharged last week from a small crack in a subsea pipeline located approximately 5,000 feet under water, which was pressurized to more than 3,000 psi. “This high-pressure discharge through a small opening likely caused the oil to be broken down into small particles and disperse into deep-water currents prior to reaching the surface,” the Coast Guard said in a statement late Wednesday.

The Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement continue their response the oil spill, coordinating with the responsible party and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to locate and respond to any oil that reaches the surface.

Multiple daily over flights and remotely operated underwater vehicle inspections have been conducted with no recoverable oil detected, according to the Coast Guard.

Skimming vessels from Clean Gulf Associates and the Marine Spill Response Corporation remain on standby.

Surface and subsea trajectory models indicate that any discharged oil will drift in a southwesterly direction and is not expected to impact the shoreline. The calculations indicate that the discovery of any recoverable oil is unlikely due to the depth and pressure at which the oil was released, the Coast Guard said.

Water samples taken along the trajectory path at various depths have not detected the presence of oil.


“While the reported discharge amount is very significant, we are confident in the calculations completed by the LLOG and NOAA scientists,” said Cmdr. Heather Mattern from U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Morgan City, Louisiana. “Additionally, the lack of any recoverable oil identified by over flights and subsea inspections conducted throughout the past week supports this explanation.”

The Coast Guard and BSEE will continue to coordinate with the responsible party    throughout the investigation into the cause of this incident.


The BSEE initiated a Panel Investigation into the incident. The five-member panel is made up of inspectors, engineers and accident investigators, who will issue a report containing findings, recommendations and any potential violations for consideration. 

The oil spill is believed to be the largest in the U.S. since the 2010 blowout at BP’s Macondo well that sank the Deepwater Horizon, killing 11 people and resulting in the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.

http://gcaptain.com/new-estimate-doubles-the-size-of-last-weeks-oil-spill-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/

It REALLY WAS a good ride, not for you and me, but for TPTB. So, expect them to do WHATEVER to prolong their RIDE, against all scientific evidence that EXPLOITATION WITHOUT REFLECTION OF FELLOW EARTHLINGS OF ALL SPECIES (not just humans) AND THE BIOSPHERE FOR PROFIT OVER PLANET is deleterious (i.e. SUICIDAL/abysmally STUPID) to the Homo SAP species.

International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) ‘Deeply Concerned’ by Canada’s Proposed Tanker Ban in Northern British Columbia Waters October 20, 2017 by gCaptain




Senate Okays the Destruction of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge  October 20, 2017


http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=20279

« Last Edit: October 21, 2017, 05:05:57 pm by AGelbert »
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #607 on: October 22, 2017, 06:23:21 pm »



TRUMP’S BRAZEN ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE ARCTIC UP TO DRILLING

By Rebecca Bowe | Wednesday, October 11, 2017


The way of life of the Gwich’in people, who have depended on the caribou of the Arctic Refuge for millennia, is threatened by plans for oil drilling. PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 

UPDATE, October 11, 2017: The House has approved a budget resolution that paves the way for drilling in the Arctic Refuge, and soon the Senate is expected to vote. This represents one of the greatest legislative threats facing the Arctic Refuge in years. Please take a moment to TAKE ACTION by contacting your Congressional representatives and urging them to protect the Arctic Refuge.

September 25, 2017: Summer in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge doesn’t last for long, but in that brief burst, millions of migratory birds flock to this vast wilderness expanse from every direction. Taking wing from Asia, South America, Africa, Antarctica and all 50 U.S. states, they congregate to nest in the refuge, a national treasure that’s one of the last wild, intact landscapes on the planet. Caribou, polar bears, Arctic foxes and wolverines roam the vast expanse, which spans 19.6 million acres in Northeast Alaska.

The 1.5-million acre coastal plain within the refuge is a biologically rich swath that borders the Beaufort Sea. It’s considered sacred by the indigenous Gwich’in people, whose way of life has for millennia depended on the caribou that calve there each summer.



An Alaskan tundra wolf leaps through the blowing snow in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. TROUTNUT/GETTY IMAGES



For years, Earthjustice has partnered with a diverse coalition of groups to protect the refuge from oil and gas development. PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

These baby tree sparrows are some of the millions of birds that call the Arctic Refuge home. PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE


Legal policy has prohibited new oil exploration for the last 35 years in this pristine wilderness area. PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE


Herds of caribou roam the vast expanse of the Arctic Refuge, which spans 19.6 million acres in northeast Alaska. PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

For decades, the Arctic Refuge and its coastal plain have been at the center of a political tug-of-war over fossil fuel extraction. Earthjustice has long partnered with a diverse coalition of groups on the side of protecting the refuge from oil and gas development. That battle reignited last week with news that the Trump administration is planning an attack on laws protecting the refuge, in order to accelerate oil drilling on the plain.

As the Washington Post revealed, the acting director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service instructed the agency’s Alaska regional director in an August memo to change a rule on “exploratory activity.” This precursor to oil drilling includes ear-piercing seismic blasting and underground shock waves to identify where oil deposits may lie.

The regional director was told to erase the part of the rule spelling out that these harmful exploratory tests were only allowed from Oct. 1, 1984 until May 31, 1986. This one shady little edit flies in the face of 35 years of established legal policy barring new oil exploration in the pristine wilderness area, throwing the biological heart of the refuge into immediate peril.

Quote
“We cannot and should not play politics with our national heritage, just to line the pockets of the oil and gas industry.”

Trump’s political appointees appear to be orchestrating this assault on the Arctic Refuge. Former commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources, Joe Balash , who was nominated to a high-ranking Interior post, has submitted multiple proposals to conduct harmful seismic exploration on the Coastal Plain. And David Bernhardt, who Trump appointed to the second-highest position at Interior, represented the state of Alaska in a lawsuit in 2014 against the Interior Department to allow for seismic testing in the coastal plain, but lost. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency that is suddenly pressuring for this rule change, answers to Interior.

Under federal law, only Congress can allow drilling in the refuge, and a 1980 law protects the coastal plain from oil and gas leasing and development. Yet other efforts that could jeopardize the refuge are moving forward simultaneously in Congress.

The House budget resolution for FY 2018 includes provisions that will be used to advance drilling in the refuge, signaling an attempt by congressional allies of the oil industry to insert a highly controversial policy issue into must-pass budget legislation. Meanwhile, the refuge isn’t the only Arctic landscape in the oil and gas industry’s sights. Earthjustice is currently opposing Arctic drilling proposals on multiple fronts, including offshore territories and public lands in the western Arctic.


Oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge threatens the habitats of a wide range of wildlife, including polar bears, Arctic foxes and wolverines. SARKOPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES


Secretary Zinke swears in David Bernhardt as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior. PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR



Trump’s political appointees have submitted multiple proposals to conduct harmful seismic exploration on the Coastal Plain of the refuge.PHOTO COURTESY OF US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE



This beautiful, expansive Arctic landscape is too precious not to protect from the oil industry’s destructive plans to drill. ERIC RORER/ISTOCK

Even as cries of “drill, baby, drill” seem to be echoing off the walls of smoky backrooms from Alaska to D.C.    , one might be surprised to learn that there isn’t actually any shortage of oil. Supplies have reached historic highs, and gas prices have dipped – which means the industry has little to gain financially by opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

“The Arctic Refuge is just too special to drill for oil and gas that we don’t need and should be kept in the ground,” says Earthjustice Associate Legislative Counsel Marissa Knodel. “For 30 years, Congress has respected the will of the vast majority of American people, who want to protect the Arctic Refuge. Drilling there should be excluded from any budget proposal. We cannot and should not play politics with our national heritage, just to line the pockets of the oil and gas industry.”

https://earthjustice.org/blog/2017-september/arctic-refuge-at-risk-for-drilling
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #608 on: October 23, 2017, 07:32:24 pm »
China Shuts Down Tens Of Thousands Of Factories In Unprecedented Pollution Crackdown 

Listen· 3:51

October 23, 20174:52 AM ET

Heard on Morning Edition  Rob Schmitz 2016 square

http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/10/23/559009961/china-shuts-down-tens-of-thousands-of-factories-in-unprecedented-pollution-crack
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #609 on: October 25, 2017, 01:58:58 pm »


Oil Cleanup Continues in Texas After Barge Explosion, Fire

October 24, 2017 by gCaptain

SNIPPET:

A Unified Command made up of representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office, and Bouchard Transportation continue to respond to an oil discharge after a crude oil barge exploded and caught fire three miles off the jetties of Port Aransas, Texas.

As of Monday evening, beach cleanup operations had removed approximately 48 cubic yards of oily solids from the impacted shoreline on Mustang Island and North Padre Island. Six cleanup teams, totaling over 120 people, are actively engaged in beach cleanup.

Two wildlife response teams and one wildlife response vessel continue to assess any impacted wildlife between the Padre Island National Seashore and Port Aransas. Any recovered wildlife will be taken to the Amos Rehabilitation Keep at University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas.

fulll article with more pictures:

http://gcaptain.com/oil-cleanup-continues-in-texas-after-barge-explosion-fire

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #610 on: October 28, 2017, 12:49:48 pm »
China Declares War On Polluters — Shutters 40% Of Factories

October 28th, 2017 by Steve Hanley

China is getting serious about curbing pollution. According to sources, up to 40% of its factories have been closed at least temporarily recently as the country has struggled to meet its year-end pollution reduction goals. Officials from more than 80,000 factories have been charged with criminal offences for breaching emissions limits over the past year.


Pollution in Beijing Air Pollution in Beijing. Credit. J Aaron Farr/Flickr


“{B}asically, you’re seeing these inspectors go into factories for surprise inspections,” supply chain consultant Gary Huang from 80/20 Sourcing tells NPR (h/t Futurism). “They’re instituting daily fines, and sometimes — in the real severe cases — criminal enforcement. People are getting put in jail.”

How is the crackdown affecting China’s sprawling manufacturing sector? The government says total output will not be affected, but it is hard to see how the stepped up enforcement could fail to have a negative economic effect.

In prior years, factory shutdowns only lasted a few weeks at most, but environmental protection minister Li Ganjie says the number and length of closures this year is “unprecedented.”

“For those areas that have suffered ecological damage, their leaders and cadres will be held responsible for life,” Yang Weimin told the New York Times recently. He is the deputy director of the Communist Party’s Office of Financial and Economic Affairs. “Our people will be able to see stars at night and hear birds chirp,” he promises.

At the Communist Party annual congress this week, China announced that it plans to reduce the amount of fine particulate matter (that’s the stuff in the air that is less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which is small enough to cross over into the bloodstream from the lungs) from 47 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016 to 35 micrograms per cubic meter by 2035.

“It will be very difficult to reach the goal, and we need to make greater efforts to achieve it,” Li says. “These special campaigns are not a one-off, instead it is an exploration of long-term mechanisms. They have proven effective so we will continue with these measures.”

The tougher enforcement of pollution laws is putting pressure on China’s industrial sector, which will need to adapt by instituting better, smarter, and safer ways of doing business.

“It’s a huge event. It’s a serious event. I think many of us here believe it will become the new normal,” exporter Michael Crotty from China-based MKT & Associates told NPR. “The consumers of China don’t want red and blue rivers. They don’t want to see grey skies every day.”

Unlike the United States, where polluters are rewarded with generous government subsidies at taxpayer expense, China is determined to do what is necessary to protect its citizens from environmental harm. Some would call that leadership.

Source: Futurism

https://cleantechnica.com/2017/10/28/china-declares-war-polluters-shutters-40-factories/

Agelbert NOTE: China (FINALLY!) gets it. Trump's wrecking crew NEVER will.   


He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #611 on: November 01, 2017, 01:58:05 pm »

UN Predicts Greenhouse Gas Emissions Set to Bust Paris Agreement by 30 Percent

October 31, 2017 by Reuters

SNIPPET:

By 2030, annual emissions are likely to be 53.0-55.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, far above the 42 billion tonne threshold for averting a temperature rise of more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) this century, the U.N. environment agency said.

full article:

http://gcaptain.com/un-predicts-greenhouse-gas-emissions-set-bust-paris-agreement-30-percent/

 

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #612 on: November 02, 2017, 02:55:37 pm »
Over 2,100 cities exceed recommended pollution levels

Submitted by SueN on 2 November 2017 - 12:41pm

Climate change is a looming public health emergency, say experts in a new report, due to high pollution levels, warming temperatures and increased opportunities for disease.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/30/health/climate-change-report-pollution-dengue-heat-wave/index.html
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: Pollution
« Reply #613 on: November 03, 2017, 02:41:00 pm »

World’s Largest Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Departs Samsung Heavy Industries

November 2, 2017 by Mike Schuler


Photo: Samsung Heavy Industries

egina oil field Credit: Total

The world’s largest Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel left the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in Geoje, South Korea under tow on Tuesday for its voyage to Nigeria.

The Egina    FPSO was ordered by Total in 2013 for a total investment $3 billion covering the entire engineering, procurement, construction, transport, and commissioning phases of the project.

The 60,000 ton vessel will be moored at the Egina oil field some 200 km off the coast of Nigeria and has a storage capacity of 2.3 million barrels. The massive facility measures in at 330 meters long by 61 meters in breadth and 34 meters tall.

The offshore oil field is one of the flagship ultra-deepwater projects in Total’s portfolio. The field consists of a total of 44 subsea wells that will be connected to the FPSO using umbilicals and risers.

Once on stream, the field will have a production capacity of 200,000 barrels per day, with the Egina boasting     2.3 million barrels of storage capacity.

Tuesday’s departure of the gigantic floater marks the latest of three offshore mega-projects completed by SHI this year. In April, SHI delivered the Ichthy’s CPF, the world’s largest floating gas processing facility. The delivery was followed by the sail-away of the Prelude FLNG, touted as the largest offshore structure ever constructed, this past June.

SHI says Egina’s voyage to Nigeria will take about 3 months. From there, the installation of the remaining topside modules and commissioning will be carried out by a local partner of SHI, with delivery scheduled for for the second half of 2018.

http://gcaptain.com/worlds-largest-fpso-departs-samsung-heavy-industries/

Agelbert expletive deleted: ******* INSANE Fosssil Fuel Industry IMBECILES!
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

GWarnock

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