A round-up of this week’s environmental, green and ecofriendly news and updates.
Natural gas company Energy Transfer Partners has filed a lawsuit against almost every environmental group in the US for opposing the Dakota Access PipeLine (DAPL). It says that green groups engaged in “racketeering”, had a “criminal enterprise” led by “wolfpacks of corrupt” environmental groups which used “fake news and publicity stunts”. They say these groups bogged down its construction effort and cost the company millions of dollars. Oh dear.
Have you ever thought about getting a “green” job?
Perhaps you think you don’t have the right skills?
Or perhaps you think only people who work in renewable energy can have green jobs?
Perhaps you should think again!
If you would like a green job – or if you know someone who would – then this interesting post is for you. Read this green jobs post here.
You may remember I talked about pangolins recently – the secretive animals that are the most-trafficked mammal in the world.
Now, martial arts superstar Jackie Chan is helping to save them with a social media campaign called KungFuPangolin – you can view the cute quick video here.
How about a bit of inspiration?
I’m focusing on jobs this week. And if you have a passion for sustainability and caring for the environment, then this is right up your street!
Global Green News:
Thailand is seeing increasing demand for shark fins. Sharks are used for so-called medicine. Shark fin soup is popular in restaurants and at weddings – even though it has no flavour on its own. It is a very cruel industry. Each year some 75 million sharks are “finned” then dropped back into the sea to die – slowly.
Chile, the world’s leading copper producer, has rejected plans for a new copper mine – because it would have destroyed the habitat of very rare Humboldt penguins.
Although the mining company may appeal, it’s great that some governments are not totally motivated by money.
US Green News:
Climate change certainly did NOT cause Hurricane Harvey. But it made it worse:
- Higher sea temperatures meant that the storm picked up more moisture – that meant heavier rainfall over land, and a storm that stayed stronger for longer.
- Sea level rise as well as coastal subsidence by human changes (e.g. oil drilling) meant the storm surge was higher than it would normally be.
The devastation continues, with thousands of people people struggling. (And lots of people still deny the science of climate change!). And let’s not forget a report published last year which said that by continuing development in unsafe areas, Houston’s permeable prairie has been turned into houses – transforming a sponge into a bathtub.
This is the worst flood Houston has seen, but there were also floods in 2016, and 2015, and 2009, and 2008, and 2006 … Surely we can do better than continue to build in areas that will flood?
New York destroyed 2 tons of ivory that it had confiscated (while South Africa held a rhino horn sale – allegedly only to local buyers, but traffickers know how to overcome obstacles).
The U.S. is a major trafficking hub for the illegal wildlife trade.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
Please spread the Green word and share this info.
And if you’re on Twitter, get a daily green tip by following me – @EcoExpert1 . See you there!
