Since the Trump administration took over in January, keeping up with and reporting on all of the geopolitical, economic and legal ramifications has been beyond my capabilities. But I am going to try to keep an eye on the environmental aspects of the changes. As an environmentalist, they are frightening to me. I remember the many environmental problems before the EPA was created.
Trumps EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin was sworn in on January 29th, and has been trying to reframe the purpose of the agency towards deregulation of environmental and energy production and away from environmental and public health protection—saying on X that the agency’s mission is to “lower the cost of buying a car, heating a home, and running a business.”. He announced plans to repeal dozens of major environmental regulations, including protections protection of wetlands, limits on tail pipe and smokestack pollution, and the endangerment finding—the legal basis for regulation of greenhouse gases now heating the planet.
None of these announcements carry the force of law, and the efforts will have to undergo a lengthy process of public comment and show environmental and economic justifications to the change. Environmentalists are understandably upset about turning the EPA away from its original purpose of protecting of the health of people and the environment. They say that Zeldin lied during his confirmation hearings when he said he would respect science and listen to the experts, who agree that climate change is real. The experts also say that climate change is responsible for the hottest temperatures in recorded history going back centuries and that it is responsible for 27 disasters in 2024 that cost at least $1billion each, compared to three in 1980. `
Additionally, the EPA announced that when they create environmental policy, they will no longer consider costs to society from wildfires, droughts, storms and other disaster that could be made worse by pollution connected to that policy.
The EPA also recently announced that they will stop all its Environmental Justice programs, saying that they are part of Biden’s DEI programming and take away from funds used to directly remediate environmental issues in communities. The goal has been to give aid to underserved communities and communities of color that have been disproportionately harmed by toxic pollutants from factories and refineries in their communities. Environmental Justice staff have all been put on administrative leave and their 11 offices throughout the US are closed. Hundreds of grants have also been cancelled by the EPA, many of which were environmental justice grants.
I am sure that these actions will lead to many complaints and lawsuits, as have so many of the Trump administration actions—124 lawsuits filed as of March 11, including 2 closed cases. The Supreme Court has begun to weigh in, siding once with the Administration and twice against it. Some of the Administration’s actions have been partially blocked or overturned, at least temporarily. Stay tuned…and let you congressional and senate representative know how you feel. Join KEC and other local organizations to strategize how we can make a difference by our own actions.
Source: The New York Times—March 11,12 & 14, 2025)
One recent local item and a sampling of 2024 victories by several environmental organizations—some at the federal level but most at the state/local level, which experts say is a hopeful pathway during the incoming Trump administration. Read about victories at the Ohio Environmental Council, Earthjustice, NRDC, and Sierra Club.
LOCAL
New access point to open in Peninsula for canoes and kayaks. In May, this new access at Northampton Point will open off Akron off Akron Peninsula Road. It will include a parking lot, a seating area, and a small changing room structure and a portable restroom. Summit MetroParks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park collaborated on this project. This is in addition to the recently opened river access site at the Valley View Area of Cascades Valley Metro Park which is only a 6-mile paddle, which would take about 2 to 3 hours to complete—a reasonable trip. Source: Akron Beacon Journal–December 5, 2024
OHIO ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL (OEC)—From OEC’s 2024 Annual Report
The OEC commissioned a critical analysis of the economic and health benefits of replacing lead water service lines. Th cost-benefit analysis found it would result in a return of $32 to $45 for every dollar invested, a return between $145 billion and $185 billion over the next 15 years, as well as better physical and mental health outcomes for Ohio families. The updated federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements mandates that most US service water systems replace 100% of lead service lines in the next 10 years, supported by funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The OEC and the OEC Action Fund, as well as partners at the Alliance of the Great Lakes, helped draft Ohio House Bill 354 years ago, which supports this effort, and they will advocate for its adoption at the Statehouse.
The OEC provided expert testimony, highlighting the Oak Run Solar Project, which was approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board in 2024. They noted this project’s potential to mitigate climate change and its design to reduce harmful stormwater runoff, as well as the estimation that it will create about 1,500 construction jobs and contribute $8.2 million annually to local governments and schools. This project is an example of Ohio’s transition toward renewable energy while ensuring the integration of sustainable agricultural practices. The OEC also supported a bill that narrowly passed to allow utility companies to restore energy restore energy efficiency measures that were rolled back by Ohio’s controversial HB6 in 2019. The OEC Action Fund will continue to push for the Senate to pass this legislation too.
The OEC is actively opposing the leasing for fracking in 40,000 acres of the Wayne National Forest which was proposed by the Bureau of Land Management in 2024. They have filed extensive science-based public comments opposing this development because the leasing project could emit the greenhouse gas equivalent to all carbon sequestered by the entire Wane National Forest for the next 30 years, knocking it out of the climate fight. They are working alongside the Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, and Sierra Club. The OEC successfully blocked similar leasing plans in 2020 because there was insufficient environmental review of harmful impacts.
EARTHJUSTICE—From their 2024 Victory Report and Earthjustice Climate & Energy Report
Protecting Grizzlies & Wolves. Idaho opened a year-round wolf trapping season on private lands in 2021. Earthjustice and a 13-client coalition showed in federal court that wolf traps and snares also injure and kill federally protected grizzly bears. The court ruled to prohibit recreational wolf trapping and snaring on public and private lands in grizzly bear habitat for 9 months of the year, protecting bears, wolves and many other species.
Preventing Cryptomining Pollution. Greenidge, a gas-fired power plant that occasionally bolstered New York’s grid in times of peak demand, began burning fracked gas around the clock to mine Bitcoin, nearly quintupling its emissions in one year. In response, the state denied Greenidge’s air permit renewal. Earthjustice worked with local community groups to get that denial and to defend it in subsequent proceedings.
Blocking reckless drilling. Off-shore oil and gas lease sales opened a million acres of federal waters in Southcentral Alaska, threatening critical habitat for endangered beluga whales and sea otters. A coalition of national and community groups convinced the court to susp5end the sale and order that a new environmental review be done.
Historic settlement—13 youth plaintiffs granted their constitutional right to a life-sustaining climate. In June, the Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation negotiated a settlement agreement, which the court has approved, which recognizes children’s constitutional rights to a life-sustaining climate and mobilizes HDOT to plan and implement transformative changes of Hawaii’s transportation system to achieve zero emissions in all ground transportation, and interisland sea and air transportation, by 2045. The court will retain jurisdiction to enforce the agreement for the next 21 years until its terms have been achieved.
NATIONAL RESOURCE DEFENCE COUNCIL (NRDC)—From Natures Voice: Winter 2025
The Supreme Court Sides with Clean Air. The US Supreme Court rejected 3 attempts by the fossil fuel industry to block federal rules to cut leaks of methane from the oil and gas sector, reduce pollution from power plants, and curb toxic air pollution from coal-fired power plants linked to asthma, heart attacks and other serious health hams. NRDC intervened in each lawsuit as did many other organizations and groups.
Court to L.A. Port—Green Up! A California superior court ruled that the lease between the Port of Los Angeles and its largest shipping customer, China Shipping, must include enforceable measures to protect air quality and communities nearby. Residents have been fighting for this for over twenty years and NRDC partnered with them. These commonsense safeguards will cut the port’s reliance on heavily polluting diesel will go a long way to address the single largest source of pollution in LA.
Maine River Cleanup Begins. After approval of 13 beneficial environmental projects by the trustees overseeing the remediation of the Penobscot River, the work has begun to fulfill the 2022 settlement won by NRDC and the Maine People’s Alliance. The $187 million award is to clean up industrial mercury contamination in the river.
States Stand Up for Bees. New York became the first state in the US to clamp down on the most widespread uses of bee-killing neonic pesticides, and Vermont quickly followed suit.
SIERRA CLUB— From Sierra–Winter 2024 Issue
Fracking Finale. A new California law which prohibiting fracking took effect on October first. It forbids regulators from issuing new permits, which Sierra and many others have advocated for decades, according to Jasmine Vazin, the deputy director of their Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign.
Standard Bearer. Sierra also joined the Supreme Court lawsuits regarding Maine’s air pollution mentioned by the NRDC above. These decisions in these cases maintained standards limiting the amount of mercury and other hazardous pollutants that coal plants can release into the air and requiring oil and gas companies to do more to prevent methane leaks.
Making Waves. Sierra Club’s Santa Lucia Chapter worked with local tribes and California leaders for many years to protect thousands of square miles off the Central Coast. In October, 2024, NOAA announced the creation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, the first tribally nominated and third largest marine sanctuary in the US.
The Biden Administration has worked very hard to fulfill his promise cut US carbon emissions in half by 2030 to curtail climate change and disasters. They shepherded the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and implemented many pro-environment policies and actions. Unfortunately, President-Elect Trump has promised to undo much of this progress and climate experts are bracing for his policies, looking to states and non-profits to take the lead. So, starting on January 20, we will need to start monitoring a new and probably harmful trajectory for the environment.
But I have read several articles that give me some hope. Presidents don’t decide how much oil companies drill, and the U.S. is already the world’s top oil and natural gas producer. Oil and gas prices are set by the companies based on global supply and demand. One Exxon executive notes that a radical change toward “drill baby drill” policies that Trump is proposing will be tempered by fiscal restraint, because if supply is greater than the demand, prices will go down, which is bad for investors. Trump probably will roll back a lot of regulations and make the permitting process easier, making drilling less expensive and quicker. Trump’s promise of tariff’s could reduce demand worldwide, driving costs down or it could increase the cost of production, driving prices up—in other words, it’s a wild card. Then there is homegrown, cheap green energy which could cut into oil demand. Overall though, oil and gas companies are projecting a growing demand at least though 2030.
Importantly, in early December, Biden awarded over $100 Billion in grants for clean energy projects that will continue the deployment of clean energy even after Trump is in office, putting Biden’s administration on track to encumber over 80% of the funds from the IRA before he leaves office. Once a government contact is signed for a project, the government cannot revoke unspent project funds, even under a new administration. And altering the subsidies the IRA promised for tax incentives, which Trump has promised to do, would likely require congressional approval. This may be hard to do despite the Republican majority, because Republican-led states and some of Trumps close allies are deriving the bulk of the benefits and are already speaking up to congressional leadership.
Now for the numbers and specifics being tracked by The Washington Post about the environmental policies added, proposed, overturned, tracked and untracked from the start of the Biden administration until now.
Added: 116
Proposed: 73
Overturned: 98
Tracked: 77
Untracked: 57
Added between May 7 and December 5, 2024
Reforming reviews of PFAS under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The EPA finalized amendments to regulations governing its review of new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Ending new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin. The Bureau of Land Management finalized a decision to end new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin, which produces nearly half the coal in the United States. The move sets up a legal fight with Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R), who has promised to challenge it in court. President-elect Donald Trump is also expected to reverse the move upon taking office.
Pulling from the market a dangerous weedkiller. The EPA issued an emergency order to stop the use of dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, also known as DCPA, a weedkiller linked to serious health risks for fetuses. The agency followed up by announcing on Aug. 28 that the sole manufacturer of DCPA products in the United States had voluntarily canceled those products.
Replacing lead drinking water pipes. The EPA proposed new restrictions that would compel the replacement of all 9 million lead water pipes within 10 years. The proposal contains the strongest protections against lead in drinking water since the first limits were set 30 years ago.
Protecting waterways from pollutants discharged by vessels. The EPA finalized standards limiting the release of pollutants and invasive species from roughly 85,000 vessels operating in U.S. waters. The final rule aims to address pollutants such as bacteria, pathogens, oil, grease and metals while preventing the spread of invasive species that can damage ecosystems and infrastructure.
Reducing leaks of climate super-pollutants. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a program to reduce leaks of hydrofluorcarbons (HFCs) from equipment such as air conditioners and refrigerators and require the use of reclaimed or recycled HFCs for certain applications.
Protecting endangered species from herbicides. The EPA finalized a first-of-its-kind herbicide strategy aimed at protecting more than 900 endangered and threatened species from potential impacts of herbicides.
Conserving 28 million acres of D1 lands in Alaska. The Interior Department protected 28 million acres of public lands in Alaska from oil and gas drilling, mining and other industrial activities that could threaten Alaska Native communities, vulnerable wildlife and pristine ecosystems. These areas are commonly known as D1 lands after a section of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
Phasing out single-use plastics. The White House released a strategy that calls for phasing out federal purchases “of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035.”
Protecting farmworkers from pesticides. The EPA will assess the risk of a pesticide drifting away from where it is applied earlier in its review process. The assessment will now occur during the initial registration process, rather than during registration review, which happens every 15 years after a pesticide is approved. The change is meant to better protect farmworkers and people who live or work near farms.
Limiting building in flood plains. The Federal Emergency Management Agency finalized a rule intended to prevent flood damage to taxpayer-funded projects, including schools and hospitals. The rule will require these projects to be elevated above the expected height of a flood. It incorporates both current and future flood risk.
Protecting the dunes sagebrush lizard. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The tiny lizard is found only in the Permian Basin of southeastern New Mexico and West Texas, one of the world’s most lucrative oil- and gas-producing regions.
Proposed between May 7 and December 5, 2024
Limiting smog from power plants and industrial facilities. The EPA proposed stronger limits on emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) from new gas-fired power plants and other industrial facilities. NOx contributes to smog formation, and long-term exposure is linked to asthma and other health concerns.
Protecting salmon from chemicals used in rubber products. The EPA moved to gather information on the potential risks of N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), a chemical used in vehicle tires and other rubber products. The chemical has run off from tires into Puget Sound and other waterways, posing a major threat to salmon. Three Native American tribes submitted petitions urging the EPA to regulate the chemical under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Planning for solar projects on public lands in the West. The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management proposed an updated Western Solar Plan, which guides where solar development can occur on 31 million acres of public lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The plan seeks to encourage solar projects near transmission lines and away from protected landscapes and habitats.
Banning several uses of cancer-causing 1-Bromopropane. The EPA proposed banning several consumer and workplace uses of 1-Bromopropane, a cancer-causing solvent used in cleaning and degreasing operations, spray adhesives and dry cleaning.
Evaluating the risks of high-priority toxic chemicals. The EPA will prioritize the risk evaluation of five potentially toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, which is widely used to create PVC and other consumer goods. Read more »
Protecting workers from extreme heat. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a rule outlining steps employers must take to protect workers from the risk of heat illness — the first major federal regulation aimed at preventing heat-related deaths on the job.
Targeted between May 7 and December 5, 2024
BIDEN SUED. Delaying the chlorpyrifos ban. In December 2024, the EPA proposed to revoke most uses of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to neurological damage, on food crops. In August 2023, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals had vacated the EPA’s prior ban on chlorpyrifos on food crops.
Banning N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). Biden officials finished a risk evaluation of NMP, a toxic chemical used in paint strippers, and proposed a rule that would ban some uses that cannot safely continue.
For a deeper dive and to find links to look up specific categories of air pollution and greenhouse gases, chemical safety, drilling and extraction, infrastructure and permitting, accountability, water pollution, and wildlife, click here:
Sources: bloomburg.com – November 26, 2024; NPR – December 6, 2024; Akron Beacon Journal – November 20 and December 4, 2024; The Washington Post, “Tracking Biden’s Environmental Actions”– December 5.2024.
On October 30th, the City of Kent’s Sustainability Coordinator, Julie Morris, held the third Climate Action Plan (CAP) Series which informed residents about energy efficiency. She talked about the steps the City is taking to reduce their carbon footprint and highlighted programs available to residents to help them take efficiency measures in their own homes. Julie also provided a list of federal Clean Energy Tax Credits available from 2023 to 2032 for consumers who purchase eligible equipment to make their homes more efficient. Click hereto see the list.
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The City of Kent recently completed facility energy audits for all the City of Kent’s buildings for the year 2022 by working with World Kinect (through a grant from NOPEC). Julie noted that the Police Department is a LEED Silver building and is fairly energy efficient. But even there, a few action items suggested, as there were for all the buildings. City Council then decided to focus on four of the buildings. For a list of the detailed facility energy audit data for all 4 buildings, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
World Kinect then put the City in touch with a program at the Cleveland Partnership that paid for an American Society of Health and Refrigeration Engineers (ASHRE II) Audits of four city buildings. These ASHRE II audits are necessary to apply for federal funding and many grants. For a summary list of the auditors’ suggestions for Energy Conservation Measures and the potential savings that implementing those measures could provide for each of the buildings, click here and scroll down to page three. (Note: if you continue scrolling, pages 5 to 10 will describe where you can donate unwanted items and highlights two local sustainability oriented stores.)
City Council has decided to focus on obtaining funding for two buildings to start with: The Fire S Executive Director, Community Action Council of Portage County. Station #1 (downtown) and the City’s Vehicle Maintenance Facility.
Then David Shea, Executive Director, Community Action Council of Portage County, spoke about their programs to connect people to efficiency and home repair. While he encouraged eligible people to apply for their programs, he lamented about the rising costs for improvements, the difficulty finding craftsmen to carry them out, and the lack of sufficient funding. Some new federal funding from the IRA is pending, but we are waiting for Ohio to figure out how to implement the programs here.
To sign up for the Sustainable Kent News, click hesre or email Julie Morris at Julie.Morris@KentOhio.gov. Julie can also be reached for questions at 330-678-8108.
Time’s summer 2024 Top 100 Most Influential Companies included these companies with significant environmental benefit: Brightline, BYD, Envision Energy, Hanwa Group, Intel, Powin, Saildrone, and Spiro. Also of note from later in the summer was a “cool paint” for cars from Nissan that goes on thick and lowered vehicle interior temperatures by 9 degrees in tests.
Brightline, a high-speed rail line, who launched a service between Miami and Orlando in late 2023 (130 mph) and broke ground in April 2024 for Brightline West, which will be all electric and run from Los Angeles to Las Vegas at 200 mph, finishing in time for the 2028 Olympics in LA.
BYD (“Build Your Dreams”), a Chinese electric car company who is selling its well-crafted cars at bargain prices (compact starting at $10,000 in China). They sold 3 million vehicles last year from Brazil to Thailand and may set the trend for cheap, clean transportation all over the world, even though their success caused the Biden administration to quadruple US tariffs on Chinese EVs.
Envision Energy is the world’s largest producer of wind turbines, with a focus on energy storage and green hydrogen solutions, as well as sponsoring the fastest electric car racing team. They built the world’s first net-zero industrial park in Inner Mongolia by transforming a former coal plant to provide clean energy to a broad range of different industries. Their goal is to reduce global carbon emissions by 3 million tons a year by 2025 and generate 100,000 green tech jobs.
Hanwha Group received approval from the American Bureau of Shipping for the world’s first carbon emission-free liquid natural gas carrier, equipped with an ammonia-fueled gas turbine that is expected to significantly reduce carbon emissions from the ship. Since 90% of goods are traded across the ocean, this initiative could usher in a future of more sustainable supply chains.
Intel is aiming to restore the company to its former glory while helping reshore US computer chip manufacturing. They received $20 billion in grants and loans from the Biden Administration for its domestic plants and also struck a deal in June to build a plant in Germany and is in talks about another in Ireland.
Powin, Oregon-based maker of utility-scale batteries, works with utility companies worldwide to smooth the clean energy transition. Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium is powered by renewable energy thanks to their utility scale battery system that stores power created during the day for use after sundown. Powin’s Waratah Super Battery being built near Sydney on the grounds of a decommissioned coal-burning plant, will be one of the world’s largest battery systems when it comes on line in 2025. It will store wind and solar powered energy to shield over 8 million residents from outages triggered by severe weather and wildfires.
Saildrone, maker of unmanned surface vehicles, which sail the earth’s seas powered mostly by wind and solar, collecting atmospheric and ocean data. They collect things from dangerous weather events to saving the whales from harm by construction and ships. their fleet of 50 or more can sail around unmanned for up to a year. Their “maritime domain awareness” partners include law enforcement and the military, and recently they partnered with Seabed 2030 to map the entire ocean floor, which can be helpful for climate modeling, weather forecasting, cable and pipeline routing.
Spiro, an African electric scooter and battery-swapping company, is now in Togo, Benin Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Nigeria and promises to be in 4 more African countries by 2024. They are betting on the needs of congested cities there. They are partnering with Ugandan government to replace its fleet of emission-heavy moto taxis with electric two-wheelers.
Another hottest day in the world record occurred on July 24, 2024, and a days-long heat dome in many areas of the country followed, caused by persistent high pressure that trapped the heat over those areas. The effect of high heat is also causes increases in strength and intensity of hurricanes, typhons and other storms, as well as creating wind gusts and dry conditions that create wildfires, bleaching/death of coral reefs, changes in what plants can live in various zones, and many other environmental consequences. What is often overlooked though is the effect of extreme heat on humans. Heat is the deadliest form of extreme weather, killing more people on average than floods, tornados and hurricanes.
Extreme heat was declared a health crisis that needs to be addressed in federal law and policies according to Xavier Becerra, Secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), during a trip to Phoenix, where the temperatures hovered around 100 degrees. People in the US are dying of extreme heat at much higher rates than in the past. And we are bound to see new daily records for daily global temperatures in future months and years. Arizona is expected to experience up to 117 days per year over 100 degrees by 2030 and nearly half the days annually will be over 100 degrees by 2060. The federal government wants to be part of the solution and to work with the states to provide relief from extreme heat. Among other things, the federal government is collecting data that the states can turn to when they are in the path of the next heat wave, as well as helping employers inform workers when they are in the danger zone.
He encouraged Congress to pay attention to this issue so we can be prepared. The Stafford Disaster and Emergency Relief Act (passed in 1988 and last amended in 2016) created a system for a presidential disaster or emergency declarations to trigger financial and physical assistance through the Federal Emergency Management System (FEMA). But this system still appears to be focused on weather disasters such as flooding, heavy rains, hurricanes and extreme cold, and not on heat exposure and dealing with the increasing numbers of wildfires. So HHS will be partnering with Congress and the states to look at what the Stafford should and can do to address extreme heat that is occurring.
For example, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has pointed out to Congress that federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funds given to Arizona are less than one-half of 1% of the agency’s funds because FEMA is focused on providing heating relief from the cold and not the needs for cooling in extreme heat situations.
For people who do not have the option to avoid being outside in extreme heat, experts suggest working in the shade, as well as taking frequent breaks and drinking plenty of water. Today there are no federal heat standards and few statewide ones. Proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules would add federal protections for both outdoor and indoor workers. Employers would be compelled to provide workers greater protections including shade, water and rest breaks. U.S. Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, stated “Working people should not have to experience heat stroke. Heat illness and even death just to do their jobs.” OSHA estimates that the proposed rules would cost $7.8 billion for employer compliance. But the cost to human life would be greater without the proposed rule, and the proposal would provide an estimated $9,179 billion in total benefits each year for avoided heat-related fatalites.”
(Sources: Akron Beacon Journal – June 19, July 25, August 11, and September 4, 2024)
Earlier this summer, I attended a talk at the Akron Roundtable on Plastics and Sustainability by Kumar Sanketh, PhD, Research and Development Director of Packaging at Dow, Inc. His talk focused on what the company and industry are trying to do so the public can have the same level of comfort from plastics without harming the environment when they create or dispose of them. This is indeed a challenge. I was heartened to hear that they are focusing on increasing a circular economy for their products and are taking direct actions to accomplish this.
But I was disheartened to hear him also saying that consumers need to change their behavior, which is impossible to do with the inadequate systems we now have, even when earnestly trying to avoid plastics or to recycle them. We have been told before that recycling was the answer and I worry that this is another way for the industry to just keep using fossil fuels. I was even more disheartened to hear him predict that the need for plastics will double production in the next 20 years, in large part because of the need to create wires to carry electricity from new renewable energy sources to nearby use centers or grid connections. This means the continued use of fossil fuel and increased global warming. To learn what Dow is doing to try to tackle both climate change and plastic waste, read on.
Plastics are derived from fossil fuels. Plastic’s success comes because it is durable, lightweight, adaptable to so many uses. Production has gone from 2 million metric tons in the 1950s to 415 metric tons today. Dr. Sanketh said that only 3% of it is recycled and noted that it’s piling up in the environment, creating a myriad of problems in our water and on the land. According to Jim Fitterling, Dow Chairman and CEO. “A sustainable future is attainable, but only if we continue to tackle these issues head-on, hold ourselves accountable, and work together to enable new science- and technology-based solutions that directly address both climate change and plastic waste.”
Their strategy has 3 pillars—1) Make safer materials, 2) Create a circular economy, and 3) Protect the climate.
Their efforts began with lowering their own carbon footprint by using renewable energy, creating better wires and cables which increase run length, reduce degassing time and greenhouse gas emissions and also, by reducing scrap.
One example of a safer material is a more sustainable fabric dyeing with ECOFAST, which uses less process chemicals, has a 60% lower carbon footprint, 50% less water and 40% lower energy.
Another is their Designing for Waste concept which looks at making a product 100% recyclable from the beginning. For example, their creation of new molecules to make flexible film packaging 100% recyclable to help companies meet their 2025 packaging targets, as opposed to multilayer films of dissimilar materials which are difficult to recycle. And they have also created a flexible foam polyol, RENUVA, that can be used for mattress-to-mattress recycling (which is being done in Europe) or for rigid foams and has 30% lower greenhouse gas emissions than virgin polyol.
They are also developing tools to assess the contaminant and hazard profile of materials to be recycled, as well as improving the processes used to get more post-consumer plastics recycled. For example, they reduced mixing time for polymer modifier by 60 to 70% and are making more plastics more compatible thru the additive ELVALOW. They also developed a polymer modifier called RETAIN, which allows certain pelletized barrier films to be more evenly dispersed and delivers greater clarity of the product while maintaining the needed mechanical properties, thereby advancing end of life options.
They are looking at flooring, roofing membranes and artificial turd to increase their recycled content. And are also looking at circularity and weight reduction in vehicles by creating tires with 1,000 miles driving time post-puncture solutions, using Silastic 2650 Self Sealing Tire Sealant, thereby eliminating the need for spare tires. Most consumer goods last 5-10 years, and they are trying to develop them to last longer. Other goals are to create safer additives, colors, and foam, as well as increase product shelf life.
Overall, they are trying to develop safer plastics which decrease the potential concerns to human health and safety by identifying these substances, defining a clear action plan and developing next generation chemistry that will solve problems found.
They are seeking partnerships with many sources to accelerate the circular ecosystem by using alternative waste feedstocks such as used cooking oil, tall oil (a by-product of wood pulp manufacturing), and corn stovers (leaves, stalks and cobbs) to feed crackers to create 3 million metric tons per year of circular and renewable polymers year by 2030.
Worldwide, Europe is the area with the most circularity in their economy and California is the state challenging industry here in the US. But while scientists are finding ways to make plastics 100% recyclable, that doesn’t mean they will be recycled. Many collaborations are necessary for circularity to work, and Dow is using its influence to create more of these partnerships.
In closing, Dr. Sanketh commented that it would take 3 to 4 times more materials (of various kinds) to get what we have in our life today without plastics. So they are looking at a lasting worldwide treaty regarding plastics which is currently being negotiated as part of the solution. He also pointed out that plastics industry will create 1 million more jobs plus even more jobs picking up waste. Industry finds laws hard to navigate and finds that well written regulations are better than bans, which they say don’t help.
I tried to listen with an open mind, and it sounds like they are succeeding in various ways in addressing the problem and identifying solutions. But in the end, I still remain skeptical that technology can really solve the whole plastic problem, which is huge and worldwide and has so many aspects. But I do have to give Dow credit for at least connecting their efforts with climate change and trying to increase circularity. And I continue to wonder how much the profit motive plays into their solutions.
I was shocked when I saw this chart (below) and put it together with the fact that temperatures have continued to rise. The past 10 months have been the hottest recorded, with the March global temperature reaching 2.4 degrees Celsius (36.3 degrees Fahrenheit).
I know people who say, “There’s always ups and downs to climate.” The chart clearly shows we are way out of the “normal” range that goes back thousands of years. The 2.4 degrees Celsius, however, is much higher than the 1.5 degrees Celsius (over the preindustrial average) agreed to in the Paris Climate Accords and was intended to be a long-term goal and not a monthly goal, I can understand why the United Nations has sounded a red alert. As NASA climate scientist Gavin Schmidt said, “We need answers for why 2023 turned out to be the warmest year in possibly the past 100,000 years. . . . and we need them quickly.”
According to climate scientist Michael Mann, “the hockey stick graphic emphasizes the relative stability of the global climate over the common era—and how rapidly we are leaving this era of climate stability. We now find ourselves in what I’ve termed our ‘fragile moment.’ There is still time to preserve that moment, but only if we act with the urgency the climate crisis demands.”
I urge each of you not to give up. If we believe that solving the climate crisis is futile, our thinking will be infused with despair, paralyzing our decisions. But if we believe that we can change our ways and systems, all of which we invented, then together we can make a sustainable future more likely. There are millions of individuals, communities, companies and activists problem-solving the myriad issues we are facing in practical ways. They are already shaping a regenerative future. These people have heeded the call of hope and action, and I encourage you to do the same.
I did so for myself and found a few more actions I could take that would help decrease my carbon footprint. For ideas of what you can do to calculate or reduce your carbon footprint, look through KEC’s handouts from our summer display. Or read The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions for Everyone by Heidi A. Roop, Ph.D. And remember to advocate and vote for the environment.
(Sources: Time, November 20, 2023; Time, January 22, 2024; Akron Beacon Journal, March 26, 2024; Akron Beacon Journal, April 21, 2024)
COME JOIN the Panel on “Climate Action Plans of U.S. Cities”
February 26, 2020 (Wed.) 7:30-9:00PM
Unitarian Universalist Church (Fessenden Hall), 228 Gougler Ave., Kent
Sponsored by the UUCK Environmental Justice Action Group. Panel coordinator: Bill Wilen
What action plans do cities have to combat climate change? Since we have a president that does not believe in human-caused global warming, it is up to city governments and their citizens to become active and devise ways that C02 and other greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced within the next decade – then eliminated in order to become sustainable communities.
The attendees of this session will each do their own research to identify primarily midwestern U.S. cities that are creating and implementing climate action plans. Try googling “cities climate action plans” and you will find a variety of environmental actions that small, medium and large cities are taking. Each attendee will then have 5-10 minutes to tell the rest of us about the plan he or she has researched and then entertain any comments and questions. So, we all become “panelists” by sharing what we have learned about the cities we have selected.
Let me know the city you have selected (wwilen@kent.edu) to avoid duplication.
If you would prefer just to come, listen and learn, that’s okay because we all will be gathering to learn from each other. I will be presenting on Kent’s movement to create a plan and Cincinnati’s climate action plan. See you, fellow panelists, the evening of Feb. 26th.
Mosquito management and other matters involving the Kent Health Department were the topics of discussion when the interim commissioner for the department, Justin Smith, spoke at the KEC breakfast meeting on July 30.
Mosquito Management
Smith, who came to his position with a degree in conservation from Kent State University, said that trapping mosquitos is his passion, but he realizes that other methods must be used for the health and safety of residents. Smith then discussed the city’s four-part mosquito-control program–education, surveillance, larviciding and adulticiding–which runs from May through September.
Education. People need to know that mosquitos breed every five days in stagnant water and that they need only very small amounts of water, such as a tire track or a bottle cap, to multiply. The health department uses interns as customer-service representative to talk to people about the risks of rain barrels, the need to empty buckets and other sources of standing water, and the need to change water in birdbaths every five days. Smith noted that a bubbler helps if you have a have a small fountain in your yard. He added that it is important for people to keep their properties free of possible breeding grounds.
Surveillance. The health department identifies locations throughout the city where mosquito populations are building up at both natural and man-made breeding sites. Staff set traps for mosquito specimens on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and come back the next morning to identify what is in the traps. Smith said his staff has found up to 3,000 mosquitos in one trap. They count the number of mosquitos and then send the mosquitos to Columbus, where the insects are tested for viruses. The results come back in a week. If something dangerous was found, Smith said, the health department will issue a news release within one week and spray the quadrants of the city where the problem mosquitos were found.
Smith said the health department recently caught a mosquito that tested positive for West Nile virus. The virus, he added, probably was brought into the area by migrant birds. No human cases of West Nile have been reported in Kent or in Portage County, said Smith, adding that mosquitos with West Nile virus are found throughout Ohio. The Asian tiger mosquito, said Smith, often comes from the south and usually is found in junkyards, in places where scrap tires are left in the open and in garden shops. The tree hole mosquito, on the other hand, poses the danger of encephalitis. Smith said he knew of one local case that involved a mosquito bite and the development of encephalitis–that of a six-year-old boy in Stow.
Mosquito larvae
Larviciding. The daytime treatment of areas of standing water helps reduce the mosquito population, said Smith. He noted that when staff are driving around and see potential breeding sites, they dip a scoop into the water and, if they find larvae, they get the landowners to correct the problem or they treat the larvae with a naturally occurring bacterium called Bti, which is toxic only to mosquito and black-fly larvae and won’t harm beneficial insects. Daytime treatment and the use of Bti, said Smith, are the most effective controls and are the ones used the most. Cold weather can kill the larvae but, if the larvae do survive, it is in storm drains. Smith noted, however, that storm drains in Kent are difficult to treat because water in those drains flows into the Cuyahoga River.
Adulticiding. The evening spraying of residential streets to reduce the number of adult mosquitos is the last resort and is used when a virus has been found or when the nuisance value of the mosquitos has exceeded a certain threshold. The health department gets many calls, both positive and negative, about The chemicals used have changed from the past. Kontrol 4-4, said Smith, is not the most environmentally friendly product, but it is what the department can afford. Zenodex also is used and has a toxicity level that Smith describes as “less than a cup of coffee.” It is water-based rather than oil-based and therefore leaves no residue, Smith noted. The health department does not spray until sundown, which helps to protect dragonflies, bees and moths by limiting their exposure to the chemicals, although moths, said Smith, can be collateral damage. He said the health department does its best to be less toxic to bees and uses a product called Mavrick Perimeter to spray on a tree line in mosquito-infested areas but only as a last resort.
It’s important to try to avoid being bitten by mosquitos, said spraying. Smith. He noted that mosquitos are attracted to odors–especially body odors. They also look for carbon dioxide, starting with birds and on up the food chain. Covering up outside also is important, said Smith, adding that health department workers use a product called Repel, which contains 45% DEET, as they complete their outdoor tasks. Smith stressed that when using DEET, spray it on clothes and not on skin. “Drench from the knees down with the stuff. It stinks but works,” said Smith.
When asked about climate change, Smith said that it can affect the types of mosquitos found in the environment. “We got rid of malaria, which is transmitted by mosquitos, but it could come back,” said Smith. For more information about the Kent Health Department’s mosquito-management program or for a form to request mosquito-control services, click here.
Bats
Purple martins (the largest North American swallow) and bats both eat mosquitos. There has been an increase in the bat population, said Smith, adding that about one in 12 bats has rabies. They bite or spit the virus, which is 99% fatal. Smith noted, however, that the benefit of bats outweighs the rabies threat. The health department has a brochure on bats with more information.
Ticks
Ticks are among the southern bugs can make their way up to Northeast Ohio, said Smith. The increase in the number of ticks is getting worse and worse, he added. This year is the first time that Smith has seen blacklegged ticks in Kent. The ticks transmit Lyme disease, which is common in the South. Smith added the health department also is on the lookout for the American dog tick, which causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and the Lone Star tick, which we have not been seen in Kent. Both ticks are very susceptible to cold weather but, as the climate warms, they could come here and survive, said Smith.
Because ticks can cause disease, it is crucial to get a tick off of you within 24 hours, said Smith. “Don’t grab and pull. Use tweezers instead. Just tug on it like you would taking off a Band-Aid, and it will pop out. You want to avoid backflow of toxins into the body,” said Smith.
Deer-Population Control
Deer population control is on Kent City Council’s agenda, said Smith. The health department, he said, is trying to get council to allow sharpshooters to kill deer for population control and then donate the meat to food banks. Once in a while, said Smith, the health department has moved a deer. No one else can remove deer, he added. Deer also are involved with the spread of ticks. Smith explained that ticks fill up by biting a deer, and then they drop off the deer and are left where people and animals can pick them up when they walk in the area. Smith noted that the walking path to Dix Stadium from Kent State University is one that deer also use because it is easier for the deer to use. This path, said Smith, is where the health department finds the most deer ticks.
Food Safety, Housing and More
The health department also oversees food safety (and teaches classes on it), housing violations and many other health-related activities. Smith also noted that beehives and monarch butterfly sites can be registered with the state for $10. Registration is helpful, said Smith, because it lets the health department know where beehives and monarch butterflies are located and thus try to avoid these sites when spraying. The transportation of queen bees, said Smith, requires a different license. The county bee warden checks beehives annually to be sure the bees are healthy, said Smith, adding that bee health is seen as a homeland security issue.
I know people who say, “There’s always ups and downs to climate.” The chart clearly shows we are way out of the “normal” range that goes back thousands of years. The 2.4 degrees Celsius, however, is much higher than the 1.5 degrees Celsius (over the preindustrial average) agreed to in the Paris Climate Accords and was intended to be a long-term goal and not a monthly goal, I can understand why the United Nations has sounded a red alert. As NASA climate scientist Gavin Schmidt said, “We need answers for why 2023 turned out to be the warmest year in possibly the past 100,000 years. . . . and we need them quickly.”
