World's Largest Solar Farm in Australia Will Also Supply 20% of Singapore's Electricity
6h
Renewable Energy
Sun Cable hopes to start construction of the world's largest solar farm in 2023. Sun Cable
A large expanse of Australia's deserted Outback will house the world's largest solar farm and generate enough energy to export power to Singapore, as The Guardian reported.
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<p>The massive solar farm, which will be visible from space after it's constructed, will lie halfway between Alice Springs and Darwin, two cities in Australia's Northern Territory. The solar farm will occupy more than 46 square miles and cost $20 billion to build, according to <a href="https://www.unilad.co.uk/technology/worlds-largest-solar-farm-to-power-singapore/" target="_blank">Unilad</a>.</p><p>The remote area of the Outback where the solar panels will work is currently a massive cattle ranch, but the owner of the project, Sun Cable, hopes to start construction in 2023 with the aim of exporting energy by 2027. According to Unilad, the solar farm is expected to generate so much energy that not only will it power all of the Northern Territory, but two-thirds of the electricity will be exported via underwater cables that run 2,800 miles to Singapore, a city-state on the tip of the Malay peninsula.</p>
<p>Sun Cable has initiated the project by evaluating its environmental impact and making sure its project complies with regulation from the Northern Territory's Environment Protection Authority, as the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2020-10-20/newcastle-waters-station-nt-set-for-worlds-biggest-solar-farm/12785256" target="_blank">Australian Broadcasting Corporation</a> (ABC) reported.</p><p>"We'll be using thousands of hectares of land, and we need to closely examine the impact on the ground at the solar farm end," Sun Cable CEO David Griffin said, as ABC reported. "There's a lot of black soil in that country, but that's a bit problematic for us, so we're [planning to build] on a substantial area of soil that's a bit different and a bit friendlier for us to construct on."</p><p>Despite those challenges, Griffin believes the massive cattle farm called Newcastle Waters is an ideal location for the solar farm because it meets several critical requirements.</p><p>"It's on the Adelaide to Darwin rail corridor, which is brilliant for our logistics given the enormous amount of material we'll have to transport to the site," he said to The Guardian. The location is also just 18 miles off the main highway that runs the length of the sparsely populated Northern Territory.</p>
<p>The weather also provides ideal conditions for producing energy.<br></p><p>"It's a bit of a balancing act too, because it's far south enough to get away from the main patch affected by the wet season, so it's a steady solar resource throughout the year," Griffin told The Guardian. "There's plenty of sun and not many clouds."</p><p>The massive project is expected to supply 10 gigawatts of electricity. The sustainable energy will help the remote areas of the Northern Territory, which usually have to use energy from diesel-powered generators. The exported energy will supply 20 percent of Singapore's energy needs, according to Unilad.</p><p>The solar farm, which is three times larger than the world's current largest solar farm in northern China, is also expected to provide thousands of jobs related to construction and hundreds of jobs once construction is done. Griffin told The Guardian that many of the jobs will go to local <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/indigenous-peoples">Indigenous</a> communities.</p>
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Construction on the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric station in 2015. Government of Newfoundland and Labrador / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
By Tara Lohan
In 1999 a cheering crowd watched as a backhoe breached a hydroelectric dam on Maine's Kennebec River. The effort to help restore native fish populations and the river's health was hailed as a success and ignited a nationwide movement that spurred 1,200 dam removals in two decades.
<p>The era of building large dams in the United States, which defined so much of the 20th century, is over. The prime spots for development were cemented decades ago, and the ensuing harm to fish and other wildlife has been well documented. Attention is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/climate/environmentalists-hydropower-dams.html" target="_blank">now focused</a> on removing obsolete dams and retrofitting existing hydroelectric dams to reduce ecological harm and increase energy efficiency.</p><p>Many other countries are in the same boat. Across Europe and North America "big dams stopped being built in developed nations because the best sites for dams were already developed, and environmental and social concerns made the costs unacceptable," found a <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/115/47/11891" target="_blank">2018 study</a> in the <em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em>.</p>
<p>Canada appears to be the exception to that.</p><p>Large dams are still being built across Canada, from Muskrat Falls in Labrador to the generically titled "Site C" in British Columbia, despite <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/inquiry-slams-nalcor-s-c-12-7b-muskrat-falls-hydro-project-as-misguided-57533638" target="_blank">cost overruns</a>, outcry from some <a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/i-dont-see-why-anything-should-be-secret-first-nation-rejected-28-million-in-site-c-dam-deal-court-docs-reveal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">First Nations</a> and even <a href="https://thetyee.ca/News/2017/03/13/UN-Calls-for-Site-C-Review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">environmental concerns</a> from the United Nations.</p><p>Hydroelectric power already supplies 60% of the country's energy. But the dam building isn't just to feed Canada's power needs. It's also become a hot export commodity.</p><p>As U.S. states look to meet new clean energy targets, imported low-carbon hydropower from across the northern border has become a larger part of the conversation — and the grid. New England already gets 17% of its energy from Canadian hydropower, Midwest states around 12% and New York 5%.</p><p>That number is likely to jump.</p><p>A new transmission project to bring 250 megawatts of Canadian hydropower to the United States <a href="https://renewablesnow.com/news/minnesota-power-brings-online-250-mw-hydro-wind-transmission-line-702303/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">just came online in Minnesota</a>. Two more are in the works for Massachusetts and New York.</p>
<p>Proponents say we need large-scale hydro to grease the wheels of the clean energy transition. Others caution that it comes with a larger environmental cost compared to wind and solar and could open the floodgates for more dam building.</p><p>There's one shared bit of common ground, though: We need to act quickly and wisely to tackle the climate crisis.</p><p>"This is the decade for getting 50% of the way there on renewables, but also proving out the pathway to get to net-zero by mid-century, if not before," says Peter Rothstein, president of the <a href="https://www.necec.org/" target="_blank">Northeast Clean Energy Council</a>.</p><p>How hydro figures into that process is still a complicated issue.</p>
<h3>Clean Energy Demand Surges</h3><p>The Northeast is one place where the energy transition is off and running.</p><p>All six New England states have pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions 80% over 1990 levels by 2050, and some are aiming higher.</p><p>Neighboring New York is also keeping pace. Last year the Empire State committed to achieving an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and 70% renewable electricity by 2030.</p><p>How will those goals be achieved?</p><p>For some, imported Canadian hydropower looks poised to play a big role, and two new projects appear close to breaking ground.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU1MjYxMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNjUyNDkzNH0.WEBhGwZFIFhubp42RzciMPmzWdfDC9o24akvVcl1a40/img.jpg?width=980" id="56920" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c79b6e5712b1b6f73a4d875536a2a4e3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Transmission lines from the Churchill Falls generating station in Labrador. Douglas Spott / CC BY-NC 2.0
<p><a href="https://chpexpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Champlain Hudson Power Express</a>, a 330-mile-long transmission line, would deliver 1,000 megawatts of hydropower from Quebec to the New York metro area and could supply about a million homes — helping to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.</p><p>The project — a joint venture of the province-run Hydro-Québec and Transmission Developers Inc., a subsidiary of the private equity firm Blackstone Group — has already received the necessary permits for construction, but no contracts for the power have been signed.</p><p>Construction, however, could still start next year, with the project scheduled to come online in 2025.</p><p>Massachusetts has an even bigger project in the works. <a href="https://www.necleanenergyconnect.org/project-overview" target="_blank">New England Clean Energy Connect</a> would bring 1,500 megawatts of capacity through a 145-mile-long transmission line running through Maine from Canada to Massachusetts. It too would come from Hydro-Québec, this time working in conjunction with Central Maine Power.</p><p>The project, which is projected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 3 million tons a year in New England, has received its necessary permits from the state of Maine but still awaits federal permits from the Department of Energy and the Army Corps of Engineers.</p><p>Opposition groups, including some environmental organizations, are also <a href="https://www.nrcm.org/programs/climate/proposed-cmp-transmission-line-bad-deal-maine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">challenging various aspects of the project</a> in court. And a coalition of First Nations communities that have seen dams built on their ancestral lands have voiced their opposition. (You can read more about that transmission line in <a href="https://therevelator.org/hydropower-necec/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Part I of this series</a>.)</p><p>More could be on the way. Nalcor Energy — the province-run hydro company of Newfoundland and Labrador — is nearing completion on its 824-megawatt <a href="https://muskratfalls.nalcorenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Muskrat Falls hydro project</a> on the Churchill (or Grand) River. Costs have just <a href="https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/business/regional-business/muskrat-falls-costs-top-131-billion-503057/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">surpassed $13 billion</a> — twice what was first estimated.</p><p>Some of the energy is already slated to be sent to other parts of Canada and then — hopefully, <a href="https://muskratfalls.nalcorenergy.com/project-overview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to Nalcor</a> — to New England.</p>
<h3>Environmental Considerations</h3><p>What's the net impact of these planned projects? That's hard to say. Tallying the environmental benefit or harm from large-scale hydro is complicated.</p><p>One of the biggest metrics of assessing environmental impact is greenhouse gas emissions.</p><p>The first phase of emissions comes just from building its infrastructure. Large-scale hydropower involves the construction of generating stations, and often accompanying dams and reservoirs. And then there are hundreds of miles of transmission lines that need to be constructed to move that power.</p><p>What comes next, once a project comes online, depends on multiple factors. Research has shown that hydropower emissions vary widely based on the location, climate and area of land flooded. Hydro emissions are also highest when a reservoir is first flooded and then decrease in the following years.</p><p>All told, over the life cycle of a project, most hydropower is cleaner than fossil fuels, although not always as clean as wind and solar. A <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-017-0032-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study</a> in <em>Nature Energy</em> on the projected life-cycle emissions of energy sources put solar at 6 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt hour and wind at 4. The researchers estimated typical hydro at 97, but there's great variation between sites.</p><p>A 2014 <a href="https://www.hydroquebec.com/data/developpement-durable/pdf/comparing-power-generation-options-and-electricity-mixes.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a> prepared by the research group CIRAIG on behalf of Hydro-Québec found the average life-cycle emissions of the company's fleet of 62 generation stations was between 6 and 17 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt hour.</p><p>Alain Tremblay, Hydro-Québec's lead scientist on greenhouse gas emissions, says tracking from their most recent complex of dams on the Romaine River shows emissions between 5 and 10 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt hour.</p>
<p>There are other environmental considerations beyond greenhouse gas emissions.</p><p>The nonprofit Natural Resources Council of Maine opposes the New England Clean Energy Connect, in part out of concern about fragmented habitat and critical wildlife populations, including brook trout. The transmission line would require clearing a 53-mile stretch of forest through the North Maine Woods.</p><p>In New York the nonprofit <a href="https://www.riverkeeper.org/" target="_blank">Riverkeeper</a> reversed its earlier support for the Champlain Hudson Power Express and has now <a href="https://www.riverkeeper.org/news-events/news/energy/riverkeeper-statement-regarding-the-champlain-hudson-power-express/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">come out against that project</a>, which would send its electrical cable down the length of the Hudson River.</p><p>"This sets a precedent that the Hudson is a conduit for extension cords from Canada or from anywhere," says John Lipscomb, Riverkeeper's vice president of advocacy. "It should be off limits to that kind of thing."</p><p>The Hudson contains legacy pollution from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) dumped decades ago and other contaminants that could be turned up as the cable is dug in the riverbed. Over the years some of that pollution has been remediated, but not all. And plans to avoid putting cable in the areas of the worst-known contamination aren't sufficient to protect the ecosystem, he says.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU1MjYzNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNzAyMzAzNX0.8in_ymMRAcp03rlSx96nunmf8TUnwEfoKFPpn1Fhmqc/img.png?width=980" id="926a2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3e71d0055729b3ec7582ade7e2129da6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Atlantic sturgeon were brought to the brink of extension in the 20th century and are now are listed as an endangered species. NOAA
<p>There's also concern that imperiled fish species, like endangered shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic sturgeon, could be harmed by the electrical cable. The river was designated as critical habitat for Atlantic sturgeon, but no <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/regulators-warned-of-champlain-hudson-power-express-projects-environmental-impact-2020-10-08/" target="_blank">Endangered Species Act review</a> has been initiated to assess if the cable could threaten fish populations.</p><p>"Both of these fishes have nervous systems similar to that of sharks, which are incredibly sensitive to electric signals," says Roger Downs, conservation director of the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter. "It's a huge experiment to suddenly put an electrical signal down the backbone of this river."</p><p>Lipscomb shares this concern. After all the work that's been done in recent years to help restore the Hudson and its estuary, he says "it's heartbreaking that we still think of this river as a resource."</p><p>Hydropower may be renewable, he says, but from an environmental perspective it isn't sustainable. "Unless a river's value is zero," he says. "If a river has any value as an ecosystem, as a host for life, then hydropower isn't even a consideration."</p>
<h3>Upstream Justice Concerns</h3><p>In 1990 a group of Cree and Inuit protestors paddled the Hudson River to Manhattan to ask New Yorkers to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-wednesday-edition-1.3044034/commemorating-25th-anniversary-of-historic-odeyak-voyage-1.3044498" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">oppose a power purchase</a> agreement between the state and Quebec and the construction of a second dam in the James Bay hydroelectric project in northern Quebec.</p><p>They were successful. Now, 30 years later, a different group of First Nations is making a similar plea.</p><p>On October 7 the First Nations of Pessamit, Wemotaci, Pikogan, Lac Simon and Kitcisakik sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy stating their opposition to the Massachusetts transmission line. The groups wrote that one-third of Hydro-Québec's installed power is "produced in our respective ancestral territories from reservoirs, dams, power plants and various other installations, without prior consultation, without our consent and without compensation."</p><p>Over the decades of hydropower buildout in Canada many First Nations communities — but not all — have been consulted on projects and struck agreements with power companies.</p><p>Major hydroelectric projects have altered the flow of rivers and in some cases, the food and cultural resources used by Indigenous communities.</p><p>There are also health concerns.</p><p>A 2016 <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.6b04447" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study</a> by Harvard University researchers, published in <em>Environmental Science and Technology,</em> found that flooding reservoirs for hydroelectric projects in Canada would increase the risk of mercury poisoning in Indigenous communities at 90% of the dam sites.</p><p>When land is flooded for a reservoir, the microbes in the soil convert naturally occurring mercury into more dangerous methylmercury, which then works its way up the food chain. That puts anyone who relies on local wildlife such as fish, birds and seals at risk. In the northern reaches of Canada, that's largely Indigenous people.</p><p>The researchers looked at how three Inuit communities downstream of Nalcor's Muskrat Falls project would fare. And they found that, on average, risk of exposure for community members would double after the area was flooded. That could translate to higher risks for cardiovascular disease and neurodevelopmental delays for children.</p><p>The more people rely on local food sources, the more harm they're exposed to. And in this remote region where store-bought food is very expensive, that's a serious concern.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU1MjYzOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTA1Mzc0MH0.QuQG5HVESeGCC-l0a561BfaZMDy-FUWAql5aCjCkhOc/img.jpg?width=980" id="c5668" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="055402f58261cdd4c3addaa56347c8f9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Near Happy Valley-Goose Bay on the Churchill (Grand) River downstream from Muskrat Falls. Douglas Sprott / CC BY-NC 2.0
<p>"People have a very high prevalence of economic insecurity and that translates into insecure access to Western foods at the grocery store," says Ryan Calder, a co-author of the study and now an assistant professor of environmental health and policy at Virginia Tech. "Traditional food systems account for a smaller and smaller fraction of overall calories, but a wildly disproportionate fraction of nutrient intake."</p><p>Despite this, he doesn't think their research should be taken as a commentary on whether hydroelectric power itself is good or bad. "We really just criticized [the company's] risk assessment," he says.</p><p>Earlier studies by Nalcor claimed the effect on the Inuit would be negligible as the mercury would quickly dilute in downstream waters.</p><p>"They had no basis for saying there was going to be no impact," says Calder. "It was clear that they were trying to ignore their obligations — if not legal, then certainly moral — to Indigenous people."</p><p>The researchers also found that about half of the other sites they studied would have equal or greater concentrations of methylmercury than Muskrat Falls.</p><p>Roberta Frampton Benefiel of <a href="http://www.grandriverkeeperlabrador.ca/" target="_blank">Grand Riverkeeper Labrador</a>, who lives near the Muskrat Falls project, says she wasn't surprised by Nalcor's position. "Aboriginal people don't count to this government and so we have to make the Aboriginal people count," she says.</p><p>She has spoken to environmental organizations in the United States to help raise awareness about some of the local effects of dam development in Canada.</p><p>"I want people in the United States to understand that when they flip their light switch, if they accept these power lines from Canada, they're poisoning northern communities," she says.</p>
<h3>More Dams?</h3><p>New York and Massachusetts have been eager for hydropower from Canada as long as it doesn't mean the construction of new dams for the transmission projects.</p><p>Hydro-Québec says it has enough reserves for export to New York and Massachusetts without redirecting power from its existing United States or Canadian customers.</p><p>It's nearly finished with the last dam in the complex of four generating stations on the Romaine River, which along with other projects, has added 5,000 megawatts of capacity over the last decade. Although it does has the <a href="https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_LTRA_2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lowest reserve margin</a> of utilities in the region, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's 2019 assessment.</p><p>In previous years Hydro-Québec did preliminary work to explore the possibility of new dams on the Little Mécatina River, but company spokesperson Lynn St-Laurent says they currently have no plans for new dams and that project is no longer in their strategic plan.</p><p>Gary Sutherland, director of strategic affairs for northeast markets at Hydro-Québec, says that additional energy demand for export could be met with increased energy efficiency in Quebec and more wind projects. Quebec Premier François Legault <a href="https://twitter.com/francoislegault/status/1316155854610001920" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted last week</a> that the province's next addition of capacity, if needed, would be the 200-megawatt <a href="https://energycentral.com/news/quebec-interest-wind-power-projects-back-horizon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apuiat wind farm</a>.</p><p>Elsewhere in Canada, however, dam building continues.</p><p>Manitoba Hydro and four First Nations are in the process of building the <a href="https://www.enr.com/articles/45695-mega-canadian-hydro-project-moves-forward-despite-surprises-bitter-cold" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Keeyask project</a>, a 695-megawatt hydroelectric generating station on the Nelson River.</p><p>British Columbia also continues to muddle along on development at Site C, a 1,100-megawatt dam on the Peace River that has faced mounting problems and protests.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU1MjY0MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNzkxNTIzN30.qQ8Ig5mi290gQcTE_vwWxHVQE2VEHK_kU4C07jHBS0U/img.jpg?width=980" id="f4830" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="60e9b436682d334050473e4f446c730c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Construction of the Site C dam in British Columbia in 2017. Jason Woodhead / CC BY 2.0
<p>This includes, according to a report in <em><a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/topics/site-c-dam-bc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Narwhal</a></em>, legal challenges from "landowners and First Nations who oppose flooding 128 kilometers of the Peace River and its tributaries, putting Indigenous burial grounds, traditional hunting and fishing areas, habitat for more than 100 species vulnerable to extinction and some of Canada's richest farmland under up to 50 meters of water."</p><p>Construction has also <a href="https://vancouversun.com/business/site-c-still-scaling-up-construction-to-meet-important-milestone-while-remains-up-in-the-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">uncovered geological issues</a> that could make parts of the foundation unstable, prompting <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/site-c-letter-1.5741443" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">numerous calls</a> to stop development.</p><p><a href="https://1694d3a6-ec13-42ea-a8f0-a29cda354660.usrfiles.com/ugd/1694d3_b5baab11560f4bf4a3910e992c608509.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New research</a> by energy analyst Robert McCullough, who runs a Portland, <a href="https://www.mresearch.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oregon-based consulting firm</a>, found that if the project continues its likely to have surplus energy that will need to be sold outside the province at a loss to ratepayers.</p><p>But a poor financial outlook doesn't always mean the end of dam projects in Canada.</p><p>In Labrador Nalcor also has another large project planned — the 2,250-megawatt Gull Island dam, farther upstream from Muskrat Falls, which could be built if there's a buyer for the power.</p><p>It's a prospect Benefiel finds shocking, considering the company's most recent project was so over budget that it prompted a provincial <a href="https://www.muskratfallsinquiry.ca/" target="_blank">Commission of Inquiry</a>, which found that Muskrat Falls put the financial health of the entire province at risk.</p>
<h3>Is Hydro Needed?</h3><p>Considering all the complexities of hydro projects and the related transmission infrastructure, is it necessary to move U.S. states off fossil fuels and toward clean energy goals?</p><p>That depends on who you talk to.</p><p>Despite investment in wind and solar, "hydro has a couple of things going for it," says Rothstein of the Northeast Clean Energy Council. The first is that it's able to compete on costs, and second is the "dispatchability."</p><p>Thanks to decades of dam building, Canadian hydropower is ready to go — pending transmission capacity. It's also seen as less variable than wind and solar, although hydropower does fluctuate by season and by year, depending on precipitation.</p><p>"I think hydro will play a role, but it's not going to be the only resource," says Rothstein. Offshore wind holds the biggest potential for large-scale projects in the region, he says.</p><p>New York has already awarded contracts to procure <a href="https://www.utilitydive.com/news/new-york-awards-record-1700-mw-offshore-wind-contracts/559091/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1,700 megawatts of offshore wind</a> and in July <a href="https://renewablesnow.com/news/new-york-opens-procurement-round-for-4-gw-of-renewables-707197/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">put out a call</a> to solicit another 2,500 megawatts of offshore wind and 1,500 megawatts of land-based, large-scale renewables.</p><p>Massachusetts is making strides toward wind energy, too. In 2016 Gov. Charlie Baker signed an energy bill requiring the state's utilities to<a href="https://www.wbur.org/earthwhile/2019/05/31/more-offshore-wind-power-massachusetts" target="_blank"> procure 1,600 megawatts of offshore wind</a> and could soon double that.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU1MjY2NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzE5MTUwNX0.qJN9i3xJcDJ9GrKI8cM8v0WIFkWcMGzNFzvn5yz0p54/img.jpg?width=980" id="cc8a4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c558d5f64337d0e12e7603c52be882b2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The Block Island Wind Farm off the coast of Rhode Island is the first U.S. offshore wind farm. Dennis Schroeder / NREL / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
<p>All told around a half a dozen major projects now await a green light, pending permitting decisions by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.</p><p>All down the East Coast, "there's a whole constellation of projects close to breaking water," says Rothstein.</p><p>In the past offshore wind has been stymied by NIMBYism, but he says both the public perception of wind has changed and so have costs. New projects being proposed are farther offshore and out of view. And more established, global wind developers are competing for projects, helping to bring down prices.</p><p>Sierra Club's Downs thinks northeast states could meet their goals without imported hydro. Instead he'd like to see more focus on large-scale solar installations in upstate New York on brownfields or fallow farmland, and more offshore wind.</p><p>"And then we need to be doing more and more programs for smaller, community-based wind and solar," he says.</p><p>Whatever mix of low-carbon power is secured, Downs hopes it doesn't turn rivers into transmission corridors and does account for the full environmental and social costs of power generation.</p><p>"We have an obligation to protect cultural rights, Indigenous rights and also the vast Canadian wilderness," says Downs. "We shouldn't be exporting our environmental problems."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/hydro-dams-transmission/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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We pet owners know how much you love your pooch. It's your best friend. It gives you pure happiness and comfort when you're together. But there are times that dogs can be very challenging, especially if they are suffering from a certain ailment. As a dog owner, all you want to do is ease whatever pain or discomfort your best friend is feeling.
<p>Like us pet owners, dogs can have a variety of ailments like chronic pain, bowel disease, inflammation, anxiety, and many others. Along with that, there can be many treatment options that you can choose from, one of which is the use of CBD oil or products.</p><p>The use of CBD oil for dogs has been recently a hot topic due to much anecdotal evidence that reveals how much of a miracle CBD oil products can be for dogs. Although it is not a cure to all, it's still amazing to look at the many angles on how the best CBD oil for dogs can help with any typical dog ailment. Let's find out below, including the best products that we have reviewed.</p>
<h3>Editor's Choice</h3><p><a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-honestpaws/?s1=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Honest Paws CBD For Dogs</a></p><ul><li>Outstanding Quality</li><li>Tested by Third Party</li><li>Organic Ingredients</li></ul>
<h2>Top 10 Best CBD Oil for Dogs 2020</h2><ol><li><a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-honestpaws/?s1=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Honest Paws Dog Oil</a> - Top Pick</li><li><a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-treat-honestpaws/?s1=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Honest Paws CBD Dog Treats</a> - Best Treats</li><li><a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-spruce/?subid=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spruce CBD</a> - Best Subscription</li><li><a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-pure/?subid=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBD Pure</a> - Most Affordable</li><li><a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-cbdfx/?source=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBDfx</a> - Most Potent</li><li><a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-joy/?source=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joy Organics</a> - THC-Free</li><li><a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-med/?source=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Medterra</a> - Best Variety</li><li><a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-petly/?source=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Petly CBD Oil</a> - Best Organic</li><li><a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-americanshaman/?source=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBD American Shaman</a> - Best Flavor</li><li><a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-royal/?campaign=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Royal CBD</a> - Most Sustainable</li></ol><p>Note: Use coupon code "HEALTHCANAL" to get 15%-20% off</p>
<h2>Is CBD Safe for Dogs?</h2><p>It's normal to ask questions on whether or not CBD oil is safe for dogs, especially if it's your first time to introduce CBD oil to your pets.</p><p>At present, CBD oil and products derived from it are considered to be a low-risk option for your dog with very minor adverse effects. Of course, we cannot dismiss the ongoing debates in the veterinary community on how efficient CBD oil is for your dog, but it certainly won't hurt your dog.</p><p>Based on <a href="https://www.healthcanal.com/best-cbd-oil/dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Health Canal's Best CBD For Dogs List</a>, here are our choices.</p>
<h2>Top 10 Best CBD Oil For Dogs</h2><h3>1. <a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-honestpaws/?s1=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Honest Paws Dog Oil</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ft4YfiVXjKJiaFsXEjBXM_BRvooDJe_V8Tha4aqnXHo_6zgZWA0M6WSBVWUlUzjApciRjxnfHUOm5Ur0MJEQed6Fo2cYWPmSqj_E3JZokqOtLxuhMc0mI5xQFuxG6-prcTL8Oh5KLlIlP8Rs8Q"></p>
<h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Product Options Are Impressive</li><li>Third-Party Lab Tested</li><li>Organic Ingredients</li></ul>
<h4>Cons </h4><ul> <li>A Little Expensive</li></ul><p>Our best pick from our list is the Honest Paws CBD Oil for Dogs. Not only is their CBD oil potent enough to treat whatever ailment or condition your pooch is feeling, they also come in five variations. Depending on what your dog feels or what you think your dog needs, you have a choice from their product list.</p><p>You'll surely love Honest Paws CBD Oil because all of their products are heavily focused on dogs' health and wellness, thus the name Honest Paws. Each product piece has undergone a third-party lab testing for efficacy, purity, and safety. The ingredients used are also organic to ensure the utmost potency along with the product's full-spectrum format.</p><p>Aside from that, you will also enjoy the discount you can get when you subscribe on their monthly delivery. Plus, you can utilize their 30-day money-back guarantee in case you're not happy with the products when they arrive.</p><div></div>
<h3>2. <a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-treat-honestpaws/?s1=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Honest Paws Dog Treats</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-k9GhYLTbJdkyFnskKoSo2WdZG4ScqEwvbqqMhHCQlEBzyvFuTLOCLFFbBPLJr-mEGDiq_oVPcDKoGPAxadkVIkKPbSf-m4Q3n7YfgF5_flHsoiHTM6PtZcCH3c2YrdBetDXIaQHRQ5vw3woRw"></p>
<h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Product Options Are Impressive</li><li>Third-Party Lab Tested</li><li>Organic Ingredients</li></ul>
<h4>Cons </h4><ul><li>A Little Expensive</li></ul>
<p>Dogs certainly love dog treats! What also makes dog treat time even better is offering CBD oil-infused dog treats. At Honest Paws, they offer not only the best CBD oil for dogs, but also dog treats that are infused with CBD oil goodness. Each pack contains a <a href="https://www.extractlabs.com/cbd-guides/what-does-full-spectrum-mean/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">full-spectrum CBD</a> made from organic ingredients.</p>
<p>Honest Paws offers two types of dog treats in various flavors. If your dog prefers a classic crunch, then the Bites packs are the perfect option. The Bites packs come in two options, Calm Bites and Relief Bites, both of which offer a calming and relieving aid for your dog's joint health. You would also surely tap yourself on the back after de-stressing your pooch in the healthier way possible.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you have a dog who's smaller or on the older side, then you may prefer the Soft Chews Packs that come in three options: Mobility Soft Chews, Wellness Soft Chews, and Calm Soft Chews.</p>
<h3>3. <a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-spruce/?subid=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spruce CBD</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/9WWQBPMGDGdqGSlWf86PaVhkpp0J-D6edAQ2rDFPJu7d7b_ch0KkwOUQ1xA4oY22aP6DwW13N75iw91a9fxPvONRphq083ecpM1lLpUD3s8-1nmmJpRhpJGPecM_cCyThs_J0ioQT0YXTWN_9w"></p>
<h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>100% Natural</li><li>Third-Party Lab Tested</li><li>Low THC / Zero High</li></ul><h4>Cons </h4><ul><li>Hefty Price Tag</li></ul><p>What we love about Spruce CBD oil for dogs and other pets is the thoughtful preparation behind every bottle. Did you know that Spruce CBD purposely chose coconut oil as the carrier oil for their CBD oil for dogs because they found out that it is easier for the dog's digestion than the hemp carrier oil? Plus, the taste coconut oil brings about is milder which makes it bearable for dogs. The "no added flavor" also highlights the lovely taste of their oils.</p><p>Although there's not many product options for dogs on the Spruce CBD oil website, still we praise them for coming up with a highly effective CBD oil. Several dog owners have also testified how the Spruce CBD oil made their dog's coat healthier and shinier than ever. What's more, their products are also ultimately safe since there is a very low THC content in every bottle. We truly find Spruce CBD oil for dogs as one of the best CBD oil for dogs on the market these days.</p>
<h3>4. <a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-pure/?subid=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBD Pure</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/0dn-En9NYJhM0TjRK05Vn8em6OhSlXSXt_IduCsWPOAOEN3strR0-hmVDnsdiy9B8uNt_OWCAIcod3HGko9FfAWhBIClGsk1rbdIxhAsOfEwQ5usQfJR2fmxDMvRBfieZRi2E2ydwYsaV2dJAw"></p>
<h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Simple Concentration</li><li>Organic and Non-GMO</li><li>Money-Back Guarantee</li></ul><h4>Cons </h4><ul><li>Limited Product Option</li></ul>
<p>If you're looking for a fusion of affordable pricing and simple dosage, then look no further since the CBD Pure oil for dogs is the best choice. Its dosage recommendation is pretty basic. Their 100-milligram bottle can be consumed by getting a 1/2 dropper for every 10 pounds of weight of your dog. Plus, it has a very low THC content and it does not contain overwhelming flavors that usually distract a dog's palate.</p>
<p>Aside from enjoying the simplicity of the CBD Pure oil for dogs, you would also benefit from its affordability. For only around $24, you can get one bottle for your pooch. For added discount, you can purchase either the set of 3 or the set of 6 for a discounted price. Even better, CBD Pure also offers a whopping <a href="https://www.cbdpure.com/guarantee.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">90-day money-back guarantee</a> to give you ease and comfort.</p>
<h3>5. <a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-cbdfx/?source=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBDfx</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vtINDF7fAqUGcpBgUiMFPDfRo6cQRTPqoKIEIpZMZKoNMIo6PAn6yg2S-eVnvQpYaLcl-Lb7Jaj94H9cO9fqabM2m8e2gT8SJidguV90dRJ0D_YFO1Hdc4UyybjYHKAay9iXyKvqVmCmopSwfg"></p>
<h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Non-Toxic and All-Natural Ingredients</li><li>Broad-Spectrum Format</li><li>Third-Party Lab Tested</li></ul>
<h4>Cons </h4><ul><li>A Little Expensive</li></ul>
<p>CBDfx is known for their organic CBD oil products, with many other reviewers also tagging them as having the best CBD oil for dogs in terms of most organic product lines. Considering that their oils are non-GMO and broad-spectrum, you can expect only the best effects for your beloved pooch, including pain relief from usual dog inflammation.</p>
<p>The dosage in CBDfx CBD oil is also simple. One drop of oil can be administered for every 20 pounds of weight and just do the math if your dog requires more. The very minimal traces of THC also makes this CBDfx CBD oil a lot safer for your pooch.</p>
<p>When it comes to the product choices, you can easily find one that fits your dog. The oils are the same, with only differences in potency level. They offer three oil options for small breed, medium breed, and large breed. How can that get any better?</p>
<h3>6. <a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-joy/?source=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joy Organics</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_fTVZxgDEuPU8D8YKCVePFDwrVH6evzMwGAavdTCe6nYMM6N-cdMVQqkdr_CBSWxQV58riF4WVPI8XBgkwbCBAqd-PGo2lrNMRyPL072DP5_GzQ1l0kWTBPI6NlRR_BUDjXWoU7xhjrHMPV9Qw"></p>
<h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Organic</li><li>Broad-Spectrum Format</li><li>Money-Back Guarantee</li></ul>
<h4>Cons </h4><ul><li>Limited Product Options</li></ul>
<p>If you're looking for a CBD oil that's completely free from THC, then the Joy Organics CBD oil that comes in 225 milligrams and 400 milligrams are the best choices for you. These oils are also made from premium hemp obtained through a process of CO2 extraction. Aside from that, Joy Organics also offers free shipping and a money-back guarantee for added ease to your purchase!</p>
<p>At Joy Organics, you also have the option to either use an oil tincture or a dog treat for your dog. Some dogs cannot tolerate oils, so you might want to add the typical CBD oil taste by offering dog treats infused with water-soluble CBD powder. Each chew of the treats is also free from THC and contains 2 milligrams of CBD oil per chunk. For such an affordable price, you wouldn't go wrong with the Joy Organics CBD oil for dogs, especially if you don't want any single hints of THC.</p>
<h3>7. <a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-med/?source=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Medterra CBD</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/61jTQyLKbkBlJE0kyO2QnPigXxChZMfp0uZ8RYvkNTGJx18i6rxca4YsyPvYfhxFYPqUVE0slDe6-H8XArwIuKSmiGa8BPx8_AUou8BzXlnbcQLgZ9qtjh5IigHZHYqRVSf_RxMq6JgzU4kaIQ"></p>
<h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Wide Variety of Products</li><li>Completely THC-Free</li><li>30-Day Money-Back Guarantee</li></ul>
<h4>Cons </h4><ul><li>A little expensive</li></ul>
<p>Medterra CBD products are guaranteed safe and pure since the brand is also <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">certified by the U.S. Hemp Authority</a>. You can try their best-seller CBD oil tincture in beef flavor. We bet your dog will take so much pleasure from it! The dropper is also easy to use so you can either directly pour it into your dog's mouth or add it onto his food, whichever feels right.</p>
<p>We especially love the product options at Medterra CBD because the choices are straightforward. They also offer for both cats and dogs. Their CBD oil for dogs comes in three flavor variations: chicken, beef, and unflavored. For dogs who can't stand the taste of the typical CBD flavor, just go for the unflavored version. The other flavors are also great, too, for dogs who are quite palate-sensitive. Moreover, there are dog treats available in two variations depending on the typical pet condition you want to treat. For joint pain, there's a Dog Treat for Joint Support while a Dog Treat for Calming Effects is the best choice for de-stressing your anxious pooch.</p>
<h3>8. <a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-petly/?source=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Petly CBD Oil</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/swKVGHr7KAAUMn_lfzX_qYdIGX3QBT3iMuZ0j8aNijVydH-_2_zn-VrTn-ma6yK3SDiczJLJw80Zg2J6WNrRGbPbrAdfaVI5BBDZrjIICvC_Of0NSLYiZm_pPk2iQ0lCeCZSiYU54lkngDt2pQ"></p>
<h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Non-GMO, Vegan, and Gluten-Free</li><li>Third-Party Lab Tested</li><li>Amazing Bundle Discount Offers</li></ul><h4>Cons </h4><ul><li>Only One Flavor Available</li></ul>
<p>What makes Petly CBD oil products different from other CBD oil products for dogs is its source. Each product is made of Petly's natural proprietary strains of phytocannabinoid-rich hemp plants that are grown in nutrient-rich soil cultivated with 100% organic farming practices. The procedure Petly follows starts by distilling the hemp plants to separate the hemp extract from the ethanol incorporated during the <a href="https://www.coleparmer.com/tech-article/supercritical-co2-extraction-method" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CO2 extraction method</a>. After this, the hemp extract is refined through a proprietary technology to remove all THC traces.</p>
<p>The Petly CBD oil comes in three potency levels to match your dog's size and needs: 125 milligrams, 250 milligrams, and 500 milligrams. For added health benefits, these CBD oils are mixed with MCT coconut oil as the carrier oil. If you're looking for dog treats, you would also find the dog treats sumptuous for your dog's palate since they are beef-flavored. They are also water-soluble, making their bioavailability higher than the oil-based CBD oil dog treats.</p>
<h3>9. <a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-americanshaman/?source=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBD American Shaman</a></h3>
<p><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/J_MZvBV75uB22rGwWIRtQB4PDxds2TOYv9to8i5lD6I-cLm3s8AD38DJHqbOt-C0CapXabPxH4ZEo19OS7yfzBxYrBkvwCz-F85x5FaWhAnnFKwb2hUzCCUTRXbqP9DwhTmhpgAfx5Lrqqq0GA"></p>
<h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Certified by the U.S. Hemp Authority</li><li>Variety of CBD Oil Products for Dogs</li><li>Interesting Dog Treat Flavors</li></ul>
<h4>Cons </h4><ul><li>A Little Expensive</li></ul>
<p>Is your dog looking for new flavors and other forms of dog treats for more fun moments? American Shaman apparently has one of the most interesting flavors for CBD oil products for dogs. They have CBD oil tinctures, CBD oil dog treats, water-soluble hemp oils, and doggy nugs. They also offer products for cats and horses. </p>
<p>Since American Shaman has palatable flavor options, your dog will surely enjoy them every now and then. From their interesting flavor choices, you can try their doggy snacks available in peanut butter and turkey flavors, soft treats in beef flavor, and doggy nugs in chicken flavor.</p>
<p>Their CBD oil products for dogs are also high-quality and made from non-GMO hemp plants grown in the U.S. for a much controlled process. Also, these products may be for dogs but they are guaranteed to be tested in independent laboratories for ensured efficacy, purity, and safety.</p>
<h3>10. <a href="https://jglobalhealth.org/product/ecowatch-dog-oil-royal/?campaign=ecowatch-cbd-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Royal CBD </a></h3>
<p><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/77A6P1TEq4kQygHQshDWldyMoTva4C0HxK-7KjL9OWX9jU562hjkT6LtPMDwl4kqmElJ7fzq-JvgnohKiFDK_qF2IPYZ8_nk2zDKhMVTXL6ea0vSj10dvOrUDcRIJSnrp2YK4rOtYNru9ZbXNg"></p>
<h4>Pros</h4><ul><li>Non-GMO and Natural</li><li>Available in Different Sizes and Potencies</li><li>With Save Option</li></ul>
<h4>Cons </h4><ul><li>A Little Expensive</li></ul>
<p>Royal CBD remains consistent with their premium quality regardless of the type of CBD products they offer. Their CBD products for dogs are no exceptions, too! They are made of high quality, organic, and non-GMO ingredients that are considered safe for your beloved pooch!</p>
<p>Because dogs are natural-born carnivores, Royal CBD has made sure that their CBD products for dogs taste meaty. The flavors available in the Royal CBD product line for dogs are chicken and beef, just the regular flavors your pooch will love. Also, because dogs have different sizes and breeds, Royal CBD has put that into consideration by providing different potency levels ranging from 300 milligrams to 1,000 milligrams. That way, you can make adjustments on the dosage depending on your dog's breed and size.</p>
<p>Above all, the products are tested by an independent laboratory for safety and potency. Plus, you can take advantage of the <a href="https://royalcbd.com/return-policy/" target="_blank">30-day money-back guarantee</a> they offer in case you're unhappy with any of their products.</p>
<h3>What Is CBD Oil?
</h3><p>Cannabidiol or CBD oil is one of the 100+ phytocannabinoids found in a cannabis plant and it is said to account for more than 40% of the plant's extract. Unlike the other cannabis compounds like <a href="https://www.livescience.com/24553-what-is-thc.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tetrahydrocannabinol or THC</a>, CBD oil does not cause intoxication or psychoactive experiences. This makes CBD a much preferred and sought-after compound because of its multiple health benefits without the "high" effect.</p>
<p>Because it is known to be a potent compound, many people turn to it for help with anxiety, pain, epilepsy, cancer, and other conditions. Even pets like dogs, cats and more have been found to benefit from the use of CBD oil.</p>
<h3>How Can CBD Help Dogs?
</h3><p>CBD can do wonders when your dog is suffering from a certain kind of pain and anxiety. It contains compounds that can alleviate pain from particular ailments. But of course, we still recommend that you seek medical advice from your pet's veterinarian. Nevertheless, once CBD is utilized along with traditional methods, the possibility of side effects is mitigated.</p>
<p>Below are also some of the typical dog ailments that can be treated by the best CBD oils for dogs:</p>
<ol><li>Anxiety</li><li>Chronic Inflammation</li><li>Autoimmune Disease</li><li>Inflammatory Bowel Disease</li><li>Regular Pain</li></ol>
<p>CBD contains compounds that interact with receptors responsible for certain inflammations in the body. When it comes to anxiety, CBD can also moderate the impulses often manifested as tension, stress, and restlessness. </p>
<h2>Frequently Asked Questions</h2>
<p><strong>Question:</strong> What is the best CBD product for dogs?</p><p><strong>Answer:</strong> While dog treats can be very mouthwatering for your pooch, CBD oil is still the best form of CBD that your dog can take since the level of potency is high, especially if you're looking for your dog to truly benefit from CBD.</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong> How much CBD should I give to my dog?</p><p><strong>Answer:</strong> We recommend you administer 2 to 5 milligrams of CBD for every 25 pounds of weight on a daily basis. </p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong> When is the best time to give CBD to my dog?</p><p><strong>Answer:</strong> You can give him CBD every day, but special occasions would also count, like if your dog is suffering from a certain discomfort or pain. You can also give him CBD hours before you go to the groomer or to the vet since dogs are most likely anxious during that time.</p>
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A new study has revealed that Earth's biggest mass extinction was triggered by volcanic activity that led to ocean acidification. Illustration by Dawid Adam Iurino (PaleoFactory, Sapienza University of Rome) for Jurikova et al (2020)
The excess carbon dioxide emitted by human activity since the start of the industrial revolution has already raised the Earth's temperature by more than one degree Celsius, increased the risk of extreme hurricanes and wildfires and killed off more than half of the corals in the Great Barrier Reef. But geologic history shows that the impacts of greenhouse gases could be much worse.
<p>In fact, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/scientists" target="_self">scientists</a> from <a href="https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/great-dying-what-caused-earths-biggest-mass-extinction/?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=twitter&utm_term=univofstandrews&utm_content=research&utm_campaign=research" target="_blank">Scotland's University of Saint Andrews</a> and two major German research centers have for the first time determined a "conclusive picture" of the initial trigger and subsequent processes responsible for Earth's biggest mass <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extinction" target="_self">extinction</a>. The answer? Massive amounts of carbon dioxide spewed into the atmosphere from a volcanic eruption.</p><p>"We are dealing with a cascading catastrophe in which the rise of CO2 in the atmosphere set off a chain of events that successively extinguished almost all life in the seas," study lead author Dr. Hana Jurikova told <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mass-extinction-greenhouse-gas-triassic-carbon-dioxide-volcanoes-b1183299.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a>.</p>
<p>The study, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-020-00646-4" target="_blank">Nature Geoscience</a> Monday, sought to understand the mechanisms behind an event known as the "Great Dying," the University of Saint Andrews explained in a press release. This was a period around 252 million years ago between the Permian and Triassic epochs in which 95 percent of marine species were wiped out within tens of thousands of years. It is the closest life on Earth has come to total extinction.</p><p>Scientists have advanced many theories for what caused this turn of events, including a release of methane from the seafloor and volcanic activity, but this is the first time a group has determined the exact cause, the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, one of the research centers involved in the new study, <a href="https://www.geomar.de/en/news/article/ausloeser-fuer-groesstes-massenaussterben-der-erdgeschichte-identifiziert" target="_blank">said</a>.</p>
<p>The extinction process went something like this, as Saint Andrews explained.</p><ol><li>A volcanic eruption in what is now Siberia sent 100,000 billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere.</li><li>This release led to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ocean-acidification" target="_self">ocean acidification</a> and warming, which was especially deadly to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life" target="_self">marine life</a> that requires calcium carbonate for their shells and skeletons.</li><li>The atmospheric warming increased the rates of chemical weathering on land.</li><li>This caused more nutrients to run off into the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ocean" target="_self">ocean</a>, depleting it of oxygen and perhaps also poisoning it with sulphide.</li></ol><p>"It took several hundreds of thousands to millions of years for the ecosystem to recover from the catastrophe, which profoundly altered the course of evolution of life on Earth," Jurikova said.</p>
<p>The researchers, who also included members of the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, were able to reach their conclusions by examining the shells of fossil brachiopods.</p><p>"These are clam-like organisms that have existed on Earth for more than 500 million years," Jurikova explained in the GEOMAR press release.</p><p>The researchers were able to assess the pH levels in the ocean based on the different isotopes of boron in the fossilized shells. Because oceanic pH levels are tightly linked to atmospheric carbon dioxide, the team could then create a model of the atmosphere at the time.</p><p>"With this technique, we can not only reconstruct the evolution of the atmospheric CO2 concentrations, but also clearly trace it back to volcanic activity," study coauthor Dr. Marcus Gutjahr of GEOMAR said in the press release.</p>
<p>The amount of carbon dioxide released by the Siberian volcano was more than 40 times all the carbon dioxide currently held in fossil fuel reserves, including everything that has been released since the start of the industrial revolution, according to Saint Andrews.</p><p>Still, the researchers told The Independent that the study offered "bleak lessons" for humanity as we face the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sixth-mass-extinction-accelerating-land-animals-2646147181.html" target="_self">sixth mass extinction</a>.</p><p>"Ancient volcanic eruptions of this kind are not directly comparable to anthropogenic carbon emissions, and in fact all modern fossil fuel reserves are far too insufficient to release as much CO2 over hundreds of years, let alone thousands of years as was released 252 million years ago," Jurikova told The Independent. "But it is astonishing that humanity's CO2 emission rate is currently fourteen times higher than the annual emission rate at the time that marked the greatest biological catastrophe in Earth's history."</p>
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Coronavirus-sniffing dogs Miina and Kössi (R) are seen in Vantaa, Finland on September 2, 2020. Antti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva / AFP/ Getty Images
By Teri Schultz
Europe is in a panic over the second wave of COVID-19, with infection rates sky-rocketing and GDP plummeting. Belgium has just announced it will no longer test asymptomatic people, even if they've been in contact with someone who has the disease, because the backlog in processing is overwhelming. Other European countries are also struggling to keep up testing and tracing.
Meanwhile in a small cabin in Helsinki airport, for his preferred payment of a morsel of cat food, rescue dog Kossi needs just a few seconds to tell whether someone has coronavirus.
<div id="bfda0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c60b1a0dedbedbe5e0ce44284aff852f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1308390775328251906" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Covid-19 dogs started their work today at the Helsinki Airport at arrival hall 2B. Dogs have been trained to detect… https://t.co/nw4mrw6eJM</div> — Helsinki Airport (@Helsinki Airport)<a href="https://twitter.com/HelsinkiAirport/statuses/1308390775328251906">1600779644.0</a></blockquote></div><p>If it were left to Kossi and his pals, crowds of potential virus carriers could be cleared in a fraction of the time for a fraction of the cost with none of the physical discomfort that accompanies the current nasal swab test based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.</p>
No Human Nose Needed
<p>A dog can sniff a cloth wiped on a wrist or neck and immediately identify if it comes from someone who has contracted the virus as much as five days before any symptoms appear which would lead a person to go into isolation. "A dog could easily save so so, so many lives," University of Helsinki veterinary researcher Anna Hielm-Bjorkman told DW, who says their testing has shown an accuracy level of nearly 100%.</p><p>It was originally her idea to see whether Kossi, a talented disease-detection dog, could redirect his skills in sniffing out mold, bedbugs and cancer to detecting the new virus just as it started to spread in Europe. "It took him seven minutes to figure out 'okay, this is what you want me to look out for," Hielm-Bjorkman said. "So that totally blew our minds."</p><p>Susanna Paavilainen, the executive director of the Wise Nose scent-detection foundation and the woman who saved Kossi from euthanasia in a Spanish shelter eight years ago, immediately started retraining her dogs to find the coronavirus.</p><p>Miina, who used to track a young girl's blood sugar levels by scent, quickly came on board, along with two others already working in disease detection. In all, they hope to train 15 dogs in the first phase.</p><p>Hielm-Bjorkman said once they discovered the new capabilities, while the normal academic procedure would be to test, publish and get peer-reviewed, their first instinct was to get the dogs into service. "[Researchers] who are actually publishing," she noted wryly, "are not at the airports."</p>Wags, Not Wages
<p>But for that, they needed permission and ideally, some funding. Vantaa Deputy Mayor Timo Aronkyto, who is also responsible for airport security, saw the benefit straight away. "It took me two minutes," he told DW.</p><p>However, his funding options were limited to about $390,000 total for the four-month pilot project aiming to prove that results from the dog tests are at least as accurate as the PCR test. Anyone who tests positive at the voluntary canine site is requested to go to the medical unit for confirmation.</p><p>The interest of Aronkyto, a trained physician, is rooted in both health and wealth. "Our testing at the airport costs more than 1 million [euros] (USD $1.2 million) a month at the moment," he said, explaining he expects that to go up to €3 million (USD. $3.5 million) per month in winter. "These dogs would be much cheaper," he pointed out.</p><p>He's optimistic support will grow as data from the current pilot project accumulates, explaining there is already work underway to change Finnish legislation so eventually sniffer dogs would have the same "authority" as customs dogs.</p><p>Aronkyto anticipates one animal performing both functions in the near future. He plans to continue this level of funding from his city budget into next year but that doesn't train new dogs nor expand the capacity beyond the four that split shifts currently at the airport, even as infection rates rise.</p>Helsinki Hesitates
<p>Notably, however, the Finnish government has not signaled it would like to pick up the program itself, despite a huge surge in publicity and, as Hielm-Bjorkman and Paavilainen emphasize, interest from other countries. Travelers have been eager to participate, waiting in line more than an hour at times.</p><p>Finnish ambassador in Ramallah, Palestine, Paivi Peltokoski, praised the experience after a recent trip but, apparently, her enthusiasm is not overly contagious.</p><div id="d9823" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="61d382f115fe66a44eb793d9ebee3d94"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318564228450615299" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">I was tested negative by two #coronadogs upon arrival at the #Helsinki airport in #Finland. Later a medical test ve… https://t.co/cGlWQn8DJb</div> — Päivi Peltokoski (@Päivi Peltokoski)<a href="https://twitter.com/PaiviPeltokoski/statuses/1318564228450615299">1603205184.0</a></blockquote></div><p>"If the government would see this already as something that they would believe in," Hielm-Bjorkman said, she could envision training hundreds of dogs, stationing sniffers at concert halls or sports matches or elderly care homes. She adds there's a need for a "paradigm shift" for both medical professionals and the public.</p><p>Usually it's doctors telling patients if they're sick, she explained, and "here it's a dog handler."</p>
Little Political Will on German Project
<p>This situation is not limited to Finland. In Germany researchers also <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/german-sniffer-dogs-show-promise-at-detecting-coronavirus/a-54300863" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced promising results</a> with canines <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-german-military-training-sniffer-dogs/a-54062180" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">detecting COVID-19</a>, but no dogs have been used anywhere so far. And then, says Professor Holger Volk of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, there has been insufficient political will or funding to move the project forward, something he called "very troubling" especially with a resurgent infection rate.</p><p>"When we started this whole project, we we did it because we wanted to help to stop the pandemic," Volk told DW. "It's really has been a very frustrating ride. I have had a lot of naysayers in the whole process. If I wasn't a very determined person, having done a lot of research, I would have probably stopped it."</p><p>He agrees with Hielm-Bjorkman's assessment that "it's just not in the perception of doctors that dogs are able to do this precise work." But he also echoes her faith in the vast potential of their discovery. "If you had a dog who could sniff every day quickly your cohort of workers, for example," he said, "think about the impact. You could continue having a workplace."</p><p>Speaking of workplaces, Susanna Paavilainen is starting to think if Finland doesn't want to unleash the dogs' potential at home, she and Kossi might accept one of the many requests from all over the world to provide training. "We can move because Kossi likes warm weather," she says, petting her star sniffer.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Air Pollution Responsible for Over 6.6 Million Deaths Worldwide in 2020, Study Finds
10h
Health + Wellness
Rashtrapati Bhavan engulfed in smog, at Rajpath, on Oct. 12, 2020 in New Delhi, India. Biplov Bhuyan / Hindustan Times via Getty Images
An annual comprehensive report on air pollution showed that it was responsible for 6.67 million deaths worldwide, including the premature death of 500,000 babies, with the worst health outcomes occurring in the developing world, according to the State of Global Air, which was released Wednesday.
<p>The <a href="https://www.stateofglobalair.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-10/soga-2020-report.pdf" target="_blank">State of Global Air 2020</a> looked at the effects of air pollution on health outcomes in 2019 and found that conditions are getting worse, as it moved up from the fifth leading cause of death worldwide to the fourth leading cause. Only high-blood pressure, smoking and poor diet surpass air pollution.</p><p>The State of Global Air 2020 is a joint collaboration produced annually by the Health Effects Institute and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's Global Burden of Disease project.</p>
<p>One reason that air pollution moved up in the list of leading causes of death is that this year's report was able to account for infant death due to air pollution. The report noted that roughly half a million babies died to due to poor air quality, with roughly two-thirds of those deaths due to poor indoor air from burning charcoal, wood and animal dung for cooking, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/21/polluted-air-killing-half-a-million-babies-a-year-across-globe" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>"We don't totally understand what the mechanisms are at this stage, but there is something going on that is causing reductions in baby growth and ultimately birth weight," said Katherine Walker, principal scientist at the Health Effects Institute, as The Guardian reported. "There is an epidemiological link, shown across multiple countries in multiple studies."</p>
<p>India was the worst hit country with 116,000 infant deaths linked to air pollution, while Sub-Saharan Africa saw 236,000 infant deaths due to poor air quality, according to the report, as <a href="https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-10-air-pollution-500k-newborns-global.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Agence-France Presse</a> (AFP) noted. Most of the complications were due to low birth weight and premature birth, which leaves a baby's lungs fragile.</p><p>It is not just babies that need to be protected. Recent studies have also noted that exposure to air pollution for mothers contributes to low birth weight and premature births, according to <a href="https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/air-pollution-contributes-to-more-than-1-16-000-infant-deaths-in-india-reveals-global-study-159013" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Tribune in India</a>.</p><p>"An infant's health is critical to the future of every society, and this newest evidence suggests an especially high risk for infants born in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa," said Dan Greenbaum, president of the Health Effects Institute, the AFP reported.</p>
<p>According to the report, the most smog or PM2.5 air pollution for 2019 was in India, followed by Nepal, Niger, Qatar and Nigeria. The report noted that India's air quality has been steadily decreasing since 2010. While most of the 20 most populous countries have decreased air pollution over the last decade, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Japan have seen air pollution increase, as <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-recorded-highest-air-pollution-exposure-globally-in-2019-report/story-oOH8OTQEf276Sy0vrYMXyH.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Hindustan Times</a> reported.</p><p>Long-term exposure to air pollution contributed to 1.67 million deaths in India last year.</p><p>"Given the high exposure and staggering health burden of air pollution, India must show urgency and recognize air pollution as a regional-scale problem," said Sagnik Dey, associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, to The Hindustan Times. "The National Clean Air Program should be expanded beyond the urban centers with an air-shed approach prioritizing the local and regional mitigation measures to achieve clean air goals for India."</p><p>Epidemiologists have compared the state of air in developing countries to Victorian London from 150 years ago.</p><p>"This is not the air pollution we see in modern cities [in the rich world] but that which we had 150 years ago in London and other places, where there were coal fires indoors," said Beate Ritz, professor of epidemiology at UCLA, to The Guardian. "Indoor air pollution has not been at the forefront for policymakers, but it should be."</p>
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Dust From Your Old Furniture Likely Contains Harmful Chemicals — But There’s a Solution
10h
Health + Wellness
New research finds that dust in buildings with older furniture is more likely to contain a suite of compounds that impact our health. Aleksandr Zubkov / Getty Images
By Hannah Seo
If you've been considering throwing out that old couch, now might be a good time. Dust in buildings with older furniture is more likely to contain a suite of compounds that impact our health, according to new research.
<p>In a new study published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106151" target="_blank">Environment International</a></em> researchers examined rooms in three categories: no intervention—rooms in older buildings with conventional furniture; partial intervention—rooms with at least some furniture made with healthier materials; and full intervention—rooms in more recently renovated buildings with furniture free from harmful chemicals. These rooms came from 21 buildings at an unnamed university and included office suites, classrooms, and common rooms. The scientists then examined the dust in those rooms for traces of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as common chemical flame retardants polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs).</p><p>They found that the dust from rooms furnished with items free of PFAS and chemical flame retardants in more recently renovated buildings had 78 percent lower levels of PFAS, 65 percent lower levels of OPEs, and 45 percent lower levels of PBDEs than rooms in older buildings with older furniture.</p>
<p>"This suggests that replacing harmful materials with these healthier materials is an inexpensive way to reduce exposures to toxic chemicals indoors, which is where we spend most of our time," <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaswiftyoung/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anna Young</a>, a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and lead author of the paper, told EHN.</p><p>PFAS, PBDEs, and OPEs are all categories of chemicals that have been linked to a slew of health impacts, including certain cancers, decreased birth weights, thyroid disease, decreased sperm quality, high cholesterol, pregnancy-induced hypertension, asthma and ulcerative colitis.</p><p>Several studies have previously linked concentrations of contaminants in dust and air to higher body burdens. Despite their documented harms, all three classes of chemicals are commonly found in furniture and building materials to make products flame, stain, and water resistant.</p>
<p>The team analyzed the dust in 47 rooms—12 with no intervention, 28 with partial intervention, and seven with full intervention. They found at least one kind of PFAS, PBDE and OPE in dust from every room they sampled. And the average concentration of PFAS in rooms with no intervention was more than four times higher than the average concentration of PFAS in rooms that underwent a full intervention.<br></p><p>The paper said the contaminants in the healthier rooms could be due to those rooms existing in the same buildings as rooms that are less healthy, or could be due to newer chemicals like the PFAS perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) slipping through into products that have omitted other substances. Another potential explanation is that these chemicals could persist as older plastics and materials are recycled and used in new products.</p><p>The upside, however, is that these chemicals are "not usually intrinsically bound to products," said Young. "They're used as additives. For example, PFAS is usually applied as a coating. So that means [harmful materials] can be removed without sacrificing the functional integrity of the product."</p>
<p>Making indoor spaces safer and cleaner, therefore, will not necessarily require huge, intrusive interventions.</p><p>Young also said that while the results themselves were somewhat expected—it is unsurprising that furniture made without harmful chemicals would yield dust with lower contaminant levels—what was novel was their intervention-based approach to reducing whole classes of chemical pollutants like PFAS in buildings.</p><p>When discussing solutions to removing harmful chemicals from indoor spaces, talking about entire classes of pollutants is a big help, <a href="https://oneill.indiana.edu/faculty-research/directory/profiles/faculty/full-time/salamova-amina.html" target="_blank">Amina Salamova</a>, an environmental chemist at Indiana University who was not affiliated with the paper, told EHN. There are so many individual chemicals in each of these classes—PFAS alone has around 5,000 different types, with new kinds consistently invented—that they become basically impossible to inventory.</p>
<p>"It's absolutely impossible to develop analytical methods to measure each and every single PFAS out there. It's just too expensive, and we don't even know what half of those chemicals are," Salamova said. By collectively taking stock of a whole class, she said, you remove the need to nitpick at individual exposure levels and their thresholds—details that are important to know but ultimately distract from solutions. Looking at classes of chemicals gives scientists the ability to say that we need to intervene and remove these contaminants across the board.</p><p>Despite the small sample size, Salamova said these results are quite stark and important. The potential for 78 percent less PFAS exposure with these simple interventions is huge, she said, especially since "we still know so little about its toxicity, especially in the indoor environment."</p><p>Most of us are not living in "healthy" buildings, said Young—the majority of buildings in the U.S. are decades old, built in a time when safety concerns associated with certain materials were unknown. That's why this research is important, she said: "The decisions we make today will have decades long impacts on the materials that our buildings, the chemicals we're exposed to, and ultimately, our health."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.ehn.org/pfas-and-flame-retardants-in-house-dust-2648396264.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_blank"><span class="redactor-selection-marker" id="selection-marker-1"></span>Environmental Health News</a>.<span class="redactor-selection-marker" id="selection-marker-2"></span></em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Poor eating habits, lack of exercise, genetics, and a bunch of other things are known to be behind excessive weight gain. But, did you know that how much sleep you get each night can also determine how much weight you gain or lose?
<p>Many weight loss supplements in the market support fat burning. While this can help with weight reduction, it's not the best approach for long-term and sustained weight loss.</p><p>It's a better idea to address the causes of excessive weight gain, including lack of adequate deep sleep. By doing this, you'll be able to lose weight naturally and keep from regaining more afterward.</p><p>In this review, we'll look at Resurge, a supplement that works towards weight loss by improving sleep quality. Read on to find out how this supplement works and why it could be helpful for you if poor sleep is behind your unexplained weight gain.</p><h2>Who Should Use Resurge?</h2>
<a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUzMTUwMy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzE2Mzk4N30._X1ysW0bGuNuCesNOH3cGtRbFjejf_MQBXhx5OQo5zA/img.png?width=980" id="3453e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d5f6e418312401d56daf819678554109" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /></a>
<p>Have you been having trouble sleeping, while at the same time, your weight keeps increasing? Maybe you're eating healthy foods, and you have no idea where the pounds are coming from.</p><p>If this sounds like you, then you should consider trying <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><strong>Resurge</strong></a>. Resurge is a supplement that can help your body readjust and get back to a healthy sleep cycle.</p><p>After using the supplement, you'll find that you sleep soundly throughout the night without disturbances. In the morning, you'll feel fresh, energized, and after some time, you'll notice that you're getting leaner.</p><p>Resurge is not like other sleep supplements that need a prescription or contain synthetic chemicals. It's all-natural and has no side effects.</p><p>If you've been unsuccessful in your attempts to lose extra weight despite your best efforts, Resurge could be what you need. Most people make various changes to their lives in order to lose weight, but neglect sleep.</p><p>So, if you have a diet and exercise regimen that doesn't work quite well, it's time to try and boost your sleep. By helping you sleep better, Resurge can also help suppress your appetite and curb cravings for sugary stuff.</p><p>This supplement can be used by men and women who want to enhance their sleep quality and lose weight along the way. It's perfect for you if you want to lose weight without having to make huge lifestyle changes.</p><p><strong><em>Click here to </em><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><em>Check out Resurge on the Official Website</em></a></strong><em><strong>.</strong></em></p>
<h2>Resurge Review: Weight Loss Supplement Overview</h2><p>Resurge was made to address one of the most neglected causes of unexplained weight gain. It's a combination of ingredients that help improve your sleep quality, fat burning in your body, and fight hunger curbs.</p><p>It is a supplement that contains various plant extracts and nutrients that possess properties that are beneficial to your health.</p><p>Resurge is an innovative product like no other in the weight loss market. It targets lack of deep sleep, which is a major cause of weight gain.</p><p>This makes it different from other supplements that only concentrate on burning fat in the body. By helping you sleep better, it improves your health in several ways. </p><p>Sleep deprivation is behind many health issues, including excessive weight gain. If you're unable to sleep well at night, you'll likely feel cranky and hungry the next day.</p><p>This causes you to eat more calories, which contributes to weight gain. In addition, you'll also feel tired throughout the day. </p><p>Therefore, you might not be able to do much physical activity to help you use up the calories you've consumed.</p><p>Resurge is formulated to boost your sleep hormones so that you can have a good and restful night's sleep. People who have an adequate sleep feel more energized, motivated, and are less likely to eat excess calories.</p><p>Therefore, Resurge is an excellent product to opt for if your sleeping patterns are messed up, and you end up feeling fatigued, moody, and hungry the next day.</p>
<h3>Pros:</h3><ul><li>Consumer studies have shown that this product is completely safe to use, with no side effects reported.</li><li>It's made with 100% natural, non-GMO ingredients that have been proven to be safe.</li><li>This product targets lack of deep sleep, which is the main cause of unexplained weight loss. By improving your sleep quality, it helps you lose excess fat and maintain a healthy weight.</li><li>It's manufactured at an FDA approved, and GMP certified state of the art facility.</li><li>It doesn't contain stimulants or any banned substances.</li><li>It's easy to use since it only requires you to take the recommended dosage with water before bedtime.</li><li>It helps to boost metabolism, which is a result of improved sleep quality.</li><li>It has anti-aging properties, which also aid in preventing excessive weight gain.</li><li>It comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee to ensure that you don't suffer any loss if you're not satisfied with the product.</li><li>Suitable for use by both adult men and women.</li></ul><h3>Cons:</h3><ul><li>This supplement is only available for sale <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><strong>on the Official Website</strong></a>, so you cannot get it at your local store.</li><li>It's only safe to use for adults above the age of 18.</li><li>You'll have to wait at least 90 days to begin experiencing the optimal benefits of using the supplement. It can be too long for most people.</li></ul><h2>Resurge Ingredients</h2><p>Resurge is made with a blend of ingredients that help improve sleep, mood, and fat burning. They work together to help you lose weight naturally and keep from regaining it.</p><p><em>These are the main ingredients used in Resurge:</em></p>
<h3>Melatonin</h3><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5405617/" target="_blank">Melatonin</a> is a sleep hormone that's produced in the body. Its function is to maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.</p><p>When you age, the amount of melatonin being produced in the body decreases. This makes it harder for you to have a deep and restful sleep.</p><p>It's used as an ingredient in Resurge to supplement it and maintain its roles. With more melatonin, your brain will be able to get signals that it's time to sleep and prevent insomnia.</p><h3>Ashwagandha</h3><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3252722/" target="_blank">Ashwagandha</a> is an herb that has been widely used for many health purposes in traditional medicine. It helps the body maintain its natural functions when placed under stress.</p><p>It's good at fighting insomnia, and also boosts brain function. This plant extract can also help reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in your body.</p><h3>Hydroxytryptophan</h3><p>In the body, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3415362/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">hydroxytryptophan</a> helps you to fall asleep faster and for longer. It aids in the secretion of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes calmness and also contributes to better sleep.</p><p>By promoting both sleep and boosting serotonin production, this ingredient improves mood and reduces symptoms of stress and anxiety. </p><p>Since these two are common effects of sleep deprivation, solving them is an important part of improving your sleep quality and maintaining your well-being.</p><h3>Arginine</h3><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6160175/" target="_blank">Arginine</a> is an amino acid that plays a role in muscle growth and development in the body. It also supports fat oxidation, which increases when you have more muscle mass.</p><p>This amino acid suppresses appetite, which helps you avoid overeating, which leads to weight gain. It also helps control blood sugar levels, which might be unstable as a result of excess weight gain. </p><h3>L-Theanine</h3><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6836118/" target="_blank">L-Theanine</a> is a potent cognitive booster that also promotes relaxation and induces satiety. It supports the production of GABA and serotonin, both of which are brain chemicals that improve mood and make it easier for you to sleep soundly. </p><h3>Lysine</h3><p>Yet another amino acid used in Resurge, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27770943/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Lysine</a> helps boost energy levels in the body. With this ingredient, you'll feel the urge to be more active, which can help with your weight loss.</p><p>Lysine also boosts the formation of collagen in the body. Since collagen is used in the formation of muscles, skin, and bones, supplementation with lysine can help maintain good health as you lose weight.</p><h3><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6889702/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Zinc</a> & Magnesium </h3><p>These two minerals work together to boost the absorption of other ingredients in Resurge, restore neurotransmitters that support sleep, and improve metabolism.</p><p><em><strong>Click here to <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank">See the Full List of Ingredients in Resurge on the Official Website</a>.</strong></em></p>
<h2>How Does Resurge Work?</h2><p>Resurge works by improving deep sleep in men and women who are struggling with excessive weight gain. By optimizing the sleep-wake cycles, it helps the body reset and tap into its potential to burn off excess fat.</p><p>With better sleep, bodily functions such as metabolism are boosted. You'll also notice that you heal quickly from ailments, or that you don't get sick as often.</p><p>Antioxidant activity in your body is optimized to prevent oxidative damage that leads to inflammation, another major cause of weight gain. Resurge also contains ingredients that help fight free radicals in the body that make you unhealthier and encourage the storage of fat.</p><p>With Resurge, you'll not need to take part in any fad diets or strenuous exercises in order to see results. Once you take your nightly pill, your body will get to work to get rid of toxins and burn fat that makes you overweight.</p><p>One of the ways that better sleep aids with weight loss directly is that it promotes healthy levels of the ghrelin and leptin hormones in the body. When you're sleep-deprived, there's less leptin production, a hormone that suppresses appetite when you've had enough calories.</p><p>It means that you'll end up eating more than your body needs, which will then be stored as fat. While leptin drops, ghrelin, the hormone that triggers hunger, rises. </p><p>Therefore, the less you sleep, the hungrier you'll feel. When you get enough sleep, the levels of these hormones are maintained at healthy levels.</p><p>To learn more about how Resurge works, <strong><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Click Here</a>.</strong></p>
<h2>Benefits of Using Resurge</h2><p><em>These are some of the benefits of using Resurge:</em></p><h3>Better Sleep</h3><p>Resurge helps you have better sleep. You'll be able to fall asleep faster and sleep for adequate hours each night. </p><p>This gives your body enough time to rest and recuperate from the day's activities. Aside from improving your overall health, it also boosts weight loss and prevents excessive weight gain.</p><p>By improving your sleep quality, Resurge helps diminish symptoms of sleep deprivation such as fatigue, frequent hunger cravings, and decreased energy. When you use this supplement for at least 90 days, you'll be able to sleep well and wake up feeling refreshed daily.</p><h3>Improved Energy</h3><p>You're likely to feel energetic and ready to take on the day after having a good night's sleep. You'll also feel more motivated to take part in physical exercise, which can further improve your health.</p><h3>Less Cravings</h3><p>Sleep-deprived people are more likely to reach for unhealthy and fattening sugary goods during the day. These snacks provide a quick burst of energy, which fades away and leaves you feeling hungrier. If you keep feeding these cravings, you'll gain weight fast.</p><p>Resurge helps you to get enough sleep so that these sugary cravings can decrease. It also contains ingredients such as L-Theanine that promote satiety and keep you from eating more calories than you need.</p><h3>Improved Mental Well-Being</h3><p>The ingredients in Resurge may help increase the production of neurotransmitters in the brain that promote relaxation and reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety. </p>
<h2>Side Effects</h2><p>There have been no reports of side effects by people who have used Resurge so far. This is attributed to the natural formulation used to make Resurge.</p><p>With no artificial chemicals or stimulants used, this supplement poses no risk to users. This product is also manufactured and packed under strict hygienic standards, which prevents any type of contamination.</p><p>However, if you're using any type of prescription medicine, it's best to consult your physician before using Resurge.</p><p>This is because some of the natural compounds used have the potential to interact with certain kinds of medication. A qualified doctor will let you know if you need to take any precautions.</p>
<h2>Who Should Refrain from Resurge?</h2><p>People who are under the age of 18 should not use Resurge. Dietary supplements are not supposed to be used by minors unless advised otherwise by a health professional.</p><p>Pregnant women and lactating mothers should also not use Resurge. They, too, should seek medical advice before using any kind of supplement.</p><p>If your insomnia and weight gain are caused by a medical condition, you should not use Resurge. Instead, consult your physician for the best treatments.</p><p>Healthy adults who are having trouble sleeping and are unable to lose weight can safely use Resurge.</p>
<h2>Dosage & Tips to Start</h2><p>Each bottle of <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><strong>Resurge</strong></a> contains 120 pills, which are a month's supply. You should take four capsules daily with water, an hour before bedtime.</p><p>The huge dosage ensures that you get enough of each ingredient in the formulation. Once you've taken the pills, Resurge will work to improve your body's functions while you sleep and boost your journey towards your goal weight.</p><p>If you want maximum benefits of Resurge, use it for at least 90 days. People who use it for at least 3 months to 6 months are able to notice massive improvements in their sleep quality and weight loss.</p><p>Keep in mind that with Resurge, you'll not be required to make any changes to your lifestyle to get results. Just focus on taking your daily dosage, and you'll be able to lose weight naturally.</p><h2>Where to Buy Resurge and Guarantees?</h2>
<a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUzMTUxOS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNzIyOTg3OX0.lYhnIh39ClGUidJyZnQhRRR5bzM2pNSug4vUni3P3GA/img.png?width=980" id="b773d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="93e47c08ae46eee17fad427c34c36cb5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /></a>
<p>You can buy Resurge <a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><strong>on the Official Website</strong></a>. It's not available on other online stores or physical locations. Therefore, make sure to buy it from the official site in order to get the genuine product.</p><p>Besides being sure that you're getting the right product by buying from the website, you'll also benefit from huge price discounts. </p><p><em>You can buy one, three, or six bottles, and this is what you'll pay for them:</em></p><ul><li>1 bottle: $49</li><li>3 bottles: $39 per bottle</li><li>6 bottles: $34 per bottle</li></ul><p>The more you buy, the more savings you'll make. It's advisable to buy the 3 or 6 bottles package, which provides you with 90- and 180-days' supply of Resurge, respectively. After using the pills for this long, you'll experience the full benefits of Resurge.</p><p>The manufacturer offers you a 60-day money-back guarantee once you purchase Resurge. This gives you two months to use the supplement and observe whether it works for you.</p><p>If you're not satisfied with the results for any reason, the manufacturer will refund your full purchase price, no questions asked. Contact customer support by email or call them when you want a refund.</p><p>You'll receive instructions on how to return the product bottles. Note that you'll have to return all the bottles, whether they're empty or unused. Once they receive your returned bottles, they'll issue a refund within 48 hours.</p>
<h2>Resurge Reviews: Closing Thoughts</h2><p>Being sleep deprived leaves you feel tired, hungry, moody, and affects your productivity. It also messes up your hormones, which makes you susceptible to excessive weight gain.</p><p>Resurge is the product that can help you overcome lack of sleep and get back to being energetic, healthy, and feeling younger. By improving your sleep quality, it helps balance hormones in your body, preventing weight gain.</p><p>Since it's a 100% natural product whose safety has been proven, we think that it's worth the try. Its unique blend of ingredients will not just help you sleep better but also help with metabolism and immune function.</p><p>The fact that you'll not need to exercise or stick to a certain diet to lose weight while using Resurge makes it even more ideal. And since there's a 60-day money-back guarantee, you're protected from any losses.</p><p><strong><em>Click here to </em><a href="https://supplementscoop.com/resurge-eco" target="_blank"><em>Get the Best Deal on Resurge from the Official Website</em></a></strong><em><strong>.</strong></em></p>
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Marine scientists who study seagrasses have published a study describing how to reintroduce eelgrass into Virginia coastal bays. Flickr / CC by 2.0
By Robert J. Orth, Jonathan Lefcheck and Karen McGlathery
A century ago Virginia's coastal lagoons were a natural paradise. Fishing boats bobbed on the waves as geese flocked overhead. Beneath the surface, miles of seagrass gently swayed in the surf, making the seabed look like a vast underwater prairie.
<p>More than <a href="https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/plants-algae/seagrass-and-seagrass-beds" target="_blank">70 species</a> of seagrasses grow in shallow waters around the world, on every continent except Antarctica. In Virginia, beds of <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/importance-eelgrass" target="_blank">eelgrass</a> (<em>Zostera marina</em>) provided habitat for bay scallops and food for birds, and kept barrier islands from washing away. Eelgrass was so common that people who lived near the shore packed and baled it to <a href="https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/insulation/a-history-of-eel-grass-insulation_o" target="_blank">use as insulation</a> for homes, schools and hospitals.</p><p>In the 1930s, however, pandemic plant disease and repeated hurricanes eliminated the eelgrass along Virginia's eastern shore. The once-vibrant seafloor became barren mud, leading to a loss of "wildfowl, the cream of salt-water fishing, most of the clams and crabs, and all of the bay scallops," sportsman and publisher <a href="https://cpl.org/the-derrydale-press/" target="_blank">Eugene V. Connett</a> <a href="https://www.jamescumminsbookseller.com/pages/books/239493/eugene-v-connett/duck-shooting-along-the-atlantic-tidewater-chapters-by-frederick-c-lincoln-lynn-bogue-hunt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote in 1947</a>.</p><p>We are marine scientists who study <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bVEVdsEAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">seagrasses</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wTArpJgAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">marine biodiversity</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=l6zTkPUAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">coastal ecosystems</a>. In a newly published study, we describe the results of a 20-year mission to reintroduce eelgrass into Virginia coastal bays using a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/%2010.1126/sciadv.abc6434" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">novel seed-based approach</a>.</p><p>This project has now restored 9,600 acres of seagrasses across four bays – one of the most successful marine restoration efforts anywhere in the world. It has triggered large increases in fishes and invertebrates, made the water clearer and trapped large quantities of carbon in seafloor sediments, helping to slow climate change. We see this work as a blueprint for restoring and maintaining healthy ecosystems along coastlines around the world.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU1MDYyNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzUzNzgzOX0.WyJfNsDpYp00yz74eepABEzCb4P1eQXwUoBpgDzMHLM/img.png?width=980" id="72075" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="416dad1ab602263e29250f63872e4637" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Seagrasses and other coastal habitats stabilize coastlines, store carbon and provide habitat for fish and shellfish. Hisham Ashkar/GRID-Arendal, CC BY-ND
Why Didn’t Seagrasses Recover Naturally?
<p>Development, nutrient runoff and other human impacts have damaged marshes, mangroves, coral reefs and seagrasses in many bays and estuaries worldwide. Loss or shrinkage of these key habitats has reduced commercial fisheries, increased erosion, made coastlines more vulnerable to floods and storms and harmed many types of aquatic life. Rapid climate change has compounded these effects through <a href="https://theconversation.com/ocean-warming-has-fisheries-on-the-move-helping-some-but-hurting-more-116248" target="_blank">rising global temperatures</a>, more <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-frequent-and-intense-tropical-storms-mean-less-recovery-time-for-the-worlds-coastlines-123335" target="_blank">frequent and severe storms</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-climate-change-alters-the-oceans-what-will-happen-to-dungeness-crabs-61501" target="_blank">ocean acidification</a>.</p><p>In the late 1990s, local residents told two of us who are longtime students of seagrasses (Robert "JJ" Orth and Karen McGlathery) that they had spotted small patches of eelgrass in shallow waters off Virginia's eastern shore. For years the conventional view had been that seagrasses in this area had not recovered from the events of the 1930s because human activities had <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2005.07.007" target="_blank">made the area inhospitable for them</a>.</p><p>But studies showed that water quality in these coastal bays was <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02782971" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">comparatively good</a>. This led us to explore a different explanation: Seeds from healthy seagrass populations elsewhere along the Atlantic coast simply weren't reaching these isolated bays. Seagrasses are underwater flowering plants, so seeds are among the main ways they reproduce and spread to new environments.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU1MDYyNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NjQ4NTY3MH0.8jhLx4hCsj4dgEpA4GJ4JWUmutOPXcc4HAKEWy4kirI/img.jpg?width=980" id="364bd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e1062dc214c5b45717b0ff35328f0be5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Eelgrass beds were restored in four bays at the southern tip of Virginia's eastern shore on the Atlantic coast. David J. Wilcox/VIMS, CC BY-ND
Sowing a New Crop
<p>From our <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1941597" target="_blank">earlier research</a>, we knew that when eelgrass seeds fall from the parent plant, they sink to the sea bottom quickly and don't move far from where they land. We also knew that these seeds don't germinate until late fall or early winter. This meant that if we collected the seeds in spring, when eelgrass flowers, we could hold them until the fall, helping them survive over the months in between.</p><p>We decided to try reseeding eelgrass in the areas where they were missing. Starting in 1999, we collected seeds by hand from underwater meadows in nearby Chesapeake Bay – plucking the long reproductive shoots, bringing them back to our laboratory and holding them in large outdoor seawater tanks until they released their seeds naturally. After about 10 years we started gathering the grasses using a custom-built underwater "lawn mower" to collect many more of the reproductive shoots than we could by hand.</p><p>In 2001 we sowed our first round by simply tossing seeds from a boat. Our first test plots covered 28 acres of mud flats in waters 2 to 3 feet deep. Returning the following year, we saw new seedlings sprouting up.</p><p>Each year since then, the <a href="https://www.vims.edu/" target="_blank">Virginia Institute of Marine Science</a> and the <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nature Conservancy's Virginia Coast Reserve</a>, along with staff and students from the <a href="https://www.vcrlter.virginia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">University of Virginia</a>, have led a team of scientists and citizens to collect and seed a combined 536 acres of bare bottom in several coastal bays.</p><p>These initial plots took off and rapidly expanded. By 2020 they covered 9,600 acres across four bays. Several factors helped them flourish. These bays are naturally flushed with cool, clean water from the Atlantic Ocean. And they lie off the tip of Virginia's eastern shore, where there is little coastal development.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a482c2146febd6782c99960c2b55feb8"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K9NyfPLINtk?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
Sheltering Marine Life and Storing Carbon
<p>Since eelgrass disappeared from these bays in the 1930s, human understanding of seagrass ecosystems has evolved. Today people don't pack their walls full of seagrass insulation but instead value different services they provide, such as habitat for fish and shellfish – including many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12645" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">commercially and recreationally important species</a>.</p><p>Scientists and government agencies also have recognized the importance of coastal systems in capturing and storing so-called "<a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/bluecarbon.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blue carbon</a>." In fact, we now know that seagrasses constitute a globally significant <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1477" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">carbon sink</a>. They are a key tool for reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-64094-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">slowing climate change</a></p><p>We are working to understand the valuable services that our restored seagrass beds provide. To our surprise, fish and invertebrates returned within only a few years as the meadows expanded. These organisms have established extensive food webs that include species ranging from tiny seahorses to 6-foot-long sandbar sharks.<br></p><p>Other benefits were equally dramatic. Water in the bays become clearer as the seagrass canopy trapped floating particles and deposited them onto the bottom, burying significant stocks of carbon and nitrogen in sediments bound by the grasses' roots. Our research is the first to verify the overall net carbon captured by seagrass, and is now being used to issue carbon offset credits that in turn <a href="https://vaseagrant.org/eelgrass-carbon-credits/" target="_blank">create more funds for restoration</a>.</p><p>One big question was whether restoring seagrasses could make it possible to bring back bay scallops, which once generated millions of dollars for the local economy. Since bay scallops no longer existed in Virginia, we obtained broodstock from North Carolina, which we have <a href="https://chesapeakebaymagazine.com/return-of-the-bay-scallop/" target="_blank">reared and released annually</a> since 2013. Regular surveys now reveal a growing population of bay scallops in the restored eelgrass, although there is still some way to go before they reach levels seen in the 1930s.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU1MDY1MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzMxNzUzNH0.tII25nbyaHUi_ZR7shYI3A0gRKXqiMXfWiGo7NoQqAQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="45d22" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b11b8921618fba089de4b72472cd8d91" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Restored seagrass beds (dark areas) along Virginia's Atlantic coast, with sunlight reflecting from a small island. Jonathan Lefcheck, CC BY-ND
A Model for Coastal Restoration
<p>Repairing damaged ecosystems is such an urgent mission worldwide that the United Nations has designated 2021-2030 as the <a href="https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/" target="_blank">U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration</a>. We see the success we have achieved with eelgrass restoration as a prime model for similar efforts in coastal areas around the world.</p><p>Our project focused not only on reviving this essential habitat, but also on charting how restoring seagrasses affected the ecosystem and on the co-restoration of bay scallops. It provides a road map for involving scholars, nonprofits organizations, citizens and government agencies in an ecological mission where they can see the results of their work.</p><p>Recent assessments show that the restored zone only covers about 30% of the total habitable bottom in our project area. With continued support, eelgrass – and the many benefits it provides – may continue to thrive and expand well into the 21st century.</p>
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Landmark legislation aims to address the ocean impacts of human-caused global heating and reform federal ocean management. ToryYu1989 / PxHere / CC0
By Jessica Corbett
Leaders of climate and conservation groups on Tuesday welcomed House Democrats' introduction of landmark legislation that aims to address the ocean impacts of human-caused global heating and reform federal ocean management—recognizing that, as Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva put it, "a healthy ocean is key to fighting the climate crisis."
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<p>The Arizona Democrat, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, unveiled the <a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/imo/media/doc/OCSA20_001_xml.pdf" target="_blank">Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act</a> during a <a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/media/media-advisories/chair-grijalva-chair-castor-group-of-endorsers-will-unveil-ocean-based-climate-solutions-act-at-oct-20-press-conference" target="_blank">virtual press conference</a>. He was joined at the event by co-sponsors—including Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis—and various backers of the legislation.</p><p>"This is the bill we have been waiting for," declared Oregon State University professor Jane Lubchenco, a supporter of the measure with a background in federal government. "It draws on the latest science to tap the treasure-trove of ocean solutions to accelerate progress on climate change. The outcome? People win, the economy wins, nature wins."</p><p>"The ocean feeds and sustains, it connects us. The ocean is our past and our future. The ocean has indeed been a victim of climate change, but it also holds powerful solutions," added Lubchenco, former administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Science Envoy for the Ocean at the State Department. "This bill will tap those solutions, and everyone benefits."</p>
<div id="a858f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="99d487bc34e6e570edd2a3089e616347"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318606309256798208" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🎥 We're live! @NRDems, @RepRaulGrijalva, and @USRepKCastor are unveiling #OceanClimateAction legislation. W… https://t.co/pPdylA6cKQ</div> — Select Committee on the Climate Crisis (@Select Committee on the Climate Crisis)<a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateCrisis/statuses/1318606309256798208">1603215217.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"This bill provides a roadmap for ocean and coastal climate resilience, and responsibly uses them to curb the pollution that is intensifying the climate crisis," Grijalva explained. "We must stop the ongoing damage to our oceans to protect the food, jobs, and coastlines that millions of Americans depend on. A healthy ocean is an environmental justice issue and we made sure to put protections for low income and communities of color at the front and center."</p><p>Specifically, as a statement from Grijalva's office outlined, the bill aims to:</p><ul><li>Reduce greenhouse gas emissions;</li><li>Increase carbon storage in blue carbon ecosystems;</li><li>Promote coastal resiliency and adaptation;</li><li>Improve ocean protection;</li><li>Support climate-ready fisheries</li><li>Tackle ocean health challenges; and</li><li>Restore U.S. leadership in international ocean governance.</li></ul>
<p>"By presenting smart, focused solutions to the climate crisis, this pioneering legislation propels the oceans into the heart of the climate debate in Congress," said Jacqueline Savitz, Oceana's chief policy officer for North America. "The oceans are bearing the brunt of global warming: rising ocean temperatures will decrease fish catch, endangering livelihoods and undermining food security. This bill shows us our oceans can be part of the answer."</p><p>Castor on Tuesday emphasized that "the ocean is a powerful ally in the climate fight, and unleashing its potential will help us reach our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier." She noted the new bill incorporates recommendations from the Climate Crisis Action Plan that her committee <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/30/genocidal-negligence-new-democratic-climate-action-plan-criticized-woefully" target="_blank">released</a> in June, which she said "gives Congress a roadmap for creating a healthier, more resilient, and more just America."</p><p>Climate action advocacy groups said when the plan from Castor's committee came out that it "is more ambitious than what we've seen from Democratic leadership to date" but also <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/30/genocidal-negligence-new-democratic-climate-action-plan-criticized-woefully" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">criticized</a> lawmakers' proposed goals as "genocidal negligence" and "wholly inadequate to prevent the risk of catastrophic climate disruption," vowing to maintain pressure on Democrats to pursue bolder policies.</p><p>Amid that ongoing pressure from advocates comes the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act, which Castor said "will unleash the incredible power of the ocean and address the threat that offshore drilling poses to America's coastal communities, including my own community in the Tampa Bay."</p><p>Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/10/20/ocean-based-climate-solutions-act-would-end-offshore-oil-leasing-protect-marine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">called</a> the bill "important" and praised particular elements of it. "As sea-level rises we have to end offshore oil drilling and help our coastal communities transition to the resilient, clean energy economy we all need," Sakashita said. "This bill also aims to protect marine mammals from ship strikes, noise pollution, and climate change."</p>
<div id="17f05" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="28d7040a5dd41c4d26fed8e93a225655"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318614724842524674" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">.@RepRaulGrijalva’s climate bill will ignite #OceanClimateAction to help fight inequality by prioritizing funding f… https://t.co/oeH1W214em</div> — NRDC 🌎🏡 (@NRDC 🌎🏡)<a href="https://twitter.com/NRDC/statuses/1318614724842524674">1603217223.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The bill, which is co-sponsored by leaders of multiple relevant House committees, was also applauded by other advocacy organizations, including the Center for American Progress, Earthjustice, Environment America, Greenpeace USA, League of Conservation Voters, National Ocean Protection Coalition, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Ocean Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, and Urban Ocean Lab.</p><p>"Resilient communities need resilient oceans, and the Ocean Climate Solutions Act pursues both," said Steve Mashuda, oceans managing attorney at Earthjustice. "Restoring and protecting our ocean ecosystems will protect the frontline communities who are most at risk from climate change, while increasing our capacity to secure a just, stable, and biodiverse future.</p><p>"Earthjustice thanks the House Natural Resources Committee for continuing to serve the American people by strengthening and stewarding our environment," added Mashuda, "and we look forward to turning these concepts into reality."</p><p>Greenpeace USA senior oceans campaigner Arlo Hemphill warned that "protecting 30% of our oceans by 2030 is critical if we hope to restore America's rich ocean ecosystems and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change."</p><p>"The Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act outlines an innovative and ambitious plan to couple this ocean protection with a new generation of Blue Economy jobs and a renewed, climate-ready vision for our nation's fisheries," he said. "This is an inspiring piece of legislation, and exactly what America needs right now."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/20/advocates-welcome-inspiring-ocean-based-climate-solutions-act-exactly-what-america" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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U.S. Suffered Almost 300,000 Excess Deaths During Coronavirus Pandemic, CDC Reports
13h
Health + Wellness
Markers of remembrance at a Massachusetts care home that saw a major coronavirus outbreak. Barry Chin / The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Almost 300,000 more Americans have died during the first ten months of the coronavirus pandemic than would be expected in an average year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Tuesday.
<p>The agency found that there were an estimated 299,028 excess deaths in the U.S. between Jan. 26 and Oct. 3. That's a higher death toll than the 221,078 deaths officially attributed to COVID-19, according to the latest figures from <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins University</a>.</p><p>"This is one of several studies, and the bottom line is there are far more Americans dying from the pandemic than the news reports would suggest," Dr. Steve Woolf, director emeritus of the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University who conducted a study along similar lines, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/health/coronavirus-excess-deaths.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p>
<p>Excess death studies are valuable for understanding <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/public-health" target="_self">public health</a> threats precisely because deaths from a particular cause may have been undercounted, the CDC explained. In the case of COVID-19, an excess death study will catch cases that have been misdiagnosed or misattributed on the death certificate. Two-thirds of the excess deaths in the study were directly attributed to the coronavirus, but others could have been indirectly caused by the new disease.</p><p>"There are many factors that could contribute to an increase in deaths indirectly due to the pandemic, with disruptions to health care being one factor," study author Lauren Rossen, from CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-cdc-deaths-idUSKBN2752NQ?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A%20Trending%20Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0dG3t8HUtMH3bMWyRt-ZGIiAPbw2OMnIg3ym0L-O0JTCsSc9Psh2NvSX0" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.</p>
<p>For example, Woolf told The New York Times that his study, which looked at excess deaths from March 1 to April 25, found huge increases in deaths from conditions like diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer's.</p><p>"It's important for people who have these conditions to not delay or forgo medical care because of their fears of the virus," Woolf said. "In many cases, the danger of not getting care is much greater than the risk of exposure to the virus."</p><p>The CDC got their figures by comparing deaths in 2020 every week during the study period with the average deaths for that week from 2015 to 2019. They found that excess deaths have occurred every week in the U.S. since March, peaking in the weeks ending April 11 and August 8.</p>
<p>The study looked at deaths by age group and by race, and found one surprising result. While more older Americans have died of the virus in total numbers, the group that saw the greatest percentage increase in deaths in 2020 was adults aged 25 to 44.</p><p>The breakdown by age group was as follows:</p><ul><li>Under 25: two percent decrease</li><li>25-44: 26.5 percent increase</li><li>45-64: 14.4 percent increase</li><li>65-74: 24.1 percent increase</li><li>75-84: 21.5 percent increase</li><li>Over 85: 14.7 percent increase</li></ul>
<p>The study also confirmed that the pandemic has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/black--hispanic-americans-coronavirus-2645677258.html" target="_self">taken a higher toll</a> on racial minority groups than on white Americans. Hispanic Americans saw the highest percent increase of deaths in 2020 at 53.6 percent. The rest were as follows:</p><ul></ul><ul><li>Asian Americans: 36.6 percent increase</li><li>Other or unknown ethnicity: 34.6 percent increase</li><li>Black Americans: 32.9 percent increase</li><li>Indigenous Americans: 28.9 percent increase</li><li>White Americans: 11.9 percent increase</li></ul>
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A federal judge in Washington, D.C. struck down the Trump administration's proposed changes to the SNAP benefits program. Robert Nickelsberg / Getty Images
By Julia Conley
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. late Sunday struck down the Trump administration's proposed changes to the SNAP benefits program, potentially saving hundreds of thousands of people from losing badly needed federal food assistance.
<p>U.S. District Chief Judge Beryl Howell<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/trump-food-stamp-cuts/2020/10/18/7c124612-117a-11eb-ad6f-36c93e6e94fb_story.html" target="_blank"> issued</a> a scathing ruling, denouncing President Donald Trump and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, who she said have been "icily silent about how many [adults] would have been denied SNAP benefits had the changes sought ... been in effect while the pandemic rapidly spread across the country."</p><p>New York Attorney General Letitia James, who was among more than a dozen state attorneys general who joined the District of Columbia in suing the administration over the changes, called Howell's ruling "a major victory for common sense and basic human decency in our nation."</p>
<div id="e8d44" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="be49aabc36a5465eed30ca54f88f6b2d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318171686232096772" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">A judge has ruled in our favor and blocked the Trump administration’s unlawful changes to SNAP. This decision is… https://t.co/5zeTafxMLm</div> — NY AG James (@NY AG James)<a href="https://twitter.com/NewYorkStateAG/statuses/1318171686232096772">1603111595.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The USDA proposed the changes months before the coronavirus pandemic began. They were initially set to go into effect in April, but Howell issued an injunction in March, as the president declared a state of emergency, ordering the administration to delay the changes. Perdue later appealed Howell's order, potentially allowing the new rules to go into effect despite a pandemic<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf" target="_blank"> that has left millions unemployed.</a></p><p>Under existing SNAP benefits rules, states are able to waive work requirements for SNAP benefits for areas with unemployment rates as low as 2.5%. Perdue and Trump moved to tighten the criteria for waiving the requirements by raising the minimum rate to 6%.</p><p>The change could have left nearly 700,000 people without the benefit, the <em>Washington Post</em><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/trump-food-stamp-cuts/2020/10/18/7c124612-117a-11eb-ad6f-36c93e6e94fb_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> reported </a>Sunday.</p><p>Tamar Haspel, a <em>Post</em> food policy columnist, tweeted that the proposal, and the administration's attempt to ensure it could go into effect during the public health and economic crisis, was in the running for Trump's "Vilest Policy Ever."</p>
<div id="f47ab" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="381daa45528adda7398d5628d047294f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318175677724676096" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">There's a lot of competition for Vilest Policy Ever, but slashing food stamps during a pandemic that's causing mass… https://t.co/EYvb0C8Q3m</div> — Tamar Haspel (@Tamar Haspel)<a href="https://twitter.com/TamarHaspel/statuses/1318175677724676096">1603112546.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The pandemic, Howell said in her ruling, exposed how unworkable the administration's proposed changes were, with the number of Americans relying on SNAP benefits <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/trump-food-stamp-cuts/2020/10/18/7c124612-117a-11eb-ad6f-36c93e6e94fb_story.html" target="_blank">growing</a> by 17%, or six million enrollees, and unemployment rates quadrupling.</p><p>Perdue and Trump displayed an "utter failure to address the issue" of how millions would be affected by new work requirements during the crisis, Howell said, rendering their changes "arbitrary and capricious."</p><p>With the ruling handed down two weeks before Nov. 3, the last day Americans can vote in the presidential election, journalist Matt Taibbi wrote that it may serve as a reminder of the president's priorities.</p>
<div id="946d8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3cff2dc2643fc55ab21d2a73881c7de8"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1318168614541950976" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Trump: yes to Space Force, no to Food Stamps. Another equation that might be remembered in a few weeks. https://t.co/9IEDBaMy2o</div> — Matt Taibbi (@Matt Taibbi)<a href="https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/statuses/1318168614541950976">1603110862.0</a></blockquote></div><p>"Trump: yes to Space Force, no to Food Stamps," Taibbi tweeted.</p>
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Indigenous Women to Financial CEOs: Stop Abetting 'Climate-Wrecking' Tar Sands Industry
20 October
Business
Demonstrators hold signs at an anti-tar sands march in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2015. Fibonacci Blue / CC BY 2.0
By Andrea Germanos
A group of Indigenous women and their allies on Monday urged the heads of major global financial institutions to stop propping up the tar sands industry and sever all ties with the sector's "climate-wrecking pipelines, as well as the massively destructive extraction projects that feed them."
<p>The demand to the CEOs comes in an <a href="https://d99d2e8d-06c9-433b-915d-f6e381b1acd4.usrfiles.com/ugd/d99d2e_d74cf8f06b194a8cb1c96b6c07ee7713.pdf" target="_blank">open letter</a> signed by more than 40 Indigenous leaders including Rebecca Adamson, Cherokee and founder of First Nations and First Peoples Worldwide; Tara Houska, Couchiching First Nation and founder of the Giniw Collective; and Winona LaDuke, White Earth Nation and executive director of Honor the Earth.</p><p>Supporting the call is a diverse group of over 150 organizations such as Another Gulf Is Possible Collaborative, Global Exchange, and Indigenous Environmental Network.</p><p>"It's time to move on. The most destructive and expensive oil in the world needs to stay in the ground," LaDuke said in a statement.</p><p>Beyond the tar sands sector's "grave threats to Indigenous rights, cultural survival, local waterways and environments, the global climate, and public health," the open letter says continued financing and insuring of tar sands projects just makes bad economic sense, noting that "no subsector has had a worse financial prognosis than tar sands oil."</p>
<p>"The current economic crisis has sent oil and gas prices, and particularly tar sands oil, plunging," the letter notes.</p><p>"Tar sands is one of the most carbon-intensive, expensive extraction processes in the industry, and these pipelines are likely to be stranded assets soon after they are built," the women wrote, referring to a scenario in which fossil fuels will have to stay in the ground.</p><p>The letter zeroes in on three specific pipelines as pivotal to future tar sands extraction — TC Energy's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/14/we-will-never-back-down-landowners-and-green-groups-file-new-lawsuit-against" target="_blank">Keystone XL pipeline</a>, Enbridge's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/06/03/activists-stage-blockade-block-work-line-3-court-tosses-out-proposed-pipelines" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Line 3 pipeline</a>, and the Canadian government-owned <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/02/05/we-will-continue-fight-protesters-vow-after-canadian-court-dismisses-indigenous" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Trans Mountain pipeline</a> — each of which has faced sustained <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/02/solidarity-frontline-communities-day-action-demands-end-funding-tar-sands" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">opposition</a>. The economic impact of such opposition can't be denied, with the letter pointing to the "$25 billion in mining assets lost due to operations being tied up or shut down by community protests" in 2018.</p>
<p>What's more, the Indigenous leaders wrote, the "risk portfolio for extractive and land-based companies show[s] that 73% of company risk and delays are non-technical. Non-technical means community protests and boycotts that result in operational delays or shutdowns."</p><p>Should the CEOs fail to heed the demands laid out in the letter, further delays ought to be expected. "We will continue to resist the remaining proposed projects and hold the financial backers of these companies accountable," the letter states.</p><p>While the ecological harm of tar sands extraction and infrastructure has been repeatedly noted by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel</a> critics, the letter points to new threats brought by the coronavirus crisis. The signatories point to the multiple work sites in Alberta that have seen outbreaks of COVID-19 as extremely bad news for Indigenous communities who "are uniquely vulnerable to the virus' spread due to historically underfunded healthcare programs and significant health disparities."</p>
<p>In addition, an influx of project workers and so-called "man camps" brings particularly acute harm to Indigenous women:</p><blockquote>Indigenous women in these rural areas are in peril. There is growing evidence that the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) is directly linked to fossil fuel production. Workers relocate to construction sites to build pipelines, creating temporary housing communities known as "man camps" near the pipeline route, which is oftentimes on or next to tribal nation lands. Studies, reports, and Congressional hearings have found that man camps lead to increased rates of sexual violence and sexual trafficking.</blockquote><p>"We need a just transition to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable</a>, sustainable energy, not expansion of fossil fuel extraction," the signatories declare. "We demand respect for our rights and sovereignty as Indigenous Peoples so that we can control our own lands, futures, and job opportunities."</p>
<p>The letter lays out a way forward for the financial institutions.</p><p>"Rather than exploit the tar sands sector for its last drops of profit in the face of climate crisis and disregard the health and safety of communities along pipeline routes, your company can accelerate a just transition for Indigenous nations, communities, and workers that depend on the industry for their livelihoods by publicly ruling out involvement in these tar sands projects and redirecting your insurance underwriting to communities and renewable, clean energy," the women wrote.</p><p>According to Joye Braun, Cheyenne River Sioux, organizer with Indigenous Environmental Network, the tar sands industry has been "nothing more than evil incarnate."</p><p>"We must put a stop to them," said Braun. "We must stand and say enough is enough. Join us in saving our future. Join us putting the proverbial nail in the coffin of these dying, unneeded industries."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/19/indigenous-women-financial-ceos-stop-abetting-climate-wrecking-tar-sands-sector-or" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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