Conservation

Texas power blackouts illustrate weakeness of U.s. infracstructuret

Sat, 2021-02-20 19:51 — mike kraft

Even as Texas struggled to restore electricity and water over the past week, signs of the risks posed by increasingly extreme weather to America’s aging infrastructure were cropping up across the country.

The week’s continent-spanning winter storms triggered blackouts in Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi and several other states. One-third of oil production in the nation was halted. Drinking-water systems in Ohio were knocked offline. Road networks nationwide were paralyzed and vaccination efforts in 20 states were disrupted.

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The US has seen a 98% drop in ordinary flu hospitalizations, likely due to COVID-19 measures, Southern Hempisphere alsop saw drops.s

Sat, 2021-02-06 16:56 — mike kraft

Fears of a 'twindemic' are over: The US has seen a 98% drop in flu hospitalizations, likely due to COVID-19 measures The US's flu season peaks in February. But flu cases are unusually low due to coronavirus-relate safety measures and decreased travel. YahooNews

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Biden takes sweeping steps to curb climate change, vows job creation

Wed, 2021-01-27 19:29 — mike kraft

Biden takes sweeping steps to curb climate change, vows job creation President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a new raft of executive actions to combat climate change, including pausing new oil and gas leases on federal land and cutting fossil fuel subsidies, as he pursues green policies he billed as a boon for job creation. Valerie Volcovici, Jeff Mason U.S.

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Earth is losing ice faster today than in the mid-1990s, study suggests

Tue, 2021-01-26 10:05 — mike kraft

Earth is losing ice faster today than in the mid-1990s, study suggests Earth’s ice is melting faster today than in the mid-1990s, new research suggests, as climate change nudges global temperatures ever higher. Yereth Rosen U.S.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Earth’s ice is melting faster today than in the mid-1990s, new research suggests, as climate change nudges global temperatures ever higher.

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Restoring Environmental Rules Rolled Back by Trump Could Take Years

Fri, 2021-01-22 12:26 — mike kraft

WASHINGTON — President Biden, vowing to restore environmental protections frayed over the past four years, has ordered the review of more than 100 rules and regulations on air, water, public lands, endangered species and climate change that were weakened or rolled back by his predecessor.

But legal experts warn that it could take two to three years — and in some cases, most of Mr. Biden’s term — to put many of the old rules back in place.

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EPA finalizes 'secret science' rule, limiting use of public health research

Tue, 2021-01-05 15:32 — mike kraft

EPA finalizes 'secret science' rule, limiting use of public health The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday finalized one of its most controversial rules, limiting the types of studies the agency can weigh when crafting its policies. Rebecca Beitsch TheHill

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'The beginning of the end': Europe rolls out vaccines to fight pandemic

Sun, 2020-12-27 10:17 — mike kraft

'The beginning of the end': Europe rolls out vaccines to fight pandemic Europe launched a mass COVID-19 vaccination drive on Sunday with pensioners and medics lining up to get the first shots to see off a pandemic that has crippled economies and claimed more than 1.7 million lives worldwide. Isla Binnie, Giselda Vagnoni U.S.

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NIH awards ore than $107M in broad effort to find new COVID-19 testing, surveillance ideas

Wed, 2020-12-23 19:59 — mike kraft

More than $107M awarded by NIH in broad effort to find radical COVID-19 testing, surveillance ideas - Homeland Preparedness News As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded more than $107 million to support new, non-traditional means of plugging gaps in COVID-19 testing and surveillance, as well as to develop platforms for future outbreaks. … Read More » Chris Galford Homeland Preparedness News

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EU approves COVID-19 vaccine after agency gives safety OK

Tue, 2020-12-22 10:44 — mike kraft

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Monday gave official approval for the coronavirus vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer to be used across the 27-nation bloc, raising hopes that countries can begin administering the first shots to their citizens shortly after Christmas.

The EU’s executive commission gave the green light just hours after the European Medicines Agency said the vaccine meets safety and quality standards. Brussels had been expected to take two or three days to endorse the market authorization move.

“As we have promised, this vaccine will be available for all EU countries at the same time, on the same conditions,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “This is a very good way to end this difficult year, and to finally start turning the page on COVID-19.”

Deliveries of the vaccine are expected to start this coming Saturday, with inoculations beginning across the EU between Dec. 27 and Dec. 29.

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As Election Nears, Trump Makes a Final Push Against Climate Science

Wed, 2020-10-28 19:50 — mike kraft

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has recently removed the chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the nation’s premier scientific agency, installed new political staff who have questioned accepted facts about climate change and imposed stricter controls on communications at the agency.

The moves threaten to stifle a major source of objective United States government information about climate change that underpins federal rules on greenhouse gas emissions and offer an indication of the direction the agency will take if President Trump wins re-election.

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