Distinct US Culture at Risk of Losing Island Home to Climate Crisis
Wall Street Spends Millions to Buy WA Water ; A Road Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles ; and More Picks
Wall Street Spends Millions to Buy Up Washington State Water (Reader Steve)
From the Seattle Times: “Crown Columbia Water Resources since 2017 has targeted the water rights of farms on tributaries of the mighty Columbia River. This March, the company sealed a $340,000 deal for Douglas County water. The same day, it paid $1.69 million for a farming partnership’s water in Columbia County. Two months later, the company spent nearly $1.61 million near Walla Walla…”
White House Cybersecurity Chief Quits, Says Leadership Is Inviting an Attack (Gray)
The author writes, “[Dimitrios Vistakis’s] greatest complaint seems to be that White House officials are prioritizing the President’s comfort or convenience over actual computer security.”
More Natural Gas Isn’t a ‘Middle Ground’ — It’s a Climate Disaster (Chris)
The author writes, “No one knows yet what Joe Biden meant when he promised a ‘middle ground’ on climate strategy a few weeks ago (he’s expected to release some policy shortly). But the first thing I thought of when he said it was natural gas. Biden is likely to try to signal that he’s a centrist by embracing natural gas’s role as a bridge fuel. It’s a beguiling strategy for Democrats who are fearful of being seen as too liberal. But I’m afraid it’s a dead end. You see, all those arguments for natural gas that seemed so compelling during the Obama years have fallen apart. It’s now clear that if the world is to meet the climate targets it promised in Paris, natural gas, like coal, must be deliberately and rapidly phased out. There’s no time for a bridge.”
Los Angeles Is Building a Road From Recycled Plastic Bottles (Mili)
The author writes, “The City of Angels is working with a startup called TechniSoil Industrial … to repave one of its downtown roads using a mixture of recycled plastic and existing asphalt — and the process could cut down on the environmental impact of construction while also producing a road that lasts up to 13 times longer than usual.”
Snorkeling Grandmothers Reveal Large Deadly Sea Snake Population in Popular Bay (Russ)
From CNN: “‘The Fantastic Grandmothers,’ as they call themselves, have worked with scientists from the University of New Caledonia and Macquarie University, Australia, since June 2017. All in their 60s and 70s, they are enthusiastic snorkelers who volunteered to photograph the deadly sea snakes. Their research showed that there was a far higher population of greater sea snakes (Hydrophis major) in the Baie Des Citrons … than previously thought. The findings have been published in the Ecosphere journal.”
