August 16, 2020

Grounded carrier off Mauritius breaks apart risking ecological disaster

Battle is on to remove fuel oil from Japanese vessel the MV Wakashio as weather worsens

A Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius last month threatening a marine ecological disaster around the Indian Ocean island has broken apart, authorities said on Saturday.

The condition of the MV Wakashio was worsening early on Saturday and by early afternoon, it had it split, the Mauritius National Crisis Committee said.

“At around 4.30pm, a major detachment of the vessel’s forward section was observed,” it said in a statement. “On the basis of the experts’ advice, the towing plan is being implemented.”

The vessel struck a coral reef on 25 July, spilling about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and endangering corals, fish and other marine life in what some scientists have called the country’s worst ecological disaster.

On Friday, some residual oil from the ship leaked into the ocean, Mauritius Marine Conservation Society president, Jacqueline Sauzier, told Reuters on Saturday morning.

Authorities deployed booms on Saturday to help with oil absorption around the vessel.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/15/grounded-carrier-off-mauritius-breaks-apart-risking-ecological-disaster



The MV Wakashio ran aground near Blue Bay Marine Park, Mauritius, three weeks ago. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

August 16, 2020

Trump rolls back methane climate standards for oil and gas industry

Methane is a greenhouse gas that heats the planet far faster than CO2 and addressing it is critical to slowing global heating

The Trump administration is revoking rules that require oil and gas drillers to detect and fix leaks of methane, a greenhouse gas that heats the planet far faster than carbon dioxide.

Methane has a much more potent short-term warming effect than CO2 and addressing it is critical to slowing global heating as the world is already on track to become more than 3C hotter than before industrialization.

The Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Andrew Wheeler, will announce the rollback from Pennsylvania, which has major oil and gas operations and is also a politically important swing state. The rule change is part of what Trump calls his “energy dominance” agenda.

The Trump administration’s changes apply to new wells and those drilled since 2016, when President Barack Obama enacted the regulation in an effort to help stall climate change during a boom in fracking – a method of extracting fossil gas by injecting water and chemicals underground. The regulations required companies to regularly check for methane leaks from valves, pipelines and tanks.

Large oil companies have argued for keeping the rules, saying they are needed so the industry can limit its climate footprint as it markets gas as a smart alternative to coal – which emits far more carbon dioxide.

Roughly a quarter of global warming the planet has experienced in recent decades has been due to methane, said Robert Howarth, a researcher who studies methane at Cornell University. The oil and gas industry is the biggest source of the pollutant.


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/13/trump-rolls-back-methane-climate-standards-oil-gas-industry



A hydro fracking tower used for gas drilling in Pennsylvania. Photograph: Alamy

August 16, 2020

7 Easy Ways To Not Totally Abandon the Environment Right now, Despite COVID-19 Concerns

Every time you leave your house right now, in the middle of the pandemic, there are a countless details to consider and precautions to take: face masks, hand sanitizer, wipes, gloves, shields, etc. And if your sustainability efforts during COVID-19 have landed on the back burner because you just don’t have the mental bandwidth to consider how your pandemic-specific consumption habits may be impacting the environment, it makes sense. The overwhelming existential threat is omnipresent, and safety (and sanity) is the priority.

With that said, the climate crisis poses an even more severe existential threat. If we don’t reduce carbon emissions to zero within a decade, millions are projected to die due to famine, heat, disease, displacement, and other consequences of environmental abuse by humans. In other words, the reality we’re building toward looks far worse than the one we’re currently living through—even in the most challenging year in generations. So even though the pandemic’s forcing us to resort back to single-use items (e.g., takeout containers, grocery bags, cleansing wipes, etc.) that pollute the environment, we can’t actually afford to ignore the climate crisis.

Fortunately, sustainability during COVID-19 is possible, thanks to certain tips and strategies—some of which are low-lift—you can implement. In fact, many of them fit in fairly easily with the new parameters of what it means to live a safe and healthy life right now. Below, experts offer seven ways to be safely mindful of environmental concerns through the trying times at hand.

7 easy ways to protect sustainability efforts, even during COVID-19
1. Be sustainable with your PPE
2. Don’t give up on sustainable grocery shopping
3. When shopping online, do so with mindful intention
4. Invest in plastic-free options when possible
5. DIY whatever you can
6. Compost, too
7. Get political


Read details: https://www.wellandgood.com/sustainability-during-covid/

August 15, 2020

Doris Kearns Goodwin: History Will Decide How Trump Is Remembered - The 11th Hour - MSNBC

Responding to Trump saying he's done more for Black Americans than Pres. Lyndon Johnson, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin says history gets to decide how presidents are remembered. Aired on 8/14/2020.

August 15, 2020

Widespread Public Outrage Halts Post Office Removal Of Mailboxes - Rachel Maddow - MSNBC

Rachel Maddow reports on Donald Trump's postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, had to halt the removal of mailboxes from city streets after reporting in Montana led to widespread public outcry. Aired on 8/14/2020.

August 15, 2020

USPS Warns Dozens Of States Mail-In Ballots May Be Delivered Too Late To Count In November - MSNBC

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold tells Ali Velshi that she will not allow Trump to suppress the vote in Colorado but says “it should be shocking to the nation” that the postal service is warning states that voters could be disenfranchised by delays in ballot delivery: “That’s undemocratic, it’s un-American and Donald Trump is squarely to blame.” Aired on 8/14/2020.

August 15, 2020

Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) - 8/14/20

Monologue: Here's Bill Maher's response to President Mean Girl

https://twitter.com/billmaher/status/1294473576574144512

Andrew Yang and Pete Buttigieg



Former Democratic presidential candidates Andrew Yang and Myr. Pete Buttigieg join Bill to discuss the peaceful transition of presidential power and the growing threat of conspiracy theories in America.




Colin Cowherd on Covid-19 in Sports



Sports radio host Colin Cowherd joins Bill to discuss Covid-19's impact on the sports world.




New Rule: God Is Cancelled Party



If being a product of your time is no longer an excuse for being un-woke, Jesus Christ is in big trouble.

August 15, 2020

Seth Meyers: Guest CNN News Anchor John Berman

John Berman Made the Electoral College Sexy



John Berman addresses President Trump going after him in a tweet, shares how he made his deep dive into the electoral college "sexy" and urges voters to prepare for election results later than normal.

August 15, 2020

Seth Meyers - Trump Calls Sen. Kamala Harris Mean and Condescending - Monologue 8/13/20

Seth’s Favorite Jokes of the Week: Trump’s RNC Speech, Russia’s COVID Vaccine



Seth's favorite jokes from the week of August 10.

August 15, 2020

The Daily Social Distancing Show: Kamala Faces Sexism and Dulce Breaks Down the WAP Double Standard

Kamala Harris receives sexist backlash after giving her first speech as VP nominee and Dulce Sloan breaks down the double standard behind the hate Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are getting for "WAP."