Ukraine, war and our world

Waking up to a world at war

It is hard to think about the environment when lives are being torn asunder by war.


I woke up this morning yearning for peace, mourning the harm and loss Ukrainians are experiencing, and hoping for better collective wisdom to guide us through this insanity.

At the top of my inbox this morning was a note from Katelyn Jetelina, a University of Texas epidemiologist who publishes the newsletter "Your Local Epidemiologist."

Posting on a global pandemic feels "insensitive without addressing a different kind of pain and suffering and tragedy that millions will soon face," she said. I concur.

Her wisdom is worth sharing:

"Just like the pandemic, many will also fall victim to mis and disinformation—a new tool that enemies have found to work swimmingly well in a time of anxiety and confusion. Please be sure to find (and share) only solid sources; preferably ones with a reporter on the ground in Ukraine. There are such things as disaster epidemiologists, so I hope they come to the forefront, too, ... to share the public health perspective of war or, more accurately, the devastating interaction between war and pandemic."

War and energy

With Russia serving as Europe's largest energy producer, early reporting has focused on how the global response is hindered by the EU's need for Russian natural gas.

But Russia is also a major provider of nickel, copper, cobalt – all necessary materials for alternative energy sources necessary in the transition away from fossil fuels.

Two stories of note:

Could Russian sanctions hobble U.S. clean energy push?

Norilsk Nickel Russia

Hans Olav Lien/Wikimedia Commons

Politico's Jael Holzman explores the metals market—and how reliant clean energy technologies are on exports from autocratic countries like Russia and China.

Key quote:

“Our concern is that our energy markets are so tied up with nations that do not share our values.”

Worth your time...

The Coming Energy Shock

Gasoline shortage florida 2021

CWMc/flickr

The Atlantic looks at the global energy market, Russia's immunity from foreign sanctions, and the havoc Russia could inflict on world markets.

"Any Russian retreat from world oil markets will jolt prices in ways that will be felt at gas pumps around the world."

Keep reading...

Some good news

In dark times I often turn back to Gary Snyder's short poem, "For the Children."

I need this today, and his advice at the end is worth carrying forward:

stay together
learn the flowers
go light

I'm grateful to our researcher, Autumn Spanne, who found this morsel of good news on the website Reasons to be Cheerful:

More women than ever are contributing to the next IPCC climate report

Women's Science March San Francisco

Matthew Roth/flickr

“Things are changing,” Miriam Gay-Antaki, an assistant professor of geography & environmental studies told reporter Jessica Kutz.

“People are realizing that attending to gender is not a nuisance but something that a lot of people actually want.”

Read the good news...

pipeline protest
Protesters rallying in opposition to the PennEast pipeline. (Credit: Delaware Riverkeeper Network)

Protesting oil and gas line development harms mental health and creates distrust in government: Study

“The number of stress-activated health conditions people reported was quite staggering."

PITTSBURGH — Engaging in public participation during permitting for oil and gas pipelines often harms mental health and creates distrust in government, according to a new study.

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Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
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Coast Guard inspects Cameron LNG Facility in preparation for first LNG export in 2019. (Credit: Coast Guard News)

Amid LNG’s Gulf Coast expansion, community hopes to stand in its way

This 2-part series was co-produced by Environmental Health News and the journalism non-profit Economic Hardship Reporting Project. See part 1 here.Este ensayo también está disponible en español
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Wildfire smoke from Canada significantly worsened US air quality in 2023

Wildfire smoke crossing from Canada contributed to a spike in air pollution levels and negative public health outcomes.

Sachi Mulkey reports for Grist.

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Credit: r. nial bradshaw/Flickr

Utah's shifting climate concerns influence political landscape

In Utah, a traditionally conservative state, the growing concerns over climate change are beginning to reshape the political conversation, with bipartisan support emerging for addressing the issue.

Marcus Baram reports for Capital & Main.

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FERC gains potential ally in Republican legislative proposals

GOP legislators push for bolstered FERC authority to promote fossil fuels, challenging Biden's climate agenda.

Nico Portuondo reports for E&E News.

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Oil industry leaders challenge the shift from fossil fuels at Texas summit

At a major industry conference in Houston, top executives from the world's leading oil and gas companies have voiced strong opposition to the rapid transition to clean energy, arguing for a continued investment in fossil fuels.

Oliver Milman reports for The Guardian.

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Oil companies' emissions may lead to extensive heat fatalities
Credit: Kanenori/Pixabay

Oil companies' emissions may lead to extensive heat fatalities

A recent study by Global Witness reveals that emissions from leading oil companies are on track to cause millions of heat-related deaths by 2100.

Matthew Taylor reports for The Guardian.

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Toxic air lingers in Texas Latino community, revealing failures in state’s air monitoring system

Public data from a network of state air monitors around the Houston Ship Channel is hard to interpret and is often inadequate, leaving Latino-majority neighborhoods like Cloverleaf unaware of whether the air they breathe is safe.

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El aire tóxico en una comunidad latina de Texas revela los fallos del sistema estatal de control de calidad del aire

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This will be a big year in shaping the future of chemical recycling

The controversial practice looms large in state environmental laws, federal regulation and global plastic treaty negotiations.

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What is chemical recycling?

While industry claims it could be part of a circular plastics economy, experts say that chemical recycling is extremely damaging to the environment and provides no real benefits.

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Cleaner steelmaking can’t come fast enough for this Northern Ontario city

Algoma Steel continues to exceed Canada’s standard air pollution limits for cancer-causing compounds and struggles with spills as it pushes toward a “green” makeover.

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