http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/02/stream-protection-rule-reverse-mcconnell-paul-yarmuth-trump/97413470/
The Senate voted 54-45 to eliminate a rule intending to limit the dumping of mining waste in local waterways. The Stream Protection Rule was enforced by the Department of the Interior towards the end of Obama’s presidency. The rule had “tightened standards for water contamination and the restoration of streams damaged by mining.” The Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, has justified the rollback of this rule by stating that the rule is an attack at coal miners. McConnell has argued that the rule will cause damage to communities while threatening coal jobs in areas like his home state, Kentucky. According to a study, the rule would place about one third of coal related jobs at risk. Furthermore, McConnell has stated that with the new President they will be able to “bring relief from burdensome regulations.” I believe that it is the government’s job to set reasonable regulations for the welfare of the people. Although sometimes the regulations may cause inconvenience, they are not burdensome when they try to protect the people from environmental hazards. The rule seems to be beneficial for the community considering the fact that it concerns regulating contamination of water and restoring streams. As far as the prosperity of the community is concerned, I think that a community will prosper first and foremostly if the people are healthy, and the new government officials should acknowledge this.
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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-wall-could-cause-serious-environmental-damage/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-s-border-wall-pledge-threatens-delicate-desert-ecosystems/ Government and environmental protection interplay; the government has large control over the environment as it can pass regulations and inform the people. Unfortunately, Trump’s presidency, seems to be doing the contrary. The recent news article reveals the potential damages associated with constructing a wall between the United States and Mexico. Trump has announced an executive order that fulfills his promise of building a wall, ignoring all the negative consequences of such an action. Besides the obvious wastage of money, building a wall will increase greenhouse emissions with the production of cement. Furthermore, wildlife migrations have already been blocked by the construction of fences and walls without environmental protections. In fact, existing fencing has “led to erosion and flooding in border communities along with a roadblock for the natural movement of wildlife across the border.” Building a large wall will only fuel these problems. The borderlands have some of the highest diversity of species including many of which are threatened, and a wall will divide the species. The Trump Presidency is extremely disappointing. It seems that instead of progressing environmentally and revolutionizing, the Trump administration is encouraging us to move backwards. Building a wall is not the only environmental concern. The declaration of facts will also be restricted as the display of scientific data will be limited. All of Trump’s decisions are affecting everyone negatively because we need a clean environment which is not being encouraged under the Trump presidency. http://www.npr.org/2017/01/18/510502789/nominee-to-lead-epa-testifies-hell-enforce-environmental-laws Scott Pruitt has been picked by Donald Trump to head the Environmental Protection Agency. This current nominee for the EPA has sued the agency more than a dozen times while accusing it of overreach and favoritism under President Obama. Ironically, an individual that has been against the EPA for years has been nominated by our President to run the agency. Pruitt has accepted thousands of dollars in donations from oil and gas companies and has favored them specifically in the state of Oklahoma. Pruitt has been known to be a climate change-denier, but there is some shift, although minor, in his behavior. He has now declared that climate change is not a hoax but continues to undermine human impact on climate change. Furthermore, Pruitt who has strongly advocated states’ rights, has not committed to upholding a “federally-approved waiver that allows California to set stricter emissions standards than the federal requirement.” Despite all this, Pruitt is claiming to enforce environmental laws. Pruitt’s nomination for such an influential position has raised fear and concern among Democrats and environmentalist for obvious reasons. Personally, this makes me concerned for our future because this may cause all the environmental advancements our society has made over the past years to go to waste. I would not want someone who has very evidently stood against the EPA to run it. Pruitt’s duality and perhaps, dishonesty are also indicated through his changing stances regarding states’ rights. He seems as if he may twist the laws in accordance with own best interest rather than the people’s. I truly hope that this decision of Donald Trump does not push us back in terms of environmental protection. China has announced that it will launch an environmental police force to help combat Beijing’s pollution crisis. Beijing's mayor has revealed that he will begin to impose tougher restrictions to reduce the country's “longstanding toxic smog problem.” He has stated that the police force would enforce regulations on outdoor barbecues garbage incineration and the burning of biomass for fuel use. The World Health Organization released a report in September 2016 revealing that 92 percent of the world breathes polluted air, and China is one of the most polluted countries. China has also ranked sixth on the list for number of deaths linked to air pollution each year. Beijing specifically has taken action against this pollution in the past as well. “In early December, Beijing and parts of northern China issued an orange alert for air pollution as high temperatures and humidity blanketed the area in a thick, heavy smog. Many outdoor activities were prohibited, large vehicles were not allowed on roads and the Hebei province completely closed some sections of highway.” I believe that it is extremely important to launch some regulations or programs to control the growing problem of pollution. Pollution damages the environment and our health. There weren't many details provided on the environmental police force so I cannot predict its efficiency. However, China needs to reduce its gas emissions and an environmental police force may be the solution. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/foot-rain-Bay-Area-California-storm-Santa-Lucia-10832523.php#photo-12131603
The most recent weather model indicates that Northern California can experience more than a foot of rain in the next seven days. The highest rain totals are expected in Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia Mountains and Sonoma County. National Weather revealed that an atmospheric river is hitting the West Coast "tapping into subtropical moisture bringing in a lot of precipitation.” Urban areas like San Francisco can receive about five inches through Monday while Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia Mountains could produce 10 to 15 inches. A cold front from the north is merging with warmer air from the Pacific resulting in large amounts of rain. The great amount of anticipated rainfall will have a direct effect on us as the weather forecast for Turlock indicates rain through the weekend and next week. The rain should ideally have a positive impact and alleviate the current drought according to me. However, our discussion in class today revealed that the large rainfall may cause rivers to reach their flood stages. In fact, Yosemite has previously closed down for months due to such conditions. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-38218119
Originally from South America, the red imported fire ant is being classified as an invasive species to some extent in Australia. It is feared for its burning and possibly lethal sting which has surprisingly caused more than 80 deaths in the United States. The ants are not native to Australia as red-ant colonies entered Australia through the Port of Brisbane in 2001. Urgent action has been called in regards to the red ants in Australia as a report indicates that the insect can trigger up to 3,000 anaphylactic reactions in Australia each year. In fact, reports also reveal that red fire ants can wreak more damage in Australia than feral rabbits, cane toads and foxes combined. It has been claimed that fire ants will be a massive hit to the Australian economy, environment, healthcare system and outdoor lifestyle if action is not taken quickly. The National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program is trying to eradicate the ants from the continent. Firstly, the classification of fire ants as invasive species and the fact that 80 deaths have been caused by the species in the United States were shocking information. The article reminded me of the video regarding cane toads we watched earlier this week. Both demonstrate the negative impacts of the introduction of non-native species to a location. Invasive species have a negative impact on the environment as they alter food webs and disrupt native species; they also largely affect humans by being harmful to health and the economy. The article discussed how the eradication of the species from the continent is being suggested; however, because of what I learned from the cane toad video, this does not seem like a feasible idea. There seems to be a lack of solid strategic plans for the species’ eradication. http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/12/01/future-apple-devices-might-warn-users-of-environmental-dangers
Apple published a patent application on covering an "embedded environmental sensor capable of sampling both gas and liquids." This can eventually warn iPhone and Apple Watch users of dangers in their environment. The application describes a method through which an environmental sensor is added into a device speaker cavity where it can analyze material while being protected from the elements. The proposed sensor may consist of components like a "temperature sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, an oxygen sensor, an ozone sensor, other gas sensors, a humidity sensor, a moisture sensor, chemical and biological substance sensors and more." The environmental sensor seems like an interesting and unique idea. I personally believe that it will be beneficial and informative if it is developed as planned. The sensor can provide evidence to people about the surrounding environment and thus, increase awareness and environmental protection. The sensor is also indicative how different scientific fields can fuse together and alleviate the environmental conditions. However, affordability, complexity, and accuracy in regards to the sensor must be considered for its success. http://www.livescience.com/56875-2016-to-become-hottest-year-on-record.html
2016 will be the hottest year on record by a large margin. The WMO report reveals that the records from last year will be broken. Thus, 16 of the 17 hottest years in the records will have occurred in this century. Reports also indicate record high carbon-dioxide levels and record low Arctic sea ice levels. Research has shown that the rising temperatures have made events like extreme heat waves and rainfalls more likely and intense. The rising temperatures and climate change are issues of large concern. Climate change affects everyone- humans, animals, and future generations. I believe that we should continue educating people across the globe of climate change in order to preserve our environment. Overall, the rising temperatures are indicative of how we have been mistreating and misusing our environment. I hope that people look at the evidence and stop denying the evident climate change phenomenon. http://news.stanford.edu/2016/11/10/will-new-administration-affect-environmental-policy/ Donald Trump's election as our President has raised environmental concerns. His disagreement with environmental regulation is a severe matter of concern. Donald Trump may undo or withdraw policies and agreements that have been implemented to protect the environment. The policies under the Paris Agreement may be weakened or delayed while Trump may drop out of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Also, Trump can probably undo the executive order-driven Clean Power Plan commitments. While Trump's desire to save the coal industry poses an issue of concern to many environmentalists, some believe that Trump many actually not change the existing policies as much. Optimists say that it is possible to "have a better environment without as much bureaucracy and burdensome regulation." Personally, I hope that Trump's election will not halt environmental progress, but the current information regarding environmental policies does scare me. Also, Trump's ignorance of climate issues is very concerning. I believe that Trump should realize that environmental regulations, nationally and internationally, are good for US interests and the world. Environmental policies, in fact, should be better monitored and implemented. http://www.enn.com/energy/article/50109
Some BYU engineering students want to trigger energy change by "installing solar cells in public locations you wouldn’t think of, such as: bus stops, park picnic tables and benches, cafeterias and restaurants, car window shades, stadium seats, and blinds." All of the locations will provide charging spots for personal devices. Their ideas have caught some attention, and the Ford Motor Company Fund has granted the students a $25,000 grant to fund the process. The students have started on their first idea as they are building solar panel tables that allow people to work and charge devices at the same time. The entire concept is quite interesting, and it would be effective if it spreads rather than being limited to a location. The development of such solar panel items can bring the change in energy consumption environmentalists hope for. The successful execution of the plans would definitely be a solar cell revolution. The plan is also feasible, according to me, with the new resources and talented individuals. Overall, the ideas are bright and unique. |
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May 2017
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