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A general view of pipelines on the gas storage facility at the gas trading company VNG AG in Bad Lauchstaedt, Germany July 28, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Europe’s gas inventories continued to accumulate much later than usual into the autumn as exceptionally mild weather delayed the onset of the winter heating season. It was the culmination of an unusually long refill season which has left the region’s storage sites brimming with gas and eliminated fears about supply security. In an average heating year, Frankfurt will experience a total of around 2,161 heating degree days between July 1 and June 30. Related columns:- Europe's record gas stocks start to pressure prices (November 7, 2023)- Europe’s gas stocks at record high going into winter 2023/24 (October 6, 2023)John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

Persons: Annegret, John Kemp, Marguerita Choy Organizations: VNG AG, REUTERS, European Union, Britain, Gas Infrastructure, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Bad Lauchstaedt, Germany, Chartbook, Europe, GIE, Ukraine, Northwest Europe, Frankfurt, EU, Russia, Asia

In a move that may soon be replicated elsewhere, the Gila River Indian Community recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to put solar panels over a stretch of irrigation canal on its land south of Phoenix. “This was a historic moment here for the community but also for the region and across Indian Country,” said Gila River Indian Community Gov. The idea is simple: install solar panels over canals in sunny, water-scarce regions where they reduce evaporation and make renewable electricity. Neither the Gila River Indian Community nor the Turlock Irrigation District are the first to implement this technology globally. Tribes hold the most senior water rights on the Colorado River, though many are still settling those rights in court.

Persons: ”, Stephen Roe Lewis, ” Lewis, Sun Edison, haven't, Heather Tanana, “ Organizations: U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, Community, Twitter, University of California, UC Merced, Irrigation, Sun, Reclamation, Associated Press, Walton Family Foundation, AP Locations: Phoenix, United States, Gila, Merced, Central, Gujarat, U.S, Irvine, Navajo, Colorado, Lake Mead

HAWSTON, South Africa (AP) — Nearly every house in Hawston has a boat in its yard, sometimes two. It's reduced the endangered South African abalone to unprecedented low levels, wildlife groups say. Political Cartoons View All 1256 ImagesAt first, the South African government banned abalone fishing completely. Hong Kong is importing between 2,000-3,000 metric tons of illegal South African abalone a year, the report estimated. Chan also rates South African abalone highly, as so many do, with its rich taste and slightly chewy texture.

Persons: Raphael Fisher, perlemoen, Fisher, ”, “ It’s, Wendy Chan, Chan, “, Keet, It's, Bertus van, van Oordt, Van Oordt, we'll, ” van Oordt, “ We'll, Markus Burgener, ” Burgener, Burgener, Zara, Toby, ” Fisher, Kanis Leung, Alice Fung Organizations: South, Global, Transnational, International Union for Conservation, Nature, Divers, Lookouts, Trade Monitoring, AP Locations: South Africa, Hawston, East Asia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Taiwan, Gansbaai, HIK, Hawston's, Africa, africa

☆ U.N. Plastic Treaty Talks Grapple With Re-Use, Recycle, Reduce Debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Some said the number of submissions represented progress, while campaign group Greenpeace said it was "chaos". Greenpeace said a successful deal would require the United States and the European Union to show greater leadership than they have so far. The International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), a global network of non-governmental organisations, however, said the proposals reflected the robustness of the Nairobi talks. Less than 10% of the plastic waste is recycled, the U.N. Members of the Saudi delegation at the talks declined to talk to Reuters, while Russian delegates could not immediately be reached for comment.

Persons: Duncan Miriri, INC3, Graham Forbes, IPEN, George Obulutsa, Barbara Lewis Organizations: United Nations, Greenpeace, Kenyan, European Union, International Union for Conservation, Nature, European, Saudi Locations: Duncan Miriri NAIROBI, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United States, Nairobi, Switzerland, Uruguay, Canada, Kenya, European Union

They used to take advantage of a grain elevator in Mayfield, Kentucky — a massive facility that bought and stored millions of bushels of grain from farmers. “The swings in the weather events that we have ... that’s kind of scary,” he said, especially for those with smaller farms. Human-caused climate change is only anticipated to amplify the number and intensity of those extreme events, from flash droughts to increased rainfall. Although he took some losses, he says that he and other farmers are used to dealing with uncooperative weather. On smaller farms, if farmers are forced to put everything in a low-lying area that floods, an entire crop can be affected, Schmitz said.

Persons: — Justin Ralph, he's, They're, you’ve, Ralph, Keith Lowry, Lowry, What’s, ”, Miranda Rudolph, Hans Schmitz, Jed Clark, Schmitz, Adam Kough, Murray, Kough, Joshua Bickel, ___ Read, Melina Walling Organizations: ” Farmers, University of, Farmers, Associated Press, AP Locations: MAYFIELD, Ky, Mayfield , Kentucky, Southern, Mayfield, Graves County, Kentucky, Indiana, ___

☆ U.N. plastic treaty talks grapple with re-use, recycle, reduce debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: INC3, Graham Forbes, IPEN, Duncan Miriri, George Obulutsa, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Greenpeace, Plastics, United Nations, Kenyan, European Union, International Union for Conservation, Nature, European, Saudi, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United States, Nairobi, Switzerland, Uruguay, Canada, Kenya, European Union

☆ Scientists discovered a field of deep-sea hot springs after following a trail of crabs like breadcrumbs on the ocean floor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scientists on an expedition near the Galápagos Islands followed a trail of crabs on the ocean floor. The crabs led them to a field of hydrothermal vents, or deep-sea hot springs. AdvertisementClusters of white crabs on the ocean floor helped lead scientists to a new discovery off the Galápagos Islands: a field of hydrothermal vents, or deep-sea hot springs, full of life. Schmidt Ocean InstituteA vent chimney discovered within a previously unknown hydrothermal vent field near the Galápagos Islands. A large cluster of riftia tube worms proved the researchers were unquestionably in a new hydrothermal vent field.

Persons: —, Dr, Roxanne Beinart, Hansel, Gretel, Ricardo Visaira Coronel, Dennisse Maldonado, INOCAR, Stuart Banks, Charles Darwin Organizations: Service, Schmidt Ocean Institute, Schmidt Ocean, University of Rhode Island, Ecuadorian, Charles, Charles Darwin Foundation Locations: Galapagos, Yellowstone

SAVANNAH, N.Y. (AP) — A man on a hunting trip was shot and killed in western New York on Saturday, the first day of the state's regular deer and bear hunting seasons, authorities said. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office said it responded at about 7 a.m. to a report that a hunter had been shot in Savannah, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Rochester. When deputies arrived, they found the man was fatally wounded during a hunting excursion, police said. The sheriff's office did not say how the man was shot and had not released his name as of late Saturday afternoon. Political Cartoons View All 1256 ImagesThe sheriff's office and state Department of Environmental Conservation police were investigating.

Organizations: Sheriff's, Audubon, of Environmental Conservation Locations: SAVANNAH, N.Y, New York, Wayne, Savannah, Rochester

☆ Colombia creates biodiversity fund aiming to manage nearly $1 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view of the Amazon river, before the signing of a document by Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos that will allow for the conservation of the Tarapoto wetland complex in Amazonas, Colombia January 18, 2018. Colombia is one of the world's most biodiverse countries where swathes of Amazon rainforest and other jungles are deforested each year. Scientists say protecting rainforests like the Amazon is vital to curbing the effects of climate change. "We hope to mobilize resources and actors to achieve interventions that respond to the needs of ecosystems and communities (in rural areas) and generate sustainable changes over time," Muhamad said. ($1 = 4,077.44 Colombian pesos)Reporting by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Juan Manuel Santos, Jaime Saldarriaga, Susana Muhamad, Muhamad, Oliver Griffin, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, for Life, Thomson Locations: Amazonas, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA

LONDON (AP) — A book about a fire that ravaged a Canadian city and has been called a portent of climate chaos won Britain’s leading nonfiction book prize on Thursday. John Vaillant’s “Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World” was awarded the 50,000 pound ($62,000) Baillie Gifford Prize at a ceremony in London. Last year’s prize winner, Katherine Rundell, gave her prize money for “Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne” to a conservation charity. Historian Ruth Scurr, who was on the panel, said she did not feel “compromised” as a judge of the prize. “I have no qualms at all about being an independent judge on a book prize, and I am personally thrilled that the winner is going to draw attention to this subject,” she said.

Persons: Britain’s, John Vaillant’s, Baillie Gifford, Frederick Studemann, Vaillant, “, David, ”, Siddhartha Mukherjee’s “, Katherine Rundell, John Donne ”, Ruth Scurr Organizations: “ Locations: Canadian, London, British Columbia, Fort McMurray, U.S

Many types of life live within the waters including fish, octopus, sea slugs, large amounts of kelp, and sharks that are not found anywhere else in the world. Among those sharks is an elusive type known as the puffadder shyshark. Yet the sharks are considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with their population in decline. The team developed a system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help safeguard the sharks. “And that’s what we’re trying to do here.”Watch the video at the top of this page to learn more about Cape RADD and Fin Spotter.

Persons: Mike Barron, Dylan Irion, Shysharks, Mertens, Shutterstock “, ”, Barron, it’s, “, they’re, ” Irion Organizations: CNN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Research Locations: South Africa

☆ US would welcome back any pandas from China, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The United States would welcome back any giant pandas China decides to send, the White House said on Thursday after Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted he might return some of the cuddly-looking black-and-white bears as a friendship gesture. And we respect the sovereign decision that China made to remove some of the pandas," White House spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing. "And certainly should a decision be made by the PRC (People's Republic of China) to restore some of the pandas to the United States, we would absolutely welcome them back." He said he also learned that the San Diego Zoo and people in California look forward to welcoming pandas back. "Pandas have long been envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples," Xi said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, John Kirby, Xi, Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Doina Chiacu, Michael Martina, Chris Reese Organizations: PRC, People's, San, Economic Cooperation, San Diego Zoo, Pandas, World Wildlife Fund, Zoo, Thomson Locations: United, China, People's Republic of China, United States, San Francisco, Asia, California, Washington, Sichuan

Later, Beijing loaned the pandas to other U.S. zoos, with proceeds going back to panda conservation programs. The National Zoo’s three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji, eight days ago began their long trip to China. After their departure, only four pandas are left in the United States, in the Atlanta Zoo. Unproven allegations that U.S. zoos mistreated the pandas, known as China’s “national treasure,” flooded China’s social media. The San Diego Zoo returned its pandas in 2019, and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Xi, Joe Biden, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Biden, Ashraf Khalil Organizations: FRANCISCO, U.S ., National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, San Diego Zoo, Garden, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Associated Press Locations: China, United States, California, San Diego, U.S, Beijing, Washington, San Francisco, Memphis , Tennessee

☆ Sub-Saharan Africa just hit 100 World Heritage Sites. UNESCO says that’s not enough
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Tom Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

At the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in September, UNESCO announced five new locations had joined the list of World Heritage Sites, taking sub-Saharan Africa’s total over 100 for the first time. Rwanda’s first two World Heritage Sites were named among 42 new entries worldwide. Vegetation in Rwasenkoko, Nyungwe National Park, one or Rwanda's two new UNESCO World Heritage Sites. CNLG/Courtesy UNESCOThere are currently 1,199 World Heritage sites, benefitting from the conservation agreements and tourism that come with that status. One is that some nations were slow to ratify the 1972 World Heritage convention, allowing them to submit applications for World Heritage status.

Persons: CNN —, Rwanda’s, Bale, Vande weghe, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, There’s, ”, Eloundou Assomo, –, Yonas, Assomo, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, World Heritage Committee, UNESCO, Heritage, World, Getty, “, World Heritage Fund Locations: Nyamata, Eastern, Odzala, Republic of Congo, Saharan Africa, Africa, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Guinea, Bissau, Liberia, Sao Tome, Principe , Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Rwasenkoko, Gisozi, Rwanda, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Uganda, Buganda, Kasubi, Kampala, Ethiopia, Bissagos

☆ An Old Watch Gets a Face-Lift Orchestrated by John Mayer
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Max Berlinger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

It’s not uncommon to see clocks or hourglasses alongside the snails, skeletons, scarecrows and other imagery on Online Ceramics T-shirts. “We talk a lot about time,” Mr. Funk said. “Like past and present, rebirth, the quickness of life.”That interest didn’t stretch much to watches, until recently. Mr. Funk, 34, recalling one worn by his uncle, said he had seen watches as a marker of elegance. Mr. Ross, 33, said the only watch he has ever really used was a Timex he wore while working for the Maine Conservation Corps after college.

Persons: Elijah Funk, Alix Ross, ” Mr, Funk, Ross Organizations: Timex, Maine Conservation Corps Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Panda Diplomacy Might Not Be Dead Just Yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Edward Wong | More About Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The fur balls might be coming back to Washington and San Diego. Xi Jinping, China’s leader, said in a speech on Wednesday night that his nation’s best diplomats, giant pandas, might soon return to zoos in the United States that have recently sent bears back to their homeland. “We are ready to continue our cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples,” he told a gathering of mostly business executives at a dinner in San Francisco. Mr. Xi pointed out that the pandas are “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.”Panda-monium gripped the United States last week when the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington sent its two aging adult pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji, or “Little Miracle,” back to China on a 19-hour FedEx flight, the Panda Express.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Mr, Xi, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji Organizations: FedEx, Panda Express Locations: Washington, San Diego, United States, San Francisco, China

☆ 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

The San Diego Zoo sent its pandas home in 2019 and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year. Whatever the reason, San Diego Zoo officials were hopeful. "It is a moment with some heartbreak in it,” National Zoo Director Brandie Smith said at the time. The San Diego Zoo has been panda-less for four years and may need to upgrade or refurbish its facilities. The National Zoo had announced plans to renovate its panda house and outdoor enclosure, but the timing on those plans is unclear.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Xi, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji —, ”, Daniel Ashe, ” Dennis Wilder, ” Wilder, Wilder, Gavin Newsom's, Xi’s, Paul A, Baribault, Ling, Hsing, Brandie Smith, Le Le, Didi Tang, Amy Taxin Organizations: WASHINGTON, San Diego Zoo, National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, Veteran, Economic Cooperation, Association of Zoos, Aquariums, Georgetown University’s Initiative, U.S, California Gov, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, “, Zoo, Associated Press Locations: America, California, San Diego, U.S, Memphis , Tennessee, China, Veteran China, People's Republic, Asia, San Francisco, United States, Washington, Memphis, Santa Ana , California

☆ PANDA WATCH: More Pandas might be coming to the US after multiple zoos had to send theirs away, China's top leader teases
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

General Secretary Xi Jinping opened the door to returning giant pandas to US zoos. Xi's comments come as all giant pandas at US zoos will soon be sent to China. Xi's comments came as lease agreements with US zoos are set to expire with no immediate replacement, meaning all giant pandas currently in the nation will soon return to China. The Atlanta Zoo is currently the only zoo in the US left with giant pandas. Advertisement"Recently, the three pandas at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C. have returned to China.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, Joe Biden, —, Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping, Xi's, Pat Nixon Organizations: Service, Chinese Communist Party Xi, Atlanta Zoo, Smithsonian National Zoo, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Washington Post, Biden Locations: China, Beijing, United States, Washington , DC, San Diego, Memphis, Washington

☆ China pandas: Xi Jinping hints he could send new pandas to US as ‘envoys of friendship’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Yong Xiong | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Their departure leaves Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas from China. “Recently, the three pandas at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C. have returned to China. The Chinese leader did not offer additional details on where any future Chinese pandas might be sent, but suggested California would be the most likely destination. The San Diego Zoo returned its last two pandas to China in 2019, after the loan agreement concluded. It’s also the Chinese leader’s first trip to the US in more than six years.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, “, Xi, Joe Biden, Richard Nixon’s, Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, Xiao Qi Ji –, It’s, Biden Organizations: CNN, San Diego Zoo, Beijing –, Smithsonian National Zoo, Smithsonian National, Zoo, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Locations: China, United States, San Francisco, Beijing, Europe, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Qatar, Washington ,, Zoo Atlanta, Washington, California, Bali , Indonesia

☆ 'We're releasing life': Heat wave speeds turtle hatching in Peru
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN JOSE DE LUPUNA, Peru, Nov 15 (Reuters) - In the Peruvian Amazon, an extended heat wave and drought have shortened the incubation period for thousands of turtle hatchlings released into the river by biologists as part of a local environmental program. Around 3,200 yellow-spotted Amazon river turtles, known locally as taricayas, were freed as part of a plan to repopulate the species, which is threatened by hunting. [1/3]River turtles sit in a plastic basin before being released into a river in the Peruvian Amazon, in San Jose de Lupuna, Peru, November 14, 2023. But over the past two decades, more than 19,700 square kilometers (7,600 square miles) of the Peruvian Amazon have been destroyed, according to government data. This year we're releasing 3,200 taricayas, bringing us up to 23,000 released (as part of the program)," Pipa said.

Persons: We've, Zabryna Pipa, San Jose de Lupuna, Alfredo Galarza, El, Pipa, Marco Aquino, Kylie Madry, Sandra Maler Organizations: JOSE, LUPUNA, Amarumayu, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Peru, Peruvian, Brazil, San Jose

☆ Pūteketeke: New Zealand crowns ‘bird of the century’ championed by John Oliver
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The votes are in for New Zealand’s Bird of the Century poll and the winner by a significant margin, getting more than 290,000 votes, is the Australasian crested grebe, better known as the pūteketeke or the ‘puking’ bird championed by comedian and talk show host John Oliver. This 2022 photo supplied by the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society shows puteketeke at Lake Ellesmere, south of Christchurch in New Zealand. To help spread the message and raise awareness, Oliver bought up billboards in New Zealand, Japan and the state of Wisconsin. “No bird on earth is more deserving of Bird of the Century than this one,” Oliver said on his show. “They are weird puking birds with colourful mullets.

Persons: John Oliver, “, ”, “ We’re, “ Pūteketeke, Peter Foulds, Young pūteketeke, Oliver, ” Oliver, Jimmy Fallon, What’s Organizations: CNN, Zealand’s, HBO, Royal, Bird Protection Society, AP, Wings Locations: kea, Lake Ellesmere, Christchurch, New Zealand, Royal, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Wisconsin

☆ NY wants to force Pepsi, Frito-Lay to clean up discarded plastic bottles and food wrappers, alleging that 'irresponsible packaging' is polluting river
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The lawsuit seeks to force Pepsi and Frito-Lay to clean up wrappers and bottles on the shores of the Buffalo River. Microplastics have been found in fish species and in Buffalo's drinking water supply, the lawsuit alleges. "No company is too big to ensure that their products do not damage our environment and public health. "We will not sit idly by as our waterways become polluted again, this time from ever-growing single-use plastic pollution." It also asks that the company take steps to prevent additional plastic pollution from entering the Buffalo River.

Persons: Letitia James, —, James, Microplastics, Jill Jedlicka Organizations: NY, PepsiCo, Pepsi, Frito, Service, New, PepsiCo Inc, Lay Inc, Lay, America Inc, state's Department of Environmental, Buffalo Niagara, Gatorade Locations: Buffalo, Lake Erie, United States, New York

Globally, as many as 128,000 fishers face threats of violence, debt bondage, excessive overtime and other conditions indicative of forced labor, according to the U.N.'s International Labor Organization. U.S. and European companies are under increasing pressure to clean up supply chains in labor-intensive industries where worker abuse is widespread. But ZheJiang Hairong in a statement last year to the state-owned Fujian Daily claimed ownership of only five of the 10 vessels that would later appear on the Financial Transparency Coalition's list. Pingtan last year was sanctioned by the Biden administration over allegations of illegal fishing and labor abuse. The Financial Transparency Coalition scoured government reports, media accounts and complaints by advocacy groups to come up with a list of 475 individual vessels suspected of forced labor since 2010.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Beth Lowell, Pingtan, Biden, Fu Ting, Wanqing Chen Organizations: MIAMI, Financial, Coalition, D.C, Walton Family Foundation, AP, Associated Press, International Labor Organization . U.S, Force, Group, Seven, Atmospheric Administration, Ocean Fisheries Co, Pingtan Marine Enterprises, China National Fisheries Corp, Fujian Daily, New York Stock Exchange, Washington , D.C Locations: Washington, China, Russia, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, United States, U.S, Oceana, Panama, Belize, ZheJiang, Fujian, Washington ,, Beijing, Investigative@ap.org

“No company is too big to ensure that their products do not damage our environment and public health. All New Yorkers have a basic right to clean water, yet PepsiCo’s irresponsible packaging and marketing endanger Buffalo’s water supply, environment, and public health,” James said in a statement. PepsiCo is the single largest identifiable contributor to the plastic waste contaminating the Buffalo River, according to the lawsuit. Microplastics have also been found in fish species that are known to inhabit Lake Erie and the Buffalo River, as well as Buffalo's drinking water supply, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that the opposite is happening, and that PepsiCo misled the public about its efforts to combat plastic pollution.

Persons: Letitia James, ” James, Microplastics, ”, Jill Jedlicka, James Organizations: — New York, PepsiCo Inc, PepsiCo, Frito, Lay Inc, Lay, America Inc, state’s Department of Environmental, Buffalo Niagara, Gatorade, Pepsi Locations: ALBANY, N.Y, Buffalo, “, Lake Erie, United States, New York

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