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☆ Rivian’s CEO created buzzy, outdoorsy EVs. Now big automakers are coming after it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Even now, as the company’s assembly lines have started churning out its electric vehicles, success still isn’t assured. The 39-year-old is running the car company he founded, building electric vehicles he helped engineer and design. Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesEver since he was a child growing up in Melbourne, Florida, Scaringe wanted to start his own car company. At the time, the idea of starting a car company seemed very farfetched. Robert Joseph "RJ" Scaringe, Rivian's founder and CEO, said he had wanted to start a car company since he was a child.

☆ Rivian’s founder had an early advantage with his electric truck. Now rivals GM and Ford are closing in
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Even now, as the company’s assembly lines have started churning out its electric vehicles, success still isn’t assured. The 39-year-old is running the car company he founded, building electric vehicles he helped engineer and design. A Rivian R1T pickup truck at the company's manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois. Robert Joseph "RJ" Scaringe, Rivian's founder and CEO, said he had wanted to start a car company since he was a child. In 2021, Ford revealed the F-150 Lightning electric truck, which went into production this year.

Companies Financial Conduct Authority FollowLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Providers of environment, social and governance (ESG) ratings on companies will be asked to apply a voluntary best practice code as a first step to regulating the sector, Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said on Tuesday. Trillions of dollars have flowed into sustainable investments globally using unregulated ESG ratings on companies as a guide for their 'green' credentials, leaving regulators worried about greenwashing or over inflated ESG claims. Britain's government is considering giving the FCA powers to directly regulate ESG ratings providers. The code will reflect recommendations from the global securities regulatory body IOSCO, and developments in Japan and the European Union, the FCA said. "A Code could also continue to apply for ESG data and ratings providers that fall outside the scope of potential future regulation," the FCA said in a statement.

☆ A new children’s book about glaciers aims to make activism second nature
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN: What do you think might surprise young readers to learn about glaciers in the book? Sanchez: To keep it relevant to young readers, I keep bringing the focus back to the animals that depend on glaciers. CNN: What are some of the tools your book gives young readers to take action to save the glaciers? CNN: What’s the most important message you hope young readers will take away from your book? They really need to be active, and there are so many things they can do.

☆ They were diagnosed with uterine cancer and tumors. Now they're suing the makers of chemical hair straighteners.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Janelle Griffith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Three years ago, Rhonda Terrell was diagnosed with an aggressive form of uterine cancer that has since spread to her abdomen and liver. “And I want to hold them accountable because I have granddaughters.”Bernadette Gordon, who used chemical relaxers from around 1983 to 2015, believes they caused her to develop breast and uterine cancer. In 2021, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer and underwent a hysterectomy, followed by six months of chemotherapy and radiation. There was never anything on the products' packaging, they said and their lawsuits allege, indicating that normal use of the products could cause them to develop uterine fibroids or breast or uterine cancer. “This study is the first to show a possible link between frequent use of hair straightening products and uterine cancer,” she said.

☆ Dead Costco chickens produce piles of bones outside a Nebraska town. Residents complain about 'smell of death'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some Nebraska residents are complaining about discarded chicken parts from Costco's operations. Residents said the smell from discarded poultry was "unbearable," the Nebraska Examiner reported. David City Mayor Alan Zavodny also expressed concern that composting operations were near the city's water wells, the Examiner reported. Bones and other discarded parts from dead chickens can be piled up at the chicken barns themselves, the Examiner reported, citing state laws. "It was just the smell of death," Greg Lanc, a farmer who lives within a mile of nearly 50 chicken barns, told the Examiner.

☆ Traces of explosives found at Nord Stream pipelines, confirming 'gross sabotage,' Sweden says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Investigators found traces of explosives at the site of the damaged Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic sea, confirming that the pipelines had been subject to “gross sabotage,” the Swedish Security Service said Friday. The statement did not expand on how the explosives might have got there and said an investigation was ongoing. The Swedish statement confirmed preliminary findings by Swedish and Danish authorities in October that “powerful explosions” had caused damage to the Nord Stream pipelines, referring to ruptures in the pipeline in Denmark’s exclusive economic zone. Underwater blasts ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines, which carry natural gases from Russia to Germany under the Baltic sea, in late September. Russia and Norway are the two major European exporters of natural gas, upon whom the rest of Europe has long been dependent.

☆ Factbox: The newest fronts in climate-change-related legal battles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

At the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, U.N. experts last week warned that many corporate environmental claims amounted to “empty slogans and hype.” This could embolden campaigners to launch more legal cases against climate-action laggards. The companies have denied the allegations in the lawsuits but have made public promises to work to avoid plastic pollution. The group claims the fossil fuel investments violate the French duty of vigilance law requiring corporations to identify and reduce environmental harms. The group, led by Oxfam France and Friends of the Earth France, called the move an "unprecedented legal action." The lawsuit claims DWS told investors that it invests 0% in controversial sectors such as coal, but elsewhere indicated revenue from the coal industry accounts for as much as 15% of the fund's revenue.

Last decade 2100 scenarios LOW EMISSIONS By 2100, Basra would see almost six months of dangerous heat under the most likely scenario. MEDIUM EMISSIONS HIGH EMISSIONS Jan. July Jan. July Dec. Dec. Heat Index 80°F Caution 90°F Extreme Caution 103°F Danger 125°F Extreme Danger Basra Kuwait City Last decade 2100 scenarios Lower emissions Medium emissions Higher emissions Jan. July Jan. July Dec. Dec. Heat Index 80°F Caution 90°F Extreme Caution 103°F Danger 125°F Extreme Danger Basra Last decade 2100 emissions scenario LOW Medium HIGH Jan. July Dec. Kuwait City Last decade 2100 emissions scenario LOW Medium HIGH Jan. July Dec. Heat Index 80°F Caution 90°F Extreme Caution 103°F Danger 125°F Extreme Danger Basra Last decade 2100 emission scenarios Low Medium High Jan. July Dec. Kuwait City Last decade 2100 emission scenarios Low Medium High Jan. July Dec. Heat Index 80°F Caution 90°F Extreme Caution 103°F Danger 125°F Extreme Danger Kuwait City Basra Today, Basra experiences about 60 dangerously hot days per year. MEDIUM EMISSIONS HIGH EMISSIONS Jan. July Jan. July Dec. Dec. Heat Index 27°C Caution 32°C Extreme Caution 39°C Danger 52°C Extreme Danger Basra Kuwait City Last decade 2100 scenarios Lower emissions Medium emissions Higher emissions Jan. July Jan. July Dec. Dec. Heat Index 27°C Caution 32°C Extreme Caution 39°C Danger 52°C Extreme Danger Basra Last decade 2100 emissions scenario LOW Medium HIGH Jan. July Dec. Kuwait City Last decade 2100 emissions scenario LOW Medium HIGH Jan. July Dec. Heat Index 27°C Caution 32°C Extreme Caution 39°C Danger 52°C Extreme Danger Basra Last decade 2100 emissions scenario Low Medium High Jan. July Dec. Kuwait City Last decade 2100 emissions scenario Low Medium High Jan. July Dec. Heat Index 27°C Caution 32°C Extreme Caution 39°C Danger 52°C Extreme Danger Kuwait City Basra Today, Basra experiences about 60 dangerously hot days per year. Last decade 2100 scenarios LOW EMISSIONS By 2100, Basra would see almost six months of dangerous heat under the most likely scenario. MEDIUM EMISSIONS HIGH EMISSIONS Jan. July Jan. July Dec. Dec.

☆ Traces of explosives found at Nord Stream pipelines, Sweden says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Investigators have found traces of explosives at the site of the damaged Nord Stream pipelines, confirming that gross sabotage had taken place, a Swedish prosecutor said on Friday. Swedish and Danish authorities are investigating four holes in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines which link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea and have become a flashpoint in the Ukraine crisis. Denmark last month said a preliminary investigation had shown that the leaks were caused by powerful explosions. "Analysis that has now been carried out shows traces of explosives on several of the objects that were recovered," the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement. A section measuring at least 50 metres (164 feet) is missing from Nord Stream 1, Swedish daily Expressen reported on Oct. 18 after filming what it said were the first publicly released images of the damage.

☆ Falling sperm count observed around the world, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Those are the headline findings of a new analysis of sperm count studies published Tuesday in the journal Human Reproduction Update. But Anawalt said the inherent limitations of this type of analysis — which combined results from more than 200 sperm count studies — could steer toward misleading conclusions. The decline had gotten steeper.”Despite the negative trend, the average sperm count for men in 2018 remained higher than levels the World Health Organization considers normal. It’s also possible that the type of men involved in sperm count studies is different from those who weren’t. “There’s other things in ejaculate that aren’t sperm — round cells and debris.”Moreover, sperm count is only one factor in determining fertility.

☆ Microsoft, Meta and others face rising drought risk to their data centers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Data centers generate massive amounts of heat through their servers because of the enormous amount of power they use. "These data centers are set up to operate 20 years, so what is it going to look like in 2040 here, right?" We changed our design to go to zero consumption water, so that we didn't have that sort of risk," said Myers. While companies with their own data centers can do that, so-called co-location data centers that lease to multiple clients are increasingly being bought by private equity firms in search of high-growth real estate. There are currently about ,1800 co-location data centers in the U.S., and that number is growing, as data centers are some of the hottest real estate around, offering big returns to investors.

☆ This Former BlackRock Executive Says ESG Investment Model Is Broken
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Angel Au-Yeung | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Encouraging renewable-energy alternatives to coal-fired power plants is a goal of environmental, social and governance, or ESG, investment. Terrence Keeley had been at BlackRock Inc. for about a decade when he reached a contrarian conclusion: ESG doesn’t work. Mr. Keeley spent much of his time at the asset manager overseeing a group that nurtured relationships with central banks, finance ministries, family offices and sovereign-wealth funds. Under pressure from politicians and activists, some of these investors were looking to distance themselves from companies that fall short on environmental, social and governance factors. BlackRock obliged, helping clients funnel money toward companies whose values they share.

The Biden administration on Friday announced plans to significantly tighten regulations against methane emissions from domestic oil and gas drilling. The Environmental Protection Agency said the proposed standards would reduce methane from the oil and gas sector by 87% below 2005 levels. In the United States, oil and natural gas operations are the nation’s biggest industrial source of methane, according to the EPA. The Biden administration announced its plan to reduce methane emissions in November 2021 at the last U.N. Last year, the U.S. and the European Union launched the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce the world’s methane emissions by 30 percent by the end of the decade.

☆ California sues 3M, Dupont over toxic 'forever chemicals'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 10 (Reuters) - California's attorney general on Thursday sued 3M Co (MMM.N), DuPont de Nemours Inc (DD.N) and several other companies to recoup the "staggering" clean-up costs from toxic pollutants known as "forever chemicals." The substances are known as forever chemicals because of how long they stay in the human body and environment. "The damage caused by 3M, DuPont, and other manufacturers of PFAS is nothing short of staggering, and without drastic action, California will be dealing with the harms of these toxic chemicals for generations," Bonta said. In June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warned that forever chemicals could be dangerous even at undetectable levels. The Biden administration is expected to issue the first enforceable drinking water regulations for PFAS in public water systems this year.

☆ This company wants to make air travel sustainable
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Clare Duffy Cnn Business Video John General | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Already, some of the world’s biggest airlines are signing on to Air Company’s vision. Jet Blue Ventures, the airline’s investment arm, also invested directly in Air Company’s $30 million Series A funding round earlier this year. Air Company's carbon-neutral, CO2-derived fuel was successfully used in August 2022 during a test flight in partnership with the US Air Force. Air Company“How we think about what the company does is trying to solve humanity’s toughest problems,” Gregory Constantine, co-founder and CEO of Air Company, told CNN in an interview last month. But Air Company’s production process starts by pulling harmful carbon emissions out of the air.

☆ California sues 3M, DuPont over toxic ‘forever chemicals’
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

DuPont has never manufactured PFOA, PFOS or firefighting foam, said spokesperson Daniel Turner, referring to two PFAS substances. “The damage caused by 3M, DuPont, and other manufacturers of PFAS is nothing short of staggering, and without drastic action, California will be dealing with the harms of these toxic chemicals for generations,” Bonta said. Thursday’s lawsuit was filed in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, and is the first statewide legal action over PFAS contamination. In June, the US Environmental Protection Agency warned that forever chemicals could be dangerous even at undetectable levels. The Biden administration is expected to issue the first enforceable drinking water regulations for PFAS in public water systems this year.

Proposition 26, which sought to bring point spreads to Native American casinos, was being rejected by 70.1% to 29.9%, tallies showed Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Proposition 27, the measure that sought to legalize online sports betting, was going down to even greater defeat by 83.3% to 16.7%. Proposition 26 garnered $120.7 million in donor support and $43.8 million in opposition efforts, according to the California secretary of state's contribution records. Meanwhile, Proposition 27 drew $169.5 million in support and $237.8 million in opposition. Proposition 27's backers didn't strongly oppose Proposition 26, whose backers aggressively fought the former measure in hopes of bringing Native American casinos a near-monopoly in sports betting.

[1/2] Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks during a side event on the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, 14 July 2022. The proceeds from green bonds will not be used to fund hydropower plants larger than 25 MW, nuclear projects and any biomass-based power generation with biomass originating from protected areas, the government said in the green bond framework released on Wednesday. A green finance working committee headed by the Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran will select public sector projects for green financing from those submitted by government departments. The committee will annually identify fresh projects to be funded through green bonds. The Indian government had sought assistance for its green bond framework from the World Bank and CICERO Shades of Green, a Danish firm that helps with environment assessments on green bond frameworks.

☆ Authorities turn seized home towers at Evergrande's resort island to rental, commercial use
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Almost 40 residential buildings of China Evergrande Group's (3333.HK) mega resort project on Hainan island seized by the local government will be completed for rental housing, serviced apartments and commercial activities. In December, the government of Danzhou city ordered demolition of 39 towers in the Ocean Flower Island development, containing roughly 3,900 of the project's 65,000 homes, because of environmental and construction violations. Ocean Flower Island is the world's largest artificial resort island and has been under development by Evergrande for nearly $13 billion. By April, local media were reporting that the local authorities had changed the status of those towers to "confiscation" from "demolition". Reporting by Clare Jim; Editing by Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ COP27: WTO chief seeks to revive green trade talks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Simon Jessop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The head of the World Trade Organization aims to revive negotiations on a global environmental trade deal, she told Reuters, as part of efforts to give the trade watchdog a bigger role in tackling climate change. But WTO discussions collapsed in 2016 after disagreements between China and Western countries about which products should be on the environmental list. "You need to have a friendly trade regime for renewables and other environmentally-friendly products," she said, noting tariffs for fossil fuel products are lower than for renewables in many countries. Exploratory discussions about a possible revival of a green trade deal have begun at the 164-member WTO body, although Okonjo-Iweala said some countries had expressed concerns, without naming them. She suggested beginning with a preliminary list of some 50 or 60 products that could be lengthened gradually.

☆ EXCLUSIVE Cheniere seeks 18 months to upgrade LNG turbines that failed pollution tests-document
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Cheniere is one of only two LNG providers with turbines subject to the rule, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data. He asked the state for 18 months to make changes to and retest the turbines. In the meantime, the company said it would take steps to minimize formaldehyde emissions, including taking a turbine offline or replacing components. In September, Cheniere submitted test results to Texas regulators that showed formaldehyde emissions at that facility were well below the EPA threshold. Cheniere has big plans to expand the Texas and Louisiana plants in coming years.

☆ How a 4-day workweek improved one company's recruitment, retention, and morale — and its workers' well-being
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

She added that the four-day workweek had helped recruitment, retention, and worker well-being. Around that time, she read a book about the promise of the four-day workweek. Thus began her company's participation in a six-month pilot program of a four-day workweek. Insider recently spoke with her about the four-day workweek's effects on the company's retention and recruitment and on the team's health and well-being. But the value of it in terms of retention, recruitment, and health and well-being cannot be overstated.

☆ Analysis: Egypt eyes diplomatic payoff from hosting COP27 climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Aidan Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The United Nations climate talks in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh starting on Sunday will put the global media spotlight on Egypt in a way the country last saw during its 2011 "Arab Spring" uprising. Authorities want to show "that Egypt is not an irrelevant country, that Egypt has the prowess, the diplomatic clout and the power, the security presence to be a pivotal figure", she said. In other moves aimed at improving Egypt's international image, Sisi has launched a limited political dialogue that is due to start soon after the climate summit. In an updated submission to the United Nations this year, Egypt said it faced a $246 billion funding shortfall to meet its 2030 climate targets. It is hoping to sign a flurry of deals including for green hydrogen power and solar and wind projects timed to coincide with COP27.

☆ Proposition 30: Californians will vote to tax high-earners to fund electric vehicle rebates and other climate change initiatives
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Proposition 30 would raise the personal income tax to create a Clean Cars and Clean Air Fund. Opponents say it's a scheme by rideshare companies to avoid paying for their electric vehicle transition. The state legislative analyst's office estimates an increase of $3.5 billion to $5 billion annually in funding for climate change initiatives. Gavin Newsom, the California Republican Party, the California Teacher's Association, the California Chamber of Commerce, and the California Hawaii State Conference NAACP. The largest financial contributors for or against the proposition include Lyft, a coalition of rideshare companies, and labor and environmental groups, according to OpenSecrets.

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