- United Kingdom's Prime Minister Boris Johnson surprised some this week by announcing a phasing out of the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2030, as part of “The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.”
- Thanks to climate change, record flooding is happening all over the USA and the world. Lest we think we can levee and dam our way into protection--well, we can’t. And sea levels are now rising faster than ever. Is the solution really to move to higher ground?
- In the government-taking-action-to-protect-people-AND-the-environment department, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmermoved to shut down Enbridge’s controversial Line 5 pipeline, which currently runs under the Straits of Mackinac. A break in the oil pipeline could threaten the drinking water of 40 million people who rely on the Great Lakes for their drinking water. The Canadian energy company has until May 2021 to shut it down.
- A recent Oceana report highlights the problems our marine life friends are havingdealing with our plastic waste. Meanwhile the United Nations is taking on plastic pollution globally with a new treaty which more than two-thirds of UN member states support, but the United States does not.
- Erin Brockovitch is calling out Joe Biden for picking a former DuPont flack consultant to head up his Environmental Protection Agency transition team. Brockovitch quotes The Who: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
- Closer to home, you can learn more about Orange County’s historic 90% voter approval of their rights of nature initiative from our friends at WMFE.
- Are you worried about illegal fishing? Or are you supportive of--or worried about--marine surveillance? Get ready for robocop boats! There are three new robotics companies vying to make the patrol of the oceans both human-less and automated. And in what might be a mystery waiting for some meddling kids to solve, the autonomous robot patrol boats are named after Scooby-Doo characters.
All this too much? Take a breather and fly over Estero Bay:
Estero Bay Preserve 110115
Got an environment story or tip to share? Email Valerie Vande Panne at Vvandepanne @ wgcu.org.