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Opinion by David A. Andelman

2022-03-08 19:40:16

news

opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/08/opinions/russia-iran-nuclear-deal-oil-andelman/index.html

Opinion: The weather may be working against Putin - CNN

Rapid renewal of the JCPOA -- with or without a Russian signature -- represents an opportunity to strike a major blow at everything Putin stands for, even the foundations of his power and influence, writes David Andelman.

opinions, Opinion: The weather may be working against Putin - CNN

The weather may be working against Putin

David A. Andelman, a contributor to CNN, twice winner of the Deadline Club Award, is a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor and author of "A Red Line in the Sand: Diplomacy, Strategy, and the History of Wars That Might Still Happen." He blogs at Andelman Unleashed and formerly was a correspondent for The New York Times and CBS News in Europe and Asia. The views expressed in this commentary belong solely to the author. View more opinion on CNN. (CNN)Russia is threatening to throw serious sand in the gears of the Iran nuclear talks that had seemed poised to come to a successful conclusion this week. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his negotiators are now talking about walking from any agreement unless the West agrees it can be exempted from any restrictions on business dealings with Iran.David A. AndelmanThe West and Iran must stare Putin down and prepare to implement the pact forthwith even without Russia. This is a tailor-made chance for the world to demonstrate graphically just how utterly irrelevant Putin's toxic ambitions have rendered Russia -- by removing him and his country from the community of civilized nations. The US must also make it attractive for Iran to sign this agreement. Indeed, there are some indications Tehran lawmakers already recognize -- playing to their own self-interests -- that it may be necessary to throw their longtime ally, Russia, overboard to get the desperately needed sanctions relief that would accompany a signed nuclear agreement. These actions should most definitely be encouraged by the US and the other signatories to the agreement -- the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China and the European Union. Read MoreRussia might think it still holds the trump card buried in the mechanics of the deal. Under the agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Russia has agreed to take excess enriched uranium from Iran and help convert the Fordow nuclear plant to civilian use. Today, Fordow's centrifuges continue to produce enriched uranium. Russia, as a close and longtime friend of Iran, had agreed to continue its role in supervising the facility. But there is no reason France, Britain, the US or China couldn't provide the same service. China is also especially motivated to move toward a successful conclusion of the pact after 11 months of negotiations. While it has continued to purchase Iranian petroleum products reportedly under the radar, it is most anxious to see full two-way trade resume should sanctions be lifted. US getting closer to reviving Iran nuclear deal but officials warn efforts could still fail Moreover, even the weather may be working against Putin. Russia has threatened to turn off its gas pipeline to Europe if an oil embargo is instituted as retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden did exactly that -- and ban Russian oil, natural gas and coal imports to America. Within weeks, however, temperatures in western Europe will have warmed to the extent that Russian gas will be less critical to heat homes in Germany and elsewhere. Indeed, by mid-March, daytime temperatures in Frankfurt will be passing 60 degrees. Iranian and American LNG (liquefied natural gas) will help fill the gap in Europe. Moreover, Germany does have pipeline links to Norway, the Netherlands, Britain and Denmark for North Sea products. While southern Europe can get gas from Azerbaijan via the TANAP (Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline) through Turkey. Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has also substantially, if inadvertently, undercut his nation's negotiating position at the Vienna JCPOA talks. Novak warned on Russian television that world oil prices could triple to $300 a barrel if an oil embargo is imposed. That would only be an added inducement for Iran to sign the JCPOA even more quickly. Iran would be in a position to reap enormous benefits in the form of surging oil prices if it could return with full force to the world oil markets in a timely fashion.Iran's ally Russia may spoil nuclear talks to keep oil price high In the end, of course, it is Iran that holds the trump card to a restoration of the nuclear pact. In the four years since former President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement, Iran has moved toward building a stockpile of enriched uranium that would allow it to build a nuclear weapon. Indeed, in January, the Arms Control Association observed, "We are reaching a point where Iran's nuclear escalation will have eliminated the substance of the JCPOA." But recently, senior Iranian officials have signaled they recognized the advantage -- no more timely than today -- of returning to the pact and receiving sanctions relief. Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, tweeted on Monday, "Our interactions (on JCPOA) are solely driven by our people's interests. Thus, we're assessing new elements that bear on the negotiations and will accordingly seek creative ways to expedite a solution." Get our free weekly newsletterSign up for CNN Opinion's newsletter.Join us on Twitter and FacebookThis is very much the time to act. Rapid renewal of the JCPOA -- with or without a Russian signature -- represents an opportunity to strike a major blow at everything Putin stands for, even the foundations of his power and influence. Instead of indispensable, Russia risks becoming a pariah nation -- a toxic actor on the world stage.

Reuters

2022-03-09 10:53:19

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/09/business/food-costs-fertilizer-yara/index.html

Yara cuts fertilizer output in Europe as natural gas price soars - CNN

Norway's Yara, one of the world's largest fertilizer makers, is curtailing its ammonia and urea output in Italy and France due to the surge in natural gas prices, it said on Wednesday, in another sign of rising costs for food production.

business, Yara cuts fertilizer output in Europe as natural gas price soars - CNN

Fertilizer giant Yara slashes production in Europe

OsloNorway's Yara, one of the world's largest fertilizer makers, is curtailing its ammonia and urea output in Italy and France due to the surge in natural gas prices, it said on Wednesday, in another sign of rising costs for food production.The price of natural gas, which is used in the fertilizer manufacturing process, hit record highs in recent days following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Wheat futures are soaring. Food prices could be nextYara's (YARIY) plants in Ferrara, Italy and in Le Havre, France, have a combined annual capacity of 1 million tonnes of ammonia and 0.9 million tonnes of urea fertilizer."Including optimization and maintenance at other production facilities, Yara's European ammonia and urea production is expected to be operating at approximately 45% of capacity by the end of this week," the company said in a statement.Yara is the world's second largest producer of ammonia with a capacity in Europe of 4.9 million tonnes per year, which in turn is used in the manufacture of urea fertilizers.Read MoreEurope can still import fertilizers from other regions of the world, where gas prices are lower, but any output cuts are likely to have a negative impact on global supply, analysts have said.The latest food price shock: Palm oil prices are soaring"Yara will continue to monitor the situation and to the extent possible use its global production system to keep supplying customers and secure continuity in food supply chains, but curtailing production where necessary due to challenging market conditions," the company said.Yara in September last year announced ammonia curtailments in Europe as gas prices rose but later said production had been mostly restored. European and British wholesale gas prices hit unprecedented levels on Monday on escalating fears that Russian energy exports could face sanctions after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

David Goldman, CNN Business

2022-03-08 19:20:42

business

economy

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/08/economy/oil-gas-sanctions-russia-ukraine/index.html

The West closes in on Russia's last lifeline - CNN

The United States and Europe have pummeled Russia with unprecedented sanctions over the past several weeks as Vladimir Putin's army bears down on Ukraine. But the West has largely left Russia's largest export untouched: energy.

economy, The West closes in on Russia's last lifeline - CNN

The West closes in on Russia's last lifeline

New York (CNN Business)The United States and Europe have pummeled Russia with unprecedented sanctions over the past several weeks as Vladimir Putin's army bears down on Ukraine. But the West has largely left Russia's largest export untouched: energy.Until now.European Union officials on Tuesday said the bloc would slash imports of Russian natural gas by two thirds this year, and the EU announced a plan to achieve energy independence from Moscow "well before 2030." That would separate Europe from its single biggest energy supplier.Separately, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday a ban on Russian oil, natural gas and coal imports to the United States. And the UK government said Tuesday it would phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022 and explore ways of ending natural gas imports as well. America's ban is largely symbolic. The United States relies very little on Russian energy: The country's crude represented less than 2% of all US oil imports in December, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Overall, Russian crude and petroleum products made up about 5% of US imports at the end of 2021. Similarly, just 8% of UK demand is supplied by Russian oil, according to UK Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.Read MoreBy contrast, the European Union depends foundationally on Russia for its energy. About 40% of Europe's natural gas and 27% of its oil imports come from Russia. And Russia supplies Europe with 46% of its coal. That's why Europe has been so hesitant to take action against Russia's energy sector. Yet as its war on Ukraine continues to shock the world, western countries are running out of other options to add pressure on Russia for the assault.Russia's final lifelineExisting sanctions have already created a kind of shadow-ban on Russian oil. Traders have grown concerned about access to financing for Russian oil purchases as well as the availability of ports willing to ship it. Urals oil has lately traded at about a $25 discount to Brent crude, the global benchmark. About 70% of Russian seaborne oil was struggling to find buyers, according to JPMorgan.But gas continues to flow to Europe, and enough Russian crude and gas is finding buyers to make a difference to the Russian economy. Russia has been bringing in between $500 million and $1 billion a day in crude and gas exports during the war, according to Charles Lichfield, deputy director of the GeoEconomics Center for the Atlantic Council, an international think tank.Europe plans to slash Russian gas imports by 66% this yearRestricting energy exports would severely limit Russia's options to keep its economy afloat. Its central bank has been sanctioned, limiting the government's access to cash reserves designed to insulate the country from reliance on the West. Businesses are pulling out or suspending operations in the country and shunning Russian exports."Energy has been Russia's final lifeline," said Lichfield. "Sanctions on oil and gas would put Russia in a much more vulnerable situation."The Russian economy isn't very diverse. It relies heavily on energy exports, and many of its other key industries, including metals and other raw materials, have been sanctioned or shunned.Despite the sanctions, the Russian central bank has so far been able to meet many of its debt obligations. Reducing the market for oil and gas could force Russia to rein in spending. For example, government wages and pensions may not be paid on time. "Russia has managed to find quick fixes," said Lichfield. "Those won't be available to Russia anymore if its energy is restricted."What Russia does nextOne reason Europe is working to act quickly on energy independence: It fears Vladimir Putin could turn it into a weapon, cutting off its gas supply before Europe is ready to act.Russia has already threatened to beat Europe to the punch: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in a statement on state television Tuesday that Russia could retaliate against Europe's sanctions by turning off Germany's access to Nord Stream 1, the gas pipeline that supplies the country with Russian natural gas.Novak said Russia would be entirely within its rights to retaliate against the European Union after Germany last month froze the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline."If you want to reject energy supplies from Russia, go ahead. We are ready for it," Novak said. "We know where we could redirect the volumes to." -- CNN's Chris Liakos and Reuters contributed to this report

Mark Thompson, CNN Business

2022-03-08 13:05:46

business

energy

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/08/energy/gas-russia-europe/index.html

Europe plans to slash Russian gas imports by 66% this year - CNN

Europe is planning to slash consumption of Russian natural gas this year as it prepares for a complete break with its single biggest energy supplier over the war in Ukraine.

energy, Europe plans to slash Russian gas imports by 66% this year - CNN

Europe plans to slash Russian gas imports by 66% this year

London (CNN Business)Europe is planning to slash consumption of Russian natural gas this year as it prepares for a complete break with its single biggest energy supplier over the war in Ukraine.EU officials on Tuesday outlined a plan to achieve energy independence from Moscow "well before 2030." The European Union would start by reducing demand for Russian natural gas by two thirds this year. Those plans will be discussed at an emergency summit of EU leaders in France on Thursday."We must become independent from Russian oil, coal and gas," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. "We simply cannot rely on a supplier who explicitly threatens us."The European Union depends on Russia for about 40% of its natural gas. Russia also supplies about 27% of the 27-country bloc's oil imports, and 46% of its coal imports. Taken together, that trade is worth tens of billions of dollars a year to Russia, helping to finance President Vladimir Putin's war effort. Frans Timmermans, EU climate policy chief, said the war in Ukraine underscored the urgent need to accelerate the transition to clean energy. Europe could replace 100 billion cubic meters of Russian gas imports by the end of 2022, he added. Read More"That is two thirds of what we import from them," he told reporters. "Two thirds by the end of this year. It's hard, bloody hard but it's possible if we're willing to go further and faster than we've done before," he added. Shell won't buy any more Russian oil and gasRussia's vast energy exports had been carved out of unprecedented sanctions imposed by the West in response to Putin's decision to order the invasion of Ukraine. But the Biden administration on Tuesday announced an outright ban on all Russian oil, natural gas and coal imports. And the UK government said Tuesday it would phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022 and explore ways of ending natural gas imports too. EU leaders have made clear this week that the bloc can't yet join the United States in banning Russian oil, because of the impact that would have on households and businesses already grappling with record high prices for fuel and heating. Europe gets much more of its energy from Russia than either the United States or United Kingdom. But Europe knows it needs to act fast to reduce the potential for Moscow to use energy as a weapon in the escalating economic warfare unleashed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said Monday Russia could cut off the supply of gas to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in retaliation for Berlin blocking the new Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. In their push for energy independence, EU leaders need to find a way to secure supplies and protect households and businesses from soaring prices, while at the same time ensuring the bloc meets its climate targets of slashing carbon emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieving net-zero by 2050. In addition to accelerating the adoption of renewable energy, the European Commission's plan calls for tapping alternative supplies, including shipments of liquefied natural gas, boosting production and imports of biomethane and renewable hydrogen, and upgrading buildings to reduce consumption. The International Energy Agency said last week that Europe could make a big dent in Russian gas imports within a year, while accelerating its shift to clean energy "in a secure and affordable way.""Nobody is under any illusions anymore. Russia's use of its natural gas resources as an economic and political weapon show Europe needs to act quickly to be ready to face considerable uncertainty over Russian gas supplies next winter," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said.— CNN's Angela Dewan, Chris Liakos, Anna Stewart, Boglarka Kosztolanyi and Inke Kappeler contributed to this article.

Ashley Strickland, CNN

2022-03-08 16:55:36

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/08/world/oldest-octopus-ancestor-fossil-scn/index.html

Oldest-known octopus relative lived 328 million years ago and had 10 arms - CNN

The oldest ancestor of modern octopuses lived 328 million years ago and had 10 arms, according to a new study. Researchers have named the previously unknown species after US President Joe Biden.

world, Oldest-known octopus relative lived 328 million years ago and had 10 arms - CNN

Fossil of 328 million-year-old octopus relative still has suckers on its arms

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. (CNN)The oldest ancestor of modern octopuses lived 328 million years ago and had 10 arms, according to a new study. Researchers have named the previously unknown species Syllipsimopodi bideni after US President Joe Biden.The creature's discovery pushes back the time frame when vampyropods, the group to which cephalopods like octopuses belong, appeared in the ocean by almost 82 million years.The study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.World's deepest octopus, complete with Dumbo ears, captured on film 4 miles below the surfaceVampyropods are known for having eight legs, an internal shell made of chitin and a soft body -- the last of which doesn't show up often in the fossil record because it tends to deteriorate more quickly than hard structures like bone. A well-preserved fossil was discovered in Montana's Bear Gulch Limestone formation and donated to Canada's Royal Ontario Museum in 1988. The specimen represents the earliest-known ancient relative of these creatures, a new analysis of the fossil revealed. Read More"This is the first and only known vampyropod to possess 10 functional appendages," said study author Christopher Whalen, a postdoctoral researcher in the American Museum of Natural History's Division of Paleontology, in a statement.The exceptionally well-preserved vampyropod fossil is located at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada."All previously reported fossil vampyropods preserving the appendages only have eight arms, so this fossil is arguably the first confirmation of the idea that all cephalopods ancestrally possessed ten arms."Syllipsimopodi is the best known fossil for understanding how vampyropods originated, as well as helping researchers to trace their evolution, said Whalen, who is also a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow in Yale University's Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences. It has long been thought by researchers that the vampyropods began with 10 arms and eventually lost two of them over time -- and now, scientists have direct evidence.Tiny but mightyThe detailed fossil clearly shows a creature about 4.7 inches (12 centimeters) long with 10 arms, with the suckers still attached -- an incredibly rare find since these arms were essentially just muscle. Two of those arms seem to be longer than the other eight, and its body was shaped like a torpedo, similar to modern squid. The researchers also found remnants of its ink sac.Soft-bodied cephalopods are divided into vampyropods and decabrachians. Vampyropods include octopuses and vampire squids, both of which are different from actual squid. Vampire squid basically look like octopuses with a built-in parachute because they have a membrane that stretches between and connects their arms. They also have two structures to help them feed called filaments in addition to their eight arms. Do octopuses dream? Maybe. But they definitely change colors while they sleepMeanwhile, decabrachians include modern squids and cuttlefish, which have 10 arms, including 2 tentacles. There are a number of differences that separate cephalopods like squid and octopuses, but the number of arms is one of the most recognizable.So why is this fossil considered to be a vampyropod, even though it has 10 arms?The team's phylogenetic analysis, which indicates evolutionary relationships, placed the species within the vampyropod side of the evolutionary tree, Whalen said. The new species also had several key anatomical traits that mark it as a vampyropod, including the loss of a chambered cephalopod shell used to regulate buoyancy, called a phragmocone, which is seen in existing creatures like nautilus."The age makes the fossil very significant -- it indicates that vampyropods (and by extension decabrachians) are much older than was previously thought (at least 82 million years older)," Whalen said. "It indicates that there is a long interval of time during which fossil vampyropods must have existed but have not yet been found."What's in a nameSyllipsimopodi likely used its longest pair of arms to capture prey and the rest of its shorter arms to hold small creatures and pry them from their shells. It also had fins, which probably helped it maintain stability and swim."Syllipsimopodi may have filled a niche more similar to extant squids, a midlevel aquatic predator," said study coauthor Neil Landman, a curator emeritus in the American Museum of Natural History's Division of Paleontology, in a statement. The team was surprised to discover that Syllipsimopodi had a gladius, or the tongue-shaped and semitransparent part of a cephalopod's internal shell.How octopuses taste their meals by touching them, according to a new study"The gladius functions to provide structural support, as a rigid structure that the muscles can pull against, and as an anchor for the fins (the overall function is similar to our bones)," Whalen wrote in an email. "A gladius is considered a rather advanced feature in the grand scheme of cephalopod evolution. Today, only squids and their relatives, and vampire squid, have a gladius. Octopods have reduced it to a fin support or stylets, which are small, hard, bar-shaped structures."The creature's genus name, Syllipsimopodi, is a nod to the Greek word "syllípsimos," meaning "prehensile," and "pódi" for foot because it's the oldest cephalpod discovered so far to have suckers on its arms. And the species name, bideni, is in honor of Biden, who had just been inaugurated when the study was first submitted for publication. "I was encouraged by the plans President Biden put forward to counter anthropogenic climate change, and his general sentiment that politicians should listen to scientists," Whalen said.

Katie Hunt, CNN

2022-03-07 16:10:48

news

americas

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/07/americas/amazon-tipping-point-climate-scn/index.html

Amazon rainforest near tipping point of shifting to savannah, new study suggests - CNN

The Amazon rainforest may be nearing a critical tipping point that could see the biologically rich and diverse ecosystem transformed into a grassy savannah.

americas, Amazon rainforest near tipping point of shifting to savannah, new study suggests - CNN

Amazon near tipping point of shifting from rainforest to savannah, study suggests

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. (CNN)The Amazon rainforest may be nearing a critical tipping point that could see the biologically rich and diverse ecosystem transformed into a grassy savannah. The fate of the rainforest is crucial to the health of the planet because it is home to a unique array of animal and plant life, stores a huge amount of carbon and strongly influences global weather patterns.Scientists say that about three quarters of the rainforest is showing signs of "resilience loss" -- a reduced ability to recover from disturbances like droughts, logging and fires. Their study is based on month-to-month observations of satellite data from the past 20 years that has mapped the biomass (the area's organic material ) and the greenness of the forest to show how it has changed in response to fluctuating weather conditions.This decreasing resilience since the early 2000s is a warning sign of irreversible decline, the authors said. While it isn't possible to tell exactly when the transition from rainforest to savannah might happen, once it was obvious, it would be too late to stop. 'Delay means death': We're running out of ways to adapt to the climate crisis, new report shows. Here are the key takeaways"It's worth reminding ourselves that if it gets to that tipping point and we commit to losing the Amazon rainforest, then we get a significant feedback to global climate change," Timothy M. Lenton, one of the authors of a new study and a director of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, told a news briefing. Read More"We lose about 90 billion tons of carbon dioxide mostly in the trees but also the soil (of the Amazon)," Lenton said. If the Amazon is no longer a rainforest, it won't store as much carbon.Aerial view showing a boat speeding on the Jurura river in the municipality of Carauari, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon Forest, on March 15, 2020. Previous studies based on computer simulations have reached similar conclusions about an ecological point of no return for the Amazon rainforest -- but the authors said their research, published in Nature Climate Change on Monday, used real world observations. Once we reach the tipping point, the authors said the rainforest could disappear fairly quickly. "My hunch, for what it's worth, (is that) it could happen in the space of decades," Lenton said.The study found that loss of resilience was most stark in areas closer to human activity as well as those that received less rainfall. The study also noted that loss of resilience does not equate to a loss in the area of forest cover -- meaning that the rainforest could be close to the point of no return without clearly determinable changes. The climate crisis is messing with birds' body shapesChantelle Burton, a senior climate scientist at the Met Office Hadley Centre in the UK, said that there had been a question mark over how the Amazon rainforest would stand up to the challenges of climate change, land-use change and fires. She said this new study was "really important.""What this study does is offer some observational-based evidence for what is already happening to this significant carbon sink, and shows that human land-use and changes to weather and climate patterns are already driving an important change in the system," Burton, who wasn't involved in the research, told the Science Media Centre in London. "Passing a tipping point of this kind would make it even more difficult to achieve our goal of Net Zero emissions globally because of the loss of the "free service" provided by the Amazon carbon sink which currently removes some of our emissions."Richard Allan, a professor of climate science at the University of Reading, said the study was a "a comprehensive and rigorous assessment of the durability of the Amazon.""It reaches the tantalising conclusion that much of the Amazon is showing signs that it may be approaching a tipping point towards irreversible decline; but because multiple satellite sensors are used to infer the 'lushness' of the vegetation, we need to be sure those data records are showing accurate trends," Allan was quoted by the SMC statement as saying."In any case, it is undeniable that human activities are waging a war of attrition from multiple sides against the natural world, though thankfully in this case the solutions are known: to cease deforestation while rapidly and massively cutting greenhouse gas emissions."

Jacqueline Howard, CNN

2022-03-07 22:30:28

health

health

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/07/health/covid-roadmap-public-health-experts-report/index.html

Former Biden advisers, public health experts release 'roadmap for living with Covid' - CNN

Some of the nation's leading public health experts, including former coronavirus advisers to the Biden administration, detail in a new report when and how the United States can transition out of the Covid-19 pandemic phase and back into "pre-pandemic routines and lives."

health, Former Biden advisers, public health experts release 'roadmap for living with Covid' - CNN

Former Biden advisers, public health experts release Covid-19 'roadmap' with goal for transitioning out of pandemic phase

(CNN)Some of the nation's leading public health experts, including former coronavirus advisers to the Biden administration, detail in a new report when and how the United States can transition out of the Covid-19 pandemic phase and back into "pre-pandemic routines and lives." Among the recommendations in the report are for the United States to reach at least 85% Covid-19 vaccination by the end of this year, improve indoor air quality, expand research into long Covid, consider shifting focus from Covid-19 alone to major respiratory viral illnesses, and finance the Covid-19 response as well as preparations for future biosecurity threats.White House unveils plan to move America to a new stage of the Covid pandemicThe push for the nation to follow certain public health steps in its transition out of the pandemic phase comes just days after the White House unveiled its own plan for moving the nation out of the Covid-19 crisis, called the National Covid-19 Preparedness Plan. That plan will require additional funding from Congress and is more focused on spending for Covid-19 treatments, preparing for new variants, keeping schools and businesses open and continuing vaccination efforts.The new report from public health experts, titled "Getting to and Sustaining the Next Normal: A Roadmap for Living with Covid," focuses on vaccinations and keeping schools open too -- but also goes into further detail when it comes to indoor air quality, the threat of other respiratory illnesses and providing metrics for when the nation can declare that the pandemic phase has ended and that a transition into the "next normal" can begin.Read More"The United States' pandemic phase -- with restrictive public health measures -- can end when average daily deaths due to Covid and other major respiratory illnesses decline below 0.5 per 1 million Americans, or 165 deaths a day at a national level," the authors wrote in the 136-page report."At that point, the United States can transition into the next normal, although individual regions may be able to make earlier transitions, depending on local Covid metrics," they wrote, adding that "the nation is not yet at the next normal."It won't be a pandemic forever. Here's what could be nextThe United States is now averaging 1,426 new Covid-19 deaths each day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 6 million people have died of Covid-19 globally. Worldwide, an average of more than 6,200 deaths were reported each day over the past week -- about a quarter of them in the United States. "If you look at the report, I think it's pretty clear we share many of the same policies and proposals as this outside group -- so we're very encouraged by that," Dr. Tom Inglesby, senior adviser to the White House's Covid-19 Response Team, told CNN on Monday. He added that some of the authors of the new report also consulted with the Biden administration in the development of the National Covid-19 Preparedness Plan."Not only have we been communicating with outside experts, such as this group that published the report today, but also with governors and businesses and communities as we've been developing our plan for the time ahead," Inglesby said. "We're heartened by all the work that this group has put into their report and in particular by their call for urgently funding this work by Congress. I think that's a very important part of this, and we're we're encouraged to see their their strong support of that." 'COVID will not be eliminated -- but we can live with COVID'The authors of the new report include six former members of President Biden's coronavirus advisory board: Dr. Luciana Borio, Dr. Zeke Emanuel, Rick Bright, Michael Osterholm, Jill Jim and David Michaels. Dr. Paul Offit, an adviser to the US Food and Drug Administration; Kizzmekia S. Corbett, scientific lead for coronavirus vaccines at the National Institutes of Health; and R.P. Eddy, former director at the White House National Security Council, also are among the authors of the report.Covid-19 could eventually be seasonal, scientists say"COVID will not be eliminated -- but we can live with COVID, just like we do with the flu and other diseases -- if we prepare now," Emanuel wrote on Twitter on Monday in announcing the roadmap.The report seems to put emphasis on improving indoor air quality as a way to limit the spread of other respiratory illnesses, along with the coronavirus."Effectively limiting exposure to respiratory pathogens requires following traditional industrial hygiene principles and applying a hierarchical and layered approach. The emphasis must be on providing clean air generally instead of personal protective equipment such as respirators and face masks," it says.But when it comes to masks, the report recommends high-quality N95 masks and describes cloth masks as "ineffective.""Cloth masks are ineffective at preventing person-to-person transmission of viral respiratory disease," it says. "The United States must have stockpiles and production capacity of N95 filtering facepiece or similar respirators to ensure adequate supplies for the public and workers during future surges and pandemics."'The next year is not predetermined'A key attribute of the "next normal," according to the report, is that there will no longer be a need to wear masks in grocery stores, schools or places of worship or on domestic airplanes, railways, buses and other public transportation.But the report also warns that if population immunity against Covid-19 declines and variants become more virulent, mitigation measures will be needed.These US counties still have 'high' Covid-19 levels as their states lift mask mandates, CNN analysis showsContinuing to follow certain measures also can affect the likelihood of certain scenarios."The scenario that evolves over the next year is not predetermined, however, and will be influenced by actions taken in response to changes in the virus and population immunity," the report says. "Effective and rapid reaction to new information can change a potentially pessimistic scenario towards an intermediate outcome or an intermediate scenario to an optimistic outcome. However, the reverse is also true. Inaction or complacency in the setting of an optimistic or intermediate set of variables could lead to more pessimistic outcomes."The authors wrote that the federal government -- the CDC or another agency -- should develop a public communication program to inform communities about when coronavirus transmission is elevated and when people in those communities should wear well-fitting N95 masks or similar respirators indoors.Currently, the CDC recommends that people living in areas with "high" Covid-19 community levels should still wear masks indoors. Regarding schools, the report says, "Pandemic school closures cause such significant and enduring harms to children that far more should be done to avoid them. In Omicron's wake, school-based quarantines should end, masking should soon follow, and a broader appreciation of societal costs should be applied to all infection mitigation measures."The report also recommends increasing at-home rapid testing, improving global distribution of vaccines, addressing health disparities, improving communications and building trust between the public and US public health agencies.Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team. "The next normal with Covid can be an improvement over life before the virus emerged. There is likely to be a better work-life balance with more teleworking and less commuting, a reimagining of the education system, a platform for rapid development of highly effective vaccines and therapeutics, better indoor air quality, fewer respiratory infections of all kinds, and more effective surveillance to anticipate and respond to new viral threats," it says. "Getting to this better place by creating some of the tools outlined in this report will require Congressional and state legislation, as well as significant resources," the authors wrote. "Funding is especially critical."

Ellie Kaufman, CNN

2022-03-07 21:12:39

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/07/us/hawaii-pearl-harbor-water-navy-red-hill/index.html

US military to close fuel storage facility in Hawaii where water was contaminated by leak - CNN

The Department of Defense will close the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii permanently, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday.

us, US military to close fuel storage facility in Hawaii where water was contaminated by leak - CNN

US military to close fuel storage facility in Hawaii where water was contaminated by leak

(CNN)The Department of Defense will close the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii permanently, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday.The facility was temporarily closed after water was contaminated by a petroleum leak from the facility that sickened military families and children in Hawaii in November and left people in the local community without safe drinking water.The facility will be defueled and closed permanently, Kirby said. The fuel will be repositioned in "a few locations," Kirby said.Navy agrees to halt operations at a Hawaii fuel facility tied to tainted water after military families got sickThe fuel facility sits 100 feet above the Red Hill aquifer, which supplies drinking water to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and other parts of Hawaii. Nearly 1 million people on Oahu rely on it for water, according to the Hawaii Board of Water Supply.On November 28, the Navy shut down the well after reports of people on base suffering nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches and skin-related problems. More than 4,000 families were relocated from their homes, according to the Pentagon.Read MoreTesting revealed petroleum hydrocarbons and vapors in the water, the Navy said. The Hawaii Department of Health recommended in December that all Navy water system users stop using their water for drinking, cooking or oral hygiene, including for pets. Hawaii health officials order Navy to clean up contaminated drinking water after families are forced out of their homesKirby said the military is committed to mitigating the impacts of the November incident."We are restoring safe drinking water to all residents, and we're providing best in class sampling and testing to ensure the continued safety of the drinking water," Kirby said.The Commander of US Pacific Fleet has ordered a "command investigation" into the November incident, Kirby added. "When that review is complete, the Navy will publicly release the report and continue to work closely with the Department of Health in Hawaii about pursuing follow on actions, that work continues," Kirby said.Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement that closing the facility is "the right thing to do.""When we use land for military purposes, at home or abroad, we commit to being good stewards of that resource. Closing Red Hill meets that commitment," he said.The Defense Department will also create an "environmental mitigation plan" to address any future contamination concerns, Austin said."We will continue our work with the Hawaii Department of Health, national and local elected officials, and other community leaders, to clean up the water at the Red Hill well. And we will develop an environmental mitigation plan to address any future contamination concerns," he said.Hawaii's state health department ordered the Navy in December to halt operations at the fuel storage facility. The department also demanded the Navy install a drinking water treatment system at the Red Hill well; submit a plan to assess system integrity; and defuel the Red Hill underground storage tanks within 30 days of corrective action, Gov. David Ige said.The Navy initially said it would contest the health department's order but would pause operations. In January, the Navy agreed to follow the health department's order.The fuel facility supports US military operations from all branches of service in the Pacific, according to the Navy.Built during World War II, the Red Hill facility could store up to 250 million gallons of fuel in 20 steel-lined underground storage tanks encased in concrete.A history of fuel leaksRecords show a history of fuel leaks plaguing Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in the past decade, with the most recent leak occurring 11 days before the Navy announced it had discovered contamination in the Red Hill well.Another incident in May involved the release of more than 1,600 gallons of jet fuel from a pipeline inside the storage facility, according to the Navy."An investigation determined that operator error caused the release of 1,618 gallons of jet fuel (JP-5) from a pipeline inside the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF) on May 6, 2021," the Navy said. "The release was not from the fuel tanks."In October, the Hawaii Department of Health cited the Navy for violations related to operation and maintenance of the facility, records show. The fines and violations resulted from a routine inspection from September 28, 2020, through October 9, 2020, according to the health department.The Notice of Violation and Order consisted of five counts with a total penalty amounting to $325,182, the Hawaii Department of Health said in a news release.In the release, the health department said the five counts were:Failure to operate and maintain ongoing corrosion protection to metal components of the portion of the Navy's tank and piping that contain regulated substances and are in contact with the groundFailure to perform line tightness testing of repaired piping before return to serviceFailure to perform an annual liquid tightness test on spill prevention equipment to prevent releases to the environmentFailure to perform an adequate visual walkthrough inspection of hydrant pitsFailure to maintain adequate release detection for two double-walled underground product recovery storage tanksIn January 2014, during the refueling of a tank, the Navy identified a fuel release estimated at up to 27,000 gallons of JP-8 jet fuel, according to the Hawaii DOH.The US Navy "subsequently drained the tank and collected samples from existing monitoring wells. Results taken in and around Tank 5 indicated increases of hydrocarbons in soil vapor and groundwater," the health department said. At the time, the agency said the drinking water was in compliance with federal and state "concentrations for drinking water both before and after the January 2014 release."CNN's Steve Almasy, Chris Boyette, Holly Yan, Natasha Chen, Amy Simonson and Tina Burnside, contributed to this report.

Abbas Al Lawati and Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN

2022-03-07 14:56:49

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/07/business/mideast-summary-07-03-2022-intl/index.html

Iran's ally Russia may spoil nuclear talks to keep oil price high - CNN

The main parties to the Iran nuclear talks indicated that an agreement was close, until an unlikely hurdle emerged. Russia, which has largely stood by Iran in its conflict with the West, said that its own national interests would have to be taken into account for a deal to go through.

business, Iran's ally Russia may spoil nuclear talks to keep oil price high - CNN

Iran's ally Russia may spoil nuclear talks to keep oil price high

Abu Dhabi, UAE (CNN)A revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal appeared to be imminent by the end of last week. The main parties to the talks indicated that an agreement was close, until an unlikely hurdle emerged. Russia, which has largely stood by Iran in its conflict with the West, said Saturday that its own national interests would have to be taken into account for a deal to go through. The warning came after Tehran said on Friday it had agreed a roadmap with the UN nuclear watchdog to resolve outstanding issues, suggesting that talks were close to conclusion. The surprise Russian move demonstrates how far Moscow is willing to go to use its leverage in faraway conflicts to pressure the West while it wages war on Ukraine, even at the risk of displeasing its allies in Tehran. It also shows Russia's realization that the United States needs a nuclear agreement now more than ever to find a replacement for disruption to Russia's crude supplies on the global market. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Monday that his country would not "allow external factors" to affect their national interests in the talks. Read MoreIn a phone call later on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Amir-Abdollahian "that the resuscitation of the JCPOA should ensure that all its participants have equal rights regarding the unhindered development of cooperation in all areas," the Russian embassy to Iran said, using the acronym for the 2015 nuclear deal. France warned Russia not to resort to "blackmail." US getting closer to reviving Iran nuclear deal but officials warn efforts could still failA restoration of the 2015 nuclear agreement between world powers and Iran could see over a million barrels of sanctioned Iranian oil coming back to the market. Russia's warning came as the US said Sunday that it is exploring banning imports of Russian oil with its European allies in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Brent crude climbed near $139 a barrel after the announcement, its highest since 2008. Lavrov said Russia wanted a written guarantee from the US that Moscow's trade, investment and military-technical cooperation with Iran would not be hindered in any way by Western sanctions on Moscow. "Both Russia and China were written into the JCPOA to handle specific elements," said Trita Parsi, vice-president of the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC. "Some of the low enriched uranium was supposed to be shipped out to Russia" and some of that activity could fall under the new sanctions the US is imposing on Russia, he said. Russia's demands could be legitimate, said Parsi, but they could also be a pretext to delay a new agreement with Iran. Western sanctions could significantly curtail Russia's oil exports but they would drive global prices even higher as the US grapples with high inflation. That would make the need for alternative sources of crude more urgent for Western states. Moscow supplies 8% of the world's oil. Iran would quickly be able to raise its output to 3.8 million barrels per day if sanctions are lifted, Oil Minister Javad Owji said last week. It pumped 2.4 million barrels per day on average last year. "That will take pressure off the US and add pressure on the Russians, whose only export [to the West] at this point is gas and oil," said Parsi. "At a minimum it seems the Russians want to delay it. At a maximum they may actually want to scuttle it altogether." Western states need more oil on the global market to bring inflation under control domestically. But they also see it as a tool to make the Ukraine war costly for Russia. Oil income accounted for 36% of Russia's total budget last year and rising crude prices have only helped fill the state's coffers, fueling the war. Russia's new demands come as Moscow and Tehran grow distant on some global matters. Iran abstained from a vote at the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine last week. Its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei earlier refrained from condoning his ally's actions, opting instead to condemn NATO's expansion. Iran's UN abstention came after Russia voted in favor of a United Arab Emirates-backed Security Council resolution sanctioning the Iran-allied Houthi rebel group, after previously abstaining from a similar vote. Other top Middle East news Yemen's Houthis sign deal with UN to offload decaying oil tanker Yemen's Houthis on Saturday said they had signed an agreement with the United Nations to deal with a decaying oil tanker that has been stranded on the country's Red Sea oil terminal for six years. Background: The Safer has been stranded on Yemen's Red Sea oil terminal of Ras Issa for more than six years, threatening to spill 1.1 million barrels of crude oil off the war-torn state's coast. Why it matters: The decaying tanker is an environmentally disastrous ticking bomb. The UN has warned it could spill four times as much oil as the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker spilled off Alaska's coast. Last month, the UN said there was an agreement in principle to move oil from The Safer onto another ship, but no timeline was given. Global financial crime watchdog adds UAE to 'grey' list The UAE on Friday was added to Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF)'s 'grey' list, subjecting the Middle East business hub to closer monitoring for possible money laundering. Background: The UAE has emerged as the region's business and gold trading hub, attracting some of the world's wealthiest individuals. It has recently taken steps to combat its image as a center for illicit money, especially after a 2020 FATF assessment that called for "fundamental and major improvements" by the UAE. Why it matters: The Gulf nation is trying to position itself as a competitive economy to attract global investment and talent. The listing by FATF could be a hurdle in those efforts. UN envoy urges end to oil blockade on two oilfields as daily output slashed The UN's envoy to Libya Stephanie Williams on Monday urged the country's National Oil Corporation to lift the force majeure imposed on two oilfields, saying that "blocking oil production deprives all Libyans of their major source of revenue." Background: Libya's NOC said it had to impose a force majeure on Libya's El Feel and Sharara oilfields after a pipeline valve shut down, resulting in the loss of 330,000 barrels per day (bpd), and over 160 million dinars ($34.69 million) on a daily basis. Why it matters: Libya's oil output is one of its sole remaining sources of revenue. Production has been repeatedly halted over the country's past tumultuous decade. The global oil market is already gravely undersupplied, with crude prices soaring to their highest since 2008. Around the regionEgyptian female judges sit at the State Council in Cairo, Egypt, on March 6. Female judges on Saturday took the bench for the first time at Egypt's State Council, a landmark event that finally brought women to top court positions in the male-dominated Arab country. Last year, a presidential decree saw 98 women sworn in as judges to the council for the first time since the council's establishment in 1946. The appointment took effect on Saturday. There is no law that bans women from taking high-level judicial positions in Egypt, but women's applications have been rejected for decades at higher ends of the judicial ladder. The council repeatedly rejected female applicants until last year's decree, said the state-owned Al Ahram newspaper. Museum displays parity of women in ancient EgyptEgypt's first-ever female judge was Tahany al-Gebaly, who in 2003 was appointed as vice-president of the Supreme Constitutional Court. Gabaly was removed from her post in 2012 under then President Mohamed Morsy. She died in January after contracting Covid-19. There were more than 45 million women in Egypt as of 2018, according to data from the state statistics agency CAPMAS, representing almost half the population. Egypt's population is more than 102 million. Photo of the dayUkraine showed off its latest defense systems at the World Defense Show on Sunday in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, showcasing weapons and armed vehicles amid the ongoing Russian invasion. A previous version of this story mischaracterized Iran's response to Russia's demands. It has been corrected.

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-03-07 16:30:10

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/07/politics/truck-and-buses-regulations-biden-administration/index.html

Biden administration rolls out new regulations and funding for cleaner trucks and buses - CNNPolitics

The Biden administration is rolling out more stringent emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles like large trucks and buses and announcing more than $1.3 billion in funding to deploy more clean transportation and school buses.

politics, Biden administration rolls out new regulations and funding for cleaner trucks and buses - CNNPolitics

Biden administration rolls out new regulations and funding for cleaner trucks and buses

(CNN)The Biden administration is rolling out more stringent emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles like large trucks and buses and announcing more than $1.3 billion in funding to deploy more clean transportation and school buses. The US Environmental Protection Agency is also announcing stricter standards regulating nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from heavy-duty trucks, updating the standard for the first time since 2001. In addition, the EPA said it plans to tighten greenhouse gas emissions standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles -- standards on which the agency is now accepting public comment. Much of the Biden administration's focus on cutting vehicle emissions has so far been on light-duty vehicles like passenger cars. Transportation emissions account for the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, and light duty vehicles account for 58% of total emissions. Still, heavy-duty vehicles like big trucks and buses make up about 23% of total emissions; though there are fewer of them on the roads than smaller cars, they emit a lot of pollution and planet-warming greenhouse gases. In addition to the new regulation, Vice President Kamala Harris held a Monday event to announce new spending on cleaner transit and school buses provided by the bipartisan infrastructure law. Harris and the Department of Transportation announced the more than $1.3 billion in 2022 funding to help states buy electric transit buses.Read More"Imagine a future: The freight trucks that deliver bread and milk to our grocery store shelves and the buses that take children to school and parents -- all the heavy-duty vehicles that keep our supply lines strong and our economy to grow -- imagine that they produce zero emissions," Harris said at the event. "We are all in the midst of a turning point."The administration is also rolling out $17 million for electric zero-emission and low-emission school buses. The new funding comes in addition to $7 million through the American Rescue Plan to replace older diesel school buses with electric buses in underserved communities. The newly proposed EPA rules on NOx starting with mileage year 2027 vehicles largely focuses on cutting air pollution and improving air quality. The agency's fact sheet states the new rules will make truck engine manufacturers build engines with better emissions controls, to help vehicles not emit so much NOx while trucks are idling or in stop-and-go traffic. "This proposed rule would ensure that the heavy-duty vehicles and engines that drive American commerce and connect people all across the country are as clean as possible, while charting to advance zero-emission vehicles in the heavy-duty fleet," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said Monday.The agency is proposing two options for its new rule; both would go into effect in 2027, but one option would implement even stronger standards in mileage year 2031. This option would bring down NOx emissions under 400,000 tons annually, compared to about 500,000 tons for the less stringent option. The current baseline is over 900,000 tons of NOx per year.But one state regulator said the interim NOx rule is missing the bigger picture -- a transition to zero-emissions trucks. "The real goal here is zero emissions vehicles, that's really California's more compelling priority on this," California Air Resources Board member Daniel Sperling told CNN. "This is a transition issue really. NOx is a problem; it forms ozone, but we'll get more NOx reduction with zero-emissions vehicles." Zero-emissions trucks are on the horizon While the EPA's new rule focuses heavily on cutting nitrous oxide emissions, the trucking industry and state pollution regulators are watching for the emergence of zero-emissions trucks.The California Air Resources Board -- which sets California vehicle emissions standards -- already passed its own rule requiring truck makers to sell more zero-emission trucks in the state, and other states are following. EPA's rule does not go that far -- yet. The agency announced Monday it is looking at updating federal regulations due to "these market shifts to zero-emission technologies, which the agency did not foresee when it issued the 'Phase 2' GHG emission standards" for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. But the EPA is still taking comment on new greenhouse gas rules for heavy-duty vehicles, not issuing a new rule just yet. The trucking industry has been wary of a fast shift to zero-emissions vehicles, due to the increased cost of the vehicles themselves and relative lack of charging stations for heavy-duty trucks that drive all over the country. "If they don't feel they meet the same needs, they're just going to keep their old trucks longer," said Jed Mandel, president of the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association -- a trade association representing engine and truck manufacturers. Mandel added that while zero-emissions "technology is coming and we want it to come," truck manufacturers also "don't want this rule to be so stringent as to take away the investment needed for the real prize which is zero-emissions vehicles." California setting its own standard is important because of the state's massive economy, which has a huge influence on the national market. The Biden administration is soon poised to reinstate California's waiver to set its own stricter vehicle emission standards -- which was rolled back by the Trump administration.The federal waiver will be a major step in the state being able to move the ball forward on zero-emissions trucks, which Sperling said will be going a step further than the federal government. "Clearly California has taken the lead, and California wants the feds to closely follow," Sperling said, adding that is important because the majority of trucks traveling through California are out-of-state trucks that don't have to comply with the stricter standards. "I would say California wants everyone to go forward fast" on zero-emissions vehicles, Sperling said. "If you look at political realities, the attitude is yes, we have to be the leader because the feds are not, and other states are not following fast."

Words by CNN staff, video by Kim Kelaita, CNN

2022-03-07 11:24:25

news

middleeast

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/07/middleeast/bahrain-solar-diversifying-economy-spc-intl/index.html

Solar One, Bahrain's first solar panel manufacturer, is blazing a trail for renewables - CNN

Oil and gas dominate Bahrain's energy supply, but as reserves run low there are signs of change.

middleeast, Solar One, Bahrain's first solar panel manufacturer, is blazing a trail for renewables - CNN

Bahrain's first solar panel manufacturer is blazing a trail for renewables

(CNN)Bahrain, a tiny island state of less than 2 million people off the Arabian Peninsula, has long punched above its weight economically, due to its rich oil and gas reserves. Oil provides about 70% of government revenue -- but Bahrain's reserves are expected to run out within the next decade. This -- and the global push to transition away from dirty fuels -- means that the kingdom is looking for ways to diversify its economy and energy mix. This is good news for Solar One, Bahrain's first solar panels company. Since its founding in 2017, the startup boasts of contributing over two megawatts of solar to the country's energy mix — enough to power around 380 US homes. It's a drop in the ocean, but it hopefully marks the beginning of a sea change."Renewable energy is one of the key sectors that are growing in the region," says Husain Mohamed Rajab, CEO of Tamkeen, a government agency that supports small businesses and has invested in Solar One. "The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) is one of the most energy rich regions globally and that drives a lot of interest from governments to support growth and development of any activity in the sector." Contributing to the energy mixRead MoreSolar One has the capacity to produce 60,000 solar panels a year. It sells them to private clients, such as schools, homes or factories, to supply their power, with excess electricity sent to the grid. Eco-friendly and ultra-luxury: How Bahrain hopes to revive its natural pearl industryIn this way, the company is contributing solar to the national energy mix, says Faisal Khalifeh, founder and managing director of Solar One. But it's just a small step. Renewables, such as wind and solar, are yet to make even a small dent on the country's energy mix, where gas still dominates. Bahrain has set a national target for renewables to make up 5% of the country's energy supply by 2025 and 10% by 2035. These targets are part of a wider vision to diversify the economy, which has been hit heavily in the last decade. Last year, the country announced a $30 billion recovery plan, which includes building five new cities and artificial islands to attract tourists, building a US trade zone and constructing a road and rail bridge that connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, the region's largest economy. It has also introduced a permanent residency program to attract top talent, and it wants to bring in $2.5 billion in private investments by 2023. The hope is that fresh talent and investment will foster entrepreneurship and drive growth."We're the first manufacturer (of solar panels), says Khalifeh, "but we won't be the last." Watch the video for the full story

Rebecca Wright, CNN

2022-02-16 16:59:33

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/business/ifc-world-bank-xinjiang-investments-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

Xinjiang: IFC, World Bank Group member, accused of lending money to companies allegedly linked to forced labor in China - CNN

The International Finance Corporation, one of the world's leading development banks, has for decades touted its success in funding companies it says can help end extreme poverty in developing countries.

business, Xinjiang: IFC, World Bank Group member, accused of lending money to companies allegedly linked to forced labor in China - CNN

Development bank accused of lending millions to companies allegedly linked to forced labor in Xinjiang

(CNN)The International Finance Corporation, one of the world's leading development banks, has for decades touted its success in funding companies it says can help end extreme poverty in developing countries.But new research suggests the organization, which operates under the World Bank Group, has been providing hundreds of millions of dollars in loans to companies that may be relying on forced labor from Uyghur and other ethnic minority groups in China's western Xinjiang region. The report, titled "Financing and Genocide: Development Finance and the Crisis in the Uyghur Region," presents evidence that in recent years the IFC has loaned money to four Chinese companies that have been linked to forced labor and land expropriation in the region, along with environmental damage and the destruction of indigenous cultural heritage sites.According to public disclosures, the four companies named in the report — Chenguang Biotech Group, Camel Group, Century Sunshine and Jointown Pharmaceutical Group — have received loans and equity investments from the IFC valued at $439 million. Including loans sourced from institutional investors via the IFC, that figure rises to around $485 million.The loans could contravene the IFC's own internal guidelines — known as its Performance Standards — which function entirely to "prevent IFC from financing projects that will have adverse environmental and social impacts that jeopardize [its] development aims," according to the report. Read MoreSolar panels are key to Biden's energy plan. But the global supply chain may rely on forced labor from ChinaCNN Business was granted exclusive, advance access to the report, which was led by the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom and published by the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank.The Helena Kennedy Center for International Justice researches modern day slavery, gender-based violence and hate crime and has previously published reports alleging the use of forced labor in Xinjiang to produce cotton and solar panels. They say the four named companies are not the only businesses receiving IFC funds in the region."I think it's clear that the IFC needs to divest from all their investments in the Uyghur region," said report author Laura Murphy, a professor in Human Rights and Contemporary Slavery at Sheffield Hallam University, who added that it is "incumbent on the IFC based on their own standards that they ensure that their clients are not involved in forced labor."I think it's clear that the IFC needs to divest from all their investments in the Uyghur regionLaura Murphy, Sheffield Hallam UniversityIn a statement, an IFC spokesperson told CNN the corporation has "strong environment, social and governance (ESG) standards" that are diligently applied during the life of the investment and are considered a model for development finance worldwide."We do not tolerate discrimination or forced labor under any circumstances," the spokesperson said. "Whenever such serious allegations are brought to our attention, we work to verify and address them with our clients with urgency."Beijing responded to the report on Thursday, saying it was "false" and "full of lies and groundless accusations.""It is understood that the organization has no staff in Xinjiang. There was no field investigation, no real research, no evidence to back up the report," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in a briefing. "The Chinese government attaches great importance to the protection of human rights and workers' rights and interests. For some time now, certain countries have been hyping up social lies and extending their reach to multilateral development institutions," Wang added. CNN sought comment from the four Chinese companies named in the report but did not receive a response. The report's authors also said they attempted to contact them but did not receive a response. Police officers patrolling the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China in 2018.'Punished with internment'Xinjiang has become a geopolitical hotspot because of the breadth of human rights abuses alleged to have taken place in the region, including what some Western governments have called the "genocide" of Uyghurs and other minorities. The US State Department has estimated that since 2017 up to two million members of religious and ethnic minorities have been imprisoned in a shadowy network of internment camps. China has described the facilities as "vocational training centers" where people learn job skills, Chinese language and laws, and officials declared in 2019 that such centers — also aimed at deradicalizing local Muslims — had been closed down. They also claimed that the original detainees had graduated but that people were still enrolling to gain new skills. Western governments and human rights organizations have alleged that minorities in the region have been subjected to forced labor through job creation schemes run by the Chinese government to achieve "poverty alleviation."Workers who have participated in those job programs have told CNN that if they did not take the jobs they were offered, for a fraction of the usual rate of pay, they were warned they would be sent to camps."The Chinese government has embarked on a massive campaign which they deem to be poverty alleviation," said Murphy of Sheffield Hallam. "These programs are often non-consensual, and people who refuse can be punished with internment."Such attempts to attack and smear China based on lies and disinformation are bound to failChinese government statementChina has consistently denied all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang and told CNN in a statement prior to publication that claims of forced labor were lies created to smear its reputation."China has repeatedly emphasized that the so-called issues of 'forced labor' and 'repression' against ethnic minorities are huge lies concocted by anti-China forces in the US and the West. They are entirely baseless. Such attempts to attack and smear China based on lies and disinformation are bound to fail," the statement said.A watchtower at a high-security facility near what is believed to be a re-education camp on the outskirts of Hotan, Xinjiang.Concerns raised about IFC outcomes Based in Washington, D.C., the IFC describes itself as the "largest global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries." It is part of the World Bank Group and says it provided roughly $31.5 billion in loans and other financial assistance — including nearly $12 billion in "fragile, conflict-affected, and poverty-stricken countries" — last fiscal year to private companies and financial institutions in emerging and developing economies around the world.The IFC spokesperson told CNN its mission is to "fight poverty by helping the private sector thrive." "In doing so, we create jobs and raise living standards, especially for the poor and vulnerable," the spokesperson said.But its investments have been criticized for years by charities that accuse the IFC of sometimes causing more harm than good by failing to carry out due diligence. In 2015, Oxfam International published a report compiled with input from several NGOs that claimed the IFC sent billions of dollars in "out of control" investments to third parties that caused "human rights abuses around the world."IFC said at the time that it was working with its clients to resolve issues raised by Oxfam and other civil society organizations and that it valued any insights into those concerns. The organization also said that it took additional efforts to train its staff and be more selective about its clients and was strengthening oversight and supervision. The World Bank Group had been acknowledging concerns even prior to that report. In 2013, the organization's Independent Evaluation Group highlighted declining "outcome ratings" for IFC-financed projects and advised the IFC to focus on "supervision" and "enhancing the quality of projects" through "intensified efforts."CNN approached the World Bank Group for comment about the Helena Kennedy Centre's findings, and a spokesperson directed CNN to the IFC's response.The World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C. Alleged connections to forced labor The four Chinese companies with ties to Xinjiang named in the Helena Kennedy Centre report work in sectors ranging from food to pharmaceuticals and energy. Using corporate documents, stock exchange filings, Chinese state media reports, IFC disclosures and satellite imagery, the report claims these companies have ties to parts of the region where allegations of forced labor are rampant. In some cases, the report says these companies have participated in state-endorsed "labor transfer" or "poverty alleviation" schemes, which international human rights organizations and foreign governments have for years claimed perpetuate forced labor in the region. CNN has independently verified that the four companies named in the Helena Kennedy Centre report have all received loans from the IFC in recent years. At least two of those loans, made to Camel Group and Jointown Pharmaceutical, have been used to finance projects in Xinjiang. Because the firms are all publicly traded on Chinese stock exchanges, corporate filings detail some of their dealings in the region. Chinese state media reports also explain some of their work, while the IFC's own records shed some light on the organization's involvement in providing financing to these firms. One company, Chenguang Biotech Group, makes food additives, natural dyes and pigments, and sources its raw materials primarily from India and Xinjiang. In Xinjiang, the company is involved in the production of marigolds.The IFC, which loaned Chenguang $40 million in 2019 so the company could increase production, conducted an assessment that found the company's risk of being implicated in forced labor with respect to marigold growers to be "low" and that overall "the risks in Chenguang's primary supply chain are low to medium." But according to the Helena Kennedy Centre report, Chenguang sources some of its workforce from "coercive" state-sponsored labor and land transfer programs. The report claims that in some cases farmers have no say in whether to participate in major farming projects, or what they want to plant. Companies, too, are under pressure to support state programs.JUST WATCHED'How can we feel safe?': Uyghur on Chinese government policyReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH'How can we feel safe?': Uyghur on Chinese government policy 03:55Citing an official press release, the report said that, in one case, the paramilitary organization Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), which controls the region economically and politically, conducted "ideological work" on those who expressed reluctance about changing their farming methods, which the report described as a method of "coercing" minorities. Those people are encouraged by government agencies to "relinquish their land, change their crops, alter their farming methods, work for cooperatives or large-scale farms that have expropriated their lands, or move to factory labor," the report said. Another company, the battery maker Camel Group, received nearly $36 million in funding from the IFC in July 2019 to expand its battery recycling operations in parts of China, including Xinjiang, according to IFC documents. Chinese corporate records also show the company has at least two subsidiaries in the region.An IFC risk assessment did acknowledge "potentially significant adverse environmental or societal risks" on account of smelting waste lead but added that Camel promised the organization it would promote the hiring of more local minority residents in Xinjiang. IFC also assessed that "no forced labor practices" are used by Camel Group and that its battery suppliers are subject to quarterly audits by the company to ensure they are complaint with child and forced labor inspections.However, the Helena Kennedy Centre report cited government press releases that it says show Camel has benefited from state-sponsored labor transfer programs. In July 2017, according to one government release, 165 laborers were taken across Xinjiang for a 10-day long "closed pre-job training," which the report authors say was an indication that their movements were restricted. During that time, according to a government press release, the participants received "military and ideological training," and "were required to sing patriotic songs" and learn Mandarin Chinese — measures that human rights organizations worry can lead to the erasure of culture for Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and Kyrgyz in Xinjiang. Those groups speak languages closer to Turkish than Mandarin Chinese. Before the laborers were dispatched to their assigned companies — one of which was Camel — they were made to attend a flag-raising ceremony, affirm their loyalty to the ruling Chinese Communist Party and pledge to "make due contributions to national security, national unity, social stability and harmony," according to the government press release. A third company, the fertilizer and materials firm Century Sunshine Group, received $165 million from the IFC between 2014 and 2016, according to IFC documents. That figure includes $125 million to upgrade a fertilizer manufacturing facility in Jiangsu province, north of Shanghai on China's eastern coast. As of December 2020, IFC had roughly a 17% stake in the company, according to an annual report from Century Sunshine.Century Sunshine also has ties to Xinjiang. The report cited local state-run media from December 2017 that said the company's Xinjiang subsidiary took in 10 rural laborers from a township in eastern Xinjiang through state-sponsored labor transfer programs. Two years later, that same subsidiary was one of nine firms that participated in a state-backed labor recruitment event that encouraged off-season farmers to work for industrial manufacturing facilities in the area — an event involving labor transfer the report's authors said was at "high risk"of violating standards for labor and working conditions.The final company implicated in the report, Jointown Pharmaceutical, received nearly $200 million in debt financing from the IFC in the last few years, according to IFC documents. IFC assessed their investments in Jointown Pharmaceutical as having "limited" environmental or social risks.The company — which distributes personal protection equipment, medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs — received nearly $150 million in July 2019 to build distribution centers and upgrade four warehouses in middle and western China, including Xinjiang. In October 2020, Jointown Pharmaceutical received another $50 million to buy pharmaceutical products and expand distribution because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Like Camel and Century Sunshine, the Helena Kennedy Centre report alleges that Jointown Pharmaceutical has participated in Xinjiang-related labor transfer programs. The report cited an article published in December 2020 by the Xinjiang Food and Drug Administration on its official WeChat account that said Jointown Pharmaceutical acknowledged receiving "more than 200" workers "transferred" from southern Xinjiang and other remote and underdeveloped prefectures through the labor programs. The report also said that Jointown Pharmaceutical has "many" facilities in Xinjiang that are located next to buildings identified as internment camps by the Australian Strategy Policy Institute, a Canberra-based think tank. One of Jointown Pharmaceutical's facilities in the regional capital of Urumqi, for example, is in one of the city's "largest prison districts," according to the report.Efforts to monitor investments in XinjiangWhile travel to Xinjiang by foreign organizations has become almost impossible in recent years, the Helena Kennedy Centre report says the IFC paid a one-day visit to the region in 2019, during the height of the government crackdown there.Report co-author Kendyl Salcito, the Executive Director of human rights research non-profit NomoGaia, told CNN she spoke via phone to an IFC representative who went on the trip. The employee told Salcito that their group was temporarily detained by police three times within a roughly 24-hour period, adding that the atmosphere was very uncomfortable and they wanted to leave quickly.The IFC continued to fund projects in the region after that visit, as seen in IFC documents reviewed by the report authors and by CNN. In November 2020, Salcito said, the IFC told her that it did not have alternative arrangements for monitoring projects there. The IFC did not respond to CNN's questions about Salcito's account of the trip. However, the spokesperson told CNN that in the last two years the IFC has dedicated more resources to supervising companies it works with in Xinjiang."While accessing projects on the ground has been more difficult for all development actors in the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, IFC has dedicated more resources to supervising the companies we work with regarding adherence to our ESG standards. These standards are legally binding, include protections for workers, communities, and the environment, and expressly prohibit discrimination and the use of forced labor," the spokesperson said. Paramilitary police vehicles on a road in Artux in China's northwest Xinjiang region in June, 2019.The IFC has taken some steps to withdraw from the region. It ceased its relationships with three other Chinese firms that "were engaged or sourcing from companies engaged in repression in the Uyghur Region," according to the report. The IFC did not respond to CNN's questions about why it chose to divest those companies and not others. In 2020, the IFC told Salcito in email exchanges viewed by CNN that the Chinese companies it works with assured the organization they did not use any forced labor. The IFC did not respond to CNN's questions about that correspondence. The Helena Kennedy Centre report authors say that form of self-reporting is wholly insufficient. "The continued willingness to provide financing in the region, without any direct oversight, indicates that its investment strategy in the region continues to overlook the ongoing crimes against humanity and Performance Standards violations that render the IFC's investments complicit," the report said. A lack of due diligenceMultinational corporations have for years found it difficult to perform due diligence on their supply chains linked to Xinjiang because of limited access, surveillance and the threat of government interference. That makes the use of publicly available records and satellite imagery all the more important in determining whether a firm has ties to forced labor in the region. Satellite images, for example, have shown that detention facilities are often built up simultaneously alongside factories and business parks, which human rights activists say is a clear indication that factory workers are being drawn from the prison or camp population.Maxar satellite imagery of a re-education internment camp in Hotan, Xinjiang, China.Some companies, investors and other organizations have pulled out of the region because of the difficulties in auditing activity there. Many international auditors will no longer certify products made in Xinjiang, and the Fair Labor Association — a Washington-based non-profit whose members include multinational corporations and Ivy League universities — has banned its members from sourcing from Xinjiang due to an inability to gather accurate information, or to verify if workers there are under duress."The underlying problem in the Uyghur region is the political repression is so great, we're of the view that no company can do adequate human rights due diligence," said Sophie Richardson, China Director of Human Rights Watch. "Where [a company] can't do adequate human rights due diligence, it should withdraw."Foreign governments have also been piling pressure on companies. In December, US President Joe Biden signed into law new rules that will effectively ban imports of products made in Xinjiang. JUST WATCHEDLeaked records expose China's Xinjiang campsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHLeaked records expose China's Xinjiang camps 06:57Washington is also leading a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which conclude Sunday. In December, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the United States would not continue do "business as usual" and participate in the "fanfare" of the Games because of the "ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang."But activists also point out that governments that work with the IFC should also review their funding plans. The United States, after all, has plowed more than $23 billion over the last 20 years into the World Bank Group, and as of June 2021 was the largest IFC shareholder with a stake of about 21%. That funding has increased during the pandemic: In March 2020, the World Bank Group announced that the US government authorized a $5.5 billion capital increase for the IFC as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.In a statement to CNN, the US Treasury Department said that it "works closely with other parts of the United States government to strongly condemn and respond to the atrocities taking place in Xinjiang."It said the government had pressed multilateral development banks (MDBs) — including the IFC — to strengthen their safeguards so projects "do not inadvertently support companies that participate in or benefit from forced labor."The statement added: "The US has been — and will continue to be -— a lead voice on this issue in all the MDBs and will continue working with other shareholder countries to make companies with alleged linkages to forced labor practices ineligible for MDB investments."

Ashley Strickland, CNN

2022-03-05 17:15:42

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/05/world/lunar-impact-science-newsletter-wt-scn/index.html

This is what happens when space junk hits the moon - CNN

This week, venture to the far side of the moon, meet a T. rex family, learn why pets are the best pandemic partners, explore wacky hiccup cures, and more.

world, This is what happens when space junk hits the moon - CNN

This is what happens when space junk hits the moon

A version of this story appeared in CNN's Wonder Theory newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. (CNN)It's been a tough week. The world has watched the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfold during a pandemic that still holds the globe within a firm grip after more than two years. The attacks and the resulting sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe have a far-reaching impact -- and even space isn't off-limits. The crisis is likely to delay the launch of Europe's first Mars rover slated for this September, and questions linger over cooperation between NASA and Russia regarding the International Space Station.A relentless cycle of events that spark despair can feel exhausting, but turning to sources of awe in difficult times can be heartening. When the pandemic began, many discovered a passion for the scintillating delights of stargazing.Fortunately, natural wonders never cease. Let's keep exploring the inspiring world of discovery -- and always keep hope alive.Read MoreLunar updateImpact craters can be seen across the surface of the moon.I'll see you on the far side of the moon. A rocket part was on a collision course with its surface on Friday morning, moving at about 5,500 miles per hour (8,851 kilometers per hour). We may not have confirmation for some time. But what could have been a lunar lemon has turned into a unique research opportunity. And don't worry -- you didn't miss a spectacular show since it was expected to hit on the shadowed lunar far side (but we have an idea of what it may have looked like). NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter -- which did not witness the event -- will keep an eye out for a crater that may have formed from the possible collision. The moon has plenty of craters -- this could just be the first one created by errant rocket leftovers. And tracking space junk, especially to avoid unwanted collisions, has become the passion project of none other than Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak.Dino-mite!You know that dramatic showdown between Stegosaurus and T. rex in "Fantasia"? It never happened. The two highly recognizable dinosaurs never coexisted, and the time separating them is greater than the time between T. rex's reign and humans. But both dinos share the spotlight this week. And, as it turns out, Tyrannosaurus rex may be misunderstood. The differences between fossils of the fearsome predator may suggest there was more than one species roaming the planet, according to a new study. This means the tyrant lizard king may have existed alongside Tyrannosaurus imperator and the more slender Tyrannosaurus regina. Meanwhile, a new fossil may belong to one of the oldest stegosaurs ever discovered. The specimen has a "really weird mix of features" including physical traits that can't be traced in other stegosaurs, revealing how these armored dinosaurs evolved. Fantastic creaturesRoo, a Chihuahua rescue, was an amazing comfort for her mom when she hospitalized with Covid.For many, pets have been the sweet, dependable pals who have helped us through the past two years of the pandemic. They have brightened our moods, reduced our stress and served as perfect binge-watching companions. These simple behaviors have funneled down to a practical science level, too. Research on the pet-human bond has boomed during the pandemic. Pet owners say that their fuzzy best friends have reduced loneliness and provided much-needed emotional support. Given that we're still living through uncertain times, the most insightful research is yet to come.The wonderWe asked for your best hiccup cures, and boy, did you deliver. Then, we turned those creative techniques over to experts and put them to the test to see if science backs them up. The result? Even some of the wackiest solutions -- like thinking about cows, taking a spoonful of sugar or acting out your own "Creation of Adam" moment a la Michelangelo -- actually work for various reasons.Thank you for taking the time to weigh in with so many imaginative responses. Don't forget to take a bow -- and name seven men you know of who are bald if you get the hiccups.Climate changedThe ruins of Carthage, an ancient city founded in the ninth century BC by the Phoenicians and later conquered by Rome, lie beside the sea in the suburbs of Tunisia's capital.We're running out of ways to adapt to the climate crisis. That's the warning from a new UN-backed report published this week that illustrates the widespread and disruptive impacts of human-caused climate change.Extreme weather and rising seal levels are changing once familiar landscapes and could even erase enduring historical sites, including about 190 lining Africa's coasts.The columns of Carthage, the ruins of Sabratha's Roman amphitheater and a 125,000-year-old coral reef are just some of the significant treasures at risk of flooding and erosion in the next 30 years.But there is still time to save these heritage-rich sites -- and the solution is more natural than you might think.DiscoveriesLet's end on these good notes: -- A tiny "flower" formation was spotted on Mars by the Curiosity rover, and it could shed light on the history of water on the red planet.-- This invasive species was named using an ethnic slur. After months of decisions, the moth finally has a new name.-- Stonehenge may have served as an astronomically correct solar calendar. New research illustrates how it worked. Like what you've read? Oh, but there's more. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writer Ashley Strickland, who finds wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Alicia Wallace, CNN Business

2022-03-05 14:20:37

business

economy

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/05/economy/native-american-monthly-employment-data/index.html

The US will now break out jobs data for Native Americans - CNN

In May 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics delivered the worst US jobs report on record: 20.5 million jobs had been lost in the previous month and the national unemployment rate had hit 14.7%. But Native Americans saw their jobless rate soar even higher, to a staggering 28.6% that April.

economy, The US will now break out jobs data for Native Americans - CNN

The US will now break out jobs data for Native Americans

San Francisco (CNN Business)In May 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics delivered the worst US jobs report on record: 20.5 million jobs had been lost in the previous month and the national unemployment rate had hit 14.7%. More data followed showing how Black and Hispanic Americans (with jobless rates of 16.7% and 18.9%, respectively) were getting hit much harder by the pandemic than White workers (14.2%), further widening the wealth gap in the US.But until last month, one stark detail remained unpublished: Native Americans saw their jobless rate soar even higher than any of these groups to a staggering 28.6% that April. While the monthly jobs report regularly breaks out the unemployment rate for Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White Americans, data specific to Native Americans — classified by the agency as American Indians and Alaska Natives — has never been included. Given the comparatively small population of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the US, the sample sizes of survey respondents meant that the monthly data collected from the Department of Labor and Census Bureau's Current Population Survey was volatile and not adequately reliable, the BLS explained. So the data was instead included in broader annual and semi-annual reports on topics such as race and ethnicity.Responding to ongoing calls for increased visibility and inclusion -- pushes that ramped up as the pandemic negatively impacted minority populations -- the BLS changed course and last month started publishing monthly economic data for Native Americans.Read More"We examined the estimates to see if publishing the monthly data would add to the understanding of the AIAN labor force," Patrick Carey, assistant commissioner for the Office of Current Employment Analysis at the BLS, told CNN Business. "Despite the high volatility, we ultimately thought the data did."America added 678,000 jobs in February, smashing forecastsAlthough the data for indigenous populations still won't be part of the monthly jobs report (because it is not seasonally adjusted), having data highlighted and published more frequently online is a win for both visibility and real-world progress, said Gabriel R. Sanchez, co-founder of the Native American Budget and Policy Institute at the University of New Mexico, where he is also a political science professor.In November, Sanchez, who also serves as a governance studies fellow at the Brookings Institution, co-authored a report on the economic health of Native Americans. That report highlighted the absence of timely employment data and why it was important to start reporting and tracking it going forward."Native Americans are largely left out of the important discussion when it comes to economic well-being in the United States — another form of erasure for a group that must continually contend with marginalization and exclusion in US society," the authors wrote.That lack of current data proved especially harmful during the pandemic, which disproportionately affected minority and indigenous populations, they noted. Without up-to-date data on a key population, government intervention and assistance will likely suffer, Sanchez told CNN Business in an interview. "We want data-driven policy decisions, we want data-driven everything," he said. "But until that data is available, that's impossible."LGBTQ+ Americans aren't fully counted by the government. That's a big problemThe Brookings report, as well as requests from President Joe Biden's administration, played a role in the agency reconsidering its past approaches, said Carey. While the BLS publishes some estimates for Native Americans in its yearly report on labor force characteristics by race and ethnicity, there are some analytical benefits from releasing the data more frequently, he said."You can kind of see some clear trends with the monthly data," Carey said. "You just have to be careful about knowing that the data are volatile."The BLS released side-by-side comparisons of the seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rates for the total population and Native Americans going back nearly 20 years. When viewed as a whole, the data show that the indigenous populations' non-seasonally adusted jobless rate is consistently above the national average, sometimes by a factor of two.The data also showed the dramatic spike in unemployment and sustained double-digit jobless rates for indigenous Americans during the first year of the pandemic."It's disheartening to see the effects of the economic shock in the early parts of the pandemic for indigenous workers," said Casey Lozar, director of the Center for Indian Country Development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Child care worker shortage strands half a million familiesNative Americans have a larger share of jobs in the services sector than other populations, contributing to higher unemployment rates, Lozar said. In addition, geographic and systemic economic pain points -- such as a lack of child care infrastructure -- play outsized roles in rural and tribal areas, he said.In the absence of frequent federal data drops, the CICD has sought to serve as a repository of economic information for the nation's indigenous populations during the pandemic. Utilizing what was available via the BLS and Census, in addition to conducting surveys with tribal leaders and community members, the center launched a labor market dashboard and this year announced a long-term initiative and expansion of the center to collect and analyze new economic data sets. Lozar said these efforts and the efforts from the BLS are positive steps toward addressing a "data desert.""[The data gaps] are severe, and it's going to take time, and it's going to take really strong relationship development with Indian country and with other data partners," he said.

Angela Dewan, CNN

2022-03-05 05:05:37

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/05/business/russia-gas-eu-ukraine-energy-climate-cmd-intl/index.html

Europe mulls turning down the heat in homes to hit Putin's bloody war - CNN

When you turn on the heating in your home, you may not think about where your energy comes from, let alone where the money you pay for it goes. For millions of Europeans, there's a good chance that money is flowing to Putin's war chest.

business, Europe mulls turning down the heat in homes to hit Putin's bloody war - CNN

Turn down the heat to stop Putin? Europe wrestles with its Russian gas addiction

London (CNN Business)When you turn on the heating in your home, you may not think much about where your energy comes from, let alone where the money you pay for it goes. For millions of people living in Europe, there's a good chance that money is flowing to the Russian state — much of it into President Vladimir Putin's war chest.Russia has been building a network of natural gas pipelines throughout Europe since the 1960s. Washington has been warning its Western allies ever since that more Russian gas will only make Europeans more vulnerable to Moscow. There are fears now that the Kremlin may turn off the supply of natural gas to the European Union, in retaliation for its support for Ukraine — Europe, among other allies, has been sending weapons and aid to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia's invasion.It's only been just over a week, but so far, Russia has let the gas flow. But that presents another problem. Russia is earning hundreds of millions of dollars a day from its oil and gas exports, undermining the financial sanctions Western powers have introduced to choke off financing for Putin's war effort. The European Union, Russia's biggest gas customer, is now grappling with the reality that its energy spending has helped empower Putin to carry out a bloody war on its borders.Read MoreAccording to the European think thank Bruegel, with prices at record highs, the value of Russian natural gas exports to the European Union has soared to about €500 million ($545 million) every day. That's up from about €200 million ($220 million) in February. Before the invasion, Russia was also exporting oil worth hundreds of millions a day to Europe. EU leaders have been talking about reducing reliance on Russian gas for years. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki put it plainly last week. "We are buying, as [the] European Union, lots of Russian gas, lots of Russian oil. And President Putin is taking the money from us, from the Europeans. And he is turning this into aggression, invasion," he told an EU summit, according to reports. For gas alone, the 27-country bloc relies on Russia for 40% of its needs. By country, Germany is Russia's biggest customer, relying on the nation for more than half of its gas, according to Bruegel.In turn, Russia needs Europe's money. Russian oil and gas revenues in 2021 were worth 9.1 trillion rubles, which in January this year converted to $119 billion, Reuters reports. That made up 36% of the country's budget. Moscow's international reserves now stand at $630 billion, its highest ever, making for a huge war fund. But its financial firepower has been severely constrained by Western sanctions that analysts estimate have frozen about half of those assets.The push to ban Russian oil is gaining steam. Here's what that means for US energy pricesThose sanctions are battering the Russian economy, but they haven't yet targeted fossil fuel exports directly, so concerned are Western governments about soaring energy prices and the cost of living. Ultimately, they want Russian gas, at least, to keep flowing.Oil is another story. While the price of benchmark Brent crude soared this week, trading at around $115 a barrel on Friday, Russia's flagship Urals crude was offered at a discount of $18 a barrel, a sign that some buyers are shunning it.Banks and traders fear getting caught up in financial sanctions, and shipping companies and insurers are worried about the risk to tankers in the Black Sea. Besides, Europe can buy oil from elsewhere. Replacing Russia natural gas is more difficult.Turning the heat down can save huge amounts of gasProponents of climate action have for years pushed for a plan to wean the world off natural gas, which is a potent planet-warming fossil fuel. It has taken an energy crisis and bloodshed in Ukraine to finally kick EU institutions into gear. EU energy chief Kadri Simson said Thursday that the bloc will release its plan next week for reducing its reliance on Russian gas, and for speeding up the adoption of more renewable energy."Beyond the short term, ultimately ... the only lasting solution is the Green Deal, boosting renewables and energy efficiency as fast as technically possible. So we are still far too dependent on fossil fuel imports," she said at a press conference with the International Energy Agency. Germany, which had aimed to transition to 100% renewables by 2040, has already brought its target forward by five years, since Russia invaded Ukraine last week.The Ukraine crisis has also injected new urgency into conversations about whether the world can go on using as much energy as it does. Europe should be able to replace some of Russia's gas supply, but cutting it out altogether simply isn't an option for this heating season, experts told CNN previously. Even down the line, replacing Russian gas in full will be difficult. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol suggested that Europeans could turn down their thermostats as part of the solution.According to a 10-point plan aimed at reducing reliance on Russian gas, the IEA says that if all buildings in the European Union turned down the heat by just 1 degree Celsius, the bloc would save 10 billion cubic meters of gas. That's roughly the same amount of natural gas New York City consumes in three months, or what Hungary consumes over a year.Actually asking people to do this would be something of a last resort, said Ben McWilliams, a climate and energy analyst at Bruegel.These US cities tried to cut natural gas from new homes. Republicans and the gas lobby stepped in"But who knows? It's an unprecedented situation. I could imagine a kind of political campaign, a real push by European leaders saying, look, if you can help us by turning down 1 degree on your thermostat, it's going to help. And you can see people uniting behind this, against Russian gas," he told CNN. "But ultimately, you'll need much more than this in response."One approach would be to replace around half the gas from other sources, McWilliams said. The United States is already shipping Iiquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe, and EU officials are also looking to countries like Azerbaijan and Qatar. The other half will need to come from cutting demand, McWilliams said, especially as Europe prepares for next winter.Heavy industries, like steelmaking and chemical production, will need to reduce their operations. Homeowners investing in solar panels and heat pumps could help take some pressure off heating systems.Tara Connolly, a campaigner with the international NGO Global Witness who specializes in gas, says that Europe must launch an emergency program to insulate homes, replace gas boilers with heat pumps and accelerate the transition to renewable energy."It is abundantly clear that Europe's gas dependence has provided Putin with the resources to engage in his bloody venture in Ukraine, whilst hampering Europe's response," she said. "This moment has shown that not only are fossil fuels wrecking the climate, they are contributing to a more volatile and dangerous world."CNN's Charles Riley and Julia Horowitz contributed to this report.

Kristen Rogers, CNN

2022-03-04 20:19:48

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/04/world/gypsy-moth-spongy-moth-name-change-scn/index.html

'Spongy moth': The new name for invasive gypsy moths - CNN

After months of a renaming process for an invasive moth species, the Entomological Society of America has decided -- "spongy moth" is the new common name replacing the offensive "gypsy moth."

world, 'Spongy moth': The new name for invasive gypsy moths - CNN

An invasive species now has a new name to replace ethnic slur

(CNN)The scientists who have been working on changing an invasive moth's common name, which included an ethnic slur, have made their decision. Previously known as "gypsy moth," the species Lymantria dispar is now "spongy moth," according to the Entomological Society of America, which makes the Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List, an essential database for anyone working with insects. For the Romani people -- an ethnic group originating in northern India that was at one time misidentified as Egyptian -- the word "gypsy" has been offensive, dangerous and dehumanizing since it first appeared in the 1500s, Margareta Matache, director of the Roma Program at the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, told CNN in July 2021. Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Matache was one of several Romani scholars consulted during the name removal process. "This process to rename the G moth can serve as a truly effective practice on how to create better common names and ensure substantive and just participation of the affected communities in the process," Matache said via email.Read MoreNative to Europe, Asia and North Africa, the spongy moth is an invasive pest in North American forests, destroying the leaves of hundreds of tree and shrub species and costing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and management efforts annually, according to the Entomological Society of America. This moth spends most of its 10-month life in the egg stage, which is when it travels on firewood, outdoor equipment and vehicles en masse. Pictured is the spongy moth in larval form."Public awareness is critical in slowing its spread," said the society's president, Jessica Ware, in a news release. "'Spongy moth' gives entomologists and foresters a name for this species that reinforces an important feature of the moth's biology and moves away from the outdated term that was previously used." "We are grateful to the diverse community of people and organizations who have been involved in this renaming process and have committed to adopting 'spongy moth' as well," Ware added. The moth's new name was chosen from more than 200 nominations evaluated by a group of more than 50 scientists convened by the society. The group sought insight from many experts and organizations and collected more than 1,000 responses about seven finalist names. "Spongy moth" refers to its sponge-like egg masses and comes from the common name "spongieuse," used for the insect in France and French-speaking Canada, according to the news release. Spongy moth egg masses cluster on tree bark. In addition to the new name now being listed on the Common Names List, "spongy moth" will be used in the society's publications, presentations and social media. The society's Better Common Names Project has launched a toolkit for adopting the new name as a resource for other organizations and experts."'Spongy moth' is already beginning to appear in media stories and other online resources, which we're excited to see," Ware said. "But we know this name change won't happen overnight.""In books or print products, or regulations related to L. disphar, phasing in use of the new name may take some time," she added. "ESA will continue to provide supporting resources for organizations adopting this change." Prejudice has "produced profound harm in the lives of Romani Americans and the global Romani diaspora," Matache said in an email. "Changing the name of this insect is very relevant in rectifying the mainstream, White narratives about Romani people. I hope that the decision to give up the G-word gets to be followed by others who also need to change the names of businesses, events, websites, fashion collections, cakes, food, drinks and college parades that include the G-word."CNN's Neelam Bohra and Radhika Marya contributed to this story.

Ella Nilsen and Lauren Fox, CNN

2022-03-03 21:15:34

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/03/politics/congress-climate-bill/index.html

There's new momentum in Congress for a climate bill, but a lot of questions on what it could include - CNNPolitics

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has cracked open the door for negotiations on a slimmed-down version of President Joe Biden's climate and economic bill following months of little progress on the issue.

politics, There's new momentum in Congress for a climate bill, but a lot of questions on what it could include - CNNPolitics

There's new momentum in Congress for a climate bill, but a lot of questions on what it could include

(CNN)Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has cracked open the door for negotiations on a slimmed-down version of President Joe Biden's climate and economic bill following months of little progress on the issue.Manchin outlined his counteroffer this week, confirming that climate and clean energy provisions will be some of the few original pieces of Biden's original Build Back Better bill he wants to pass through a Democrat-only bill. Manchin is also calling for Democrats to raise taxes on corporations and America's wealthy and use that revenue to reduce the budget deficit and spend on new climate programs. "Half of that money should be dedicated to fighting inflation and reducing the deficit," Manchin said of new revenue from an adjusted tax code. "The other half you can pay for a 10-year program, whatever you think is a nice priority, and right now it seems to be the environment."That's being greeted with cautious optimism from Senate climate hawks and outside groups who want to see climate action in Congress as soon as possible. Biden attempted to revive pieces of his domestic agenda during Tuesday's State of the Union address, but Democrats are running out of time to pass something through budget reconciliation -- especially before midterms campaigning kicks into high gear this summer and fall. "I think that is very good news, and my view of it is we need to find a way to get specific about what that means and do it," Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota told CNN. "I hope it's sooner rather than later. I don't think this is going to get easier the longer we wait." Read MoreNegotiations are expected to start in earnest after the Senate finishes its appropriations package. But a lot of unknowns remain. There's no guarantee Manchin's vision for clean energy provisions will look like the $555 billion included in Build Back Better, and the industry-friendly head of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has indicated he also wants to encourage more fossil fuel use. But it also could be Democrats' only hope to pass something before the November midterms."We should give Joe Manchin the pen so we actually know where he stands, and then we should negotiate and come to an agreement," Jamal Raad, executive director of climate group Evergreen Action, told CNN. "If we are looking to lower costs and stop enabling fossil fuel fascists like Putin, we actually have a policy prescription on the table. That's the climate investments in Build Back Better." Democrats are looking for more specifics Manchin detailing what he'd support in a slimmed-down package was important to Senate climate hawks for two reasons: One, he backed the idea of using a Democrat-only budget reconciliation bill; and two, he specifically included climate in his list of items. Manchin has been saying positive things about the clean energy tax credit package in Build Back Better for months, but Wednesday's remarks were the most specific he'd been about what could be in a bill he'd support passing the Senate. The inclusion of climate wasn't a huge surprise for other senators and staff, given his past public support for a $320 billion clean energy tax credit package."Climate, we've felt for months, was something we could actually get him there on. We have a lot of reasons to believe that's true," a Senate Democratic aide told CNN, adding that Democrats need to get more information on the specifics of what Manchin would support. "We should ask him and find out, because he basically gave an invitation to engage," the aide said. Still, Manchin has made it clear that he doesn't want new clean energy legislation to rule out the use of fossil fuels, a message that's only been more forceful since Russia's invasion of Ukraine has spiraled the cost of energy. This could complicate Biden's climate goals; multiple independent analysts have found not passing the clean energy and climate provisions in Build Back Better would significantly hamper the President's goal to cut US emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. Without it, Biden would be leaving 1.3 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions on the table, a recent Princeton University analysis found.A White House official told CNN that while Biden is intent on getting legislation through Congress, the administration will continue to roll out regulations to cut emissions as well. "The Cabinet does not see discharging their duties in a manner consistent with the climate crisis as an either/or relative to what happens on Capitol Hill," the official said. "We've been pursuing a robust executive action agenda, and we're at the same time pursuing critical legislative progress." Manchin is focused on banning imported Russian oil Responding to Russia's attacks on Ukraine, Manchin is spearheading a bipartisan bill to ban Russian oil imports to the US -- an effort that got backing from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday. Manchin has also been calling for an "all-of-the-above" domestic energy strategy to get off of Russian energy, which includes fossil fuels. At a Thursday Natural Resources Committee hearing, Manchin urged more domestic production of fossil fuels and said the Biden administration "continues to drag its feet" on domestic production of oil and gas on federal lands. And at a Thursday news conference for his Russian oil ban bill, Manchin said that while he supports Democratic efforts on clean energy, upping US production of fossil fuels is a more urgent matter."The bottom line is the production of fossil fuels right now," Manchin told reporters. "Wind and solar (are) not going to put natural gas over there. We can build a pipeline in two to six months. Basically, the administration needs to step up and help us on that." Smith said that in order to build a domestic energy supply that is truly insulated from geopolitical conflicts and price spikes, the US needs to build out much more renewable energy at home. "Let's be clear, there's significant subsidies the fossil sector already receives," Smith said. "The energy future is moving towards clean and renewables. We should speed that transition because it's going to insulate Americans from these energy price shocks." Manchin told reporters he's not going to favor clean energy over fossil fuels in the immediate term."Absolutely we have to go forward with our climate solutions; I've always been all for that," Manchin said. "But I'm not going to throw one out the window for the other."

Rachel Ramirez, CNN

2022-03-03 18:56:44

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/03/us/lake-powell-water-colorado-river-climate/index.html

Lake Powell is about to drop below a critical level never reached before, as drought rages on - CNN

The US Bureau of Reclamation told CNN it is currently anticipating water levels in Lake Powell to reach a significant elevation of 3,525 feet above sea level sometime between March 10 and 16, putting hydropower generation at heightened risk of being forced offline.

us, Lake Powell is about to drop below a critical level never reached before, as drought rages on - CNN

Lake Powell is about to drop below a critical level never reached before, as drought rages on

(CNN)For the first time since it was filled more than 50 years ago, Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the country, is projected to dip past a critical threshold, threatening water supplies and putting a key source of hydropower generation at heightened risk of being forced offline, as climate change-fueled drought continues to grip the Western US.The US Bureau of Reclamation told CNN it is currently anticipating water levels in Lake Powell to reach a significant elevation of 3,525 feet above sea level sometime between March 10 and 16.Drought contingency plans define the 3,525-foot mark as a significant "target elevation" for the reservoir, under which the situation becomes dire. As of Thursday, Lake Powell had fallen to just over 3,526 feet in elevation, which is just over 24% of capacity and less than two feet away from the critical level. Interactive: The Colorado River's shortage is a sign of a larger crisis "We're kind of in some uncharted territory, socially and economically," Justin Mankin, assistant professor of geography at Dartmouth College and co-lead of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Drought Task Force, told CNN. "It's totally within reason to expect that the next couple of weeks or so for [Lake Powell] to fall below the critical level."Lake Powell's plunging water level threatens Glen Canyon Dam's capacity to produce hydropower, much like Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. Glen Canyon Dam provides power for many states including Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Nebraska. Read MoreThe 3,525-foot target is crucial because it allows a 35-foot buffer for emergency response to prevent Lake Powell from dropping below the minimum pool elevation of 3,490 feet above sea level, the lowest at which Glen Canyon Dam is able to generate hydropower.Lake Powell and nearby Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir, have drained at an alarming rate in the last year. In August, the federal government declared a water shortage on the Colorado River for the first time after Lake Mead's water level plunged to unprecedented lows, triggering mandatory water consumption cuts for states in the Southwest which began in January.The significance of the dwindling supply in the two reservoirs, fed by the Colorado River watershed, cannot be overstated. Water flowing down the Colorado River fills both Powell and Mead, which are part of a river system supplying more than 40 million people living across seven Western states and Mexico. Both reservoirs provide a critical supply of drinking water and irrigation for many across the region, including rural farms, ranches and native communities.The low water levels in the critical reservoirs, according to Mankin, only "amplifies inequities" across the Western states, where the "poorest cultivators and those who have the least senior water rights are not going to get any water," he said.The 'central bank' of the Colorado RiverFor months, Western water managers have tried to prevent the worst-case scenario from happening. Last summer, they made emergency releases from other upstream reservoirs across the region including the Blue Mesa, Flaming Gorge and Navajo reservoirs. The water transfer made levels in Colorado's Blue Mesa drop by 8 feet, forcing an early end to the region's boating season which was detrimental to the local economy. Antelope Point Marina on Feb. 3, 2022, in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area near Page. Lake Powell was at 26% of capacity, 168 feet below its full elevation of 3,700 feet above sea level at the time. Once Lake Powell drops below 3,525 feet, the Bureau of Reclamation would have to release more water from the smaller reservoirs once the spring snow melt dwindles toward the end of the summer, as part of the 2019 Colorado River Drought-Contingency Plan to keep it afloat. "It's kind of like the central bank of an economy, drawing money from local banks to kind of keep the economy afloat," Mankin said. "Lake Powell is the central bank of the Colorado River Basin. Maybe that's workable for a little while, but just like a household, the longer it's in debt, the harder it gets. And it's really the same thing with these reservoirs."Monthly water releases are essential to keeping the reservoir's elevation from dropping below the target level through the winter months until spring runoff materializes. Water managers are expecting Lake Powell's water levels to rise back up above 3,525 feet as a result of spring runoff season; however, drought conditions might cause it to plunge back down again. "The effects of Lake Powell dipping below its critical threshold in spring could reverberate through the states reliant on that water months down the road," Mankin said, pointing to impacts in Glen Canyon's capacity to deliver hydropower, "given the propensity for the American West to suffer some pretty gnarly heat waves."There's a 1-in-3 chance Lake Powell won't be able to generate hydropower in 2023 due to drought conditions, new study saysWater managers were hopeful when the 2022 water year got off to a promising start, after the Colorado River Basin experienced a wetter-than-normal October, but the very next month saw the second-driest November on record, quickly diminishing the outlook. Lake Powell lost around 1.5 million acre-feet of inflow in November, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. Across many parts of the West, the latest US drought monitor update shows the promising early-season snowpack "flatlining" during January and February. In California, a recent snow survey from the state Department of Water Resources showed reservoirs across the state will likely not fill up again this year.It may also be the case for the Colorado River basin. While it recently experienced substantial snowpack, the critically low water levels in reservoirs, coupled with the uncertainty of future snowpack, might require unprecedented action from governments. If future projections show the monthly releases are not enough to protect Lake Powell, the Bureau of Reclamation will need to consider other avenues. At the moment, the agency and the Upper Basin states are continuing to work on a Drought Response Operations Plan, which they expect to complete this April.Exclusive: Experts say the term 'drought' may be insufficient to capture what is happening in the WestBut given the rate at which the planet is rapidly warming, Mankin worries about the potential aftermath recovery process: "Then what? Do we go back to kind of normal operations?" he said. "I feel a bit nervous about the fact that the climate is changing, but our management of water is not."Climate change's impacts on water in the West may just be a preview of what's to come.Around half of the world's population already experiences severe water scarcity each year in part due to climate-related factors, a major UN report released Monday said. It also concluded as many as three billion people around the world will experience "chronic water scarcity" under uncontrolled global warming."The drought is pretty baked in," Mankin said. "My expectation is fully that the American West is going to be in a drought through the rest of this year, at the very least. To recover from this thing, we're talking about multiple seasons of above-average precipitation."

CNN Staff

2022-03-02 05:46:42

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/02/politics/fact-check-biden-2022-sotu-address/index.html

Fact-checking Biden's 2022 State of the Union address - CNNPolitics

President Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union address on Tuesday -- using the occasion to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, promote his first year in the White House as a success story and attempt to revive his domestic legislative agenda.

politics, Fact-checking Biden's 2022 State of the Union address - CNNPolitics

Fact-checking Biden's 2022 State of the Union address

(CNN)President Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union address on Tuesday -- using the occasion to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, promote his first year in the White House as a success story and attempt to revive his domestic legislative agenda. Here is a fact check of some of the claims from Biden and the Republican response by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds:Biden touted record job growth under his administration"Our economy created over 6.5 million new jobs just last year, more jobs in one year than ever before in the history of the United States of America," Biden said. Facts First: This is true. The US added 6.6 million jobs in the first 12 months of Biden's term, more than the US added in any year going back to 1939, when this data series was first published. However, the Biden-era gains should be viewed with contextual caution. Biden inherited an economy that had been crushed by unprecedented pandemic-related job losses. Read More'Now is our moment': Biden confronts Putin and tries to kickstart his domestic agenda in State of the UnionBiden took office less than a year after the economy shed more than 22 million jobs in two months because of the pandemic. Even with the jobs rebound -- which began under President Donald Trump in May 2020 -- the US was still, as of January 2022, down more than 2 million jobs from when the pandemic hit. In other words, the substantial Biden-era gains are still filling the giant pandemic hole. Biden is free, of course, to argue that he is doing a good job filling that hole, and some economists argue that the pandemic stimulus package he signed into law in early 2021 has played a significant role in the subsequent job growth. But the timing of Biden's inauguration was a key factor too. -- Daniel Dale and Tara Subramaniam Biden on mask wearing and Covid progressBiden highlighted the high number of Americans who no longer need a mask as a sign of real progress in the pandemic. Biden claimed that "most Americans in most of the country can now be mask free. And based on the projections more of the country will reach that point across the next couple of weeks." Facts First:  Biden is correct based on a recent change in CDC metrics, when the focus expanded from community transmission to include hospitalizations and hospital capacity.As of last Thursday, about 99% of the US population lived in an area where the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people wear a mask indoors. On Friday that number dropped to 28%. CDC estimates 140 million US Covid-19 infectionsOn Friday, the number of people catching Covid didn't really change; what changed were the metrics the CDC used to determine who should wear a mask. CDC mask recommendations had been based on how high the transmission of the coronavirus was in a particular region. In addition to new Covid-19 cases, CDC mask guidance is now also based on new Covid-19 hospitalization and hospital capacity in a community. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday that the guidance change reflects the lower risk Americans have of severe disease since more people are vaccinated or have had a prior infection. Access to tests and treatments has also improved. Many states went ahead and previously dropped mask mandates without waiting for CDC guidance to change. New CDC Covid-19 metrics drop strong mask recommendations for most of the countryAs of Tuesday, the US is now averaging 69,549 new Covid-19 cases per day, according to Johns Hopkins University. This is 21% drop since last week and the lowest cases have been since July. Still the US is averaging 1,933 new deaths a day. That's about the same as last week. -- Jen ChristensenStrongest economic growth in four decadesBiden said the US economy had its strongest year in nearly four decades in 2021, growing at a rate of 5.7%. Facts first: That is correct. But it also needs some more context because the economy is still recovering from the devastating impact of the pandemic. The US economy was strong last year. The nation's gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity, increased at a pace of 5.7%, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That was the fastest growth rate since 1984, when Ronald Reagan was in the White House. Congress shows bipartisan sartorial support for Ukraine at State of the Union address That said, America is also still recovering from the worst of the pandemic. In 2020, GDP contracted as a result of the economy shutting down in response to Covid-19. Last year's upswing was still making up for lost ground. But the economic growth came at a price: inflation has soared, and Americans face higher prices everywhere from food to gasoline to furniture. At the start of 2022, two of the most-watched inflation indicators -- the Labor Department's consumer price index and the Commerce Department's personal consumption expenditure price index -- increased at the fastest pace since 1982 during the year ending in January. -- Anneken TappeAssistance to Ukraine Biden said: "We are giving more than $1 billion in direct assistance to Ukraine." Facts First: This is true, but it needs context. The US has given more than $1 billion in total security assistance to Ukraine over the past year. While Biden administration officials have continued to send aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion six days ago, they are not giving the total $1 billion in assistance right now. The US has given more than $1 billion in total security assistance to Ukraine over the past year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on February 26. The US is not currently giving Ukraine $1 billion in aid, as the President stated in his speech. Blinken authorized the Defense Department to provide $60 million in immediate military assistance to Ukraine in the fall of 2021. In December, Blinken authorized an additional $200 million. After the invasion began, Blinken authorized a third aid package of $350 million for "immediate support to Ukraine's defense," Blinken said in the statement, bringing the total security assistance from the US to Ukraine "over the past year to more than $1 billion." Biden administration officials have said they are continuing to send security assistance to Ukraine, even as the Russian invasion continues. US security assistance to Ukraine has continued to arrive, a senior defense official told reporters Monday. "It continues to arrive. and continues to get to them, including in just the last day or so," the official said on a call with reporters. "We're not going to talk about the specifics of how we get stuff in, so we can continue to get stuff in." -- Ellie Kaufman and Jeremy Herb Ability to sue gun makersAddressing gun control, Biden repeated his claim that "gun manufacturers (are) the only industry in America that can't be sued." CNN has previously fact checked this claim. Here's what we found. Facts First: This is false. Gun manufacturers are not entirely exempt from being sued, nor are they the only industry with some liability protections. Under the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, gun manufacturers cannot be held liable for the use of their products in crimes. However, gun manufacturers can still be held liable for (and thus sued for) a range of things, including negligence, breach of contract regarding the purchase of a gun or certain damages from defects in the design of a gun. Sandy Hook families reach $73 million settlement with gun manufacturer RemingtonIn 2019, the Supreme Court allowed a lawsuit against gun manufacturer Remington Arms Co. to continue. The plaintiffs, a survivor and families of nine other victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, wanted to hold the company -- which manufactured the semi-automatic rifle that was used in the killing -- partly responsible by targeting the company's marketing practices, another area where gun manufacturers can be held liable. On February 15, those families reached a $73 million settlement with the now-bankrupt gun manufacturer and its four insurers. Other industries also have some exemptions from liability. For example, vaccine manufacturers cannot be held liable in a civil suit for damages from a vaccine-related injury or death. And for the next four years, pharmaceutical companies developing the Covid-19 vaccines will have immunity from liability under the 2005 Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act. Those who claim to have been harmed by vaccines may receive money from the government, not the pharmaceutical company, via the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. -- Holmes LybrandGlobal supply chains and inflationBiden said the pandemic disrupted global supply chains and in turn boosted inflation. A third of last year's inflation was due to higher car prices, he said. Facts first: That's roughly correct. As of January, inflation for used and new vehicles made up nearly a third of overall price increases. The Labor Department's consumer price index rose by 7.5% in the 12 months ended in January. Prices for used cars contributed roughly 1.7 percentage points of that, while new vehicles added another half percentage point. Car prices rose as manufacturers faced a shortage of computer chips used in new vehicles, hampering new production. As a result, used car prices spiked. -- Anneken Tappe Biden on support for his SCOTUS nominee During his speech, Biden touted his Supreme Court nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, and claimed that her appointment has been embraced by a bipartisan array of interest groups and legal experts. "Since she's been nominated, she's received a broad range of support, from the Fraternal Order of Police, to former judges appointed by Democrats and Republicans," Biden said. Facts First: This is correct. Jackson, who is the first Black woman nominated to the Supreme Court, comes from a law enforcement family. Her brother was a detective in Baltimore and two of her uncles were police officers, including one who was the police chief in Jackson's hometown of Miami. Fraternal Order of Police National President Patrick Yoes issued a statement saying Jackson "has the temperament, intellect, legal experience, and family background to have earned this appointment" and will be a fair justice on the high court. This was a surprising endorsement, as the group endorsed former President Donald Trump in 2020 and the group's vice president recently slammed Biden for "demonizing" police officers. Another top conservative lawyer backs Jackson as White House pushes her Supreme Court nominationBiden also accurately pointed out that Jackson has support from some retired GOP-appointed judges. This includes J. Michael Luttig, who served in the Virginia-based federal appeals court for 15 years and informally advised former Vice President Mike Pence regarding January 6. And according to Axios, Jackson is also supported by former Judge Thomas R. Griffith, who was an influential conservative voice on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals from 2005 until his retirement in 2020. But there are limits to the bipartisan support for Jackson's nomination. Some Senate Republicans have criticized her record and the Republican National Committee called her a "radical, left-wing activist." -- Marshall CohenEnergy efficiency savings of climate agendaAs Biden touted the need to invest in energy efficiency, he said his clean energy legislative agenda would cut energy costs for American families an average of $500 a year by combating climate change. Facts first: This needs context. Biden's estimate is based on third party analysis that assessed the savings Americans might see by 2030, not immediately. Biden's $500 per year figure comes from a recent report done by the nonpartisan research firm Rhodium Group -- which analyzed how much greenhouse gas emissions the US could slash by passing major clean energy legislation, putting forth new federal regulations, and having states pass new climate and clean energy bills as well. 'Delay means death': We're running out of ways to adapt to the climate crisis, new report shows. Here are the key takeawaysRhodium's report also looked at how this would impact household energy costs; it stresses that clean energy tax credits would have the biggest impact on potential household savings because they would help bring down the costs of items such as clean electricity and electric vehicles. "Long-term tax credits, investments in energy efficiency and other factors cushion consumers from price increases associated with new standards and regulations," the Rhodium report reads. "On a national average basis, households save roughly $500 a year in energy costs in 2030 in our joint action scenario." As it notes, Americans wouldn't expect to see energy costs go down by $500 per year immediately. Rhodium estimates that would happen by the end of the decade, with savings building gradually if Congress passed a major clean energy bill. -- Ella NilsenBiden on banning chokeholds for federal officersBiden touted his record on criminal justice and said that the Justice Department "banned  chokeholds" for federal officers. Facts First: This is true, though it's important to note that the ban does not apply to state and local law enforcement officers. Biden said the Justice Department banned chokeholds, but the "ban" wasn't a strict ban and doesn't apply to the thousands of local and state police departments across the country. In September 2021, the Justice Department announced that federal law enforcement officers would be banned from using neck restraints except in rare cases. It wasn't a strict ban -- it still allowed agents to use those techniques when deadly force is justified. The policy change did not apply to local police departments, whose policies are set by mayors and city councils and whose laws are set by their state legislatures. Top Biden officials plan post-State of the Union travel blitzNeck restraints have resulted in high-profile in-custody deaths in recent years that have spurred calls for the technique to be banned. The DOJ's policy change bans both chokeholds and "carotid restraints" except in cases where officers are authorized to use deadly force. In those cases, an agent would still be able to apply pressure to someone's neck or carotid artery to restrict airflow or blood.The DOJ can't change the policies of the thousands of local police departments across the country. But officials in academia and in law enforcement have advocated for federal "best practices" that local police departments could model, even if there was no way to enforce compliance. The DOJ's policy announcement was welcomed by some policing leaders. Some big cities, even without law changes at the state level, have restricted the use of neck restraints in recent years. But even when departments or states "ban" techniques, there are exceptions allowed when deadly force is justified, when there's a threat to someone's life. -- Peter Nickeas Taxes on those earning less than $400,000 Biden said that his plan to cut costs for families won't raise taxes on anyone earning less than $400,000 a year. "Nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in new taxes. Not a single penny," he said. Facts First: This needs context and depends a lot on how you define taxes. At least two economic models show that Biden's original economic plan would not raise taxes on those earning less than $400,000 when considering direct income and payroll taxes. That includes analyses from the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and the Penn Wharton Budget Model. But some Americans who earn less than $400,000 may still be indirectly affected by Biden's proposed corporate tax increase. Many economists assume that an increase in the corporate tax rate will result in lower wages for workers and effectively reduce their after-tax income. On average, the top 10% of tax filers, or those earning more than $115,800, could see their after-tax income shrink if one version of Biden's plan took effect, according to the Tax Foundation. The change would result in a small decrease for those earning less than $400,000, amounting to about 0.2%. While those households won't face a higher income tax rate and won't be paying Uncle Sam more, their wages could take a hit due to the higher corporate tax rate. A version of Biden's plan, known as Build Back Better, passed the House late last year but has stalled in the Senate and is unlikely to move forward in its current form. The tax increases were meant to fund an economic plan to transform the nation's social safety net and combat climate change. -- Katie LoboscoBiden's claim about Fortune 500 companies' tax billsCalling for corporations and the wealthiest Americans to "start paying their fair share," Biden said, "Last year, 55 of the Fortune 500 companies earned $40 billion in profit and paid zero dollars in federal taxes." Facts First: This needs context. Biden left out a significant word from the prepared text of his speech. The prepared text, which the White House emailed to journalists just before Biden spoke, said that the 55 Fortune 500 companies paid zero dollars last year in federal income taxes. That was indeed the conclusion of a report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning think tank. (The institute looked at federal income tax data from 2020, the last year for which these figures are currently available, not 2021.) However, in Biden's actual remarks to Congress, he said the 55 companies had paid zero dollars in "federal taxes," not zero dollars in federal income taxes in particular. It's possible that the companies in question paid some kind of federal taxes. Here's how President Biden wants to fight inflationMatthew Gardner, a senior fellow at the institute, said in a text message to CNN during the State of the Union that he "would have preferred" that Biden had specified that the report was specifically about federal income taxes. Gardner added, though, that the omission of the word "income" is not "egregious." Gardner said the income tax is the only "substantial federal tax that is explicitly designed to be paid by corporations." (Companies also submit federal payroll taxes, which are legally split between employers and employees, but Gardner said it's "pretty non-controversial" that even the employers' share of those payroll taxes is ultimately borne by workers.) One more note of context: The institute's analysis of large companies' federal income tax payments was based on the tax numbers the companies included in their public annual financial reports, which may not have been the same as the numbers on the companies' actual tax returns; the tax returns are usually not disclosed to the public. But as The Washington Post reported in October, the institute's conclusion is broadly consistent with a 2020 report from the Joint Committee on Taxation, a nonpartisan federal entity that was able to analyze a sample of corporations' actual tax filings for the period from 2014 to 2018. Gardner told CNN last week that since companies are required to publish their "best estimate of what that tax number will be" in their annual public reports, and since we will generally "never see" the actual figures from their tax returns, the numbers from their annual reports are appropriate ones to use. -- Daniel DaleBiden's claim on building 500,000 electric vehicle charging stationsBiden said his administration will "build a national network 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations" on the nation's roads, using money included in the bipartisan infrastructure law he signed in November. Facts First: This needs context. For a few reasons, it's questionable whether the Biden administration will be able to meet its goal of installing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations on US roads. The $7.5 billion allocated to charging stations in the bipartisan infrastructure law that Biden signed into law last year is just half of the $15 billion that Biden had originally proposed for the charging network. This change from the original proposal could significantly hinder the administration's ability to meet the goal. JUST WATCHEDWatch retiring Supreme Court justice's adorable reaction to Biden's shout-outReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWatch retiring Supreme Court justice's adorable reaction to Biden's shout-out 01:07Second, there's a wide range in how much different types of chargers cost, and individual states have a lot of leeway deciding what kinds of chargers will go on their roads. DC fast chargers can charge a car to mostly full in 20-30 minutes and are meant to go on major highways and roads. Another kind of charger known as an L2 charger can take hours to charge a car to full. DC fast chargers typically cost around $100,000 compared to around $6,000 for an L2, Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, a senior resident fellow at the think tank Third Way, has told CNN. In a recent interview with climate publication Grist, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that ultimately the number of EV chargers on the roads "really depends on how the states decide to mix the fast chargers and different types of technology." -- Ella Nilsen Biden on healthcare savingsBiden touted the $1.9 trillion coronavirus rescue package that he signed a year ago, saying that it is bringing people relief from skyrocketing inflation by reducing premiums for Obamacare plans through enhanced subsidies. "Look the American Rescue Plan is helping millions of families with Affordable Care Act plans to save them $2,400 a year on their health premiums," he said. Facts First: It's true the enhanced subsidies in the American Rescue Plan are reducing monthly premiums. In fact, the average savings are likely even larger than Biden said.Biden's statistic is based on an initial 2021 analysis from the Department of Health and Human Services that found the beefed up subsidies would save policyholders $50 a month, on average, or $2,400 for a family of four. The agency later found that existing Obamacare policyholders who signed up for new or updated 2021 plans during last year's special enrollment period saved an average of $67 per consumer per month on premiums, thanks to the subsidies. That equates to just over $3,200 a year for a family of four.Multiplying the per person savings by four is "imprecise," but it does yield an approximately accurate figure, said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. The updated HHS statistic is in line with a Kaiser analysis that estimated those who purchase Affordable Care Act policies would save $70 per person per month, on average. The American Rescue Plan made several major changes to Affordable Care Act subsidies for 2021 and 2022. Enrollees pay no more than 8.5% of their income on health insurance coverage, down from nearly 10%. Lower-income policyholders receive subsidies that eliminate their premiums. Also, those earning more than 400% of the federal poverty level now qualify for premium assistance, lowering what they pay each month. -Tami LuhbyReynolds on Biden and Harris visiting borderIowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, in the Republican response, touted GOP governors who visited the US-Mexico border, claiming: "We've actually gone to the border, something that our President and vice president have yet to do since taking office." Facts First: Reynolds is partially correct. President Joe Biden has not been to the US-Mexico border since he was elected, but Vice President Kamala Harris did visit the border last June. GOP State of the Union response: Iowa governor says 'enough is enough'After a surge of unaccompanied minors at the US southern border last year, Harris visited El Paso, Texas -- a city on the US-Mexico border -- in June and toured a US Customs and Border Protection facility. She was joined by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin and Democratic Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar. The visit to El Paso came on the heels of fierce GOP criticism of Harris, who had been tasked by Biden with leading diplomatic efforts in the Northern Triangle to address root causes of migration. -- Priscilla AlvarezReynolds on Democrats and defunding the police Reynolds said, "Many prominent Democrats still want to defund the police." Facts First: This needs context. While it's certainly possible to find elected Democrats who support the idea of defunding the police, the party's Washington leaders -- notably including Biden -- have explicitly opposed the idea. Biden, in fact, rejected the concept once more during Tuesday's address itself. Biden said in the State of the Union: "The answer is not to defund the police. It's to fund the police. Fund them. Fund them. Fund them with resources and training." It's worth noting that the slogan "defund the police" means different things to different activists -- from the dissolution of police forces to partial reductions in funding. - Daniel Dale Reynolds on DOJ treating parents like 'terrorists' In accusing the Biden administration of being soft on crime, Reynolds claimed that "the Department of Justice treats parents like domestic terrorists" instead of cracking down on violent crime and looting. Facts First: This claim about the Justice Department is false. It was debunked last year -- during the uproar at school boards over Covid-19 restrictions and anti-racism curriculums -- but has nonetheless remained a GOP talking point. The Justice Department isn't treating concerned parents like terrorists. The National School Boards Associations, in a September letter to the Justice Department asking it to "deal with" the uptick in threats against education officials, equated that activity to "domestic terrorism." In response, Attorney General Merrick Garland directed federal prosecutors to work with state and local authorities to combat the issue -- but importantly, he never used or embraced the heated "domestic terrorism" language. Still, Congressional Republicans pounced and quickly accused Garland, Biden and the DOJ of treating innocent parents like terrorists. At contentious hearings last year, Garland said prosecutors were only looking at violent threats against educators and weren't trying to crack down on free speech. The FBI's counterterrorism division did create an internal "threat tag" called "EDUOFFICIALS" to help agents monitor investigations and intelligence assessments about illegal threats against teachers and school board officials. This is an internal organizing tool -- not a nationwide dragnet to target concerned parents who speak up nonviolently at school board meetings. It's impossible to know everything the FBI is doing behind the scenes, but this is a very far cry from the massive abuses claimed by top Republicans. -- Marshall CohenThis story has been updated

Story by Reuters

2022-03-02 17:06:51

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/02/world/plastics-treaty-environment-climate-un-intl/index.html

UN agrees to create world's first-ever plastics pollution treaty in a blow to big oil - CNN

The United Nations approved a landmark agreement to create the world's first-ever global plastic pollution treaty on Wednesday, describing it as the most significant environmental deal since the 2015 Paris climate accord.

world, UN agrees to create world's first-ever plastics pollution treaty in a blow to big oil - CNN

UN agrees to create world's first-ever plastics pollution treaty in a blow to big oil

The United Nations approved a landmark agreement to create the world's first-ever global plastic pollution treaty on Wednesday, describing it as the most significant environmental deal since the 2015 Paris climate accord.Member states held talks for more than a week in Nairobi, Kenya, to agree the outline of a pact to rein in soaring plastic pollution, an environmental crisis that extends from ocean trenches to mountain tops.Government officials cheered and punched the air after the adoption of a resolution to create a legally binding plastic pollution treaty, which is due to be finalized by 2024."We're making history today and you should all be proud," said Espen Barth Eide, president of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA). "Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic. With today's resolution we are officially on track for a cure."The resolution, which UNEA calls "the most significant environmental deal since the Paris accord," is written in broad strokes and an intergovernmental committee is now tasked with negotiating a binding treaty that will have ripple effects on businesses and economies around the world.Read MoreAny treaty that puts restrictions on plastic production, use or design would impact oil and chemicals companies that make raw plastic, as well as consumer goods giants that sell thousands of products in single-use packaging.This would also have a significant impact on the economies of major plastic-producing countries, including the United States, India, China and Japan.Although UN officials were united in celebrating the agreement to have a plastic treaty, there remain disagreements over what should be include in a final pact, Switzerland's ambassador for the environment Franz Perrez said."This is a division between those who are ambitious and want to find a solution and those who don't want to find a solution for whatever reasons," he told a news conference in Nairobi on Tuesday.There is overwhelming public support for a UN treaty on plastic pollution, according to an IPSOS poll released this month, and delegates were swift to celebrate what they had achieved in Nairobi. Read full story"This is only the end of the beginning, we have a lot of work ahead of us," said a tearful Monica Medina, the head of the United States delegation. "But it is the beginning of the end of the scourge of plastic waste for this planet."

Alexandra Meeks, CNN

2022-02-28 11:53:08

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/us/five-things-february-28-trnd/index.html

5 things to know for February 28: Ukraine, EPA, Covid-19, State of the Union, North Korea - CNN

Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

us, 5 things to know for February 28: Ukraine, EPA, Covid-19, State of the Union, North Korea - CNN

5 things to know for Feb. 28: Ukraine, EPA, Covid-19, State of the Union, North Korea

Get '5 Things' in your inboxIf your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. (CNN)Big tech companies are clamping down on Russian state media outlets by cutting off their ad revenue during the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Google is the latest platform to ban the outlets from running ads on their content, following similar decisions by YouTube and Meta in recent days. Here's what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. (You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)1. UkraineRussian and Ukrainian delegations are meeting for talks today on the Ukraine-Belarus border as Moscow continues to ramp up its assault on Kyiv. New satellite imagery shows a miles-long convoy of Russian military vehicles bearing down on the Ukrainian capital despite the negotiations. This comes just one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin put his deterrence forces, which includes nuclear arms, on high alert. Meanwhile, Western sanctions are beginning to take effect, with the Russian Central Bank announcing it would raise its key interest rate from 9.5% to 20% because "external conditions for the Russian economy have drastically changed." Russia's currency also hit a record low against the US dollar today as the country's financial system reeled from the crushing sanctions. Follow CNN's full coverage of Russia's attack on Ukraine here.2. Climate crisisRead MoreThe Environmental Protection Agency faces a Supreme Court case today that could challenge the federal government's ability to fight the climate crisis and prevent its worst outcomes. Republicans are expected to argue that the EPA has no authority to regulate emissions from the power sector. Instead, they say that authority should be given to Congress. A Supreme Court decision siding with coal companies could undercut the Biden administration's plans to slash planet-warming emissions at a time when scientists are sounding the alarm about climate change. Observers say the outcome of this case is tough to predict, but a ruling that would shift the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants to Congress would be the worst-case scenario for the EPA.JUST WATCHED'Fire season is now year-round': Here's how climate crisis fuels wildfiresReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH'Fire season is now year-round': Here's how climate crisis fuels wildfires 03:163. CoronavirusPeople who have received a dose of Evusheld, the monoclonal antibody drug against Covid-19, should get an additional dose as soon as possible, the FDA says. The agency revised the emergency use authorization because the drug may be less active against certain Omicron subvariants. Monoclonal treatments serve as a different avenue for protection and are popular among immunocompromised people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. It's also an option for individuals who have been advised not to get a vaccine because of a severe reaction to a Covid-19 vaccine or its components. The revision of the emergency use authorization presents challenges, though. Experts say it's going to be difficult to get the word out to everyone who received a dose, and access to the product remains limited. 4. State of the UnionCapitol Police will once again erect a fence on Capitol grounds ahead of President Joe Biden's State of the Union address tomorrow. The fencing is an effort to heighten security and prepare for possible protests by big rig truckers in the coming days. The speech is a National Special Security Event, according to officials, and the Secret Service has been placed in charge of planning. Outside law enforcement agencies as well as the National Guard have been brought in to assist during the event. You can watch the State of the Union address on CNN at 9 p.m. ET tomorrow or stream it live here.JUST WATCHEDWhat will Biden prioritize in State of the Union address?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhat will Biden prioritize in State of the Union address? 03:235. North KoreaNorth Korea launched a ballistic missile off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula yesterday -- an "undesirable" move for peace stabilization while the world is trying to resolve the Ukraine war, South Korea's National Security Council said in a statement. The launch is North Korea's eighth test this year and comes nearly a month after Pyongyang fired what it claimed was its longest range ballistic missile since 2017. North Korea has ramped up its missile testing in 2022, announcing plans to bolster its defenses against the United States and evaluate "restarting all temporally suspended activities," according to state media.BREAKFAST BROWSEThe 28th Annual SAG AwardsIf you're searching for a top-tier TV series or movie to watch, look no further. Here are the winners of the year's best television and film performances. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds pledge to match donations for Ukrainian refugees up to $1 millionWe now have another reason to admire this amazing power couple.Elon Musk activates SpaceX satellite internet service in UkraineUkraine asked Musk to provide internet service to the country amid Russian attacks, and Musk delivered."The Batman" hits theaters FridayLadies and gentlemen... Robert Pattinson is Batman and Zoë Kravitz is Catwoman. Intrigued? Let's talk about "Euphoria" and that second-season finaleWarning! Spoiler alerts -- and a double dose of teen drama -- are this way.TODAY'S NUMBER20%That's the size of the stake that BP holds in Rosneft, Russia's state-owned oil giant. The British company said yesterday it is dumping that stake in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. BP, which had called itself "one of the biggest foreign investors in Russia," will lose about $2 billion as a result of the move.TODAY'S QUOTE"Look, there is no place in either political party for this White nationalism or racism. It's simply wrong ... it's evil as well."-- Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, blasting his fellow GOP members who attended a White nationalist event and those who support Russian President Vladimir Putin. Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona received criticism for speaking at the America First Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida. The event was organized by White supremacist Nick Fuentes, who has been banned from most major social media platforms for his White nationalist rhetoric.TODAY'S WEATHERJUST WATCHEDPacific Northwest facing flood, wind and avalanche threatReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPacific Northwest facing flood, wind and avalanche threat 02:20Check your local forecast here>>>AND FINALLYA toast to better days aheadRyes and shine. Why not kick off your Monday with warm coffee and toast this morning -- and learn how bread is made. (Click here to view)

Charles Riley, CNN Business

2022-03-02 11:42:36

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/02/business/oil-prices-natural-gas-russia/index.html

Oil prices surge above $110 as Russia fears mount - CNN

Global crude oil prices surged to more than $110 per barrel and the cost of natural gas skyrocketed to a new record in Europe on Wednesday as Russia's escalating military campaign in Ukraine stoked fear in markets about a supply shock.

business, Oil prices surge above $110 as Russia fears mount - CNN

Oil surges above $110 and natural gas soars as markets 'panic' over Russia

London (CNN Business)Global crude oil prices surged to more than $110 per barrel and the cost of natural gas skyrocketed to a new record in Europe on Wednesday as Russia's escalating military campaign in Ukraine stoked fear in markets about a supply shock.Brent crude futures, the global benchmark, jumped nearly 9% to $113.65 per barrel, the highest level since 2014. US oil futures also gained more than 8% to trade at $112.25 per barrel. In Europe, the price of wholesale natural gas spiked 60% to a record high of €194 ($215) per megawatt hour. That's more than double where it stood last Friday."The market panic is here," said Louise Dickson, senior oil market analyst at Rystad Energy. "The initial upward price reaction after the conflict in Ukraine started six days ago is only intensifying."Russia's energy riches haven't been directly targeted by Western sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine. But it's a huge card the United States and Europe might yet play if Russia presses on with its assault."It's still on the table, it's not off the table," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told CNN on Wednesday.Read MoreBut she added that President Joe Biden does not want to "topple the global oil markets or the global marketplace, or impact the American people more with higher energy and gas prices."Moscow is already finding it harder to sell shipments of Russian crude oil to traders and refineries worried about being caught in the fallout from sanctions targeting the financial system. Tanker operators are wary of the risk to ships in the Black Sea, and major global oil companies are ditching operations in the country. Russia's flagship Urals oil grade was trading at an $18 per barrel discount to Brent crude on Wednesday as buyers shunned Russian exports, according to analysts at Commerzbank. The discount hasn't been that wide since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the analysts said."Oil price differentials are reflecting a clear unwillingness to take Russian crude, and there continues to be [a] risk of more sanctions that could indirectly or directly impact oil purchases or supplies," said S&P Global Commodity Insights' Shin Kim, head of oil supply and production analysis.The massive price hikes come despite efforts by the West to calm markets, and risk further fueling already elevated global inflation. On Tuesday, the United States and 30 other members of the International Energy Agency authorized the release of 60 million barrels of emergency oil reserves, which would cover roughly two weeks of Russian oil shipments."The bottom line is this is not enough to cool off the market. It's a bit of a band-aid solution," said Michael Tran, managing director of global energy strategy at RBC Capital Markets.Surplus gas is burned off at a crude oil processing plant in Germany. The huge prices increases will make fuel more expensive around the world, hiking the cost of travel and commuting. They will also add to inflation and could act as a drag on economic growth, complicating decisions by global central banks as they try to counteract rising prices.Investors are afraid that Russian energy exports will be limited or halted as a result of the conflict in Ukraine — a key pipeline route, additional Western sanctions that could target the heart of Russia's economy, or retaliation by Moscow."Russian oil is seeing buying interest evaporate," said Commerzbank analysts. "The market appears to be increasingly pricing in an outage of Russian oil shipments," they added.Russian natural gas is continuing to flow to Europe, according to Alex Froley, a market analyst at Independent Commodity Intelligence Services. But there's "a lot of uncertainty and concern about how things could change," he said.Froley noted that the United Kingdom has banned Russian owned and controlled ships from its ports, which could disrupt shipments of liquefied natural gas from Russia that account for between 3% and 4% of the country's gas supply."Traders may be concerned whether continental Europe introduces a similar ban on Russian ships," he said.OPEC on the sidelinesThe Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied producers including Russia agreed on Wednesday to stick with their plan of gradually adding oil to the market, defying pressure from developed economies to do more to ease prices.The Saudi-led group, called OPEC+, said in a statement that it would increase output by 400,000 barrels per day in April — a small fraction of Russia's 10 million barrels per day crude oil production."Current oil market fundamentals and the consensus on its outlook pointed to a well-balanced market, and that current volatility is not caused by changes in market fundamentals but by current geopolitical developments," said OPEC+.Nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States could put more Iranian barrels on the market, but that wouldn't ease the situation in the near term.Exit RussiaMany of the world's biggest oil companies are quitting Russia or halting new investments in projects to explore and develop fields.ExxonMobil said Tuesday that it was quitting its last project in the country, Sakhalin-1 — which was billed as "one of the largest single international direct investments in Russia." An Exxon subsidiary was the project's operator, and the company's decision to walk away will end its presence of more than 25 years in Russia.BP, Shell and Norway's Equinor have all said this week they intend to exit their Russian businesses at a likely hit of billions of dollars to their balance sheets. France's TotalEnergies has halted new investments.— Mark Thompson and Julia Horowitz contributed reporting.

Caitlin Kaiser and Stephanie Elam, CNN

2022-03-01 23:35:03

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/01/weather/california-snow-survey-drought/index.html

Barring a 'miracle,' California snowpack will end the season below average - CNN

Winter is California's wet season, but a discouraging snow survey performed on Tuesday, along with an ominous (lack of) precipitation record set in Sacramento, shows that California reservoirs will likely not fill up again this year.

weather, Barring a 'miracle,' California snowpack will end the season below average - CNN

Barring a 'miracle,' California snowpack will end the season below average

(CNN)Winter is California's wet season, but a discouraging snow survey performed on Tuesday, along with an ominous (lack of) precipitation record set in Sacramento, shows that California reservoirs will likely not fill up again this year."With below-average precipitation and snow up until this point, our team's latest statewide snow melt forecast are only about 66% of average," said Sean de Guzman, manager of the Snow Surveys & Water Supply Forecasting Program with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR)."That's not enough to fill up our reservoirs and without any significant storms on the horizon, it's safe to say that we will end this year dry and continue on into the third year of this drought." Snowfall in the Sierra Nevadas is imperative to replenishing the state's water supply. The DWR surveys the mountains for snow periodically during the winter months in order to better predict water levels later in the year. Tuesday, the third survey of the winter was conducted on the Phillips Station snow course in the Sierra Nevadas. Snow melts and runs off the Sierra Nevadas, working to fill up California's reservoirs. "The winter season is California's wet season, when we count on storms from the tropical Pacific to bring precipitation to pack mountains with snow, and fill rivers, streams, reservoirs and soils with badly needed water," said Justin Mankin, an Assistant Professor of Geography at Dartmouth College.Read More After a great start to the winter season, de Guzman -- standing in a field of snow with blue skies -- said, "The majority of the snow pack that we are standing on right here today is basically the same snow that fell during December. There hasn't been much that has fallen ever since."And they are not expecting to see much more."Barring any unforeseen miracle March, which we don't actually see coming, we will end this year below average," de Guzman added. The third snow survey of the 2022 season is conducted at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevadas.Most of California's major reservoirs are below average. Statewide reservoir storage stands at about 73% of average. Lake Oroville is only 47% full and Lake Shasta, the largest reservoir in the state, is 37% full."This past January and February were actually the driest, consecutive January and February on record dating back over 100 years in the Sierra Nevada," de Guzman said. It isn't just the lack of snowfall in the mountains that is setting records this winter. The lack of precipitation in one of California's major cities is expected to set a dismal rain record Tuesday.A record winter dry spell With no precipitation Tuesday, Sacramento will break the record for the longest dry stretch during the wet season -- going a whopping 53 days without rain. Monday, Sacramento tied the record for most consecutive days without rain in the wet season and is looking to blow past the 52-day record, according to the National Weather Service Sacramento.After a wet start to the water year we have shifted into an extended dry stretch of weather for the start of the year. At the end of today Sac will be tied for longest dry stretch of weather in the wet season and will break the old record of 52 days at the end of tomorrow. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/W34iBEKm4m— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) February 28, 2022 This dry spell came as a shock after a wet start to the water year, which starts October 1. Sacramento saw an impressive 14.37 inches of precipitation from October to December, which is more than double the average of around six inches for this period. This was followed by only 0.05 of an inch of precipitation in January and only trace amounts in February.Dry conditions are not unusual for many areas in California; however the timing of these dry conditions is. "We aren't getting the amount of rain that we would normally get this time of year. January and February are two of our wettest months of the year, so when we are so dry it's not great for our numbers," Hannah Chandler-Cooley, NWS Sacramento meteorologist, told CNN. There is, however, rain on the horizon for Northern California.Later this week, Sacramento is forecast to receive the most rain they've seen all year. Around a quarter to a half of an inch of rain is forecast, ending the almost two-month long dry spell. But this won't be nearly enough to significantly aid the water reserves. "It is not a lot of rain for this time of year, especially considering how dry we've been the last couple of months," said Chandler-Cooley. "At this point, anything helps. But in terms of the overall water storage, this won't have much of an impact."Lack of rain and snow has left California high and dryThis dry period is just one event within a multiyear drought that contributes to the even longer multidecade megadrought in the area. "You can think of the current drought as an expression of the longer term megadrought that is unfolding across the American Southwest," Mankin says. Stepping back to look at the big picture is important in cases such as these."Just like we can have floods in the midst of a drought — a single storm missed does not make a drought like this; a single storm caught does not break a drought like this -- we can have multiple wet and dry periods in the context of a much longer dry period," Mankin added. Climate change has played a large role in more than two decades of drought."Recent work has suggested that the global warming that has occurred to date has made the drought over the last year about 20% worse than it otherwise would have been," Mankin said. The most dire consequence of below-average precipitation, especially in the context of a multiyear drought, is that there is less water for everything. Ecosystems, households industries, and agriculture may all suffer from lack of water, Mankin emphasized. The lack of precipitation in this region has and will continue to lead to devastating impacts on the environment and people who live there, such as the water restrictions placed on the Colorado River for first time.

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-03-01 17:20:29

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/01/politics/renewable-energy-poll-ukraine-climate/index.html

Poll: Even before Ukraine, Americans wanted country to prioritize renewable energy - CNNPolitics

A large majority of Americans say the US should prioritize developing renewable energy, but remain wary of transitioning off fossil fuels entirely, according to new polling from Pew Research Center.

politics, Poll: Even before Ukraine, Americans wanted country to prioritize renewable energy - CNNPolitics

Even before Ukraine crisis, majority of Americans wanted country to prioritize renewable energy development, poll shows

(CNN)A large majority of Americans say the US should prioritize developing renewable energy, but remain wary of transitioning off fossil fuels entirely, according to new polling from Pew Research Center.The survey of 10,237 US adults was conducted weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, which has increased energy costs around the world and raised concerns over energy security and reliance on fossil fuels. The results show 69% of American adults favor developing alternative energy, including wind and solar, over increasing production of fossil fuels like oil, coal and natural gas. It also found 69% of Americans want the US to take steps to become carbon neutral by 2050 -- as President Joe Biden is seeking to do.'Delay means death': We're running out of ways to adapt to the climate crisis, new report shows. Here are the key takeaways That being said, most Americans don't support phasing out fossil fuels completely, and the polling shows a partisan split on the issue. Just 31% of Americans want the US to completely phase out fossil fuel use, while 67% say the country should use a mix of renewable energy and fossil fuels.Read MorePew researchers found that while there's some concern that a renewable energy transition would lead to higher costs for everyday goods, 59% of respondents said they thought the prices they paid to heat and cool their homes would either improve or stay the same, compared to 39% who thought it would get worse. The poll didn't directly ask whether respondents would be willing to pay more for renewable energy."There's particular concern around prices," Alec Tyson, a lead author on the poll, told CNN. "Slightly more [respondents] think the impact of this shift would make prices of everyday goods worse, not better."People participated in the poll via a self-administered web survey. If participants didn't have access to internet, a tablet with wireless access was provided. The margin of error on the poll was plus or minus 1.5 percentage points.The poll comes a day after the release of a major UN-backed climate report that found that the impacts of burning fossil fuels for energy were larger than previously thought, and humans and ecosystems are running out of ways to adapt to the climate crisis. The report's authors said the impacts are happening much faster and are more disruptive and widespread than scientists expected 20 years ago.Supreme Court hears case that could limit EPA's authority to regulate planet-warming emissions from power plantsThe poll found 72% of respondents said a clean energy transition would not happen quickly enough to prevent "severe problems from climate change." Pew found majorities from both parties -- 85% of Democrats and Democratic leaners as well as 58% of Republicans and Republican leaners -- believed the energy transition wouldn't happen fast enough.In this State of the Union address on Tuesday, Biden "will call on Congress to deliver on a legislative agenda for clean energy and climate action that has overwhelming support from the American people -- Republicans, Democrats and independents," a senior administration official said.More specifically, he is expected to ask for for renewed investment in and tax credits for domestic energy manufacturing and deployments, steps the administration says could save Americans an average of $500 a year in energy costs. He will also address the crisis in Ukraine, which has driven up the price of oil and gasoline.Pew researchers say that partisan affiliation "remains the dominant divide" for US adults in their views of climate and energy issues. Very large majorities of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents want the US to prioritize renewable development, while Republicans and Republican-leaning independents tend to favor expanding fossil fuel production. However, the GOP is not monolithic when it comes to energy issues.Pew researchers found disagreement in the party when it came to the question of the US becoming carbon neutral: 66% of self-described moderate and liberal Republicans favor taking steps toward carbon neutrality, while 64% of conservative Republicans opposed it. Pew found a similar divide when asking Republicans whether the US should prioritize renewables over fossil fuel development: 64% of moderate and liberal Republicans said the country should be developing alternative sources like wind and solar, while 67% of conservative Republicans favored expanding fossil fuel production.Wind and solar development are particularly popular; 72% of US adults said the federal government should encourage wind and solar production, compared to 51% who said the government should encourage the use of electric vehicles, 35% who said it should encourage nuclear power, 33% who said it should encourage oil and gas drilling. Less than 20% said the federal government should encourage coal mining.

Jordan Valinsky, CNN Business

2022-03-01 11:07:00

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/01/business/plastic-rings-molson-coors/index.html

Molson Coors is ditching plastic rings - CNN

Coors Light is ditching plastic rings on its six-packs and replacing them with an environmentally friendlier option.

business, Molson Coors is ditching plastic rings - CNN

Coors Light is ditching those nasty plastic six-pack rings

New York (CNN Business)Coors Light is ditching plastic rings on its six-packs and replacing them with an environmentally friendlier option.Beginning later this year, Coors Light will instead be packaged in cardboard wrap carriers that are recyclable and sustainably sourced.Molson Coors (TAP) announced the change Tuesday, saying Coors Light is the largest beer brand in North America to make the switch. By 2025, all of the company's roughly 30 brands it distributes in North America — which include Blue Moon and Miller Lite — will use the cardboard packaging. Plastic rings have been used for decades to link together multi-packs of canned drinks, but they pose a risk to wildlife and have been linked to increased ocean pollution. Experts expect there will be more plastic than fish in global oceans by 2050, according to the World Economic Forum.Coors Light's new cardboard beer packaging.Such sobering statistics have fueled growing calls to eliminate single-use plastics across the business world, including from consumers. Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley told CNN Business the change is "pretty important" to its customers, which have increasingly been seeking out more sustainable products. Read More"Our consumers like the thought of products they consume being environmentally friendly," Hattersley said. "The amount of plastic recycled is very, very low." Molson Coors says the switch to cardboard wrap carriers will eliminate 1.7 million pounds of plastic annually, Hattersley noted, adding that "that's a significant amount of plastic that will be out of the system forever." The trends Coors is seeing in its customers are backed up by wider statistics: A recent survey from GlobalData found 57% of US consumers say that plastic-free packaging is very important in their purchasing decisions. The research firm said that plastic rings used in beer packaging have received "heavy backlash following viral images of ocean wildlife getting caught up in them."Molson is beginning the plastic-ring phase-out with Coors Light because it's the largest brand in its portfolio. The company is investing $85 million in new machinery at its factories to make the switch.Cardboard packaging is already in use for Molson Coors beer brands distributed in the United Kingdom, and Hattersley said the company has made "significant progress" in the changeover in Canada. So far, the product has received "very positive" feedback in countries where cardboard is currently in use, he added. Molson joins other brands making changes in the US and worldwide. other Guinness, owned by Diageo (DEO), announced in 2019 it would switch to cardboard packaging. A year later, Budweiser Brewing Group in the United Kingdom announced similar changes, but still uses plastic rings for its US products. In Europe, Carlsberg went a different route and created a "Snap Pack" that bonds cans together with glue.

Mark Thompson, CNN Business

2022-02-28 18:31:50

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/business/shell-russia-gazprom/index.html

Shell follows BP out of Russia as oil companies abandon Putin - CNN

Shell is getting out of Russia and ditching its joint ventures with Gazprom, including its involvement with the moribund Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.

business, Shell follows BP out of Russia as oil companies abandon Putin - CNN

Shell follows BP out of Russia as oil companies abandon Putin

London (CNN Business)Shell is getting out of Russia and ditching its joint ventures with Gazprom, including its involvement with the moribund Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. The UK-based oil company said Monday it would dump its 27.5% stake in the Sakhalin-2 liquified natural gas facility, its 50% stake in a project to develop the Salym fields in western Siberia and its 50% interest in an exploration project in the Gydan peninsula in northwestern Siberia."We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security," Shell (RDSA) CEO Ben van Beurden said in a statement. Shell's move follows BP's (BP) announcement Sunday that it was abandoning one of Russia's biggest foreign investments by exiting its 19.75% stake in Rosneft and associated joint ventures. Analysts said Monday that BP could take a hit of more than $26 billion as it walks away from its business in the country. Shell earned about $700 million in 2021 from the Sakhalin and Salym joint ventures. Its interests in Russia were valued at about $3 billion at the end of the year, and the company said abandoning the Gazprom projects would probably lead to impairment charges. Read More"Our decision to exit is one we take with conviction," van Beurden said. "We cannot — and we will not — stand by."The war in Ukraine has made Russian assets toxicThe company was one of five that provided 50% of the financing and guarantees for the estimated €9.5 billion ($10.6 billion) cost of building Gazprom's Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany. The project was effectively killed off last week when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the country would halt certification of the pipeline.Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor will also begin to exit its joint ventures in Russia, the company said in a statement Monday."We are all deeply troubled by the invasion of Ukraine, which represents a terrible setback for the world," said Anders Opedal, president and CEO of Equinor.The company said it had $1.2 billion in long-term investments in Russia at the end of 2021. It has operated in Russia for more than 30 years and has a cooperation agreement with Rosneft. French oil giant TotalEnergies (TTFNF) on Tuesday condemned Russia's actions and said it would no longer provide capital for new projects in the country. TotalEnergies has done business in Russia for 25 years, and recently helped launch a major liquefied natural gas project on the Siberian coast.Other European energy companies continue to have a presence in Russia, including the remaining Nord Stream 2 partners France's Engie (ENGIY), Austria's OMV (OMVJF), Germany's Wintershall Dea and Uniper, as well as Italy's ENI (E).ExxonMobil (XOM), which has been active there for more than 25 years, has reduced its presence since Russia annexed Crime in 2014. But its subsidiary, Exxon Neftegas Limited, still has a 30% stake in Sakhalin-1 — a vast oil and natural gas project located off Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East. It has operated the project since 1995 on behalf of a consortium that includes Japanese and Indian partners, as well as two affiliates of Rosneft.— Chris Liakos and Pamela Boykoff contributed to this article.

Eric Cheung, Gladys Tsai and Will Ripley, CNN

2022-03-01 01:33:04

news

asia

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/asia/taiwan-228-democracy-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

In Taiwan, remembering the deadly crackdown on democracy is only growing more important - CNN

As Taiwan marks 75 years since the 228 incident, interest in the island's painful journey to democracy is growing -- as are fears that it could be taken away.

asia, In Taiwan, remembering the deadly crackdown on democracy is only growing more important - CNN

Why a decades-old deadly crackdown on democracy is becoming more important for Taiwan today

Taipei, Taiwan (CNN)As a young man, Fred Chin spent years imprisoned on a craggy island off Taiwan. Before he was sentenced, guards punched him, forced him to drink his own blood, and hung him upside down while they poured salty water into his mouth, he said.Malaysian-born Chin had come to Taiwan to study at university in 1967, but attracted the attention of the island's secret police in 1971. He doesn't know why.They accused him of bombing a US government office in Taiwan the year before and working as a communist spy to overthrow the government in Taipei. There was no evidence, according to Chin, so secret police tortured him until he confessed to the crimes and imprisoned him for 12 years. "They treated us like animals and didn't respect our dignity," said Chin, now 72. "They wanted me to admit that the explosion was done by me." Former political prison Fred Chin in a former prison at Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park, where he was tortured by secret police in the 1970s.Read MoreChin was one of up to 200,000 people imprisoned during what became known as Taiwan's "white terror," a four-decade crackdown on political dissent imposed by an authoritarian regime between 1947 and 1987, according to Taiwan government estimates. Both political activists and apolitical people like Chin were caught up in the crackdown. Until martial law lifted in 1987, the "white terror" events were considered a taboo subject. China's leaders may be watching Ukraine with an eye on TaiwanSince 1995, the "white terror" has been commemorated each year on February 28, the date the government violently suppressed a 1947 uprising in the capital Taipei, considered to be the start of the crackdown. The date is also shorthand for its popular name -- the 228 incident.The Taiwan government estimates that between 18,000 and 28,000 died during the uprising, while another 10,000 died in the subsequent four decades.As Taiwan marks 75 years since the event, interest in the island's painful journey to democracy is growing -- as are fears that it could be taken away.Experts have warned that Beijing could be taking notes from Russia's invasion of Ukraine for a similar move towards Taiwan. Tensions between mainland China and Taiwan have risen significantly in the last few years -- Beijing claims self-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and has refused to rule out the use of military force. Activists and onlookers say the "white terror" period only highlights how difficult it has been to win democracy on the island -- and how much Taiwan potentially stands to lose. A long fight for freedomTaiwan, an island off the southeastern coast of mainland China and home to 24 million people, has had a long history of being governed by overseas powers. For five decades, Taiwan was under the control of Japanese colonial rulers. But in 1945, after Japan's defeat in WWII, the island was handed to China's then-ruling Nationalist Party -- or Kuomintang.Less than two years later, rising tensions between local Taiwanese and their rulers from mainland China erupted into the 228 incident, said Wu Jieh-min, a political sociology professor at Taiwan's Academia Sinica. On February 27, 1947, Taipei police hit a contraband cigarette seller in the head while confiscating her wares. When bystanders came to her defense, police fired and killed one of them. The bystander's death sparked protests which evolved into sometimes violent riots, with demonstrators expanding their complaints to include growing inflation, corruption and conflicts between locals and mainland Chinese officials.Facing defeat in a civil war in mainland China, Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan in 1949 and imposed martial law which lasted for 38 years -- one of the world's longest periods of martial law.President Chiang Kai-shek in Taipei in 1956.Hundreds of unwanted statues of former president Chiang Kai-shek were moved to a park in Taoyuan city, as Taiwan reflects on his oppressive role during the "white terror" period.Nevertheless, activists continued to fight for democracy.In December 1979, pro-democracy activist Annette Lu stood in front of a crowd of about 80,000 people at a human rights parade in Kaohsiung city. She hadn't planned to speak, but as she criticized the Kuomintang government for denying freedom to the Taiwanese people, she remembers the crowd falling silent. Some had tears in their eyes, she said. Suddenly, she saw military troops and police fire tear gas into the crowd. She was arrested along with other activist leaders and sentenced to 12 years in prison for sedition, during which time she says she wrote a novel on toilet paper. Ultimately she was released after five and a half years. Annette Lu in 2007, in Taipei, Taiwan. In 1987, martial law was lifted, and it was only in 1996 that Taiwan held its first direct Presidential election. In Taiwan's second-ever presidential election, Lu -- who had once been locked up for her political beliefs -- become the island's first female vice president. "Once I joined the opposition movement, I knew sooner or later I would be jailed," she added. "I told the crowd we had to fight together...The message landed me in prison, but so many people (were) inspired by me." Taiwanese identity Although the events of "white terror" took place decades ago, this period of history is gaining prominence in Taiwan."Among the younger generation, there has been heightened awareness about white terror and our history of democratization in recent years," sociology professor Wu said. "New creations of literature and artwork on this topic are evidence that more people are paying attention."Earlier this month, Taiwanese indie rock band Sorry Youth invited a victim to appear in a music video filmed at a former detention center. In 2019, Taiwanese horror film "Detention," set during the "white terror" period, was a hit at the box office, and won numerous awards at Taipei's Golden Horse Award -- often dubbed the "Chinese-language Oscars."And in 2018, President Tsai Ing-wen -- only the second-ever Taiwanese president not affiliated with the Kuomintang -- set up a transitional justice committee to review injustices committed during its authoritarian era. The committee officially exonerated former prisoners like Chin and Lu and offered compensation. JUST WATCHEDTaiwan's President: Threat from China is growing every day (October, 2021)ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHTaiwan's President: Threat from China is growing every day (October, 2021) 07:32According to Wu, the history of political suppression has played an important part in shaping a unique identity among the Taiwanese people. "Taiwan now has a shared history and identity. For many, human rights and democracy are very important," he said. Discussions about the "white terror" period -- and the importance of democracy -- have only grown in recent years as Beijing has piled military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan to achieve its longterm goal of "reunification" with the island. China's ruling Communist Party views Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory, despite having never controlled it. Some politicians and analysts have raised concerns that Beijing may be watching Russia's invasion of Ukraine with an eye on Taiwan. Last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "echoes" of what happens in Ukraine "will be heard in Taiwan," while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said "others are watching" the Western response to Russia, "even if it's half a world away from Europe." China isn't about to invade Taiwan. But the two sides are on a dangerous pathFor its part, China says Taiwan is not Ukraine, claiming the island has belonged to China "since ancient times.""China's sovereignty and territory have never been divided and cannot be divided. This is the status quo of the Taiwan question," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said last week when asked about comparisons made between Taiwan and Ukraine.But while experts also pointed out differences between the geopolitical situations in Ukraine and Taiwan, the island's leaders put its military on "a high level of vigilance."Last year China sent hundreds of warplanes into the skies above waters southwest of the island, prompting the island to issue radio warnings and deploy air defense missile systems to monitor the activities. Taiwan's Defense Minister, retired general Chiu Kuo-cheng, made a dire prediction -- by 2025, China could be able to mount a "full-scale" invasion of Taiwan.Beijing has previously criticized Taiwan's government for using the 228 incident as a tool to promote the island's separation from mainland China."If China invades or takes Taiwan in the foreseeable future, I'm very worried that the 228 tragedy would happen again," Wu said."The tragedy of the past is why many people are scared about establishing political ties with China again," he said. "For Taiwanese people, many want to avoid this tragedy from happening again. And this is the reason why many people do not want to see Taiwan falling into the hands of a foreign regime again." The past as a warningVictims of the "white terror" continue to process what happened to them -- but they also hope their experiences serve as a lesson to younger generations. Chin, who became a Taiwanese citizen after his time in prison, now spends time reminding the younger generation of Taiwan's painful history by offering guided tours at a memorial park."We didn't want these kinds of things to happen again, to anyone else," he said. A memorial wall inside a former political prison on Green Island, Taiwan, bears the names of thousands of prisoners sentenced during the "white terror" period.Another white terror victim, Chen Wu-jen, was imprisoned for two years from 1969 after he scribbled words opposing the ruling Kuomintang on the back of an aptitude test during his military conscription. He was 20.Chen, now 73, went on to become an artist. Last year he became the first "white terror" victim to hold an exhibition at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, a building commemorating the leader who once oppressed him. The exhibition included his oil paintings and woodcarvings showing what it was like to be persecuted, and an area that invited visitors to reflect how Taiwan should correct its past mistakes and achieve transitional justice. Taiwan's former vice president Annette Lu spent more than five years in prison.He said it is important for the younger generation to understand the sacrifices many people made for democracy. "The freedom we enjoy today did not fall from the sky, and only came about because many people worked hard for it," he added. Lu said this message is especially important to present-day Taiwan."We have to insist our principles -- democracy, freedom and the dignity -- are what our people desire for," said Lu, now 77. "Our future has always been decided by outsiders," she said. "We really want to be ourselves."

Haley Brink, CNN meteorologist

2022-02-28 15:00:26

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/weather/weather-washington-oregon-atmospheric-river-avalanche-flood/index.html

'Extreme' atmospheric river triggers avalanche warnings - CNN

An "extreme" atmospheric river arrived in the Pacific Northwest Sunday night and will bring hazards such as avalanches and flooding through the early part of the week.

weather, 'Extreme' atmospheric river triggers avalanche warnings - CNN

'Extreme' atmospheric river triggers avalanche warnings

(CNN)An "extreme" atmospheric river is hitting the Pacific Northwest, bringing the threat of avalanches and flooding that will persist for days."A slow moving low pressure spinning over the north Pacific will result in an atmospheric river (a narrow ribbon of enhanced moisture transport) slowly shifting across the PacNW," the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Portland tweeted. "This will produce periods of moderate to heavy rain to begin the workweek."Flood watches and warnings were in place Monday for over five million people across Idaho, Oregon and Washington, including Seattle. As of Monday afternoon, Seattle had received more than three and a half inches of rain in just 48 hours. Over two inches of that has fallen on Monday alone, making the day the fourth-wettest February day on record (and rain was still falling).Seattle averages just one day per year with rainfall greater than or equal to 2 inches. It's now already happened twice this year: Jan. 6th and today. This is the first time on record in Seattle that it has occurred consecutively in the first two months of the year.#wawx— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) February 28, 2022 Heavy snow has prompted winter weather advisories across portions of Washington, Idaho and Montana and avalanche warnings across the Cascades. Read MoreAvalanches triggered through Monday afternoon could be large enough to bury or kill you, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center. "This won't be the day to try to tiptoe around the hazard."Sign up to get weekly weather updatesHigh risk for avalanchesThe "extreme" Level 4 out of 5 atmospheric river is bringing heavy snow to the Cascades where an additional 2 to 4 inches is forecast through midweek. On the atmospheric river scale, an "extreme" event is characterized by "mostly hazardous" but also "beneficial" in terms of the amount of rain expected, according to the Center for Western Water and Weather Extremes (CW3E).Caught in an avalanche? You've got 30 minutes to survive"Wet" avalanches typically occur when warm air, sun or rain cause water to drain into the snow pack, in turn decreasing the strength of the snow.And with warming temperatures and excessive rain in place across higher elevations, the threat of avalanches was "high" on Monday.The Washington Cascades, from the Canadian border south to the Columbia River, are under avalanche warnings through 6 p.m. PST."Avalanche warnings have been issued for almost all of our forecasting zones," the Northwest Avalanche Center said in a tweet. "Avoid travel in or below avalanche terrain."An #Avalanche warning has been issued for the Washington Cascades from the Canadian Border to the Columbia River. High avalanche danger is present. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. Avoid terrain where avalanches can start, run or stop. #WAwx pic.twitter.com/xPqpPeBkvs— NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) February 28, 2022 Snoqualmie Pass and Stevens Pass were closed in both directions Monday morning. Snoqualmie was expected to open later in the day and Stevens on Tuesday, according to Washington's Department of Transportation. "Widespread avalanches large enough to bury and kill you are expected at Snoqualmie Pass on Monday," the avalanche center said. They warned avalanches could become very large and run for very long distances, all the way down to valley bottoms with "wet and destructive debris."Avalanches are not the only threat with this system. Flooding could linger for much of the week. Heavy rain and snow melt lead to floodingAs heavy rain falls across freshly fallen snow and current snow pack, melting is expected to happen, which will worsen flood conditions. "Increased runoff from some [snow] melt will act as an addition to the rain-rates bringing potential for higher than normal runoff and flooding conditions," the Weather Prediction Center said.Several rivers across Washington are forecast to reach moderate to major flood stage this week."With this much rain and rising snow levels, area rivers will rise, with some forecast to flood," the NWS office in Seattle said. "The current forecast suggests potentially most area rivers off the Cascades reach minor flood stage Monday night into Tuesday, with moderate river flooding possible on the Skokomish, Snoqualmie, Nisqually and Cowlitz."A Level 3 out of 4 "moderate" risk of excessive rain was in place across portions of Washington and Oregon's coastal mountains and the southern Washington Cascades. A Level 2 threat encompasses the remaining Cascades and coastal areas of Washington and northern Oregon.The heaviest rain is expected through Tuesday morning, with 24-hour rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches forecast along portions of the Washington and Oregon coasts. Isolated higher rainfall amounts are possible across portions of the Cascades during the same time span.The heavy rain event is coming off of a relatively dry start to February. As of Sunday morning, the Seattle-Tacoma airport had only received just over 1 inch of rain this month, which is more than a 2.5-inch deficit for the month of February. By Monday afternoon, that deficit had been made up and then some as the city essentially received its entire February average in a 48-hour period.While the atmospheric river event is forecast to wane by Wednesday, rain and snow showers are forecast to remain in place, albeit much lighter, through the remainder of the week, until quieter weather returns this weekend.CNN's Taylor Ward contributed to this report.

Sebastian Shukla and Lianne Kolirin, CNN

2022-02-28 16:48:34

news

europe

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/europe/snake-island-ukraine-russia-survivors-alive-intl/index.html

Snake Island's defiant soldiers are 'alive and well,' says Ukraine's navy - CNN

The Ukrainian defenders of Snake Island -- who were all feared dead after their defiant response to threats from a Russian warship -- are actually "alive and well," according to the Ukrainian Navy.

europe, Snake Island's defiant soldiers are 'alive and well,' says Ukraine's navy - CNN

The defiant soldiers of Snake Island are actually 'alive and well,' says Ukraine's navy

(CNN)The Ukrainian defenders of Snake Island -- who were all feared dead after their defiant response to threats from a Russian warship -- are actually "alive and well," according to the Ukrainian Navy. All of the soldiers on the tiny island in the Black Sea were thought to have been killed in an attack on the first day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last Thursday. According to a purported audio exchange, one of the Ukrainian troops had responded to a warning from an approaching Russian vessel to lay down their weapons or face bombing by saying, "Russian warship, go f*** yourself." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said later on Thursday that 13 soldiers on Snake Island all died "heroically" by Russian bombardment. But -- after the Ukrainian border guard said that it had information disputing the deaths -- a statement on Monday from the country's navy suggested this was certainly not the case. Is the Ukraine-Russia meeting a path forward or political sideshow?According to the navy the soldiers on the island repelled two attacks by Russian forces but in the end were forced to surrender "due to the lack of ammunition."Read MoreThe statement added that Russian attackers have completely destroyed the island's infrastructure, including lighthouses, towers and antennas. Russian state media also showed the arrival of the Ukrainian soldiers in Sevastopol, Crimea where they are being held. Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island, sits about 30 miles (48 kilometers) off the southern tip of the Ukrainian mainland in the northwestern Black Sea. It's about 185 miles west of Crimea, the Ukrainian territory that Russia annexed in 2014.Though it is only about 46 acres (18 hectares) in size, a report last year from the non-partisan Atlantic Council think tank called it "key to Ukraine's maritime territorial claims" in the Black Sea.Highlighting its strategic importance, Zelensky chose Snake Island last year as the spot for an interview with Ukrainian media in advance of a summit to try to reverse Russia's annexation of Crimea, the Atlantic Council report said.CNN's Brad Lendon, Tim Lister and Josh Pennington contributed to this report.

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-02-28 19:48:29

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/politics/supreme-court-hears-epa-power-plant-emissions-case-climate/index.html

Supreme Court hears case that could limit EPA's authority to regulate planet-warming emissions from power plants - CNNPolitics

The Supreme Court on Monday heard what could be one of the most consequential cases for climate change and clean air in decades.

politics, Supreme Court hears case that could limit EPA's authority to regulate planet-warming emissions from power plants - CNNPolitics

Supreme Court hears case that could limit EPA's authority to regulate planet-warming emissions from power plants

(CNN)The Supreme Court on Monday heard what could be one of the most consequential cases for climate change and clean air in decades, with Republican attorneys general and coal companies asking the court to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate planet-warming gas emissions from power plants. During oral arguments for West Virginia v. EPA, which lasted about two hours, not all of the court's conservative majority appeared to be aligned with the petitioners, though some entertained the idea that the authority should be turned back to Congress. The Supreme Court hears a major case on EPA's authority over planet-warming gases. Here's what's at stake.The hearing came on the same day that a major UN-backed climate change report showed the impacts of burning fossil fuels were larger than previously thought, and that society is running out of ways to adapt to the crisis. Justices on the conservative wing of the court focused their questions on legal theories being argued by state attorneys general, including the scope of the Clean Air Act, which gives the EPA authority to regulate air pollution, and the role of the Major Questions Doctrine, which states that questions of significant political or economic importance must be decided by Congress. West Virginia Solicitor General Lindsay See argued that the rise of renewable energy like wind and solar powering electricity is "a major question, because it allows EPA to determine what the power sector as a whole should look like and who can be in it." Read MoreOn the other side, US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued the petitioners' case should be dismissed because there is no federal regulation for power plants on the books right now -- with both the Obama-era Clean Power Plan and the Trump-era Affordable Clean Energy rule dead. President Joe Biden's EPA has not yet issued a new rule. 'Delay means death': We're running out of ways to adapt to the climate crisis, new report shows. Here are the key takeawaysPrelogar was joined by Beth Brinkmann, an attorney representing power companies who want the EPA to keep its regulating authority. Both argued the court should not speculate on potential regulations, nor restrict the EPA from issuing them in the future. The three liberal justices on the court seemed to agree with this idea in their line of questioning, which emphasized how big a shift it would be to strip the EPA's authority, both for the government and the power industry. "This is really a step further than anything we have said before," Justice Sonia Sotomayor said. "All of our other cases, whether its regulation of tobacco, or regulation of evictions under major questions doctrine, have not addressed the 'how.' Now ... you want us to look at the 'how.'" Conservatives question scope of Clean Air ActDue to their current 6-3 majority on the US Supreme Court, there's no doubt the court's conservatives will be the important votes in this case. But some of their questions cast doubt that they would necessarily agree with the petitioners. Justice Amy Coney Barrett pointed out that unlike in past cases where there's been a legitimate question of whether an agency is operating outside of its boundaries, the EPA is indeed charged with regulating greenhouse gas emissions -- something that has been reaffirmed by the Supreme Court twice. Cities tried to cut natural gas from new homes. The GOP and gas lobby preemptively quashed their effort"Here, thinking about EPA regulating greenhouse gases, there's a match between the regulation and the agency's wheelhouse, right?" Barrett asked coal company attorney Yaakov Roth. "You're saying when you look at the scheme, this is a really big deal. That's a little bit different than a mismatch between the subject of the regulation and what the agency does." Similarly, Justice Clarence Thomas seemed skeptical about the arguments that power companies should only have to retrofit their plants to lower emissions "inside the fence" -- including coal scrubbers or carbon capture -- rather than pushing them to add cleaner sources of energy. "I don't know how you can draw such clean distinctions," between inside and outside the fence, Thomas told Roth. "It would seem as though EPA could regulate the source in a way that actually requires change in the mix of energy generation. That for example, the cost of running a facility is so high that you begin to change your generation sources say from coal to natural gas, or natural gas to solar." Biden administration freezes new oil and gas drilling leases after court rules against key climate toolOther conservatives, including Justice Samuel Alito, seemed more inclined to lean into the petitioners' argument -- asking the power utility attorney how far an agency would have to go in wielding its power before she considered it a major question. Alito questioned whether considering the impacts of climate change could mean the EPA has very few limits on regulations, asking Prelogar if the agency could extend its power by regulating emissions from single-family homes -- something she said it is unable to do. "What weight do you assign to the effects of climate change, which some people believe is matter of civilizational survival, and the costs and the effect on jobs?" Alito said. "I really don't see what the concrete limitations are in any of what you said if you take the arguments about climate change seriously, and this is a matter of survival." Justice Neil Gorsuch asked few questions during the hearing, but noted that the EPA's case was a "strong argument" that the states are not harmed given there's no rule in place. Liberal justices seemed skeptical The three liberal justices, Elena Kagan, Stephen Breyer, and Sotomayor appeared skeptical of petitioners' arguments. Breyer questioned See on how delegating EPA's authority to Congress would work on a practical level."I had thought we have a whole US Code filled with delegations to different agencies, and many of those words are fairly technical," Breyer said. "Is it a minor matter having to do with administration that they're more familiar with? Is it something that's going to change the whole United States of America -- that cuts the other way?" Kagan asked why generation shifting -- or moving to generate electricity from renewable sources -- shouldn't be allowed by the EPA if it is a cheaper alternative for power companies and gives them flexibility. "The way the grid works -- it prefers cheaper methods," Kagan said. "And so EPA could come out with a rule that is plant by plant but makes coal plants hugely more expensive. This is essentially what the market is already doing, but EPA could do it faster." Kagan pointed to Thomas's earlier argument, saying that inside and outside the fence retrofits to coal plants would have the same end result and therefore didn't have much of a difference. "This system, it's actually going to cost less for everybody than if we did something like what you're talking about," Kagan said. "So why shouldn't EPA have that ability? Why shouldn't the states have that ability?"

Brad Lendon, Tim Lister and Josh Pennington, CNN

2022-02-25 06:18:03

news

europe

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/25/europe/ukraine-russia-snake-island-attack-intl-hnk-ml/index.html

Snake Island: Soldiers reacted with defiant words to threats from Russian warship - CNN

A Ukrainian soldier on a tiny island in the Black Sea didn't hold back when threatened with bombing by a Russian warship as Moscow continued its assault on Ukrainian territory.

europe, Snake Island: Soldiers reacted with defiant words to threats from Russian warship - CNN

Soldiers on Snake Island reacted with defiant words to threats from Russian warship

Kyiv, Ukraine (CNN)Update: The Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island were all feared to have been killed in the Russian attack on February 24. On February 28, however, the Ukrainian Navy released a statement saying the troops were "alive and well," but were forced to surrender "due to the lack of ammunition."A Ukrainian soldier on a tiny island in the Black Sea didn't hold back when threatened with bombing by a Russian warship as Moscow continued its assault on Ukrainian territory.According to a purported audio exchange, as the Russians approached Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island, the Russian officer says: "This is a military warship. This is a Russian military warship. I suggest you lay down your weapons and surrender to avoid bloodshed and needless casualties. Otherwise, you will be bombed."A Ukrainian soldier responds: "Russian warship, go f*** yourself."Those were the final known words heard from the island.Read MoreAll 13 Ukrainian defenders were killed in a Russian bombardment Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said."All border guards died heroically but did not give up. They will be awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine posthumously," Zelensky said.Snake Island sits about 30 miles (48 kilometers) off the southern tip of the Ukrainian mainland in the northwestern Black Sea. It's about 185 miles (300 kilometers) west of Crimea, the Ukrainian territory that Russia annexed in 2014.Though it is only about 46 acres (18 hectares) in size, a report last year from the non-partisan Atlantic Council think tank called it "key to Ukraine's maritime territorial claims" in the Black Sea.Highlighting its strategic importance, Zelensky chose it last year as the spot for an interview with Ukrainian media in advance of a summit to try to reverse Russia's annexation of Crimea, the Atlantic Council report said.Zelensky words to interviewers that day proved prophetic."This island, like the rest of our territory, is Ukrainian land, and we will defend it with all our might," he said.

Julia Horowitz, CNN Business

2022-02-28 18:51:40

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/business/europe-gas-ukraine-russia-report/index.html

Gas prices: What if Moscow halts energy exports to Europe? - CNN

If Russia halts its supply of gas to Europe to retaliate against the punishing sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine, the region should still be able to make it through next winter. But it won't be easy or cheap.

business, Gas prices: What if Moscow halts energy exports to Europe? - CNN

What if Moscow turns off the gas as the Ukraine conflict deepens?

London (CNN Business)If Russia halts its supply of gas to Europe to retaliate against the punishing sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine, the region should still be able to make it through next winter. But it won't be easy or cheap.That's the conclusion from a report published Monday by Bruegel. The Brussels-based think tank warned that preparations "must be made for a complete termination of all Russian gas flows to Europe.""If the EU is forced or willing to bear the cost, it should be possible to replace Russian gas already for next winter without economic activity being devastated, people freezing, or electricity supply being disrupted," Bruegel's researchers said. "But on the ground, dozens of regulations will have to be revised, usual procedures and operations revisited, a lot of money quickly spent and hard decisions taken."Thanks to record imports of liquified natural gas from countries such as the United States in recent months, Europe should be able to last through the summer without severe energy shortages even if Russia intentionally cuts off its supplies of gas -— or if key infrastructure is damaged amid fighting in Ukraine. However, Bruegel said the bloc needs to start thinking about how to replenish its inventories, which countries across Europe rely on to keep the lights on and heat homes.Read MoreEurope imports about 40% of its natural gas from Russia. Germany, the bloc's biggest economy, is particularly exposed: Russia supplies about half of its natural gas. Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia get about 60% of their natural gas from Russia, while Poland sources 80%.Coal and the climateIf Russian imports cease, Europe will need to reduce demand for gas by at least 400 terawatt-hours, or about 10% to 15% of annual demand, according to Bruegel. The group said this is "possible," but would require policy shifts. Some options include ramping up the use of alternative fuels such as coal, delaying the phase-out of nuclear plants or reducing demand from industrial players.This scenario also assumes that the EU "can procure unprecedented amounts of LNG, that market players have sufficient incentives to purchase and store gas at high prices and that gas is then distributed seamlessly across countries."Greater use of coal, in particular, would have major consequences for the climate. A major UN-backed report published Monday found that global warming is on course to transform life on Earth as we know it, with effects that are more disruptive and widespread than scientists expected 20 years ago.Europe is starting to plan ahead. On Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who made the decision to halt certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia last week, said the country will construct two new LNG terminals."We need to do more in order to protect [the] energy supply of our country," Scholz said.Germany is also reportedly considering whether to extend the life of its three remaining nuclear power plants, which are due to be shuttered this year.Bruegel said that managing costs, as well as coordinating between governments and companies, will prove challenging as Europe tries to replenish its gas supply. Prices in Europe are below record highs hit in December but remain elevated. Adding about 70 terawatt-hours of gas to EU storage in advance of next winter would cost at least €70 billion ($79 billion), compared to €12 billion ($13.5 billion) in previous years, according to Bruegel.

Rachel Ramirez, CNN

2022-02-28 10:59:43

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/world/un-ipcc-climate-report-adaptation-impacts/index.html

Climate change: We're running out of ways to adapt to the crisis, new UN IPCC report shows - CNN

The UN IPCC climate report found that unless global warming is halted, billions of people and species could reach critical tipping points.

world, Climate change: We're running out of ways to adapt to the crisis, new UN IPCC report shows - CNN

'Delay means death': We're running out of ways to adapt to the climate crisis, new report shows. Here are the key takeaways

(CNN)Climate change is on course to transform life on Earth as we know it, and unless global warming is dramatically slowed, billions of people and other species will reach points where they can no longer adapt to the new normal, according to a major report published Monday.The UN-backed report, based on years of research from hundreds of scientists, found that the impacts from human-caused climate change were larger than previously thought. The report's authors say these impacts are happening much faster and are more disruptive and widespread than scientists expected 20 years ago.Supreme Court hears case that could limit EPA's authority to regulate planet-warming emissions from power plantsThe authors point to enormous inequities in the climate crisis, finding that those who contribute the least to the problem are the worst affected, and warn of irreversible impacts if the world exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming.UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the report "an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership," and he warned that "delay means death.""The facts are undeniable. This abdication of leadership is criminal," Guterres said in a statement. "The world's biggest polluters are guilty of arson of our only home."Read MoreHe also said that "current events" showed the world was too reliant of fossil fuels, calling them "a dead end," in an apparent reference to the Ukraine conflict and energy crisis. Here are the report's key takeaways:Warming beyond 1.5 degrees could have irreversible consequencesBleaching of the coral reefs around French Polynesia in 2019.Scientists have warned for decades warming needs to stay below 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Monday's report, from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), showed if that limit is breached, some changes will be irreversible for hundreds — if not thousands — of years. And some changes may be permanent, even if the planet cools back down. The world is already 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer than before industrialization, according to the IPCC's estimate, which is considered conservative. We are now rapidly barreling toward 1.5 degrees. With every extreme event, ecosystems are being pushed more toward so-called tipping points beyond which irreversible changes can happen, according to the report. At warming of 2 degrees, for example, as many as 18% of all land species will be at high risk of extinction, according to the report. At 4 degrees, 50% of species are threatened."There are many challenges already with 1.5 degrees for several systems that we know about," said Hans-Otto Pörtner, a co-chair on the report and a scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research. "Clearly for coral reefs, we must say that in many locations, they are already beyond tipping points. They are on the downslide."A man works in the Swiss Alps at the Rhone Glacier in October 2021, which is partially covered with insulating foam to prevent it from melting due to global warming.Highly vulnerable ecosystems in the Arctic, mountains and on the coasts are at the greatest risk to these changes, the authors say. Ice sheet and glacier melt will cause accelerated sea level rise, irreversible for centuries. Forests, peatlands and permafrost — places where greenhouse gas is naturally stored — risk being pushed into a situation where they are emitting those gases into the atmosphere, causing even more warming.We're running out of ways to adapt"Adaptation" is finding ways to live with the change — like putting up walls to ward off sea level rise or implementing new building codes to ensure homes can withstand more extreme weather. Scientists note some of our adaptations have blunted the impact of the climate crisis so far, but they are not adequate in the long-term. Our options to adapt will become even more limited at 1.5 degrees.A flood defense wall being constructed on the east side of Manhattan in New York City on December 11, 2021.And although the natural world has adapted to changing climates over millions of years, the pace of human-caused global warming is pushing many of the planet's most critical systems — like rainforests, coral reefs and the Arctic — to the brink. More extreme weather doesn't just affect humans, it is causing mass die-offs in plants and animals.Population growth and development, which has not been carried out with long-term adaptation in mind, are also luring people into harm's way. As many as 3.6 billion people live in places already highly vulnerable to climate hazards, some of which will increase beyond the ability to adapt once the planet hits the 1.5-degree mark.A lot of the world's resources, particularly international finance, goes toward reducing greenhouse emissions, which is known as mitigation. At the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, last year, developing nations complained that the rich world was failing to help adequately fund adaptation in their countries."We have seen that the vast majority of climate finance goes towards mitigation rather than adaptation," said Adelle Thomas, an author on the report and a climate scientist at the University of the Bahamas. "So although adaptation is taking place, there is not enough funding, and it is not a high priority, which are then leading to these limits."Up to 3 billion people will experience 'chronic water scarcity'Residents fill water containers during a shortage in Nairobi, Kenya, in January.Around half of the world's population experiences severe water scarcity each year in part due to climate-related factors, the report showed. Water will become even more scarce at higher global temperatures.At 2 degrees of warming — which scientists predict the planet will reach by midcentury — as many as three billion people around the world will experience "chronic water scarcity," according to the report. It increases to four billion people at 4 degrees.Water shortages will put enormous pressure on food production and increase the world's already dire food-security challenges. A water crisis is already brewing in the Western United States. Multiyear drought has drained reservoirs and triggered unprecedented water cuts for the region. Lake Mead, the country's largest reservoir, plunged to record lows in recent months, threatening water supply for tens of millions of people. Dead almond trees lie in an open field after they were removed by a farmer because of a lack of water to irrigate them, in Huron, California, in July 2021. The authors say drought has put a hard limit on adaptation for almond growing.Most of the Middle East is experiencing high levels of water stress, expected to worsen the more the Earth warms, raising questions over how long those parts of the region will remain inhabitable. Vast swaths of Africa have also struggled in recent years with prolonged drought. The report focuses on the interconnectedness between the Earth's ecosystems and humans, including how the climate crisis is altering water resources."What we really wanted to show is that ecosystems and all sectors of human society and human well-being fundamentally depends on water," Tabea Lissner, a scientist at Climate Analytics and an author on the report, told CNN. "And it's not just the water resource itself that plays an important role in water security, but also what form and in what quality we can access it, and really showing how many different ways climate change really affects humans and ecosystems through various channels."The people who are least responsible are the most affectedFlooding in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on September 7, 2021.The countries that emit the least planet-warming gases, mainly those in the Global South and island territories, tend to be the ones disproportionately harmed by climate hazards, the report showed."We live in an unequal world," Eric Chu, an author of the report and scientist at University of California, Davis, told CNN. "The losses are inequitably distributed among communities, especially those communities that have historically been disadvantaged from decision-making, and now we're seeing some of that inequality manifest as well in the choices we make to adapt."Camille Parmesan, an ecologist at CNRS Ecology Station and an author of the report, said as climate change worsens, more Indigenous people will lose the land, water and biodiversity they depend on. An overhead view of Ejit in the Marshall Islands, which are being increasingly overwhelmed by sea level rise."There's increasing evidence that many Indigenous communities that do rely a lot more on the natural systems for their food and their livelihoods are not only the most exposed, because those natural systems are being very heavily impacted, but they're the most vulnerable because often they're there in areas with high poverty or poor access to health care," Parmesan said.As the climate crisis advances, more people will be forced to relocate, adding stress and vulnerability to other regions."When the Earth doesn't become farmable, the dependence in the livelihood that communities have on farming and on production of food, not only will the incomes be lost, but that food security will be lost," said Vivek Shandas, a professor of climate adaptation and urban policy at Portland State University, who was not involved with the report. "That ability to survive every day is lost. As humans, throughout history, we moved from places that are less habitable to places that are more attainable and habitable."We can still avoid the worstEmployees from Akfen Renewable Energy Group's Canakkale Wind Power Plant in Turkey do a routine maintenance check of equipment on the top of a wind turbine in December 2021.While many regions in the developing world are unable to adapt because of a lack of finance and capacity, the IPCC singles out North America as a region where misinformation and politicization are a barrier.That's led to a misunderstanding of how great the risk is, and has polarized the response to the crisis, ultimately "delaying urgent adaptation planning and implementation," the report's authors say.In Europe, they note a lack of political leadership and a low sense of urgency are among the hurdles to overcome.But these are barriers that can be overcome, and the authors say there is still a window of opportunity to implement meaningful action — though it's closing, fast. "There are opportunities to adapt between now and 1.5 [degrees]," in addition to making deep cuts to heat-trapping fossil fuel emissions, Chu said. "But as we go beyond 1.5, the opportunity space becomes much more constrained and reduces the effectiveness."Lissner said the report is "an urgent call for action" for world leaders to move toward climate-resilient development: reducing emissions as low as possible while also investing in adaptation to cope with the changes we already see.Decision makers also need to be intentional in helping the most disadvantaged communities and countries, so no one gets left behind in the process. "It's important for this to also be done in an inclusive or equitable manner," Lissner said, "looking into how the most vulnerable regions can really be supported in adaptation."CNN's Angela Dewan contributed to this report.

Opinion by Paul Hockenos

2022-02-28 09:47:07

news

opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/28/opinions/nuclear-radioactive-waste-climate-ipcc-hockenos/index.html

Opinion: Bury it? Shoot it into space? Why scientists still can't find a place for nuclear waste - CNN

Propositions abound: from catapulting it into space, ditching it between tectonic plates, or burying it deep underground on remote islands. But try as they have, scientists can't find a safe, long-term, cost-effective way to dispose of nuclear waste.

opinions, Opinion: Bury it? Shoot it into space? Why scientists still can't find a place for nuclear waste - CNN

Bury it? Shoot it into space? Why scientists still can't find a place for nuclear waste

Paul Hockenos is a Berlin-based writer focusing on renewable energy in Europe. He is the author of four books on European issues, most recently "Berlin Calling: A Story of Anarchy, Music, the Wall and the Birth of the New Berlin." The opinions in this article are those of the author. View more opinion on CNN. (CNN)A major Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, to be released Monday, is expected to warn that humans are wrecking the planet so profoundly that we may run out of ways to survive the crisis. The report speaks of a "rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all."This might make it tempting to rush to nuclear energy as a quick, low-carbon fix. But its faults are numerous, not least that there is still no answer to the 80-year-old question: Where to store the burgeoning tons of highly radioactive spent fuel?Propositions abound: from catapulting it into space, ditching it between tectonic plates, or burying it deep underground on remote islands. But try as they have, scientists can't find a safe, long-term, cost-effective way to dispose of nuclear waste. Read MoreEven as new countries like Poland, Egypt, Bangladesh, and Indonesia line up to start nuclear programs -- on the face of it, a low-carbon energy source that could cut emissions -- every nation in the world with nuclear power struggles with the same dilemma.Thus far, the determined hunt for a secure nuclear graveyard has been unsuccessful -- and there's no fix in sight. While the search goes on, ever more of the highly toxic refuse -- a lethal by-product of the plutonium and uranium used in nuclear energy and weaponry production -- piles up on top of the 370,000 tons of fission residue that languishes in stockpiles worldwide. Experts say that could jump by 1.1 million tons in a century.Germany is shutting down its last nuclear power plant at the end of this year. France, on the other hand, just announced a massive build-out of its already prodigious nuclear fleet. The US is betting on nuclear to help hit climate goals. Good riddance Nord Stream 2. Now Europe has a golden opportunityLike most nations with nuclear power, they store the toxic spent fuel in steel cannisters at temporary locations, usually at nuclear plant facilities and military stations -- often incurring the wrath of local residents who want nothing to do with the hazardous material that remains radioactive for a million years.Indeed, proponents and adversaries of nuclear power agree these interim solutions are untenable: we can't just dump this toxic mess on subsequent generations, and then they on others. Moreover, spent fuel, though no longer usable for energy production, remains radioactive and thus poses health, security, and proliferation risks. At the moment, the Finns are putting deep geological disposal on the table as a solution -- currently the least objectionable of the options under discussion. But the Nordics' claim to have finally cracked this headache from hell is riddled with uncertainties. This summer, on a tiny, sparsely populated island in the Baltic Sea, the first of hundreds of tightly sealed volcanic-clay-and-copper-clad drums of spent nuclear fuel will be lowered into a 500-meter deep granite vault and, eventually, cemented shut -- not for a million but, presumably, for about 100,000 years.Yet this geological tomb is only another, ultimately temporary, fix. As nuclear waste expert Andrew Blowers, author of "The Legacy of Nuclear Power" and a former member of the UK's Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, says, "Currently no options have been able to demonstrate that waste will remain isolated from the environment over the tens to hundreds of thousands of years."Copper and cement will eventually corrode and decay, while nuclear waste remains radioactive and highly toxic for millennia. Some experts though say the risk of leaks, and water contamination, is higher than Finnish authorities acknowledge.Moreover, earthquakes or other dramatic shifts in geological conditions could set the poisonous elements free. And then there's the cost: Finland will spend €3.5 billion ($3.9 billion) on the facility, which will in the course of the next 100 years house 6,500 tons -- of their own -- spent fuel.Other countries, such as the US, Britain, and Sweden say they will also, one day, bury their nuclear refuse in similar vaults. But even where the unique geological conditions exist, the same obstacle always arises: opposition from locals. Nobody but nobody wants radioactive waste anywhere near their families.A giant donut-shaped machine just proved a near-limitless clean power source is possibleThis is why another option, tectonic burial, looks appealing -- until one looks more closely. The idea is to send nuclear waste plummeting into the earth's core, basically hitching a ride on a geological plate on the ocean floor that is in the process of diving beneath an adjacent plate. The further the downward plate submerges beneath the earth's skin, the further away the nuclear waste is carried from our natural world.But geologists pour scorn on the notion: the movement of tectonic plates is much too slow, the volume of nuclear refuse too great, and then there's the threat of subterranean volcanos or quakes that could send the mess spewing back into the ocean.Hurtling nuclear waste in the other direction, namely into space, is also a nonstarter. There, the risk of rocket failure, the issue of space debris, and the wildly prohibitive cost stop this ploy dead in its tracks.The exorbitant cost of the ongoing search -- and then of the "solution" itself -- illustrate why we don't want ever more of this menacing debris. Thus far, the US has spent $13 billion of taxpayer money in its unsuccessful effort to rid the country of its 90,000 tons of radioactive waste. In Finland, at least, the nuclear industry picks up the bill. At the Finns' rate, disposing of all of the world's current nuclear waste could total €135 billion ($153 billion) and another €6 billion ($6.8 billion) a year for the estimated 10,500 more metric tons produced annually.Yet, since no long-term secure repository is in sight, says Blowers, "on-site storage of spent fuel is likely to remain for several generations, at least until mid to end of next century. As the volume grows, they will have to cope with ever more complex, difficult management issues." Get our free weekly newsletterSign up for CNN Opinion's newsletter.Join us on Twitter and FacebookAnd we can't just cut and run. Until scientists find a secure, long-term, cost-effective way to dispose of the already generated nuclear waste on planet Earth, we must stop generating yet more of it. Genuinely renewable energy is cheaper, safer, faster, and cleaner. Nuclear power is the opposite of a quick fix.

Allison Chinchar, CNN Meteorologist

2022-02-27 10:01:52

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/27/weather/weather-excessive-heat-wave-hurricane-ranking-system-california/index.html

Ranking heat waves like hurricanes - CNN

Heat waves are the deadliest weather disaster in the US. They account for nearly 150 fatalities per year, more than hurricanes and tornadoes combined.

weather, Ranking heat waves like hurricanes - CNN

Ranking heat waves like hurricanes is being proposed in California

(CNN)Heat waves are the deadliest weather disaster in the US. They account for nearly 150 fatalities per year, more than hurricanes and tornadoes combined. New legislation in California hopes to reduce heat-related deaths by ranking heat waves similarly to hurricanes, by using categories and names. However, the National Weather Service (NWS) is currently in a multiyear experiment to also categorize heat waves."Globally, people are suffering from heat because of a deadly awareness gap," said Kurt Shickman, the director of Extreme Heat Initiatives at the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center (Arsht-Rock), which is helping lead the legislative action. "On one hand, there is still a low level of awareness of the risks of heat illness and death. People simply don't think of themselves as vulnerable. And on the other hand, heat quietly kills about half a million people per year globally, making it the deadliest natural disaster we face."Both the NWS and the groups behind the new measures are working to fix the deadly awareness gap.Read MoreLegislation to save livesThe new legislation proposed in California is in the form of two separate bills with one goal, to create a statewide heat ranking system, similar to the Saffir-Simpson scale used for hurricanes, to better prepare the public."Assembly Bill 2238 is tightly focused on preparing and safeguarding people from heat," Shickman said. "Assembly Bill 2076 covers a broad set of heat efforts that will result in better heat resilience and mitigation."The bills would establish a Chief Heat Officer role, create an interagency heat task force and an extreme heat advisory council. 'Hotlanta' is even more sweltering in these neighborhoods due to a racist 20th-century policyShickman added there have also been discussions about naming heat waves."Putting a name to a heat wave is [supported] by studies on human behavior, psychology, and finding the right trigger to spur action to prepare for an extreme heat event," Shickman noted.Naming extreme temperature events could begin as early as this summer."Athens, Greece and Seville, Spain, are the first two cities globally to pilot heat wave naming and categorization beginning on May 1, 2022," Shickman pointed out. Arsht-Rock fully anticipates other cities, including those in the US, to similarly follow suit in the coming years.The bill also wants to categorize the heat waves into a simple numerical system."For example, people and authorities prepare and take action very differently when facing an imminent Category 1 versus a Category 5 hurricane," Shickman explained. "This bill would give us the same capacity to encourage safer citizens in a similar way when facing heat." He argued there is merit to the effort because social scientists have noted humans tend to do better at deciphering simple messages rather than complex ones containing too many words.Matthew Bautista, 24, left, and friend Bobby Kraemer, 27, right, spend the morning at Surfrider Beach in Malibu as a spate of unseasonably warm weather continues on April 30, 2021, at Surfrider Beach in Malibu, California."It's important to make information easily accessible, easily digestible, and actionable," said Makenzie Krocak, a research scientist for the University of Oklahoma Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis. "People are much more consistent about interpreting numbers. That doesn't necessarily mean that they are more likely to respond, but it does mean that interpretation is more consistent from person to person."However, the new categories and names would not necessarily come directly from the NWS, as weather information usually does. Instead, the legislation charges California's EPA for the naming and categorizing of the heat waves, but the NWS would provide the raw weather data to the EPA and would be the conduit for any of their warnings or messaging."We've made a great effort to design and pilot a categorization process for heat events that would work smoothly with the NWS process," Shickman said. "We see categorization and the inclusion of human health outcomes as enhancements to a good warning system, not a replacement for it." Though Shickman also pointed out, "We are not currently working with the National Weather Service, but would very much like to collaborate in the future."A similar system is currently in placeThe NWS has its own experimental "HeatRisk tool" currently in place.The tool provides a quick view of heat risk potential over the upcoming seven days, categorizing the heat both numerically (0-4) and with a color (green/yellow/orange/red/magenta), along with identifying groups potentially most at risk at each level.When #heatrisk reaches the magenta color it means a rare, dangerous, & very possibly deadly event. This is the case for Sunday - the hottest day of the holiday weekend. Don't take chances with heat - more people die from heat than all other weather hazards COMBINED! #LAheat #CAwx pic.twitter.com/lAo0aDmM2Z— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) September 3, 2020 "Using this HeatRisk tool, we are able to move away from hard temperature thresholds and toward societal impacts when making decisions surrounding heat advisories, watches, and warnings." meteorologist Jenn Varian at the NWS office in Las Vegas said.Similarly, Shickman noted one of the main goals of the legislation is to "establish categories for heat waves, based on how dangerous they are estimated to be for human health."The NWS developed the HeatRisk program in order to better assess the risks and allow people to prepare for upcoming heat events."We developed these categories based on climatology, but also based on collaborative work we've done with the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]," said Paul Iñiguez, a Science and Operations Officer at the NWS office in Phoenix.Through collaboration, they were able to determine the yearly death toll caused by heat stroke and heat exhaustion."From there we were able to determine threshold temperatures of when you start to see impacts, the worse impacts from the heat, and that is how we determined our yellow level threshold," Iñiguez explained.Iñiguez and his colleagues surveyed several hundred locations across the country, then mapped the results to show the varied thresholds across the entire country."Just last year in Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, there were 330 heat-related deaths," Iñiguez pointed out. "And as we know with climate change, locations are warming up. Phoenix and the Southwest are showing a drastic increase in temperature trends."People pose by an unofficial thermometer reading 132 degrees Fahrenheit/55 degrees Celsius at Furnace Creek Visitor Center on July 11, 2021 in Death Valley National Park, California. The program was developed nearly 10 years ago and became utilized in regional policy five years ago, Iñiguez said. However, it is still in its experimental phase and will not become fully operational for another few years, which may line up with the timeline California wants to use. They would like their program to begin January 1, 2024, according to the legislation. Heat is relative to where you liveAn important thing to note is a number scale alone does not tell the whole story. "As we've seen with hurricanes, the Saffir-Simpson scale only takes into account wind speed and not storm surge or flooding, and that causes some of the most damage from hurricanes, but that's not included in the category scale at all," said Dr. Peter D. Howe, an associate professor of geography at Utah State University.Miami broke its all-time heat record for June, but no warnings were issued. Here's why"What I hope is these [new EPA] warnings take into account all possible dimensions of a heat event, so not just temperature but also humidity, the duration of the event, and nighttime low temperatures, things we know really cause a lot of the most serious health impacts."California is geographically complex, as the topography and climatology vary widely from one end of the state to the other.Both the highest elevation point and the lowest elevation point in the contiguous US are in California; Mount Whitney and Badwater Basin, respectively."Death Valley regularly exceeds 115 degrees in the summer, but areas like Mount Whitney do not," Varian said. "So elevation, the type of terrain out West, and even the time of year play a major role in how we issue these excessive heat warnings."A few western NWS offices also take into account the number of tourists coming to the city and the transient population unaccustomed to extreme desert heat.As the abnormal heat increases, keep in mind any outdoor workers, travelers from colder climates, as well as those represented in vulnerable populations below!Secondly, children and pets should NEVER be left in vehicles parked in direct sunlight. Look before you lock! #cawx pic.twitter.com/14Ns1XJFPv— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) February 8, 2022 It could also be an issue if the system were to be implemented across other states.For example, in Columbia, South Carolina, the heat index must reach at least 110 degrees in order to have a heat advisory issued. However, in Minneapolis, a heat advisory is issued when the heat index only reaches 95 degrees.What is considered extreme heat in one city may be a normal summer day in another."100 degrees in Chicago is obviously going to be a much bigger deal, Iñiguez said. "In Phoenix, 100 degrees in July is actually going to be a below-normal day, so it's not going to be as drastically different to the climatology."What it all boils down to is how best to protect the public from various heat-related illnesses.Howe stressed communication and education will also be paramount. Media will need to communicate the new scale and educators will need to teach it to students, so they understand what it means. It may not matter what type of method they use, such as numbers, colors, or names, but rather the way they effectively communicate the new system."I think the main challenge is going to be making sure this system is used across the spectrum of people who are using it," Howe said. "From broadcast meteorologists to local health departments, other local and state level folks such as the National Weather Service."Research shows messaging needs to be repeated early and often in order to be effective.CNN Meteorologist Haley Brink contributed to this story

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-02-26 21:03:32

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/26/politics/epa-supreme-court-greenhouse-gas-climate-explained/index.html

West Virginia v. EPA explained: Supreme Court hears greenhouse gas case - CNNPolitics

The EPA faces a Supreme Court case on Monday that could deal a significant blow to the federal government's ability to fight the climate crisis and prevent its worst outcomes.

politics, West Virginia v. EPA explained: Supreme Court hears greenhouse gas case - CNNPolitics

The Supreme Court is hearing a major case on EPA's authority over planet-warming gases. Here's what's at stake.

(CNN)The Environmental Protection Agency faces a Supreme Court case on Monday that could deal a significant blow to the federal government's ability to fight the climate crisis and prevent its worst outcomes. Republican attorneys general will argue the EPA has no authority to regulate planet-warming emissions from the power sector. Instead, they will say that authority should be given to Congress. The case also has enormous implications for Biden's climate agenda. With legislative action on climate looking uncertain at best, a Supreme Court decision siding with coal companies could undercut an important way the administration planned to slash emissions at a moment when scientists are sounding alarms about the accelerating pace of global warming.The power sector is the country's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gas. Power emissions rose last year, mainly driven by coal. Experts say West Virginia v. EPA is a highly unusual case, because there is no current EPA rule on power plant emissions. Plaintiffs are asking the court to block the EPA from implementing future rules. Read More"All of this feels quite unprecedented," Jody Freeman, a Harvard Law School professor and former Obama administration official, told CNN. Here's what you need to know about the case and its possible outcomes. Who brought the lawsuit and what do they want? West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is the main plaintiff in this case, joined by Republican attorneys general from more than a dozen other states. Morrisey's office is also representing two coal companies: The North American Coal Corporation, and Westmoreland Mining Holdings, LLC. The plaintiffs are challenging the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions coming from power plants and saying this power should be taken away from the agency and given to Congress. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey speaks during a news conference on February 16."I think this is really about a fundamental question of who decides the major issues of the day," Morrisey said at a media event earlier this month. "Should it be unelected bureaucrats, or should it be the people's representatives in Congress? That's what this case is all about." US power plants have historically generated electricity by burning coal; however, coal use is declining as renewables and natural gas have grown in the power sector. West Virginia and several other plaintiff states are also coal mining states. What do the defendants say? The US Solicitor General is representing the Biden administration and the EPA. Several environmental groups, Democratic lawmakers, power companies and their trade association have filed amicus briefs in support of the defendants. The Biden administration says the case should be dismissed, in large part because there is no federal regulation for power plants on the books right now. The Obama-era Clean Power Plan is long dead, as is the Trump-era Affordable Clean Energy rule that replaced it. President Joe Biden's EPA hasn't yet issued its own rule to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and is expected to do so after February 28 oral arguments. "Normally courts review actual regulations, and there is no regulation to review right now," New York University law professor and environmental law expert Ricky Revesz told CNN. "Whatever the court does will involve speculation, and courts don't normally -- they stress this -- give advisory opinions. That's not what courts do." Who else is involved? In an interesting twist, some power companies are siding with EPA and will have the opportunity to argue their case directly during oral arguments. The power sector is very nervous about the implications of repealing the EPA's regulatory authority. In its amicus brief, the industry's powerful trade group, Edison Electric Institute, said that stripping EPA of its authority "would be chaos" for its companies and open them up to constant litigation. "Instead of EPA utilizing its world of expert authority to craft regulations, our members would be thrown into a world of tort and nuisance suits," Alex Bond, deputy general counsel for climate and clean energy at EEI, told CNN. "That's a world of tremendous risk and uncertainty." Legal experts and environmental groups are watching to see whether this argument from the power industry could strike a chord with conservative justices. "I think the court is attentive to business," said Freeman. "It is striking that the industry that is the one to be regulated is not the petitioner." What's being argued? The things being argued in front of the Supreme Court are quite broad. Morrisey and other plaintiffs say the Clean Air Act doesn't explicitly say the EPA can regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. But rather than asking for limits on EPA's authority, are urging the Supreme Court to invoke two legal theories which would, in effect, give Congress the power to make decisions about regulating power plant emissions, instead of agencies. Greenland's ice is melting from the bottom up -- and far faster than previously thought, study shows"These federal agencies don't have the ability to act on their own without getting a clear statement from Congress," Morrisey said at the media event. "If you have something that's major, you have to make sure Congress steps in, and Congress gets to make these major decisions of the day." But legal experts say Congress already used its broad delegation power with the Clean Air Act, which has been reaffirmed by the Supreme Court itself. In two separate rulings -- one of them unanimous -- the Supreme Court found the EPA does have the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions (Massachusetts v. EPA and American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut). In addition, delegating this power to an already slow-moving branch of government could present an obvious logistical challenge. "On the surface it sounds like a reasonable thing to say: Congress should speak clearly," said Freeman. "But historically in practice we have taken 'broad delegation' as just that -- broad delegation" to the agencies to make decisions. What are the range of outcomes?The conservative supermajority makes the outcome of this case tough to predict, but there are a few possibilities. Biden administration freezes new oil and gas drilling leases after court rules against key climate toolCase dismissal: In its brief, the US Solicitor General's Office asks the Supreme Court to dismiss the case, saying the Republican state attorneys general and coal companies lack standing because there's no EPA regulation currently in effect. Administration lawyers are also proposing the court could vacate and nullify the DC Circuit Court's January 2021 ruling that spurred West Virginia's challenge. In effect, that could wipe the slate clean and allow Biden's EPA to proceed with its own power plant rules. A narrow ruling: The court could issue a narrower ruling that allows EPA to keep its authority to regulate, but says the agency can only issue rulings that impacts power companies "inside the fence." This would restrict EPA to narrower regulations that power plants could achieve inside their own fence lines -- like carbon capture -- rather than pushing them to add cleaner sources of energy. EPA's worst-case scenario: The court could overturn Massachusetts v. EPA and give the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants to Congress. Are there justices to watch? Most of the action will be on the court's conservative bench. Defendants, plaintiffs and outside experts say they'll be watching the court's newest justices: Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch. Barrett is a bit of an unknown when it comes to environmental law, experts told CNN. "I think everybody's bet is she would tend to be more skeptical of broad agency authority," Freeman said.

Daniel Dale, CNN

2022-02-26 17:00:28

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/26/politics/fact-check-cpac-orlando/index.html

Fact check: False or misleading claims from CPAC - CNNPolitics

The first two days of the Conservative Political Action Conference featured a parade of speakers who described President Joe Biden as weak and incompetent, Democrats as leftist ideologues and Donald Trump's presidency as a smashing success.

politics, Fact check: False or misleading claims from CPAC - CNNPolitics

Fact-checking the first two days of CPAC

Washington (CNN)The first two days of the Conservative Political Action Conference featured a parade of speakers who described President Joe Biden as weak and incompetent, Democrats as leftist ideologues and Donald Trump's presidency as a smashing success. Aside from such subjective assertions, the speakers in Orlando made some objectively false and misleading claims -- on subjects ranging from the legitimacy of the 2020 election to the state of the US energy industry to the contents of a recent terrorism memo from the Department of Homeland Security.Here is a look at six false or misleading claims from CPAC speeches delivered on Thursday and Friday.Kimberly Guilfoyle: False claim about the 2020 electionKimberly Guilfoyle, a former Trump campaign adviser who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr., used part of her speech to sharply criticize Biden. And she said, "It turns out rigging elections for incompetent, weak leaders actually has consequences, does it not?" Read MoreFacts First: Guilfoyle's claim about the 2020 election was flat false. The election was free and fair, nobody rigged it and there is no evidence of any kind of widespread fraud. Guilfoyle has repeatedly made false claims about the 2020 election being rigged or stolen. She also did so, for example, in a speech at the January 6, 2021, rally that preceded the attack on the US Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters. Josh Mandel: False claims about the 2020 election Josh Mandel, a Senate candidate in Ohio, used his speech to repeat his usual inaccurate campaign rhetoric about the 2020 election. Mandel, a former Ohio state representative and treasurer, said, "I believe this election was stolen from Donald J. Trump." He called for eliminating the committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and replacing it with a "November 3rd commission" named after the day of the 2020 election. Mandel argued that one of today's most important fights is "to stop the cheating from the left." And after calling for an audit of the 2020 election in every state, including Ohio -- where Trump beat Biden by more than 8 percentage points -- Mandel said of Ohio: "I guarantee you: Trump actually won by a higher margin than was even reported." Facts First: This is all nonsense. The 2020 election wasn't stolen from Trump. There is no evidence of any widespread election cheating by "the left." And there is zero indication that Trump's official margin of victory in Ohio -- which was run in 2020 by a Republican governor, Mike DeWine, and a Republican elections chief, Secretary of State Frank LaRose -- is incorrect in any significant way. In early February, LaRose announced that he had referred to law enforcement, "for further investigation and potential prosecution," 27 possible illegal ballots in the 2020 general election; the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper reported in mid-February that the total number of reported illegal Ohio votes in that election was up to 42. But even 42 is a microscopic percentage of the approximately 5.9 million Ohio votes cast in the presidential race. Trump won the state by more than 475,000 votes. LaRose said in his February statement announcing the 27 new referrals: "Here are the facts: Ohio smashed voter turnout records in 2020 while providing Ohioans a secure election. Our state is proof positive you don't have to choose between secure or convenient elections -- we have both." (He subsequently tweeted that the alleged fraud discovered by his office is "ONLY THE BEGINNING" and that "this is one of MANY investigations.")It's important to note that there is no current indication that even the small number of potentially illegal Ohio ballots were cast overwhelmingly by Democrats or overwhelmingly for Democrats. In one case, a Republican local official admitted to illegally casting a ballot on behalf of his recently deceased father; he told NBC News it was an "honest error" and also that he had simply been "trying to execute a dying man's wishes."Gov. Ron DeSantis: False claim about his handling of the 2020 election Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis contrasted Florida's handling of the 2020 election, which he described as a success, with the "shenanigans" he claimed had occurred elsewhere in the country. DeSantis said, "We didn't change the rules when Covid came. We followed the law. We counted 99% of the ballots by midnight on election night." Facts First: DeSantis was wrong to categorically claim that Florida had not changed election rules when Covid-19 arrived. While Florida didn't change its voting procedures, DeSantis personally changed some of its election administration procedures. Because far more voters than usual were expected to vote by mail, DeSantis issued an executive order in June 2020 that allowed counties to start processing mail-in ballots earlier than state law allowed. And because of concerns about ensuring adequate staffing at voting locations, his order also suspended a state rule that had prevented state employees from being granted administrative leave to serve as poll workers. Florida law in 2020 said counties could start the process of counting mail-in ballots on the 22nd day before the election. DeSantis' order -- which he issued after Florida's county elections supervisors asked his administration to make various changes to help them deal with the pandemic -- let counties begin processing earlier, as soon as they had completed the required public testing of their tabulation machines and equipment. DeSantis' change was one of the reasons that Florida was able to count its votes so much faster than states where Republican state legislators had rejected Democratic requests to allow earlier-than-usual counting of mail-in ballots.It's especially notable that DeSantis made this change via executive order. Many Republicans have criticized Democratic leaders in other states for changing election procedures in 2020 without getting approval from state legislatures. Sen. Marsha Blackburn: False claim about a Department of Homeland Security documentTennessee's Sen. Marsha Blackburn said in her speech: "Homeland Security sent out a memo saying if you hear anybody speaking against the Covid policies, education policies, of this administration: Report them to the authorities. It was a slap in the face to free speech." Facts First: This is false. The Department of Homeland Security has not issued any memo saying you should alert the authorities about people speaking in opposition to the Biden administration, its pandemic policies or its education policies. A document that the Department of Homeland Security published in early February urged people to report "suspicious activity and threats of violence," but the document was about the terrorism threat to the United States, not about political criticism. While the department said that violent extremists were using vaccine and mask mandates to justify violence, it never said anybody should be reported for mere criticism of these mandates or of anything else.The February document, which Blackburn also denounced in a Senate floor speech last week, is the latest of the Department of Homeland Security's regular public updates on the terrorism threat to the US. The department said in the document that "false or misleading narratives and conspiracy theories," including the proliferation of online false or misleading claims about Covid-19 and widespread election fraud, were among the factors "contributing to the current heightened threat environment." The department went on to say that measures implemented to fight Covid-19, particularly vaccine and mask mandates, "have been used by domestic violent extremists to justify violence since 2020 and could continue to inspire these extremists to target government, healthcare, and academic institutions that they associate with those measures." The department also outlined various calls for violence by foreign terrorist entities and by various kinds of domestic extremists.Then, at the end at the document, the department did what it does in all of these update documents: advise citizens to "report suspicious activity and threats of violence, including online threats," to law enforcement. The department never said that people should be reported merely for speaking out against the Biden administration or its policies. It also never said that people who merely oppose pandemic mandates are suspicious.John Cohen, a top Department of Homeland Security counterterrorism official, said last week that anyone who suggests that the document reflects an administration strategy of targeting people for their political beliefs "either didn't read the (document), didn't understand it or is intentionally misrepresenting it." He said the department's job is "not to police thought; our job is to prevent acts of violence."Rep. Andy Biggs: Misleading claim about US gas exports Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona made a series of remarks about what Republicans plan to do in the future. He said, "And by the way, we're gonna unleash America's energy sector. Because when you unleash America's energy sector, you flood it -- we start exporting gas again like we did under Trump -- the cost comes down." Facts First: This is misleading. The US exported more natural gas under Biden in 2021 than in any year of Trump's presidency. From February 2021, Biden's first full month in office, through November 2021, the last month for which official data is currently available, natural gas exports were up 29.6% from the same period in 2020 and 43.5% from the same period in 2019, according to data from the federal government's Energy Information Administration. That's not to say that Biden is personally responsible for the increase in natural gas exports. Amid the boom in production from hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, US natural gas exports have been rising since the early 2000s, rising sharply at the end of President Barack Obama's second term and continuing that trend through President Donald Trump's one term. And the Biden administration has taken steps to move the country away from the extraction of fossil fuels and toward renewable energy, though its efforts have gotten bogged down in the courts. But Biggs made it sound like the US has exported less gas under Biden than under Trump. That's just not the case.Kelly Tshibaka: Misleading claim about a vote by Sen. Lisa Murkowski Kelly Tshibaka, the Trump-endorsed Republican primary challenger to Alaska's Sen. Lisa Murkowski, criticized her rival's record. Tshibaka said of Murkowski: "She cast the tie-breaking vote to confirm the radical environmentalist Deb Haaland to be Joe Biden's interior secretary." She claimed that Murkowski had harmed the oil and gas industry "with that single vote." Facts First: Tshibaka was misleading in suggesting that Murkowski's vote in favor of Haaland was decisive in determining the fate of Haaland's nomination. Tshibaka didn't make clear that the tie Murkowski prevented was in an initial committee vote -- a vote that wouldn't have determined outcome of the nomination either way -- not in the final confirmation vote on the Senate floor. Because of Senate rules, Haaland would almost certainly have been confirmed even if there had been a tie at the committee. The final Senate vote on Haaland's confirmation was 51-40, with three additional Republicans -- including Murkowski's fellow Alaska Republican, Sen. Dan Sullivan -- joining every Democrat present in voting yes. (Nine senators missed the vote.) Murkowski's vote in favor of Haaland did prevent a potential tie in an Energy Committee vote on the nomination, making the committee outcome 11-9 in favor of Haaland rather than a 10-10 tie. However, this wasn't very consequential. Under the rules governing this 50-50 Senate, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer would have been able to schedule a final vote to confirm Haaland even if the committee vote had been a tie. Under Senate rules, a committee tie would have forced the full Senate to spend some extra time debating about Haaland. But it would not have killed her nomination. Consider what happened with a Biden nominee who was being considered by the Senate the same month as Haaland, Xavier Becerra. After a Senate committee tied in its vote on Becerra's nomination to become health and human services secretary, Schumer introduced a motion to bring the nomination to the Senate floor anyway, as allowed under the rules.The Senate approved this "discharge" motion, then confirmed Becerra a week later. Murkowski campaign manager Nate Adams said in an email: "Anyone that thinks that Senator Murkowski cast the 'tie-breaking vote' for Haaland's confirmation either has no idea how the Senate works, or is intentionally misconstruing the facts for their own political gain -- both scenarios are equally concerning for someone who is seeking to represent Alaskans."Tshibaka's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Ashley Strickland, CNN

2022-02-26 16:58:12

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/26/world/solar-eruption-science-newsletter-wt-scn/index.html

Spacecraft witnesses massive solar eruption - CNN

This week, peer inside a massive solar eruption, learn more about when the dinosaurs went extinct, investigate a cache of Egyptian mummy tools, discover a bizarre exoplanet, and more.

world, Spacecraft witnesses massive solar eruption - CNN

Spacecraft witnesses massive solar eruption

A version of this story appeared in CNN's Wonder Theory newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. (CNN)As a space enthusiast, I've always wanted to sail among the stars to a galaxy far, far away.I got a step closer this week when I boarded the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World for a preview of the first-of-its-kind immersive experience, opening on March 1. As a Star Wars fan, I was delighted to interact with characters new and old and live out a choose-your-own adventure at a resort simulating a cruise among the stars. Joining a secret mission, I trained with a lightsaber, traded messages with spunky droids and helped Chewbacca sneak around the ship to aid Rey and the Resistance against the First Order.But my breath caught as I stepped inside my cabin and beheld a window with a constant view of shimmering stars, asteroid fields, passing ships and a dazzling array of planets. Standing on the ship's bridge, I spied sparks of lightning as storms brewed in the tumultuous clouds of Bespin, a planet familiar to fans of "The Empire Strikes Back."As a science journalist, I've often imagined what it might be like to travel to space. Now, I finally know -- sort of, just with more gravity, and of course, the Force. Read MoreSolar updateThe Full Sun Imager onboard the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft captured a giant solar eruption on February 15.A spacecraft studying the sun was in the right place at the right time when our star decided to have a bit of a temper tantrum. The Solar Orbiter found itself in the perfect position to capture an unprecedented image of a massive solar eruption on February 15.The striking event extended millions of miles into space from the sun -- and luckily, it was traveling away from Earth rather than toward us.It's another sign that our sun is getting more active as it builds toward a peak of stormy activity in 2025.Fossils and fireballsImagine enjoying a nice, sunny day when, all of a sudden, a 33-foot-high (10-meter-high) wall of water comes rushing in while fiery spheres of glass rain down. This is likely what happened to the dinosaurs 66 million years ago when a city-size asteroid struck the planet. The cataclysmic impact took place during springtime in our world's Northern Hemisphere, according to new research. Scientists made this determination after studying the bones of paddlefish preserved in rocks in North Dakota. The fish died within an hour of the event."This deposit literally looks like a car crash frozen in place. It looks like the most violent thing I have ever seen, preserved in pristine condition," one of the researchers said.A long time agoThese jars were recovered from a site near Cairo.Hundreds of pottery jars and other tools used for embalming have been recovered deep inside a cemetery shaft near Cairo. Ancient Egyptians used these for storage as they prepared the bodies of the dead for the afterlife more than 2,500 years ago. Researchers are trying to learn more about the jars and the intriguing inscriptions they bear to determine who owned them.Meanwhile, flattened stones and spiky clay balls sitting in a Japanese museum have shed light on the origins of throwing stars. These throwing weapons were used by ninjas, the mysterious covert agents of feudal Japan, 430 years ago.Across the universeSay hello to 1 million newly discovered space objects. These are just some of the 4.4 million objects newly mapped by astronomers that are billions of miles away from our corner of the universe. Many of the celestial objects are galaxies harboring giant black holes or stellar nurseries where stars are born.Observations made using data from the Low Frequency Array telescope, or LOFAR, is changing the way we see the night sky -- and this week's release was only 27% of the entire survey.Our own Milky Way galaxy is full of intriguing objects, including this exoplanet where metal clouds form at night and rain is made of precious gems.ConsequencesWater can be seen flowing down to the bed of Store Glacier in Greenland.The Greenland ice sheet is melting far more quickly than we thought -- and that's dumping even more water and ice into the ocean than expected.The bottom of the ice sheet is releasing meltwater at an unprecedented rate. As meltwater falls from the top, gravity creates kinetic energy that warms water pooling at the base. The Greenland ice sheet produces more energy than the world's 10 largest hydroelectric dams combined, new research revealed.But instead of generating electricity, this is speeding up the melting process.The wonderYou won't believe your eyes:-- A doghouse, once the home of a German Shepherd named Roky, was struck by a meteorite fragment in April 2019 and sold during an online Christie's auction this week. -- An "exceedingly rare" fossil belonging to a giant flying reptile was found on the shore of the Isle of Skye. The fossil is so well preserved that its teeth still retain their shiny enamel and the claws are menacingly sharp. -- The Hubble Space Telescope captured a new image of a weird space triangle formed by two galaxies crashing together in a cosmic tug-of-war.Like what you've read? Oh, but there's more. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writer Ashley Strickland, who finds wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Jon Sarlin, CNN Business

2022-02-26 15:57:19

business

investing

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/26/investing/bitcoin-mining-renewable-energy/index.html

Bitcoin is getting even dirtier - CNN

Bitcoin is a pollution-creating mess. Despite efforts to make the energy-intensive mining process friendlier to the environment, it has grown significantly more reliant on fossil fuels over the past year.

investing, Bitcoin is getting even dirtier - CNN

Bitcoin is getting even dirtier

New York (CNN Business)Bitcoin is a pollution-creating mess. Despite efforts to make the energy-intensive mining process friendlier to the environment, it has grown significantly more reliant on fossil fuels over the past year.China's cryptocurrency mining ban in the spring of 2021 significantly worsened Bitcoin's environmental impact, according to a new research on mining published in Joule. It is because Bitcoin miners were tapping into a significant amount of Chinese hydropower which suddenly evaporated when China made mining illegal, said Alex de Vries, one of the study's authors and a researcher at the School of Business and Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.So miners took their business elsewhere, including countries using significantly dirtier energy than China. Electricity sources powering the Bitcoin network were just 25.1% renewable in August 2021, nearly 17 percentage points lower than the 2020 average. Mining Bitcoin each year produces as much pollution as Greece created in 2019, the study found. A single Bitcoin transaction results in the same carbon footprint as a traveler flying from New York to Amsterdam."After China banned Bitcoin mining, everyone was expecting it to become more green, but we are somewhat surprisingly seeing the opposite happening." said de Vries. "A lot of the hydropower these miners got previously in China has now been replaced with natural gas from the US."Read MoreBitcoin mining is still booming in the United States. According to the study, many of the American Bitcoin mines are powered by natural gas and coal. Kentucky now offers subsidies to crypto miners, looking to attract business for the state's coal industry. Kazakhstan has also become a destination for Bitcoin miners. According to the study, the country's electricity grid is reliant on hard coal, which is even more polluting than the coal used in China.The hydropower behind China's Bitcoin mines was often held up by cryptocurrency advocates to rebut criticism about the technology's environmental impact. In May, Coinbase — one of the largest cryptocurrency marketplaces — published a "fact check" citing China's hydroelectric plants in trying to undermine the idea Bitcoin contributed to climate change.Coinbase did not respond to CNN's questions on whether it stood by its fact check in light of China's cryptocurrency crackdown, but said in a statement it believes "the industry is innovating at an encouraging pace to solve these challenges... Community-led change is possible and crypto can be part of the fight against climate change if we come together to solve these challenges."

Jordan Valinsky, CNN Business

2022-02-25 12:50:26

business

investing

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/25/investing/business-russia-sanctions/index.html

These companies have the most to lose from Russia's attack on Ukraine - CNN

International companies that hold a major presence in Russia are bracing for more sanctions from Western countries.

investing, These companies have the most to lose from Russia's attack on Ukraine - CNN

These companies have the most to lose from Russia's attack on Ukraine

New York (CNN Business)International companies that hold a major presence in Russia are bracing for more sanctions from Western countries. Russia has already paid a price for its aggression: the country's stock markets and currency have tanked this week after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine.Sanctions from the United States and European nations intensified Thursday as Western nations' leaders condemned Russia's actions.Putin warned Russian business leaders on Thursday that he expected further "restrictions" on the economy, but called for business to work "in solidarity" with the government.Here are some companies with a significant presence in Russia:Read MoreEuropeBASFThe German chemicals maker BASF (BASFY) co-owns Wintershall Dea, one of the financial backers of the suspended Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, with Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman's LetterOne investor group. It says it generates 1% of group sales from Russia.BPBritish oil company BP (BP) is the largest foreign investor in Russia with a 19.75% stake in the country's national oil company Rosneft. It also holds stakes in several other oil and gas projects in Russia.Coca-Cola HBCThe London-listed company bottles Coke for Russia, Ukraine and much of Central, Eastern Europe. It counts Russia among its largest markets and employs 7,000 people there.DanoneThe French yogurt maker Danone controls Russian dairy brand Prostokvanhino and gets 6% of total sales from the country.EngieThe French gas utility company is one of five co-financiers of Gazprom's Nord Stream 2.MetroThe German retailer employs about 10,000 people in Russia where it serves some 2.5 million customers.NestleThe Swiss consumer goods company had six factories in Russia as of 2020, including plants making confectionery and drinks, according to its website. Its 2020 sales from Russia were worth about $1.7 billion.RenaultThe French carmaker has a 69% stake in Russian joint venture Avtovaz, which is behind the Lada car brand and sells more than 90% of its car production locally.Rolls-RoyceThe aeroengine maker says Russia contributes less than 2% of total revenue, but 20% of its titanium, which is used to make engine parts and landing gear for long-haul jetliners, is from the country.SafranRussia's VSMPO-AVISMA is the French jet engine maker's largest single supplier of titanium though the French company says Russia supplies less than half its requirements.ShellThe Dutch oil company owns 27.5% of the Sakhali-2 liquefied natural gas project, which has an annual capacity of 10.9 million tonnes and is operated by Gazprom. It's also one of the five co-financiers of Nord Stream 2.TotalEnergiesThe French oil company is one of the biggest investors in Russia with a 19.4% stake in Russia's Novatek, a 20% interest in the Yamal LNG joint venture, 21.6% of Arctic LNG 2, a 20% stake in the onshore Kharyaga oil field and various holdings in the country's renewables, refining and chemicals sectors, according to its website.UniperThe German utility has a $1 billion exposure to Nord Stream 2, along with five power plants in Russia with a combined capacity of 11.2 gigawatts, providing about 5% of Russia's total energy needs. It also imports Russian natural gas to Europe.The United StatesExxonMobilThe American oil giant has more than 1,000 employees in Russia, and has been in the country for over 25 years.Its subsidiary, Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL), has a 30% stake in Sakhalin-1 — a vast oil and natural gas project located off Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East. It has operated the project since 1995 on behalf of a consortium that includes Japanese and Indian partners, as well as two affiliates of Russia's largest oil company, Rosneft.McDonald'sThe burger chain has categorized Russia as a high-growth market and continued to open locations there throughout the last decade.MondelezThe Oreo maker and owner of Cadbury became the leading chocolate maker in Russia in 2018.AsiaJapan Tobacco The company employs about 4,000 people at its Russian plants, and its tax payments in 2020 accounted for 1.4% of the Russian Federation state budget, the company said on its website. The former tobacco monopoly relies on the Commonwealth of Independent States, including Russia and Belarus, for about a fifth of its profits.MarubeniThe Japanese trading house has four offices in Russia, where it sells tires for mining equipment and manages a health checkup center.Mitsubishi The company distributes Mitsubishi Motor vehicles through some 141 dealerships in Russia and has a stake in Sakhalin II gas and oil development project that supplies Japan with liquefied natural gas and trades coal, aluminium, nickel, coal, methanol, plastics and other material. It also supplies power plant equipment and other machinery to Russia.SBI HoldingsSBI Bank, established almost three decades ago, offers corporate services and loans to Japanese companies expanding operations in Russia.ToyotaThe company's plant in Saint Petersburg, Russia, makes Camry and Rav4 vehicles, and it has a sales office in Moscow. It has about 2,600 staff, including 26 Japanese nationals, at those locations.-- CNN Business' Mark Thompson and Reuters contributed to this report.

CNN Editorial Research

2014-02-28 20:10:49

news

europe

https://www.cnn.com/2014/02/28/world/europe/ukraine-fast-facts/index.html

Ukraine Fast Facts - CNN

Read CNN's Fast Facts about Ukraine and learn more about the second-largest European country in area after Russia.

europe, Ukraine Fast Facts - CNN

Ukraine Fast Facts

(CNN)Here's a look at Ukraine, the second-largest European country in area after Russia. It borders Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, Russia and the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. About Ukraine(from the CIA World Factbook) Area: 603,550 sq km (slightly smaller than Texas)Population: 43,745,640 (July 2021 est.)Median age: 41.2 years oldRead MoreCapital: KyivEthnic Groups: Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, and other 1.8% (2001 est.)Unemployment: 8.9% (2019 est.)Other FactsPrior to the 20th century, Ukrainian territories were controlled at different times by Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Mongols, Cossacks and others. From the 18th to 20th centuries, Russia and the Soviet Union carried out a program of Russification to discourage Ukrainian national identity.Timeline1917-1920 - Following the 1917 Russian Revolution and toward the end of World War I, Ukraine is briefly an independent nation. 1920s - Ukraine becomes part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. 1921-1922 - A famine kills more than one million people. 1932-1933 - Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's policy of collectivization leads to the Great Famine (Holodomor) in which millions of Ukrainians die of starvation. 1941 - During World War II, Germany invades Ukraine. More than six million Ukrainians, the great majority of them civilians, die in the war.1944 - The Soviet Union regains control of Ukraine and expands its borders to include territory taken from Romania, Poland and Czechoslovakia.April 26, 1986 - Reactor 4 explodes at the Chernobyl, Ukraine, nuclear power plant, releasing large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. More than 30 people died, and countless others later died from radiation symptoms. The government evacuates some 135,000 people from the area, and the 19-mile exclusion zone around the plant remains uninhabitable.July 16, 1990 - Ukraine declares sovereignty.August 24, 1991 - Parliament declares independence, pending a referendum on December 1. December 1, 1991 - The referendum for independence passes with 90% approval. December 8, 1991 - Ukraine joins the new Commonwealth of Independent States, along with Russia and Belarus. 2004 - President Leonid Kuchma declines to run for a third term and endorses Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. Russian President Vladimir Putin also supports Yanukovych's campaign. September 2004 - Opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko develops a mysterious illness which leaves his face pock-marked. Medical tests later show he is suffering from dioxin poisoning. October 31, 2004 - In the first round of presidential elections, Yanukovych and Yushchenko both receive about 40% of the vote.November 21, 2004 - Preliminary exit polls from the run-off election give Yushchenko a lead of 52% to Yanukovych's 43%, but Yanukovych is officially declared the winner. Independent election monitors allege fraud.November 22, 2004 - Mass protests sweep the country, with demonstrators wearing orange, Yushchenko's campaign color. Activist Yulia Tymoshenko becomes a prominent figure of the pro-Western Orange Revolution.December 3, 2004 - The Supreme Court rules the previous run-off election invalid and orders a new run-off.December 26, 2004 - Yushchenko wins the election with about 52% of the vote and is sworn in as president a month later. January 2005 - Yushchenko names Tymoshenko as prime minister.September 2005 - Yushchenko fires his entire cabinet, including Tymoshenko.January 2006 - Russian energy monopoly Gazprom briefly cuts off natural gas supplies to Ukraine. December 18, 2007 - Tymoshenko returns as prime minister. January 2009 - Gazprom again cuts off supplies of natural gas to Ukraine over a payment dispute. January 17, 2010 - Presidential elections are held. Yushchenko receives only 5% of the vote. Yanukovych receives 35% and Tymoshenko receives 25%, necessitating a run-off. February 14, 2010 - In the run-off, Yanukovych wins 48.95% of the vote to Tymoshenko's 45.47%. Tymoshenko alleges fraud and is openly critical of Yanukovych. She loses her position as prime minister in March. June 2010 - Ukraine's parliament abandons plans to join NATO.August 2011 - A court motion calls for Tymoshenko's arrest. The arrest is in connection to a 2009 gas contract negotiated when she was prime minister. Tymoshenko brushes off all charges against her as political, calling the trial a "farce."October 2011 - Tymoshenko is found guilty of criminally "abusing her office" over the 2009 gas deal with Gazprom. She is sentenced to seven years in prison.November 21, 2013 - President Yanukovych backs out of a trade deal with the European Union due to pressure from Russia. Street protests begin in Kyiv. December 17, 2013 - Putin agrees to buy $15 billion of Ukraine's debt and reduce the price of natural gas supplied to the country. January 16, 2014 - Yanukovych signs laws restricting the right to protest. This leads to large numbers of protesters in Kyiv and clashes with police. The law is repealed on January 28.February 21, 2014 - Negotiations lead to a deal which reduces Yanukovych's powers as president and rolls back parts of the Constitution. February 22, 2014 - Parliament votes to remove Yanukovych from office. On the same day, former Prime Minister Tymoshenko is released from prison.February 24, 2014 - An arrest warrant is issued for Yanukovych.February 28, 2014 - Andrii Parubii, the Ukrainian chief of national security and defense, says the country's military and police forces have stopped Russian military forces from seizing two airports in Crimea.March 1, 2014 - The upper house of the Russian parliament votes to send troops into Crimea on the same day the pro-Russian leader of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, asks Putin for help in maintaining peace.March 2, 2014 - Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says of Russian troops in the Crimean peninsula, "This is a red alert. This is not a threat. This is actually a declaration of war to my country." March 3, 2014 - Ukrainian Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev tells an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Russia has used planes, boats and helicopters to flood Crimea with 16,000 troops in the past week.March 4, 2014 - US Secretary of State John Kerry visits Ukraine and announces the United States will give Ukraine's new government a $1 billion loan guarantee. Senior US administration officials tell CNN this will help insulate the Ukrainian economy from the effects of reduced energy subsidies from Russia.March 6, 2014 - Crimea's parliament votes to hold a referendum on leaving Ukraine and becoming part of Russia. March 16, 2014 - In the Crimean referendum, 96.7% vote in favor of leaving Ukraine and being annexed by Russia.March 17, 2014 - US and EU officials announce sanctions on more than two dozen Russian officials and their allies in Crimea. Crimea's regional parliament applies to join with Russia, and in Moscow, Putin signs a decree that recognizes the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Crimea.March 18, 2014 - In Moscow, Putin signs an annexation pact with the prime minister of Crimea and the mayor of the city of Sevastopol.March 18, 2014 - In response to masked gunmen killing a member of Ukraine's military, wounding another and placing the rest of the staff of a base in Crimea under arrest, the Defense Ministry authorizes its forces in Crimea to use weapons "to protect and preserve the life of Ukrainian soldiers."March 21, 2014 - Yatsenyuk, in Brussels, signs the political elements of a trade pact with the European Union.March 22, 2014 - In Crimea, Russian special forces take control of Belbek Airbase, and pro-Russian self-defense forces take control of Novofederoskoe military base and a Ukrainian ship, the Slavutych.March 27, 2014 - The International Monetary Fund agrees to allow Ukraine to borrow up to $18 billion over the next two years. The UN General Assembly approves a resolution stating Crimea's succession referendum from Ukraine is not valid; the resolution's vote is 100-11, with 58 abstentions. April 15, 2014 - Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov tells the country's Parliament an "anti-terrorist operation" is under way in Ukraine's restive eastern Donetsk region. Tensions have soared in recent days in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian rebels have seized government and police buildings in as many as 10 towns and cities.May 25, 2014 - Petro Poroshenko declares victory in Ukraine's presidential election, following preliminary exit polls that suggested he got 56% of the vote.May 27, 2014 - Authorities announce that a battle between pro-Russian rebels and government forces at Donetsk airport has claimed 40 lives. June 7, 2014 - Poroshenko is sworn in as Ukraine's new president. June 27, 2014 - Ukraine signs a trade deal with the European Union, the same agreement that Yanukovych backed out of in 2013.July 17, 2014 - Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashes in eastern Ukraine after being shot down by a surface-to-air missile, according to the United States. All 298 people aboard are killed. July 24, 2014 - Yatsenyuk and his cabinet announce their resignation. A week later, parliament rejects his resignation. September 20, 2014 - Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists agree to a ceasefire. October 26, 2014 - Ukrainians vote in parliamentary elections. Ukrainian citizens in Russia-annexed Crimea and the eastern areas controlled by pro-Russian separatists do not participate in the elections because of ongoing violence. Poroshenko hails exit poll results and says the projected outcome gives "a powerful and irreversible backing to Ukraine's path to Europe."January 26, 2015 - Poroshenko announces that Ukraine will ask The Hague tribunal to investigate alleged "crimes against humanity" in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. February 5, 2015 - With Kerry by his side, Yatsenyuk says the Russian military is on the ground in the country. February 11, 2015 - French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Poroshenko and Putin meet in Minsk, Belarus, for peace talks. February 12, 2015 - Peace talks end in a breakthrough: A ceasefire and an agreement for both sides to pull back heavy weapons. In March, heavy weapons are pulled back from the front lines, but the violence continues.April 10, 2016 - Yatsenyuk announces he will resign.September 28, 2016 - The Joint Investigation Team, a Dutch-led group of prosecutors gathering evidence for a potential criminal trial, says that it has concluded that Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed over eastern Ukraine by a Buk missile brought in from Russia to a pro-Russian area of eastern Ukraine. October 16, 2016 - Pro-Russian separatist commander Arsen Pavlov, known by the nickname "Motorola," is killed in the city of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine.February 20, 2017 - A ceasefire aimed at ending the bloody fight between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists begins. The ceasefire is a renewed attempt to enforce the Minsk peace protocol -- an agreement that has repeatedly failed since it was first partially implemented in 2015. March 23, 2017 - Denis Voronenkov, a onetime Communist member of Russia's lower house of parliament, dies after being shot outside a hotel in Kyiv. Poroshenko calls the shooting a "Russian state terrorist act." Voronenkov, who fled to Ukraine in 2016, is the latest in a string of Putin and Russia's critics who were killed or injured under mysterious circumstances.July 20, 2018 - The Pentagon releases $200 million in security assistance to the Ukraine. The funds were contingent on Ukraine passing a series of defense reforms to help bring the country's defense practices into line with modern standards. Ukraine's passage of a new national security law, signed by Poroshenko on July 5, met the requirements enshrined in the US legislation, thereby allowing the Pentagon to release the funds.November 25, 2018 - The Ukrainian military says Russian boats opened fire on and seized three of its ships near Crimea, detaining 23 of its sailors and wounding at least three. The ships were planning to enter the Kerch Strait, a shared waterway of strategic importance for both countries. Russia claims the vessels illegally entered Russia's territorial waters and were carrying out dangerous maneuvers, according to Russian state news agency TASS.November 26, 2018 - Ukrainian lawmakers vote to introduce martial law in the border areas with Russia. It will be introduced on November 28 and will last 30 days. January 24, 2019 - Yanukovych is found guilty of treason by a Ukrainian court for helping Russia and for his attempts to quash demonstrations in 2014. He is sentenced in absentia to 13 years in prison.April 21, 2019 - Political newcomer and television comedian Volodymyr Zelensky declares victory in Ukraine's presidential elections after exit polls show he's on track for a landslide win against incumbent Poroshenko. Zelensky's populist campaign centered on his vow to fight corruption and jumpstart the economy. May 1, 2019 - The New York Times publishes an article about allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden related to a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma Holdings. The younger Biden served on the board of Burisma and in 2016, his father pressured Ukraine to oust a prosecutor who had investigated the company. Rudy Giuliani, the personal lawyer of US President Donald Trump, tells the Times that he is looking into the matter on behalf of his client, indicating that the vice president's move was motivated by a desire to protect his son from criminal charges. Giuliani's claims are later undermined when Bloomberg reports that the Burisma investigation was "dormant" when Biden pressed the prosecutor to resign.May 7, 2019 - The US Embassy in Kyiv announces that Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch will leave her post earlier than planned. May 20, 2019 - Zelensky is sworn in as president. He orders a snap election for parliament.July 21, 2019 - Zelensky's party wins a majority of seats in parliament during the snap election. July 25, 2019 - Zelensky speaks with Trump via phone. Trump asks Zelensky to work with Giuliani and Attorney General Bill Barr on a Biden investigation, according to notes from the call released in the wake of a whistleblower complaint about the president's conduct. It is later reported that Trump told his acting chief of staff to block nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine before he spoke to Zelensky. September 1, 2019 - Zelensky meets US Vice President Mike Pence in Poland to mark the anniversary of the outbreak of WWII. Pence travels to Poland in place of Trump, who canceled his trip to monitor Hurricane Dorian as the storm approaches the southeastern United States. Zelensky and Pence discuss military assistance as well as corruption in Ukraine. September 7, 2019 - Ukrainian and Russian media report that 70 individuals have been released in a long-awaited prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, a move that is meant to ease tensions between the two countries. September 25, 2019 - Zelensky meets Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. During a joint press conference, Zelensky says he does not want to become involved in American politics and he stresses that he did not feel pressured by Trump during the July phone call. October 1, 2019 - Zelensky agrees to hold a local election in eastern Ukraine, signing accords with Russia, European monitors and separatists from the region. The agreement could pave the way for peace talks between Zelensky, Putin and European leaders. Ukrainian nationalists protest the agreement, describing it as a capitulation to Russia. January 8, 2020 - Iran unintentionally shoots down a Ukrainian plane near Tehran, killing 176 people. According to the general staff of Iran's armed forces, the plane was unintentionally shot down due to human error.February 20, 2020 - Protesters attack a convoy of buses carrying Ukrainian citizens and other nationals evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan. Protesters blocked roads in the Ukrainian town of Noviy Sanzhari, where 72 evacuees are to be monitored for the novel coronavirus.March 4, 2020 - Zelensky replaces the country's Prime Minister, saying he hoped the new PM would "do the impossible." Ukraine's Parliament approves Denis Shmygal as the new PM, after accepting the resignation of Oleksiy Honcharuk at an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament.June 11, 2020 - In a statement to CNN, the Pentagon confirms it is moving forward with a $250 million security assistance package to Ukraine, half of which was contingent on Kyiv making progress on reforms and anti-corruption efforts. The statement says that the "funds -- $125 million of which was conditional on Ukraine's progress on defense reforms -- will provide equipment to support ongoing training programs and operational needs."December 3, 2021 - After months of steady increases along the Russia-Ukraine frontier, CNN reports that Russian forces have capabilities in place along the Ukraine border to carry out a swift and immediate invasion, including erecting supply lines such as medical units and fuel that could sustain a drawn-out conflict, should Moscow choose to invade. December 8, 2021 - Biden rules out sending US troops to Ukraine to defend the country from a Russian invasion a day after laying out the consequences for such an incursion during a phone call with Putin.February 24, 2022 - Russian military forces enter Ukraine and begin a full scale assault across airfields, military headquarters, major cities and ports. Putin threatens "those who may be tempted to intervene" in Russia's invasion.

CNN Editorial Research

2012-12-07 20:14:04

news

europe

https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/07/world/europe/prince-albert-of-monaco---fast-facts/index.html

Prince Albert of Monaco Fast Facts - CNN

View CNN's Fast Facts on His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II. He was formally invested as Monaco's ruler on July 12, 2005, following the death of his father, Prince Rainier.

europe, Prince Albert of Monaco Fast Facts - CNN

Prince Albert of Monaco Fast Facts

(CNN)Here's a look at the life of His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II. He was formally invested as Monaco's ruler on July 12, 2005, following the death of his father, Prince Rainier. PersonalBirth date: March 14, 1958 Birth place: Monte Carlo, Monaco Birth name: Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi, His Serene Highness, the Hereditary Prince of Monaco, Marquis of BauxRead MoreFather: Prince Rainier IIIMother: Princess Grace, formerly the actress Grace KellyMarriage: Charlene Wittstock (July 1, 2011-present)Children: with Charlene Wittstock: Princess Gabriella Therese Marie and Prince Jacques Honore Rainier; with Nicole Coste: Eric Alexandre Stephane; with Tamara Rotolo: Jazmin Grace Rotolo.Education: Amherst College, BA, 1981Military service: French NavyOther FactsHe is interested in environmental issues, alternative energy and hybrid vehicles. An avid athlete, he has competed in five Winter Olympics (1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002) in the sport of bobsledding but has not won any medals.He has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1985.His two oldest children are not in line for the throne because they were born out of wedlock. TimelineMarch 31, 2005 - Monaco's Crown Council transfers the regency of the tiny kingdom to Prince Albert, the heir to the throne, saying that Prince Rainier can no longer carry out his duties as monarch.April 6, 2005 - Prince Rainier III dies of organ failure and Prince Albert becomes Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco.July 6, 2005 - Publicly acknowledges paternity of his son, Alexandre, born to Nicole Coste, a flight attendant from Togo.July 12, 2005 - Part one of the formal investiture as Monaco's ruler is Mass at St. Nicholas Cathedral, marking the end of the mourning period for Prince Rainier.November 17, 2005 - Part two of the formal investiture is the enthronement ceremony at St. Nicholas Cathedral.April 16, 2006 - Travels to the North Pole by dogsled to highlight global warming.June 1, 2006 - Acknowledges paternity of his daughter, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, born to an American former waitress, Tamara Rotolo. March 2, 2007 - Presides over the opening ceremony in Paris of International Polar Year, a research program with a focus on the Polar Regions involving 50,000 scientists from 63 countries.January 28, 2008 - Is named as one of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) "Champions of the Earth." April 22 2008 - Receives the UNEP award which recognizes individuals who show extraordinary leadership on environmental issues.January 5-14, 2009 - Completes an expedition to the South Pole evaluating climate impact on Antarctica along the way. He is the only head of state to have visited both poles.June 23, 2010 - The palace announces Prince Albert's engagement to Charlene Wittstock, 32, a former Olympic swimmer and school teacher from South Africa.July 1, 2011 - Prince Albert marries Charlene Wittstock in a civil wedding ceremony in the throne room of the Palace of Monaco. July 2, 2011 - A second wedding, a religious ceremony including Mass, is held in the main courtyard of the Palace of Monaco. The ceremony is broadcast to the 3,500 invited guests who could not fit inside the palace.October 2013 - Loans pieces of his private collection of Olympic torches for the Russian exhibition of Olympic torches.October 7, 2013 - Is one of the first torch bearers for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. December 14, 2015 - Prince Albert is presented with the 2015 Global Advocate Award by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for his work on climate change research and environmental conservation efforts.October 2016 - Buys his mother's childhood home in Philadelphia, with the idea of turning it into a museum or offices for foundation work.About MonacoMonaco is a sovereign principality, meaning it is ruled by a prince.It is the second smallest country in the world, after the Vatican. At 2.02 sq km (77 sq miles), Monaco is about half the size of New York's Central Park.It sits on the French Riviera and is bordered on three sides by France. It is a popular tourist destination, famous for its casino and luxury hotels. Monaco is also the capital of the principality. The official language is French. The other major languages spoken are English and Italian. Monegasque, a mixture of the French Provencal and Italian Ligurian dialects, is also spoken there.

Abbas Al Lawati and Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN

2022-02-24 16:15:51

news

middleeast

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/24/middleeast/mideast-summary-02-24-2022-intl/index.html

Will $100 oil force Biden to call the Saudi crown prince? - CNN

With oil at over $100 a barrel, Biden is faced with a dilemma. Does he reconsider his refusal to call the crown prince of his closest Middle East partner and make a new appeal to Saudi Arabia? Or might he find an unlikely savior in his biggest Middle East foe, Iran?

middleeast, Will $100 oil force Biden to call the Saudi crown prince? - CNN

Will $100 oil force Biden to call the Saudi crown prince?

Abu Dhabi (CNN)Less than a month into his presidency, the White House said Joe Biden would "recalibrate" his relationship with Saudi Arabia, effectively refusing to speak to the Kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Biden would speak with his counterpart, 86-year-old King Salman, said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki last February. It is the crown prince, however, who handles day-to-day affairs of the kingdom, including oil policy. But a lot has changed over the past 12 months. Inflation is now at its highest in 40 years, midterm elections loom and Russia has just plunged Europe into its biggest security crisis in decades by invading Ukraine. But perhaps most importantly for America's relationship with the Middle East, oil prices have soared above $100 to an eight-year high. Brent crude breached $100 per barrel for the first time since 2014 Thursday after Russian troops attacked Ukraine. Western states are now scrambling to find alternative sources of energy should Russia's vast supplies of oil and gas be interrupted. Biden's appeals for more oil from OPEC's de-facto leader Saudi Arabia have thus far been rebuffed by King Salman, who has pledged to stick to the oil cartel's pact with Russia to limit production hikes. The kingdom has about 2 million barrels of spare capacity. Read MoreBut as diplomacy broke down with Russia over the past week, progress was made on another front, in Vienna, where world powers have been negotiating with Iran to revive a 2015 nuclear agreement that President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018. A conclusion of the agreement could give Washington and global oil markets much needed reprieve by releasing Iranian oil that was sanctioned by the United States. Biden is now faced with a dilemma. Does he reconsider his refusal to call the crown prince of his closest Middle East partner and make a new appeal to Saudi Arabia? Or might he find an unlikely savior in his biggest Middle East foe, Iran? How Putin's attack on Ukraine unfolded inside the White HouseBiden's issue with the crown prince is personal, said Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Center. "If you have something that you wanted to deliver to Saudi, as a message, or to the crown prince, say it loud and clear. Say this is what you want," he said. "It's only logical" for the US to change its approach to Saudi Arabia with oil at $100, he added. But even if Saudi Arabia agrees to raise output, will that relieve pressure on oil prices? Not necessarily, said Ellen Ward, senior non-resident fellow at Washington's Atlantic Council. "The [OPEC] oil ministers have indicated that they are skeptical about the ability to set prices precisely simply by increasing production," she said. "In other words, the causes of the recent rise in oil prices are due more to financial speculation and geopolitical risk than a lack of supply." And even if Biden makes that much anticipated call to the crown prince, "there is no indication that Mohammed bin Salman would capitulate because of a personal request," she added. If the Russia-Ukraine crisis drives oil to about $110 a barrel, US inflation would exceed 10% on a year-over-year basis, according to consulting firm RSM. That hasn't happened in the US since 1981 and would cause a "real short-term shock," it said. The predicament Biden faces won't go unnoticed in Tehran, possibly strengthening its hand at the Vienna negotiations. On Wednesday, it recalled its top negotiator for consultations and called on the West to be "realistic" about talks. S&P Global Platts expects that an interim nuclear deal could allow Iranian exports to grow by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) in April and May, while a comprehensive agreement could allow 1.5 million bpd of export growth within nine months. Iran pumped 3.83 million bpd before Trump's pullout from the nuclear pact in 2018. "Every US president used to lobby Saudi Arabia to increase production," and the kingdom often obliged, said Yousef Alshammari, senior research fellow at London's Imperial College. "During the past four years we saw Saudi Arabia either raising production or making voluntary cuts during the Trump era. But now the kingdom is sticking to a more standard approach." The more Biden "personalizes" his dispute with Saudi Arabia, the more it will force the kingdom to seek strategic alternatives to the US, Sager said. "I don't think that Saudi Arabia is going to allow the situation between the US and Russia to jeopardize its relationship with Russia," said Ward. "The energy relationship between Saudi Arabia and Russia exists outside of the geopolitical issues between Russia and Ukraine and as long as Saudi Arabia can remain above the situation without having to choose sides, it will likely refrain from even commenting on Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine." Other top Middle East news UAE to buy Chinese fighter jets as it 'diversifies military capabilities' The UAE said on Tuesday it will order 12 L-15 planes from China, with the option of ordering 36 more, as it continues to "diversify and modernize" its military capabilities. Background: In December, the UAE suspended a multi-billion-dollar deal to buy US-made F-35 fighter jets. That month, it also placed a $19 billion order for 80 French Rafale fighter jets and 12 military helicopters. Why it matters: The decision is a sign of Abu Dhabi's growing frustration with Washington's attempts to limit Chinese technology sales to the Gulf state. The UAE has been skeptical about US claims of potential security breaches and has expressed anxiety about getting caught up in a "new cold war" between a top trading partner and its main strategic ally. Iraq's requirement to pay victims of 1990 Kuwait invasion ends after three decades The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to end a three-decade-long requirement for Iraq to compensate people in Kuwait affected by Saddam Hussein's invasion in 1990. Background: More than $50 billion was paid out by Iraq through a fund set up by the UN to cover losses and damages suffered as a direct result of the 1990-1991 Gulf War. The last chunk of payment was submitted last week. Why it matters: Since the overthrow of Hussein in 2003, Iraq has worked to shift its regional policy to repair ties with former adversaries. The end of reparations to Kuwait marks a symbolic end from the foreign policy of the Hussein era. Qatar says replacing Russian gas to Europe quickly is 'almost impossible' Qatar's Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi said that 10% to 15% of the country's long-term gas exports are divertible away from existing customers, as Western nations continue talks over a Russian gas substitute to Europe following the invasion of Ukraine. Background: Qatar and other countries such as Japan have recently been approached by the US to reroute gas supplies to Europe in case conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates. Why it matters: A large proportion of Europe's gas supplies come from Russia. Kaabi's comments renewed concerns over Europe's security of gas supplies as the US and its allies race to draw up contingency plans. Around the regionThe WaterWill startup provides clean water to those who can't afford it, here in Minya, Egypt.Having access to clean drinkable water is often taken for granted. For some in rural Africa, however, it can be a real challenge. More than 2 billion people globally do not have access to clean drinkable water, according to a 2019 report from the World Health Organization and the UN Children's Fund. The Middle East and North Africa region is reported to be the most water-scarce in the world. In Egypt, nearly 57% of people live in poverty-struck rural areas, where access to clean, affordable water is a luxury. An Egyptian social startup is trying to change that. "Water is a very basic need that everyone in the world should have," says Mohannad Hisham, founder of WaterWill, which says it aims to create sustainable and affordable water solutions in Africa. Hisham founded "WaterWill" in 2019, and in 2021, came up with an initiative called "Buy Me Filter" to manufacture eco-friendly and affordable water filters. "The idea of the filters is to be cost-efficient and sustainable," says Hisham. The filter costs 300 Egyptian pounds ($19); the average Egyptian family makes around $321 per month, according to official statistics. The filter is made from local resources. Clay is the main ingredient, molded into a candle that is treated with nano silver particles that kill bacteria and germs. It's designed to clear water of diseases and microbes, killing 99.9% of bacteria, according to Hisham, and is meant to last for two years without maintenance. "Our ultimate goal is to work with as many rural communities in Egypt and Africa, giving everyone and each one access to clean water which is their basic right," says Hisham. Watch the video report here. By Yara Enany, CNN Photo of the daySaudi people gather during the first Founding Day celebrations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 22.Saudi Arabia for the first time commemorated its nearly 300-year-old founding on Tuesday, choosing a date that highlights the establishment of the first Saudi state by Mohammed bin Saud in 1727. The holiday, to be commemorated every February 22, is a slight break from the ultra-conservative Wahhabi school of Islam that attributes the foundation of the Saudi state to the alliance forged between bin Saud and the Islamic preacher Mohammed ibn Abd al-Wahhab.

Mark Thompson, CNN Business

2022-02-24 14:30:10

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/24/business/exxon-bp-shell-russia-oil/index.html

How Exxon, BP and Shell help Russia pump oil and gas - CNN

The West is promising "massive" sanctions on Moscow in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Any action on energy could

business, How Exxon, BP and Shell help Russia pump oil and gas - CNN

How Exxon, BP and Shell help Russia pump oil and gas

London (CNN Business)The West is promising "massive" sanctions on Moscow in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that European sanctions would target Russia's military, economy and energy, and Germany's decision this week to halt certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline built by Russia's Gazprom shows that the vast oil and gas sector isn't off limits.But any action that affects Russia's energy interests will highlight the role played by some of the West's biggest players, which have generated billions of dollars for the Russian state and are among the country's leading foreign investors. Here's how ExxonMobil (XOM), BP (BP) and Shell (RDSA) are helping keep Russia's oil-dependent economy afloat. ExxonMobilRead MoreThe American oil giant has more than 1,000 employees in Russia, and has been in the country for over 25 years. Its subsidiary, Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL), has a 30% stake in Sakhalin-1 — a vast oil and natural gas project located off Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East. It has operated the project since 1995 on behalf of a consortium that includes Japanese and Indian partners, as well as two affiliates of Russia's largest oil company, Rosneft. ENL employs more than 700 Russian nationals at five major sites and production locations. ExxonMobil also has offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Since its startup, Sakhalin-1 has generated more than $18.3 billion in payments to Russian federal and regional governments. Russia isn't as important to ExxonMobil as it used to be, however.ExxonMobil previously partnered with Rosneft to conduct exploration and research activities in Russia but withdrew from those joint ventures after sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.It valued its Russian assets at $4 billion in its annual financial report released Wednesday. That represented less than 2% of its fossil fuel assets. The word "Russia" was not mentioned in its recent earnings call with analysts.ExxonMobil did not immediately respond to a request for comment.BPOn its website, BP proclaims itself "one of the biggest foreign investors in Russia."That investment largely takes the form of a strategic partnership with Rosneft, in which it owns a 19.75% stake. The British company gets to nominate two directors to the Rosneft board — BP CEO Bernard Looney and former CEO Bob Dudley. The Russian government is Rosneft's biggest shareholder.Through three joint ventures with Rosneft, BP owns a 20% stake in the Taas-Yuryakh oil project in eastern Siberia. BP completed the deal to acquire that stake in 2015, and production from the project was expected to reach 100,000 barrels per day last year. BP also owns 49% of Yermak Neftegaz — formed in 2016 — which is conducting onshore exploration over a combined area of about 260,000 square kilometers in the West Siberian and Yenisey-Khatanga basins.The third joint venture covers the Kharampur project, in which BP has a 49% interest. Kharampur is a mature oil field but BP and Rosneft are planning to develop the project to pump gas. BP says there is potential to "double overall field production."BP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The tanker Sun Arrows loads its cargo of liquefied natural gas from the Sakhalin-2 project in the port of Prigorodnoye, Russia, on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. ShellThe UK-based company's biggest engagement in Russia is Sakhalin-2, which it describes as one of the world's largest integrated oil and gas projects.Shell has a 27.5% stake in the venture, which is controlled by Gazprom. Other investors include Mitsui (MITSY) and Mitsubishi of Japan. The project includes three offshore platforms, an onshore processing facility, 300 kilometers (186 miles) of offshore pipelines and 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) of onshore pipelines, an oil export terminal and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant.Shell says Sakhalin-2 supplies about 4% of the world's current LNG market. Japan, South Korea and China are the main customers for oil and LNG exports.A Shell spokesperson said it was monitoring the situation closely, but declined to comment on the company's investments in Russia.— Chris Liakos and Chris Isidore contributed reporting.

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-02-24 10:01:52

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/24/politics/climate-groups-pressure-campaign-biden/index.html

Climate groups launch pressure campaign aimed at Biden ahead of State of the Union - CNNPolitics

Climate advocates are sounding the alarm ahead of Biden's Tuesday State of the Union speech amid what they see is slow action on the climate crisis.

politics, Climate groups launch pressure campaign aimed at Biden ahead of State of the Union - CNNPolitics

First on CNN: Climate groups launch pressure campaign aimed at Biden ahead of State of the Union

(CNN)Climate advocates are sounding the alarm ahead of Biden's Tuesday State of the Union speech amid what they see as slow action on the climate crisis. Now that President Joe Biden's signature climate bill is effectively dead, and with little momentum in Congress to revive it, these groups are applying pressure at the start of what they say is a make-or-break year for climate action. "It's time to go faster," Sam Ricketts, co-founder and co-director for climate group Evergreen Action, told CNN. "You're going to need to see federal agencies to do things more aggressive, more climate-oriented than they've ever done before." Biden administration freezes new oil and gas drilling leases after court rules against key climate toolEvergreen on Thursday is releasing a report, shared first with CNN, detailing specific actions it wants to see from the Biden administration to meet the President's goal of cutting the country's planet-warming emissions in half by 2030. The group wants the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, fossil-fuel burning appliances and the industrial sector. It also wants to see new appliance efficiency standards from the Department of Energy. And it's urging the Department of Interior to "do everything possible to end all new onshore and offshore leasing." Read MoreRicketts told CNN Evergreen is not pushing for increased executive action in lieu of Congressional action -- they want both. As their report details, "multiple analyses have shown that these investments will need to be complemented by executive action if the US is going to reach this 2030 goal." Cities tried to cut natural gas from new homes. The GOP and gas lobby preemptively quashed their effort"The job isn't done; failure's not an option," Ricketts said. Evergreen isn't the only group that's applying pressure ahead of the State of the Union. Climate Power also shared first with CNN its plan to spend over $600,000 on new ads touting clean energy to run nationwide. The ads will run on several TV networks, stations and news websites, including CNN, MSNBC and Axios.The Center for American Progress will release an analysis the average consumer could save hundreds of dollars a year on energy costs if the government invests significantly in renewables like wind and solar. "It's just connecting the dots for folks," Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power told CNN. "We have a very narrow window if we're going to lower emissions as much as we must. Because of all the advances in clean energy, it's the cheapest energy source right now. And if we invest in it, it's going to get cheaper." 2022 is a decisive year Biden began his presidency by promising to tackle the climate crisis. In its first year, the administration introduced regulations to raise fuel mileage standards, phased out hydrofluorocarbons and passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill that included $7.5 billion for a network of electric-vehicle charging stations around the country.But climate groups haven't gotten what they really want: Major legislation.Greenland's ice is melting from the bottom up -- and far faster than previously thought, study showsOver $550 billion in climate and clean energy provisions were tucked into the Build Back Better Act, which is no longer being considered by the Senate. While some Senate Democrats are hopeful that a smaller, climate-central bill can be agreed on, there's not much forward momentum in Congress. With the clock running out for the 2022 midterms, climate advocates are getting nervous. "Where we are right now as a climate movement is feeling pretty panicked, I would say," Christy Goldfuss, senior vice president for Energy and Environment Policy at the Center for American Progress told CNN. While all advocates CNN spoke to said strong administrative action is important, Goldfuss and others stressed Congress should pass significant investments in clean energy, especially $320 billion worth of clean energy tax credits in Biden's bill, to help pave the way for regulation. They said Biden's infrastructure bill, while a starting point, is not the whole ballgame. Build Back Better's climate commitments are "also what's going to help the average household and business in their bottom line," said Ryan Fitzpatrick, director of the Climate and Energy Program at center-left think tank Third Way. "We need to make sure we follow through with the second part of the agenda." What is black carbon? The latest way humans are causing changes in AntarcticaAs a new geopolitical crisis unfolds in Europe with potential repercussions for rising gas prices, other climate groups told CNN Biden and Congressional Democrats can't lose focus on passing clean energy provisions to help Americans transition away from fossil fuels. "We need to see the White House and climate champions in Congress really make the case for investing in renewables at home now, as an answer to the fossil fuel fluctuations we see every decade, basically," said Goldfuss. "What we're seeing now that we're facing inflation is just how important those climate investments are in driving down energy costs." The courts pose another potential roadblock for the administration. Republican attorneys general have already sued to block some of Biden's climate initiatives, and the administration is facing a major US Supreme Court case over power plant emissions regulations -- even though it has not yet implemented its own power plant rules. Ricketts said that even with a tough legal landscape, Biden's agencies should forge ahead with bold steps to bring down carbon emissions dramatically. "The administration can only do what the administration can do," Ricketts said. "They can't and should not anticipate future roadblocks and use those as excuses not to do something. They've got to use every tool they've got access to."

Sara Smart, CNN

2022-02-22 22:24:01

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/us/hank-the-tank-bear-lake-tahoe-break-ins-trnd/index.html

'Hank the Tank,' a 500-pound bear, has broken into two more Lake Tahoe homes, police say - CNN

You may know him as Hank the Tank, but the California Department of Fish and Wildlife knows him as a threat to a Lake Tahoe neighborhood.

us, 'Hank the Tank,' a 500-pound bear, has broken into two more Lake Tahoe homes, police say - CNN

'Hank the Tank,' a 500-pound bear, has broken into two more California homes, police say

(CNN)You may know him as Hank the Tank, but the California Department of Fish and Wildlife knows him as a threat to a Lake Tahoe neighborhood.For months now, the 500-pound black bear has been roaming the streets in the Tahoe Keys area of South Lake Tahoe, about 100 miles east of Sacramento.In the span of seven months, the animal caused extensive damage at 33 properties and forcefully entered at least 28 homes, according to a February 17 blog post by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).A mama bear was caught on camera rescuing her cubs in South Lake Tahoe The South Lake Tahoe Police Department told CNN on Tuesday it believes Hank is responsible for two more break-ins over the weekend.A Facebook post by the department says he broke through a small window and somehow squeezed inside a house Friday when no one was there. He did not break into the garage, however, which is where the trash was kept.Read MoreOfficers banged on the exterior of the home until he left through the back door. On February 18, Hank broke through a small window and squeezed his way into a home.And Saturday, he is believed to have broken down a front door to enter another home. Police said they haven't confirmed the bear is Hank yet, but believe it is likely him.There have been no direct attacks on humans or pets in the area, the fish and wildlife department said.Residents have flooded police lines with worried calls, and the wildlife department said more than 100 individual reports of the bear have been come in to South Lake Tahoe police. Wildlife department spokesperson Peter Tira told CNN they have been tracking incidents with this black bear since the spring of 2021."The incidents primarily occurred during the summer and fall of 2021, when the bear was in hyperphagia, adding calories to survive the winter," Tira said. Hyperphagia, according to the US National Park Service, causes bears to eat and drink nearly nonstop during the fall in preparation for hibernation.A South Lake Tahoe police officer's foot next to Hank's footprint shows the bear's large size.This bear, according to CDFW, has lost its fear of people, and is associating people with access to food. His large size helps him break into homes as he can push through front doors and garage doors.In October, a California woman was mauled by a different black bear that broke into her northern Lake Tahoe cabin and rummaged through her kitchen. The woman suffered scratches and other wounds all over her body.There are a few options to keep the community and bear safe: relocation, placing the bear in a facility, or euthanasia. This last option has local bear advocacy groups such as BEAR League concerned.Ann Bryant, executive director of the group, told CNN affiliate KCRA the bear does not have to die.You come across a bear. Your next move is very important. Do you know what to do?"The BEAR League reached out to the director of an excellent out-of-state wildlife sanctuary who agreed he has room and would be very willing to give this bear a permanent home," Bryant told KCRA.However, the wildlife department said relocation comes with a lot of requirements and can take a toll on the animal's mental health.According to KCRA, the BEAR League group has offered to pay all relocation expenses."While the Lake Tahoe area has a healthy and dense bear population, euthanizing an animal is always our last option," Tira said.If the wildlife department does capture the bear, it said it will evaluate the possibility of moving him to the out-of-state facility. It said his current location, as of Friday, is unknown, but the last reported sighting was a few days ago when he was seen walking down a street in Tahoe Keys.The department is advising residents in the area to stay vigilant and responsibly store and dispose of food, as bears are driven by scent.

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-02-23 19:24:12

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/23/politics/postal-service-vehicles/index.html

USPS finalizing plan to replace fleet with 90% gas-powered vehicles - CNNPolitics

The US Postal Service is moving ahead with a plan to replace its current fleet with 90% gas-powered trucks and 10% battery electric vehicles, after the Environmental Protection Agency and White House objected to the move and asked for further study of the impact of emissions.

politics, USPS finalizing plan to replace fleet with 90% gas-powered vehicles - CNNPolitics

USPS finalizing plan to replace fleet with 90% gas-powered vehicles

(CNN)The US Postal Service is moving ahead with a plan to replace its current fleet with 90% gas-powered trucks and 10% battery electric vehicles, after the Environmental Protection Agency and White House objected to the move and asked for further study of the impact of emissions. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy reiterated that the Postal Service currently doesn't have the funding available to increase the number of electric vehicles in its fleet. "As we have reiterated throughout this process, our commitment to an electric fleet remains ambitious given the pressing vehicle and safety needs of our aging fleet as well as our fragile financial condition," DeJoy, who was selected for the Postmaster General role during the Trump administration, said in a statement. "The process needs to keep moving forward."In a letter sent earlier this month, EPA associate administrator Vicki Arroyo said the USPS plan was "inconsistent" with clean-energy policies at state, federal and international levels, and called it a "crucial lost opportunity to more rapidly reduce the carbon footprint of one of the largest government fleets in the world."Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House Council of Environmental Quality, penned a separate letter urging USPS to improve its environmental review in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and adding that the agency could face repercussions from Congress or the courts if it failed to do so.Read MoreDespite their objections, the EPA and the White House can't stop the USPS plan from happening; the USPS is an independent agency responsible for funding itself. In a statement, Mark Guilfoil, vice president for supply management at USPS, said the agency "determined that EPA's request for a supplemental [environmental impact statement] and public hearing would not add value to the Postal Service's already year-long review," adding that neither were legally required. USPS said it will leave some flexibility to increase the number of EVs in the fleet "as financial resources become available."Adrian Martinez, a senior attorney at the environmental law group Earthjustice, said environmental groups would pursue litigation to get USPS to reverse course. "DeJoy's environmental review is rickety, founded on suspect calculations, and fails to meet the standards of the law," Martinez said. "We're not done fighting this reckless decision." CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct DeJoy's connection to Trump. He was selected by the USPS Board of Governors for the Postmaster General role during the Trump administration.

Analysis by Christine Romans, CNN Business

2022-02-23 14:58:50

business

economy

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/23/economy/russia-ukraine-sanctions/index.html

To hurt Russia, the West needs to punish itself - CNN

Punishing Vladimir Putin and Russia for their aggression against Ukraine will cost us at home. Because to hit Russia where it really hurts, we'd have to hurt everyone.

economy, To hurt Russia, the West needs to punish itself - CNN

To hurt Russia, the West will end up hurting itself

New York (CNN Business)Punishing Vladimir Putin and Russia for their aggression against Ukraine will cost us at home. Because to hit Russia where it really hurts, we'd have to hurt everyone.Russia is a top oil and natural gas producer, so the world is addicted to its exports. In fact, the European Union depends on Russia for more than a third of its natural gas.That's why Germany's move to cancel the certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would deliver Russian natural gas to Germany is so dramatic. Russia's ex-president seemed to gloat about the EU's dependence Tuesday, tweeting, "Welcome to the brave new world where Europeans are very soon going to pay 2.000 euros for 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas!" The most effective way to target Russia with sanctions is to cut off its supply of oil and natural gas to the West. But that could trigger even higher prices and more pain for consumers. Oil prices already are near 8-year-highs and serve as a major driver of inflation. It is already taking a toll politically and these decisions will be tough to enact for the West's leaders.Biden pledges to use 'every tool at our disposal' to limit gas price hikes after imposing new sanctions on Russia"The president of the United States has to worry about his domestic polls heading into a new election season and leaders in Europe have their own domestic political constraints as well," CNN political analyst Josh Rogin told me. "It ends up limiting the range of responses, the range of action that the allies can put into place in response to Putin's aggression. Of course, Putin knows that. That's a reality of democracies and it's an advantage for Putin that he's sure to exploit."Read MoreThe White House and allies have announced their first round of sanctions — on two banks, sovereign debt and some oligarchs — with more sanctions coming if Putin persists. Biden acknowledged sanctions would take a toll on Americans, too."Defending freedom will have costs for us as well and here at home," President Biden said Tuesday. "We need to be honest about that." He called it "critical" to "blunt" higher energy costs."We're closely monitoring energy supplies for any disruption and executing a plan in coordination with major oil producing consumers and producers toward a collective investment to secure stability and global energy supplies," Biden said.What could that mean? Pressure on producers to open their spigots, coordinated releases of strategic oil stockpiles with allies, a gas tax holiday, or incentives for domestic shale producers. But the president's tools are limited."We have levers, Putin has levers and when we're all done pulling all of our levers, we are back to square one," Rogin said. "The Russians' ability to manipulate the energy markets will always be greater than the Europeans' ability to mitigate those manipulations."In the meantime, Greg Valliere of AGF Investments is telling clients to expect Russian pushback with three main goals: "Driving much of the West into a high-inflation economic crisis; dividing the US between isolationists and internationalists, and launching a cyberwarfare assault on the US and Kyiv, disrupting everything from ATMs to corporate boardrooms."

Opinion by Paul Hockenos

2022-02-23 13:27:22

news

opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/23/opinions/nord-stream-2-germany-putin-gas-energy-hockenos/index.html

Opinion: Good riddance Nord Stream 2. Now Europe has a golden opportunity - CNN

Nord Stream 2 was always a terrible idea -- it shouldn't have taken the threat of war to finally grind it to a halt, writes Paul Hockenos. Now that Germany has suspended the controversial gas pipeline, Europe has an opportunity to throw off Putin's stranglehold of its energy supplies.

opinions, Opinion: Good riddance Nord Stream 2. Now Europe has a golden opportunity - CNN

Good riddance Nord Stream 2. Now Europe has a golden opportunity

Paul Hockenos is a Berlin-based writer focusing on renewable energy in Europe. He is the author of four books on European issues, most recently "Berlin Calling: A Story of Anarchy, Music, the Wall and the Birth of the New Berlin." The opinions in this article are those of the author. View more opinion on CNN. (CNN)At long last, the gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 has been suspended -- a terrible idea from its conception and now, with Russia on the brink of a second invasion of Ukraine, finally ground to a halt.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz' suspension of the gas pipeline's approval is one of the first sanctions that the West has imposed on President Vladimir Putin for Russia's blatant breach of Ukraine's sovereignty. Scholz made good on a threat the Germans were hesitant to invoke, given what they see as its far-reaching implications for the economy. While the energy implications for the rest of Europe -- some of which intended to rely on Russian gas to heat its homes for decades to come -- are far-ranging, they aren't tragic. On the contrary, this is a blessing in disguise. Europe may rely on Russia for around 35% of its natural gas -- Germany over 50% -- but there are green alternatives that can step in and at the same time serve the purpose of addressing the ever more urgent climate crisis.In fact, the pipeline was wildly controversial from the get-go, over a decade ago. Natural gas, after all, is a fossil fuel, the combustion of which emits high quantities of carbon dioxide. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, also leaks along almost all of the gas supply chain. In Germany, natural gas is responsible for 20% of carbon emissions -- in other words, it's not in the least bit climate friendly. Read MoreThe pipeline, which would have constituted Europe's largest fossil fuel project, flew in the face of the 2015 UN Paris accord by ignoring Europe's commitment to lower greenhouse emissions and keep global temperatures from rising less than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Also, it committed western Europe to Russia for an ever greater share of its energy supply -- obviously an miscalculation given Putin's geopolitical weaponization of energy since 2009 when it first cut gas deliveries to eastern Europe. Had the Europeans seen alternative energies as a cornerstone of geopolitical energy security 15 years ago, Russian gas would have much less muscle to flex in western Europe today. But that's spilled milk now. So now Europe has to jump to its feet and act decisively. Fortunately, the continent is already in the thick of transitioning from fossil fuels to electricity-based renewable energy. There are plans in place, strengthened last year at the COP26 summit in Glasgow and driven by the EU Green Deal, as well as pledges galore, though most countries have been much too slow in acting upon them. These plans have to be put into fifth gear, understood now as the solution to two crises. So what are the options? Of course, there are green alternatives to natural gas -- such as biogas, wood pellets, power-to-gas, and other synthetic fuels. But the buildout potential of biogas, namely gases produced from raw materials such as waste and plant material, is limited. There's only so much suitable waste and the cultivation of crop-based energy plants risks displacing food from families' tables. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is on the scrap heap because of the Ukraine crisis. Here's why that mattersPower-to-gas is a technology that uses electrical power to produce gaseous fuel. For example, surplus power from wind generation can be converted into hydrogen. But this is still very expensive and not seen as a viable solution for heating all of Europe's houses in winter. Thus, Europe must rigorously accelerate its transition to electricity-based forms of heating, cooling, and transportation: called, logically, electrification. "Electrify everything" is considered a key step in transitioning away from fossil fuels, because when it comes to electricity, we know how to get to zero carbon. That's not the case with gas. Electrification is also the most cost-effective way to decarbonize Europe's economy. Transportation, industry, and buildings can and will one day run on green electricity -- nations have agreed upon this at climate summits. Gas was already, at best, a short-term "bridge technology" that was meant to hold Europe over between phasing out coal and oil (the dirtiest fossil fuels) and the full adoption of renewables. We can now ditch gas sooner than we had planned. Of course, to power this electrified world, the massive expansion of renewable energy, storage technologies, hydrogen technologies, and smart grids is crucial, which now has to happen several times faster than it is now -- a point that climate activists and experts have made for years. Although hydroelectric, bioenergy, geothermal and even, in some countries, nuclear power, will play a role, the central technologies the world will rely upon are solar and wind power. Solar photovoltaic energy, namely turning sunlight into electricity, is the "cheapest energy source in history," according to the International Energy Agency. Wind power, both onshore and offshore, are close on its heels, and in the midst of a massive worldwide roll out. The EU intends to have renewables account for 40% of its energy supply by 2030, which means more than doubling wind power and solar energy production. Germany's new government has pledged to quadruple solar power by installation of solar panels and more than double wind power production, largely by cutting red tape. But studies show that even more clean energy is required to run factories and heat homes -- and that's even with gas flowing from Russia. Now those targets will have to be adjusted upward again. Critically, energy efficiency targets, too, have to be ratcheted up. Europeans simply have to use less energy: drive less, heat less, consume less. The EU's recently increased targets are actually quite tame: EU countries should collectively cut energy consumption by 9% by 2030, for example. Only 1% of Europe's buildings are being renovated with high quality insulation every year -- much too few. The introduction of a circular economy will shave energy use, too.Get our free weekly newsletterSign up for CNN Opinion's newsletter.Join us on Twitter and FacebookEuropeans have to realize that they are living in precarious, crisis-fraught times. Ramped up green transformation policies are required now for two reasons: to break free of Putin's energy stranglehold on Europe and meet global climate goals to keep our planet livable.This story has been updated with more detail.

Matt Egan, CNN Business

2022-02-23 11:45:02

business

energy

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/23/energy/us-natural-gas/index.html

'We are a gas superpower.' Ex-Trump regulator says US natural gas can help Europe - CNN

The decision by Germany to halt the certification of Nord Stream 2 underscores the critical role US natural gas can play on the world stage, former top energy regulator Neil Chatterjee told CNN on Tuesday.

energy, 'We are a gas superpower.' Ex-Trump regulator says US natural gas can help Europe - CNN

'We are a gas superpower.' Ex-Trump regulator says US natural gas can help Europe

New York (CNN Business)The decision by Germany to halt the certification of Nord Stream 2 underscores the critical role US natural gas can play on the world stage, former top energy regulator Neil Chatterjee told CNN on Tuesday."We are a gas superpower. We just need to be able to get it out of the ground and get it to market," Chatterjee, who served as America's top federal energy regulator until November 2020, said in a phone interview.The United States is the world's largest producer of natural gas and last year for the first time it became the No. 1 exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), surpassing Australia and Qatar. Chatterjee, a Republican nominated to lead the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by former President Donald Trump, complained that regulators are making it harder to export LNG at a time when US allies need it to reduce reliance on Russia. "I've been so frustrated by actions taken by my former colleagues, putting up more obstacles to get the infrastructure necessary to get natural gas to our allies," Chatterjee said, referring to recent actions by FERC.Read MoreGermany announced Tuesday it would halt the certification of Nord Stream 2 after Russia ordered troops into parts of eastern Ukraine. The 750-mile pipeline, completed in September, was supposed to supply badly-needed gas from Russia to Germany. Chatterjee, now an industry advisor to private equity giant KKR, expressed doubt that the pipeline won't eventually get the green light from German regulators."I don't buy it, Germany's announcement today," Chatterjee said. "It's just a matter of when Nord Stream 2 is certified. It's already built. I think this is posturing."Chatterjee added that Germany and Europe remain "dependent" on Russian gas."I have a hard time seeing them following through with this threat, particularly in the absence of alternatives," he said. "This plays into Putin's hands. Putin controls the timing on when and if he invades. Putin controls the timing on the delivery of gas. And that gives him dominant control."In November 2020, Trump quietly demoted Chatterjee as FERC's chairman -- a move the regulator said at the time may have been retribution for his support of clean energy.

Charles Riley and Julia Horowitz, CNN Business

2022-02-22 11:49:54

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/business/nord-stream-2-germany-russia/index.html

Nord Stream 2: Germany halts certification of Russian pipeline - CNN

The West showed Tuesday it was ready to target Russia's huge energy industry — even at the risk of hurting itself — after Moscow ordered troops into parts of eastern Ukraine.

business, Nord Stream 2: Germany halts certification of Russian pipeline - CNN

Germany halts Nord Stream 2 and Russia responds with a stark warning

London (CNN Business)The West showed Tuesday it was ready to target Russia's huge energy industry — even at the risk of hurting itself — after Moscow ordered troops into parts of eastern Ukraine.Germany said it was halting certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline following Moscow's actions in eastern Ukraine on Monday. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is on the scrap heap because of the Ukraine crisis. Here's why that matters"With regard to the latest developments, we need to reassess the situation also with regard to Nord Stream 2. It sounds very technocratic but it is the necessary administrative step in order to stop certification of the pipeline," Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Berlin.The 750-mile pipeline was completed in September but has not yet received final certification from German regulators. Without that, natural gas cannot flow through the Baltic Sea pipeline from Russia to Germany.The United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and several EU countries have opposed the pipeline since it was announced in 2015, warning the project would increase Moscow's influence in Europe.Read MoreNord Stream 2 could deliver 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. That's more than 50% of Germany's annual consumption and could be worth as much as $15 billion to Gazprom, the Russian state owned company that controls the pipeline.As Russia's biggest gas customer, Germany had tried to keep Nord Stream 2 out of global politics. But Berlin found it ever harder to defend the project as its allies debated how to punish Moscow should it order an invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to order troops into eastern Ukraine put the German government in a difficult position. US officials have made clear that they would move to suspend Nord Stream 2 in the event of a Russian invasion, without offering specifics on how that would be accomplished.Gazprom is the sole shareholder in Nord Stream 2 but 50% of the finance was provided by five European energy companies, including Wintershall and Uniper of Germany. The other financial backers are Britain's Shell (RDSA), Engie (EGIEY) of France and OMV (OMVJF) of Austria.Gas prices are jumping. What happens next?Energy is a major political issue in central and eastern Europe, where gas supplies from Russia play an essential role in power generation and home heating. Natural gas prices have set new records this winter in Europe, and a conflict in Ukraine could bring more pain to consumers.On Tuesday, the benchmark price of natural gas for delivery in Europe next month leaped to about €79 ($89.54) per megawatt hour, up from €71.50 ($81.04) at Monday's close, according to data from Independent Commodity Intelligence Services.Prices have dropped from record highs hit just before Christmas. Still, they remain significantly above where they stood one year ago, when gas traded at €16.30 ($18.47) per megawatt hour.Analysts said the fight over Nord Stream 2 shouldn't dramatically change the price outlook for this winter. The pipeline hadn't been expected to come online until the second half of the year, noted Tom Marzec-Manser, head of gas analytics at ICIS.Still, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, warned after Germany's announcement that prices in Europe would skyrocket."Welcome to the brave new world where Europeans are very soon going to pay €2,000 for 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas," he tweeted. Marzec-Manser said that would be equivalent to approximately €215 ($243.75) per megawatt hour, roughly 20% above the record high reached in December.Europe is in better shape than it was a few months ago after ramping up imports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, in January and early February, according to Henning Gloystein, director of energy, climate and resources at Eurasia Group. Weather has also been relatively mild.Yet a lot rides on what happens next.LNG from the United States and Qatar will help the bloc withstand any disruptions to gas flows though Ukraine, which account for about 10% of total supply to the European Union, should pipelines be damaged in fighting.But if Moscow, which has already reduced its gas exports to Europe, decides to choke them off further in response to Western sanctions, it could dramatically escalate the situation. "If Russia stops sending any gas to Europe, there isn't enough LNG to cope with that," Gloystein said. He said Russia is not expected to take such a drastic step since it would also hurt Gazprom, but it remains a possibility given Putin's recent aggression.— Lindsay Isaac contributed to this story.

Rachel Ramirez, CNN

2022-02-23 06:47:46

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/23/world/wildfire-increase-climate-change-unep-report/index.html

Wildfires are getting more extreme and burning more land. The UN says it's time to learn to 'live with fire' - CNN

Wildfires are increasing in severity and frequency, and a new UN report suggests it's time we adapt to it.

world, Wildfires are getting more extreme and burning more land. The UN says it's time to learn to 'live with fire' - CNN

Wildfires are getting more extreme and burning more land. The UN says it's time to 'learn to live with fire'

(CNN)Wildfires have intensified around the globe, providing a stark reminder of how the climate crisis is upending lives and inflicting billions of dollars a year in damage. And it will only get worse, according to dozens of global fire experts. A report released Wednesday by the UN Environment Programme suggests it's time we "learn to live with fire" and adapt to the uptick in the frequency and severity of wildfires that will inevitably put more lives and economies in harm's way.Exclusive: Experts say the term 'drought' may be insufficient to capture what is happening in the WestThe number of extreme wildfire events will increase up to 14% by 2030, according to the report's analysis. By 2050, the increase will climb to 30%.Even with the most ambitious efforts to slash heat-trapping emissions, the report shows that those near-term consequences are locked in. Although the situation is dire and that eliminating wildfire risks is impossible, communities can still reduce their risk and exposure, said Andrew Sullivan, principal research officer with Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and editor of the report.Read More"Uncontrollable and devastating wildfires are becoming an expected part of the seasonal calendars in many parts of the world," Sullivan said at a Monday news conference. "Where wildfires have historically occurred, they may increase; however, where wildfires have not historically occurred, they may become more common."A large bushfire is seen from Bargo, Australia, southwest of Sydney in December 2019. A state of emergency was declared in Australia's most populated region that month as an unprecedented heatwave fanned out-of-control bushfires, destroying homes and smothering huge areas with a toxic smoke.Wildfires affect every aspect of society including public health, livelihoods, biodiversity and the already changing climate. UNEP researchers, including over 50 experts from universities, government agencies and international organizations around the world, say the report serves as a "roadmap" for adapting to a burning world. The changing pattern of wildfiresFires have always served a vital ecological purpose on Earth, essential for many ecosystems. They restore the soil's nutrients, helping germinate plants and remove decaying matter. Without fires, overgrown foliage like grasses and shrubs can prime the landscape for worse flare-ups, particularly during extreme drought and heat waves. Burning parts of the land on purpose has historically prevented larger, more destructive fires. Indigenous people have been applying this preventative method, known as controlled or prescribed burns, for thousands of years.A firefighter battles flames during the Creek fire in the Cascadel Woods area of unincorporated Madera County, California, in September 2020.But as humans warmed the planet, developed more land and created fire suppression policies while neglecting forest management, wildfires have become more deadly and destructive than ever before. These factors, according to the UNEP report, drastically changed the fire regime.Wildfires now burn longer and are becoming hotter in places where they have always occurred; meanwhile, fires are also igniting and spreading in unexpected places, including wetlands, drying peatlands and on thawing permafrost in the Arctic. What is black carbon? The latest way humans are causing changes in Antarctica"What is eye catching is that there are ecosystems now that start to burn that we did not expect in that intensity," Tim Christophersen, head of the Nature for Climate Branch at UNEP, told CNN. "For example, there's a lot more wetlands which, as they're called, you would think that they don't catch fire easily. We see more and more fires also in the Arctic Circle, where fires are naturally rare."Wildfires, which are often ignited by lightning strikes or human activity, are becoming more frequent because of human-caused climate change. Scientists found, for instance, that climate change made the extreme weather conditions that fueled the 2019-2020 destructive fire seasons in Australia 30% more likely to occur. Additionally, a recent study found that high-elevation forests in the Rocky Mountains are burning more now than any time in the past 2,000 years. In the last two years, wildfires in the US West were exhibiting extreme fire behavior and wafting smoke across the country while also creating their own weather.A hazy San Francisco skyline is seen from Dolores Park in September 2020 as more than 300,000 acres burned across the state.Fires are also increasingly harming public health. A recent study found that the annual exposure to wildfire smoke results in more than 30,000 deaths across the 43 countries analyzed in the study. Another study found that increases in fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke in 2020 led to a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths in California, Oregon and Washington.Wildfires have also become more costly. In the US, the UNEP report noted data from the National Interagency Fire Center that shows that average annual federal firefighting costs have skyrocketed to $1.9 billion as of 2020 -- a rise of more than 170% in a decade. Researchers say governments aren't learning from the past, and they are perpetuating conditions that are not environmentally and economically beneficial for the future."The world needs to change its stance towards wildfires -- from reactive to proactive -- because wildfires are going to increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change," Christophersen said. "That means we all have to be better prepared."A shift in thinkingThe report predicts that the likelihood of intense events, similar to those seen in Australia's so-called Black Summer wildfires in 2019 and 2020 or the record-setting Arctic fires in 2020, will increase by up to 57% by the end of the century. And because of the ever-shifting conditions in which wildfires now occur, researchers say authorities and policy-makers need to work in tandem with local communities, bring back Indigenous knowledge and invest money to prevent wildfires from igniting in the first place to reduce the damage and loss that comes after. A forest fire in central Yakutia, Russia, in June 2020.UNEP researchers suggest that governments adopt a "fire ready formula," which commits two-thirds of spending to planning, prevention, preparedness and recovery, with only a smaller percentage put toward response to damages and losses. Greenland's ice is melting from the bottom up -- and far faster than previously thought, study shows"This formula needs to be fine-tuned to each regional and national context," Christophersen said. "But in general, it's a shift away from investing only in the response and more into prevention, planning and recovery."Christophersen added that building stronger regional and international cooperation to help other countries is crucial as well."Some countries are more advanced in this than others and they can share their knowledge with other countries," he said. "At the moment, what keeps me up at night is that there's no real global response yet, so we need more investments also in that kind of a global platform."The report acknowledges that the UN system itself "lacks robust wildfire expertise dedicated to this challenge," which they plan to change through a series of initiatives that would help countries.

Analysis by Angela Dewan, International Climate Editor

2022-02-22 14:56:00

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/business/nord-stream-2-russia-ukraine-europe-germany-climate-intl/index.html

Nord Stream 2 is politically dead. Germany and Europe now have big choices to make - CNN

There are few energy projects in the world as controversial as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and on Tuesday, it all but died in the water as Germany's leader halted its approval process over the Ukraine crisis.

business, Nord Stream 2 is politically dead. Germany and Europe now have big choices to make - CNN

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is on the scrap heap because of the Ukraine crisis. Here's why that matters

(CNN)There are few energy projects in the world as controversial as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and on Tuesday, it all but died in the water as Germany's leader halted its approval process over the Ukraine crisis.The 1,230-kilometer pipeline was supposed to ferry huge amounts of natural gas directly from Russia to Europe via Germany, and although it has been sitting there, built for more than five months, not a single delivery has passed through it.What does Putin want in Ukraine? The conflict explainedThe project has divided politicians, analysts and Europeans for years, and has been beset by delays, previous US sanctions and opposition over its impact on the climate crisis. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's announcement was the strongest concrete response yet from the West to Russia's military action in eastern Ukraine. But it puts Europe in an uncomfortable position — Russia could simply turn off its other gas taps that power most of the continent and leave millions of people in the dark and cold. Natural gas is the fuel that can power water heaters, furnaces, stoves and ovens.Read MoreGermany already receives Russian gas through Nord Stream 1, a similar pipeline that also runs under the Baltic Sea. But as Russia stepped up its military action in Ukraine overnight, the pressure on Germany to stop the project in its tracks dialed up. Whether or not Germany officially scraps Nord Stream 2 in the long term, Russia's actions in Ukraine make the project politically dead. Fears that Russia would use Nord Stream 2 as a geopolitical weapon to push its interests — and expansionism — in Europe are now proving well-founded. But loading the weapon with actual gas will weaken Europe's position even further.The project was already running into political problems.Germany's new coalition government has a strong Greens presence that opposed the increased reliance on natural gas -- a fossil fuel that is now contributing more greenhouse gas emissions in the EU than coal, so reliant it has become on what was supposed to be a fuel to transition to renewables. Cruel irony of US politics: Climate change, Ukraine, gas pricesNord Stream 2 was set to add 100 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, not to mention the inevitable leaks of methane, a greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the planet-warming power of CO2 in the short term.Now Europe — Germany in particular — has an opportunity to use this moment to move away not just from Nord Stream 2 but its growing reliance on fossil gas altogether. Germany is one of few developed nations that opposes nuclear power and is in the process of shutting down its few reactors. Without it, it has become highly dependent on gas, and will need a radical rethink to speed up energy generation from renewables. Considering the environmental concerns around dealing with the radioactive waste that nuclear energy brings, its role in the future energy mix across Europe as a whole has its limitations. A rapid scale-up of renewables — solar, wind and hydropower — offer security in both energy and climate protection. Moving subsidies away from fossil fuels to renewables would be an easy first step.In the short term, Europe can scramble gas from other countries -- unlikely enough to replace Russia, but perhaps enough to get by -- and deal with the immediate Russian threat.But the forever problem of the climate crisis will keep churning and will ultimately be deadlier and costlier than military confrontation is likely to be.

Danya Gainor and Angela Fritz, CNN

2022-02-22 16:00:45

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/world/antarctica-human-pollution-causing-more-snow-melt-climate/index.html

Antarctica seeing more melting due to black carbon pollution from tourism and research, study shows - CNN

Increasing human presence in Antarctica is causing more snow melt — bad news for a frozen world already battling the effects of human-caused global warming.

world, Antarctica seeing more melting due to black carbon pollution from tourism and research, study shows - CNN

What is black carbon? The latest way humans are causing changes in Antarctica

(CNN)There are few places on Earth that humans haven't mucked up with the waste and pollution that comes from our gas-guzzling cars, the coal-fired electricity we power our homes with and the dust and soot that falls from the wildfires we've made worse.Now even Antarctica — the only continent with no permanent human inhabitants — is being altered by the grit that follows us wherever we go.A study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications found that the increasing human presence in Antarctica is causing more snow melt — bad news for a frozen world already battling the effects of human-caused global warming.Antarctica will likely set an alarming new record this year, new data showsBlack carbon — the dark, dusty pollution that comes from burning fossil fuels — has settled in locations where tourists and researchers spend a lot of time, scientists found. Even the smallest amounts of the dark pollutant can have a significant impact on melting because of its very low "albedo," or reflectiveness: things that are light in color, like snow, reflect the sun's energy and stay cool; things that are dark, like black carbon, absorb the sun's energy and warm up.Take bright, white snow and sprinkle some black pollution on it, and it's a recipe for melting. Read MoreAnd what happens in Antarctica has global repercussions. It's a massive, white continent that reflects a significant amount of the sun's energy back to space. Losing ice and snow cover means land and ocean temperatures warm further, and that again causes more melting, in what becomes a vicious cycle of climate change. "(Antarctica) is currently one of the most rapidly warming regions on the planet," said Alia Khan, a snow and ice scientist at Western Washington University. "Snow is already melting due to impacts of climate change, but this is an exacerbating factor on snow melt."Penguins are seen with a cruise ship in the background in Antarctica. Roughly 74,000 tourists visited Antarctica during the summer of 2019-2020, more than twice as many as a decade ago, according to the IAATO.The researchers sampled snow around tourist sites and research-heavy locations from 2016 to 2020 and found the black carbon found in those samples was considerably more abundant than levels measured elsewhere on the continent. The research found the highest levels of soot were measured near the Argentine research station in Hope Bay on the Trinity Peninsula, near the northern most part of Antarctica."(Tourist) ships in Antarctica generally use less-polluting marine diesel, and some vessels are supplementing fuel with battery power," the study said. But the researchers note that their results show there's more to be done to reduce pollution as tourism continues to increase. The Ukraine conflict has put a major gas pipeline on the scrap heap. Here's why that mattersRoughly 74,000 tourists visited Antarctica during the summer of 2019-2020, the researchers reported, a 32% increase from 2018-2019 and more than twice as many as a decade ago.Khan said this study was important not just to understand what's happening in Antarctica, but because global climate models — which scientists use to predict environmental changes decades and centuries in advance — need a better grasp on the impact of snow albedo on the climate system."The snow albedo effect is one of the largest uncertainties in regional and global climate modeling right now," Khan told CNN. "That's one of the motivations for the study, to quantify the impact of black carbon in Antarctica due to local emissions from research and tourist activities on regional snowmelt, which is important for quantifying the role of black carbon in the global loss of snow and ice."Marilyn Raphael, a geography professor and director of UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, explained that messing with the Antarctic could throw our planet's delicate balance out of whack.Exclusive: Experts say the term 'drought' may be insufficient to capture what is happening in the West"[Antarctica] is sitting there pretty much silently all year. But, if it weren't there, in the state that it is meant to be, the balance that we have in the climate system — the balance that we enjoy in the Northern Hemisphere — will no longer be," Raphael said.Tuesday's study comes alongside an alarming record in Antarctica: the area of ocean covered by sea ice around the continent will hit a new low this year. Raphael said changes in sea ice, too, could have a global reach. Antarctica's sea ice is also important to maintain a balance in atmospheric circulation, Raphael said. This circulation drives the winds and is the means by which energy is transported into or out of the continent."If the atmospheric circulation changes, the global climate changes," she said.As waters get warmer and sea ice depletes, some Antarctic creatures are finding their homes more and more unlivable. Penguin colonies in Antarctica, for example, rely heavily on krill in their diets, and the krill rely on sea ice. Scientists have seen a shocking decline in penguin colonies recently, as krill becomes harder to find. "Everything we do has consequences," Raphael said. "We need to educate ourselves about those consequences, especially in systems that we know relatively little about. We have to be careful that we don't upset the climate balance."This story has been updated with additional information.

Isabelle Jani-Friend, CNN

2022-02-22 17:44:53

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/world/greenland-ice-melting-sea-level-rise-climate-intl-scli-scn/index.html

Greenland's ice is melting from the bottom up and far faster than previously thought - CNN

"Unprecedented" rates of melting have been observed by scientists at the bottom of the ice sheet.

world, Greenland's ice is melting from the bottom up and far faster than previously thought - CNN

Greenland's ice is melting from the bottom up -- and far faster than previously thought, study shows

(CNN)The ice sheet covering Greenland is melting rapidly at its base and is injecting far more water and ice into the ocean than previously understood, according to new research, which could have serious ramifications for global sea level rise. "Unprecedented" rates of melting have been observed at the bottom of the ice sheet, caused by huge quantities of meltwater falling down from the surface, according to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. As the meltwater falls, its gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, which ultimately warms the water as it pools at the base of the ice sheet. In that process, the study found that the Greenland ice sheet produces more energy than the world's 10 largest hydroelectric dams combined."However, the heat generated by the falling water is not used to generate electricity. Instead, it melts the ice," Poul Christoffersen, a Canmridge University senior scientist who took part in the study, told CNN. Meltwater on the surface of the ice sheet falls through cracks to the base.During warmer months, meltwater pools into lakes and streams on the surface of the ice sheet. Some of that water drains to the bottom of the ice sheet, falling through cracks and large fractures that form in the ice with movement and stress.Read MoreThat meltwater contributes to more melting at the bottom of the ice sheet, and it also behaves as a lubricant that promotes faster flow and increases the quantity of ice discharged into the ocean.What is black carbon? The latest way humans are causing changes in AntarcticaChristoffersen explained that when researching the melting of ice sheet and glaciers at their bases, studies tended to focus on external heat sources. "But what we hadn't really looked at was the heat generated by the draining meltwater itself," he said. "There's a lot of energy stored in the water that forms on the surface, and when it falls, the energy has to go somewhere."The Greenland ice sheet is the second largest in the world and is already the biggest single contributor to global sea level rise. "The ice in Greenland is melting on the surface faster than the snowfall can keep up with, so there is quite a big loss from the melting," Christoffersen told CNN. "In a substantial part of the ice, we get melt rates which can be up to five or six centimeters a day." However, directly measuring conditions at the base -- around 1 kilometer below the surface -- poses challenges, particularly in Greenland, where glaciers are among the world's fastest-moving."Unprecedented" rates of melting have been observed at the bottom of the ice sheet.The Cambridge researchers teamed up with scientists at the University of California Santa Cruz and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland for this study. It focused on the Store Glacier, a large outlet from the Greenland ice sheet. Antarctica will likely set an alarming new record this year, new data showsTo measure the melt rates, the researchers used a technique developed at the British Antarctic Survey called phase-sensitive radio-echo sounding, a process by which they can measure the thickness of the ice.It's a method that had previously been used on floating ice sheets around Antarctica."We weren't sure that the technique would also work on a fast-flowing glacier in Greenland," said Tun Jan Young, first author of the study, who installed the radar system on Store Glacier. "Compared to Antarctica, the ice deforms really fast, and there is a lot of meltwater in summer, which complicates the work."

Sara Smart, CNN

2022-02-18 23:06:14

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/18/us/black-bear-homes-lake-tahoe-wanted-trnd/index.html

Hank the Tank: 500-pound black bear has broken into nearly 30 California homes - CNN

A new neighbor has moved into a California town and is causing concern.

us, Hank the Tank: 500-pound black bear has broken into nearly 30 California homes - CNN

Wanted: A 500-pound black bear that has broken into nearly 30 California homes

(CNN)A new neighbor has moved into a California town and is causing concern.For months now, a 500-pound black bear has been roaming the streets in the Tahoe Keys area of South Lake Tahoe, about 100 miles east of Sacramento.In the span of seven months, the animal caused extensive damage at 33 properties and forcefully entered 28 homes, according to a February 17 blog post by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).Luckily, the CDFW said, there have been no direct attacks on humans or pets in the area.A mama bear was caught on camera rescuing her cubs in South Lake Tahoe Residents have flooded police lines with worrisome calls, and CDFW said more than 100 individual reports of the bear have been reported to South Lake Tahoe police. Read MoreCDFW spokesman Peter Tira told CNN the department has been tracking incidents with this black bear since spring of 2021."The incidents primarily occurred during the summer and fall of 2021 when the bear was in hyperphagia, adding calories to survive the winter," Tira said. Hyperphagia, according to the US National Park Service, causes bears to eat and drink nearly nonstop during the fall in preparation for hibernation.This bear, according to CDFW, has lost its fear of people, and is associating people with access to food. His large size helps him break into homes as he can push through front doors and garage doors.The bear weighs an estimated 500-pounds and is "severely food-habituated", according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.Back in October, a California woman was mauled by a different black bear that broke into her northern Lake Tahoe cabin and rummaged through her kitchen. The woman suffered scratches and other wounds all over her body.There are a few options to keep the community and bear safe: relocation, placing the bear in a facility, or euthanasia. This last option has local bear advocacy groups like BEAR League concerned.Ann Bryant, executive director of the group, told CNN affiliate KCRA other options are available other than euthanasia. "The BEAR League reached out to the director of an excellent out-of-state wildlife sanctuary who agreed he has room and would be very willing to give this bear a permanent home," Bryant told KCRA.However, CDFW said relocation comes with a lot of requirements and can take a toll on the animal's mental health.According to KCRA, the BEAR League group has offered to pay all relocation expenses.You come across a bear. Your next move is very important. Do you know what to do?"While the Lake Tahoe area has a healthy and dense bear population, euthanizing an animal is always our last option," Tira said.If CDFW does capture the bear, it said it will evaluate the possibility of moving him to the out-of-state facility. His current location, as of Friday, is unknown, but his last reported sighting was a few days ago when he was seen walking down a street in the Tahoe Keys, CDFW said.CDFW is advising residents in the area to stay vigilant and responsibly store and dispose of food, as bears are driven by scent.

Alexandra Meeks, CNN

2022-02-22 11:34:44

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/us/five-things-february-22-trnd/index.html

5 things to know for Feb. 22: Ukraine, Covid, Severe storms, Oil & gas drilling, 3G - CNN

Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

us, 5 things to know for Feb. 22: Ukraine, Covid, Severe storms, Oil & gas drilling, 3G - CNN

5 things to know for Feb. 22: Ukraine, Covid, Severe storms, Oil & gas drilling, 3G

Get '5 Things' in your inboxIf your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. (CNN)It's going to be a terrific Twosday! Today is 2/22/22 and unique festivities are happening around the world to celebrate the special palindrome date, meaning it reads the same forward and backward. Here's what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. (You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)1. UkraineRussian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops into separatist-held parts of eastern Ukraine in what the Kremlin called a "peacekeeping" mission. While it is unclear if these troop movements marked the beginning of an invasion of Ukraine that Western leaders have warned about for weeks, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council last night that Putin is "attempting to create a pretext for a further invasion." She also blasted Putin's claim that his troops entering those regions are "peacekeepers," calling it "nonsense." Russia's latest move came just hours after Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the Moscow-backed areas. Meanwhile, Putin is increasing his combative rhetoric on Russian media and accusing the West of threats and blackmail. 2. CoronavirusRead MoreA fourth Covid-19 shot might be recommended in the US this fall, according to leading public health officials who say they are "very carefully" monitoring if Americans would need another vaccine dose. Researchers say a fourth dose does boost antibodies, but is not likely to prevent Omicron breakthrough infections. In December, Israel became the first nation to roll out a fourth dose option for adults 60 and older. More recently, Sweden announced last week that second booster doses are recommended for everyone 80 and older. In the UK, officials unveiled plans yesterday to offer an extra booster dose to their vulnerable populations in addition to carving out end dates for self-isolation rules -- one day after it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for Covid-19. Buckingham Palace says the Queen has canceled her planned virtual engagements today as she continues to suffer from mild Covid-19 symptoms.JUST WATCHEDQueen Elizabeth tests positive for Covid-19ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHQueen Elizabeth tests positive for Covid-19 01:323. Winter stormsWinter weather alerts covering nearly 25 million people across the US were issued yesterday, as snow, sleet and freezing rain descend on most of the northern tier of the country. One storm system is bringing frigid conditions to the northern Plains through the Great Lakes today, with another blast expected later this week. Increasing wind may lead to near blizzard conditions in Minneapolis with several inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. Another storm system in the South is carrying in warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and providing enough moisture to create storms and flooding. As a result, people in some parts of Mississippi and Tennessee have been instructed to stay inside and be on the lookout today.JUST WATCHEDDangerously cold temperatures from Arctic expected in northern plainsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHDangerously cold temperatures from Arctic expected in northern plains 01:314. Oil & gas drillingThe Biden administration has announced another freeze to new oil and gas drilling leases after a judge ruled against a key climate tool used to estimate the "societal cost" of carbon emissions. The appeal, which came over the weekend, is the latest in a legal battle in the courts between several Republican-led states and the Biden administration over the social cost of carbon, a metric that uses economic models to put a value on each ton of carbon dioxide emitted. The idea is to quantify the economic harm caused by  changes in the climate, such as sea level rise, more destructive hurricanes, extreme wildfire seasons and flooding. Climate scientists are in favor of the metric because it helps measure climate-fueled disasters, but states that produce oil and gas are against it, arguing it increases the costs of drilling. 5. 3GAT&T is shutting down its 3G network today. The move will impact people still using 3G Kindles, 3G flip phones, the iPhone 5 and older models, various Android phones and some wearable devices. It will also affect some home alarm systems and medical devices such as fall detectors. Some in-car crash notification and roadside assistance systems like OnStar will also need to be updated or replaced. The 3G shutdown is primarily happening so companies can re-use the spectrum for 4G and 5G services, which are newer standards, better technologies and are more efficient. T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless are phasing out 3G later this year. AT&T owns WarnerMedia, CNN's parent company.BREAKFAST BROWSEBritney Spears secures book dealIs this a prelude to Brit performing on stage again? One can only hope!The world's biggest cruise ship is making its debutIt's so big it even has different neighborhoods if you never want your cruise to end...  New winner named in 2021 Kentucky DerbyThe decision has been met with praise after the previous winner sparked major controversy.Rare fossil of giant flying reptile discovered on Scottish Island Some of these creatures were as big as airplanes... *goosebumps*'Arthur' comes to an end after 25 seasonsWhat type of animal is Arthur? Most of us never knew, but one thing is very certain -- our favorite PBS creature will be missed!IN MEMORIAMJane Marczewski, a singer known by her stage name Nightbirde, who gained widespread popularity after being a contestant on NBC's "America's Got Talent," has died after a four-year battle with cancer, her family confirmed. "You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy," she said during one of her performances, impressing the judges with her positive and bubbly personality.JUST WATCHEDHost and judges pay tribute to 'America's Got Talent' contestant who lost battle to cancerReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHHost and judges pay tribute to 'America's Got Talent' contestant who lost battle to cancer 01:15TODAY'S NUMBER$40,000That's how much Michigan head basketball coach Juwan Howard was fined for fighting on the court after an NCAA college basketball game against Wisconsin. Howard has also been suspended for the rest of the regular season. The now-viral video of the brawl shows Howard throwing a punch toward a Wisconsin coach following an argument, sparking pushing and shoving between both sets of players and staff.TODAY'S QUOTE"Let me be clear: Doctors say had I not been vaccinated at all, I wouldn't be here."-- Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto, sharing how a second case of coronavirus nearly killed him. In contrast to some of the loudest voices at the right-wing network, Cavuto has spoken out in favor of Covid-19 vaccines. Cavuto, a cancer survivor with multiple sclerosis who is immunocompromised, said his most recent case of Covid-19 led to pneumonia and landed him "in intensive care for quite a while."TODAY'S WEATHERJUST WATCHEDMultiple rounds of extreme weather for the PlainsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMultiple rounds of extreme weather for the Plains 02:43Check your local forecast here>>>AND FINALLYTake a victory lap!Now that the Beijing Winter Olympics are over, competitors are heading home and celebrating their medals! Check out this compilation of the year's most emotional reactions in winning moments. (Click here to view)

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-02-21 11:09:33

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/21/us/biden-climate-social-cost-of-carbon-court/index.html

Climate change: Biden administration freezes new oil and gas drilling leases after court rules against key tool - CNN

The pause comes after a judge ruled against Biden's social cost of carbon metric, which uses models to put a value on each ton of carbon dioxide emitted to quantify the economic harm caused by the climate crisis, like sea level rise and wildfires.

us, Climate change: Biden administration freezes new oil and gas drilling leases after court rules against key tool - CNN

Biden administration freezes new oil and gas drilling leases after court rules against key climate tool

(CNN)The Biden administration has once again put a pause on new leases and permits for federal oil and gas drilling after a judge blocked the administration from using a metric that estimates the societal cost of carbon emissions.Earlier this month, US District Judge James Cain of the Western District of Louisiana issued an injunction preventing the Biden administration from using what's known as the "social cost of carbon" in decisions around oil and gas drilling on public land, or in rules governing fossil fuel emissions. The ruling has consequences for a range of Biden administration actions on climate change, but especially on the Interior Department's federal oil and gas leasing program. In an appeal filed by government attorneys on Saturday night, the Biden administration argued Cain's injunction necessitated a pause on all projects where the government was using a social-cost-of-carbon analysis in its decision-making.The appeal is the latest in a legal battle in the courts between several Republican-led states and the Biden administration over the social cost of carbon, a metric that uses economic models to put a value on each ton of carbon dioxide emitted. The idea is to quantify the economic harm caused by the climate crisis like sea level rise, more destructive hurricanes, extreme wildfire seasons and flooding.Cities tried to cut natural gas from new homes. The GOP and gas lobby preemptively quashed their effortThe metric was first implemented during the Obama administration and substantially weakened by the Trump government. Read MoreBiden revived the social cost of carbon on his first day in office, setting it at $51 per ton of CO2 emissions -- the same level as set by the Obama administration. The administration was expected to release an updated figure this February. "The consequences of the injunction are dramatic," the Biden administration's filing reads. "Pending rulemakings in separate agencies throughout the government -- none of which were actually challenged here -- will now be delayed. Other agency actions may now be abandoned due to an inability to redo related environmental analyses in time to meet mandatory deadlines."The filing also said that internal agency discussions on a new social cost of carbon have stopped, and that Cain's ruling has even undermined Biden's ability to discuss the estimate with other foreign leaders or White House staff. Interior Department spokesperson Melissa Schwartz confirmed this will impact the department's oil and gas permitting.Biden administration is finalizing a waiver for California to set its own vehicle emissions standards"The Interior Department has assessed program components that incorporate the interim guidance on social cost of carbon analysis from the Interagency Working Group, and delays are expected in permitting and leasing for the oil and gas programs," Schwartz said in a statement. Schwartz said Interior "continues to move forward with reforms to address the significant shortcomings in the nation's onshore and offshore oil and gas programs," including assessing climate impacts and reforming royalty rates for taxpayers.In their brief notifying appeal, the administration characterized Cain's ruling as overly broad, and requested a stay pending appeal."Respectfully, Defendants are aware of no precedent for such judicial micromanagement of Executive Branch policymaking," the government brief said.

CNN Editorial Research

2013-07-13 21:47:42

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world

https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/13/world/oil-spills-fast-facts/index.html

Oil Spills Fast Facts - CNN

View the Oil Spills Fast Facts on CNN and learn more information about oil spill disasters.

world, Oil Spills Fast Facts - CNN

Oil Spills Fast Facts

(CNN)Here's a look at oil spill disasters. Spill estimates vary by source.Ten Largest Oil Spills1. January 1991 - During the Gulf War, Iraqi forces intentionally release 252-336 million gallons of oil into the Persian Gulf. 2. April 20, 2010 - An explosion occurs on board the BP-contracted Transocean Ltd. Deepwater Horizon oil rig, releasing approximately 168 million gallons of oil in the Gulf of Mexico.3. June 3, 1979 - Ixtoc 1, an exploratory well, blows out, spilling 140 million gallons of oil into the Bay of Campeche off the coast of Mexico.Read More4. March 2, 1992 - A Fergana Valley oil well in Uzbekistan blows out, spilling 88 million gallons of oil.5. February 1983 - An oil well in the Nowruz Oil Field in Iran begins spilling oil. One month later, an Iraqi air attack increases the amount of oil spilled to approximately 80 million gallons of oil.6. August 6, 1983 - The Castillo de Bellver, a Spanish tanker, catches fire near Cape Town, South Africa, spilling more than 78 million gallons of oil.7. March 16, 1978 - The Amoco Cadiz tanker runs aground near Portsall, France, spilling more than 68 million gallons of oil.8. November 10, 1988 - The tanker Odyssey breaks apart during a storm, spilling 43.1 million gallons of oil northeast of Newfoundland, Canada.9. July 19, 1979 - The Atlantic Empress and the Aegean Captain tankers collide near Trinidad and Tobago. The Atlantic Empress spills 42.7 million gallons of oil. On August 2, the Atlantic Empress spills an additional 41.5 million gallons near Barbados while being towed away.10. August 1, 1980 - Production Well D-103 blows out, spilling 42 million gallons of oil southeast of Tripoli, Libya.Notable US Oil SpillsUnion Oil CompanyJanuary 28, 1969 - Inadequate casing leads to the blowout of a Union Oil well 3,500 feet deep about five miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. About three million gallons of oil gush from the leak until it can be sealed 11 days later, covering 800 square miles of ocean and 35 miles of coastline and killing thousands of birds, fish and other wildlife. The disaster is largely considered to be one of the main impetuses behind the environmental movement and stricter government regulation, including President Richard Nixon's signing of the National Environmental Policy Act, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. It also inspired Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson to found the first Earth Day. Exxon ValdezMarch 24, 1989 - The Exxon Valdez runs aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling more than 11 million gallons of oil.March 22, 1990 - Captain Joseph Hazelwood is acquitted of all but one misdemeanor, negligent discharge of oil. Hazelwood is later sentenced to 1,000 hours of cleaning around Prince William Sound and is fined $50,000.July 25, 1990 - At an administrative hearing, the Coast Guard dismisses charges of misconduct and intoxication against Captain Joseph Hazelwood, but suspends his captain's license.October 8, 1991 - A federal judge approves a settlement in which Exxon and its shipping subsidiary will pay $900 million in civil payments and $125 million in fines and restitution. Exxon says it has already spent more than $2 billion on cleanup.September 16, 1994 - A federal jury orders Exxon to pay $5 billion in punitive damages to fishermen, businesses and property owners affected by the oil spill.November 7, 2001 - The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rules that the $5 billion award for punitive damages is excessive and must be cut. December 6, 2002 - US District Judge H. Russel Holland reduces the award to $4 billion. December 22, 2006 - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reduces the award to $2.5 billion.June 25, 2008 - The US Supreme Court cuts the $2.5 billion punitive damages award to $507.5 million.June 15, 2009 - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals orders Exxon to pay $470 million in interest on the $507.5 million award.BP Gulf Oil SpillApril 20, 2010 - An explosion occurs aboard BP-contracted Transocean Ltd Deepwater Horizon oil rig stationed in the Gulf of Mexico. Of the 126 workers aboard the oil rig, 11 are killed.April 22, 2010 - The Deepwater Horizon oil rig sinks. An oil slick appears in the water. It is not known if the leak is from the rig or from the underwater well to which it was connected.April 24, 2010 - The US Coast Guard reports that the underwater well is leaking an estimated 42,000 gallons of oil a day.April 28, 2010 - The Coast Guard increases its spill estimate to 210,000 gallons of oil a day.May 2, 2010 - President Barack Obama tours oil spill affected areas and surveys efforts to contain the spill.May 4, 2010 - The edges of the oil slick reach the Louisiana shore.May 26, 2010 - BP starts a procedure known as "top kill," which attempts to pump enough mud down into the well to eliminate the upward pressure from the oil and clear the way for a cement cap to be put into place. The attempt fails. June 16, 2010 - BP agrees to create a $20 billion fund to help victims affected by the oil spill.July 5, 2010 - Authorities report that tar balls linked to the oil spill have reached the shores of Texas. July 10, 2010 - BP removes an old containment cap from the well so a new one can be installed. While the cap is removed, oil flows freely. The new cap is finished being installed on July 12.July 15, 2010 - According to BP, oil has stopped flowing into the Gulf. August 3, 2010 - BP begins the operation "static kill" to permanently seal the oil well. August 5, 2010 - BP finishes the "static kill" procedure. Retired Adm. Thad Allen says this will "virtually assure us there's no chance of oil leaking into the environment." January 11, 2011 - The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling releases their full report stating that the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig launched the worst oil spill in US history, 168 million gallons (or about 4 million barrels).September 14, 2011 - The final federal report is issued on the Gulf oil spill. It names BP, Transocean and Halliburton as sharing responsibility for the deadly explosion that resulted in the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. January 26, 2012 - A federal judge in New Orleans rules that Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig, is not liable for compensatory damages sought by third parties.January 31, 2012 - A federal judge in New Orleans rules that Halliburton is not liable for some of the compensatory damages sought by third parties.March 2, 2012 - BP announces it has reached a settlement with attorneys representing thousands of businesses and individuals affected by the 2010 oil spill. April 18, 2012 - Court documents are filed revealing the March 2, 2010 settlement BP reached with attorneys representing thousands of businesses and individuals affected by the oil spill. A federal judge must give preliminary approval of the pact, which BP estimates will total about $7.8 billion. April 24, 2012 - The first criminal charges are filed in connection with the oil spill. Kurt Mix, a former engineer for BP, is charged with destroying 200-plus text messages about the oil spill, including one concluding that the undersea gusher was far worse than reported at the time. November 15, 2012 - Attorney General Eric Holder announces that BP will plead guilty to manslaughter charges related to the rig explosion and will pay $4.5 billion in government penalties. Separate from the corporate manslaughter charges, a federal grand jury returns an indictment charging the two highest-ranking BP supervisors on board the Deepwater Horizon on the day of the explosion with 23 criminal counts. November 28, 2012 - The US government issues a temporary ban barring BP from bidding on new federal contracts. The ban is lifted on March 13, 2014. December 21, 2012 - US District Judge Carl Barbier signs off on the settlement between BP and businesses and individuals affected by the oil spill. January 3, 2013 - The Justice Department announces that Transocean Deepwater Inc. has agreed to plead guilty to a violation of the Clean Water Act and pay $1.4 billion in fines. February 25, 2013 - The trial to determine how much BP owes in civil damages under the Clean Water Act begins. The first phase of the trial will focus on the cause of the blowout. September 19, 2013 - In federal court in New Orleans, Halliburton pleads guilty to destroying test results that investigators had sought as evidence. The company is given the maximum fine of $200,000 on the charge. September 30, 2013 - The second phase of the civil trial over the oil spill begins. This part focuses on how much oil was spilled and if BP was negligent because of its lack of preparedness. December 18, 2013 - Kurt Mix, a former engineer for BP, is acquitted on one of two charges of obstruction of justice for deleting text messages about the oil spill. September 4, 2014 - A federal judge in Louisiana finds that BP was "grossly negligent" in the run-up to the 2010 disaster, which could quadruple the penalties it would have to pay under the Clean Water Act to more than $18 billion. Judge Carl Barbier of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana also apportions blame for the spill, with "reckless" BP getting two thirds of it. He says the other two main defendants in the more than 3,000 lawsuits filed in the spill's wake, Transocean and Halliburton, were found to be "negligent." January 15, 2015 - After weighing multiple estimates, the court determines that 4.0 million barrels of oil were released from the reservoir. 810,000 barrels of oil were collected without contacting "ambient sea water" during the spill response, making BP responsible for a maximum of 3.19 million barrels. January 20-February 2, 2015 - The final phase of the trial to determine BP's fines takes place. The ruling is expected in a few months.July 2, 2015 - An $18.7 billion settlement is announced between BP and five Gulf states. September 28, 2015 - In a Louisiana federal court, the city of Mobile, Alabama, files an amended complaint for punitive damages against Transocean Ltd., Triton Asset Leasing, and Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., stating that "Mobile, its government, businesses, residents, properties, eco-systems and tourists/tourism have suffered and continue to suffer injury, damage and/or losses as a result of the oil spill disaster." As of April 20, 2015, Mobile estimated the losses had exceeded $31,240,000. October 5, 2015 - BP agrees to pay more than $20 billion to settle claims related to the spill. It is the largest settlement with a single entity in the history of the Justice Department. November 6, 2015 - The remaining obstruction of justice charge against Kurt Mix is dismissed as he agrees to plead guilty to the lesser charge of "intentionally causing damage without authorization to a protected computer," relating to deletion of a text message, a misdemeanor. He receives six months' probation and must complete 60 hours of community service.

Emma Tucker and Raja Razek, CNN

2022-02-19 20:36:07

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/19/us/miami-florida-helicopter-crash/index.html

Miami helicopter crash: Two injured as helicopter crashes into the ocean near Miami Beach - CNN

A helicopter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near the Miami Beach shore on Saturday, according to a tweet by Miami Beach Police.

us, Miami helicopter crash: Two injured as helicopter crashes into the ocean near Miami Beach - CNN

Two injured as helicopter crashes into the ocean near Miami Beach

(CNN)A helicopter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near the Miami Beach shore on Saturday, according to a tweet by Miami Beach Police. Two passengers were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital, police said in the tweet. Their conditions were described as "stable." A third passenger was not injured in the crash, according to Miami Beach Police Public Information Officer Ernesto Rodriguez. Police said that there were three people on board the helicopter when the crash occurred, but it's unclear which person was the pilot."This afternoon at 1:10 p.m., MBPD received a call of a helicopter crash in the ocean near 10 Street. Police and @MiamiBeachFire responded to the scene along with several partner agencies. Two occupants have been transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital in stable condition," police said.A video accompanying the tweet shows a helicopter falling into the ocean near a populated area of beachgoers and swimmers.Read MoreThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is ​responding to the scene and officials have closed off a two-block stretch of the beach between ninth and 11th streets, police said.The helicopter is a Robinson R44, according to a statement from the FAA obtained by CNN. The crash occurred under "unknown circumstances," the FAA said."The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates," the statement reads.Sean Adams speaks to WPLG.Beachgoer Sean Adams, who was on vacation at Miami Beach with his wife from Las Vegas, described the crash to CNN affiliate WPLG as a "harrowing experience." Adams, who is an aircraft mechanic, told WPLG that the helicopter went "back and forth over the deep water several times." After it crashed, the helicopter started tipping and the "whole beach ran to the scene," he said. "These are things you never want to see or talk about," he said. "It was 50 yards from the beach, right next to everybody. It was crazy that nobody got hurt." Ana Diaz speaks to WPLG about witnessing the helicopter crash.Adams said the pilot exited the plane and the passengers were "somewhat unconscious" and "in shock," as they were being helped out of the helicopter. Another traveler, Ana Diaz, was swimming in the ocean when she heard her family calling for her to come to shore as they watched the helicopter descend, she told WPLG.Diaz, who was visiting Miami with her family from Colombia, said she was just six or eight meters away from where the crash took place. She described the crash scene as one from a "movie" with extremely loud noises as the aircraft hit the water."I was really scared and I was swimming towards my family," Diaz told WPLG. "I was very worried about it and it was a very tough moment."

Ashley Strickland, CNN

2022-02-19 15:56:32

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/19/world/stonehenge-science-newsletter-wt-scn/index.html

Unlock the secrets of Stonehenge through rare artifacts - CNN

This week, glimpse the world of Stonehenge through a new exhibition of artifacts, swim up to a manatee salad bar, celebrate a year since Perseverance landed on Mars, meet a baby ghost shark, and more.

world, Unlock the secrets of Stonehenge through rare artifacts - CNN

Unlock the secrets of Stonehenge through rare artifacts

A version of this story appeared in Wonder Theory newsletter by CNN Space and Science writer Ashley Strickland, who finds wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. (CNN)Few ancient wonders still stand, but their remnants captivate us with the promise of untold stories. The first excavations at Stonehenge began in the 1600s, and researchers have tried to unlock its secrets ever since. Generations of people labored to create the iconic stone circle 4,500 years ago, which still stands in southwest England. Further into the distant past, there is evidence of wooden poles to mark the location that date back 10,000 years.Although a distinctly English site, Stonehenge bears the marks of long-distance links to other countries like Germany. But one enduring question remains: Why was it built? No written records exist to shed light on the monument's significance. However, the best way to understand something is to look at who created it.Read MoreA long time agoStonehenge was built 4,500 years ago, but the true purpose of the monument remains elusive.Stonehenge was once at the center of a rapidly changing world, bearing witness to the shift from mobile hunter-gatherer societies to the founding of farms that sprawled across the United Kingdom.A new exhibition at The British Museum in London has collected 430 illuminating objects from an 8,000-year span across Europe, during which stone tools gave way to stunning metalwork. The rare artifacts shows what life was like when the megaliths were raised, offering an enticing glimpse into their secrets.Some objects could have cosmic significance, like the Nebra sky disc, which may have functioned as an astronomical calendar.Other fascinating items include an antler headdress, a jadeite axe-head and a carved stone drum, considered to be "the most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last 100 years." Other worldsIt has been a year since the Perseverance rover landed on Mars with its helicopter sidekick, Ingenuity. Since then, the robotic duo have made history, simultaneously setting and breaking exploration records on the red planet.Ingenuity has taken to the Martian skies 19 times, while Perseverance has collected six samples from rocks that will be returned to Earth in the 2030s. This year, the intrepid adventurers are setting their sights on an intriguing new target: the remains of an ancient river delta. Exploring this destination is the prime reason scientists wanted to visit Mars' Jezero Crater. Samples collected there could contain microfossils, which would be evidence of ancient life -- if it ever existed on Mars.Fantastic creaturesFlorida manatees are chowing down on 20,000 pounds of lettuce a week.Florida's manatees are being treated to an aquatic salad bar, and it may save their lives. A new feeding program dumps roughly 20,000 pounds (9,072 kilograms) of romaine and butter lettuce into a popular manatee lagoon each week, serving about 350 manatees a day.These marine mammals are dying at an alarming rate, largely due to starvation. There are only about 7,500 Florida manatees, and last year, more than 1,000 died.The manatees are responding well to the program so far, showing up to chomp on leafy greens that give them the nutrients and digestible carbohydrates they need.Dig thisA fossil first discovered in 2010 is actually a previously unknown species of crocodile that lived in Australia 95 million years ago. But even more rare was the surprise waiting inside of what was once the 8.2-foot-long (2.5-meter-long) reptile's stomach: a young dinosaur. The find is the first evidence of a crocodile preying on a dinosaur in Australia. The creature's last meal suggests that it killed the dinosaur or foraged it soon after the dinosaur died. The discovery is causing researchers to question the role dinosaurs played in the food chain, especially when they became the prey of other animals.Climate changedThis lichen species lives in the arid Atacama Desert of northern Chile.Rapid changes in our climate may outpace the evolution of some of Earth's most wide-ranging organisms, like lichen.Those funky-looking patches you see on trees and rocks cover 7% of the planet's surface. Algae live inside of greenhouse-like structures provided by fungus, and together they form lichen, anywhere from the Arctic tundra to the most arid desert. Lichens create oxygen, retain moisture and contribute to water cycling in ecosystems. They also serve as a food source for many species, including some mammals, like reindeer.And scientists were shocked to discover that the tiny algae within lichen may take hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years to adapt as Earth's climate changes more quickly than ever. Are you trying to live greener? It's easy to say we want to go green -- to be more conscious of our impact on the planet and live in a way that doesn't add to the climate crisis. But where do you start? We want to hear what you'd like to learn more about. Food? Clothes? Travel? Share your questions here. CuriositiesLinger a little longer: -- Scientists are trying to determine what sent hundreds of birds crashing to the ground in Mexico last week. The startling incident was captured on video. -- A new NASA mission has shared its first stunning image, revealing glowing purple clouds around the remains of an exploded star.-- This "very rare" baby ghost shark, discovered off the coast of New Zealand, could help researchers understand more about these mysterious creatures of the deep. Like what you've read? Oh, but there's more. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory.

Travis Caldwell, Paula Newton and Paradise Afshar, CNN

2022-02-18 06:08:04

news

americas

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/18/americas/canada-trucker-protest-covid-friday/index.html

Freedom Convoy in Canada: Canadian police working to clear Ottawa downtown of protesters say they have arrested more than 100 demonstrators - CNN

Demonstrations in Ottawa turned violent Friday as protesters, according to authorities, assaulted officers and tried to remove their weapons.

americas, Freedom Convoy in Canada: Canadian police working to clear Ottawa downtown of protesters say they have arrested more than 100 demonstrators - CNN

Canadian police working to clear Ottawa downtown of protesters say they have arrested more than 100 demonstrators

(CNN)Demonstrations in Ottawa turned violent Friday as protesters, according to authorities, assaulted officers and tried to remove their weapons."All means of de-escalation have been used to move forward in our goal of returning Ottawa to (its) normalcy," police in Canada's capital said in a tweet.Police tweeted a photograph of mounted officers forming a line and later said people fell when officers on horseback tried to disperse the crowd."Anyone who fell, got up and walked away. We're unaware of any injuries," police said on Twitter.One person was arrested when a bicycle was thrown in the direction of a horse farther down the line, police said. Read MoreCity, provincial and federal law enforcement officers began an unprecedented operation Friday morning to remove protesters and their trucks and cars that have been blockading Ottawa's streets for weeks. By Friday night, more than 100 people had been arrested and 21 vehicles were towed."You must leave. You must cease further unlawful activity and immediately remove your vehicle and/or property from all unlawful protest sites," police tweeted on three occasions Friday night. "Anyone within the unlawful protest site may be arrested."At an afternoon news conference, interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said authorities would work all day and all night to move protesters out."We're in control of the situation on the ground and continue to push forward to clear our streets," Bell said. Officers on horseback try disperse protesters in Ottawa on Friday.Several trucks and cars have voluntarily left the protest but dozens continue to block streets in and around Parliament. Fact check: Strong majority of Canadians oppose convoy protests, poll after poll findsOttawa police earlier tweeted protesters placed children between police operations and the protest site. "The children will be brought to a place of safety," the tweet said. CNN has observed those children on the protest site in the last several days. Bell said police have not needed to interact with The Children's Aid Society of Ottawa in connection with children in the crowd. The society, according to its website, is a non-profit community organization funded by Ontario's government and is legally mandated to protect children and youth from abuse and neglect."Even through all the planning, it still shocks and surprises me that we are seeing children put in harm's way, in the middle of a demonstration where a police operation is unfolding," Bell said. "We will continue to look after their safety and security but we implore all the parents who have kids in there, get the kids out of there."Local media showed live pictures of several arrests that occurred earlier Friday without incident. Police searches and arrests took place at a location less than a half-mile from the main protest site at Parliament Hill. Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsProtesters and police face each other as police move in to clear downtown Ottawa of protesters on Saturday, February 19.Hide Caption 1 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA truck is towed away in front of Ottawa's Parliament Hill on February 19.Hide Caption 2 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsPolice clear downtown Ottawa on February 19.Hide Caption 3 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA protester's eyes are washed out after being affected by a chemical irritant fired by police on February 19.Hide Caption 4 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsPeople show their support for a trucker as he leaves downtown Ottawa on February 19.Hide Caption 5 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA police officer watches as a truck leaves Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, February 18.Hide Caption 6 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsPolice officers form a line as they push back protesters on February 18.Hide Caption 7 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsMounted police move in to disperse protesters on February 18.Hide Caption 8 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA man prepares a truck for towing in Ottawa on February 18.Hide Caption 9 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA man is detained by police as protesters and supporters gather in downtown Ottawa on Thursday, February 17.Hide Caption 10 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsFrom left, protest leaders Eddie Stewart Cornell, Vincent Gircys and Daniel Bulford attend a news conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, February 16. Hide Caption 11 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA police officer holds up a flyer that was being distributed to protesters in Ottawa on February 16. Police said they may arrest anyone blocking streets or assisting someone who is doing so.Hide Caption 12 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsTrucks and protesters block downtown streets near Canada's Parliament on Tuesday, February 15.Hide Caption 13 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA truck convoy departs Coutts, Alberta, after blocking the highway at the US border crossing on Tuesday, February 15.Hide Caption 14 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsTruck drivers block traffic outside Canada's Parliament on Monday, February 14.Hide Caption 15 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsPolice gather to clear protesters who blocked the entrance to the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, on Sunday, February 13. The Ambassador Bridge, North America's busiest land border crossing, reopened Sunday.Hide Caption 16 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA demonstrator stands atop a truck holding a Canadian flag during a protest outside the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa on February 12.Hide Caption 17 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA demonstrator lets off a firework during a protest outside Parliament in Ottawa on February 12.Hide Caption 18 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsTruck drivers and others protest Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in Ottawa on February 12.Hide Caption 19 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsProtesters heading out of and into Niagara Square in Buffalo, New York, honk their horns as they head toward the Peace Bridge on February 12. One holds a bobblehead doll of former President Donald Trump out his window while stopped in traffic.Hide Caption 20 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA demonstrator shouts during a protest outside Parliament on February 11. Canada's Ontario province declared a state of emergency over the trucker-led protests paralyzing the capital and blocking trade with the United States.Hide Caption 21 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA protester wears Canadian flags on her head during a protest outside Parliament on February 11.Hide Caption 22 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsThe Ambassador Bridge closing slowed supplies to US automakers. It also caused major traffic jams, such as this one, which diverted vehicles to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan, on February 9.Hide Caption 23 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsSupporters wave flags as a convoy of trucks moves through Toronto on February 5.Hide Caption 24 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA protester walks to a demonstration in Vancouver, British Columbia, on February 5.Hide Caption 25 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsCounterprotesters gather at Terminal Avenue to block a convoy of protesters in Vancouver on February 5.Hide Caption 26 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsSupporters of the protesters pass by a honking truck near Queen's Park in Toronto on February 5.Hide Caption 27 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA protester holds up a wanted poster of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as protesters gather around Queen's Park in Toronto on February 5.Hide Caption 28 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsTrucks parked in downtown Ottawa continue to protest Covid-19 mandates on February 4.Hide Caption 29 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA protester requests that police let trucks come close to Queen's Park during a protest at the park to support the truckers and denounce the government's vaccination policy.Hide Caption 30 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsTrucks from the so-called Freedom Convoy block downtown streets during a demonstration in Ottawa on February 3.Hide Caption 31 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA protester stands with a Canadian flag in front of Parliament Hill in Ottawa.Hide Caption 32 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsLines of trucks block the US-Canada border during a demonstration in Coutts, Alberta, on February 2.Hide Caption 33 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsTruck drivers and supporters protest in Ottawa on January 31.Hide Caption 34 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA child in Ottawa holds a sign comparing Covid-19 regulations to Nazi Germany on January 30.Hide Caption 35 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsSupporters arrive at Parliament Hill to protest on January 29. Hundreds of truckers drove their giant rigs into the Canadian capital.Hide Caption 36 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsProtesters party as a firework explodes in front of Parliament Hill during a rally in Ottawa on January 29.Hide Caption 37 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA supporter of the Freedom Convoy protests Covid-19 mandates in Ottawa on January 29.Hide Caption 38 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsA man holds a firework during a protest in Ottawa on January 29.Hide Caption 39 of 40 Photos: Scenes from the Canadian trucker protestsSupporters of the truckers gather near a highway overpass outside of Toronto on January 27.Hide Caption 40 of 40In his news conference earlier Friday, Bell said no protesters were hurt during the day and one officer suffered minor injuries.Debate in Parliament on using the Emergencies Act was slated to continue Friday, but the House of Commons will not meet because of police activity in downtown Ottawa, House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota said in a statement.Ottawa police on Friday confirmed the arrests of two protest organizers, Tamara Lich, 49, and Christopher John Barber, 46.Lich was charged with counseling to commit the offense of mischief and Barber has been charged with counseling to commit the offense of mischief, counseling to commit the offense of disobeying a court order, and counseling to commit the offense of obstructing police.Barber had a contested bail hearing Friday, attorney Diane Magas said in an email to CNN. He was released on conditions and a bond, she added. Lich is scheduled to appear in court Saturday morning for her arraignment.Video posted on social media shows Lich interacting with a police officer, then being handcuffed and led away to a police cruiser. Lich has encouraged protesters to convene in Ottawa, and recently called for supporters to continue their protest despite it being declared unlawful. She created a GoFundMe campaign for the "Freedom Convoy" which raised millions of dollars before it was suspended by the platform.The convoy first arrived in Ottawa on January 29 to express their disapproval of a vaccine mandate to enter the country or face testing requirements. Over the course of more than two weeks, the protest has since spiraled into a wider grievance against all Covid-19 measures, including mask-wearing and vaccinations.Ottawa police began erecting barriers and fencing throughout the downtown core Thursday in an effort to clear the area of demonstrators, who have used trucks to block city roads and remained defiant amid calls by police to disperse.Overnight, the three police forces hardened the perimeter in the downtown core, which includes checkpoints at on-ramps from highways and side streets. Ottawa police chief is leaving his post, city officials say amid ongoing protestsThe secured area would ensure that those seeking entry for an "unlawful reason such as joining a protest cannot enter the downtown core," according to Bell.With nearly 100 checkpoints, the perimeter encompasses most of Ottawa's downtown area and is far larger than the protest footprint to date.Those who live, work or have a lawful reason to be in the area would be allowed access, authorities said. Trudeau defends call for emergency powersAmid opposition in Parliament, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended his decision to invoke emergency powers to put an end to the demonstrations during an address Thursday to legislators. Officials have said a primary aim of invoking the Emergencies Act is to stifle funding to the demonstrators in Ottawa. Law enforcement officers confront protesters during a demonstration in Ottawa on Friday."These illegal blockades are being heavily supported by individuals in the United States and from elsewhere around the world," Trudeau said. "We see that roughly half of the funding that is flowing to the barricaders here is coming from the United States. The goal of all measures, including financial measures in the Emergencies Act, is to deal with the current threat only, and to get the situation fully under control."Traveling to Canada during Covid-19: What you need to know before you goThe act, passed in 1988 and never before invoked, can temporarily suspend citizens' rights to free movement or assembly. It can also provide for the use of the military, but Trudeau has said this would not be necessary."We did it to protect families and small businesses. To protect jobs and the economy. We did it because the situation could not be dealt with under any other law in Canada," Trudeau said. "For the good of all Canadians, the illegal blockades and occupations have to stop, and the borders have to remain open." Border crossing blockades in Alberta and Ontario came to an end this week, with arrests being made as police cleared the areas. Four individuals have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder at the blockade at Coutts, Alberta, and multiple weapons and rounds of ammunition were seized.Another blockade in Manitoba ended without incident, authorities said. The port of entry connecting Surrey, British Columbia to Blaine, Washington, has also been reopened. JUST WATCHEDCanada's 'Freedom Convoy' inspires protests around the worldReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCanada's 'Freedom Convoy' inspires protests around the world 03:02Candice Bergen, interim leader of the Conservative Party, said Wednesday the party won't be supporting a motion by the federal government to fully use those powers, according to CNN newsgathering partner CTV."The first act that he does when he has a chance to do something -- he doesn't go through step one, two, three -- he goes straight to 100 and invokes the Emergencies Act," Bergen told CTV News. "I don't think anything that we will see will change our mind, we will be opposing it."The government must propose a motion in both the House and Senate explaining why federal officials need the powers and specifying what actions will be taken, then both the House and Senate must confirm the motions, according to CTV.The federal government will work with premiers across the country "until the situation is resolved," Trudeau said. "Like I said on Monday, the scope of the Emergencies Act is time-limited and targeted as well as reasonable and portioned. It strengthens and supports law enforcement agencies, so they have more tools to restore order and protect critical infrastructure." CNN's Raja Razek, Chris Boyette, Amir Vera and Jenn Selva contributed to this report.

Rachel Ramirez, CNN

2022-02-18 16:19:38

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/18/world/antarctica-sea-ice-low-extent-record-climate/index.html

Antarctica will likely set a record for lowest sea ice extent this year - CNN

Scientists are tracking what's shaping up to be a new all-time sea ice record in Antarctica.

world, Antarctica will likely set a record for lowest sea ice extent this year - CNN

Antarctica will likely set an alarming new record this year, new data shows

(CNN)As surging global temperatures alter the landscape of the Arctic, scientists are observing what's shaping up to be a new record at the other end of the globe. Preliminary data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center suggests Antarctica will likely set a record this year for the lowest sea ice extent -- the area of ocean covered by sea ice. On Wednesday, sea ice around the continent dropped lower than the previous record minimum set in March 2017. "What's going on in the Antarctic is an extreme event," Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado Boulder and lead scientist at NSIDC, told CNN. "But we've been through this a bit."The ice shelf holding back the 'Doomsday glacier' could shatter within the next five years, scientists warnWhat he means by "this" is a roller coaster of sea ice extent over the past couple of decades, swinging wildly from record highs to record lows. Unlike the Arctic, where scientists say climate change is accelerating its impacts, Antarctica's sea ice extent is highly variable."There's a link between what's going on in Antarctica and the general warming trend around the rest of the world, but it's different from what we see in mountain glaciers and what we see in the Arctic," he added.Read MoreSatellite data that stretches back to 1978 shows that the region was still producing record-high sea ice extent as recently as 2014 and 2015. Then it suddenly plunged in 2016 and has stayed lower-than-average since."That kind of drop is pretty much unprecedented in the record," Marilyn Raphael, geography professor and director at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, told CNN. "Antarctic sea ice does vary from year to year, but that was a bigger variation than what normally happens." Scientists say the recent shift doesn't yet necessarily signify a change in the long-term trend. But Raphael said the sea ice is retreating earlier now, which can be concerning. "There are two parts of me that answer this -- the scientist part says, 'wait a little bit longer and see.' That's my cautious part," Raphael said. "Then the other part of me says, this is unusual variation in the ice. The degree is unusual, and it could be that that's a sign that climate is changing, and that's the speculation part."The rate of sea ice loss in the Arctic and the Antarctic differs in part due to their location and proximity to other continents. In the Arctic, surrounded by land, sea ice forms and extends throughout Europe, Asia, North America and Greenland. Meanwhile, the Antarctic is a large continent surrounded by a vast ocean where sea ice can stretch across the Southern Ocean.Scambos said because continents are warming rapidly, snow cover is melting earlier than usual and exposing the dark surface of the ground, which absorbs more heat, causing the Arctic to melt faster. In contrast, the Antarctic stays covered in ice, which reflects sunlight and keeps the surrounding air cooler.A Turkish science expedition vessel creeps through Grandidier Channel and Penola Strait in Antarctica on February 7, moving slowly to avoid icebergs.Despite the complex climate signals in Antarctica's record low sea ice, scientists point out that the increasing warming trend in the polar regions amplifies the consequences of the crisis globally. "Polar regions really have a way of making these small changes a bigger deal," Scambos said, "either through sea-level rise, which is the main cause for concern from Antarctica, or through warmer climate generally, because the Arctic is sort of the air conditioner for the places where most of us live in the Northern Hemisphere."US sea levels will rise rapidly in the next 30 years, new report showsHe adds it would take more than a decade of a persistent downward trend in order to link the dwindling sea ice in the Antarctic to climate change, even though temperature conditions in many parts of Antarctica are already exhibiting a warming trend.But on the continent itself, some alarming effects of climate change have started to take shape: Just last year, researchers, including Scambos, observed that the critical ice shelf holding back the Thwaites glacier in western Antarctica could shatter within the next three to five years, which could result in devastating sea-level rise.From their camp in the middle of the Antarctic to their stations on the coast, researchers flew over the gargantuan Thwaites glacier, also known as the "Doomsday Glacier," for two hours. Scambos said they could see "massive cracks in this ice shelf, places where the ice is tearing apart." He said it's an example of how the climate change impact in one very specific location could have consequences for the entire planet."The trends have rearranged a little bit because fundamentally over the last four decades, Antarctica has just been pushed around by the changes in ocean temperature and wind," said Scambos. "The thing about Antarctica and sea ice is it is very unconstrained, sort of at the mercy of wind patterns, storms, snowfall, and ocean temperatures -- all these things have an impact."He said that the only rational way to tackle climate change is to rapidly adapt to the impacts and slash the planet-warming emissions that are the root cause of the crisis and have thrown our planet's most pristine places, such as the Antarctic, into a downward spiral.Recalling his time in West Antarctica, Scambos said he looked in the horizon with the cracking ice shelf holding back the Doomsday glacier in the background, and saw sobering signs of what's likely to happen in the future. He realized how much more climate research needs to be done."It raises your level of concern quite a bit," he said. "I won't say it's scary because you're not scared in the moment. You're in awe of what's going on here."

Ashley Strickland, CNN

2022-02-18 16:34:25

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/18/world/perseverance-rover-landing-anniversary-scn/index.html

A year after landing on Mars, Perseverance rover sets sights on intriguing new target - CNN

After a historic first year of exploration on Mars, the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter are gearing up to explore the remains of an ancient river delta on the red planet. Together, the robots will explore whether life ever existed on Mars.

world, A year after landing on Mars, Perseverance rover sets sights on intriguing new target - CNN

A year after landing on Mars, Perseverance rover sets sights on intriguing new target

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. (CNN)A year ago, two robots landed on Mars and forever changed the way we explore the red planet. The joy and excitement of the successful landing for the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter, taking place during a time of hardship for so many, echoed around the globe. "One year ago, Perseverance touched down at Jezero Crater and began its journey on Mars. Since then, this innovative rover has inspired humanity and accomplished a series of firsts, from transmitting the first audio recording of sounds from Mars, to capturing the Ingenuity helicopter's history making first powered, controlled flight on another planet, to producing oxygen on Mars for the first time ever with the MOXIE experiment," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a statement. "As we prepare to transport the first-ever sample of Martian rock to Earth, it's clear that NASA missions continue to push the limits in a new era of planetary science and discovery," Nelson said.For Vandi Verma, chief engineer of robotic operations for Perseverance at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, landing day was just the beginning. Read MoreVerma specializes in remotely driving rovers on Mars from here on Earth and has expertly maneuvered the Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity rovers in the past, in addition to writing flight software for them. As soon as Perseverance's wheels touched down, Verma was ready to prepare the rover for its new home on another planet and help the helicopter begin its independent journey. "It feels like you've got this massive upgrade, and it's like driving a new car and you just feel the smoothness of it," Verma said of driving the rover. "Every day on Mars, something is unusual or unexpected. Yet things have gone amazingly well, just beyond our expectations."The hardest selfie everPerseverance's journey began by sharing the very first video of a mission landing on Mars and some of the first sounds humans have heard of the red planet, as well as beautiful images from Perseverance's suite of cameras. Those same cameras helped capture the inaugural flight of Ingenuity as it lifted up through the Martian atmosphere. Before Ingenuity was let loose, the JPL team knew they wanted to capture a selfie of the two robots. Their best opportunity was right before Perseverance drove off to a lookout point like a proud parent, ready to let its video camera roll on the "first Wright brothers moment" on another planet.But taking the selfie was such a complicated endeavor that it almost didn't happen, Verma said. Although Perseverance has a long robotic arm measuring 7 feet (2.1 meters), the rover's bit carousel -- which stores the historic samples it's collecting -- protrudes from the front of the rover, making it hard to get the right angle. The rover team had to work through multiple issues to figure out how Perseverance would arrange its massive arm without colliding with its own body. Mars Perseverance rover snaps selfie photo with Ingenuity helicopterIn the end, the team stitched together multiple images to capture everyone's favorite explorers in an iconic selfie.Since landing, Perseverance has clocked 2.45 miles (3,944 meters) and collected six rock samples from intriguing Martian rocks. The rover has set and broken single-day driving distance records several times, going for a drive of 1,050 feet (320 meters) on Monday, with more expected in the future. The Ingenuity helicopter, designed as an experiment meant for only five flights, has performed 19 aerial excursions on the red planet since April. Over the summer, Ingenuity was so successful that it graduated from an experiment to become Perseverance's scout, flying over varied terrain and spotting points of interest for the rover to investigate.The historic chopper mission has flown 2.4 miles (3,885 meters) for a total duration of 34 minutes.These achievements haven't come without challenges, including Perseverance encountering some rocks that didn't want to give up samples and Ingenuity's software glitches. But any issues have helped to bond the mission team more closely as they worked on solutions to keep the robots healthy, Verma said.Setting off for the deltaPerseverance and Ingenuity have spent the majority of the past year exploring the floor of Jezero Crater, once home to a Martian lake more than 3 billion years ago. Now, it's time for the robotic explorers to move on to their main reason for being on Mars: studying the remains of an ancient river delta that once fed into the lake."When we chose the landing site, it was because of the delta; that's the reason we're here," said Briony Horgan, associate professor of planetary science at Purdue University and a scientist on the Perseverance mission. "We'll spend most of the next year on the delta, exploring this ancient lake and river environment and looking for signs of ancient life like organic material and signs of microbes."The long road to returning first-ever samples from MarsSandwiched between layers of sediment preserved in the delta rocks may be evidence of microfossils or other signs of life, if it existed on the red planet. The ambitious Mars Sample Return mission, a multistep collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency, will rely on innovations, like launching from the Martian surface for the first time, to retrieve the rock samples collected and cached by Perseverance and return them to the Earth in the 2030s. Scientists studying those samples could answer the big question: Was there ever life on Mars?"Kids generally want to learn something because it's going to have an impact on the world," Verma said. "When the Martian samples come back in the 2030s, very likely the scientists to study these will be the students who are in school right now."Perseverance and Ingenuity are just the first step in exploring Mars in new ways while paving the way for future missions that could explore the possibility of life on other planets in our solar system. "It's an incredibly ambitious mission, with goals that are leaps and bounds beyond any previous Mars rover and really any previous space mission had been supposed to do: how far and fast we're supposed to drive, how many samples we're supposed to drill," Horgan said.

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-02-18 11:00:35

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/18/politics/justice40-environmental-benefits-race-biden-climate/index.html

Justice40 and race: Biden administration prioritizes environmental justice benefits without mentioning race - CNNPolitics

The Justice40 methodology accounts for a number of climate and socioeconomic factors, but doesn't include race.

politics, Justice40 and race: Biden administration prioritizes environmental justice benefits without mentioning race - CNNPolitics

Biden administration prioritizes environmental justice funding without mentioning race, hoping to fend off legal challenge

(CNN)President Joe Biden pledged during his first days in office that 40% of federal funds for climate and clean energy initiatives would be prioritized for underserved communities -- a key pillar of his environmental justice agenda. On Friday, the administration announced that around 29% of the US population is eligible for those prioritized funds. The White House Council on Environmental Quality's methodology accounts for income, health and climate risks, and a community's proximity to polluting industries or wastewater. But it notably leaves out race as a factor to determine whether a community is eligible for the initiative, prompting some pushback from environmental justice advocates who say the point of Justice40 is to address environmental racism. What a hurricane means when you live in Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley'A CEQ official said that while the White House team fully acknowledges "the role of racism and race in determining where environmental burdens are and have been in this country," it also wants the tool to pass legal muster. "We have a desire to make sure this tool is legally enduring," the CEQ official told reporters. "I think both folks within the government and externally have made clear that we cannot be using race as an indicator to guide resource decisions to have that highest threshold for legal defensibility." Read MoreResearch has shown that communities of color often face disproportionate exposure to air pollution that leads to respiratory illnefss. The American Lung Association's 2021 "State of the Air" report showed that people of color are 61% more likely than White people to live in a county with a failing grade for at least one pollutant. Studies have also found that communities of color are more likely to be on the front lines of the climate crisis. "Too many American communities are still living with water that isn't safe to drink, housing that isn't built to withstand climate change-fueled storms, and too few opportunities to benefit from the nation's bright and clean future," CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory said. "The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool will help Federal agencies ensure that the benefits of the nation's climate, clean energy, and environmental programs are finally reaching the communities that have been left out and left behind for far too long."New York City residents sort through damaged and destroyed items after a night of deadly flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida in September 2021.New York state passed a law in 2019 with a similar goal, to invest 35% to 40% of its climate and clean energy funds into "disadvantaged communities." New York's methodology diverges from the White House approach by including race as a qualifying category. The White House is launching a website with a searchable map to identify the most environmentally disadvantaged communities around the country. A census tract on the map will be considered a disadvantaged community by CEQ if it exceeds at least one of eight criteria in both the climate and environmental risk category and the socioeconomic risk category. For some environmentalists, 'I can't breathe' is about more than police brutalityCEQ officials said federal agencies will be the primary users of the tool, identifying which communities can qualify for federal climate and clean energy funding. Friday's launch is a beta version of the website, and CEQ will be taking public comment on the tool for 60 days. "We want to build the tool in a way that reflects the realities that racism and race are big determining factors in where pollution is concentrated in this country," the official said. The CEQ official was not aware of any potential legal challenges to the tool. The Biden administration hopes that states and local communities will take advantage of the tool to see who is eligible for federal funding, the official said. "I think what we're hoping is that people will explore the tool and give us feedback on it and help build this tool in a way that reflects the experiences and priorities in their own states," the official said.

Sara Spary, CNN

2022-02-17 17:34:29

news

uk

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/uk/uk-storm-eunice-dudley-scli-intl-gbr/index.html

Storm Eunice: Rare threat-to-life weather warning as UK braces for possible 'sting jet' - CNN

Meteorologists in the UK have issued a rare danger-to-life alert as Storm Eunice is forecast to batter parts of the country Friday, potentially creating a "sting jet" that could bring havoc to streets.

uk, Storm Eunice: Rare threat-to-life weather warning as UK braces for possible 'sting jet' - CNN

UK bracing for possible 'sting jet' as rare threat-to-life warning issued in back-to-back storms

(CNN)Meteorologists in the UK have issued a rare danger-to-life alert as Storm Eunice is forecast to batter parts of the country Friday, potentially creating a "sting jet" that could bring havoc to streets.On Thursday, the UK's weather service, the Met Office, issued the rare red alert -- the highest weather warning category in the UK -- warning that Eunice is forecast to bring "significant and damaging" gusts of up to 90 mph and threaten life.It could also bring high waves and coastal flooding in the west, southwest and south coast of England, the Met Office said.The warnings come as thousands of people went without power in the UK's north after Storm Dudley brought down trees and cut households from the grid. Dudley hit England's north, Scotland's south and Northern Ireland on Wednesday, disrupting railways, roads and businesses with high winds and local flooding.Read MorePlane battling winds at Heathrow nearly topples overPeter Inness, a meteorologist at England's University of Reading, said that the back-to-back storms had formed as a result of a strong 200 mph jet steam blowing across the Atlantic Ocean. It is not unusual to see "two or more damaging storms" form in quick succession, he said in a statement. But what makes Eunice potentially "rare" and more potent is that it could evolve into a "sting jet" -- a "narrow, focused region of extremely strong winds" amid a "larger area of strong winds."The Met Office is urging people to only travel if "necessary" and warned drivers that road closures could be in place on Friday. People across the UK should also secure outdoor furniture and bins, and should avoid parking near trees.Severe storms to become more frequent Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey told CNN he expected Friday's storm to have "high impacts," with flying debris and damage to homes likely. "It's developing out in the Atlantic at present, [and] it's heading directly for the UK so to speak," he said. "It will clear out of the UK over the course of Friday and travel towards Denmark and the Scandinavian countries."Computer weather modelling shows extreme wind gusts will impact the UK Friday.Vautrey said that, while it was "too early" to say whether storms Dudley and Eunice were "aided by climate change," but that the frequency of severe weather event generally was increasing.High-elevation forests in the Rockies are burning more now than in the past 2,000 years"Global warming has led to changes in our weather patterns, and that is something we will increasingly have to take note of and be ready to deal with in the future," he said. Hannah Cloke, a professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, warned people not to take the red alert "lightly.""Red means you need to act now because there is an imminent danger to life," she said in a statement."Winds of 70 mph will uproot trees, which can block roads and crush cars or buildings. They can pick up roof tiles and hurl them around. If you're hit by one of those you will be seriously hurt or killed. Wind that strong will sweep people and vehicles off streets, and topple electricity lines."

Jack Guy, Rodrigo Pedroso and Sahar Akbarzai, CNN

2022-02-17 10:50:36

news

americas

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/americas/brazil-landslides-thursday-intl/index.html

Brazil: Heavy rains, landslides kill scores in mountain city - CNN

At least 110 people have died in the Brazilian mountain city of Petropolis, local officials said Thursday, after heavy rains triggered landslides that washed out streets, swept away cars and buried homes.

americas, Brazil: Heavy rains, landslides kill scores in mountain city - CNN

Heavy rains, landslides kill scores in Brazilian mountain city

(CNN)At least 110 people have died in the Brazilian mountain city of Petropolis, local officials said Thursday, after heavy rains triggered landslides that washed out streets, swept away cars and buried homes.JUST WATCHEDDramatic footage shows flood carrying car after torrential rainReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHDramatic footage shows flood carrying car after torrential rain 00:34Another 134 people are missing, according to the Civil Defense of Rio, and continued heavy rains that forced the evacuation of another neighborhood in the city on Thursday could cause that number to rise. Rainfall on Tuesday afternoon alone was more than the historical average for the whole of February, according to the Civil Defense of Rio.Floodwaters raced through hillside neighborhoods, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Brazil's Civil Defense Secretariat said on Tuesday that 269 landslides had been recorded, CNN affiliate CNN Brasil reported. The search for survivors continues.Flood waters swept cars through the city streets.Search and rescue teams on Wednesday were wading through mud, scanning the wreckage for survivors. The National Civil Defense said it had saved 24 people, but that more than 439 people had lost their homes and rescue efforts were ongoing. Read More"The work continues and we will do the possible and the impossible to save lives," Rio de Janeiro state governor, Claudio Castro, said Wednesday in a post on Twitter, where he's been sharing updates.A man carries a dog away from an affected area.On Thursday, salesman Luis Felipe de Oliveira was still searching for his missing brother and grandmother. "They are buried, but we don´t know if they are dead or alive," he told CNN. Rescuers are focusing on other homes in the neighborhood where the two lived, he said, so one of his brothers went to the site to dig through the mud. "I tell myself that I will find them alive. But I am prepared for the worst," Oliveira added.Nestled in the hills north of the capital Rio de Janiero, Petropolis, nicknamed the "Imperial City" for its popularity among Brazil's monarchy in the 19th century, is known for its palatial architecture, grand theaters and museums. On Wednesday, photos and footage showed swathes of the majestic city in ruins.Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who was in Moscow when the landslides began on Tuesday and then traveled onward to Hungary, is expected to visit Petrópolis on Friday. He said Wednesday that he had spoken to ministers and asked for "immediate assistance" to be sent to the victims.Since the 1960s, southern Brazil has experienced an increase in both the number of extreme rain events and the mean amount of rainfall, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This is partly explained by natural variability in weather patterns, but also because of climate change, as well as aerosols and the depletion of ozone in the atmosphere. Average global temperatures are now at least 1.1 degrees Celsius higher than they were before industrialization. Warming of 2C would mean even more intense and frequent of extreme rain events and flooding in southern Brazil, according to the IPCC.Scientists say the world needs to make deep, sustained cuts to greenhouse gases, primarily by transitioning away from fossil fuels, to contain global warming to 1.5C.Brazil has seen a number of natural disasters in recent months.At the beginning of February at least 24 people died after heavy rain battered São Paulo, home to Brazil's financial center, triggering floods and landslides across the southeastern Brazilian state.More than 1,546 families were displaced, according to a statement released by the State Civil Defense, which also said that at least eight children died in the disaster.And at the end of December it was announced that the death toll from floods and heavy rain, which had blighted the Brazilian state of Bahia since November, had risen to 20.Flooding also caused two dams to burst and the displacement of an estimated 62,800 people, state officials say.

Amanda Jackson, CNN

2022-02-17 00:28:59

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/us/florida-starving-manatee-feeding-program-trnd-scn/index.html

Florida manatees are getting 3,000 pounds of lettuce a day in a state effort to help the starving animals - CNN

Florida's manatees -- which are dying at an alarming rate, largely from starvation -- are being treated to tons of lettuce a week as part of a new feeding program that state wildlife officials say is showing signs of success.

us, Florida manatees are getting 3,000 pounds of lettuce a day in a state effort to help the starving animals - CNN

Florida wildlife officials are distributing 3,000 pounds of lettuce a day to save starving manatees

(CNN)Florida's manatees -- which are dying at an alarming rate, largely from starvation -- are being treated to tons of lettuce a week as part of a new feeding program that state wildlife officials say is showing signs of success.An average of 350 manatees a day are now coming to eat the greens being distributed at a temporary field response station in Cape Canaveral, along Florida's east coast, officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said Wednesday.The manatees gather at the temporary feeding ground.The program was launched earlier this year as officials work to address the unusual manatee mortality event along the state's Atlantic coast. Last year, more than 1,000 manatees in the state died, according to the commission -- the highest recorded number of manatee deaths in decades.State wildlife officials, along with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and in coordination with Florida Power & Light, set up the temporary feeding ground at the utility's Cape Canaveral Clean Energy Center in Brevard County. "The energy center is located in the northern Indian River Lagoon and is a critical stop-off point where manatees congregate as they migrate south during the winter," Florida Power & Light wrote in a December news release.Read MoreOn Wednesday, during a weekly video conference, officials said they have increased the amount of food they are distributing to roughly 20,000 pounds of vegetation a week, primarily romaine and butter leaf lettuce.Both are known forages used in rehabilitation centers, according to Ron Mezich of the FWC. The produce has nutrients and digestible carbohydrates that the animals need, he added."At this point in time, we have been successful. Manatees are eating the romaine," said Mezich. "We are exposing large amount of animals to this food source and we are making a difference."Produce is distributed to the manatees, also called sea cows.The number of animals per day has ranged from 25 to as many as 800, according to Mezich, and depends on the cold weather.While officials have seen some success, commission spokesperson Tom Reinert said they have seen an uptick on mortalities, likely a combination of the stress the animals are already under due to the lack of food resources and the cold temperatures. This year there have been 261 manatee deaths in the state, according to FWC data updated February 11. Many of those deaths are pending necropsy for an official cause of death.There are currently more than 7,500 Florida manatees, according to FWC. Reinert said it will take years before any kind of impact to the manatee population as a whole will be known from this unusual mortality event. The feeding program is anticipated to continue through March, according to Mezich. The program has been funded greatly by donations from the public to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which has paid for the produce shipments, according to Reinert. CNN's Scottie Andrew, Kay Jones and Melissa Alonso contributed to this report.

CNN Editorial Research

2013-07-13 21:21:30

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/13/us/u-s-mine-disasters-fast-facts/index.html

US Mine Disasters Fast Facts - CNN

Read CNN Fast Facts about mine disasters, accidents and deaths in the United States. This is a list of the more notable mine disasters and is not all-inclusive.

us, US Mine Disasters Fast Facts - CNN

US Mine Disasters Fast Facts

(CNN)Here's a look at mine disasters, accidents and deaths in the United States. TimelineDecember 6, 1907 - Worst coal mine disaster in US history: 362 miners are killed in an explosion at the Monongah Nos. 6 and 8 Coal Mines in Monongah, West Virginia.November 13, 1909 - 259 miners are killed in a fire at the Cherry Mine in Cherry, Illinois.October 22, 1913 - An explosion kills 263 at the Stag Canon No. 2 coal mine in Dawson, New Mexico. Read MoreJune 8, 1917 - 163 miners are killed in a fire at the Granite Mountain Shaft Mine in Butte, Montana. January 10, 1940 - 91 miners are killed by an explosion at Pond Creek No. 1 in Bartley, West Virginia. March 16, 1940 - An explosion at the Willow Grove No. 10 mine in St. Clairsville, Ohio kills 72 miners.March 25, 1947 - 111 miners are killed in an explosion at the Centralia No. 5 mine in Centralia, Illinois.December 21, 1951 - An explosion at Orient No. 2 mine in West Frankfort, Illinois kills 119 miners. November 20, 1968 - 78 miners are killed by an explosion at Consol No. 9 mine in Farmington, West Virginia. December 30, 1970 - 38 miners are killed in an explosion at Nos. 15 and 16 mines in Hyden, Kentucky.May 2, 1972 - 91 miners are killed in a fire at the Sunshine Mine in Kellogg, Idaho. April 15, 1981 - 15 miners are killed by an explosion at Dutch Creek No. 1, Mid-Continent Resources, Inc. in Redstone, Colorado. December 19, 1984 - 27 miners are killed in a fire at the Wilberg Mine in Emery County, Utah.September 23, 2001 - 13 miners are killed by an explosion at the No. 5 mine, Jim Walter Resources, Inc. in Brookwood, Alabama. July 24, 2002 - Nine coal miners from Quecreek Mining Inc. in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, are trapped in a four-foot-high chamber 240 feet below the surface after breaching a wall separating their mine from an older, flooded shaft. All survive and are rescued on July 28. January 2, 2006 - An explosion occurs at around 6:30 a.m. at the Sago Mine in Tallmansville, West Virginia, trapping 13 miners. Twelve of the men had died from carbon monoxide poisoning by the time rescuers reach them around midnight January 3 - 4. Randal McCloy, 27, is the only survivor.May 20, 2006 - Five miners are killed in an explosion at the Darby Mine No. 1 in Harlan County, Kentucky. One miner, Paul Ledford, survives. Crandall CanyonAugust 6, 2007 - Six miners are trapped at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Huntington, Utah, when areas of the mine collapse.August 16, 2007 - Three rescue workers are killed and six are injured when a part of the mine collapses on them. August 31, 2007 - The search for the six trapped miners is officially called off and declared too dangerous for continued rescue efforts. May 8, 2008 - Rep. George Miller releases a report from the House Education and Labor Committee about the panel's investigation of the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster. He recommends that a criminal investigation be conducted.July 24, 2008 - The US government fines the mine operator, Genwal Resources,$1.34 million "for violations that directly contributed to the deaths of six miners last year," plus nearly $300,000 for other violations. It levies the mining consultant, Agapito Associates, $220,000 "for faulty analysis of the mine's design."Upper Big BranchApril 5, 2010 - 29 miners are killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in Naoma, West Virginia.April 29, 2011 - Massey Energy agrees to permanently seal the Upper Big Branch mine.May 19, 2011 - According to the Governor's Independent Investigation Panel's report, the explosion was preventable and due to safety system failures. December 6, 2011 - The Justice Department announces a deal where the new owners of the Upper Big Branch coal mine will pay a $209 million settlement, including $1.5 million to the families of each of the 29 men who died.January 10, 2012 - The owner of the West Virginia mine settles the wrongful death lawsuits with families of all 29 victims of the Upper Big Branch disaster. CNN confirms that the settlement was reached in mediation for seven of the cases on January 8, 2012, and 22 of the cases on January 10, 2012. February 22, 2012 - Gary May, the Upper Big Branch mine's superintendent at the time of the explosion, is charged with conspiring to impede the Mine Safety and Health Administration's enforcement efforts at the mine between February 2008 and April 5, 2010. He pleads guilty in March 2012. February 29, 2012 - Hughie Elbert Stover, former security director for Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch coal mine, is sentenced to 36 months in jail for making a false statement and obstructing the government's investigation.June 20, 2012 - Alpha Natural Resources seals the Upper Big Branch mine permanently.January 17, 2013 - Gary May is sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years supervised release.September 10, 2013 - David Hughart, the highest-ranking company official, and former Massey Energy division president, is sentenced to 42 months in prison for violating mine health and safety laws.November 13, 2014 - Don Blankenship, the former CEO of Massey Energy, is indicted on federal charges for conspiracy to violate mandatory mine safety and health standards, conspiracy to impede federal mine safety officials, making false statements to the US Securities and Exchange Commission and for securities fraud. December 3, 2015 - Blankenship is convicted of conspiracy to willfully violate mine health and safety standards, and is acquitted on two other felony charges. April 6, 2016 - Blankenship is sentenced to a year in federal prison.November 28, 2017 - Blankenship files election papers to run for US Senate.August 28, 2018 - Blankenship is denied a Senate ballot spot by West Virginia Supreme Court after he loses the Republican primary.

Donald Judd and Kate Sullivan, CNN

2022-02-17 10:04:31

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/politics/great-lakes-infrastructure-biden-announcement/index.html

Biden will announce $1 billion in infrastructure funding to clean up the Great Lakes - CNNPolitics

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced $1 billion in funding from his administration's signature bipartisan infrastructure law would go toward cleanup and restoration of the Great Lakes.

politics, Biden will announce $1 billion in infrastructure funding to clean up the Great Lakes - CNNPolitics

Biden announces $1 billion in infrastructure funding to clean up the Great Lakes

(CNN)President Joe Biden on Thursday announced $1 billion in funding from his administration's signature bipartisan infrastructure law would go toward cleanup and restoration of the Great Lakes. "It's going to allow the most significant restoration of the Great Lakes in the history of the Great Lakes," Biden said in remarks in Lorain, Ohio. The bulk of funding is targeted to restore what the Environmental Protection Agency has identified as severely degraded "Areas of Concern." The administration projects that funding from the infrastructure law -- combined with funds from annual Great Lakes Restoration Initiative appropriations and other sources -- should allow restoration of at least 22 areas of concern across Wisconsin, New York, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois by 2030, with infrastructure funding also benefiting three additional sites over the same period.Exclusive: Experts say the term 'drought' may be insufficient to capture what is happening in the WestThe President said some of the sites that will be addressed have been "dangerously polluted for decades."Biden noted the lakes provide drinking water and support more than one million jobs in manufacturing, tourism, transportation, warehousing, farming and fishing. A 2020 EPA analysis of the Great Lakes found the region supports more than 1.3 million jobs and generates $82 billion in wages annually.Read MoreThe President quoted Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, who was born in Lorain, in his speech. The book the President quoted, "Beloved," has been the target of some conservatives trying to ban the book from public school curriculums in Virginia. Biden noted Friday would have been Morrison's birthday -- she died in 2019 -- and said she is one of first lady Jill Biden's favorite authors. "She once wrote, 'We got more yesterdays than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow.' Places like Lorain have a lot of proud yesterdays. Now, you're going to have some brighter tomorrows," the President said. The President made the announcement from the Black River in Lorain, Ohio, a tributary of Lake Erie and one of the 22 areas listed in Thursday's funding disbursement."The Great Lakes are a vital economic engine and an irreplaceable environmental wonder, supplying drinking water for more than 40 million people, supporting nearly 1.5 million jobs, and sustaining life for thousands of species," EPA Administrator Michael Regan wrote in a statement shared with CNN on Wednesday. "Through the investments from President Biden's bipartisan infrastructure deal, we will make unprecedented progress in our efforts to restore and protect the waters and the communities of the Great Lakes basin."Per the EPA, the river earned the nickname "river of fish tumors," "due to its long history of industrial, agricultural, and urban uses, which led to poor water quality, loss of biodiversity, habitat degradation and sedimentation.""This $1 billion investment will accelerate the cleanup across sites across the Great Lakes Basin, from Duluth, Minnesota, to Buffalo, New York, and everywhere in between, including several major areas of concern in Ohio, where the President will be traveling tomorrow," a senior administration official told reporters Wednesday. "This accelerated cleanup and restoration effort will deliver environmental health and recreational benefits for communities throughout the region. It will also help revitalize the economy in these communities, like it's doing, and Loraine's Black River waterfront."White House to unveil multi-pronged approach to reduce emissions in the manufacturing sectorCleaning up degraded waterways is a costly and labor-intensive endeavor, with extensive sediment remediation required. One official estimated that cleanup projects for areas of concern near Milwaukee and Detroit could cost up to $100 million each. Per the administration, the funding will be disbursed in accordance with the White House's Justice40 Initiative, which tasks agencies with ensuring that at least 40% of federal award dollars are directed to those it designates "disadvantaged communities," including cities like Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Buffalo, New York, Lorain and Duluth, Minnesota."With this investment, President Biden is delivering major environmental, public health, and economic wins for the Great Lakes region," former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who's tasked with implementing the infrastructure law, wrote in a statement shared with CNN on Wednesday."Building a better America requires us to confront legacy pollution and clean up the environment -- ensuring our kids drink clean water and creating good-paying jobs in the process. We know that cleaning up these waterways and improving the health of the Great Lakes will also create great economic opportunities for communities across the eight-state region and beyond."

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-02-17 16:29:40

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/politics/natural-gas-ban-preemptive-laws-gop-climate/index.html

Natural gas bans: 20 states have laws that prohibit cities from banning natural gas hookups - CNNPolitics

Twenty states with GOP-controlled legislatures have passed so-called "preemption laws" that ban cities from banning natural gas.

politics, Natural gas bans: 20 states have laws that prohibit cities from banning natural gas hookups - CNNPolitics

Cities tried to cut natural gas from new homes. The GOP and gas lobby preemptively quashed their effort

(CNN)In 2019, the city council in Berkeley, California, held a stunning vote: it would ban natural gas hookups in all new building construction to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the city's impact on the climate crisis. No gas furnaces in new homes, the council said. No gas stoves or ovens.Other progressive cities followed suit with similar bans. San Francisco passed its own ban in 2020. New York City became the largest US city to pass a version in 2021, with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vowing to pass a statewide law that would ban natural gas by 2027.But other municipalities looking to take similar action are running into a brick wall. Twenty states with GOP-controlled legislatures have passed so-called "preemption laws" that prohibit cities from banning natural gas.It's bad news for municipal climate action: Taking natural gas out of the equation and switching to electric appliances is one of the most effective ways cities can tackle the climate crisis and lower their emissions, multiple experts told CNN. Read More"Natural gas bans are kind of low-hanging fruit," said Georgetown Law professor Sheila Foster, an environmental law expert. Foster said cities can make a significant impact by moving away from natural gas and toward electricity, especially considering what little federal action there's been on climate, and the mixed record of states.The climate stakes are high. Residential and commercial emissions made up 13% of total US emissions in 2019, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. About 80% of those emissions came from the combustion of natural gas, the fuel that heats homes or powers a restaurant's cooking stoves, and emits planet-warming gases like methane and carbon dioxide in the process.Gas stoves are a threat to health and have larger climate impact than previously known, study shows But clean alternatives exist: Electric heat pumps can heat homes more sustainably than gas furnaces; induction ranges can replace gas stoves. And experts stress that to fully transition to renewable energy sources like solar and wind, homes and businesses need to operate on electricity -- not gas. President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill, which fizzled in the Senate after objections from Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, contained billions in tax incentives to help consumers switch to cleaner ways of heating their homes. But people who own and rent homes in big, multi-unit buildings depend on developers and city planners to make the switch. Advocates worry these preemptive bills could stall impactful climate action at a critical time. "We're afraid that's going to have a chilling effect on cities that want to take action," said Alejandra Mejia Cunningham, a building decarbonization advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Many cities and towns have small staffs, they don't want to be taken to court, being seen as going outside state law." A 'new trend'In November, a GOP bill to block natural gas bans in new buildings was passed in North Carolina but ultimately failed to make it into law when Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed it. Two more similar bills are being considered in Pennsylvania and Michigan this year. "To me that's what's interesting about this new trend, it seems like states are trying to eliminate the possibility before cities try to catch onto this," Sarah Fox, an associate law professor at Northern Illinois University School of Law, told CNN. "The natural gas industry realized this was in the water a while ago and has been very aggressive in getting this passed." The American Gas Association, the natural gas industry's powerful trade group, told CNN it lobbies at the federal level but isn't directly lobbying in any state. But many of the association's members, including gas utilities, have gotten involved at the state level, according to an analysis by independent climate think tank InfluenceMap for CNN. InfluenceMap "found high levels of engagement on preemption bills within the power sector, including its key trade associations." The American Gas Association and its members "appears to have played an early role encouraging these bills," according to the analysis. There's also evidence that suggests the AGA is running the playbook for its members to lobby state lawmakers for the preemptive laws. The world is addicted to natural gas. Fossil fuel companies are lobbying hard to keep it that wayIn audio of a private AGA call obtained by watchdog group Energy and Policy Institute and shared with CNN, the AGA's Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach Sue Forrester discussed the group's strategy modeling "preemptive legislation" in certain states. "We launched in partnership with Southwest [Gas]. Well, they launched it, but we were helping on the back end: Energy choice language in Arizona that was passed and signed by the governor at the beginning of the year," Forrester said in the recording. When asked about Forrester's comments, an American Gas Association spokesperson reiterated the trade association doesn't get involved in state-level legislation. "Sue's comments make it sound that way, and that's unfortunate, but the American Gas Association is not set up with lobbyists on the ground in the states," the spokesperson said, adding the "we" Forrester was referring to is "we as the industry and all who have an interest in gas." CEO of the American Gas Association Karen Harbert told CNN in a statement that "AGA is educating policymakers at every level about the supportive policy frameworks necessary for natural gas and our infrastructure to help achieve our nation's ambitious environmental goals." While the AGA and other industry groups are messaging that they are advocating for more fuel choices for consumers, climate advocates say the preemption laws are having the opposite effect. "I'd say the industry has put decades of effort and resources into fine tuning their messaging to the American public -- and they do it well," NRDC's Mejia Cunningham told CNN. Some cities in the US want to ban natural gas hookups in new homes and buildings, to reduce their fossil fuel emissions and meet their climate targets. Natural gas is primarly made of methane, an extremely potent planet-warming gas.Most cities and towns in the US that are pursuing natural gas reforms are not shooting for stringent bans like what Berkeley passed -- many are trying to find a middle ground that incorporate and encourage electrification and heat pumps as an alternative to gas. Broadly written state laws can discourage that transition, Mejia Cunningham said. "We don't expect Berkeley to be the right model for most of America," she said. "That doesn't mean we should completely slash out a whole bucket of policies that could work for communities across America." An attempt to electrify gets quashed In 2019, officials in Flagstaff, Arizona, were working on their city's plan to get to net-zero emissions by 2030. Building emissions were an obvious target; the built environment is the largest contributor to Flagstaff's greenhouse gas emissions, Nicole Antonopoulos, Flagstaff's sustainability director, told CNN. Flagstaff's plan didn't include an explicit ban on natural gas; instead, it said the city would promote "aggressive building electrification," thereby decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. That was still enough to get the attention of members of the Republican-controlled Arizona state legislature, which in 2020 passed a bill preventing cities and towns from passing their own natural gas bans. The West's megadrought is worst in 1,200 years. Los Angeles is taking wastewater recycling to the extreme"It was a huge setback, in a nutshell," Antonopoulos told CNN. "The state preemption threw a huge kink in our efforts towards carbon neutrality. This isn't the first time the state has preempted things that have made us go back to the proverbial drawing table and figure out how we get creative and innovative in a space where we don't have funding." Arizona's 2020 law -- the first natural gas preemption law of its kind -- was a harbinger of what was to come. Since then, 19 other states have adopted them. These laws have largely been concentrated in red states in the Rust Belt and Southwest, a cluster of southwestern states including Utah and Wyoming, and New Hampshire. And currently, there's not much favoring cities' ability to sue states. The 1907 US Supreme Court case Hunter v. Pittsburgh favored states' authority to craft laws for their cities, and gave cities little legal recourse to sue. "It's not a very coherent line of case law, but that's the official stance," said Fox, who added she'd be very surprised if the current conservative Supreme Court majority allowed a challenge to the current law from progressive cities. "There's a lot of legal uncertainty," Foster said, adding that there's not much current litigation to speak of around natural gas bans and preemption laws. In Flagstaff, Antonopoulos said her office is trying to find ways around Arizona's law. It's meant a lot of active outreach to local developers building in Flagstaff, encouraging them to build all-electric housing developments. It's also reaching out to residents whose gas appliances are at the end of their lifecycles to consider buying electric. "Our challenge here is we have a 2030 deadline" to get to net-zero, Antonopoulos told CNN. "The urgency is so great so sometimes we don't have that luxury in time." CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct that Mejia Cunningham was speaking on behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council.CNN's Rene Marsh contributed to this report.

Analysis by Zachary B. Wolf, CNN

2022-02-16 23:04:57

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/politics/russia-ukraine-gas-price-inflation-what-matters/index.html

Gas prices, Ukraine and climate change: Cruel irony of US politics - CNNPolitics

Here's an epic plot twist in the American political drama: A President and party that came to office promising to wean the country off oil and gasoline to save the planet are now looking for ways to bring down the price of oil and gas to save a presidency.

politics, Gas prices, Ukraine and climate change: Cruel irony of US politics - CNNPolitics

Cruel irony of US politics: Climate change, Ukraine, gas prices

(CNN)Here's an epic plot twist in the American political drama: A President and party that came to office promising to wean the country off oil and gasoline to save the planet are now looking for ways to bring down the price of oil and gas to save a presidency.How did we get here?First, inflation. The coronavirus pandemic drove up the price of gas.Then, a failure. Democrats could not come together and jam their climate change agenda through a recalcitrant Senate.Now, duty calls. President Joe Biden is rallying world democracies to stand up to Russia before it invades Ukraine, an event that could drive up gas prices even more.Preparing people for sacrifice. Biden appealed to Americans' moral compass and sense of duty Tuesday, when he sought to justify standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine."(If) we do not stand for freedom, where it is at risk today, we'll surely pay a steeper price tomorrow," he said.Read MoreBut there may be a price paid today, too. "I will not pretend this will be painless," he said.Quick update on the Russia-Ukraine crisis. The US believes there is no evidence that Russia is removing any of its troops from the border with Ukraine, despite Moscow's claims that it is. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained things Wednesday on ABC: "Unfortunately, there's a difference between what Russia says and what it does. And what we're seeing is no meaningful pullback."He added: "On the contrary, we continue to see forces, especially forces that would be in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine, continuing to be at the border, to mass at the border." How would an invasion hurt Americans? CNN's Matt Egan has a listicle that counts six ways the Russia-Ukraine crisis could hurt your wallet. No. 1: "More pain at the pump."He notes that Russia is the second-largest oil producer in the world, behind only the US."Supply is already failing to keep up with demand and investors are on high alert for any further supply shortfalls that could occur ... in a variety of ways, including damaged infrastructure in a war, sanctions on Russia or Moscow moving to weaponize exports," Egan wrote.JPMorgan has warned of $120 or even $150 per barrel crude oil if Russian exports are disrupted. The current price is less than $100 per barrel.Gas prices are setting records. CNN's Chris Isidore writes: "Gas in California hit a record high of $4.72 a gallon on average on Wednesday — and experts say a whopping $5 a gallon will likely be the norm there in a matter of months, if not sooner."The Russia standoff could drive prices up further, but the hike in California also has a climate change element to it. Isidore notes there are changes on the West Coast in part due to a switch to renewable fuels. That change, necessary to transition away from fossil fuels, is pushing California prices faster than the country's as a whole. The nationwide average gas price is $3.51 a gallon. "California is the proxy for what will happen with the energy transition," Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis for the Oil Price Information Service, tells Isidore. "A number of refineries have closed permanently. ... Getting people away from fossil fuels might be the right thing to do, but it is not without pain."When I asked Isidore about gas prices in California, he pointed out that if Biden does want to meet his goal of half of auto sales in the US being electric vehicles, the White House should be thrilled by high gas prices. As gas prices were rising in California, 10% of its car sales were EVs through the first 11 months of 2021 -- three times the national average, Isidore said.Changing their agenda? Democrats -- who are already nervous about midterm elections in which Republicans are favored to push them out of the majority in Congress -- are considering changes to their policy agenda, according to reports in The New York Times and The Washington Post.Having failed so far to pass their massive social spending and climate change bill, they could retool to focus on gas prices -- including a new push for a federal gas tax holiday -- and the skyrocketing deficit.What is the gas tax and where does it go? The gas tax holiday idea might sound interesting, but it would not do much to affect gas prices.The federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon pays into a trust fund that finances US highways. The tax was first imposed in the 1930s and it has been set since 1993. It was not raised to pay for the bipartisan infrastructure bill to improve the nation's roads and bridges, which Congress passed last year.Few options to control gas prices. When asked on Tuesday about the gas tax holiday, the White House said that all options were on the table but declined to outright endorse the idea.Press secretary Jen Psaki did not mention it when she was asked what steps Biden could take to combat price increases due to the Ukraine situation. She noted Biden has already tapped the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a move experts said is mostly symbolic. The other tool Biden has is pressure on other countries."He has also engaged, we have engaged with oil-producing countries around the world," Psaki said. "That's something we will continue to do because, clearly, we need to ensure that the supply out in the global market is meeting the demand." Pressure is not working. The Wall Street Journal notes that Saudi Arabia appeared to snub Biden's campaign to increase global output. The Saudis are part of OPEC+, a consortium of oil-producing countries that includes Russia and sets oil prices.RELATED: Biden officials dispatched to Saudi Arabia to discuss energy concerns amid Russia-Ukraine crisis Even if a gas tax holiday would bring prices down, it would require 60 votes in the Senate -- and that seems unlikely. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the Dr. No of the Democratic caucus, has already thrown cold water on the idea. "People want their bridges and their roads, and we have an infrastructure bill we just passed this summer, and they want to take that all away," said Manchin, according to the Post. "It just doesn't make sense.""A gimmick." Republicans, despite their usual anti-tax tendencies, are even less supportive."I don't know that there's a unanimous feeling, but my response is that trying to eliminate the gas tax is basically a gimmick," Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho told reporters.That leaves Biden fearing further hikes, unable to control them and very likely to pay his own political price for the pain Americans feel at the pump. One thing higher gas prices might also do is turn Americans away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy and cleaner vehicles. That's something everyone concerned about climate change can support, even if it hurts to get there.

Chris Isidore, CNN Business

2022-02-16 18:30:21

business

economy

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/economy/california-record-gas-prices/index.html

California gas prices just hit a record high. $5 gas could come soon - CNN

Gas in California hit a record high of $4.72 a gallon on average on Wednesday — and experts say a whopping $5 a gallon will likely be the norm there in a matter of months, if not sooner.

economy, California gas prices just hit a record high. $5 gas could come soon - CNN

California gas prices just hit a record high. $5 gas could come soon

New York (CNN Business)Gas in California hit a record high of $4.72 a gallon on average on Wednesday — and experts say a whopping $5 a gallon will likely be the norm there in a matter of months, if not sooner.This isn't just an issue for West Coasters: Some of the factors behind the record prices, particularly those related to the switch to renewable fuels, could affect US gas costs nationally in the next few years.The US national average is currently $3.51 a gallon. Prices in California have long been among the highest, but they've soared in recent years in part because of changes at some West Coast refineries. Facilities have closed in some cases, while others are being modified to refine renewable fuels like diesel made from vegetable oil."California is the proxy for what will happen with the energy transition," said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis for the Oil Price Information Service, the firm that tracks gas data for AAA. "A number of refineries have closed permanently....Getting people away from fossil fuels might be the right thing to do, but it is not without pain."Oil prices are still painfully high and OPEC might act, Goldman Sachs saysSo that's one factor: With less refining capacity, the West Coast's previous 2.5 million barrels of daily production heading into the pandemic has plummeted by nearly a quarter.Read MoreKloza thinks $5 a gallon could come to California some point in the second quarter, and perhaps sooner if the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a major oil producer, comes to pass. Other western states are also feeling the pain, like Hawaii — the only state with an average over $4, at $4.49 a gallon — as well as Washington, Oregon and Nevada, where prices are in the $3.90s.The switch to renewables affects prices in another way: higher taxes. California state gas taxes and fees are about 68 cents a gallon, compared to a national average of 39 cents, according to the American Petroleum Institute. California also levies taxes and carbon fees of roughly $1.35 a gallon on wholesale gasoline, a cost that gets passed on to consumers, Kloza said."Most states don't have those [wholesale] fees. But it is a coming attraction to a number of blue states," Kloza said. "If you want to move people away from fossil fuels, you have to start charging for carbon."Oil prices are still painfully high and OPEC might act, Goldman Sachs saysMeanwhile, California's new record is not only the highest price ever for that state — it's the highest for any state. The next highest record price was $4.70 a gallon in Alaska, but that was set in July 2008, when a spike in oil prices resulted in the record-high national average of $4.11 a gallon.Though the national US average of $3.51 a gallon is far lower than California's $4.72, the national price is actually rising faster on a percentage basis. Gas prices were up 6% nationwide in just the last month and have climbed 40% over the last year, while By comparison California's is up only 2% for the month and 35% for the year.

CNN Editorial Research

2013-07-25 22:54:35

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/25/world/volcanoes-fast-facts/index.html

Volcanoes Fast Facts - CNN

Read CNN's Fast Facts about Volcanoes and learn more about mountains that open downward to a reservoir of molten rock.

weather, Volcanoes Fast Facts - CNN

Volcanoes Fast Facts

(CNN)Here's a look at volcanoes, mountains that open downward to a reservoir of molten rock. Facts:More than 80% of the Earth's surface, both above and below sea level, is of volcanic origin.Lava is molten rock from a volcano that reaches the Earth's surface. Liquid rock below the Earth's surface is referred to as magma.More than 50% of the world's active volcanoes above sea level encircle the Pacific Ocean, forming the "Ring of Fire." The ring stretches from New Zealand to the coast of South America.Read MoreIn 2010, a volcano eruption in Iceland disrupted air travel for days across Europe. The eruption expelled an ash cloud 30,000 feet into the air. The International Air Transport Authority estimated that the airline industry lost $1.7 billion in revenue due to the disruption.In 2018, two significant eruptions took place in populated areas. The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupted for three months, spewing lava hundreds of feet in the air and destroying about 700 homes. One death was reported. In Guatemala, the Fuego volcano erupted and killed at least 165 people. The two volcanoes erupted in different ways. Slow-moving lava was the destructive force in Hawaii while the Guatemalan volcano unleashed a lethal mix of ash, rock and volcanic gases.According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there have been more than 600 significant volcanic eruptions worldwide between 1800 and 2022.Volcanoes are generally classified into four main types:- Cinder cones: These are the simplest type of volcanoes. They are hills, often steep and formed by an accumulation of congealed lava around a vent. When a cinder cone erupts, the ground shakes as magma rises. Then, a powerful blast throws lava, ash, and gas into the air. Examples: Paricutin in Mexico, Sunset Crater in Arizona.- Composite volcanoes or stratovolcanoes: These are symmetrical, cone-shaped and have a conduit system through which magma flows to the surface. They can rise 8,000 feet above their surroundings. Examples: Mount St. Helens, Mount Fuji, Mount Shasta, Mount Cotopaxi, Mount Hood and Mount Rainier.- Lava domes: These domes are small masses of lava that accumulate around and over the volcano's vent. Lava domes commonly are found inside the craters or on the flanks of large composite volcanoes.Example: Mont Pelée. - Shield volcanoes: Form when lava cools to form a gently sloping dome. The Hawaiian island chain was created by oceanic shield volcanoes. Examples: Mauna Loa and Kilauea in Hawaii.JUST WATCHEDThis is what it's like on the ground on Hawaii's Big IslandReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThis is what it's like on the ground on Hawaii's Big Island 01:40Deadliest Volcanic Eruptions since 1500 AD.Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI):The Volcanic Explosivity Index, which measures the relative explosiveness of volcanic eruptions, was devised in 1982. On a scale of 0-8, each number represents a tenfold increase in explosive power.The VEI uses several factors to determine a number, including volume of erupted material, height of eruption column and duration in hours.Major eruptions: Selected VEI 4 and above (1902-current):Sources: NOAA Significant Volcanic Eruption Database and Smithsonian volcano databaseNote: Dates listed cover the day of peak explosive activity. May 6, 1902 - Soufrière St. Vincent on the island of Saint Vincent erupts, resulting in about 1,680 deaths. (VEI 4)May 8, 1902 - Pelée on Martinique erupts, killing about 28,000 people. (VEI 4)October 24, 1902 - Santa Maria in Guatemala erupts, resulting in about 2,500 deaths. (VEI 6)June 6, 1912 - Novarupta volcano erupts in Alaska, killing two people. It is the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. (VEI 6)January 20, 1913 - Colima in Mexico erupts. The number of deaths is unknown. (VEI 5)May 19, 1919 - Kelut in Indonesia erupts, resulting in 5,110 deaths. (VEI 4)January 21, 1951 - Mount Lamington in Papua New Guinea erupts and kills nearly 3,000 people. (VEI 4)March 17, 1963 - Agung in Indonesia erupts, killing more than 1,000 people. (VEI 5)March 29, 1982 - El Chichón in Mexico erupts, resulting in 1,879 deaths. (VEI 5)May 18, 1980 - Mount St. Helens in Washington erupts, killing 57 people. (VEI 5)June 15, 1991 - Pinatubo in the Philippines erupts, killing about 350 people. (VEI 6)October 26, 2010 - Merapi in Indonesia erupts, resulting in 386 deaths. (VEI 4)

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-02-16 01:16:16

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/politics/biden-epa-will-reinstate-california-emissions-waiver-climate/index.html

Biden administration is finalizing a waiver for California to set its own vehicle emissions standards - CNNPolitics

The Biden administration finalizing a waiver to allow California to adopt its own, stricter vehicle emission standards, reversing yet another Trump-era rollback.

politics, Biden administration is finalizing a waiver for California to set its own vehicle emissions standards - CNNPolitics

Biden administration is finalizing a waiver for California to set its own vehicle emissions standards

(CNN)The Biden administration is finalizing a waiver to allow California to adopt its own, stricter vehicle emission standards, reversing yet another Trump-era rollback. Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson Nick Conger confirmed the EPA's final decision on the waiver is expected soon."We are working to finalize a decision on the California waiver and we expect to issue a decision in the near future," Conger told CNN. The West's megadrought is worst in 1,200 years. Los Angeles is taking wastewater recycling to the extremeE&E News first reported that the Biden administration would issue the waiver soon. In 2019, the Trump administration rolled back California's decades-old waiver that allowed it to set its own air pollution standards. President Joe Biden's administration announced last year that it would start the process of putting the waiver back in place.Read MoreCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, applauded the move."We welcome the Biden Administration's expected move to recognize our authority to continue setting the pace with bold policies, investments and partnerships to clean the air and accelerate the global zero-emission vehicle transition," Newsom said in a statement. "The restoration of our state's decades-long Clean Air Act waiver will be a major victory for the environment, our economy and the health of Americans across the country in states that have chosen to adopt our pioneering standards."Outside environmental groups also said finalizing the waiver was an important step to restore state authority on emissions."States play an essential role in driving us toward a zero emissions transportation future," said Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen in a statement. "By restoring California's authority to set stronger clean car standards, the Biden administration is taking a critical step to protect public health and combat the climate crisis."California Air Resources Board member Daniel Sperling told CNN that the state won't use its waiver to implement stronger standards for cars and light trucks and will instead use the Biden EPA's recently adopted standards. The new federal fuel emissions, setting standards for those vehicles to 40 miles per gallon by the 2026 model year, were finalized in December. DOE will build nation's first large-scale facility to turn fossil fuel waste into rare materials for techWhere the state will likely go farther than the federal government is in standards for heavy-duty trucks, Sperling said. "California has decided it will go along with the federal greenhouse gas emissions standards for light-duty vehicles," Sperling told CNN. "Where it's diverging is these heavy-duty and light-duty zero-emission rules for cars and trucks." In 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order mandating that all vehicles sold in the state must be zero-emissions by 2035. "This is the most impactful step our state can take to fight climate change," Newsom said in a news release at the time. "Californians shouldn't have to worry if our cars are giving our kids asthma. Our cars shouldn't make wildfires worse — and create more days filled with smoky air. Cars shouldn't melt glaciers or raise sea levels threatening our cherished beaches and coastlines."Sperling said Newsom's order includes new heavy-duty vehicles as well."The commitment is to zero-emission vehicles, all on-road vehicles," Sperling told CNN. This story has been updated with additional information and reaction.CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect that E&E News first reported the waiver would be reinstated soon.

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-02-16 12:00:27

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/politics/west-drought-water-shortage-reclamation-touton-climate/index.html

'Drought' may be an insufficient term to capture what is happening in the West - CNNPolitics

Bureau of Reclamation chief Camille Touton told CNN the agency is managing the nation's water resources in an uncertain, unprecedented time.

politics, 'Drought' may be an insufficient term to capture what is happening in the West - CNNPolitics

Exclusive: Experts say the term 'drought' may be insufficient to capture what is happening in the West

(CNN)As the American West continues into its 22nd year of a parching megadrought, officials at the federal government's top water resource management agency are trying to plan for an uncertain and unprecedented time for the nation's largest reservoirs. "When [the system] was built 100 years ago, you could look outside your window if you're in Colorado and see snow, and know that that's your reservoir for the spring," Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton told CNN in an exclusive interview. "It's not like that anymore. What you're seeing there is just a completely different way in which the system is managed." Winter weather conditions in the West have been, in a word, inconsistent. The West's megadrought is worst in 1,200 years. Los Angeles is taking wastewater recycling to the extremeAfter California's Sierra Nevada mountains were blanketed by 17 feet of snow in late December, the state then experienced one of its driest Januarys on record. Denver went an unusually long stretch with no snow in the early winter before the state saw storms in January.This lack of consistency and predictability with winter snowpack means Reclamation is "operating in a completely different regime, as we've never done before," Touton told CNN. Read More"What we're seeing in 2022 is good snow, generally, in some places -- but at the same time, not consistent," Touton told CNN. "You're seeing record events, followed by record dry months. Now add to that low reservoir level, because we didn't get a lot of inflow into our reservoirs last year." The bigger picture is stark. The West's megadrought is the region's worst in at least 1,200 years, according to a study published Monday, and researchers said the human-caused climate crisis has made the megadrought 72% worse.Western water experts echoed the concern that the term "drought" may be insufficient to capture the region's current hydrology. "Aridification" might be more accurate, said Eric Kuhn, a retired former manager of the Colorado River Water Conservation District. "Are these temporary conditions? We don't know; the science is suggesting they're not," Kuhn said. "It puts Reclamation in a tough situation, because they're learning how to deal with a changing climate. Operating these systems under deep uncertainty is not what they were designed for." Competing for water The Bureau of Reclamation, situated in the Department of Interior, has a big role to play in how the West manages its declining water resources. Established in the early 1900s, Reclamation built some of the West's largest reservoirs and dams. It works with states, Native American tribes, farmers and other stakeholders to manage water, generate electricity from hydroelectric dams and prepare for drought. Touton is overseeing the bureau at a time when competition over the remaining water resources is intensifying. Last summer, the federal government declared a water shortage on the Colorado River for the first time as Lake Mead's and Lake Powell's levels hit new lows. An aerial image shows Lake Mead on the Colorado River during low water levels in July.But a megadrought of this proportion had already been planned for on the Colorado River -- a complex, negotiated priority system that favors some water shareholders ahead of others based on need and historical dependence."We've never been in these conditions before," Touton said. "But with the partnerships that we've had in the basin for decades, there was always a concern that it could get there. And it was planned for and, unfortunately, that's what we're seeing now." 17 feet of snow sparked hope for quelling California's drought. Then precipitation 'flatlined' in JanuaryThe bureau is due to receive $1.66 billion per year for the next five years from the bipartisan infrastructure law, effectively doubling its yearly budget. Most immediately, that means it can spend $420 million on rural water projects, $245 million for water recycling projects, $100 million each for dam repair and aging infrastructure fixes, and $50 million on drought contingency planning for the region. Touton said that as Reclamation repairs some aging reservoirs and water facilities, it will also look at new water sources -- including capturing stormwater when it rains and treating it to use later. John Fleck, a Western water expert and professor at University of New Mexico, said that for Reclamation, the challenge of repairing aging water infrastructure pales in comparison with drought contingency planning with states, tribes and farmers. The Colorado River basin "has a fundamental problem with overallocation of the water," Fleck told CNN. "These rules that were written down on pieces of paper over 100 years ago promised more water to users in states than the river can actually provide." 'A moment of opportunity' Even in years with decent snowpack, the climate-fueled megadrought has meant the parched ground soaks up what moisture there is faster. That means intense competition for lower levels of water used for drinking, agriculture and electricity generation. As CNN has reported, the first group of people impacted by Colorado River water cuts will be farmers in Arizona -- but municipalities in the state could also see reductions depending on far the river levels fall.Cows graze on dry grass in California's drought-stricken Central Valley in July."The vast majority of this water is used for irrigated agriculture across the basin; there's just no way around the footprint of irrigated agriculture shrinking," Fleck told CNN. Kuhn said that in-home water use ultimately doesn't account for much of the overall usage, as many cities re-treat and recycle water from appliances. Los Angeles, for example, is working on a plan to treat and recycle all of its wastewater. US sea levels will rise rapidly in the next 30 years, new report showsThe bigger problem is how to sustain agriculture and lawns. "The future of the river is going to be about grass, it's not going to be about indoor plumbing," said Kuhn. "The action is outdoors. It's crops and grasses." Last summer, Nevada banned nonfunctional grass that uses up too much water, and some cities are looking at planting native plants and grasses that don't need constant watering. Fleck said that even though the drought is anxiety-inducing, it also creates opportunities for the federal government, states and stakeholders to have a realistic conversation about how to save water. "When the reservoirs are full, people blow it off," Fleck said. "When they are draining, that's when these opportunities arise. This creates a moment of opportunity; there are hard decisions to be made."

Ashley Strickland, CNN

2022-02-15 18:48:47

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/world/lichen-algae-climate-change-scn/index.html

Earth is warming too quickly for these tiny organisms to adapt - CNN

Thousands of species of lichen harboring algae may evolve too slowly to keep up with Earth's changes as the climate crisis continues, according to new research.

world, Earth is warming too quickly for these tiny organisms to adapt - CNN

Earth is heating up too quickly for these tiny organisms to adapt

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. (CNN)As global temperatures steadily rise, our planet may be changing too quickly for some of nature's most wide-ranging organisms to adapt. Thousands of species of tiny plantlike organisms may evolve too slowly to keep up with Earth's changes as the climate crisis continues, according to new research. These tiny organisms are algae, something you likely picture floating as a green film on top of a pond or lake. But when algae team up with fungus, they form colonies of lichen -- those light-colored, curly patches growing on rocks and trees in your backyard. And with lichen as their vehicle, algae have the versatility to inhabit a vast range of ecosystems around the globe, living anywhere from the Arctic tundra to the most arid desert. Lichen is the dominant vegetation, covering 7% of the planet's surface.Lichen housing Trebouxia algae can be seen growing on rocks in the Czech Republic.Lichen grow on the order of millimeters per year and can be thousands of years old. Even if the middle of the lichen begins to break down and decompose, the outer edge will keep spreading out like a ring.Read MoreBut these slow-growing lichens also move at a snail's pace when it comes to evolutionary change: They don't adapt quickly enough to match the pace with which our planet is shifting, especially as it heats up.Algae enjoys a symbiotic relationship with a fungus, living inside this lichen on a rock in the Atacama Desert.Tracking evolutionary changeResearchers studied Trebouxia, single-celled algae that live inside lichen. There are more than 7,000 kinds of these lichen with algal partners, making them common across the globe. The study published Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.In order to understand how lichen may adapt, the researchers looked at the genetic relationships of different algae species for comparison, as well as their varied environments. By creating family trees of algae, researchers could track its evolutionary changes. The scientists realized how long it takes for algae to get used to an environment and its temperatures, precipitation amount and seasonal changes. The algae within lichen can take hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years to adapt to their preferred climates, according to the new study."I was shocked," said lead study author Matthew Nelsen, a research scientist at Chicago's Field Museum. "I should have known better from the other papers I've read, but I was disturbed to see it. It's so close to home, on a group of organisms near and dear to my heart."A symbiotic relationshipWhen it comes to lichen, the algae supply food in the form of sugars while the fungus serves as a habitat, creating a symbiotic relationship. And over time, lichen have evolved to appear in the most extreme environments, including around volcanoes. Their purpose varies depending on where they live, but lichen create oxygen, prevent erosion, provide nesting material, retain moisture and contribute to water cycling in ecosystems. They also serve as a food source for many species including some mammals, like reindeer. "When you see a lichen, you're basically looking at all fungal tissue, with some algal cells hidden away and protected inside," Nelsen said. "Loosely speaking, it's like a greenhouse -- the fungus creates a more hospitable environment for the algae."The level of diversity is just part of what makes lichen so charismatic to Nelsen. There are about 20,000 species of fungi that help form lichens -- more than all of the species of mammals and birds combined. "They may be a bit more subtle and not as cute, but it's still a substantial amount of diversity out there," Nelsen said. However, he noted that lichen can appear stunning and almost otherworldly in nature.A changing worldIf the planet continues to warm at its current rate, that will outpace what many Trebouxia can adapt to, which could cause ripple effects. Toxic volcanic lake reveals how life may have been possible on ancient Mars"In this study, we set out to learn how rapidly the climate preferences of these algae have evolved over time, and relate them to predictions about future rates of climate change," Nelsen said. "We found that the predicted rate of modern climate change vastly exceeds the rate at which these algae have evolved in the past. This means that certain parts of their range are likely to become inhospitable to them."Algae and lichen have been able to survive previous shifts in Earth's global temperatures, but climate change is causing those to occur much more quickly."Closely related algal species tend to have similar climatic preferences, as predicted by their evolutionary relationships," Nelsen said. "The most closely related ones might live in really similar climates, whereas distantly related species might differ more in their climatic tolerance."Lichen takes many forms all over the world, like this spaghetti lichen growing in the Alaskan tundra.Future impactsWhen a climate changes, it's not uncommon to see plants or animals appear in new environments, where they compete with existing species. While it doesn't mean that the 7,000 Trebouxia algae will simply disappear, it indicates that changes are on the horizon. If the algae partner of lichen begins to die out, the fungus might be taken out as well, or the algae may have to slowly move to another area."I think we're going to see the ranges of these things shift, and that could lead to some shuffling of the relationships with fungi-- we might get partnerships that weren't there previously," Nelsen said. Sprawling sponge gardens found deep beneath the Arctic sea ice"Since algae are the food source for the fungus, they're the ones photosynthesizing and making sugars to give to the fungus. If they're forced to move, then the fungal partner would either have to move too, or develop a new partnership."Going forward, Nelsen wants to determine how these lichen survive and even thrive in extreme and diverse environments, test the temperature range limits of algae they can withstand, and understand more about the fungus component of lichen and how it reacts to change. As the climate changes, algae may have to disperse to new environments and may not be able to thrive in extreme habitats, like the Alaskan tundra. Nelsen believes lichen research could be applied to other aspects of understanding how climate change will unfold. "They have interesting stories behind them, and it's just kind of up to us to try to figure out what exactly they're doing out there in nature," Nelsen said.

Rachel Ramirez

2022-02-15 18:00:17

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/us/us-sea-level-rise-report-noaa-climate/index.html

Sea level rise: New NOAA report shows accelerating sea level rise on US coasts - CNN

Sea level will rise as much in the next 30 years as it did in the past century in the US, scientists say.

us, Sea level rise: New NOAA report shows accelerating sea level rise on US coasts - CNN

US sea levels will rise rapidly in the next 30 years, new report shows

(CNN)A new report provides an alarming forecast for the US: Sea level will rise as much in the next 30 years as it did in the past 100 -- increasing the frequency of high-tide flooding, pushing storm surge to the extreme and inundating vulnerable coastal infrastructure with saltwater. The interagency report, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows how scientists are increasingly confident that US coasts will see another 10 to 12 inches of sea level rise by 2050.The implications of that forecast are enormous.Our underwater future: What sea level rise will look like around the globe"This report is a wake-up call for the US, but it's a wake-up call with a silver lining," NOAA chief Rick Spinrad said at a news conference on Tuesday. "It provides us with information needed to act now to best position ourselves for the future."The projected sea level rise will lead to a significant increase in the frequency of coastal flooding even on sunny days, scientists report. High-tide flood events in coastal cities -- New York, Washington, Miami and others -- have already doubled in annual frequency since 2000, turning what researchers say used to be a "rare event" into a "disruptive problem."Read MoreEvery inch of sea level rise also amplifies hurricane storm surge, coastal erosion and wetland loss -- impacts which US coasts are already well familiar with."Decades ago, powerful storms were what typically caused coastal flooding," NOAA reports. Today, due to sea level rise, "even common wind events and seasonal high tides regularly cause [high-tide flooding] within coastal communities, affecting homes and businesses, overloading stormwater and wastewater systems, infiltrating coastal groundwater aquifers with saltwater, and stressing coastal wetlands and estuarine ecosystems."The report didn't set out to quantify how expensive these events would get in the future or how they would impact the economy. But Nicole LeBeof, the director of NOAA's National Ocean Service, noted that millions of people live along the coast, and the rest rely on products that enter the country through ports on the coast. "What I will say is that the magnitude of these impacts, direct and cascading, will be high," LeBeof said at a news conference. "Forty percent of the US population lives within 60 miles of our coastlines. There will be highly variable impacts along those coastlines, but there's no denying that a large portion of our economy and revenue and tax base are right there, front and center."Catastrophic sea level riseBeyond 2050, the amount of sea level rise the US will experience is highly dependent on how much the world cuts fossil fuel emissions and limits global temperature rise. Robert Kopp, a climate scientist at Rutgers University and co-author on the report, said sea level rise is becoming "increasingly sensitive to the amount of warming" the planet is experiencing.For example, if global warming can be held to around 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, NOAA estimates sea level rise in the US could be limited to 2 feet by the end of the century. If temperatures are allowed to skyrocket, that forecast increases to 7 feet.The ice shelf holding back the 'Doomsday glacier' could shatter within the next five years, scientists warnPart of the reason that range is so large is the uncertainty over future changes in the world's largest ice sheets and how they will respond to rapid temperature rise. Faster melting of the Greenland or West Antarctic ice sheets could lead to catastrophic sea level rise in the United States by the end of the century.Ben Hamlington, the sea level change team lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a co-author on the report, pointed to the potential collapse of Antarctica's Thwaites glacier, also known as the "Doomsday glacier," which scientists have said would lead to irreversible changes around the globe."We know where these different events could be triggered that would lead to rapid sea level rise, potentially," Hamlington told CNN. "For right now, it's important that we build in that uncertainty into our scenarios, that possibility of that happening, and that's what we've done."William Sweet, oceanographer at NOAA's National Ocean Service and the lead author on the report, said it's important that this report gives decision-makers a range of plausible outcomes beyond 2050."Considering the knowns and unknowns are very important for certain types of decision making," Sweet said. "Those that are very risk averse, who really can't stand to be wrong, need to know these types of outcomes."Storm surge and 'sunny day' floodingThe report serves as an update to the federal government's 2017 sea level projections, using tide gauge and satellite observations combined with findings from the latest UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report to assess changes the country has already experienced and what is still to come.The frequency of high-tide flooding has grown substantially in the past two decades, the report shows. "We already are seeing once-rare tidal flooding events becoming increasingly frequent," Kopp said. "So today along the Jersey Shore, flooding events that used to happen in the 1950s every year or two are now happening for several days a year on average."A man kayaks through high-tide flood waters in downtown Annapolis, Maryland, on October 29, 2021.Twenty years ago, New York City would experience these "sunny day" flood events around five days a year; that frequency has now shot to 10 to 15 days. In Miami, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina, the frequency ballooned from two days in 2000 to five to 10 days in 2020. Researchers say these increases will continue to accelerate and spread to other coastal cities in the next few decades. And sea level rise has already made tropical cyclones and hurricanes more deadly and more destructive. Storm surge — the water pushed onshore by a storm's winds — can now spread farther inland because of higher baseline sea level. 25% of all critical infrastructure in the US is at risk of failure due to flooding, new report findsA 2021 study, which Kopp also co-authored, found that sea level rise caused by the climate crisis added another $8 billion in flood damage to Superstorm Sandy's impacts.And as water piles up along the coast, rivers and streams that drain into the ocean can also be blocked, which forces water back upstream and extends the flooding farther inland. In 2021, Hurricane Ida's powerful storm surge reversed the flow of the Mississippi River near New Orleans — something the US Geological Survey said was "extremely uncommon."All of these impacts worsen considerably with an additional foot of sea level rise through 2050."Today's disruptive, sunny day high tide flooding is a growing problem in many communities, but that will become damaging flooding in 30 years time due to this increase of a foot or more in many East and Gulf Coast communities," Sweet said. "So what is now disruptive will become outright damaging to our infrastructure and to our commerce unless action is taken."Limiting the worstEven if the world can slash fossil fuel emissions in the coming decades and put a cap on global warming, the report emphasizes that the sea level rise projections are essentially locked in through 2050. Oceans will continue to climb due to the warming that humans have already caused. These lawmakers' districts are at highest risk of flooding. Here's where they stand on the climate crisis.And because tens of millions of people in the US already live in coastal areas at risk of flooding — with more people migrating to the coasts each year, partly due to ongoing land development — researchers say there will be a drastic rise in human exposure as well as the country's critical infrastructure."We need to collectively as a country understand that there's only so much sea level rise that can occur until real problems start surfacing in our communities," Sweet said. "We need to recognize that it's largely an elevation issue at this point when storm surge flooding becomes replaced by tidal flooding."But we can limit the worst long-term outcomes by reducing fossil fuel emissions, researchers say. The high-end forecasts for 2100 can be avoided if fossil fuel emissions are slashed. "The next 30 years are pretty well in our headlights right now," Sweet said. "We can give actionable information, but beyond that, emissions matter.""It's collectively in our hands to determine what our future scenario will actually be."This story has been updated with additional information.

Jennifer Gray, CNN

2022-02-14 19:57:35

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/14/weather/avalanche-survival-wxn/index.html

Caught in an avalanche? You've got 30 minutes to survive - CNN

As avalanches become more frequent because of climate change, rescuers urge backcountry skiers to use caution.

weather, Caught in an avalanche? You've got 30 minutes to survive - CNN

Caught in an avalanche? You've got 30 minutes to survive

A version of this article originally appeared in the weekly weather newsletter, which releases every Monday. You can sign up here to receive these every week and during significant storms. (CNN)You might have heard over the weekend; a man survived an avalanche after falling off a 50-foot cliff while skiing in Colorado.Yes, you read that correctly. The sad truth of the matter is surviving an avalanche burial is rare. According to Jake Hutchinson, an avalanche rescuer and safety instructor in Utah, it's very rare. And recent studies show large-scale avalanches might be on the increase because of climate change. "That's the hard part about the avalanche rescue world is that we very rarely can get people there in time to make it a live find," Hutchinson pointed out. "Realistically, people have a really a pretty good chance of survival if they can be fully dug out in the first 15 to 30 minutes of burial." Hutchinson has been working in the avalanche rescue world for nearly 30 years and admitted he has lost count of the number of bodies he's recovered. He said it's not the cold and hypothermia that kills, it's the lack of oxygen. "Unfortunately, that results in fatalities really quickly. And so, time is really against us." Rescuers working Dutch Draw avalanche in 2004 debris field, search for visual clues of people buried.Hutchinson remembers one avalanche he was lead rescuer on in 2004. The initial call indicated 28 people were buried. Twenty different organizations came to help sift through 40 acres of debris, an area about the size of 30 football fields.Read MoreA four-day operation resulted in only one person being buried and found deceased on the second day. The other 27 skiers who were presumed dead actually escaped the burial and were only enveloped in the avalanche cloud, not the avalanche itself. He explained most avalanche fatalities come down to human error. Ninety percent of avalanche incidents are triggered by the victim or someone in the victim's party. Going backcountry skiing without the proper equipment, without the proper training and making just one bad decision can make the difference in life and death. "You're walking out there to ski, and you don't take at least a basic avalanche course, you might as well be crossing a highway with a blindfold on. You might make it across, you might not," Hutchinson asserted. It might sound harsh to some, but after more than 50 avalanche rescues Hutchinson has been a part of, with only a handful of live finds, it's the reality of how deadly avalanches are. "I think people underestimate either the potential of a slope, like what kind of avalanche it can create, or they have overconfidence in what I call margins, their margin between being Safe and hazardous."According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), most avalanches occur during or just after snowstorms on slopes between 30 and 45 degrees. They often occur when there is a weak layer of snow underneath freshly fallen snow. A weak layer of snow is a layer that doesn't stick well to the other layers. It could be from a change in temperature between the layers, or if a layer of frost gets buried under freshly fallen snow, which can cause weakness in the snow as well. It is usually where the snow will fracture, resulting in an avalanche.And it seems avalanches may become more frequent as the climate warms. Saving lives in Colorado's backcountryAccording to a new study published by Nature in 2021, large-scale avalanches could become more common. The study states there is "a potential increase in large magnitude events driven by warming temperatures and spring precipitation." Hutchinson added he has seen an increase in large avalanches in recent years. "Absolutely. I think this current period has had some of the largest, late December early January avalanches, I remember seeing ever, and they're widespread all over the West." He thinks it's a combination of the big early-season storms, followed by long dry periods, which creates a lot of weak snow. Then larger than usual storm systems occur on top of weak snow, which are producing exceptionally large avalanches. "With a wetter and warmer snow climate, consequences of burial may become more severe," the authors wrote in a review on the 'Effects of Climate Change on Avalanche Accidents and Survival' published in 2021. Their review indicated avalanche activity will decrease in spring and at lower elevations but increase at higher elevations in winter because of more favorable conditions for wet-snow avalanches earlier in the season. It also mentions when avalanches do occur, they could be harder to survive because of the changes in snow density because of climate change. With the potential for avalanches to increase, your risk while backcountry skiing could go up as well, especially if you aren't careful. JUST WATCHEDHow to survive an avalancheReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHHow to survive an avalanche 02:10I recorded a "how to survive an avalanche" video for CNN several years ago and was "buried" in an avalanche on the mountainside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, with the help of their avalanche rescue team. I was only buried for a few short moments (and it was all controlled), yet it was absolutely terrifying. Hutchinson emphasized the best way for people to survive an avalanche burial is "to have well-trained partners with proper avalanche rescue gear. That is just the sad reality of it. And it's pretty rare for organized rescue to be able to get there in time to make a difference, and it does become recovery." Hutchinson noted three tools should absolutely be with you at all times while backcountry skiing: Beacon Shovel Probe He advised to always get the forecast before you go as well. And if it doesn't look safe, avoiding the area altogether is your best option. You can check the avalanche forecast here Click here to learn how to avoid avalanches and what to do if you're caught in one"To ski in powder is really fun. And it's a huge dopamine high and when you get away with it, that's a really huge hit to the reward center of your brain," Hutchinson acknowledged. But he added, "It doesn't matter what cool thing you did in the mountains if you didn't come home to talk about it, because coming home at the end of the day is the most important part of all this."

Story by Reuters

2022-02-15 11:03:32

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/business/energy-finance-climate-banks-coal-intl/index.html

Climate change: Major banks pledging net zero are pouring money into the dirtiest fossil fuel - CNN

Financial institutions channeled more than $1.5 trillion into the coal industry in loans and underwriting from January 2019 to November 2021, even though many have made net-zero pledges, a report by a group of 28 non-government organizations showed.

business, Climate change: Major banks pledging net zero are pouring money into the dirtiest fossil fuel - CNN

Major banks pledging net zero are pouring money into the dirtiest fossil fuel

ShanghaiFinancial institutions channeled more than $1.5 trillion into the coal industry in loans and underwriting from January 2019 to November 2021, even though many have made net-zero pledges, a report by a group of 28 non-government organizations showed.Reducing coal use is a key part of global efforts to slash climate-warming greenhouse gases and bring emissions down to "net zero" by the middle of the century, and governments, firms and financial institutions across the world have pledged to take action.But banks continue to fund 1,032 firms involved in the mining, trading, transportation and utilization of coal, the research showed."Banks like to argue that they want to help their coal clients transition, but the reality is that almost none of these companies are transitioning," said Katrin Ganswind, head of financial research at German environmental group Urgewald, which led the research. "And they have little incentive to do so as long as bankers continue writing them blank checks."The study said banks from six countries - China, the United States, Japan, India, Britain and Canada - were responsible for 86% of global coal financing over the period.Read MoreDirect loans amounted to $373 billion, with Japanese banks Mizuho Financial, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial -- both members of the Net Zero Banking Alliance -- identified as the two biggest lenders. Neither firm responded immediately to requests for comment.China mined a record amount of coal in 2021. It might produce even more this yearAnother $1.2 trillion was channeled to coal firms via underwriting. All of the top 10 underwriters were Chinese, with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in first place, accounting for $57 billion. It did not respond to a request for comment.Institutional investments in coal firms over the period amounted to $469 billion, with BlackRock at the top of the list with $34 billion. The US asset manager declined to comment on Tuesday, but chief executive Larry Fink wrote in January that "divesting from entire sectors... will not get the world to net zero.""Foresighted companies across a wide range of carbon intensive sectors are transforming their businesses, and their actions are a critical part of decarbonization," he wrote in a letter to fellow chief executives.Comparative coal funding figures for previous years were not immediately available. Other research studies, however, have shown that coal investment is on the decline.The coal sector is responsible for nearly half of global greenhouse gas emissions. More than 40 countries pledged to end coal use following climate talks in Glasgow in November, though major consumers such as China, India and the United States did not sign up. Read full storyBut more China-invested overseas coal-fired power capacity was cancelled than commissioned since 2017, according to research from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) last June. Read full storyFurthermore, nearly all internationally available development financing is now committed to reducing or ending investment in coal-fired power after moves by China and the G20 to stop supporting new projects overseas, research from Boston University's Global Development Policy Center showed in November.

Donald Judd, CNN

2022-02-15 10:05:53

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/politics/white-house-manufacturing-emissions/index.html

White House to unveil multi-pronged approach to reduce emissions in the manufacturing sector - CNNPolitics

The White House will unveil new efforts to reduce emissions in the manufacturing sector Tuesday, including nearly $10 billion in Department of Energy funding from President Joe Biden's signature infrastructure law aimed at "clean hydrogen" manufacturing.

politics, White House to unveil multi-pronged approach to reduce emissions in the manufacturing sector - CNNPolitics

White House to unveil multi-pronged approach to reduce emissions in the manufacturing sector

(CNN)The White House will unveil new efforts to reduce emissions in the manufacturing sector Tuesday, including nearly $10 billion in Department of Energy funding from President Joe Biden's signature infrastructure law aimed at "clean hydrogen" manufacturing.The announcement also includes the launch of a new "Buy Clean Task Force," which promotes the use of low-carbon and carbon-neutral materials, boosting federal procurement of clean construction materials and building on efforts already underway at the General Services Administration (GSA), which manages a nationwide federal real estate portfolio and oversees approximately $75 billion in annual contracts.In addition, the Council on Environmental Quality will issue Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration (CCUS) guidance outlining how agencies should plan on using $12 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to store carbon emissions from smokestacks and existing emissions, in service of moving towards a net-zero economy."These actions and continued implementation of the bipartisan infrastructure law will reduce climate pollution from industrial facilities, while growing the economy and creating jobs in producing clean materials, which customers around the world are increasingly demanding," the White House wrote in a fact sheet shared with reporters Monday. "With a strong foundation in place from today's announcements, the President's Build Back Better agenda will further boost clean manufacturing and American competitiveness for decades to come, by supporting low-carbon processes across our industrial base; driving long-term investment in our clean steel, cement, and aluminum industries; and increasing domestic production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels, and more."Read MoreOn a call with reporters Monday, a senior administration official said successful passage of the administration's infrastructure package made most of Tuesday's announcements possible."Fortunately, the hard work that the President did along with the Congress over the last year ... we've got a bunch more tools that we can bring to bear in seizing this opportunity," the official said.But Tuesday's efforts to reduce emissions aren't restricted solely to domestic production -- Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and senior White House officials will further American policies on reducing emissions in steel and aluminum production abroad, building on an agreement with the European Union "to restrict access to their markets for dirty steel and limit access to countries that dump steel in both markets, contributing to worldwide over-supply."All told, the official told reporters Monday, Tuesday's announcement reflect the Biden administration's "whole of government approach," to reducing emissions, including a "sector by sector" effort."And it's really important to recognize where we are in this moment, because until this administration, I think folks referred regularly to the industrial sector as hard to decarbonize. And that wasn't the beginning of the conversation, it ended up being the end of the conversation," the official said, adding that in contrast, the Biden administration is focused on "throwing the weight of the government behind every single sector, and making sure that we were leaving no tons of abatement potential behind in this sector."

Opinion by Tara Connolly

2022-02-14 17:27:07

news

opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/14/opinions/putin-russia-gas-europe-climate-connolly/index.html

Putin could turn off Europe's gas tap. This is the solution - CNN

Soaring prices are driving millions of Europeans into energy poverty and the continent's unfettered use of fossil gas is fueling the climate crisis. The solution should be self-evident -- end our reliance on expensive, dirty gas.

opinions, Putin could turn off Europe's gas tap. This is the solution - CNN

Putin could turn off Europe's gas tap. This is the solution

Tara Connolly is senior gas campaigner at Global Witness, an international NGO working towards a more sustainable, just and equal planet. She has over a decade of experience in EU energy policy. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. View more opinion on CNN. (CNN)As Russian troops remain camped across several of Ukraine's frontiers, Europe and the United States are scrambling to prevent an incursion, with a flurry of diplomatic efforts and by bolstering their own troops in nearby NATO countries.Speculation over Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions have ramped up from mere threats to actual war, but officials and pundits in Europe are jittery about another threat as well: Moscow could reduce -- or even stop -- the flow of fossil gas that the continent so heavily relies on.There has been much talk of what Russia is trying to achieve geopolitically by fostering this reliance -- to break up NATO, to split the European Union or alienate the US from its Western allies -- but these other concerns are also pressing.Soaring prices in a power crunch are driving millions of Europeans into energy poverty and the continent's unfettered use of fossil gas is fueling the climate crisis. The solution should be self-evident -- end our reliance on expensive, dirty, and overwhelmingly imported gas. This will require standing up to the powerful gas industry, and right now, far too few politicians seem willing to take this vital step. This is by no means the first time Europe's heavy reliance on Russian gas has been problematic. It was the same story during the last major flare-up with Ukraine in 2014, and Europe's response -- to simply find gas elsewhere -- didn't work then. It isn't working now either.Read MoreThe West is a player in the Ukraine information war. Unlike Russia, it has to convince the publicIn 2013, Russian imports accounted for around 27% of the European Union's gas use. Instead of reducing reliance on Russia, nine years later, Europe remains more dependent on Russian gas than ever, with 38% of the EU's supply now being piped from the country.EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson has been holding urgent meetings with Azerbaijan and Qatar to boost the bloc's gas supplies. Likewise, US President Joe Biden, a self-proclaimed climate champion, has been trying to ride to Europe's rescue, and push his own ever-expanding plans for American liquefied natural gas exports.On a practical level, it's unlikely the US and its friends would be able to replace Russian gas in Europe quickly and effectively. Recent research by the Brussels-based think tank, Bruegel, concluded that in the event of a rupture in Russian gas, the EU would run short and have to start cutting gas use altogether.So, if Europe can't do without Russia for gas, the question must be asked: Why not do without the gas?Even if the US could bring a cavalry to Europe, more gas isn't a long-term solution. The flag on the pipeline or ship is irrelevant -- it's Europe's dependency on the fuel, regardless of where it's from, that makes it so vulnerable to the vagaries of the global gas market.Europe's addiction to gas, and indeed the world's, will have a deep impact on the future of our planet. The idea peddled by many in the fossil fuel industry that gas can help tackle the climate crisis by replacing coal is false. The International Energy Agency has said that the world should stop adding more capacity for gas if it wants to contain global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.Scientists say this invisible gas could seal our fate on climate changeIn the EU, gas is now responsible for more carbon emissions than coal. According to the European Commission's own analysis, the continent must virtually eliminate fossil gas by 2050 to help keep global warming to 1.5C, although Global Witness believes it must be gone by 2035. Globally, between 2016 and 2019, fossil gas has been responsible for half of the increase in carbon dioxide emissions, according to data from the Global Carbon Project. Methane, which can leak from almost every step in the gas supply chain, has more than 80 times the global warming power than carbon-dioxide in the short term. Methane has driven more than a quarter of all global warming to date. Not to mention the health risks attached to gas exposure both for communities near infrastructure and even in homes. A recent study by Stanford University showed, stoves used for cooking often leak methane even when turned off. It's not just followers of geopolitical tensions or those in the climate movement that should be concerned with this gas addiction. A sharp rise in gas prices has forced households across Europe into the impossible choice between heating and eating. In the UK, 22 million have been told their energy bills will rise by about £700 ($950) a year, which will hit the poorest the hardest. Recent, but as yet unpublished, figures crunched by the Global Witness data team found that consumer gas prices in the Netherlands and Estonia over the past year have increased by a staggering 62% and 122%, respectively.As European households suffer, it's a very different picture for major fossil fuel firms. Shell recently announced its most profitable fourth quarter in almost a decade, posting almost $20 billion in profit for 2021. ExxonMobil and Chevron recorded a combined $38.6 billion in profits last year. With other oil and gas majors set to post similarly strong years in the coming days -- including Russia's own Gazprom, which saw record-breaking Q3 profits -- it's a pointer as to just why politicians continue to back gas, despite all its associated woes.Europe's plan to call natural gas 'sustainable' triggers backlash from climate campaignersEven with the tide turning against fossil fuels, many European lawmakers seem to continue to buy into the argument that the gas industry is vital for jobs and growth in their countries, even though the renovation and renewables sectors are already significant contributors to the economy with huge potential. This is an industry that is directly benefiting from rising gas prices while ordinary citizens fall further into energy poverty and the climate crisis intensifies. It's therefore no surprise that gas companies are pushing to keep gas locked in, using the two-pronged approach of lobbying and greenwashing. While announcing his company's highest profits in eight years, the CEO of BP, Bernard Looney, called for even more investment into gas. And it's clearly having the desired effect. In December, the European Commission published its proposals to reform Europe's gas market, in what could have been an opportunity to move towards the phaseout of gas. Worryingly, it chose to lock gas in for years to come, in line with calls from the gas industry. The Commission's proposals rest on the impossible assumption that fossil gas infrastructure -- like pipelines -- can eventually be used with substitutes by nascent technologies like hydrogen. In Europe's existing networks, however, this would do little to reduce gas use, given most hydrogen is produced using fossil gas. There is little being done to challenge the power and influence of the fossil fuel companies at the heart of the gas market.Another way is possible, but it requires a monumental shift. The huge political and financial support afforded to the fossil fuel industry needs to be redirected to give a much-needed boost for genuine solutions.Get our free weekly newsletterSign up for CNN Opinion's newsletter.Join us on Twitter and FacebookModeling carried out by the Climate Action Network Europe and the European Environmental Bureau shows that the use of fossil gas could virtually be phased out by 2035. That would require accelerating deep renovations of Europe's buildings, ramping up the deployment of renewable electricity technologies and the electrification of heating and transportation -- all measures that are entirely realistic. This includes accelerating the deployment of renewable energy, like wind and solar, so that we can replace gas with green electricity. Schemes to renovate large-scale buildings or to insulate homes and replace gas boilers with green heating solutions, like heat pumps and geothermal, would go a long way.But, outrageously, the majority of the EU's 27 member states still give more subsidies to fossil fuels than renewables.Europe's deep gas dependency is impacting its citizens, the future of the planet and limiting its ability to shield from geopolitical threats. Already, rich big polluters in the gas industry -- whether in Russia or elsewhere -- are the only ones who stand to benefit from the status quo. European leaders should be putting in place plans to get Europe off gas as quickly as possible. This shouldn't be a courageous act. It's just common sense.

Stephanie Elam, CNN

2022-02-14 18:22:04

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/14/us/west-megadrought-climate-wastewater-recycling/index.html

West's megadrought is worst in 1,200 years, study finds - CNN

A new study found the West's 21st century drought is the worst in 1,200 years. Los Angeles is working to stave off a crisis by recycling 100% of its wastewater.

us, West's megadrought is worst in 1,200 years, study finds - CNN

The West's megadrought is worst in 1,200 years. Los Angeles is taking wastewater recycling to the extreme

Los Angeles (CNN)The West is in its worst drought in centuries, scientists reported Monday.A study published in Nature Climate Change found the period from 2000 to 2021 was the driest in 1,200 years. Last year's drought severity was "exceptional," researchers said, and all indications are the extreme conditions will continue through 2022.The human-caused climate crisis has made the megadrought 72% worse, the study noted.Burning fossil fuels is having a direct impact on water availability in the West, which for the past two decades has been characterized by dry weather, with hopeful but fleeting bursts of precipitation.You don't have to look further than Los Angeles in December for an example. With nearly 10 inches of rain, it was the second-wettest such month on record for the city, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.17 feet of snow sparked hope for quelling California's drought. Then precipitation 'flatlined' in JanuaryRead MoreBut the dreams of drought remediation were dashed when it became clear the jet stream did not have more lined up in the new year. Last month, less than a tenth of an inch of rain fell in Los Angeles, making it the eighth-driest January on record for the city. Halfway through February, things are only getting worse. This year is off to a record-dry start.Fluctuations like these are becoming more pronounced due to climate change."There's good documentation that, in fact, there is less rainfall. What seems to be happening according to most of the climate scientists is we're getting longer, drier periods," said David Feldman, professor of urban planning and public policy at University of California at Irvine, and director of Water UCI. "But the irony is those longer, drier periods are punctuated by very intense storm events."Park Williams, a climate scientist at UCLA and the study's lead author, said it will take several years of above-average rain and snowfall to cut through the megadrought. "It's extremely unlikely that this drought can be ended in one wet year," he said.A rainy day saved for laterOfficials in Los Angeles are acutely aware of the water fluctuations and are working to capture every drop possible. Los Angeles County has dug several large, open dirt basins -- known as spreading grounds -- to absorb rainfall and recharge underground aquifers. The basins also take in water diverted from dams."When we know that we're going to get significant storms in the LA area, we obviously work really closely with LA County flood control," said Anselmo Collins, senior assistant general manager of the water system for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. "If they happen to have a lot of water stored in their flood control dams, they can release that water ahead of time; give it an opportunity to percolate and make room in those dams and the reservoirs to be able to collect the water that's coming in at the same time."The water's slow journey of filtering down through the soil into the aquifers also cleans the water, Collins explained."When we pump it later on, we treat it again, and then it goes into our water distribution system, and it will get treated again," said Collins, noting LADWP's rigorous water treatment program. "When you talk about water, it's something very personal to people ... it's something you put into your body."Secondary clarifier tanks at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Los Angeles.Ultimately, Los Angeles is working to become less dependent on imported water. Currently, as much as 90% of water used in Los Angeles is imported from Northern California, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Colorado River Basin. The plan, which is in progress, calls for 70% of the city's water to be locally sourced by 2035."One of our major focuses is on recycled water and, in fact, this is a goal that the city of Los Angeles has, to recycle 100% of all wastewater," said Traci Minamide, chief operating officer of Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment. "That will help us provide a local source of water that's sustainable and consistent."All the Beijing snow is human-made -- a resource-intensive, 'dangerous' trend as planet warmsAnd she does mean 100% of all wastewater."The recycled water is coming through the wastewater collection system, across our whole network of 6,500 miles of sewers. It's coming from all the residents and commercial businesses," Minamide said. "It's all the stuff and then breaking it out and then cleaning it up after that."Minamide explained the water is treated to a very high purity -- better than distilled water, she said -- before it is supplied for groundwater infiltration, which is later pumped up, treated and used for drinking water.LA Sanitation and Environment is already treating and supplying up to 12 million gallons a day to the aquifers, but Minamide said they are planning to boost the figure to more than 200 million gallons a day."Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant is one of the largest treatment plants in the country and that water right now is being treated and discharged. We're just losing it out to Santa Monica Bay," Minamide said. "There's an opportunity for us to treat that water in a very advanced fashion under regulations, to a point where it can actually be used to help the water supply system."Hydrogen peroxide removal tanks for the treatment of groundwater at the North Hollywood West Wellhead Treatment Facility in Los Angeles.Sanitation and Environment also has other dry weather diversion projects aimed at capturing runoff on the city's streets, cleaning up water and then offering it for irrigation locally. In other parts of town, the landscape is designed for the ground to absorb the water right where it is into aquifers and some renovations are required to factor in water conservation, for example, switching to permeable pavers instead of asphalt.A 'political and social' questionAs climate change continues to pound the region, leading to less rain and more excessively hot days, Los Angeles is using innovations to manage the city's water needs down the line. "Whether we will in fact manage it is a political and a social question, not a technical one. The technologies are there," said Feldman.The drought in California this summer was the worst on recordWhile some projects slated to store much more water are years away, experts say it might have been harder to get legislation passed if residents weren't on board. A couple of decades ago, voters might not have been willing to pay more in taxes to recycle water and capture rainfall when conserving water wasn't a hot topic. However, now it seems the will is there.Minamide pointed to data which shows more people are concerned about being wasteful."Despite the increase in the population over the past 20 years of roughly a million, we have seen our water use, and then our wastewater commensurately, actually go down," Minamide said.So people are saving water, but more could be done. "I'd like to see for us to get smart on our end uses of water. Don't use as much water for outdoor landscaping," offered Feldman. "Think about ways of replacing and more efficiently using our appliances."In fact, the largest hurdle may be getting people to change how they think about water."Water isn't free," Feldman said. "Somebody has to go and acquire the water, treat it, distribute it to our homes and then treat the wastewater after it leaves our homes. We need to think about water as a precious commodity."

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-02-14 19:55:49

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/14/politics/energy-coal-waste-recycling-batteries-climate/index.html

DOE plans to turn fossil fuel waste into rare materials for tech components - CNNPolitics

A initiative spearheaded by the Department of Energy is looking for ways to extract rare earth elements from fossil fuel waste.

politics, DOE plans to turn fossil fuel waste into rare materials for tech components - CNNPolitics

DOE will build nation's first large-scale facility to turn fossil fuel waste into rare materials for tech

(CNN)The vast majority of critical minerals and rare earth elements that help power electric vehicles and wind turbines come from mining operations overseas. But a new initiative spearheaded by the US Department of Energy is looking for ways to extract them from fossil fuel waste. The Energy Department plans to build the nation's first large facility to extract critical minerals like nickel and cobalt from waste like coal ash. Those metals could then be used in components for renewable-energy batteries, cell phones and electric vehicles, among other technologies. On Monday, the department is releasing a request for information from industry, developers and research institutions on how to build and operate the new facility, shared first with CNN. A giant donut-shaped machine just proved a near-limitless clean power source is possible"Since we get fossil fuels from the earth, there's a lot of other components other than just the carbons," Jennifer Wilcox, the principal deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, told CNN. "There's critical minerals like cobalt and nickel, and there's also rare earth elements." As demand for critical minerals surges, the US is at a supply-chain disadvantage for them. The US currently imports more than 80% of its rare earth elements from offshore suppliers. Much of its critical mineral supply needed to power batteries is also shipped from overseas. Read MoreChina in particular has cornered the global market on processing critical minerals and rare earth elements, but countries including Australia and Malaysia are also involved. Department of Energy officials like Wilcox see coal waste as a new opportunity to make the US less reliant on foreign supply. Even so, it will take years to realize this vision. The new facility -- which the department plans to construct by 2026 and have operational by 2028 -- will both refine materials and show private industry how to scale up extraction of rare earth elements and critical minerals from used fossil fuels. The department aims to have the facility be able to process about 1,000 metric tons of mixed rare earth oxides, increasing that to 10,000 metric tons per year by 2035 and 20,000 metric tons per year by 2040. And although foreign countries lead the US in processing critical minerals from mining, this concept of processing fossil fuel waste for minerals is a relatively new and untested one. "I think we are really in the lead on these concepts," Wilcox said. Focusing on coal waste As the US tries to build out its domestic mining supply, it should also pursue secondary sources of obtaining the material, said Sarma Pisupati, an energy professor and minerals expert at Penn State University. "We need to find domestic sources, and secondary sources are important to look at," said Pisupati. "These are coming from waste piles particularly. If we can develop the technology, we can clean up the environment as well as get these resources." The West's megadrought is worst in 1,200 years. Los Angeles is taking wastewater recycling to the extremeThe project will primarily focus on extracting minerals from coal waste. However, byproducts from oil and gas drilling -- such as the water used to extract the fuel -- can also be good sources of minerals like lithium. "This is really focused on coal, but it doesn't mean that what we learn from the chemical, physical, thermal extraction processes we're investing in -- that they can't also be applied to other energy resources as well," Wilcox said. "That's what we would like to see in the future." A site for the refinery hasn't yet been selected, but the request for information process will help the department scout a location. Still, Wilcox told CNN that a region with heavy coal waste concentrations like Appalachia, Wyoming or North Dakota could make a good location. "Absolutely in regions where there's been legacy fossil production, but also looking at these for an opportunity for these communities to transition," Wilcox said. Ultimately, she added, the mineral extraction technology developed by the Department of Energy could be transported to sites of coal waste all around the country to extract critical minerals and rare earth elements. Pisupati told CNN that an important job of a processing facility would also be identifying and cataloging what kinds of coal ash and other waste materials can actually be used to build batteries. "Not all coal ash samples would have the highest concentration" of critical minerals, he said. Another challenge is that there will be smaller concentrations of critical minerals found in fossil fuel waste, compared with the concentrations that can be mined directly from rocks in the earth, Wilcox said. Separating them out can be expensive, which is why the Department of Energy is aiming to pilot the research and technology first.

Ashley Strickland, CNN

2022-02-14 16:57:24

news

africa

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/14/africa/elephant-ivory-trafficking-dna-scn/index.html

Tracing DNA of related elephants reveals illegal ivory trafficking networks - CNN

African elephants have drastically dwindled as targets of the illegal ivory trade, but the DNA contained within their tusks is pointing to the very criminal networks that poached them.

africa, Tracing DNA of related elephants reveals illegal ivory trafficking networks - CNN

Tracing DNA of related elephants reveals illegal ivory trafficking networks

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. (CNN)African elephants have drastically dwindled as targets of the illegal ivory trade, but the DNA contained within their tusks is pointing to the very criminal networks that poached them.Researchers used genetic testing on ivory shipments seized by law enforcement and were able to trace the international crime ring shipping the ivory from Africa. The team tested more than 4,000 elephant tusks from 49 different seizures, made between 2002 and 2019, across 12 different African countries. The findings published Monday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.The study establishes familial connections between the elephants that are being poached for their ivory tusks and reveals the poaching and shipping practices and interconnectedness of the traffickers. This kind of DNA detective work can expose the tactics employed by transnational criminal organizations, believes the research team, comprised of scientists and US Department of Homeland Security special agents. These illicit organizations have operated out of Africa for decades, leading to the heavy decline of thousands of elephants in recent years, according to the study.Read MoreElephant DNA helps authorities make $3.5 million international ivory trafficking bust"These methods are showing us that a handful of networks are behind a majority of smuggled ivory, and that the connections between these networks are deeper than even our previous research showed," said lead study author Samuel Wasser, a University of Washington professor of biology and co-executive director of the Center for Environmental Forensic Science, in a statement. Linking elephant family membersDrawing connections between the separate seizures of ivory made at ports that were thousands of miles apart can create a trail of evidence and strengthen cases against those arrested for poaching and smuggling the tusks.This study builds on previous work, published by Wasser and his colleagues in 2018, which showed tusks from the same elephant were often separated and smuggled in different shipments before being seized. These identifications linked the trafficking networks that smuggled ivory from three African port cities in Kenya, Uganda and Togo.The new research broadened the DNA analysis to find elephants that were related in some way, including parents, offspring and siblings. Drawing connections between families of elephants, rather than trying to match individual tusks, helped the researchers understand the scope of the trafficking network.The three networks established in the 2018 study "are involved with many more seizures and more connected to each other than previously discovered," according to the new paper."If you're trying to match one tusk to its pair, you have a low chance of a match. But identifying close relatives is going to be a much more common event, and can link more ivory seizures to the same smuggling networks," Wasser said.Special Agent John Brown, study coauthor and a criminal investigator with US Homeland Security Investigations, has worked on environmental crime issues for more than 25 years. The forensic analysis in the study can provide "a roadmap for far-reaching multinational collaborative investigations," Brown said.Targeted populationsThe tusks came from both forest elephants and savannah elephants. Forest elephants represent about 6% of the remaining African elephant population and live in the humid forests of West Africa and the Congo Basin. Based on the tusk data from the seizures, tusks were heavily poached from Gabon and Republic of the Congo.DNA tests on elephant tusks expose 'three major export cartels operating in Africa'Savannah elephants roam across the grassy plains and bushlands in West and Central Africa and most of East and Southern Africa. Many of their tusks were poached in Tanzania, northern Mozambique and southern Kenya -- including some from the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area of southern Africa most recently. Then, the tusks were shipped from ports in different countries. But the fact that the separated tusks were still shipped from the same ports helped the researchers determine there were fewer networks moving mass ivory shipments than previously suspected, Wasser said.In elephant populations, females tend to remain in the same family group and males don't move very far even when they emigrate. The genetic connection between the tusks showed how the poachers were targeting specific populations. Dozens of shipments were found to have tight familial connections, some of which spanned years."Identifying close relatives indicates that poachers are likely going back to the same populations repeatedly -- year after year -- and tusks are then acquired and smuggled out of Africa on container ships by the same criminal network," Wasser said. "This criminal strategy makes it much harder for authorities to track and seize these shipments because of the immense pressure they are under to move large volumes of containers quickly through ports."Holding traffickers accountableA small group of smuggling networks are the most likely ones responsible for large ivory shipments, which can move mass quantities of tusks on container ships. The genetic data from the tusks linked seizures from the Ivory Coast along the Atlantic Ocean to Mozambique, bordering the Indian Ocean."There has been a lot of movement to make the sale of ivory illegal in many countries around the world," Wasser said. "However, it has not had a great impact on the kinds of trade that we are talking about when we're getting these big seizures. And when I say a big seizure, it's a minimum size of a half-ton and that can go up to 10 tons or more."The 17-year span of the study also showed how the networks have shifted to different ports over time, moving from Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda to Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Criminals are often linked with one ivory shipment seizure, or "one block of physical evidence," Brown said. But tracking this kind of data could help prosecutors establish links and ensure the criminals are held accountable for everything they've done. "Extinction of species and ecological collapse through wildlife trafficking can have long-lasting, irreversible, catastrophic impacts on our global community as a whole," Brown said. "So the global effort to combat these illicit crimes is paramount to protecting our environment."

Emma Tucker and Hannah Sarisohn, CNN

2022-02-12 21:01:18

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/12/us/gray-wolves-endangered-species-list/index.html

Gray wolves are relisted in Endangered Species Act - CNN

A federal judge reversed a Trump administration decision that removed the gray wolf from the endangered species list in the continental United States after a coalition of wildlife organizations argued the move seriously threatened its population.

us, Gray wolves are relisted in Endangered Species Act - CNN

Federal judge reverses Trump era wildlife decision, restoring protections for the gray wolf

(CNN)A federal judge reversed a Trump administration decision that removed the gray wolf from the endangered species list in the continental United States after a coalition of wildlife organizations argued the move seriously threatened the animal's population. On Thursday, US District Judge Jeffrey S. White in Northern California ruled in favor of a lawsuit brought by the Humane Society of the United States and other wildlife organizations against the US Department of the Interior in January 2021. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) "failed to adequately analyze and consider the impacts of partial delisting and of historical range loss on the already-listed species," White wrote in his decision, which restored gray wolf protections in 45 states. The lawsuit claimed the USFWS did not take proper consideration when it stripped the animal of Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections, which went into effect in January 2021, under the assumption its population sufficiently recovered. "Today is a monumental victory for wolves who will now be protected from state-sponsored bloodbaths," Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society, said in a statement. Read More"After having yet another wolf delisting overturned in federal court, the US Fish and Wildlife Service should finally learn its lesson," she added. "Instead of continuing to devise convoluted excuses to strip these beloved animals of legal protections, the agency must develop a plan for meaningful recovery across the species' range and ensure that states will not decimate their wolf populations." The federal government has 60 days to appeal the court's decision. Only the Northern Rockies population of wolves remains unprotected as a result of laws that passed in Idaho and Montana, according to the Humane Society, but the USFWS is currently considering relisting them to the act. Six Native American Ojibwe tribes also sued the state of Wisconsin last year, claiming the state's planned wolf hunts go against their treaty-protected rights, CNN previously reported. After the species were stripped of federal protections, Wisconsin hunters killed more than 215 wolves in under three days as part of a February 2021 trophy hunting season, exceeding the state's quote by nearly double, according to the Humane Society. The gray wolf received protection from the ESA in the 1970s, when the population dwindled due to declines in their populations and frequent conflict with farmers and ranchers. Certain wolf populations on the West Coast and in the Southern Rocky Mountains are especially vulnerable and were at risk of "disappearing forever" as a result of the Trump-era decision, the Humane Society said in a statement when the lawsuit was filed. "Our lawsuit argues that by treating the plight of these fragile populations as insignificant and ignoring the natural and manmade threats that wolves nationwide still face, the government is in violation of the Endangered Species Act and its legal duty of protecting wolves and helping them recover," the statement read.Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who took part in an amicus brief in the coalition's lawsuit, said her state is home to roughly 700 gray wolves. "These magnificent animals serve important roles in our Great Lakes ecosystems, and they show us that dedication to family is not unique to humans," Nessel said in a statement. Some hunter advocacy groups rejected the decision, however, arguing it will affect predator management programs that aim to reduce predation. "We are disappointed that an activist judge from California decided to tell farmers, ranchers, and anyone who supports a balanced ecosystem with common-sense predator management that he knows better than them," said Hunter Nation President and CEO Luke Hilgemann in a statement. "At Hunter Nation, we prefer to trust local experts and conservation and hunting partners to come up with predator management programs that make sense for them rather than putting our faith in bureaucrats who don't spend time in the woods or never have to deal with the negative consequences of an uncontrolled wolf population."Amanda Jackson contributed to this report.

Ella Nilsen, CNN

2022-02-11 22:05:30

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/11/politics/social-cost-of-carbon-federal-judge-biden-climate/index.html

Trump-appointed judge bars Biden administration from using climate cost estimate - CNNPolitics

A Trump-appointed judge in Louisiana barred the Biden administration from using the "social cost of carbon" in its decisions.

politics, Trump-appointed judge bars Biden administration from using climate cost estimate - CNNPolitics

Trump-appointed judge bars Biden administration from using key climate metric

(CNN)A Trump-appointed judge dealt another blow to Biden's climate agenda on Friday, barring the administration from using a metric that estimates the societal cost of carbon emissions.US District Judge James Cain of the Western District of Louisiana issued an injunction on Friday that prevents the Biden administration from using what's known as the "social cost of carbon" in decisions around oil and gas drilling on public land or in rules that govern fossil fuel emissions.The metric uses economic models to put a value on each ton of carbon dioxide emissions, to help quantify the economic harm caused by the climate crisis: sea level rise, more destructive hurricanes, extreme wildfire seasons and flooding, for example.A giant donut-shaped machine just proved a near-limitless clean power source is possibleAgencies then weigh that economic harm in decisions that involve things like emissions regulations or fossil fuel drilling approvals.It was first implemented during the Obama administration and substantially weakened by the Trump administration. Biden revived the social cost of carbon on his first day in office, setting it at $51 per ton of CO2 emissions -- the same level as set by the Obama administration. Read MoreThe Biden administration had not yet used the metric in many decisions, but was expected to release an updated figure later this month.Ten Republican-led states brought the lawsuit against the Biden administration. In his ruling, Cain sided with the states, saying the administration's carbon cost estimate "will significantly drive up costs" while decreasing state revenue.Cain added that his home state of Louisiana "will be directly harmed by the reduction of funds necessary to maintain the state's coastal lands."The Department of Justice did not immediately return a request for comment.Earthjustice attorney Hana Vizcarra, whose organization is not involved in the case, said she'd be surprised if the government's attorneys didn't appeal."I can't imagine not appealing this, if I were the Justice Department," Vizcarra said. A home collapsed into the ocean as rising seas eat away at the North Carolina coastVizcarra added there's not much legal precedent to support Cain's ruling, as a similar lawsuit brought by Republican states was tossed by an Obama-appointed federal judge in Missouri last year.Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry praised the decision in a statement. "Biden's attempt to control the activities of the American people and the activities of every business from Main Street to Wall Street has been halted today," Landry said. "Biden's executive order was an attempt by the government to take over and tax the people based on winners and losers chosen by the government."This is not the first time a Trump-appointed judge has dealt a blow to the Biden administration's climate goals. In June, another federal judge in Louisiana blocked Biden's temporary pause on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands -- saying Biden had exceeded his authority.That decision paved the way for the Department of Interior to hold a November auction for oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Even though administration officials insisted at the time it ran counter to their climate goals, they maintained they had to follow the law. A federal judge in DC District Court later invalidated the sale.Biden's administration will face perhaps the most serious legal challenge to climate policies later this month in a US Supreme Court case that could limit the EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.This story has been updated with additional information.

Opinion by Don Lincoln

2022-02-11 18:35:40

news

opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/11/opinions/nuclear-fusion-energy-climate-change-lincoln/index.html

Opinion: An artificial sun briefly blazed under the English countryside. One day, it could change everything - CNN

Nuclear energy has to be part of a green future, writes Don Lincoln. When nuclear fusion technology is mastered, it will revolutionize how energy is generated across the globe and impact the world's future climate as we know it.

opinions, Opinion: An artificial sun briefly blazed under the English countryside. One day, it could change everything - CNN

An artificial sun briefly blazed under the English countryside. One day, it could change everything

Don Lincoln is a senior scientist at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. He is the author of several science books for general audiences, including the best-selling audio book "The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality." He also produces a series of science education videos. Follow him on Facebook. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely his. View more opinions on CNN. (CNN)On December 21, 2021, an artificial sun briefly flickered into existence underneath the English countryside. At the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, located just south of Oxford, scientists used a device called the Joint European Torus to create a controlled nuclear fusion reaction for about five seconds, generating 59 million joules of energy, or nearly 12 megawatts of power.Don LincolnThis achievement shattered the earlier record set in 1997, when the same facility created 21.7 million joules in four seconds. This is exciting news in the world of nuclear physics -- but also in the world of climate science. When nuclear fusion technology is developed into a commercial technology, it will revolutionize how energy is generated across the globe and have a significant impact on the world's future climate.An energy output of 59 million joules is an impressive number, but to give it some context, this is only enough to power a typical American house for about half a day. Thus, while this recent accomplishment will not immediately result in a new power plant, it is still a welcome development for a world that is both hungry for energy and increasingly concerned about the dangers associated with traditional power generation. Since industrial times, the majority of the world's energy has been generated by burning fossil fuels, which has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by about 50% above pre-industrial levels. The increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is changing the Earth's climate, causing hotter temperatures, more extreme weather events and more severe droughts. If humanity does not find ample and reliable sources of energy that don't use fossil fuels, the climate crisis will continue to worsen, with a significant impact on mankind.Many people recognize the need to turn to green energy solutions, such as solar panels and wind turbines. However, as ecologically friendly as those energy sources are, nuclear power dwarfs the other options in terms of the sheer amount of energy it can generate. Nuclear energy has to be part of a green future.Read MoreNuclear power consists of two distinct technologies. One is nuclear fission, which is how all commercial nuclear power is currently produced. Energy is released when atomic nuclei are broken apart. This approach, however, generates large amounts of radioactive waste -- some of which will last for centuries. There also have been industrial accidents, like at Fukushima and Chernobyl which have released dangerous radioactivity into the environment.A giant donut-shaped machine just proved a near-limitless clean power source is possibleIn contrast, nuclear fusion creates energy by fusing atomic nuclei together. This process generates more energy than fission and far less radioactive waste. What's more, industrial accidents leading to a significant release of radioactivity cannot happen with a power plant using fusion technology. Finally, the fuel for fusion reactors deuterium and tritium, which are forms of hydrogen, are readily found here on Earth. There's only one problem -- scientists do not yet know how to make a fusion power plant. Fusion occurs when atomic nuclei, in this case from the deuterium or tritium fuel, are heated to very high temperatures. There are several promising ways to accomplish this, from using quickly varying magnetic fields to powerful lasers to heat the fuel. The basic idea is that more energy comes out from the fusion reaction than goes into causing it to happen. If more comes out than goes in, we can use that extra energy to power civilization.However, it's very hard to harness nuclear fusion. Without protection, the very high temperatures needed would damage the reactor in which the process takes place, so scientists use magnetic fields to contain the heated fuel. These magnetic fields are essentially force fields that protect the surrounding material. Unfortunately, the heated deuterium makes its own magnetic fields, which interfere with the force fields. The JET facility generated fusion in this way. The extreme heat and pressure generated by the reaction means this is likely to be the JET's last hurrah. It is unlikely it will be used again.But there is a promising replacement on the horizon: the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or ITER. It's currently scheduled to begin testing in 2025, although that date should be viewed with some caution, as the schedule has slipped in the past. Conservative estimates suggest that a 2031 startup date is more likely. ITER is designed to generate 500 million watts of power, with only 50 million watts used to heat up the fuel to get the fusion process started. Generating 10 times more power than one puts in is an impressive goal.It's also a misleading one. The 50 million watts is only the power supplied directly to the deuterium and tritium fuel. It doesn't include the energy needed to power the magnets and the rest of the reactor. When those are taken into account, the ITER reactor will generate less energy than is needed to operate it. However, if it works, it will be a significant improvement over current facilities -- a big step in the right direction -- and there is no disputing that once fusion technology is mastered that it will be the energy technology of the future. Near limitless power, little waste and plentiful fuel are all very attractive attributes.Get our free weekly newsletterSign up for CNN Opinion's newsletter.Join us on Twitter and FacebookOf course, the question on everyone's minds is, how long it will take for a working fusion reactor to be built that will produce more energy than it takes to operate? That is a very tricky question to answer. Since the first thoughts about harnessing fusion were bandied about in the scientific community in the mid-20th century, it was thought to be possible in about 20 to 30 years. But the estimate today is that it is still 20 to 30 years away. Given the reality of climate change and the fact that the energy needs of the future will certainly be greater than that of the present, this is a problem we have to solve. Additional investment in fusion technology research would certainly speed up the process.Since the mid-1990s, American funding for fusion research has been roughly half a billion dollars a year, inflation adjusted to 2020 dollars. This sounds like a lot of money, but it should be contrasted with direct governmental subsidies for fossil fuels of $20.5 billion per year, with some estimates for annual indirect subsidies reaching as much as $649 billion. Given the effects of climate change, revisiting the nation's budget for fusion research would be a good investment for the future. We owe it to our children.

Katie Hunt, CNN

2022-02-11 16:28:52

news

americas

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/11/americas/birds-brains-climate-change-scn/index.html

Birds with bigger brains may cope with climate crisis better, study suggests - CNN

Birds that have bigger brains, relative to their body size, are not shrinking as much as their smaller-brained counterparts in response to climate change, according to data from tens of thousands of birds that collided with buildings in Chicago.

americas, Birds with bigger brains may cope with climate crisis better, study suggests - CNN

How birds are adapting to climate crisis

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. (CNN)Thousands of birds die each spring and fall when they collide with Chicago's skyscrapers, which lie on a major migration path between Canada and Latin America. But the birds don't die in vain. Since the 1970s, many of them have been collected from the street and cataloged by the city's Field Museum. This unique and detailed set of data has been a scientific windfall, revealing that North American migratory birds appear to be shrinking in response to climate change. A new study of this data has highlighted an important nuance in this trend: Birds that have bigger brains, relative to their body size, are not shrinking as much as their smaller-brained counterparts.Climate change could be making birds shrink in size, study findsThe study is the first to identify a potential link between cognition and animal response to human-made climate change, according to the researchers from Washington University in St. Louis."As temperatures warm, body sizes are decreasing," said Justin Baldwin, a doctoral student at Washington University and author of the study that published this week in the journal Ecology Letters, in a news release. "But larger-brained species are declining less strongly than small-brained species."Since the 1970s, migratory birds that died after colliding with Chicago buildings have been collected and cataloged by the Field Museum. The data set is showing how birds are affected by climate change. Read MoreRelative brain size is often considered an indicator of behavioral flexibility in birds, according to the research. The idea is controversial when it's applied to some other animals, Baldwin said, but it works for birds."Relative brain size correlates with increased learning ability, increased memory, longer lifespans and more stable population dynamics," Baldwin said."In this case, a bigger-brained species of bird might be able to reduce its exposure to warming temperatures by seeking out microhabitats with cooler temperatures, for example," he said.The climate crisis is messing with birds' body shapesThe researchers analyzed information from 70,000 birds that died when they collided with buildings in Chicago between 1978 and 2016. They added brain volume measurements and life-span data for 49 of the 52 species in the database.Birds that had big brains, relative to their bodies such as the song sparrow and other New World sparrows, had body-size reductions that were only about one-third of those observed for birds with smaller brains, the study found. Wood warblers (Parulidae) tended to have smaller brains and tended to shrink more. "The authors from that amazing study shared their raw data ... which allowed us to add to it and discover more," Baldwin said via email.A Blackburnian warbler, pictured here, was another of the species of smaller-brained birds that were more strongly affected by climate change. Shape-shifters It's not known exactly why birds are shrinking in size. Larger body size helps animals in cold places stay warm, while a smaller body retains less heat. Bird wingspans may have increased to compensate for smaller bodies that produce less energy for the incredibly long distances traveled during migration, researchers have also found.Similarly, other research has found that some animals are developing larger beaks, legs and ears that allow them to better regulate body temperature as the planet gets hotter. While most of the morphological changes have been in birds, bats and shrews have also been affected. Climate change has even altered human bodies.Animals are 'shape shifting' in response to climate changeHowever, downsizing comes at a potential cost for a bird, with an increased risk of falling prey to predators or making it harder to compete for resources with other bird species, said study coauthor Carlos Botero, assistant professor of biology at Washington University, in the statement. It's in this context that having a larger brain may offer alternatives that are not available to small-brained species, he said. "One of the first things that jumps out to me from these findings is that we can already see that climate change is having a disproportionate effect on species that have less capacity to deal with environmental change through their behavior," Botero said."This doesn't mean that climate change is not affecting brainy birds ... or that brainy birds are going to do just fine. What our findings suggest is that climate change can have a much stronger effect on the less-brainy birds."

Joseph Ataman, CNN Business

2022-02-11 10:58:28

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/11/business/nuclear-power-france/index.html

France announces plans to build up to 14 nuclear reactors - CNN

France has announced plans to build up to 14 new nuclear reactors in a move that could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a buffer against volatile energy prices.

business, France announces plans to build up to 14 nuclear reactors - CNN

France announces plans to build up to 14 nuclear reactors

Paris (CNN Business)France has announced plans to build up to 14 new nuclear reactors in a move that could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a buffer against volatile energy prices.President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France would construct six nuclear reactors, and study the possibility of commissioning a further eight."Given the electricity needs, the need to also anticipate the transition and the end of the existing fleet, which cannot be extended indefinitely, we are going to launch today a program of new nuclear reactors," Macron said.Construction will commence in 2028, and the first new reactor could be commissioned by 2035. The push deeper into nuclear marks a policy reversal for Macron, who promised four years ago to close 12 nuclear reactors as part of a move away from the power source. France was forced to turn to coal power this winter to meet its energy needs after more than a fifth of the country's nuclear reactors went offline.Read MoreFrance wasn't the only country in Europe to struggle this winter as wholesale gas prices spiked to record levels, pushing up heating bills for households across the continent. Struggling consumers in France received payments and grants from the government to help defray costs.Barbara Pompili, France's minister for energy transition, said the nuclear policy shift was needed due to an "acceleration" of the "unprecedented" energy situation."To have more electricity, we need to produce more," Pompili told CNN affiliate BFMTV."Even if we develop a lot our renewable energies, we have a nuclear sector that constitutes 70% of our electricity supply, we have to use this sector as much as possible," Pompili added.French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at the GE Steam Power System main production site for its nuclear turbine systems on February 10, 2022.Climate concernsNuclear power is a low-carbon source of energy. But nuclear plants are notoriously expensive to build, and construction tends to run over budget and time. How to safely store the radioactive waste it produces is another headache. Despite those limitations, some analysts argue the technology has a big role to play in addressing climate change.The International Energy Agency says that nuclear power generation should more than double between 2020 and 2050 in the pursuit of net zero. Its share in the electricity mix will drop, but that's because demand for power will soar as the world electrifies as many machines as possible, including cars and other vehicles.The European Commission was criticized earlier this month when it unveiled a proposal to designate natural gas and nuclear power "sustainable" sources of energy.Including the energy sources on the EU green list could unlock a wave of private investment into new nuclear and gas projects. But the plans have angered climate activists and could still be blocked by European lawmakers, who are also deeply divided over the issue along national and political lines.The European Union is aiming to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030 and become a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050. Net zero is where emissions are dramatically reduced, and any that remain are offset, whether using natural methods like tree planting or technology to "capture" emissions. — Julia Horowitz, Ivana Kottasová and Angela Dewan contributed reporting.

Jackie Wattles, CNN Business

2022-02-11 05:11:16

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/11/tech/elon-musk-spacex-starship-update-scn/index.html

Elon Musk gives hotly anticipated Starship update, but it's light on new details - CNN

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk spoke for over an hour Thursday night in a hotly anticipated discussion about Starship, which the company hopes will one day take humans to Mars and that will play a key role in NASA's plans to return humans to the moon for the first time in a half century. Still, not many new details were shared.

tech, Elon Musk gives hotly anticipated Starship update, but it's light on new details - CNN

Elon Musk gives hotly anticipated Starship update, but it's light on new details

New York (CNN Business)SpaceX CEO Elon Musk spoke for over an hour Thursday night in a hotly anticipated discussion about Starship, which the company hopes will one day take humans to Mars and that will play a key role in NASA's plans to return humans to the moon for the first time in a half century. Still, not many new details were shared.Musk once again said that he wants to pursue a city on Mars, but did not provide any updates in regard to who would live there or how it would be governed. And he reiterated how some design changes, like an updated rocket engine design, will help reduce costs.Many more unanswered questions remain. NASA has awarded SpaceX a contract to take astronauts to the moon, but Musk did not delineate what testing SpaceX will have to do before it can carry out its promised crewed missions, nor what the roadmap will look like to getting Starship ready for a moon or Mars mission.But Musk used the media event to engage with his core fanbase and employees, touting the company's progress during a speech that was back-grounded by the full Starship vehicle — spacecraft and rocket — on a launch pad just behind Musk at the company's South Texas facilities. SpaceX has been working at a rapid clip to get Starship ready for launch, but so far the company has only sent early prototypes on a few so-called "hop tests," and it's still waiting for regulatory approval to put the vehicle atop its gargantuan rocket booster and attempt to send it to orbit. Musk said that the company had managed to lower the cost and weight of its individual Raptor rocket engines, in large part by consolidating parts and changing flanges to welds in the design. Musk also said that the second generation of the Raptor engine would produce more thrust than the first generation.Read MoreThe update comes more than two years after Musk announced Starship's first space tourism customer, Japanese fashion mogul Yusaku Maezawa. Maezawa paid SpaceX an undisclosed amount of money to secure a seat for himself and a group of artists on a Starship trip around the moon, hoping it could take off as soon as 2023. Maezawa is still in the process of deciding who he'll take with him. Musk did hint that there will be more Starship sales announced in the future, but declined to share Thursday, noting he didn't want to steal the spotlight from customers who may be planning their own announcements. All about StarshipStarship is at the core of SpaceX's plans to develop the technology necessary to establish a human settlement on Mars. SpaceX has achieved regular crewed flights to the International Space Station, sent the first all-tourist crew to orbit, and made its mark as the exciting-newcomer-turned-reliable-mainstay of the US aerospace industry.But as NASA demonstrated in the mid-20th century, going from brief jaunts to space to getting a spacecraft all the way to the moon isn't easy. And to this day, no human has ever traveled as far as Mars. For all of Musk and SpaceX's achievements, there is still a long way to go. And for all that Musk has achieved, he has also accrued a reputation for missed deadlines on ambitious projects. Space industry year ahead: SpaceX's Mars rocket, tourism, and more billionaire battlesSince 2019, however, SpaceX has mostly been in show-don't-tell mode, executing about a dozen test flights of various early prototypes that went from hopping a few feet off the ground to soaring more than 30,000 feet. A few high-altitude tests ended in explosions as the test rockets smashed back into the ground. But its latest test launch, in May 2021, managed to land upright without bursting into flames. Lately, SpaceX has largely been waiting for federal regulators to clear the full-scale Starship for the first orbital launch attempt. It'll be no small feat — getting to orbit requires speeds that exceed 22 times the speed of sound, and to get the Starship spacecraft moving that fast, it'll ride atop a towering rocket booster, called Super Heavy, affixed with roughly 30 high-powered engines. And even then, going to Mars entails more challenges than just building a rocket to get there. On Thursday, SpaceX showed off the vehicle fully stacked, with the Starship spacecraft sitting atop its Super Heavy booster on the company's newly constructed orbital launch pad that lies next to a remote stretch of beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Large "grabber arms" held the rocket in place, as Musk's dream of rapidly reusable rockets would entail a need for the rocket to return to its launchpad after hurling its payload into orbit.If successful, Starship will become the most powerful rocket humanity has ever launched, boasting up to twice the power of the Saturn V rocket NASA used to take astronauts to the moon in the 1960s. FAA approvalBefore Starship can even get to space, however, SpaceX needs to get a thumbs up from the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial space launches in the United States. Musk had indicated the company was prepared to launch Starship's orbital test flight as soon as July of last year. But the back half of 2021 was full of hangups. The FAA was carrying out an environmental assessment to review what the impact would be of launching such a massive rocket from a stretch of rural Texas coastline. A public comment period in October aired the voices of many local residents strongly opposed to the idea, as well as some fervent supporters who weren't necessarily from the area.Judge rules against Blue Origin in standoff with SpaceX, NASAThough SpaceX initially expected to get the all-clear by the end of 2021, according to the FAA, the environmental assessment will continue until at least February 28, 2022.The agency cited "the high volume of comments submitted" and "discussions and consultation efforts with consulting parties" as reasons for the delay.Musk did not provide a firm update on the anticipated approval, but said that if the FAA required a more thorough review, the company would likely shift some operations to Cape Kennedy in Florida.CNN's Rachel Crane contributed

Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large

2022-02-10 17:31:26

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/10/politics/biden-trump-windmill-cancer/index.html

Biden just brought up Trump's obsession with windmills - CNNPolitics

At a meeting with energy executives on Wednesday, President Joe Biden made what might seem like a bit of an odd comment.

politics, Biden just brought up Trump's obsession with windmills - CNNPolitics

Understanding Donald Trump's favorite obsession: Windmills

(CNN)At a meeting with energy executives on Wednesday, President Joe Biden made what might seem like a bit of an odd comment. "Are you getting less resistance when you start talking about wind and the windmills?" Biden asked. "I know they cause cancer. [Laughter.] Bad joke. I shouldn't kid about that. I shouldn't have kidded."What, exactly, was Biden talking about? Well, he seemed to be referencing former President Donald Trump's obsession with windmills -- and his predecessor's false claims that they are shown to cause cancer. The history of Trump's animosity toward windmills is long -- and deeply personal.Back in the mid-2000s, Trump bought land in Aberdeen, Scotland, on which he planned to build a luxury golf course and resort. Shortly thereafter, he became aware of -- and opposed -- a plan to build 11 wind turbines off the Scottish coast.Read More"I am not thrilled," Trump said in 2006, according to the BBC. "I want to see the ocean, I do not want to see windmills." And he didn't stop there. Not by a long shot."This is a very, very serious problem that we are addressing. In my opinion, it is one of the most serious problems that Scotland will have or has had," Trump told the Scottish Parliament in 2012 as he sought to keep the wind farm from being built. Trump added: "I am an expert on tourism. If you dot your landscape with these horrible, horrible structures, you will do tremendous damage. ... Many countries have decided they don't want wind, because it doesn't work without massive subsidies, it kills massive amounts of birds and wildlife, and there are lots of other reasons."In 2013, Trump tweeted about high winds damaging a turbine in Scotland and added this important message: "Any turbine in close proximity to a school must go!" That same year, Trump had this message for the Scots: "Economics behind ugly, bird killing wind turbines do not work -- will destroy Scotland's beautiful coastline."Despite Trump's dire warnings, the wind turbines were built anyway. The UK Supreme Court ruled against his lawsuit to block the construction in 2015. The 11-turbine facility was completed in 2018. Trump was ordered to pay the Scottish government's legal bills for the wind turbine fight in 2019.Getting elected president did nothing to change Trump's vendetta against windmills. If anything, he became even more outspoken."If you have a windmill anywhere near your house, congratulations, your house just went down 75% in value," Trump told House Republicans when he spoke at a fundraiser in April 2019. "And they say the noise causes cancer." (Fact Check: Not true!)And on the 2020 campaign trail, Trump worked windmills into his regular riff."If Hillary (Clinton) got in ... you'd be doing wind. Windmills," he said at a campaign rally in Michigan in the spring of 2019. "And if it doesn't blow, you can forget about television for that night. 'Darling, I want to watch television. I'm sorry! The wind isn't blowing.' ... I know a lot about wind."And then there was this from an August 2019 rally in Pittsburgh:"Unlike those big windmills that destroy everybody's property values, kill all the birds," Trump said. "One day, the environmentalists are going to tell us what's going on with that. And then all of a sudden, it stops. The wind and the televisions go off. And your wives and husbands say: 'Darling, I want to watch Donald Trump on television tonight. But the wind stopped blowing and I can't watch. There's no electricity in the house, darling.'"And this from December 2019 speech in Florida:"I never understood wind. You know, I know windmills very much," Trump said. "They're noisy. They kill the birds. You want to see a bird graveyard? Go under a windmill someday. You'll see more birds than you've ever seen in your life."Donald Trump has been consistent about very few things in his life -- and political career. But he's always hated windmills.

Jackie Wattles, CNN Business

2022-02-10 17:11:26

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/10/tech/elon-musk-spacex-starship-update-walkup-scn/index.html

Elon Musk to give first Mars rocket update in two years - CNN

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is expected on Thursday to give the most thorough update in two years about SpaceX's plans for Starship, the gargantuan rocket at the heart of Musk's interplanetary travel ambitions.

tech, Elon Musk to give first Mars rocket update in two years - CNN

Elon Musk to give first Mars rocket update in two years

New York (CNN Business)SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is expected on Thursday to give the most thorough update in two years about SpaceX's plans for Starship, the gargantuan rocket at the heart of Musk's interplanetary travel ambitions.Starship is a 400-foot tall, steel rocket and spacecraft combo that looks like a massive, elongated silver bullet. So far, the public has seen quite a bit of the upper portion of the vehicle as early prototypes have conducted a few so-called "hop tests," and SpaceX now appears ready to test the whole thing. It's all part of the early steps the company is taking to develop a spacecraft capable of taking humans to the Moon and — eventually — Mars.SpaceX has achieved regular crewed flights to the ISS, sent the first all-tourist crew to orbit, and made its mark as the exciting-newcomer-turned-reliable-mainstay of the US aerospace industry.But as NASA demonstrated in the mid-20th century, going from brief jaunts to space to getting a spacecraft all the way to the Moon isn't easy. And to this day, no human has ever traveled as far as Mars. For all of Musk and SpaceX's achievements, there is still a long way to go. And for all that Musk has achieved, he has also accrued a reputation for missed deadlines on ambitious projects. We don't know exactly what he plans to reveal, but following the blueprint he's laid out in four previous talks on this topic, we can expect updates on Starship's design, as SpaceX is known to tweak and fiddle as its vehicles move through the development process. And, in typical Musk fashion, we can expect a few surprises.Read MoreIn previous years, Musk has made surprise announcements such as unveiling plans to use his rocket to shuttle people between Earthly cities at breakneck speeds, as he did in 2017. In 2018, he dropped the stunning news that a wealthy Japanese businessman had purchased a ride aboard the as-yet-still-undeveloped rocket to take a joy ride around the moon. And in 2019, he unveiled a strange bellyflop maneuver that the upper spacecraft portion of Starship would undertake in order to make gentle upright landings after flight. Space industry year ahead: SpaceX's Mars rocket, tourism, and more billionaire battlesSince 2019, however, SpaceX has mostly been in show-don't-tell mode, executing about a dozen test flights of various early prototypes that went from hopping a few feet off the ground to soaring more than 30,000 feet. A few high-altitude tests ended in explosions as the test rockets smashed back into the ground. But its latest test launch, in May 2021, managed to land upright without bursting into flames. Lately, SpaceX has largely been waiting for federal regulators to clear the full-scale Starship for the first orbital launch attempt. It'll be no small feat — getting to orbit requires speeds that exceed 22 times the speed of sound, and to get the Starship spacecraft moving that fast, it'll ride atop a towering rocket booster, called Super Heavy, affixed with roughly 30 high-powered engines. If successful, Starship will become the most powerful rocket humanity has ever launched, boasting up to twice the power of the Saturn V rocket NASA used to take astronauts to the moon in the 1960s, though both vehicles would stand at similar heights.With that milestone on the horizon, Musk may opt to address more about Starship's long-term future. Here's what we know and what to expect.NASA's moon landingLast year, NASA made the surprise decision to put SpaceX's Starship front and center for its moon landing program, called Artemis. SpaceX was awarded a $2.6 billion contract to adapt its Starship vehicle to serve as the lunar lander that will get astronauts to the moon's surface for the first time in half a century. NASA, Boeing and Lockheed were already working on the rocket and spacecraft that will launch NASA's astronauts off Earth and make the trek to lunar orbit, but once there, the astronauts will transfer to Starship, which will have launched separately atop its Super Heavy booster. Starship will then carry the astronauts to a gentle landing on the lunar surface.It's a wild plan. And Musk could give some insight into what testing SpaceX will do for the mission, how the logistics will play out, and how much of SpaceX's own money the company might invest in the project. Future Starship customersJapanese fashion mogul Yusaku Maezawa gave SpaceX an undisclosed amount of money to secure a seat for himself and a group of artists on a Starship trip around the moon, hoping it could take off as soon as 2023. We still don't know who he plans to take with him, and it's possible some updates are imminent.But Maezawa's purchase raises the question of whether SpaceX has been planning other tourism flights for Starship. Jared Isaacman, the billionaire payments platform founder who chartered SpaceX's first-ever space tourism in September could be a candidate.While he has not commented on a future Starship voyage, he expressed a desire to return to space."I would love to go back," Isaacman told CNN Business after that mission, called Inspiration 4, which made use of the company's Crew Dragon capsule that's typically used for ferrying professional astronauts to and from the International Space Station."The bar was set very high with Inspiration 4," he added, but "if something like that were to come along, then sure." FAA approvalBefore Starship can even get to space, however, SpaceX needs to get a thumbs up from the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial space launches in the United States. Musk had indicated the company was prepared to launch Starship's orbital test flight as soon as July of last year. But the back half of 2021 was full of hangups. The Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial rocket launches, was carrying out an environmental assessment to review what the impact would be of launching such a massive rocket from a stretch of rural Texas coastline. A public comment period in October aired the voices of many local residents strongly opposed to the idea, as well as some fervent supporters who weren't necessarily from the area.Judge rules against Blue Origin in standoff with SpaceX, NASAThough SpaceX initially expected to get the all-clear by the end of 2021, according to the FAA, the environmental assessment will continue until at least February 28, 2022.The agency cited "the high volume of comments submitted" and "discussions and consultation efforts with consulting parties" as reasons for the delay.It's no small matter. SpaceX is proposing dozens of launches from the area each year, and the sheer size of the rocket and the scope of its planned facilities will permanently alter the barren stretch of coastline where it currently sits. It's not clear exactly what the environmental impact will be. And many locals fear losing access to the nearby public beach forever.At the last Starship update in South Texas in 2019, Musk invited locals out to the event in an attempt to sell them on his plans. Not many people still live in the strip of residential homes right next to SpaceX's facilities, but Musk may need the support of the broader Brownsville-Boca Chica beach area. Other Starship detailsSpaceX will lose up to 40 satellites it just launched due to a solar stormThere are a quite a few other specifics we'll be looking for from Musk. He hasn't talked about the proposed plans to use Starship for point-to-point travel on Earth in quite a while. He's floated the idea of also launching Starship from Florida, where SpaceX already launches its smaller Falcon 9 rockets. And considering he plans to use Starship to launch massive batches of Starlink satellites — part of the company's burgeoning space-based internet business — he might address how those plans might have evolved.From a design standpoint, Musk has also touted on Twitter that, when Starship comes back for a landing, it'll be caught mid-air by a large pair of robotic arms, functioning like chopsticks. That's different than how SpaceX lands its Falcon 9 boosters, which deploy landing legs to cushion its landing directly back on a landing pad or seafaring platform.Whatever other surprises Musk might have in store is anyone's guess.CNN's Rachel Crane contributed

Danya Gainor and Angela Dewan, CNN

2022-02-09 12:11:03

news

uk

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/09/uk/nuclear-fusion-climate-energy-scn-intl/index.html

Climate change: A giant donut-shaped machine just proved a near-limitless clean power source is possible - CNN

Scientists working in the UK announced that they more than doubled the previous record for generating and sustaining nuclear fusion, the same process that allows the sun and stars to shine so brightly.

uk, Climate change: A giant donut-shaped machine just proved a near-limitless clean power source is possible - CNN

A giant donut-shaped machine just proved a near-limitless clean power source is possible

(CNN)There's no silver bullet to the climate crisis, but nuclear fusion may be the closest thing to it. In the quest for a near-limitless, zero-carbon source of reliable power, scientists have generated fusion energy before, but they have struggled for decades to sustain it for very long. On Wednesday, however, scientists working in the United Kingdom announced that they more than doubled the previous record for generating and sustaining nuclear fusion, which is the same process that allows the sun and stars to shine so brightly.Nuclear fusion is, as its name suggests, the fusing of two or more atoms into one larger one, a process that unleashes a tremendous amount of energy as heat.The core of the JET tokamak machine in Culham, England. Nuclear power used today is created by a different process, called fission, which relies on splitting, rather than fusing, atoms. But that process creates waste that can remain radioactive for tens of thousands of years. It's also potentially hazardous in the event of an accident, such as Japan's 2011 Fukushima disaster, triggered by an earthquake and tsunami. Fusion, on the other hand, is much safer, can produce little waste and requires only small amounts of abundant, naturally-sourced fuel, including elements extracted from seawater. This makes it an attractive option as the world transitions away from the fossil fuels driving climate change.Read MoreIn a giant donut-shaped machine known as a tokamak, scientists working in the English village of Culham, near Oxford, were able to generate a record-breaking 59 megajoules of sustained fusion energy over five seconds on December 21 last year. Five seconds is the limit the machine can sustain the power before its magnets overheat. The JET tokamak near Oxford, England, produced a record amount of sustained energy from nuclear fusion. Credit: EUROFusion. A magnetic field is required to contain the high temperatures needed to carry out the fusion process, which can be as high as 150 million degrees Celsius, 10 times hotter than the center of the sun."Our experiment showed for the first time that it's possible to have a sustained fusion process using exactly the same fuel mix planned for future fusion power plants," Tony Donné, CEO of EUROfusion, said at a press conference.EUROfusion, a consortium that includes 4,800 experts, students and staff from across Europe, carried out the project in partnership with the UK Atomic Energy Authority. The European Commission also contributed funding.The potential for fusion energy is enormous. The experiment used the elements deuterium and tritium -- which are isotopes of hydrogen -- to fuel the fusion. Those elements are likely to be used in commercial-scale fusion, and can be found in seawater."The energy you can get out of the fuel deuterium and tritium is massive. For example, powering the whole of current UK electrical demand for a day would require 0.5 tonnes of deuterium, which could be extracted from seawater -- where its concentration is low but plentiful," Tony Roulstone from the University of Cambridge's Department of Engineering told CNN.He said the fusion generated by the tokamak -- called the Joint European Torus (JET) -- was around the same as a wind turbine, and could power one house's energy for a day.A view of Torus Hall, where the JET tokamak machine lies."But if generated repeatedly, it could power thousands of houses."Experts say the results prove that nuclear fusion is possible, and no longer a pipedream solution for the climate crisis. "These landmark results have taken us a huge step closer to conquering one of the biggest scientific and engineering challenges of them all," said Ian Chapman, CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority. Mark Wenman, a nuclear materials researcher at Imperial College London, said in a statement that the experiment's results are "exciting," and that they show "fusion energy really is no longer just a dream of the far future -- the engineering to make it a useful, clean power source is achievable and happening now."JET has been subject to such extreme heat and pressure that this experiment is likely the last it will cope with.But its results are seen as a huge boon for ITER, a fusion megaproject in the south of France supported by the US, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea and Russia. The ITER project is 80% built and aims to begin nuclear fusion sometime in 2025-26.While JET's goal was to prove that nuclear fusion could be generated and sustained, ITER's aim is to produce a tenfold return on energy, or 500 MW of fusion power from 50 MW of energy put in. Nuclear energy scares people. The climate crisis is giving it another chanceThe results are promising, but mastering nuclear fusion as an everyday energy source is still likely a long way off."The JET results are impressive and probably will get better as they proceed through their experiments. They are producing high power 12 MW, but right now just for five seconds. Much longer fusion burn is what is required," Roulstone said. The most recent report from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the latest science shows that the world must nearly halve its greenhouse gas emissions this decade and reach zero net emissions by 2050 to keep global warming in check. That means making a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, like coal, oil and gas. Those actions are required to have any hope of containing warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, seen as a threshold to substantially worsening climate impacts, according to the IPCC.This story has been updated with additional information.

Tim Lister, CNN

2022-02-08 05:01:05

news

europe

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/08/europe/ukraine-russia-weather-climate-intl/index.html

Russia's next move? Experts may want to check Ukraine's weather forecast - CNN

Even in the 21st century, warfare is affected by weather -- and that may become a factor in any Russian offensive into Ukraine. The question on the lips of Ukrainians, and maybe Russian generals: "Has Rasputitsa come early?"

europe, Russia's next move? Experts may want to check Ukraine's weather forecast - CNN

Experts are speculating over Russia's next move. They may want to check Ukraine's weather forecast

Mariupol, Ukraine (CNN)Even in the 21st century, warfare is affected by weather -- and that may become a factor in any Russian offensive into Ukraine. The question on the lips of Ukrainians, and maybe Russian generals: "Has Rasputitsa come early?"Rasputitsa is the term for the mud of spring, when travel in Russia and Ukraine by road becomes more difficult. Usually its impact is most felt in March, as the snows begin to melt. So far, this winter has been unseasonably mild in much of Ukraine. As CNN drove from the eastern port city of Mariupol to Zaporizhzia in central Ukraine on February 1, it began to rain. The driver shrugged in disbelief. "Should be snow," he laughed.In Zaporizhzia, crusted banks of snow were melting into a trickle of brown water. Even at midnight, as a shroud of mist lay over the River Dnieper, the temperature hovered at freezing. Sleet turned to drizzle and back again. A road connecting eastern Ukraine to the center is surrounded by snow that is thinning in warmer-than-usual weather. Military analysts are debating whether a continuation of the mild winter might affect any plans for an offensive. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied it has any intent to attack Ukraine, but more than 100,000 Russian troops are gathered close to the borders of Ukraine, along with heavy weapons, tanks and ballistic missiles. Read MoreSocial media videos from several areas where Russian forces are deployed -- some posted by soldiers themselves -- show soft and flooded ground, and plenty of mud. Data from Copernicus, the EU's Earth Observation program, shows that much of eastern Europe experienced well-above-average temperatures in January. Ukraine saw temperatures between 1 to 3 degrees Celsius higher than the average of the past 30 years, one of many changes that the climate crisis has brought this region.Copernicus also notes that in January, "eastern Europe was predominantly wetter than average" and the soil in Ukraine was wetter than normal. The combination means less frost and more mud. That's no surprise to Svitlana Krakovska, head of the Applied Climatology Laboratory at the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute in Kyiv. "What we're seeing on a long-term trajectory is a lower number of days with snow cover as well as frost nights. We definitely see much stronger warming happening here than the global average," she told CNN. The US assessment is that a Russian incursion would be easier if the temperature falls. "[Russian President Vladimir Putin] is going to have to wait a little bit until the ground is frozen so he can cross," US President Joe Biden said at a news conference last month.At a Pentagon briefing at the end of January, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, said that when Ukraine's "high water table" freezes, "it makes it for optimal conditions for cross-country tract and wheeled vehicle maneuver."US officials have said Putin would understand that he needs to move by the end of March.But Dara Massicot, a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, says that "while frozen ground would be a 'nice to have' for Russian forces, it's not a determining factor. It's important to keep in mind that precision-guided missiles and airstrikes are not influenced by this factor."Russian forces have substantially improved over the last decade, says Massicot. The air force has acquired better targeting and communications -- and many of its pilots have gained combat experience in Syria. "The Russian military trains year-round so they have experience with different weather conditions."Russian tanks -- hundreds of which now sit within reach of Ukraine's border -- are not much impeded by soft ground, though they'd likely make quicker progress over frozen ground. Even so, armor moves only as fast as its logistical tail, vehicles that could be slowed by bad weather "if they had to go off-road for some reason," says Massicot. She notes that Russia has forward-deployed logistical equipment to help overcome such problems, including recovery vehicles and bridging materials. There is some snow on the ground in Mariupol, but not nearly as much as there would have been decades ago. Pontoon bridges have also been observed on rail convoys traveling into Belarus since late January. Ground conditions would matter more in some places than others. Eastern Ukraine is rolling farmland, ideal tank country. But the northern border with Belarus includes thousands of square miles of bog and marsh that would impede an attacking force (as it did the Nazis in 1941 during Operation Barbarossa.) According to the Institute for the Study of War, "The marshes can be difficult, in some places likely impossible, for mechanized forces to traverse when wet."Much depends on the sort and scale of military operation that Russia might have in mind. In the early stages of a conflict, air and missile attacks would be more important than a surge of mechanized units. "The skies would not be a factor for Russian precision guided cruise or ballistic missiles, or even some of their more accurate long-range artillery systems," says Massicot, who was formerly a senior analyst at the Pentagon on the Russian military. "Cloud cover is especially not a factor for fixed locations like military facilities or command and control where coordinates are known."Russia has moved a substantial number of Iskander ballistic missiles, which have a range of about 300 miles (450 kms) close to Ukraine in the last month. In the east, Ukrainian frontline positions have not moved for years; missiles and long-range artillery could target them regardless of weather -- perhaps providing a breakthrough point for Russian armor. Attack aircraft, which would be tasked with attacking Ukrainian units on the move, would need relatively clear skies. So would planes for dropping air assault troops into the conflict zone; according to defense analysts Janes, "multiple airborne forces (VDV) units have also been identified deploying into Belarus."A low cloud-base hinders air operations as well as satellite reconnaissance, and might blunt Russia's considerable air superiority, making for what one military analyst called "a fairer fight."But it's a double-edge sword. Dense cloud (and night) cover would allow the Russians to move troops forward to start-lines without being detected from above. Should the Kremlin decide to attack, a period of bad weather followed by clear skies once operations are underway would be optimal.The skies would matter to the Ukrainians too. If they opted for a highly maneuverable defense, they would require airborne intelligence provided by the US and NATO to focus limited resources on key points to blunt the Russian advance. A soldier walks through muddy trenches in Mariupol, blanketed with just a thin layer of snow. Of course, weather conditions are not the only -- nor the major - consideration for the Kremlin. The progress (or lack thereof) of negotiations on Russia's published demands sent to the US and NATO will likely be the decisive factor. Devising some justification -- a casus belli -- for going to war would provide important messaging for a skeptical Russian public. Shaping the information war is a key part of Russian strategy.JUST WATCHEDExplained: How does Russia's army compare with Ukraine's?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHExplained: How does Russia's army compare with Ukraine's? 02:25A changing climateKrakovska, an author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report published last year, says there is a clear connection between climate change and Ukraine's changing winters. That's particularly pronounced in Eastern Ukraine, where winter temperatures are around 3 degrees Celsius warmer on average than they were in the 1960s."Thirty years ago, we would have had snow cover, especially in [eastern Ukraine], for at least three months of the cold season, and we'd have frost nights for around five months," Kralovska said. "In 2020, we didn't really have a winter at all, just a few days were under zero, and we didn't have much snow, just a little."Russian President Vladimir Putin used to be ambivalent about global warming. Back in 2003, he even said that "Maybe climate change is not so bad in such a cold country as ours? 2-3 degrees wouldn't hurt."More recently he has acknowledged the damage it is doing to Russia's environment. Now it might affect his generals' calculations. The winter weather in Ukraine can be fickle, but the outlook for the rest of February in Kyiv is milder than the average, local meteorologists say, with most daytime temperatures well above freezing and the very occasional splash of sunshine.Timko, Ukraine's very own groundhog, apparently thinks the Rasputitsa mud may be a little earlier this year. He didn't see his shadow when he emerged from hibernation last week. CNN's Angela Dewan, Brandon Miller and Gianluca Mezzofiore contributed to this report.

Rachel Ramirez, CNN

2022-02-09 22:52:56

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/09/us/home-collapse-north-carolina-climate/index.html

North Carolina beachfront home crumbles into ocean - CNN

Another beachfront home in North Carolina collapsed into the ocean, officials with the National Park Service said Wednesday, as tides are getting higher and rising sea levels are eating away at the coast.

us, North Carolina beachfront home crumbles into ocean - CNN

A home collapsed into the ocean as rising seas eat away at the North Carolina coast

(CNN)Another beachfront home in North Carolina collapsed into the ocean, officials with the National Park Service said Wednesday, as tides get higher and rising sea levels eat away at the coast.High tides in Rodanthe, where the home was located, have been slightly higher than normal over the past couple of days due to persistent onshore wind. The waves are also spreading the home wreckage along the Outer Banks shoreline, according to the National Park Service.This isn't the first Rodanthe home the Atlantic Ocean has claimed, according to local media. In 2012, a beach house damaged by Hurricane Sandy also collapsed into the ocean; another home washed away in 2020, leaving a trail of debris along the shore. The home collapsed onto the beach in Rodanthe, North Carolina.The National Park Service also said in 2020 it was planning to relocate the Long Point Cabins in Cape Lookout National Seashore, which is south of Rodanthe, because more frequently they were being overwhelmed by high tides and hurricane storm surge.A giant donut-shaped machine just proved a near-limitless clean power source is possible"The NPS cannot sustain the Long Point Cabins where they are right now," the Park Service wrote on Facebook at the time. "20 years ago, there was over 300' of beach and dunes between the cabins and high tide. Today, there is 48' of flat sand."Read MoreBecause of the home collapse and the associated debris, Park Service officials warned visitors to Cape Hatteras, which includes Rodanthe, to use caution when walking along the beach or engaging in any recreational activities along the shores between the villages of Rodanthe and Salvo. The Park Service said rangers are working with county officials to clean up the debris as well as remove the remnants of the home."The bulk of the debris is at the site of the collapsed house, located at 24183 Ocean Drive, Rodanthe," Cape Hatteras National Seashore said on a Facebook post. "However, smaller amounts of debris have been spotted as far south as off-road vehicle ramp 23, more than seven miles away."The five-bedroom beach cottage was built in 1980, according to real estate records, and was listed as a vacation rental home, with a market value of $328,900.Rising tidesWhile authorities have not determined the precise cause of the latest collapse in Rodanthe, scientists have showed the increasing risk coastal communities face due to sea level rise, worsening erosion and high-tide flooding. Coastal communities in the Northeast have seen a significant uptick in tidal flooding, including around Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has noted that by 2030, there will be 7 to 15 days of high-tide flooding nationally. By 2050, the frequency increases to 25 to 75 days. The five-bedroom cottage was listed as a vacation rental home.More broadly, a 2020 study found that as many as half of all sandy beaches around the world could disappear by the end of the century because of sea level rise. Even by 2050, scientists say, many coastlines could be unrecognizable compared to what people see today, with 14-15% facing severe erosion.Ice that took roughly 2,000 years to form on Mt. Everest has melted in around 25Sea level in this part of coastal North Carolina has risen roughly 3 inches since the early 1980s, according to NASA. Coastal erosion costs around half a billion dollars each year in the form of deteriorated structures and land that is lost to the rising ocean.Many coastal communities in the United States experience nuisance flooding, or high-tide flooding, on a regular basis. Higher sea levels, caused by warmer water temperatures and melting glaciers and ice sheets, increase the hazards coastal homeowners are exposed to. Hurricane storm surge is creeping higher, and homes and other critical infrastructure are now exposed to saltwater and erosion that they weren't a few decades ago.The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that risks associated with climate change-induced sea level rise will increase significantly along all low-lying coastal communities unless meaningful and major adaptation efforts are made. An update on that report, set to be released later this month, is expected to emphasize those projections and also show how the climate crisis is already impacting coastal communities.

Matt Egan, CNN Business

2022-02-09 19:43:01

business

investing

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/09/investing/russia-oil-prices/index.html

Oil could 'easily' hit $120 if Russia-Ukraine crisis escalates, JPMorgan warns - CNN

Oil prices could soar to $120 a barrel if Russia's crude exports are derailed by tensions with Ukraine, according to projections from JPMorgan.

investing, Oil could 'easily' hit $120 if Russia-Ukraine crisis escalates, JPMorgan warns - CNN

Oil could 'easily' hit $120 if Russia-Ukraine crisis escalates, JPMorgan warns

New York (CNN Business)Oil prices could soar to $120 a barrel if Russia's crude exports are derailed by tensions with Ukraine, according to projections from JPMorgan.The forecast underscores how a potential invasion of Ukraine would cause wide-ranging ripple effects that would be felt by inflation-weary consumers around the world."Any disruptions to oil flows from Russia in a context of low spare capacity in other regions could easily send oil prices to $120," Natasha Kaneva, JPMorgan's head of global commodities strategy, wrote in the report published late Tuesday.Such a spike from about $91 today would drive up prices at the pump, which hit a fresh seven-year high on Wednesday.JPMorgan warned that if Russian oil exports are cut in half, Brent oil prices would likely race to $150 a barrel. The all-time high for oil prices was set in July 2008, when Brent spiked to a record at $147.50 a barrel.Read MoreHow oil supplies could be threatenedRussia-Ukraine tensions have helped inflate oil prices in recent weeks. Brent crude hit a fresh seven-year high of $94 a barrel on Monday, although it has since retreated to around $91. Russia is the world's No. 2 producer of both oil and natural gas, second only to the United States for each category. The country plays a key role at OPEC+, the producer group that has only gradually added back production that was sidelined during the onset of Covid.The Russia-Ukraine crisis poses several risks to the oil market. First, such a conflict could potentially damage energy infrastructure in the region. Secondly, Western powers could seek to punish Russia by imposing sanctions that cripple the country's energy exports, although US officials have signaled a preference for penalizing other sectors of its economy first.And then there is the risk that Russian President Vladimir Putin retaliates by weaponizing exports of oil and natural gas. Higher natural gas prices in Europe would drive up oil demand as factories and power plants switch to oil instead.Prices at the pump are at seven-year highsOil prices have cooled off a bit in recent days on hopes of easing Russia-Ukraine tensions, as well as signs of progress on reaching a new Iranian nuclear deal.Gas prices, which move with a lag to oil, are still catching up to the recent oil surge. The national average for gas hit $3.47 a gallon on Wednesday, up seven cents in the past week alone, according to AAA.Despite the Russia-Ukraine standoff, the Energy Department's forecasting arm is projecting energy prices will cool off later this year as supply finally meets demand.The US Energy Information Administration projects gasoline prices will average $3.24 a gallon this year. That's below current levels, although it is above the EIA's December forecast for $2.88 a gallon in 2022.The EIA expects prices at the pump will slide below $3 a gallon in the final quarter of this year and Brent crude to tumble to an average of $68 a barrel for all of 2023.Russia is also leading producer of natural gas — and its biggest customer is Europe, which is already grappling with very high home heating costs."A disruption in exports on any of the major pipelines could place Europe's natural gas balance in a precarious situation, particularly given that 2022 started with record-low European gas inventories," JPMorgan warned.

Lianne Kolirin, Nectar Gan and Tom Booth, CNN

2022-02-09 01:55:43

news

asia

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/08/asia/ski-jump-winter-olympics-beijing-climate-hnk-intl/index.html

Is that a nuclear plant? Behind the Beijing Olympics Big Air Shougang stadium - CNN

The old steel mill next to the big air jump moved its operations more than 15 years ago -- before the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

asia, Is that a nuclear plant? Behind the Beijing Olympics Big Air Shougang stadium - CNN

Is that a nuclear plant? The story behind those towers at the Winter Olympics big air

Beijing (CNN)Winter Olympians are accustomed to performing their awe-inspiring feats against the backdrop of spectacular snow-capped mountains. But Beijing's Big Air Shougang Olympic venue is drawing attention for its much edgier, urban setting.Behind the skiers launching themselves off the 60-meter-high (196-foot) ramp are furnaces, tall chimney stacks and cooling towers on the site of a former steel mill that for decades contributed to the Chinese capital's notoriously polluted skies. The mill, founded in 1919, ceased operations more than 15 years ago, as part of efforts to clear the air in the capital ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics.That left a large stretch of prime city center land, ripe for rehabilitation and regeneration, says engineering and design company ARUP, which transformed the site into a bustling hub for tourism and art exhibitions, in 2013 it even played host to an electronic music festival.A view of the big air slope for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics at Shougang Industrial Park. Nicholas Goepper of Team United States during the Men's Freestyle Skiing Freeski Big Air Qualification.Read MoreThe rusty, aging remnants of the mill were never demolished -- not even for the big air jump at the 2022 Winter Olympics.Instead, the old mill has been incorporated into Big Air Shougang's design. One of the cooling towers even bears the logo for the Games. Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics: Top 15 athletes to watchThe jump has captured the attention of social media users, in part for the mountains of fake snow generated to host the event, but also due to intrigue over what these towers are and why they're still standing, right behind the jump.Some Twitter users wondered if it might be a nuclear plant."The Big Air stadium at the Olympics seems to be right next to the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant," a user by the name of @jlove1982 wrote.Another, @LindsayMpls, wrote: "Feels pretty dystopian to have some kind of nuclear facility as the backdrop for this Big Air skiing event."The Shougang Big Air is the world's first permanent big air venue for long-term usage. It sits on the bank of the Qunming Lake, on the west side of the cooling towers at 88 meters (288 feet) above sea level, according to architecture firm TeamMinus, which designed the jump.TeamMinus outlined the inspiration behind its design on its website, citing the influence of Chinese flying apsaras, celestial beings which appear in both Buddhist and Hindu cultures. Britain's Katie Summerhayes competing on Monday. New Zealand's Finn Bilous competes during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Big Air Shougang.The Beijing government calls the site a "Green and Eco Demonstration Area," according to ARUP, that could be scaled up in other parts of the country. While the regeneration project is a good example of how to repurpose aging infrastructure, the mill's closure was not necessarily a "green" decision, as operations -- and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with steelmaking -- were in actual fact moved to another part of the country.Panda-monium: From medal podiums to spectator stands, Winter Olympics mascot Bing Dwen Dwen is everywhereIn 2005, the entire production plant, which is owned and operated by state-owned steel company the Shougang Group, relocated to Caofeidian, in the adjoining Hebei Province, according to ARUP. The decision to move the plant was part of the Beijing government's economic restructuring and pollution control initiatives. China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases fueling the climate crisis, producing more than a quarter of the world's annual emissions.The Big Air is not the first element of the Beijing games to raise questions about the games' environmental credentials. The artificial snow being generated for the Games is made using large quantities of water and electricity.A recent CNN report also showed how the Yanqing venue was built in the former core area of the Songshan National Nature Reserve, a park founded in 1985 to protect its dense forests, alpine meadows and rich biodiversity.JUST WATCHEDWhy Beijing's pledge for green Olympics may be hypocritical ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhy Beijing's pledge for green Olympics may be hypocritical 05:27The Beijing Organizing Committee did not respond to CNN's request for comment over whether it was aware the ski center was built inside the former core area of the nature reserve. But in a reply to CNN, the IOC said the development of the Yanqing zone is "transforming the region -- a rural suburb of Beijing -- into a major four-season tourism destination, improving lives and boosting the local economy."This story has been updated to reflect the events that take place in Shougang.Journalist Lianne Kolirin reported from London, and Nectar Gan and Tom Booth reported from Beijing.

Megan Marples, CNN

2022-03-20 06:01:31

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/20/world/horridus-triceratops-skeleton-melbourne-scn/index.html

Horridus the Triceratops is one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons on Earth - CNN

The dinosaur was found in Montana after a rainstorm, then excavated and transported to Australia. A permanent exhibit recently opened in the Melbourne Museum, allowing visitors to view the fearsome animal up close.

world, Horridus the Triceratops is one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons on Earth - CNN

Say hello to Horridus, one of the most complete Triceratops fossils found on Earth

(CNN)The late-afternoon sun shone down on a sandstone ridge in Montana, illuminating a large sinkhole that had been soaked from rain showers earlier in the day. Commercial paleontologist Craig Pfister said he spotted parts of a pelvis and femur bones glinting in the light while he was meandering on private land.Little did Pfister know that he had stumbled across one of the most complete skeletons of the mighty Triceratops. "At that time, I suspected or hoped it was something special, but it took another month of excavation before I knew the extent and quality of the specimen," he said. It's called Horridus, a name given to the specimen by its new owner Museums Victoria, Australia's largest public museum organization. The nickname is derived from its full name Triceratops horridus, and it lived 67 million years ago.A new armored dinosaur species from the early Jurassic period was discovered in ChinaPfister is the owner of Great Plains Paleontology, a company based in Madison, Wisconsin, that scouts for and digs up fossils. Over his nearly 30-year career, he's discovered multiple Tyrannosaurus rex specimens along with other rare dinosaurs, but Horridus remains one of his all-time favorites, he said.Read MoreAfter finding the dinosaur remains in 2014, Pfister took more than a year to excavate the bones with a couple of his colleagues. That's understandable, considering the Triceratops left more than 266 bones for the paleontologist to unearth. The skeleton made the long trek from North America in eight special crates to reach its new home at the Melbourne Museum. A fearsome herbivoreErich Fitzgerald helped curate Horridus the Triceratops' exhibit at the Melbourne Museum.These bones make up the most complete dinosaur remains at any Australian museum, according to Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at Museums Victoria. Horridus is nearly 85% complete, standing about 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall, 7 meters (23 feet) long and weighing 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds), he said. The skull is 98% complete and features three horns along with a majestic frill, the flat bone plate jutting out from the top of the Triceratops' head. The dinosaur may have used its horns to protect itself from predators or to attract potential mates, Fitzgerald said. Not much is known about how the plant-eating dinosaur became so perfectly preserved, but Fitzgerald said he believed the creature would have had to been buried shortly after dying.Sex traps can lure thousands of male giant hornets to their death, study finds "I suspect the carcass got washed intact into a river channel, sank quickly to the bottom and then was rapidly covered by sand and mud on the riverbed," he said. It could have also died in the water, he added.Paleontologists are rarely able to decipher a dinosaur specimen's sex, so it's not clear if this Horridus was male or female. Unless physicists invent a time machine, it's unlikely humans will be able to answer that question within the century, Fitzgerald said. "In the meantime, it's these enduring mysteries that continue to spur paleontologists to find out more about our planet's past and ignite wonder in us all," he said.Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. How to see HorridusThe Melbourne Museum opened the Triceratops exhibit, called "Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs," this month. It's a permanent part of the museum collection, so visitors don't need to worry about the dinosaur exhibit going away anytime soon, according to Fitzgerald. Its housing in a public museum also allows scientists to engage in scientific research on the skeleton, he said.If a trip to Melbourne isn't on your bucket list, you can examine the bones of a 3D model of Horridus online.

Ashley Strickland and Jackie Wattles, CNN

2022-03-18 15:05:10

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/world/russian-soyuz-space-station-launch-scn/index.html

All-Russian cosmonaut crew launches to International Space Station - CNN

Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov launched aboard a Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launchpad in Kazakhstan around 11:55 a.m. ET. The trip to the space station should take just over three hours.

world, All-Russian cosmonaut crew launches to International Space Station - CNN

All-Russian cosmonaut crew launches to International Space Station

(CNN)A trio of Russian cosmonauts launched to the International Space Station on Friday. Cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov lifted off aboard a Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan at 11:55 a.m. ET. The crew's launch and trip to the space station, which should take just over three hours, will be streamed live on NASA's website. It's the first spaceflight for Matveev and Korsakov, and the trio will spend the next six and a half months aboard the space station. The cosmonauts manually guided the Soyuz through docking with the space station and successfully docked at 3:12 p.m. ET. The hatch opened at 5:48 p.m. ET and they were welcomed aboard the ISS by two Russian cosmonauts, four NASA astronauts and one European Space Agency astronaut. The crew were all smiles and embraced one another after floating through the hatch.This brings the station's crew count to 10. Read MoreTypically, Russian Soyuz launches include two cosmonauts and at least one NASA astronaut or another international partner due to a crew swap agreement between Russian space agency Roscosmos and other agencies. It's not the first time an all-Russian mission has occurred -- a Russian crew flew to the station in October to film the first movie in space.Russian crew wraps trailblazing movie in space, safely returns to EarthAlthough this cosmonaut launch occurs at a time when geopolitical tensions are mounting, the absence of other nations' involvement is coincidental and based on a prior agreement between NASA and Roscosmos to a delayed crew swap for future missions in 2022."We still plan to work the crew swap," said Joel Montalbano, the manager of NASA's International Space Station program, during a press conference Monday. "And so we still have scheduled training for Rocosmos to come to Houston, Hawthorne and our team to go over to Star City and train for the Soyuz. "As far as interactions with the White House -- they are aware that we're continuing these operations. We get questions from time to time, and we answered them, but today we're continuing to work those agreements."Cosmonauts lift off aboard a Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launchpad in Kazakhstan.Montalbano did not respond to a question about extending the ISS partnership with Russia to 2030.When asked whether the current tensions on Earth have translated to the crew aboard the space station, Montalbano said, "When you're in space, there's no borders. You don't see you don't see country lines or state lines." "The teams continue to work together. Are they aware of what's going on Earth? Absolutely. Astronauts and cosmonauts are some of the most professional groups you'll ever see. They continue to operate well, and there's really no tension with the team. This is what they've been trained to do and they're up there doing that job."Returning to EarthOn March 30, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is set to return to Earth alongside Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov.Vande Hei -- who launched to the ISS in April 2021 -- surpassed NASA astronaut Scott Kelly's record of 340 days in space on March 15, and when he lands in Kazakhstan, he will have set a new record for the amount of time a human has spent in space: 355 days. The space agency sought to reaffirm Monday that it's still working closely with Russian space agency Rocosmos on the International Space Station, despite mounting geopolitical tensions.Joint operations between NASA and Roscosmos at the Russian facilities at Baikonur, Kazakhstan, "continue to go well," according to Montalbano. "I can tell you for sure Mark [Vande Hei] is coming home" on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, Montalbano said Monday. "We are in communication with our Russian colleagues, there's no fuzz on that."NASA says American aboard International Space Station will come back on Russian rocket 'for sure'NASA officials did not say there would be any significant changes to plans to get Vande Hei back to the United States after he lands. He'll travel home via a Gulfstream jet, as other US astronauts have before him.For nearly a decade, Russia's Soyuz vehicles had been the only means of getting astronauts to and from the space station. But that reliance ended after SpaceX debuted its Crew Dragon capsule in 2020, and the US regained human spaceflight capabilities.When Montalbano was asked by CNN's Kristin Fisher about whether NASA has contingency plans in place if the US-Russia relationship further deteriorates, he said: "The International Space Station, I'll tell you, it's been the flagship model for international cooperation. We talked earlier (about) the interdependency that we have between the US and the Russian segment. That is why we are able to operate and how we're operating...At this time there's no indication from our Russian partners that they want to do anything different. So we are planning to continue operations as we are today."