Wassup world? Today is Thursday, October 18, 2018 and this is the Weekly Environmental Wrap Up where we rebreak news you probably didn't hear about regarding Water, Air, Soil, Urban Spaces, Power, and People. Before I get into this weeks news, I'd like to implore you to share this podcast with everyone you know, just tell them to find Wassup World News on Spotify, Itunes, Google Play, or wherever else they get podcasts.
On Friday, The President of the United States signed into law, The Save Our Seas Act, which was passed with bi-partisan support earlier this summer, reauthorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program through 2022, giving it $10 million a year, and provides resources to help states respond to severe marine debris events in an attempt to combat plastic pollution in the ocean.
https://earther.gizmodo.com/trump-signs-actually-good-bill-to-clean-up-ocean-garbag-1829711006
The Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) recently reported that according to EPA’s records for the 98 large U.S. meat-processing plants, 74 of the plants had violated their pollution control permits at least once. These plants released over 250,000 gallons of waste per day into public rivers, lakes, and streams between January 2016 and June 2018.
The 20-person Particulate Matter Review Panel, made up of experts in microscopic airborne pollutants known to cause respiratory disease, is responsible for helping the agency decide what levels of pollutants are safe to breathe. The panel will be disbanded next year, according to an EPA official.
Rainforest insects are dying off at alarming rates acording to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The just published study found that from 1973-2013 there has been a 75-82% decrease in flying insects and a 96-98 of ground insects in the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico.
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/10/09/1722477115 http://mentalfloss.com/article/560890/new-study-reveals-hyper-alarming-decline-rainforest-insect-populations
With construction of what President Trump calls the first 40 miles of new border wall already underway across the nation’s southern boundary, federal officials have announced this week they’re waiving nearly 30 environmental laws in Texas to expedite additional building in the interest of homeland security. The waivers allow for construction of about 17 miles of border barrier and gates passing through Bentsen State Park and the National Butterfly Center.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-border-wall-environment-20181010-story.html
Some of the oil that leaked from ships involved in an accident in the Mediterranean earlier this month has washed up on the white-sand beaches of the glitzy French resort of Saint-Tropez, local authorities said Tuesday. The mayor of the village of Ramatuelle, which lies on the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, told AFP that 16 kilometres (10 miles) of coastline had been affected by the spill.
https://www.thelocal.fr/20181016/beaches-of-glitzy-saint-tropez-hit-by-mediterranean-oil-spill
Google this week added support to Google Maps for EV chargers. The new feature for iOS and Android shows all TESLA and Chargepoint locations as well as EVgo, Blink, and SemaConnect networks in the US; Chargemaster and Pod Point chargers in the UK; and Chargefox locations in Australia and New Zealand. Desktop support will follow in a few weeks.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/16/17983986/google-maps-electric-car-charging-tesla-superchargers
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness officially commissioned a state-of-the-art solar installation atop his own office building in partnership with Solar Head of State. At the same event the Prime Minister anounced that by 2030, Jamaica will be producing more than 50% of its electricity from renewables.
Toping the list at 3.5% is USA based Chevron, followed on by 2. ExxonMobil, USA 3.22 % 3. Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia 3.17 % 4. BP, UK 2.47 % 5. Gazprom, Russian Federation 2.22 % 6. Royal Dutch/Shell, Netherlands 2.12 % 7. National Iranian Oil Company 2.01 % 8. Pemex, Mexico 1.38 % 9. ConocoPhillips, USA 1.16 % 10. Petroleos de Venezuela 1.11 % 11. Coal India 1.07 % 12. Peabody Energy, USA 0.86 % 13. Total, France 0.82 % 14. PetroChina, China 0.73 % 15. Kuwait Petroleum Corp. 0.73 % 16. Abu Dhabi NOC, UAE 0.67 % 17. Sonatrach, Algeria 0.64 % 18. Consol Energy, Inc., USA 0.63 % 19. BHP-Billiton, Australia 0.52 % 20. Anglo American, United Kingdom 0.50 %
This data came from the Climate Accountability Institute in a paper authored by Richard Heede and published in the journal Climatic Change. The paper also shows that the top 90 greenhouse gas producers have emited 2/3rds of the worlds total greenhouse gases.
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10584-013-0986-y.pdf https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/20/90-companies-man-made-global-warming-emissions-climate-change
Ban Ki-Moon, Bill Gates and Kristalina Georgieva, CEO of the World Bank are leading an organization called The Global Commission on Adaptation, which also involves 17 countries including China, India, South Africa, Indonesia, Canada and the UK. Regarding the purposose of the Commision, Kristalina Georgieva says “Our climate has already changed. Dramatic weather events and volatile seasons are the new normal. We face a choice: business as usual and hope for the best. Or we act now and build for a resilient future.”
Three protesters jailed for blocking access to a fracking site in Lacashire, were the first people to be imprisoned in the UK for an environmental protest since 1932. but all three have walked free after the court of appeal quashed their year and half long sentences, calling them “manifestly excessive”.
That's it for this Weekly Environmental Wrap Up. Things may have changed by the time you're listening to this. please subscribe and share this podcast with all your friends and fam, and don't forget to Tune in next week to hear more about the flora, fauna, and planet you care oh so much about. I'm John Brindley. Thank you very much for caring. Peace out World.