Wassup World! Today is July Eightenth Two Thousand Eighteen and this is Wassup World News coming to you not so live with the Weekly Wednesday Wrap Up where we rebreak stories that impact our planets flora and fauna. Today, and every Wednesday moving forward we will be rebreaking news regarding Water, Air, Soil, Urban Spaces, Power and People.
Potable water is increasingly scarce in San Cristóbal de las Casas, a picturesque mountain town in the southeastern Meixco. Some neighborhoods have running water just a few times a week, and many households are forced to buy extra water from tanker trucks. Coca-cola runs a plant in the town and consitenly pulls 300,000 gallons of water a day as part of a decades old deal with the Mexican government. Locals have been asking for help for over a year but The federal government has yet to respond to the issue. https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a22172862/coca-cola-mexico-town-water/
The deaths of eight critically endangered black rhinos during a failed translocation effort in Kenya undermines many years of conservation efforts, experts say. The animals died due to salt poisoning, according to Kenya Wildlife Service veterinarians. The park’s water supply has significantly higher levels of salt than the rhinos were used to, and eight of the 11 translocated rhinos died shortly after drinking it, according to a statement issued by Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/07/black-rhinos-die-during-translocation-Kenya/
Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) is preparing to introduce legislation that would pause federal regulations on climate change in exchange for an escalating tax on carbon emissions, according to draft legislation obtained by E&E News. https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2018/07/17/stories/1060089315
Meanwhile, Koch Industries on Monday offered support for a House resolution that would oppose any carbon tax.urges support for the GOP-backed resolution that would make clear that "a carbon tax would be detrimental to the American economy." http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/overnights/397308-overnight-energy-kochs-back-bill-opposing-carbon-taxes
Results from a Stanford Energy Modelling Forum project published in March show that a carbon tax is effective at reducing carbon pollution and that this type of revenue-neutral carbon tax would have a very modest impact on the economy in terms of gross domestic product (GDP). https://www.worldscientific.com/toc/cce/09/01
The California Air Resources Board today announced that greenhouse gas pollution in California fell below 1990 levels for the first time since emissions peaked in 2004—an achievement roughly equal to taking 12 million cars off the road or saving 6 billion gallons of gasoline a year. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/news/climate-pollutants-fall-below-1990-levels-first-time
Monsanto is back in the courts, this time fighting allegations that the chemical, glyphosate, sold under the Roundup brand is linked to cancer. Monsanto has successfully suppressed scientific research that suggested any link between the chemical and cancer for years but mounting scientific as well as evidence of tampering and misinformation by Monsanto. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jul/09/monsanto-trial-roundup-weedkiller-cancer-dewayne-johnson
Costco has updated its international policy for their suppliers, encouraging them to phase out the use of neonicotinoids (commonly called neonics), a synthetic insecticide that some scientists link to bee death. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/costco-pollinator-policy-neonics-ontario-farmers-1.4743248
Adidas, the global sportwear maker said on Monday that it would eliminate the use of virgin plastic, making the switch to a fully recycled plastic line by 2024. This includes everything from shoes to shirts. Adidas also said its offices and warehouses would cut virgin plastic out completely this year. https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/16/news/adidas-using-recycled-plastic-only/index.html
The EPA has proposed a rule called "Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science", which would eliminate consideration of scientific studies unless the raw study data is made publicly available. This would have to include participants personal, confidential and private information...data which is generally subject to legal, etheical and human subject research protections. Human health studies would essentially be eliminated from EPA consideration. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/trumps-epa-puts-our-health-at-risk/
In last weeks wrap up, we reported that Starbucks would be banning the use of plastic straws at all of its locations. While still true, Starbucks will actually be increasing its plastic use as their new nitro lids which will help the company replace straws, are made up of more plastic than the company's current lid/straw combination. In their defense, Starbucks' total non-recylable plastic volume will decrease. https://reason.com/blog/2018/07/12/starbucks-straw-ban-will-see-the-company
480,464 citizens of Arizona have signed a state initiative to create a state constitutional amendment that would require 50% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030. Come voting day, a simple 50% majority of voters is all that is needed to pass the initiative. This new mandate builds on a decade-old mandate of 15% by 2025. https://cleantechnica.com/2018/07/11/arizona-ballot-initiative-requires-50-renewable-energy-by-2030/
Vitol Group, the world’s largest independent oil trader, is launching a new fund to invest in wind farms in Europe, joining a string of oil majors making moves into renewable energy. The Rotterdam-based trader will invest 200 million euros ($234 million) into offshore and onshore wind farms through its VLC Renewables arm, run by a joint venture together with Low Carbon Ltd. The company is planning to buy minority stakes in projects, working with developers and financial investors. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-17/oil-trader-vitol-embraces-clean-energy-with-new-wind-power-fund
On Monday, while most media were still digesting President Donald Trump’s extraordinary travels abroad, the White House quietly named a long-time pesticide executive as chief scientist for the US Department of Agriculture. If approved by the Senate, Scott Hutchins will be the third major player from Dow Chemical’s pesticide/seed division to hold a high post in Trump’s USDA. https://www.motherjones.com/food/2018/07/trump-just-nominated-a-pesticide-exec-to-oversee-science-at-usda/
That's it for this Wednesday Weekly Wrap Up! Follow, subscribe, or click some kind of button to hear next weeks wrap up. This has been a podcast by Wassup World News. Things may have changed by the time you've listened to this.
I'm John Brindley, and Until next time, Peace Out World.