New Flu Strain Is Attacking Hundreds Of Animal Species. Humans Could Be Next
"An avian flu panzootic — a pandemic among animals — has struck some 320 bird and mammal species, including elephant seals."
Source: Washington Post, 01/17/2024
EJToday: Top Headlines
EJToday is a daily weekday digest of top environment/energy news and information of interest to environmental journalists, independently curated by Editor Joseph A. Davis. Sign up below to receive in your inbox. For queries, email EJToday@SEJ.org. For more info, read an EJToday FAQ. Plus, follow EJToday on social media at @EJTodayNews, and flag stories of note by including the @EJTodayNews handle on your posts. And tell us how to make EJToday even better by taking this brief survey.
Want to join the EJToday team? Volunteer time commitments can vary from just an hour a month up to a daily contribution, and would involve helping to curate content of interest. To learn more, reach out to the director of publications, Adam Glenn, at sejournaleditor@sej.org.
Note: Members have additional options to choose from (you'll need your log-in info).
"Drought Touches a Quarter of Humanity, U.N. Says, Disrupting Lives Globally"
"The United Nations estimates that 1.84 billion people worldwide, or nearly a quarter of humanity, were living under drought in 2022 and 2023, the vast majority in low- and middle-income countries." "The crisis, worsened partly by climate change, has been accompanied by soaring food prices and could have consequences for hunger, elections and migration worldwide."
Source: NYTimes, 01/17/2024Crop-Killing Weeds Advance Across US Farms As Chemicals Lose Effectiveness
"Crop-killing weeds such as kochia are advancing across the U.S. northern plains and Midwest, in the latest sign that weeds are developing resistance to chemicals faster than companies including Bayer and Corteva can develop new ones to fight them."
Source: Reuters, 01/17/2024First US Uranium Mines in Eight Years Begin Operations Near Grand Canyon
"The push for more nuclear energy and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spiked uranium prices, leading mines for the element to begin operating again in the U.S. despite long-term environmental and health impacts."
Source: Inside Climate News, 01/17/2024Shell To Sell Nigeria Oil Business; Greens Want Pollution Cleaned Up First
"Shell said Tuesday it agreed to sell its onshore business in Nigeria’s Niger Delta to a consortium of companies in a deal worth $2.4 billion, the latest move by the energy company to limit its exposure in the West African nation amid long-running complaints of environmental pollution caused by the oil industry."
Source: AP, 01/17/2024"A Huge Battery Has Replaced Hawaii’s Last Coal Plant"
"Plus Power’s Kapolei battery is officially online. The pioneering project is a leading example of how to shift crucial grid functions from fossil-fueled plants to clean energy."
Source: Grist, 01/17/2024"Earthlings Take Note: The Sun Will Be Its Most Active In Two Decades"
"Solar flares, eruptions on the sun’s surface and sunspots are expected to multiply and intensify throughout this year, as our yellow star enters its most active period in two decades. For Earthlings, that could lead to more beautiful dancing aurora far and wide, but also radio blackouts and satellite disruptions."
Source: Washington Post, 01/17/2024"Biden Administration to Fine Oil and Gas Companies for Excess Methane"
"The Biden administration announced new moves on Friday to curb the release from oil and gas facilities of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is responsible for more than a quarter of the warming the planet is currently experiencing."
Source: NYTimes, 01/16/2024"Tax-Credit Rules Leave Key ‘Blue Hydrogen’ Issues Unanswered"
"Environmental watchdogs worry the Biden administration’s proposed rules for hydrogen tax credits may allow fossil gas and biogas to pollute at taxpayer expense."
Source: Canary Media, 01/16/2024"Azerbaijan Appoints No Women To 28-Member Cop29 Climate Committee"
"The organising committee for the Cop29 global climate change summit in Azerbaijan in December comprises 28 men and no women, the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has announced."
Source: Guardian, 01/16/2024"Cyberattacks On 2 Water Utilities Raise Questions About US Preparedness"
"The Pennsylvania and Florida hacks came after a lawsuit spurred EPA’s retreat from mandating cybersecurity protections for the water sector."
Source: E&E News, 01/16/2024"Scoop: John Kerry To Leave Biden Administration, Help Campaign"
"John Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, will leave the administration later this winter, and plans to help President Biden's campaign, Axios has learned."
Source: Axios, 01/16/2024Fight Over Fishing Regulation Could Help Tear Down the Administrative State
"The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday over whether to overturn a key precedent on the power of executive agencies."
Source: NYTimes, 01/16/2024Will Storing CO2 In Old Oil Fields Slow Global Warming? Calif. Mulls Plan
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has signed off on a California oil company’s plans to permanently store carbon emissions deep underground to combat global warming — the first proposal of its kind to be tentatively approved in the state."
Source: LA Times, 01/16/2024"PR Giant Edelman Worked With Koch Network, Despite Climate Pledges"
"Edelman, the world’s largest public relations company, was among the Charles Koch Foundation’s highest-paid vendors in 2022, a 990 tax disclosure form shows, alarming climate advocates. The PR giant has made numerous climate declarations over the past decade, including making a pledge to eschew projects promoting climate denial."
Source: Guardian, 01/16/2024
Advertisement 
