Environment – Page 48 – The Tarbabys Blog

Relentless rain causes floods in Northeast, prompts rescues and swamps Vermont’s capital

Associated Press

Relentless rain causes floods in Northeast, prompts rescues and swamps Vermont’s capital

Lisa Rathke and John Minchillo – July 10, 2023

A damaged car lays on a collapsed roadway along Route 32 in the Hudson Valley near Cornwall, N.Y., Monday, July 10, 2023. Heavy rain has washed out roads and forced evacuations in the Northeast as more downpours were forecast throughout the day. (AP Photo/Paul Kazdan)

Residents, journalists, and emergency service workers walk around a flooded Main Street, Monday, July 10, 2023, in Highland Falls, N.Y. Heavy rain has washed out roads and forced evacuations in the Northeast as more downpours were forecast throughout the day. One person in New York's Hudson Valley has drowned as she was trying to leave her home. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) — Residents, journalists, and emergency service workers walk around a flooded Main Street, Monday, July 10, 2023, in Highland Falls, N.Y. Heavy rain has washed out roads and forced evacuations in the Northeast as more downpours were forecast throughout the day. One person in New York’s Hudson Valley has drowned as she was trying to leave her home. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Mud, rocks and debris from Sunday's flash flood cover a road on the campus of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Monday, July 10, 2023 in West Point, N.Y. Heavy rain has washed out roads and forced evacuations in the Northeast as more downpours were forecast throughout the day, Monday. (Courtesy of the USMA via AP) — Mud, rocks and debris from Sunday’s flash flood cover a road on the campus of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Monday, July 10, 2023 in West Point, N.Y. Heavy rain has washed out roads and forced evacuations in the Northeast as more downpours were forecast throughout the day, Monday. (Courtesy of the USMA via AP)

Erosion damage is seen after heavy rains washed down Bear Mountain near the Popolopen Bridge along U.S. Route 9W in Highland Falls, N.Y., rendering the bridge unsafe and impassable for vehicles, on Monday, July 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

ANDOVER, Vt. (AP) — Rescue teams raced into Vermont on Monday after heavy rain drenched parts of the Northeast, washing out roads, forcing evacuations and halting some airline travel. One person was killed in New York’s Hudson Valley as she tried to escape her flooded home.

Mike Cannon of Vermont Urban Search and Rescue said crews from North Carolina, Michigan and Connecticut were among those helping to get to towns that have been unreachable since torrents of rain belted the state. The towns of Londonderry and Weston were inaccessible, Cannon said, and rescuers were heading there to do welfare checks. Water levels at several dams were being closely monitored.

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers said late Monday they expected two dams to release water overnight, causing “severe flooding” downstream likely to affect multiple towns.

Flooding hit Vermont’s state capital, with Montpelier Town Manager Bill Fraser estimating Monday night that knee-high waters had reached much of downtown and were expected to rise a couple more feet during the night. Montpelier had largely been spared during Tropical Storm Irene, which struck the region in 2011.

“For us, this is far worse than Irene. We got water but it went up and down. There were some basements flooded but it didn’t last long,” Fraser said, comparing this flooding to the Montpelier Ice Jams in 1992. “We are completely inundated. The water is way, way higher than it ever got during Irene.”

During Irene, Vermont got 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain in 24 hours. Irene killed six in the state, washed homes off their foundations and damaged or destroyed more than 200 bridges and 500 miles (805 kilometers) of highway.

There have been no reports of injuries or deaths related to the latest flooding in Vermont, according to state emergency officials. Roads were closed across the state, including many along the spine of the Green Mountains.

Some people canoed their way to the Cavendish Baptist Church in Vermont, which had turned into a shelter. About 30 people waited it out, some of them making cookies for firefighters who were working to evacuate and rescue others.

“People are doing OK. It’s just stressful,” shelter volunteer Amanda Gross said.

Vermont Rep. Kelly Pajala said she and about half dozen others had to evacuate early Monday from a four-unit apartment building on the West River in Londonderry.

“The river was at our doorstep,” said Pajala. “We threw some dry clothes and our cats into the car and drove to higher ground.”

The slow-moving storm reached New England in the morning after hitting parts of New York and Connecticut on Sunday. Additional downpours in the region raised the potential for flash flooding; rainfall in certain parts of Vermont had exceeded 7 inches ( 18 centimeters), the National Weather Service in Burlington said.

One of the worst-hit places was New York’s Hudson Valley, where a woman identified by police as Pamela Nugent, 43, died as she tried to escape her flooded home in the hamlet of Fort Montgomery.

The force of the flash flooding dislodged boulders, which rammed into the woman’s house and damaged part of its wall, Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus told The Associated Press. Two other people escaped.

“She was trying to get through (the flooding) with her dog,” Neuhaus said, “and she was overwhelmed by tidal wave-type waves.”

Officials say the storm has already wrought tens of millions of dollars in damage. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a news conference Monday the storm sent “cars swirling in our streets” and dumped a “historic” amount of rain.

“Nine inches of rain in this community,” Hochul said during a briefing on a muddy street in Highland Falls. “They’re calling this a ‘1,000 year event.’”

As of Monday evening, several washed-out streets in Highland Falls remained impassable, leaving some residents stuck in their homes but otherwise OK, Police Chief Frank Basile said in a telephone interview.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said there were reports of flooding in central and western Massachusetts and that state emergency management officials were in touch with local authorities.

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point was pounded with more than 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) of rain that sent debris sliding onto some roads and washed others out. Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven W. Gilland said recently arrived new cadets and others at the historic academy on the Hudson River were safe, but that assessing the damage will take time.

Atmospheric scientists say destructive flooding events across the globe have this in common: Storms are forming in a warmer atmosphere, making extreme rainfall a reality right now. The additional warming that scientists predict is coming will only make it worse.

The storm also interrupted air and rail travel. There were hundreds of flight cancellations at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports and more than 200 canceled at Boston’s Logan Airport in the last 24 hours, according to the Flightaware website. Amtrak temporarily suspended service between Albany and New York.

Swift water rescue teams in Vermont have done more than 50 rescues, mainly in the southern and central areas of the state, Vermont Emergency Management said Monday night.

Among the buildings flooded Monday was the Weston Playhouse in Weston, Vermont, which had been performing “Buddy — The Buddy Holly Story” to sold-out audiences.

The Weston Theater Company’s executive artistic director Susanna Gellert said the call was made at around 4 a.m. to evacuate 11 people associated with the production to higher ground and another 15 in nearby Ludlow. The three-floor playhouse, which had been damaged during Irene, was also flooded, with the dressing room and props room under water.

“As a theater, we were just starting to get back from the COVID shutdown,” Gellert said. “To have this happen right now is painfully heartbreaking.”

Cara Philbin, 37, of Ludlow, Vermont, was awakened by a neighbor early Monday and told to clear out of her second-floor apartment because the parking lot was already flooded.

“He told me me, ‘You need to get out of here … your car is going to float away, and I suggest you do not stay,’” said Philbin. The neighbor took her car keys and moved her car to a higher spot, while she called her parents and then drove to their home to ride out the storm, she said.

Ross Andrews and his wife were driving back home to Calais, Vermont, on Monday when he saw trucks parked at a 230-year-old dam with crews trying to keep it from failing. There were trees down everywhere.

“The interstate was closed right at our exit. Our road was closed right at our driveway. We managed to thread our way back just in the nick of time,” he said.

Minchillo reported from Highland Falls, New York. Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; and Mark Pratt and Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed.

Be on the lookout for invasive, jumping “earthworms on steroids”

CBS News

Be on the lookout for invasive, jumping “earthworms on steroids”

Li Cohen – July 10, 2023

As you tend to your garden this summer, there’s a creepy, crawly creature to be on the lookout for: an invasive worm that moves like a snake, thrashes around, jumps into the air and will even shed its tail in an attempt to escape.

While worms are generally considered to be an excellent addition to help soil and gardening, there are thousands of species — not all of them equally welcome. Invasive jumping worms are one species known to actually worsen soil and make it “inhospitable” to many plants. They have been spotted in recent years, and most recently, may have even been seen in Wisconsin.

Here’s what to know about the invasive species.

What are invasive jumping worms?

Invasive jumping worms, Amynthas agrestis, go by many names, according to the USDA: Alabama jumpers, Jersey wriggles, wood eel, crazy worms, snake worms and crazy snake worms. But all those names stem from one notable feature of the critter.

“Invasive Asian jumping worms got their name because of the way they thrash around,” Forest Service researcher Mac Callaham said in a post by the USDA last year. “They can flip themselves a foot off the ground.”

The worms are thought to have first made it to the U.S. some time in the early to mid 1900s from eastern Asia, and can be transported to new areas in shipments of mulch or potted plants.

The invasive jumping worm has popped up across the U.S. in summer months after they reach maturity. / Credit: DNR

Where are they found?

The critters, which been described as “earthworms on steroids,” had infiltrated Connecticut and more than 30 other states as of last summer. According to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, the worms are often found in the eastern U.S. and parts of Canada, where the climate is “similar to the area in Japan where jumping worms come from.”

“Jumping worms are well adapted to these humid continental and humid subtropical climates, and so they have a strong potential to invade the entire eastern half of the United States and parts of Canada,” the department says.

And most recently, they may have been found in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin officials said the Door County Invasive Species Team received a report from a local resident that there may be jumping worms in a mulch pile at Sturgeon Bay’s compost site. The city, which issued a statement on July 6, said it is investigating the report and that the site will be treated “as if it is infested” until it is proved otherwise.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the worms typically live within the top inch or two of the soil’s surface, often in debris and leaves, and can be found in yards, gardens, mulch, compost and potted plants. They spend the summer months eating and growing and are most noticeable in the late summer and early autumn once they reach maturity and start to reproduce — which they can do without mates.

Why are jumping worms bad?

Wisconsin officials explain that the worms eat the organic matter in soil and leave behind waste that looks like “hard little pellets,” known as castings, that “alter the texture and composition of soil” to make it look like large coffee grounds. That soil lacks the structure and support necessary for many native plants to survive.

The worms are also known to have build-ups of toxic metals within their systems, including mercury, cadmium, copper and lead, according to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. If those metals, which are found in soil, reach high levels within the worms, it can “negatively impact” the birds that may feed on them, researchers said.

What do invasive jumping worms look like?

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources describes invasive jumping worms as having a “smooth, glossy dark gray/brown color” with a cloudy-white to gray-colored band, known as the clitellum. The worms are known to have a “snake-like movement,” are often found in large numbers, and will “thrash, spring into the air and can even shed their tails to escape,” when they are disturbed, the department says.

Invasive jumping worms often have a gray or milky white clitellum band that's flat against the rest of their bodies. / Credit: Shikha Singh, JLW CISMA/Michigan Invasive Species Program — Invasive jumping worms often have a gray or milky white clitellum band that’s flat against the rest of their bodies. / Credit: Shikha Singh, JLW CISMA/Michigan Invasive Species Program

How can you prevent and get rid of invasive jumping worms?

There are not yet any official methods to help control or prevent jumping worms, but Wisconsin officials say the best thing people can do is to educate themselves about how to recognize the creatures. People are also encouraged to clean soil and debris if moving it between areas, and only sell or purchase plants and gardening materials inspected and believed to be jumping worm-free.

If jumping worms are found, remove and destroy them by sealing them in a bag and throwing that bag in the trash, Wisconsin officials say. They also said research has shown that the worms and their cocoons can’t live through temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit or above for more than three days — a temperature that can be easily hit in compost piles or can be reached by putting clear plastic over garden topsoil exposed to the sun.

Father claims he ‘ended’ his young son’s health problems by making one small change in his home: ‘[It] offers zero benefit’

TCD

Father claims he ‘ended’ his young son’s health problems by making one small change in his home: ‘[It] offers zero benefit’

Brett Aresco – July 9, 2023

The national debate over gas stoves in homes has reached a fever pitch, with advocates praising their cooking precision and critics condemning their adverse health effects. With more Americans than ever debating the costs and benefits, many have started sharing their own stories about abandoning gas stoves on social media.

Writer Jamelle Bouie is one person who’s gone through that questioning — and come out the other side praising the benefits of induction stoves over gas-powered ones. Bouie, a dad, says the decision to switch had a major effect on his son’s health.

Bouie posted a TikTok explaining his reasoning, in which he says that “there is a lot of evidence going back many decades that gas stoves produce levels of indoor pollution that would be considered highly dangerous if experienced outside.”

“I’m not here to tell you that you can’t have a gas stove,” Bouie adds, noting that he and his family purchased an induction range in 2022 and have already seen the benefits.

“My son had pre-asthma,” Bouie goes on, “and removing the gas stove from our house pretty much ended any respiratory problems he had.”

Research now shows that gas stoves are a major contributor to childhood asthma cases because they release dangerous chemicals like nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde. According to the California Air Resources Board, “Natural gas and propane stoves can release carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and other harmful pollutants into the air, which can be toxic to people and pets.”

Induction stoves are an excellent alternative that can eliminate many of the problems with gas stoves. They’re also lightning-fast, easy to clean, and usually cheaper than their gas counterparts. Bouie says his induction range “cooks as good as gas,” and he found a lot of support for his switch from fellow TikTokers who commented on the video.

“We switched to an induction stove a few months ago,” one user writes. “I like it better than gas, heats up cast iron fast and boils water very fast.”

“Induction is better by every metric,” writes another. “Gas offers zero benefit.”

Other commenters lamented that they lived in rented homes and didn’t have the power to replace their gas stoves. “I would get rid of the stove,” one writes, “but I’m in an apartment.”

“Renters need recourse,” another commenter writes. “Not like we can legally replace them ourselves.”

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Toxic algae that can cause lung infections and neurological disorders is taking over a giant lake in Florida, and ecologists say the bloom will only grow

Business Insider

Toxic algae that can cause lung infections and neurological disorders is taking over a giant lake in Florida, and ecologists say the bloom will only grow

Katie Hawkinson – July 9, 2023

Boats sit at a dock while algae blooms turn the water green around them in Lake Okeechobee. — More than half of Lake Okeechobee is covered in algae blooms.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Florida’s Lake Okeechobee is already half full with toxic algae, and the bloom will only grow.
Fumes from the algae can cause several health complications, like lung infections.
Climate warming and pollutant run-off from nearby crops help it thrive, experts say.

The largest freshwater lake in Florida, which is a draw for fishing and boating in the summer months, likely won’t see many faces this year.

That’s because Lake Okeechobee is already half-full with a bright green, toxic algae that researchers say will only grow as algae season continues on through the summer. The algae can cause several health complications, including lung infections, organ damage, and neurological disorders, The New York Times reports.

Experts told the Times the severity of this year’s bloom is, in large part, due to the warming climate that has resulted in increased rainfall and rising levels of carbon dioxide, which the algae feeds on. The algae also thrives among the fertilizer and manure that runs into the lake from nearby crops.

This is not a new problem for Florida. In 2018, former Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency across seven counties in an effort to combat the same toxic algae in Lake Okeechobee that was also inundating a nearby river.

Finding a solution to this toxic bloom has been a challenge.

Florida plans to build a reservoir to stop the algae from flowing out of the lake and into other bodies of water — though the Times reports that the reservoir would fill to capacity after depleting Okeechobee by only six inches.

Environmentalists are also calling on the state of Florida to implement rules limiting the run-off of pollutants from nearby crops that feed the algae, the Times reports.

This policy would take decades to make a large impact, thanks to the phosphorous-rich sediment already present in the lake.

How do I fix an overwatered plant? The warning signs – and ways to combat excessive moisture

Homes & Gardens

How do I fix an overwatered plant? The warning signs – and ways to combat excessive moisture

Drew Swainston – July 8, 2023

Overwatering plants is a common mistake to make and many people do not realize it can be as dangerous as underwatering. There is the potential for plants to be killed by overwatering as the roots can essentially be suffocated by too much moisture in the soil.

However, rest assured that there are tried-and-tested methods of fixing a plant that has been overwatered and getting it back to a healthy and thriving state again. The measures can be as simple as stopping watering until the soil dries out, to moving the plant or repotting it into a new soil mix.

Judging when to water plants is always tricky, especially so for a novice gardener, so it pays to know those classic signs of overwatering so you can spot them quickly and make any moves required to deal with that excess moisture in the soil.

What should I do if I overwater my plant?

Overwatering plants happens. It is often a case of over-enthusiasm and mis-judging how much moisture the plants need, though it can be a year-round issue and equally as problematic during the winter months as when watering plants in hot weather.

There are recommended tactics to avoid potential plant overwatering, such as watering plants from the bottom if they are in pots. You can also get aids, such as self-watering planters (our pick is below) or using DIY drip irrigation techniques to help control the watering of indoor plants or when container gardening.

However, there are tell-tale signs that any plant has been overwatered which are important to recognize. This includes yellowing or browning leaves, wilting, and also the soil can look green as a result of algae growth.

At the first sign of any of these, move quickly to see if overwatering could be the cause. While it is more common to overwater houseplants or those in containers, overwatering outdoor plants does also often occur and the signs to look out for will be the same.

The first move should be to check how wet the soil is around the base of the plants. When watering plants in containers, always use your fingers to see the moisture levels a few inches down in the pot. The soil may look dry on top, but still be very sodden below the surface and adding more moisture can easily lead to overwatering. An alternative to using your fingers is to get a soil moisture meter that can be inserted and give an instant reading with regards to water levels. Sonkir’s meter is by far Amazon’s best seller with over 30,000 positive reviews, and can also test soil pH.

If you fear overwatering to be the issue, then there are simple steps to take. Which one is the best step is likely to be dependent on how fast you spotted the signs of this garden watering mistake and how waterlogged the soil got.

ETGLCOZY 6/4.1/3.2 Inch Self Watering Planter Pots | available at Amazon
These set of five self-watering pots can allow up to 14 days of watering per fill and their clear view window allows you to monitor when it is time to fill the pot. They are ideal for indoor plants and can help prevent overwatering View Deal

1. Stop watering

It may seem obvious, but the main thing to remember is to stop giving an overwatered plant any more water. Continuing to add more water to an already overwatered plant can further exacerbate the issues and increase the chance of root rot.

It may take many days for the soil to dry out, but hold off from watering the plant while it dries out. If the problem has been identified quickly then merely letting the soil dry out and then adjusting your watering schedule to better suit the plant can often do the trick.

2. Re-pot the plant

To help the plant to recover from overwatering, it can be beneficial to re-pot it and improve the soil type in which it is living. Depending on how sodden the soil is, it might be possible to lift the plant out of the pot and allow the soil to dry in the air for a few hours. If the soil is so wet this seems unlikely, then it would be best to re-pot it completely into a better soil mix.

How to repot an overwatered plant in 5 simple steps:

Remove the plant from the pot and try to remove as much of the wet soil as you can.
Inspect the roots and cut off any rotting sections, they will look brown and potentially have a decaying odor.
Pick a pot and make sure there are holes in the bottom for drainage. You can reuse the same pot, but it is best to wash it out beforehand.
Repot the plant in a mix of free-draining compost, for example the Premium Organic Potting Mix from Burpee, with some perlite or grit added in for extra drainage. Do not reuse potting soil, or use garden soil in pots as it holds too much moisture.
Place the pot in a shady spot and refrain from watering until the soil mix feels dry.

3. Move the pot

While the instinct might be to move the plant to the sunniest spot possible to help dry out the soil, this can actually do the plant further harm. It is far better to move the plant into a shaded spot to allow it to dry out.

A plant that has been overwatered will struggle to move water to its upper leaves, which can leave the upper levels of the plant at risk of drying out due to evaporation in full sun. This can further stress the plant, it is better to move the plant to a shady spot and remove any flowers or fruits that are towards the top. Removing theses helps the plant focus its energy into recovery and surviving.

4. Increase air flow

Increasing the air flow can help to dry a plant out. This can be particularly beneficial if you can lift the plant out of the pot and air dry the soil around the root ball. Air flow can help to dry out soil that is holding too much moisture, especially if they are in porous terracotta pots, and it can dry soil throughout the whole container. This can be achieved by placing a fan nearby.

If you can lift the root ball, lay it on a rack and get some air movement around it to help reduce some of that excess moisture. Once dried, the root ball can go back into the pot again.

FAQs

How long does it take for a plant to recover from overwatering?

The time it takes for a plant to recover from overwatering will depend on certain factors, including how sodden the soil is, the pot size, and temperature. It is a case of playing the waiting game and monitoring how long it takes for the soil to dry out completely before starting to water again. It can take between one and two weeks for a plant to dry out and start the recovery process from being overwatered.

What are signs of root rot?

The tricky thing with root rot is that, while there can be signs of the issue showing above the ground, you cannot be sure until you lift the plant. By this time there could be a lot of damage done to the plant’s overall health. The signs to look for include yellowing leaves, wilting, overall slow growth of plants, and also a rotting smell from the soil. Roots affected by rot will be brown or black in color, potentially slimey, and smelling of decay. There is no treatment for root rot, you can trim off any affected sections if you catch it in time and hope there are enough healthy roots remaining to maintain the plant.

Should I re-pot after overwatering?

There are many scenarios where it is helpful to re-pot a plant after overwatering. This is especially the case where the plant is living in a pot that does not have holes in the bottom for drainage. If there is nowhere for the water to go, the bottom of the pot can fill with moisture and start to suffocate the roots. If the soil is very sodden, or the pot does not have holes for excess water to escape through, then it is important to repot the plant.

Should I water an overwatered plant?

No, you should not water an overwatered plant. Continuing to add more moisture further increases the risk of root rot and the eventual demise of your plant. Stop watering and carefully monitor the plant until the soil dries out. Check the moisture levels regularly using your fingers to see the level a few inches into the soil. Only when the soil becomes dry to the touch should you start adding water and alter the watering schedule to prevent overwatering again.

Overwatering can often be a problem with container plants and houseplants, though it does not need to be the end of the road for any affected plant. Always get to know your plants, learn what watering they need to be at their best. and tailor any schedule to them. Never treat all plants the same when it comes to watering, as that can spell trouble. And monitor them closely, the sooner you see any troublesome signs the quicker you can act and the more likely it is the plant can pull through fine.

Texas considered a bill that would severely limit residents’ use of solar power: ‘[It] would turn all of Texas into an HOA’

TCD

Texas considered a bill that would severely limit residents’ use of solar power: ‘[It] would turn all of Texas into an HOA’

Laurelle Stelle – July 8, 2023

The Texas legislature recently considered a bill to heavily restrict the generation of wind and solar energy, University of Texas at Austin research scientist Joshua D. Rhodes revealed in a tweet.

The bill in question was Texas SB 624, co-sponsored by Senators Lois Kolkhorst, Mayes Middleton, and Bryan Hughes. It would have established new permit requirements for affordable “renewable energy” — not for dirty energy sources, such as coal. In a win for clean energy, it failed to get out of committee.

According to the latest version of the bill (as of late May), any Texas resident with a large solar or wind system who wanted to connect to the grid would have needed a permit. The lengthy permitting process would have required a public meeting to allow comments, multiple surveys and assessments, and a website with information about the project.

SB 624 would also have required that wind turbines be placed a whole 3,000 feet — more than half a mile — away from the property line, except with the permission of neighboring property owners.

“Texas #SB624 would turn all of Texas into an HOA where your neighbors are now going to be able to tell you what you can and can’t do on your own property,” tweeted Rhodes.

As written, the bill applied to facilities with a capacity of 10 megawatts or higher to connect “with a transmission facility.” That wouldn’t include small residential systems, which are usually between one and four kilowatts (0.001 to 0.004 megawatts), according to Yes Energy Solutions.

However, it would have applied to the many wind farms set up by rural property owners across Texas, Rhodes said.

“Our current and expected fleet of renewables are set to pay landowners tens of billions of dollars over their lifetimes, but those Texans might get less if their neighbors protest,” he said in a comment.

Power Up Texas said the new bill would not only have harmed Texas landowners financially but would also have made the energy grid less stable and raise the cost of electricity for everyone.

According to state legislators, the bill’s purpose was to protect wildlife, water, and land from the effects of energy generation. But it’s telling that the proposed law applied only to nonpolluting wind and solar, rather than heavily polluting energy sources like coal and oil that have a much harsher impact on our air and our planet.

Lawsuit seeks to end new law signed by Greg Abbott banning water breaks after Texas heat wave deaths

Salon

Lawsuit seeks to end new law signed by Greg Abbott banning water breaks after Texas heat wave deaths

Tatyana Tandanpolie – July 7, 2023

Officials in Houston, Texas, filed a lawsuit on Monday looking to keep the state from enforcing an oppressive law critics have dubbed the “Death Star” bill.

House Bill 2127 is set to go into effect on Sept. 1 after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law on June 6, according to MSNBC’s “The ReidOut” blog. The new law restricts local governments by preventing them from passing certain ordinances if they contradict state laws in eight key areas: agriculture, finance, business and commerce, insurance, local government, labor, natural resources, property or occupations.

In the newly filed lawsuit, lawyers representing the city argue that, in broadly pre-empting local laws, the bill violates the state Constitution, and ultimately call the measure “hopelessly vague.” The city, thus, asks the court to make the law “void and unenforceable.”

“Because of HB 2127’s vagueness, Houston will not know with any certainty what laws it may enforce, and its residents and businesses will not know with certainty what laws they must obey,” the suit reads. “This high level of uncertainty and confusion concerning the validity of virtually all local laws in important regulatory areas and those concerning health and safety themselves constitutes a concrete injury.”

Arguing that the bill will incite confusion, the lawsuit cites the so-called Death Star law’s lack of a requirement for local legislation to actually conflict with state laws in order for it to be prevented from taking effect.

“Under HB 2127, if the State regulates anything in an unspecified ‘field,’ local regulation is arguably entirely precluded in the undefined area unless there is express legislative authorization,” according to the lawsuit.

Scorching temperatures broke records three times this week and July is just getting started

The lawsuit also comes after a deadly heat wave wracked the state last month, resulting in a public health crisis, the deaths of 11 people between the ages of 60 and 80 in Webb County since the bill was signed, and a surge in emergency department visits related to the record-breaking, 100-degree temperatures.

In Texas prison facilities without air conditioning, at least nine incarcerated people, including two men in their 30s, died last month from heart attacks or unknown causes. Another harrowing incident saw a teen and his stepfather die after the 14-year-old lost consciousness during a hike in Big Bend National Park and the stepfather crashed his car while racing to find help. Plus, at least four workers have died in the state after collapsing in three-digit heat, the Texas Observer reports: a Dallas post office worker, an East Texas utility lineman and two Houston construction workers.

While the nature of the worker deaths is still under investigation, the Observer notes that hyperthermia is likely the cause. Considering climate scientists told the Tribune that heat waves will become increasingly severe and common due to climate change, the risk to public health will only rise.

Once HB 2127 goes into effect in September, local ordinances mandating water breaks for workers outdoors in cities across the state, which the Observer writes contributed to a “significant decrease in annual heat-related illnesses and heat deaths,” will be overturned and localities will be barred from passing new ones.

A spokesperson for Abbott said that “ensuring the safety of Texans is a top priority as our state experiences high summer heat,” in a statement, noting that overriding local laws won’t keep workers from taking breaks under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standards.

But some workers fear that the lack of local protections will mean bosses hoping to increase production will eliminate breaks, the Observer said.

The city of Houston’s lawsuit also calls out the possibility of widespread, city deregulation sparked by individuals and businesses pursuing their own interests and justifying the acts under the law.

“Houston will have to defend against a likely barrage of lawsuits brought by trade associations or individuals essentially to deregulate their industries or businesses at the local level,” the suit claims, adding an accusation that Texa’ Republican legislators are creating “a public/private enforcement regime that will penalize and raise the risk of Houston’s exercising its clear and expansive constitutional authority.”

Climate change is driving earlier springtimes. For some birds, that could equal extinction: Study

If successful, the suit will protect the water mandates and other measures like the Houston program providing 30,000 uninsured people with healthcare, Mayor Sylvester Turner noted.

“HB 2127 reverses over 100 years of Texas constitutional law without amending the Constitution,” Turner said in a public statement. “Because Texas has long had the means to preempt local laws that conflict with State law, HB 2127 is unnecessary, dismantling the ability to govern at the level closest to the people and therefore punishing all Texas residents. Houston will fight so its residents retain their constitutional rights and have immediate local recourse to government.”

DeSantis’ veto of electric cars bill cost taxpayers $277 million, critics say

Orlando Sentinel

DeSantis’ veto of electric cars bill cost taxpayers $277 million, critics say

Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel – July 7, 2023

Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis was more concerned about Iowa corn farmers than Florida taxpayers when he vetoed a popular bill that could have saved the state $277 million by adding electric vehicles to state and local government fleets, a Democratic critic says.

More EVs would mean less of a demand for ethanol, which is processed from corn grown in states such as Iowa, the expected home to the first presidential caucus next year.

It’s another example of DeSantis putting his own political ambitions to be president over the needs of Floridians, said Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando.

“The Iowa caucus voters who are all about ethanol don’t see electric vehicles as something that is economically in their favor,” Eskamani said. “DeSantis is catering to his Iowa voters, not passing policy for Floridians.”

The electric car bill, SB 284, sponsored by Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Lake Mary, would have required all state and local governments, colleges and universities to buy vehicles based on their lowest lifetime costs. Current law requires such purchases to be based on fuel efficiency.

It ordered the Department of Management Services to make recommendations by July 1, 2024, to state agencies, colleges, universities and local governments about buying electric vehicles and other vehicles powered by renewable fuels.

“It allows us to look at procuring electric vehicles,” Brodeur said. “It doesn’t mean you have to purchase any.”

The governor’s veto last week was perplexing, supporters said. Both the Florida Natural Gas Association and the Sierra Club supported the measure, along with the Advanced Energy United and Electrification Coalition, a group that supports increasing the use of alternative-fuel vehicles.

“It was a common sense, good governance bill. There is nothing in this bill that any person in America should be against,” said former Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Tampa Bay Republican who tried getting similar legislation through last year.

The law could have saved state and local governments $277 million over 15 years by adding more electric vehicles to their fleets, said Michael Weiss, the Florida state lead at Advanced Energy United, a trade association of clean energy companies.

Advanced Energy United and the Electrification Coalition calculated the bill would have saved governments an average of $18,000 per vehicle by switching to an all-electric vehicle fleet, Weiss said. Using the state’s vehicle data provided by the Department of Management Services, they conducted a total cost analysis of the state’s fleet.

“This veto is a baffling decision that will cost Florida taxpayers millions of dollars,” Weiss said. “The Florida Legislature saw the clear economic and taxpayer benefits of a modern and efficient state fleet, but Gov. DeSantis somehow didn’t get the memo.”

It was only a few years ago that DeSantis touted the benefits of electric cars at a news conference announcing the construction of EV charging stations at rest stops along Florida’s Turnpike.

“It’s amazing how much cheaper it is to just charge a vehicle than to fill up a gas tank,” DeSantis said at the time. “And so as technology evolves, we hope that that’ll be reflected in people’s pocketbooks. So we want to make sure we have the infrastructure in place to make that a reality.”

His staff didn’t respond to a request to explain the veto.

The bill passed both chambers of the Legislature with just a single no vote, by Rep. Yvonne Hinson of Gainesville. But it is not likely anyone would even suggest trying to override the veto because of the governor’s immense grip on Tallahassee.

“That’s not going to happen,” Eskamani said.

Eskamani said DeSantis also has put personal politics first with culture war laws such as sexual orientation in schools, banning gay-themed books and drag shows, and making it harder for unions to collect dues.

She and other Democrats have pointed out problems such as soaring insurance premiums and a spike in housing costs that go unsolved.

“Not a single part of his agenda that passed is helping Floridians,” she said. “His agenda is tailored to the needs of Republican [primary and caucus voters].”

‘Woke’ isn’t going to die in DeSantis’ Florida. It’s just taking its dollars elsewhere

Miami Herald – Opinion

‘Woke’ isn’t going to die in DeSantis’ Florida. It’s just taking its dollars elsewhere | Opinion

The Miami Herald Editorial Board – July 7, 2023

Think of a dystopian, polarized country, where Americans are not only divided based on political beliefs but also on where they live and shop, what beer they drink, what doctors they visit, whether they are vaccinated, where they go on vacation and attend professional conferences.

This is what politicians who want to inject extremism (from the right or the left) into governing seem to want to accomplish: to reshape their communities so that only like-minded people feel comfortable co-existing.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has made no secret that his approach to governing is “You’re either with me or get the heck out.” He has signed laws and used state power against: teachers; transgender people; African Americans; women’s bodies; teachers and unions; university professors and academic freedom; universities that want to diversify their student body; immigrants; LGBTQ people and drag queens.

Most recently, DeSantis defended a bizarre and homophobic video his campaign shared on Twitter, calling it “fair game” to attack Donald Trump for past statements in support of LGBTQ rights. Not surprising coming from the governor of the state “where woke goes to die.”

The governor probably doesn’t lose sleep over the few conferences that Florida has lost recently as professional organizations take their dollars and thousands of attendees to states with less extreme policies. That blue parts of the state, Broward and Orange counties, lost the opportunity to host those events fit right into the governor’s strategy. DeSantis’ motto is to “own the libs.”

Two organizations canceled events that were planned in the Orlando area in coming years. AnitaB.org, a group of women and nonbinary tech workers, canceled a 2027 event that normally draws about 16,000 visitors. The group told the Orlando Sentinel it will no longer hold events in the state after this year’s conference at the Orange County Convention Center. The reasons are Florida’s abortion ban, its easing of gun regulations and the state’s efforts “to erase the identities and dignities of people from historically marginalized and excluded groups, including Black, Brown, LGBTQIA+, and Indigenous people.”

Broward County has lost more than half-dozen conferences, thanks to Florida’s political climate, organizers told the county’s tourism agency Visit Lauderdale, as the Sun Sentinel reported Friday. Among them is the 2024 National Family and Community Engagement and Community Schools Conference, which would have needed more than 2,000 hotel rooms. The organization “decided to pull out of Florida due to concerns about what the Governor is doing in the education/schools and that he will likely run in 2024. They do not want to lose attendees due to this,” according to a list of cancellations Visit Lauderdale put together.

The governor’s office told the Sun Sentinel the cancellations are “nothing more than a media-driven stunt.” His administration recently released numbers that show the number of tourists visiting the state is up compared to last year. Florida also welcomed nearly 320,000 new residents from other states between 2021 and 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. DeSantis claims credit for those new residents but Florida benefits from a series of factors, such as the longstanding lack of state income taxes and the rise of remote work during the pandemic

Have DeSantis’ policies caused widespread financial ruin in Florida? No, though the hotels and conference centers that lost business might see it differently.

The bigger question is who DeSantis thinks Florida is for. Nonbinary tech workers are not his intended demographic. Neither are college professors, who have warned that the state’s crackdown on what they can teach regarding race is causing a brain drain. Nor are the undocumented workers who are leaving the state after DeSantis signed into law one of the most draconian immigration laws in the country (it requires, among other things, that immigrants disclose their citizenship status at hospitals).

Are these people leaving in big enough numbers to make a difference? We bet that’s the governor’s goal.

The Florida Blueprint he’s trying to sell to presidential primary voters doesn’t concern itself with having a diverse workforce, attracting the best and brightest or ensuring that Florida’s agriculture has enough people to work its fields. Its myopic focus is fighting the outsider — and there are more and more of those — and rewarding those who fall in line.

1 million Florida buildings will be overrun by sea-level rise by 2100, study shows

USA Today

1 million Florida buildings will be overrun by sea-level rise by 2100, study shows

Jim Waymer, USA TODAY NETWORK – July 5, 2023

Storms that ride in on seas rising due to global warming will displace millions of Floridians in low-lying areas by century’s end, according to a new analysis by a flood-risk research group.

Well before then, a higher ocean will force many to elevate their homes, similar to stilted homes on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, or else endure deadly surging floodwaters and sky-high insurance costs.

The lure of living beachside has long been Florida’s biggest draw. But with sea levels expected to rise one foot by 2030 and another three feet by the end of the century, many dream homes could become nightmares.

“If nobody acts, if nothing changes, by the end of the century there are approximately 1 million buildings that will be inundated in Florida,” said Adrian Santiago Tate, CEO/cofounder of HighTide Intelligence, a flood-risk data company that spun out of a research group at Stanford University. About 90% of those buildings are single-family homes. “We wanted to make this abstract idea of flooding mean something to people.”

Don’t believe it? Search your address on HighTide Intelligence’s platform Arkly.com and see for yourself. The site’s a work in progress, so not every home is there but if your home is, and at low elevation, it likely will pop up as at “high-risk” of flooding and property damages.

Derrick Lockhart, owner of Airboat Rides at Midway on the St. Johns River just over the Brevard County line, says the flooding that followed Hurricane Ian last fall was the worst he had ever seen in the area.n(Credit: TIM SHORTT/ FLORIDA TODAY, TIM SHORTT/ FLORIDA TODAY)

Floridians already are feeling the pain. After last year’s hurricane season, Florida homeowners watched their premiums double or triple or got letters cancelling their policies. More than a dozen insurance companies either went belly up or just bailed on Florida altogether.

Satellite Beach and other coastal cities for years have been warning residents in the most vulnerable spots to start planning countermeasures now. To bring concrete data to those warnings, Satellite Beach hired HighTide Intelligence to do a $295,000, three-year study to assess flood risk from rising seas. The analysis was paid for in part by a $275,000 grant the city received from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to study ways to make the city more resilient to flooding and sea-level rise. The city chipped in $20,000.

Sparked in part by the Satellite Beach project, HighTide decided to make its statewide dataset of building-level flood risk available to the public in a new user-friendly website, Arkly.com.

Insurers and risk managers use the term “hundred-year storms” when assessing flooding risk. Such storms have about a 1% chance of striking in any given year based on historical data.

But don’t think such storms only roll around every 100 years. With global warming, such storms are striking with increasing frequency.

Statewide, HighTide found that within Florida’s 35 coastal counties, a once-in-a-century storm would:

Flood at least 1.28 million buildings, with potential for $261 billion in losses (2020 dollars).
By 2030, as the sea levels rise, it’s 1.3 million buildings and $270 billion.
By 2050, it’s 1.6 million buildings and $321 billion in losses.
Then by 2100, it’s 2.4 million buildings and whopping $624.5 billion in losses.

“Satellite Beach gets some credit for this,” Santiago Tate, CEO/cofounder of HighTide Intelligence, said of the city’s proactive stance on planning for sea-level rise. “They really wanted us to focus on the element of communicating risk.”

And for thousands in this small city of just 11,200 residents, that risk is mounting. Unless the city prepares, rising seas and powerful storms will put 2,200 households in Satellite Beach — half the city’s total — at risk and could inflict $142 million in flood damages to buildings by 2050, according to HighTide’s study.

During the run-up to Hurricane Ian in October 2022, many teenagers decided to have some fun in the flooding. Rising sea levels are expected to make flooding a more common problem in Florida even in the absence of hurricanes.n(Credit: MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY)

Local governments can get insurance discounts for residents from Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) by conducting floodplain management activities that qualify for points in what’s called the Community Rating System (CRS). Part of Satellite Beach’s effort is to improve the city’s rating.

Most of the vulnerable homes and infrastructure are on the city’s west side, along the low-lying banks of the Indian River Lagoon.

Don’t care about climate change?: Insurance rates might force you to.

How fast is sea level rising?

Lee Corbridge describes how this flooding near his family's home on Lantern Drive, north of Titusville, in late September, early October 2022 was the worst he has ever seen. Rising sea levels are expected to make flooding a more common problem in Florida even in the absence of hurricanes. — Lee Corbridge describes how this flooding near his family’s home on Lantern Drive, north of Titusville, in late September, early October 2022 was the worst he has ever seen. Rising sea levels are expected to make flooding a more common problem in Florida even in the absence of hurricanes.

On average, sea levels rose about 6 to 8 inches worldwide over the past century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But the rate of rise has more than doubled since 2006.

Researchers at the University of Central Florida found sea level rise is accelerating in other parts of Florida such as Key West and Fernandina Beach. A study in Nature this past April on sea level rise along the Southeastern U.S. and Gulf of Mexico coasts echoed those findings.

Sea levels along the southeastern and Gulf Coasts already are rising faster than climate models predicted, the UCF researchers note, causing coastal erosion, high-tide flooding, saltwater contamination of freshwater aquifers and higher storm surges in Florida.

Hurricanes exacerbate the problem. Even a Category 1 storm could inundate more than 40% of Satellite Beach, according to a 2010 study for the city by Florida International University, and as sea level rises, it’s only going to get worse.

Governments usually opt for large-scale infrastructure projects to prevent flooding, such as levees, the Satellite Beach report notes. Those aren’t always best, though, because costs exceed benefits and can take decades for Congress to appropriate funds.

Meanwhile, property owners are left susceptible to storm flooding.

A truck makes its way down Milford Point Drive on Merritt Island after heavy rains pounded Brevard County in September 2022, flooding streets and yards. Rising sea levels are expected to make flooding a more common problem in Florida even in the absence of hurricanes.

HighTide’s study builds on two previous flood studies of Satellite Beach, including the one by Florida International University. At the time, the researchers in that study anticipated the tipping point toward “catastrophic inundation” — a 2-foot sea-level rise — in just 40 years for Satellite Beach. Now that’s less than 30 years away.

Rotting seaweed, dead fish, no sand: Climate change threatens to ruin US beaches

“I don’t really know how you get ahead on this,” said Randy Parkinson, the coastal geologist at Florida International University who coauthored the 2010 study.https://flo.uri.sh/story/1950403/embed

Complacency about flood risk jumped out at him during a recent drive down State Road A1A in south Brevard and into Indian River County, where the barrier island thins to just a few hundred feet wide.

“I couldn’t believe the number of new single-family homes still going in,” Parkinson said. “The real wakeup call is sadly when we get a Cat. 4 or Cat. 5 and it’s moving slow.”

Time will tell how many structures Satellite Beach and other Florida coastal cities will have to move to higher ground or elevate.

“It really depends on the timescale,” Santiago Tate said. “There’s only so much you can do to hold back Mother Nature.”

Contact Environment reporter Jim Waymer at jwaymer@floridatoday.com.