An overview of the farming insurance arena shows that hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent to insure crops even when no effort to plant using the best available practices was taken. The payouts for flood and drought have risen 3 to 4 times proportionately and Environmental leaders are not sure it’s helping the farming industry. Instead, it is encouraging waste and taking funds away from climate change mitigating programs.
In the News: Burger King joins the group of international restaurants banning PFAS
Bugger King joins Popeyes and Tim Hortons in their move to phase out all PFAS contained in packaging. As more and more legislation trickles down, we expect that Burger King will not be the last major chain to make the shift to safer food packaging before they are required to do so.
In the News: GMO Mosquitoes to be released in Cali and Florida.
A UK company called Oxitec has received approval from the EPA to released 2 -4 billion mosquitos in Florid and California with the proposed benefit of reducing the native mosquito population by breeding with them. The genetically modified material would kill off the female mosquitos which are the one that bite humans and thus spread disease. This sounds almost too good to be true and maybe it is. Apparently, there is a chance that instead of killing off the female population, the GMO mosquitos will create a hybrid mosquito that will be even harder to eradicate. There’s even more evidence to suggest that this experimental approach simply won’t work. Plus, the problem this is being suggested as a solution for is almost nonexistent.
In the News: Gas Company Windfall Prompts Pushback
With the war in Ukraine, major US oil and gas companies are set to make an aditional profit of anywhere from 37 to 126 billion dollars. This is sparking some pushback and Greenpeace is even extending that pushback opportunity to the community.
Resources:
https://priceofoil.org/2022/03/29/us-oil-and-gas-companies-set-to-make-tens-of-billions-more-from-wartime-oil-prices-in-2022/
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/u-s-oil-and-gas-companies-set-to-make-tens-of-billions-more-from-wartime-oil-prices-in-2022/
In the News: Maine, a snapshot of the PFAs crisis
Main is giving the whole country an idea of what the PFAS crisis can look like when it takes an agricultural community by surprise. They are also a good example of how to handle the news that you are dealing with years and years of contaminated homes and crops.
In the News: Drug for Pigs Causes Cancer and is Under Review
Carbadox is a common drug used to treat swine but it’s also thought to be responsible for causing cancer. It was under investigation during the Obama administration but that review stalled out despite the drug being banned in Canada, Austrailia and the EU. That review has been picked up this week and The Counter has the details.
In the News: Toxic Ash Pits in Indiana Contaminated the Water
Indiana has the most toxic ash pits in the country. Companies dump coal ash into landfills and this ash is high in heavy metals like arsenic. After decades of allowing toxins from coal dust to leach into the water supply for the residence of Indiana, the EPA has said that they must clean it up. One company, the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. or NIPSCO is in the process of cleaning up the contaminated soil in the Town of Pines. Arsenic and other heavy metals can cause a wide range of health issues including neurological disorders and various forms of cancer. Only time and testing with tell how this poor business practice has impacted the long-term health of Indiana’s residence.
In the News: Microsplastics in Seafood
The global seafood supply is struggling under the weight of yet another class of contaminants. Not only are we struggling with the realization that our seafoods might be filled with micro and nanoplastics but that challenge is now complicated by the reality that even fish as remote are those in the artic sea are contaminated with PFAS. Between nanoplastics and PFAS, what is the seafood industry facing as it seek to provide clean food?
In the News: Pentagon Shutdown Leaking Fuel Tank Facility
An old fuel storage facility that served the military in the mid and early 90s is being shutdown by the Pentagon after contaminating the tap water of nearly 6,000 people, mostly military families living near Pearl Harbor. About 4,000 people have been relocated to hotels while the matter is managed. The water caused many to sicken, developing dermatitis and gastrointestinal issues. Removing and draining the tanks without doing further damage to the environment and surrounding water supply is going to be a challenge!
The EPA also inspected this facility prior to its closure and that article is here.
In the News: Corruption in the EPA
In this featured article by The Intercept, Sharon Lerner takes a look at how several EPA officials who have routinely pushed through approvals for dangerous chemicals, have not been held accountable or even disciplined for their actions. They still hold the same level of authority and EPA administrative assistant Michal Freedhoff declined to comment of whether they would be held accountable in the future.
