Eco Report – August 18, 2022

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HEADLINES

The federal Inflation Reduction Act, according to a story by WFYI, could help Indiana utilities and other businesses to adopt renewable energy like solar — but whether it will encourage Indiana residents to do the same is unclear.

—Norm Holy

The Indiana Environmental Reporter said in a press release that the EPA and the State of Indiana filed a complaint in the Southern District of Indiana against Metalworking Lubricants Company, or MLC, for allegedly emitting excessively high amounts of “hazardous” air pollutants that violated the Clean Air Act.

—Norm Holy

A mass die-off of ocean plankton is occurring, with 90% gone since baseline levels were established in 1940.

—Linda Greene

Inside Climate News reports restoring and protecting beaver and wolf populations and reducing cattle grazing across large tracts of the western United States could be a big part of meeting President Joe Biden’s goal of conserving at least 30 percent of the country’s lands, lakes and rivers by 2030, a new study suggests.

—Norm Holy

The climate crisis could exacerbate over 200 infectious diseases in humans, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change. The researchers constructed a map of all the climate dangers that could interact with 375 human infectious diseases.

—Linda Greene

CBS News reports that in Las Vegas, Nevada, it’s come to this: climate change has helped make water ever scarcer, so under a new Nevada law, the grass has got to go.

—Norm Holy

 In Oak Flat, Nevada, a showdown is under way between the Rio Tinto mining company and the Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Apaches and non-Apache supporters. Oak Flat is an upland at the heart of Arizona that has beautiful peaks and forests and is a favorite area for campers, hikers and rock climbers. Most importantly, it’s the center of the San Carlos Apache tribe’s religion.

—Linda Greene

The Smithsonian Magazine featured a story that after years of drought in the Southwest, a stretch of the Rio Grande once flowing through Albuquerque has run dry for the first time in 40 years. Officials warn that the conditions will likely get worse in the upcoming days.

—Norm Holy

Norwalk, Connecticut, has passed an ordinance banning pesticides and implementing pesticide-free management of all public spaces throughout the city. The ordinance follows nearby Stamford’s organic community ordinance passed last September.

—Linda Greene

Industrial salmon producers in Tasmania, Australia, are killing protected fur seals by detonating underwater bombs called seal crackers.

—Linda Greene

Climate change skeptics frequently cite the 140-year record of global temperatures as too brief to prove that atmospheric carbon dioxide is a factor in defining climate. How about climate over the last 400 million years?

—Norm Holy

A new study has found that the climate crisis is causing major disruptions to European birds, from shifting their nesting dates to decreasing their chick numbers to even changing their general body sizes.

—Norm Holy

CALENDAR

Cave River Valley Day will take place at Spring Mill State Park on Saturday, August 20th.  Events begin at 10 am.  There are no restrooms in the Cave River Valley Area of Spring Mill State Park.  Bring water, snacks, bug spray and a change of shoes.  You will be walking through creek beds.  For a list of all the events for the day, go to the Spring Mill State Park website.

See an Eastern Box Turtle during Turtle Time at Brown County State Park on Sunday, August 21st, from 11 am to 4:30 pm.  You will get to see it get fed and then take it on a walk.  Learn about the unique adaptation these creatures have, what issues they face and how you can help.  Meet on the lawn near the Friends Picnic Shelter.

Take a hike on the Trail 3 Hike at Spring Mill State Park on Saturday, August 27th, from 9 to 10 am.  Meet Tony at the Twin Caves parking lot.  On the hike you will learn about and see some plants that used to have or were thought to have medicinal value.  The trail is partially rugged.

An Upcycled Speakers program is scheduled for Sunday, August 28th, from 10 to 11:30 am at the Paynetown State Recreation Area at Monroe Lake.  Drop by the Campground Playground to make a simple speaker for a smart phone out of upcycled materials.  You will also get ideas for how to upcycle and reuse items before discarding them.