Environmental Politics

Will the Coming Plastics Treaty Solve the Problem Or Enshrine It?

A major intergovernmental gathering later this year will address plastic pollution, including in oceans. But an overview from our Issue Backgrounder notes that the likelihood of solving the problem may be small. One reason? Petrochemical industry lobbying. Another? The shifting world market for plastic waste. And there are more concerns, such as the effectiveness of incineration and chemical recycling techniques. More, including questions to ask, in Backgrounder.

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Outrage After Biden NPS Reinstates ‘Barbaric’ Trump-Era Hunting Rules

"The Biden administration has reinstated controversial Trump-era rules allowing what critics say are “barbaric” hunting practices that target bears and wolves, including pups or cubs, on federal land in Alaska.

Source: Guardian, 07/08/2024

"Fight Over Seabed Agency Leadership Turns Nasty"

"Allegations of possible payments to help secure votes. Claims of abuse of agency funds by top diplomats. A possible job offer to entice a candidate to withdraw from a race. These are not the shenanigans of a corrupt election in an unstable country. Rather, they are efforts in the seemingly genteel parlors of a United Nations-affiliated agency, meant to sway decisions related to the start of seabed mining of the metals used in electric vehicles."

Source: NYTimes, 07/08/2024

"Advocates Decry Attempt To Halt New Silica Rule Meant To Protect Miners"

"A single line included in the proposed annual appropriations bill for the U.S. Department of Labor and other agencies could — if adopted by congress later this year — halt the implementation of a newly finalized rule limiting the amount of silica dust miners are exposed to while working underground."

Source: West Virginia Watch, 07/08/2024

‘Endangered’ USGS Pesticide Database Shows Wide Chemical Impact

Pesticides are a major environmental and public health issue — harming vulnerable human populations, as well as contributing to declines in insect populations and even the birds that feed on them. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox explores an invaluable government database that reports estimates of county-level use of a wide array of these chemicals, but which recently faced severe cutbacks. Read more about the Pesticide National Synthesis Project.

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Financing of Meat and Dairy Giants Grows Thanks to Big American Banks

"The world’s biggest banks and investors are continuing to funnel billions of dollars to carbon-intensive industrial livestock companies, undermining their own pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions and fueling an ongoing boom in meat and milk production that threatens global climate goals."

Source: Inside Climate News, 07/03/2024

Farm to Trouble: Curbing The Runoff Fueling The Gulf’s ‘Dead Zone’

"Flowing down the Mississippi River, the excess fertilizer that washes off vast swaths of farmland fuels a persistent “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico and threatens drinking water supplies upstream. Yet despite more than a quarter-century of federal effort and billions spent on potential solutions, experts say the watershed is “not even close” to its targets for fixing the problem."

Source: Mississippi R. Ag & Water Desk, 07/03/2024

"Biden Proposes New Rule To Protect 36 Million Workers From Extreme Heat"

"President Joe Biden on Tuesday proposed a new rule to address excessive heat in the workplace, warning — as tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat advisories — that high temperatures are the country’s leading weather-related killer."

Source: AP, 07/03/2024

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