By Philip Newell
Scott Pruitt, Trump's nominee for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, had his confirmation hearing Wednesday. What follows is a blow-by-blow account of the event.
5 Things You Need to Know Trump's EPA Pick Scott Pruitt https://t.co/gASl3w4OuE @HuffPostGreen @greenpeaceusa— EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)1483831505.0
In the morning, there were reports of people paid to stand in line to keep protesters out and as the hearing started, Standing Rock protesters were arrested outside the room. We hoped senators would be just as willing to stand up to #PollutingPruitt.
Sen. Barrasso, introducing Pruitt, praised his supposed efforts to fight polluters. But the only specific action Barrasso could name was the oil clean-up "double dipping" issue. He didn't list other environmental protection actions from Pruitt because … well, of 700 press releases from Pruitt's time as Oklahoma AG, zero involved actions to protect the environment.
Delaware's Sen. Tom Carper gave a quick history lesson about the importance of the EPA, the old "burning rivers, smoggy cities" bit about how bad pollution was in the days before the EPA. In addition to sea level rise already flooding parking lots in Delaware, how fishing now comes with a mercury warning and the lead-laden troubles of Flint, Michigan, Carper focused on cross-state pollution. It's a not-so-subtle warning of things to come under Pruitt, whose states-first approach wouldn't be sufficient to handle interstate pollution.
Carper concluded with a "damning statement" from former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, hoping that today's event can prove her wrong.
Sen. Inhofe was next to speak and Barrasso praised him. (No mention of the infamous snowball). With his mild drawl and heavy rasp, Inhofe followed Barrasso's lead and heaped praise on Pruitt's protection of polluter profits. "He's a hero of the scenic rivers," Inhofe (falsely) said before being interrupted by a protester shouting as she was removed. According to MoJo's Rebecca Leber, the protesters were "unlike anything I saw at Tillerson's" hearing.
Inhofe took a moment to attack the outgoing administration as radical—one that at least 60 percent of Americans agree with. In the same breath, he praised the fossil fuel industry as protectors of the environment.
In his opening statement, Pruitt admitted, like other cabinet nominations, that the climate is changing and humans play some role. But of course, he stopped short of accepting the consensus and falls back to the now common position that the extent to which we're changing the climate and what should be done about it remain questions for debate.
Now on to the questions. Sen. Carper quoted Donald Trump's statements about dismantling the EPA. Will the things Trump have said "just go away" under Pruitt? Given Pruitt's dismantling of the environment unit in the attorney general office and the lack of answers to questions given in advance of the hearing, Carper justified the concerns of the protesters faintly heard outside.
On mercury, Carper tried to get a yes or no answer as to whether Pruitt's lawsuits that have opposed the mercury regulation do so because they oppose the fact that mercury is … well … bad. Pruitt tried to dodge the question but Carper didn't let him, continuing to nail him on the issue. Pruitt admited, eventually, that mercury is something the EPA should regulate.
As Inhofe took the floor, scientists declared 2016 the hottest year on record.
"It's Official: 2016 Was the Hottest Year Ever Recorded" via @ClimateNexus/@EcoWatch: https://t.co/meonGdUrDY— Michael E. Mann (@Michael E. Mann)1484780151.0
Moving on, Inhofe tossed Pruitt a couple of softballs regarding water negotiations Pruitt has led.
Next it was Sen. Whitehouse's turn. He got right into it—"The oceans off of our state are warming, due to fossil-fuel-driven climate change … I see nothing in your career to suggest you care one bit about" protecting those hurt by warming. He then brought out a poster of the main industries who have funded Pruitt and his groups. Pruitt said he wasn't sure if they maxed out contributions or even if they've contributed at all. Whitehouse educated him a little about the hundreds of thousands of dollars Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) received from the fossil fuel industry under Pruitt's leadership.
But did he solicit any of that funding? Pruitt's "unable to confirm" that funding and refused to directly answer if he solicited money. Pruitt said he didn't ask for money from Koch, Devon or Exxon, at least not "on behalf of RAGA."
Sen. Whitehouse pointed out that Pruitt declared no conflicts of interest, yet had not disclosed any of his solicitations for his "Rule of Law Defense Fund." Will Pruitt disclose his role in raising funds for it? Pruitt demurred and passed the buck before defending himself by pointing out he's suing Exxon. (Again, this is the double-dipping case, which as Whitehouse pointed out "has nothing to do with the environment.")
A late snowfall could set back the growth of this budding lilac. oddharmonic / Flickr, CC BY-SA
By Richard B. Primack
Weather patterns across the U.S. have felt like a roller coaster ride for the past several months. December and January were significantly warmer than average in many locations, followed by February's intense cold wave and a dramatic warmup.
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<p>If you've ever seen lilac bushes crushed by snowdrifts, then budding on a warm day just a few weeks later, you may wonder how plants tolerate such extremes. I study <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=XfgB_BUAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">how climate change affects the timing of seasonal events</a> in the life cycles of plants, birds and insects in Massachusetts, so I know that species have evolved here to handle New England's famously changeable weather. But a warming climate is disrupting weather patterns and testing the abilities of many species to adapt.</p>
<h3>Tolerating Cold</h3><p>On brutal winter days when temperatures are far below freezing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-winter-miserable-for-wildlife-108734" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">animals hibernate underground or huddle in protected spots</a>. But trees and shrubs have to sit there and take it. The tissues in their trunks, branches and roots are alive. How do they survive the freezing cold?</p><p>In autumn, woody plants in many parts of North America start <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2015.01.004" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">preparing for winter</a>. When their leaves change color and fall, their twigs, branches and trunks start to lose water. As a result, their cells contain higher concentrations of sugars, salts and organic compounds.</p><p>This lowers the freezing point of the cells and tissues, and allows them to survive temperatures far below the normal freezing point of water. The trick has its limits, though, so extreme cold events can still kill certain plants.</p><p>Tree and shrub roots remain largely unchanged and inactive during winter, relying on insulation from snow and soil for protection. For the most part, the temperature of the soil around roots stays at or above freezing. Soil, fallen leaves and persistent snow layers insulate the ground above the roots and prevent it from losing heat.</p>
<h3>The Surprising Danger of Spring Frosts</h3><p>After plants stoically withstand cold winters, early spring brings new dangers. Plants need to leaf out as early as they can in spring to take full advantage of the growing season. But this involves pumping water into their developing leaves, which reduces the concentration of sugars, salts and organic compounds in their tissues and removes their winter protection from cold.</p><p>Each species has a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.12892" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">characteristic leaf-out time</a>. Early-leafing species such as blueberries and willows are the gamblers of the plant kingdom. Later species, like oak and pine, are the cautious and conservative types. For any species, leafing out too early is a risk because late frosts can damage or kill young leaves.</p><p>Flowers are also vulnerable to unpredictable spring frosts because they contain lots of water. If the flowers of fruit trees, such as apples, are killed by frost, the trees won't produce fruit later in the summer. Late frosts also can cause disappointingly short flowering seasons for early-flowering ornamental plants such as forsythias and magnolias.</p>
<h3>Plant Wake-Up Calls</h3><p>To guard against frost and still take advantage of the full growing season, trees and shrubs have developed three ways to know when it is time to start growing in spring.</p><p>First, plants have winter chilling requirements: They hold on to winter dormancy until they have been exposed to a certain number of cold winter days. This trait helps them avoid leafing or flowering during abnormally warm periods in midwinter.</p><p>Second, plants also have spring warming requirements that promote growth after they experience a certain number of warm days each spring. This feature helps them start to grow as soon as it is warm enough.</p><p>Third, some plants also have a <a href="http://www.biologyreference.com/Ph-Po/Photoperiodism.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">photoperiod</a> response, which means they react to the length of time they are exposed to light in a 24-hour period. This prepares them to leaf out as days get longer and warmer in the spring. Beech trees have both a warming requirement and a photoperiod response, but the temperature requirement is much stronger, so they get going after just a few warm days in late spring.</p><p>Interestingly, North American trees such as red maple and black birch are more cautious and conservative than European and East Asian trees. The weather in eastern North America is more variable, and the threat of late spring frosts is higher here than in those regions. As a result, North American trees have evolved to leaf out a few weeks later than comparable trees from Europe and East Asia.</p>
<h3>Climate Change Scrambles the Signals</h3><p>Plants are highly attuned to temperature signals, so warming driven by climate change is making it harder for many species to withstand winter cold and spring frosts. As spring temperatures get warmer than in the past, trees such as apples and pears may respond by leafing out and flowering <a href="https://www.americanscientist.org/article/spring-budburst-in-a-changing-climate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">several weeks earlier than normal</a>. This can increase their vulnerability to late frosts.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNzkwMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNDM1MjMwM30.XUMLQZjcTE30X-bZZAI1B5OvhurZh2hYli-R-4QgoRo/img.jpg?width=980" id="444e0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="73aa6aacc888263bd0b73b943d53f60b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="962" />
The leaves on this cherry tree have suffered damage from a late frost. Richard Primack, CC BY-ND
<p>Such late frosts are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13088" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">becoming more common</a> because <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-exactly-is-the-polar-vortex-153958" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate change is destabilizing the jet stream</a>, leading it to dip much farther south, bringing bursts of unusually cold weather.</p><p>In 2007, an exceptionally warm period in March <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03803.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">triggered trees to leaf out</a> across the eastern and central United States. A hard frost in April then killed the young leaves and flowers of oaks, hickories and other tree species. The trees were able to produce a second crop of leaves, but could not fully replace the leaves they'd lost, which quite likely stunted their growth for that year.</p><p>Insect pests also pose an increasing threat to plants. Harsh winter weather holds in check many insects found in northern climates, such as <a href="https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/disturbance/invasive_species/hwa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hemlock woolly adelgids</a> and <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/maps/plant-health/eab-storymap" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">emerald ash borers</a>. As winters become milder, these insects are more likely to survive, move further northward, cause major outbreaks and damage trees.</p><p>Warmer winters also lead to more days when the ground is bare. Cold snaps that occur when there is no insulating layer of snow can <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-shrinking-winter-snowpack-which-harms-northeast-forests-year-round-103410" target="_blank">freeze the soil and kill roots</a>. Tree and shrub branches then die back because the damaged roots cannot supply enough water and nutrients. In extreme cases, the plants may die.</p>
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<p>In coming decades, many cold-loving tree species such as spruces and firs will become less abundant when they are not able to handle <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/pubs/gtr/gtr_nrs173.pdf" target="_blank">new challenges associated with a warmer climate</a>. In the Northeast U.S., native species such as sugar maple and beech will be gradually replaced by native species from farther south, such as oaks and hickories. And nonnative species, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tps092" target="_blank">Norway maples</a>, are taking advantage of these disruptions to disperse into forests from roadsides and neighborhoods.</p><p>Similar shifts are happening in many places as climate change alters the signals plants rely on to mark the changing seasons.</p>
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<em>Richard B. Primack is a professor of biology at Boston University.<br/>
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Disclosure statement: Richard B. Primack does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/january-warm-spells-march-freezes-how-plants-manage-the-shift-from-winter-to-spring-155343" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
</p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155343/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>From Your Site Articles
- Plants Are Decades Away From Absorbing Less Carbon, Study ... ›
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A majority of America's dams require billions of dollars in upgrades for them to handle heavier precipitation. skibreck / Getty Images
By Jeff Masters
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave America's infrastructure a C- grade in its quadrennial assessment issued March 3. ASCE gave the nation's flood control infrastructure – dams and levees – a D grade. This is a highly concerning assessment, given that climate change is increasingly stressing dams and levees as increased evaporation from the oceans drives heavier precipitation events.
<h4>U.S. Dams Need $93.6 Billion in Upgrades</h4><p>The group's 2021 report card gave the nation's 91,000-plus dams a D grade, jus as they had received in each of its assessments since the first one was issued in 1998. Drawing upon the latest data from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, ASCE estimated the cost of rehabilitating all U.S. dams at $93.6 billion, of which $27.6 billion is needed for federal dams. Over half (56.4%) of U.S. dams are privately owned. The cost to rehabilitate deficient high-hazard-potential dams, whose failure would result in loss of life, is estimated at nearly $20 billion. Over 2,300 dams in the U.S. are in this category. The average age of America's dams is 57 years.</p><p>The report identified one program that can help address existing funding needs – the High Hazard Potential Dam Rehabilitation Program authorized in the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. The goal of this program is to help fund the repair, removal, or rehabilitation of the nation's non-federal, high-hazard-potential dams. In federal fiscal year 2020, Congress appropriated $10 million for the program, less than 0.1% of the state dam safety group's needs estimate, and a quarter of the $40 million Congress had authorized for the program.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNzcyMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDYwOTA0NH0.khJWqUmu88vH0trtPZp5VaHMUPuTWXwfLAnb8-RmcFw/img.jpg?width=980" id="7b560" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9657d5d0a96e063dc96da5d2897aaeef" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="974" data-height="650" />
Figure 1. Debris fills the Feather River from the damaged spillway of California's Oroville Dam, the nation's tallest dam, after its near-collapse in February 2017. The Oroville incident forced the evacuation of nearly 190,000 people and cost $1.1 billion in repairs. California Department of Water Resources
<p>A 2019 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/f5f09a300d394900a1a88362238dbf77" target="_blank">story by the Associated Press</a> reported that the most recent U.S. fatalities from a dam failure were in March 2019, when the 92-year-old Spencer Dam on the Niobrara River in Nebraska failed, killing one person. The most recent previous dam failure fatalities involved seven people killed on Hawaii's Kauai Island in 2006 after the earthen wall of the Kaloko Reservoir collapsed.</p><p>At least five fatal dam failures occurred in the 1970s – Teton Dam, Idaho (14 deaths), Kelly Barnes, Georgia (39 deaths), Buffalo Creek coal slurry impoundment dam, West Virginia (125 deaths), Rapid City, South Dakota (238 deaths), and Johnstown, Pennsylvania (84 deaths). These failures ushered in the modern dam safety era. AP reported that many states have problematic private dams whose owners can't be identified. In 2018, for instance, Rhode Island listed 32 high- or significant-hazard dams with safety concerns and unknown owners.</p><p>A 2019 YaleEnvironment360 <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/in-an-era-of-extreme-weather-concerns-grow-over-dam-safety" target="_blank">story by Jacques Leslie</a> reported that "many people living on property that would be flooded if a dam fails are unaware of that possibility, in part because federal officials blocked public access to inundation maps after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In recent years, some states have again made the maps available. California requires that prospective buyers be informed if a property is in an inundation zone, a practice that should be far more widespread." The 2021 ASCE report card recommended initiating a public awareness campaign that would alert residents of the location and condition of dams in their area.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNzczMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1ODU3MTQwNn0.3BWJ_pJgam_COE4yHvxcMEElUw_di1ScJhumJOApt8A/img.jpg?width=980" id="bfc61" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5f0985f2f684be073ecbe838e0798c09" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="974" data-height="647" />
Figure 2. The L-550 levee on the Missouri River overtopping during the spring 2011 floods. USACE
<h4>U.S. Levees Need More Than $21 Billion in Upgrades</h4><p>In spring 2019, the midwest U.S. experienced severe flooding, causing over $20 billion in damage. More than 80 Corps of Engineers levee systems were overtopped or breached, sometimes multiple times, and more than 700 miles of levees were damaged. Levee repairs were estimated at $1 billion. However, the Army Corps estimated that the levees prevented almost $350 billion in flood damages from October 2018 to September 2019. At least 17 million people live or work behind a levee, and U.S. levees protect $2.3 trillion in property, so the condition of these levees is critical. In addition, approximately 1,400 sites listed in the federal Toxic Release Inventory – including many EPA Superfund sites – lie in areas at high risk of flooding, according to a 2018 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/06/climate/flood-toxic-chemicals.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New York Times analysis</a>.</p><p>In that context, the Civil Engineers' 2021 report card grade of D for the nation's 40,000 miles of levees is concerning. Drawing upon the latest data from the Corps of Engineers, the ASCE says in its report card that $21 billion is needed to improve and maintain just the moderate to high-risk levees in the Corps of Engineers portfolio. That is about 15% of the known levees in the U.S.</p><p>U.S. levees are, on average, 50 years old, many built using engineering standards less rigorous than current best practices. Encouragingly, fewer than 4% of U.S. levees are rated high or very high risk, down from 5% in 2017. However, 80% of high- or very high-risk levees have issues that likely would result in a breach prior to overtopping in an extreme flood, the report said.</p><p>The report card identified one program that can help address existing funding needs – the National Levee Safety Program. In federal fiscal year (FY) 2021 this program was funded at $5 million, just 0.02% of the $21 billion needed, and just 6% of its FY21 $79 million authorization.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNzczMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMDc5MTY5N30.1UV4pqSAO8z5ljv7qhzHrAlMx5GRpzreZYkhJc50nxw/img.jpg?width=980" id="2fe50" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="843ffe13ede2a693c185a301a4b5589f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="974" data-height="615" />
Figure 3. The change in heavy downpours (defined as the top 1% of precipitation events) from 1958-2016, from the 2018 U.S. National Climate Assessment. Climate Central
<h4>Climate Change Is Driving More Precipitation and River Flood Damages</h4><p>Increased precipitation in the U.S. in recent decades, partially the result of climate change, has caused an additional $2.5 billion a year in U.S. flood damages, according to a <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/4/e2017524118" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">January 2021 study</a> in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researches, climate scientists at Stanford University, found that between 1988 and 2017, heavier precipitation accounted for more than one-third of the $200 billion in damage. Causing heavier downpours, "Climate change may be exacerbating the cost of flooding," the authors concluded.</p><p>In an interview with E&E News, Study co-author Noel Diffenbaugh said in an interview with E&E News that "there is real economic value in avoiding higher levels of global warming. That's not a political statement. That's a factual statement about costs. And it also shows that there's real economic value to adaptation and resilience because we're clearly not adapted to the climate change that's already happened."</p><h4>U.S. River Floods Are Increasing in Frequency</h4><p>The number of "extreme streamflow" events observed in U.S. river systems since 1910 has increased significantly, according to a <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/49/eaba5939" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">December 2020 study</a> from Dartmouth College.</p><p>Along rivers that observed significant changes in streamflow in recent decades, the incidence of extreme streamflow events has doubled in frequency since the 1950-1969 period. Evan Dethier, a postdoctoral researcher at Dartmouth and lead author of the paper, said in <a href="https://phys.org/news/2021-01-river-droughts-canada.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an interview with phys.org</a> that "the shifts toward more extreme events are especially important given the age of our dams, bridges, and roads. The changes to river flows that we found are important for those who manage or depend on this type of infrastructure."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/03/new-report-u-s-dams-levees-get-d-grades-need-115-billion-in-upgrades/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>
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Alex Wong / Getty Images
By Jacob Carter
On Wednesday, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced that it will be rescinding secretarial order 3369, which sidelined scientific research and its use in the agency's decisions. Put in place by the previous administration, the secretarial order restricted decisionmakers at the DOI from using scientific studies that did not make all data publicly available.
<p>This order potentially prevented the use of studies, for example, that included data on endangered or threatened species' locations or data about individuals' health, which cannot be made publicly available. With the order rescinded, scientists and decisionmakers can now once again bring the best available science to help inform decisions and continue to make progress on protecting endangered species, people's health, and our country's natural resources and cultural heritage.</p>
Science Rising at Interior
<p>The rescinded secretarial order is not the only notable victory we have seen from the DOI recently. The Biden administration has moved swiftly to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/climate/biden-interior-department-haaland.html" target="_blank">restore consideration of climate change</a> in its decisions, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/biden-expected-to-reverse-trump-order-to-shrink-utah-national-monuments" target="_blank">reverse assaults on our public lands</a>, and <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/biden-halts-trump-rule-gutted-landmark-bird-protection-law" target="_blank">taken actions to protect our nation's wildlife</a>. These decisions, unlike many made at the DOI over the past four years, have been informed by science—and President Biden's pick to lead the DOI, Representative Deb Haaland of New Mexico, has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/22/politics/haaland-confirmation-remarks/index.html" target="_blank">promised in her confirmation hearing</a> to continue to make decisions that are guided by science.</p><p><strong>Saving Migratory Birds</strong></p><p>One of the parting gifts of the prior administration was a <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/jacob-carter/outgoing-administration-gave-thumbs-up-to-migratory-bird-massacre-its-time-to-reverse-the-damage" target="_blank">reinterpretation of a long-standing rule that protected migratory bird species</a>. For decades, the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/birds/policies-and-regulations/laws-legislations/migratory-bird-treaty-act.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Migratory Bird Treaty Act</a> (MBTA) had protected migratory bird species, which are in decline in the US, by allowing the DOI to fine industries that failed to take proper precautions to protect migratory birds. For example, <a href="https://www.fws.gov/birds/bird-enthusiasts/threats-to-birds/entrapment-entanglement-drowning.php#:~:text=An%20estimated%20500%2C000%20to%201,trays%2C%20and%201%25%20spills." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">not placing proper netting over oil pits</a>, which can result in the death of migratory birds. The rule, however, was reinterpreted by the prior administration such that industries could only be fined if bird deaths were "intentional" and not if they occurred incidentally due to a lack of precautions.</p><p>The prior administration, in its final days, also <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2021/03/endangered-species-recovery-interior-deb-haaland/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eliminated protections for the northern spotted owl</a>, which is currently listed by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as a threatened species. More than 3 million acres of the owl's habitat were removed from protection to pave way for timber harvesting. Susan Jane Brown, a staff attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/climate/biden-interior-department-haaland.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stated that she had received</a> "…several calls from wildlife biologists who are in tears who said, 'Did you know this is happening? The bird won't survive this."</p><p>The Biden administration, following the best available science, has delayed the implementation of both rules.</p><p><strong>Restoring Public Lands</strong></p><p>In 2017, two national monuments, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante of Utah, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/us/trump-bears-ears.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">were reduced in size by some two million acres</a>, the largest reduction of federal land protection in our nation's history. Later, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/climate/bears-ears-national-monument.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">internal emails at the DOI</a> would show that these actions were not a product of following the best available science, and were instead guided by a push to exploit oil and natural gas deposits within the boundaries of the protected land. In particular, the decision did not consider the archaeological importance of the protected lands or their cultural heritage. Sidelining these facets of this decision is likely what <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2021/02/biden-orders-review-of-trumps-assaults-on-americas-natural-treasures/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=naytev&utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">prompted a review of the reductions</a> by the Biden administration.</p>Bringing Science Back Across the Administration
<p>Beyond the Interior department, the Biden administration has taken quick steps to bring science back to the forefront of decisionmaking across the federal government. In January, President Biden signed a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/memorandum-on-restoring-trust-in-government-through-scientific-integrity-and-evidence-based-policymaking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">presidential memo</a> to strengthen scientific integrity and evidence-based decisionmaking. The memo, among many other positive steps for science, has initiated a review process on scientific integrity policies that should be finalized toward the end of the year. Given the <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/attacks-on-science" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">unprecedented number of times we documented political interference in science-based decision-making processes</a> over the past four years, such a review, and the subsequent recommendations arising from it, are clearly warranted.</p><p>The Biden administration also has formed multiple scientific advisory groups to help make choices informed by the best available science to protect public health and our environment. This includes advisory groups on critical issues such as <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/memorandum-on-restoring-trust-in-government-through-scientific-integrity-and-evidence-based-policymaking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">scientific integrity</a>, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/02/10/president-biden-announces-members-of-the-biden-harris-administration-covid-19-health-equity-task-force/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">COVID-19</a>, and <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2021/02/04/495397/mapping-environmental-justice-biden-harris-administration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">environmental justice</a>. The administration also is moving quickly to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/12/17/938092644/biden-to-pick-north-carolina-regulator-michael-regan-to-lead-epa" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">appoint qualified leaders</a> at science-based agencies and has asked the heads of agencies to expeditiously establish scientific integrity officials and chief science officers.</p><p>In addition to rescinding the secretarial order at DOI, the Biden administration has also rescinded several other anti-science actions taken over the past four years. Among the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/02/24/executive-order-on-the-revocation-of-certain-presidential-actions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">many anti-science executive orders reversed by President Biden are </a>an order that directed agencies to arbitrarily cut their advisory committees by one-third and another that required agencies to cut two regulations for every new regulation they issued.</p><p>There has been a lot of progress for science-based decisionmaking over the past six weeks, with more expected as qualified individuals are appointed to head science-based agencies. And yet we know through our research that <a href="https://www.sciencepolicyjournal.org/uploads/5/4/3/4/5434385/berman_emily__carter_jacob.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">every administration has politicized science-based decisionmaking to some extent</a>.</p><p>We will continue to watch, demand, and ensure that science guides the critical decisions being made by the Biden administration. Our health, our environment, and our safety depend on it.</p><p><em><a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/author/jacob-carter#.YED_bRNKjt0" target="_blank">Jacob Carter</a> is a research scientist for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from the <em><a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/jacob-carter/science-wins-at-the-interior-department" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>.</em></em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Producing avocado and almond crops is having a detrimental effect on bees. Molly Aaker / Getty Images
At first glance, you wouldn't think avocados and almonds could harm bees; but a closer look at how these popular crops are produced reveals their potentially detrimental effect on pollinators.
<p>Turns out, bee labor is required to produce most avocados and almonds in the U.S. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/honeybees" target="_self">Honeybees</a> pollinate most fruits and vegetables in the country, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2018/10/17/sorry-vegans-if-you-dont-eat-honey-avocados-might-be-off-limits-too/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported. With native bee populations in sharp decline, there aren't enough of them to complete the job naturally or efficiently, The Post added.</p><p>Enter migratory beekeeping. Farmers truck beehives full of European honeybees across the country and into their fields so that the insects can pollinate crops during important fertile periods, The Post reported. Without this practice, farmers would lose about one-third of their crops, including broccoli, blueberries, cherries, apples, melons and lettuce, according to The Post.</p><p>The practice is so widespread that Tracy Reiman, a representative for <a href="https://www.peta.org/" target="_blank">PETA</a>, said, "Average shoppers can't avoid produce that involves migratory beekeeping, any more than they can avoid driving on asphalt," <a href="https://www.veganlifemag.com/vegan-myths-avocados-arent-vegan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vegan Life</a> reported.</p><p>In 2013, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/migratory-beekeeping-mind-boggling-math/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scientific American</a> estimated that California's booming almond industry used 31 to 80 billion migrant honeybees a year in order to achieve maximum pollination during almond trees' two-week bloom. California produces up to 80 percent of all the world's almonds, Scientific American noted, and could not achieve such scale without migratory beekeeping.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNzQ3MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzkxOTkzOX0.LmTRyoERRLJCuh-ARqeTObYSHcw5Qn8pDPCzjfM51vY/img.jpg?width=980" id="84667" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="884827362b36cf8a6cb07fd06c0d3a23" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="5489" data-height="3678" />
Migratory beekeeping involves trucking millions of bees across the U.S. to pollinate different crops, including avocados and almonds. Timothy Paule II / Pexels / CC0
<p>According to <a href="https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/israeli-kitchen/beekeeping-how-to-keep-bees" target="_blank">From the Grapevine</a>, American avocados also fully depend on bees' pollination to produce fruit, so farmers have turned to migratory beekeeping as well to fill the void left by wild populations.</p><p>U.S. farmers have become reliant upon the practice, but migratory beekeeping has been called exploitative and harmful to bees. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/10/health/avocado-almond-vegan-partner/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported that commercial beekeeping may injure or kill bees and that transporting them to pollinate crops appears to negatively affect their health and lifespan. Because the honeybees are forced to gather pollen and nectar from a single, monoculture crop — the one they've been brought in to pollinate — they are deprived of their normal diet, which is more diverse and nourishing as it's comprised of a variety of pollens and nectars, Scientific American reported.</p><p>Scientific American added how getting shuttled from crop to crop and field to field across the country boomerangs the bees between feast and famine, especially once the blooms they were brought in to fertilize end.</p><p>Plus, the artificial mass influx of bees guarantees spreading viruses, mites and fungi between the insects as they collide in midair and crawl over each other in their hives, Scientific American reported. According to CNN, some researchers argue that this explains why so many bees die each winter, and even why entire hives suddenly die off in a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder.</p><p>Adding pesticides to the picture, bees don't stand a chance. Many countries still use <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/neonicotinoids" target="_self">neonicotinoid</a> pesticides (neonics), which are believed to kill bees. In Jan. 2021, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/bees-pesticide-uk-2649874911.html" target="_self">U.K. faced backlash after approving the emergency use</a> of the toxin on sugar beets, despite pledging not to increase its usage in the wake of Brexit. Although restricted, this family of pesticides is still the most widely used in the U.S., and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/neonic-pesticides-food-supply-2650056933.html">scientists warn that neonics' continued prevalence</a> could be catastrophic for food supplies, honeybee populations and mass die-offs of native species. Neonics are a primary cause behind the massive honeybee and native bee losses each year, researchers and environmentalists argue.</p><p>In Columbia, mass bee deaths are being blamed directly on avocado farms, <a href="https://phys.org/news/2021-02-colombia-apiarists-avocado-bees.html#:~:text=It%20is%20used%20to%20control,from%20nearby%20passion%20fruit%20orchards." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Phys.org</a> reported. Avocado exports from Columbia skyrocketed from 1.7 tons in 2014 to 44.5 tons in 2019, and in 2021, Colombia became Europe's largest avocado supplier, Phys.org added. This boom has resulted in the increased use of neonic insecticide fipronil. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/europe-france-bees-pesticides-2648176911.html" target="_self">Banned in Europe</a> and restricted in the U.S. and China, fipronil is still used in Colombia to grow avocados and citrus for export. This has been bad for neighboring bees, which become contaminated as they buzz through pesticide-treated plantations looking for food.</p><p>"They bring this poison to the hive and kill everyone else," Abdon Salazar, a Columbian beekeeper, lamented to Phys.org after losing 800 hives and 80 million bees in the last two years.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNzQ4OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjg5OTQ2NH0.Oq4fBa6JIt8zh9l_2638GKbYaf8eJu6z8HxItBENV3c/img.jpg?width=980" id="10a24" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e3a3fd25fe54760bf8a0f2c564c4dbf7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="5616" data-height="3744" />
Avocado and almond crops depend on bees for proper pollination. FRANK MERIÑO / Pexels / CC0
<p>Salazar and other Columbian beekeepers described "scooping up piles of dead bees" year after year since the avocado and citrus booms began, according to Phys.org. Many have opted to salvage what partial colonies survive and move away from agricultural areas.</p><p>The future of pollinators and the crops they help create is uncertain. According to the United Nations, nearly half of insect pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, risk global extinction, Phys.org reported. Their decline already has cascading consequences for the economy and beyond. Roughly 1.4 billion jobs and three-quarters of all crops around the world depend on bees and other pollinators for free fertilization services worth billions of dollars, Phys.org noted. Losing wild and native bees could <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/wild-bees-crop-shortage-2646849232.html" target="_self">trigger food security issues</a>.</p><p>Salazar, the beekeeper, warned Phys.org, "The bee is a bioindicator. If bees are dying, what other insects beneficial to the environment... are dying?"</p>
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An electric vehicle is plugged in to an EV charging station at a Walmart parking lot in Duarte, California on Sept. 14, 2018. FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images
Six major U.S. electricity utilities will collaborate to build a massive EV charging network across 16 states, they announced Tuesday.
<p>Transportation is the country's largest source of greenhouse gas pollution, and electrifying the sector is a major opportunity to reduce those emissions through increased efficiency and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable</a>-generated electricity. Utilities stand to benefit from massively-increased electricity demand driven by widespread EV adoption, but range anxiety — the fear of running out of battery power without being able to reach a convenient charging station — is a barrier to many customers who might purchase (or consider purchasing) an EV. </p>
<p>The newly-formed Electric Highway Coalition — made up of American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Entergy, Southern Company, and the Tennessee Valley Authority — is seeking to ameliorate those concerns by creating a network of charging stations from <a href="https://www.eenews.net/image_assets/2021/03/image_asset_109985_enlarged.png?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114111450&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9k5vIAjm_YzZ_iiLXicLacXmu3hkR-wm8QCUkZ6MUcE2CDpTCR5QWgFl4mnvsc2psJ2FvfG1kuIy53LxVe4m3mSfK9Tg&utm_content=114111450&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Texas to Indiana to Virginia to Florida</a>. The announcement follows a similar initiative by major midwest utilities last year. </p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/major-utilities-are-gearing-up-to-install-ev-charging-s-1846399234?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114111450&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9HybzhR2eXuuIAhGW5t1nDYlQBXogsm85KjaIBAqKCjEecjzbhS_I-8IImc5Z_7zi0Lvxx0NDvelhAlMH460owrIc7Tg&utm_content=114111450&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Earther</a>:</p><blockquote>"It's exciting to see utilities engaging more in this space," said Kathy Harris, the Eastern clean vehicles and fuels advocate at Natural Resources Defense Council. Harris pointed out that while utility investment in electric vehicle infrastructure "isn't a new concept," most of the billions of dollars spent around the country on it have been focused in California and the Northeast. Last year, for example, a coalition of West Coast utilities announced they're <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/west-coast-states-are-teaming-up-to-build-an-electric-h-1844080301" target="_blank">working on a plan</a> to electrify shipping routes to phase out diesel trucks.</blockquote><blockquote>The announcement didn't specify whether or not customers would have to pay for the charging stations, or how much costs could be, which actually isn't surprising given the number of different states covered by the coalition. Harris said that different states have different laws on the books regarding paying for EV charging stations. Some states require customers to pay a set dollar amount to use stations, while others have them pay directly for the electricity used.</blockquote>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2021/03/03/stories/1063726475?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114111450&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--wNKUJJ-75OCNZE0mSxD-kzxp6GUs1UvpqUFIHm5icGSolhH7A7vcAobBYSItBCem9aYPK9LLdmpT4FlXgQ_4ZbnAfLA&utm_content=114111450&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">E&E</a>, <a href="https://www.utilitydive.com/news/facing-an-ev-boom-aep-duke-4-other-utilities-unveil-plan-for-multi-regio/596032/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114111450&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8jAZ14uU5cVr3hROqni1teRsPGzfdev_c0OZPXPTER5h7cUqwzteNS3EAriPF-jbINMJzGpyub45OvlJ7hPNiHeT7g1w&utm_content=114111450&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Utility Dive</a>, <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/major-utilities-are-gearing-up-to-install-ev-charging-s-1846399234?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114111450&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9HybzhR2eXuuIAhGW5t1nDYlQBXogsm85KjaIBAqKCjEecjzbhS_I-8IImc5Z_7zi0Lvxx0NDvelhAlMH460owrIc7Tg&utm_content=114111450&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Earther</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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