Eco Report – December 16, 2022

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:00 — 20.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

HEADLINES

All Stories by Norm Holy

In recent months, utilities have repeatedly raised rates to cover the skyrocketing costs of the coal and gas needed to run their plants as well as the energy they had to buy from the grid when some of those plants unexpectedly shut down.

In a case that could cast a cloud on the Hoosier state’s nuclear power ambitions, higher steel prices and interest rates could drive up the price of electricity at the nation’s first small modular nuclear reactor plant to nearly twice previous estimates.

The New York Times reports that the Biden administration will give three Native tribes $75 million to move away from coastal areas or rivers, one of the nation’s largest efforts to date to relocate communities that are facing an urgent threat from climate change.

We are aware that it is a struggle for polar bears to find food because the Arctic ice is reliable as a place to hunt for fewer months of the year. The bears are spending more months on land than ever before. And the bears are relying on scavenging for food in dumps. This brings them into contact with human pathogens. Polar bears are experiencing a wider array of diseases than ever.

Whole Foods will cease offering lobsters caught in the Gulf of Maine. This seemingly out-of-the-blue decision has caused consternation among lobstermen. The reason for this decision is concern for the remaining 340 right whales.

The heavy hand of the fossil fuel industry is everywhere, including Indiana. The recent COP27 meeting had thousands of lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry, and the huge oil companies had representatives to prevent any real progress.

Wisconsin is one of the states included in a recent report by the Northeast-Midwest Institute that ranked Midwestern states in terms of their progress on environmental justice issues. Among Midwest states, Michigan ranked first, Minnesota second and Illinois third, while Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin and Indiana ranked lower, in that order. Indiana ranks number 3 over the entire country in terms of the most polluted air and water.

There are now 8 billion of us, according to the New York Times.  How does that affect our ability to live within planetary boundaries — and to stave off the worst climate hazards?  Actually, what matters most is not how many we are. It’s how we live.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that it is proposing to extend protection under the Endangered Species Act to the Lesser Prairie-Chicken.

CALENDAR

Brown County State Park kicks off their Winter Hike Series with a Brown County Dog Hike on Saturday, December 17th, from 11 am to Noon.  Meet at the Strahl Lake parking lot for a hike on Trail 6 which goes around the Strahl Lake.  Dogs must be on a leash.

Take the Exploration Hike at Spring Mill State Park on Saturday, December 17th, from 11 am to Noon.  Meet Anthony at the Lakeview Activity Center to explore Trails 1 and 2 to learn the history and see all the features of this 1.25 mile area of the park.  The trails are considered moderately rugged.

Join the park naturalist for a guided hike on Trail 7 around Lake Ogle at Brown County State Park on Sunday, December 18th, from 11 am to 12:30 pm.  Hear the history of the lake and learn about the animals that make the lake their home.

Join a morning bird walk at the Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area for Whooper Wednesday, every Wednesday from the 14th through February 8th, starting at 8 am.  You will walk the property to see if you can spot some of the resident winter birds, including the endangered Whooping Cranes!  Dress for the weather.

Celebrate the Winter Solstice on a Luminary Hike at the Fairfax State Recreation Area at Monroe Lake on Wednesday, December 21st, from 6 to 8 pm.  Enjoy a relaxing, luminary-lit walk and reflect on the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year!  Stops along the way will include different activities.  Hot tea and cocoa will be available.  Dress for the weather.