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☆ Common flame retardants linked to deaths from cancer in people, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Flame retardants added for decades to thousands of consumer products in the United States may raise the risk of dying from cancer, according to new research. “The new study links PBDEs to deaths from cancer, building a case for the association between flame retardants and cancer mortality being real,” said Trasande, who researches the impact of plastics, flame retardants and other chemicals on children. Flame retardant chemicals also can pass to developing fetuses via the placenta and to newborns through breast milk, past research has found. In some cases, the industry has replaced these chemicals with newer phosphorus-based flame retardants, Trasande said, adding that researchers are now concerned these chemicals may be linked to cancer as well. When reupholstering older couches or chairs, be sure to replace the old foam with flame retardant-free foam.

Persons: Leonardo Trasande, ”, Trasande, ” Trasande, Tasha Stoiber, EWG Organizations: CNN, National Health, JAMA, NYU Langone Health, US Centers for Disease Control, Manufacturers, US Environmental Protection Agency, CDC, Environmental Locations: United States, PBDEs, New York City

(AP) — The U.S., Canada and several indigenous groups announced a proposal on Monday to address the pollution from coal mining in British Columbia that's been contaminating waterways and harming fisheries on both sides of the border for years. The proposal would be executed through a century-old U.S.-Canada boundary waters treaty, establishing independent boards to study the pollution’s extent and make cleanup recommendations. It comes after indigenous groups in British Columbia, Montana and Idaho lobbied for more than a decade for the federal governments in the U.S. and Canada to intervene and stop the flow of pollution. The proposal calls for no more than two years of study to gauge the extent of pollution. Investigators in Canada found Teck Resources Limited discharged hazardous amounts of selenium and calcite from two coal mines north of Eureka, Montana.

Persons: ”, Tom McDonald, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau, Stephenne Harding, Gary Aitken Jr, “ It’s, Rachel Poynter, ” Poynter Organizations: The Associated Press, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, U.S ., White, Council, Environmental, Investigators, Teck Resources Limited, of, of Teck Resources Locations: Mont, U.S, Canada, British Columbia, Montana, Idaho, Kootenai, Lake Koocanusa, U.S . Canada, Elk, Kootenai Tribe, Canadian, Montana and Idaho, Eureka , Montana ., of Teck

☆ To Save San Francisco, a Democrat Wants to Scrap Environmental Reviews
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Heather Knight | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Not long ago, it would have sounded preposterous: A San Francisco Democrat asking to peel back California’s treasured environmental protections in the heart of the city. It would have been like painting the Golden Gate Bridge gray or cheering on the Los Angeles Dodgers. It just would not have flown. But as California grows more desperate for housing and San Francisco struggles to revive its city core, State Senator Scott Wiener says one thing must go: environmental review. Mr. Wiener on Friday will propose one of the broadest rollbacks of the once-vaunted California Environmental Quality Act by asking the state legislature to allow most projects in downtown San Francisco to bypass the law for the next decade.

Persons: Scott Wiener, Wiener Organizations: San Francisco Democrat, Los Angeles Dodgers Locations: California, San Francisco

☆ Tesla is facing a lawsuit alleging it mishandled hazardous waste
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewTesla was hit with a lawsuit on Tuesday that alleges the electric-car maker mishandled hazardous waste at its factories in California. District attorneys representing 25 counties in California filed the lawsuit in San Joaquin County Court and are requesting the court force Tesla to properly take care of its hazardous waste going forward and pay a series of civil penalties. Tesla disposed of hazardous waste into trash sites "not permitted to accept hazardous waste" and "failed to properly mark, label, and store containers and tanks of hazardous waste" at its facilities, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also alleges Tesla didn't properly train its employees on how to deal with hazardous materials. In 2019, Tesla paid the Environmental Protection Agency a $31,000 settlement over alleged hazardous waste violations at the Fremont Factory.

Persons: —, Tesla, It's, Elon Musk's Organizations: Service, San Joaquin County Court, Business, Reuters, Environmental Protection Agency, Fremont Factory, Elon Musk's The Boring Company, Texas Commission Locations: California, San Joaquin County, Texas, Bastrop , Texas, Colorado

(AP) — Montana's Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by the state's Republican governor to block a landmark climate ruling that said regulators must consider the effects of greenhouse gas emissions when issuing permits for fossil fuel development. Greg Gianforte and three state agencies to block the August ruling from District Court Judge Kathy Seeley while an appeal by the state is pending before the high court. The state high court ruling means Montana officials must “immediately comply” with Seeley's order pending the appeal, said Mark Bellinger, an attorney for Our Children's Trust, which represented the 16 young plaintiffs who brought the case. The Department of Environmental Quality has created a work group to discuss potential changes to how it uses the Montana Environmental Policy Act, which requires public input in fossil fuel and mining development. Last year's amendment by lawmakers forbid greenhouse gas emission analyses unless the federal government decided to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant.

Persons: HELENA, —, Greg Gianforte, Kathy Seeley, Seeley, Seeley “, “, Mark Bellinger, Chris Dorrington, “ We’re, ” Dorrington Organizations: Republican, Gov, Montana Department of Environmental, Energy, Montana Legislature, Republicans, Environmental Locations: Mont, Montana, Yellowstone, Laurel

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, announced the projects Wednesday at the Pentagon. Because of the Pentagon's “relatively congested air space” outside Washington, solar panels were the best option for clean energy, he said. The building is a nationally registered historic landmark, so officials will work with local officials to ensure the panels meet all requirements. In addition to the Defense Department, projects also include installation of thermally efficient windows at the Energy Department headquarters in Washington, as well as efficiency upgrades to the Commerce and Transportation departments. The projects also include installation of solar panels at the U.S. Army Garrison in Wiesbaden, Germany, as well as energy and water efficiency improvements and solar panels at the Maui Air Traffic Control Tower in Kahului, Hawaii.

Persons: Biden, ”, Jennifer Granholm, Kathleen Hicks, Brenda Mallory, Brendan Owens, Owens, U.S . Army Garrison Organizations: WASHINGTON, The Defense Department, Pentagon, Energy Department, Energy, White, Council, Environmental, Naval, Defense Department, Commerce, Transportation, Interior, Veterans Affairs, General Services Administration, Personnel Management, Social Security Administration, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Energy Conservation Technologies, U.S . Army, Maui Air Traffic Control Locations: U.S, Germany, Washington, Georgia, Tennessee, Loa, Hawaii, Mauna, Wiesbaden, Kahului

CHANNELVIEW, Texas — For nearly 20 years, Texas environmental regulators have kept a disturbing secret. AdvertisementTexas Community Health News; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality"Any exposure to a carcinogen increases your risk of developing cancer. AdvertisementTim Doty, a former TCEQ mobile air monitoring expert, at the industrial edge of River Terrace Park in Channelview, Texas. In fact, the agency rarely fines companies that violate Texas air pollution laws. Mark FelixHoneycutt's toxicology division soon took an even more dramatic step to weaken Texas' benzene guidelines.

Persons: Loren Hopkins, Hopkins, Mark Felix, TCEQ, AirToxScreen, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Menefee, Tim Doty, Doty, Solv, He'd, Glenn Shankle, Kelly Keel, Todd Riddle, Riddle, Lopez, Joe Lopez, Dora, Joel Lopez, Randy Lopez, It's, Joel, Felix Benzene, wildcatters, Houston —, Forbes, Lorenzo de Zavala, Alison Cohen, Cohen, Tim Doty's, Houston Mayor Bill White, Shankle, Michael Honeycutt, Valerie Meyers, Meyers, Mark Felix Meyers, Richard Hyde, John Sadlier, Ryder, Hyde, hadn't, Russell Allen, Matt Baker, Jacintoport, Cloelle Danforth, Public Health Watch —, Danforth, Mark Felix Honeycutt's, Eric Schaeffer, Schaeffer, Honeycutt, Jim Tarr, polluters, upended, Mark Felix Fracking, Barnett, Glenn Shankle —, —, Rick Perry, Perry, Sadlier, David Bower, misstep, Baker, Bower, Michael Burgess, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Mark Felix Meanwhile, Randy, That's, Carolyn Stone, Stone, Carolyn Stone's, Mark Felix The, Cynthia Benson, Benson, Mark Felix Tim Doty, Mark Felix K, Jordan Gass Organizations: Public Health Watch, Texas Commission, Environmental, American Petroleum Institute, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S . Navy, Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, General, Health, Public Health, Rice University, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Community Health, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney, polluters, Mark Felix Public Health, TCEQ, Solv, Mark Felix Public Health Watch, myelodysplasia, Houston, Oil, Gas Watch, Texas, Houston Ship, University of California, Houston Mayor, ., . Texas Community Health, NASA, Exxon Mobil, Public, Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, Management, Civil, Air Alliance Houston, Republican, Fort, United, Texas toxicologist, EPA, Texas Tribune, Google, Land Office, . Geological Survey, National Oceanic, Firefighters, U.S . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Channelview, Improvement Coalition, Health Watch, San Jacinto, K, Texas Legislature, Solv Group, Services Locations: , Texas, Texas, Houston, Channelview's Jacintoport, San Jacinto, California, Jacintoport, Channelview , Texas, AirToxScreen Harris County, Channelview, Harris County, United States, North Channelview, Gulf, Terrace, Joel's, Houston , Texas, Spindletop, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Port of Houston, San Francisco, . Texas, That's, polluters, lacquers, Dallas, Fort Worth, Fort Worth City, Austin, Round, Minnesota, Galveston, U.S

☆ U.S. tap water has a $47 billion forever chemicals problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Lindsey Jacobson | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is adding some "forever chemicals" to the list of toxins that must be reported by drinking water utilities. That's why they got the nickname 'forever chemicals,'" explained Tom Neltner, senior director of safer chemicals at the Environmental Defense Fund. About 300 million people in the U.S. receive their water from a public water system, according to the EPA. At least 45% of tap water in the U.S. is known to have PFAS in it, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Watch the video above to learn more about how safe tap water is in the U.S.

Persons: Radhika Fox, they're, Tom Neltner, Cheryl Norton, Fox, Neltner, Sydney Evans, Evans, Norton Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA's, Water, CNBC, Environmental Defense Fund, Utah Department of Environmental, . Geological Survey, Environmental Locations: U.S

☆ San Francisco is moving forward with its tallest-ever apartment building as California's new laws to fight the housing crisis start to pay off
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new law fast-tracking affordable and mixed-income housing is paying off in San Francisco. Plans for the tallest-ever apartment building in the city are being fast-tracked under the new state law. The tower at 530 Howard Street will be the tallest residential building in San Francisco and the third-tallest building citywide, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Newsom signed more than 50 housing bills last month that loosen restrictions imposed by CEQA, fast-track affordable housing projects, and encourage more dense, infill residential construction. "Turning a parking lot into housing, including affordable housing, is exactly what we need to do to build a stronger, more resilient San Francisco," Breed said in a statement to the Chronicle.

Persons: —, Bill, Paul Paradis, Paradis, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Breed Organizations: Service, Affordable, Commission, Supervisors, San Francisco Chronicle, JPMorgan Chase, Gov, CEQA, San Francisco Mayor London, Bloomberg Locations: San Francisco, Bay Area, Francisco, —, California, Washington

☆ Make America Build Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +37 min

America is the sixth-most-expensive place in the world to build subways and trolleys. The solutions will cost trillions of dollars and require a pace of building unseen in America since World War II. Perhaps the single most pressing question we face today is: How do we make America build again? "For this class of projects, federal environmental laws are more the exception." The prospect of overhauling our hard-won environmental laws might feel like sacrilege to anyone who cares about the Earth.

Persons: Anne, Marie Griger's, Griger, —, They're, Obama, I'm, we've, We've, I'd, It's, Matt Harrison Clough, Jamie Pleune, AECOM, Joe Biden's, There's, David Adelman, David Spence, Spence, James Coleman, NECA, Coleman, everyone's, Danielle Stokes, Nobody, Bill McKibben, Mother Jones, McKibben, Michael Gerrard, Columbia University —, they've, David Pettit, it's, Zachary Liscow, That's who's, Adam Rogers Organizations: RES Group, Environmental, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, Land Management, Forest Service, University of Utah, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Brookings, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, White, University of Texas, Greenpeace, Natural Resources Defense Council, Act, NEPA, Berkeley, University of California, University of Southern, Southern Methodist University, Ecosystems Conservation, GOP, Biden, Motorola, Telecommunications, Conservatives, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, University of Richmond, UC Berkeley, USC, Star, Sabin, Climate, Columbia University, Natural Resources Defense, Republicans, Democrats, Management, Budget, Yale Law School Locations: Panama, Colorado, . California, Los Angeles, San Francisco, China, America, Washington, , Wyoming, Nantucket, New England, San Francisco ., University of Southern California, California, New York, Florida, Southern California, Las Vegas

☆ US appeals court scraps Sempra's Port Arthur LNG emissions permit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Curtis Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHOUSTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - A U.S. court has removed an emissions permit for Sempra's (SRE.N) Port Arthur LNG export terminal in Texas, but the company said construction of the facility will continue for now. The approximately 13.5 million-metric-tons-per-annum (mtpa) Port Arthur plant has approval to export LNG to both Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and non-FTA countries, including Europe, and is part of the U.S. LNG expansion to meet growing global demand for the superchilled gas. The decision sends the Port Arthur LNG permit application back to the TCEQ for new evaluation. Investment firm KKR (KKR.N) owns a 20% stake in Sempra Infrastructure while Sempra Energy owns 70% and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority owns 10%. John Beard, executive director of the Port Arthur Community Action Network, which brought the lawsuit challenging TCEQ, said of the ruling: “We’ve won by standing up for Port Arthur communities of color to breathe free from toxic pollution.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Port Arthur, Sempra, John Beard, “ We’ve, –, Biden, Alex Munton, Munton, Curtis Williams, Deepa Babington, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Port Arthur, Free, U.S, U.S ., Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Texas Commission, Environmental, Rio, Rio Grande LNG, Port, Sempra Infrastructure, ConocoPhillips, Investment, KKR, Sempra Energy, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Port Arthur Community Action Network, Global Gas & LNG Research, Rapidan Energy, Thomson Locations: Port, Texas, Europe, Rio Grande, Port Arthur, Abu Dhabi, Houston

For more than a year, the Environmental Protection Agency investigated whether Louisiana officials discriminated against Black residents by putting them at increased cancer risk. As attorney general, Landry fought the EPA’s investigation. Health officials, for example, wanted the unilateral power to decide if and when they had to do the EPA-proposed analysis. The AP reviewed a draft agreement edited by state health officials and sent to EPA in May, reflecting negotiations at the time. It has not reviewed any draft agreement that would show what Louisiana's environmental agency might have been willing to accept.

Persons: Biden, Eric Schaeffer, it’s, Schaeffer, Republican Jeff Landry, Landry, Deena Tumeh, Tumeh, “, ”, ” Tumeh, Kevin Litten, VI, Sharon, Lavigne, James, Michael Regan, It's, Stacey Sublett Halliday, Beveridge, Diamond, ” Sublett Halliday Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, The Associated Press, EPA’s, Civil, Louisiana, Republican, EPA, Louisiana Department of Environmental, Louisiana Department of Health, Health, AP, Cancer, Associated Press, Walton Family Foundation Locations: Louisiana, chloroprene, St

☆ California just legalized affordable housing in church parking lots and coastal cities — and it could help solve the state's crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Many housing advocates are also disappointed that Newsom vetoed a bill — AB 309 — to create "social housing" on government-owned land. Resnikoff, whose organization endorsed the effort, noted that the state's current fiscal conditions make it very hard to pass housing policy that requires funding. Advocates are quick to point out that California housing policy has impacts far beyond its borders. How effectively California deals with its housing affordability issues also directly impacts other states' housing markets. The migration of California residents to places from Texas to Oregon has put additional pressure on those states to provide even more housing.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, —, Ned Resnikoff, Chris Elmendorf, State Sen, Scott Wiener, Elmendorf, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Breed, that's, Resnikoff, Brittany Murray, Newsom, Alex Lee, Lee, Eric Adams Organizations: Service, California, UC Davis, UC Berkeley, State, San Francisco Mayor London, Bloomberg, UC Berkeley's Terner, Housing Innovation, Habitat, Getty, New York City Locations: California, Francisco, San Francisco, Washington, Long, Greater Los Angeles, Vienna, Austria, Singapore, Central, Southeast Asia, New, Texas, Oregon

“The North Umpqua River’s diverse fish populations are unique within Oregon and are of considerable social, cultural, and economic importance locally and regionally,” the fish and wildlife department said in a news release. Environmental groups have long criticized the dam, describing it as an old, disintegrating structure that kills or prevents fish including lamprey and salmon from swimming upstream. Jim McCarthy, Southern Oregon Program Director of WaterWatch of Oregon, said he hoped the damages claim would mark a turning point for lamprey conservation. To carry out the repairs, the district received authorization from the fish and wildlife department to temporarily drain part of the reservoir behind the dam and close the fish ladder. Two days later, the fish and wildlife department determined that an emergency salvage operation was necessary and recruited employees from across the western side of the state to assist.

Persons: they've, Ryan Beckley, Jim McCarthy, ”, Salem . State Sen, Jeff Golden, ___ Claire Rush Organizations: —, Oregon Department of Fish, Wildlife, Winchester Water Control, Jim McCarthy , Southern Oregon, Water Resources, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: PORTLAND, — Oregon, Douglas County, Winchester, Oregon, Umpqua, Jim McCarthy ,, Salem . State, Fish

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Biden administration has pledged over $200 million toward reintroducing salmon in the Upper Columbia River Basin in an agreement with tribes that includes a stay on litigation for 20 years. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and Spokane Tribe of Indians signed the deal with federal officials on Thursday, The Seattle Times reported. Salmon runs in the Upper Columbia had been abundant for thousands of years and were a mainstay of tribal cultures and trade. Political Cartoons View All 1173 ImagesThe Upper Columbia United Tribes, which includes tribes in Washington and Idaho, have been working on the reintroduction plan. “Taking this next step in studying salmon reintroduction above these blocked areas is the right thing to do and lays the foundation for the possibility of sustainable salmon runs in the upper Columbia River Basin,” executive director Kurt Miller said in a statement.

Persons: —, Biden, Joseph, Salmon, ” Jarred, Michael Erickson, Kurt Miller Organizations: Seattle Times, Bonneville Power Administration, Columbia United Tribes, “, White, Council, Environmental, U.S . Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia Locations: PORTLAND, Columbia, Colville, d’Alene Tribe, Spokane, Washington, Upper Columbia, Washington and Idaho, Kettle Falls, Confederated

☆ Side-by-side photos show 4 major changes made to SpaceX's Starship rocket system after its first launch ended in an explosion
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementMore than a thousand changes have been made to the rocket since and it is now "ready to launch" again Musk recently said. SpaceX's enormous Starship mega-rocket is made of two stages: the Starship spaceship and its booster, the Super Heavy booster. The Starship-Super Heavy launch system is made up of two stages. Instead, for Starship's maiden test flight, SpaceX decided to see if they could absorb the force of the flames with a thick concrete launchpad alone. The FAA will still need to review the changes made to the Starship launch system before it can grant a new license.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, it's, Abhi Tripathi, Starship's, Tripathi, Ashlee Vance, Vance, hushes, —, SpaceX's, LabPadre, SpaceX hasn't, It's, April's, Polly Trottenberg, Jared M, Margolis Organizations: SpaceX, Service, NASA, Super, Mission, University of California's, Sciences Laboratory, Flight Safety, FAA, Bloomberg, Boca Chica, CNBC, Texas Commission, Environmental, Center for Biological Diversity Locations: Wall, Silicon, Starship's, Boca Chica , Texas

☆ Sweden is the No. 1 country for affordability, safety and overall quality of life
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. News and World Report ranked the best countries in the world based on quality of life. U.S. News and World Report recently released its ranking of the best countries in the world based on quality of life. 1 country for quality of life: SwedenThe great square of Stortorget, in Gamla Stan Stockholm Sweden. After Sweden, Norway ranked as the second best country in the world for quality of life, according to the U.S. News and World Report. Canada ranked as the third best country based on quality of life, according to the U.S. News and World Report.

Persons: Michael Robinson, Alexander Spatari Organizations: . News, U.S . News, WPP, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Gamla Stan Stockholm, Sweden Norway Canada, CIA, Getty, Canada Locations: U.S, Sweden, Gamla Stan, Gamla Stan Stockholm Sweden, Sweden Norway, Sweden Norway Canada Denmark Finland Switzerland Netherlands Australia Germany New Zealand Norway, Norway, United States, Canada

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hundreds of communities around the country will share more than $1 billion in federal money to help them plant and maintain trees under a federal program that is intended to reduce extreme heat, benefit health and improve access to nature. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will announce the $1.13 billion in funding for 385 projects at an event Thursday morning in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Cedar Rapids has made the restoration of its tree canopy a priority since that storm, called a derecho, and will receive $6 million in funding through the new grants. She told reporters earlier that many communities have lacked access to nature and that all the tree grants would benefit marginalized and underrepresented communities. “Urban forests can really play a key role in ensuring both that access but also increasing the climate resilience of communities, helping reduce extreme heat and making communities more livable.”The federal money comes from the Inflation Reduction Act.

Persons: Tom Vilsack, ” Vilsack, Brenda Mallory, ” Mallory Organizations: DES, U.S . Department of Agriculture, D.C, Virgin, White, Council, Environmental, Vilsack Locations: DES MOINES, Iowa, Cedar Rapids , Iowa, Washington, Puerto Rico, Cedar Rapids, Cedar, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Tarpon Springs , Florida, Hutchinson , Kansas

☆ Elon Musk is gearing up to launch his Starship mega-rocket in August. Here are 2 changes SpaceX made to stop it exploding.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

SpaceX is adding changes to Starship's launchpad and rocket ahead of its next launch. SpaceX is now gearing up for a second launch, which CEO Musk has predicted could happen by end of August. Here are two crucial changes the firm has made to its Starship launch system, and why it hopes it'll keep the rocket from failing. Because of this change to the launch, SpaceX had to add a "vented interstage and heat shield" to protect the booster. The CEO is now vying for a second launch window by the end of August, he said in June.

Persons: Elon, Musk, it'll, SpaceX SpaceX's, didn't, Ashlee Vance, Vance Organizations: SpaceX, Service, Privacy, SpaceX's, SpaceX SpaceX, Federal Aviation Administration, Bloomberg, CNBC, The Texas Commission, Environmental, FAA Locations: Wall, Silicon, of Mexico, Boca Chica , Texas

☆ Amazon built a data center empire in northern Virginia. Exclusive filings reveal it's using as much energy as a major city.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Daniel Geiger | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Amazon does not disclose how many data centers it occupies, where they are located, or how much electricity they consume. Many of Amazon's data centers listed in the permits have been built recently and some may still be under construction. "You cannot run a data center based on the variability of solar and wind," Boston said. Any producer of renewable energy can sell one REC for every megawatt hour of renewable energy it generates. Brady, the Cushman & Wakefield data center executive, said that data centers often match their backup generation to the capacity of a data center's power supply.

Persons: Shaolei Ren, David Ward, Abraham Silverman, Sean Brady, Glenn Youngkin, Steve Helber, Terry Boston, –, Ben Hertz, Wood Mackenzie, Andy Jassy Mike Blake, Amazon's, Priya Barua, We've, Barua, Blackstone, Weston Swenson, Brady, Swenson, Josh Levi Organizations: Amazon, Washington DC, Amazon Web Services, UC Riverside, Columbia University's Center, Global Energy, Cushman & Wakefield, Dominion Energy, France's, AP, Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Republican, State Corporation Commission, Boston, state's Department, Environmental, Reuters, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Clean Energy Buyers Association, Virginia's Department, Industry, Cushman &, Dominion, Data Center Coalition Locations: Virginia, New York City, Washington, Seattle, France, Ward, Northern Virginia, West Coast, Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE

☆ Europe Is Embarking on a Mining Renaissance. Winning Over Locals Is Proving a Challenge.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +12 min

“It’s definitely a [mining] renaissance,” said Rebecca Campbell, global mining and metals lead at law firm White & Case. “We’re trying to foster a permitting landscape that is both efficient and responsible.”In Europe, the mining renaissance comes after years of nearly no new mining activity on the continent. Left: A layer of spodumene within the host rock that Savannah Resources intends to mine. Savannah Resources, which has set up two offices in the municipality, has said it would strictly avoid that and instead build reservoirs to store rain water. That view is echoed by Savannah Resources.

Persons: COVAS, Portugal —, Barroso, BEL, mina ”, ”, Nelson Gomes, Covas, Alex Gorman, “, Nelson, YUSUF KHAN, “ It’s, Rebecca Campbell, ” “, Jayni Hein, Hein, “ We’re, Peel Hunt’s Gorman, Dale Ferguson, Gomes, Jessica Polfjärd, Polfjärd, Ana Fontoura Gouveia, Fontoura, ” Fontoura, Yusuf Khan Organizations: COVAS DO BARROSO, Associação, Peel, Vulcan Energy Resources, Adriatic Metals, White, Covington, Burling, Environmental, Council, Savannah Resources, Sustainable Business, Sweden’s Moderate Party, Serra Locations: Portugal, Porto, Boticas, Covas, It’s, Europe, Germany, Sweden, Bosnia, Finland, Greece, U.S, Savannah, London, spodumene, Serbia, China, yusuf.khan

☆ California found a way to ignore NIMBYs and build more housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

California may have found an effective model to build affordable housing more quickly. The law applies to all regions of California that haven't met their housing construction targets, which is almost everywhere in the housing-scarce state. Between 2018 and 2021, 156 projects with more than 18,000 units have been approved or are under review under SB 35. SB 35 projects are also exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act, further speeding up the approval process. "It'll be catastrophic if it's not extended," Ramie Dare, director of real estate at the non-profit affordable housing developer Mercy Housing California, told the researchers.

Persons: —, Bill, haven't, it's, Caleb Roope, Scott Wiener Organizations: UC Berkeley, Service, Terner Center, Housing Innovation, Bay Area, Pacific Companies, Mercy Housing Locations: California, Wall, Silicon, Bay, Los Angeles County, Mercy Housing California

☆ 'We are being poisoned': Black residents living in Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' say the state is guilty of 'genocide' and environmental racism
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Trisha Gopal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Black residents living in the area have a disproportionate lifetime cancer risk. The complaint alleged that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality discriminated against Black residents by issuing permits that authorized new industrial facilities. Last year, the EPA announced a critical civil-rights investigation into Louisiana, looking into whether the state had violated the rights of Black residents in Cancer Alley. Smoke billows from a chemical plant in the area along 'Cancer Alley', October 12, 2013. "Once we came up with Cancer Alley, industry hated it, and they've been trying to prove that it's not a reality," he said.

Persons: Sharon Lavigne, James, Lavigne, " Lavigne, Andrew Lichtenstein, Michael Regan, Regan, Matthew, Giles Clarke, Deena Tumeh, Earthjustice, Darryl Malek, Wiley, they've, Kimberly Terrell, Terrell, I'm, James Parish, Pamela Spees, Spees, Malek, " Malek, I've Organizations: EPA, Service, Cancer, Getty, Civil, Inclusive, Brigade, Louisiana Department of Environmental, Center for Public Integrity, Environmental, Sierra Club, Atomic Workers Union, Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, Louisiana Tumor, Shell Oil Co, Cancer Alley, Formosa Plastics, Center for Constitutional Rights, Mount Triumph Baptist Church, Local Locations: Louisiana, St, James Parish, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Inclusive Louisiana, Black, Cancer Alley, Baton Rouge, Cancer, Formosa

REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File photoAug 2 (Reuters) - Refining rare earths for the green energy transition is hard. "The (rare earths) commissioning process is painstaking, with stops and starts," Jim Litinsky, MP's CEO and largest shareholder, told investors in May. Rare earths magnets turn power into motion and are the essential components in an electric vehicle's motor. Rare earths refining "is not really being addressed even by those who are developing magnet capacity," said Ryan Castilloux, a minerals consultant at Adamas Intelligence. American Rare Earths is working with U.S. government scientists at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory to develop bacteria that could process rare earths.

Persons: Steve Marcus, Lockheed Martin's, Lynas, Jim Litinsky, Kray Luxbacker, they've, Allan Walton, Ryan Castilloux, Castilloux, refines, Dysprosium, Tesla, Melissa Sanderson, Nathan Picarsic, Ernest Scheyder, Eric Onstad, Nick Carey, Melanie Burton, Veronica Brown, Susan Heavey Organizations: REUTERS, Lockheed, International Energy Agency, General Motors, University of, University of Birmingham, Adamas Intelligence, Trump, Reuters, Pentagon, Blue, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Edge, Sweden's, U.S, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Horizon Advisory, Thomson Locations: Pass , California, U.S, China, Apple's, Beijing, Texas, Western Australia, COVID, California, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Kuala Lumpur, United States, San Antonio , Texas, Sweden, South Africa, Karr

☆ SpaceX 'flame deflector' system for Starship launches may breach environmental regulations, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

SpaceX failed to apply for an environmental permit for its "flame deflector" system, CNBC reported. SpaceX failed to apply for the permits needed to use its "flame deflector" system used in rocket launches, potentially breaking environmental law, CNBC reported. However, according to a CNBC report, SpaceX failed to apply for the environmental permits needed to use the technology. A representative for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality told CNBC that as of Thursday SpaceX hadn't obtained the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit needed to permit such runoff at the launch site. Last week, physicist Jeff Baumgardner told Spaceweather that a SpaceX launch earlier in July briefly punched a hole in the Earth's ionosphere.

Persons: Elon Musk, SpaceX hadn't, didn't, Jeff Baumgardner, Spaceweather Organizations: SpaceX, CNBC, Starship, Morning, Texas Commission, Environmental Quality, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Texas

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