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Let’s Examine the Impact of Plastic Use and Reduce Plastic Waste ~ Rethink, Redesign & Reform
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 26 Dec '22

26 Dec '22

# [Let’s Examine the Impact of Plastic Use and Reduce Plastic Waste ~ Rethink, Redesign & Reform](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/26/let%e2%80%99s-examine-the- impact-of-plastic-use-and-reduce-plastic-waste-rethink-redesign-reform/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/C9005252-835A-4BD9-B89D-2C271F4EB2BD-300x150.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/C9005252-835A-4BD9-B89D-2C271F4EB2BD.jpeg) Pete Myres, PhD, testifies before Congressional Committee **WATCH: Pete Myers addresses US Senate committee on the dangers of plastic** From the [Staff, Environmental Health News (EHN)](https://www.ehn.org/plastic- pollution-regulations-2658964356.html), 12/19/22 Environmental Health Sciences founder and chief scientist was one of four witnesses testifying for the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment & Public Works. Plastic is overwhelming our planet and this pollution is spurring developmental and reproductive problems in people — but there are ways we can reduce this harmful waste. That was the message Environmental Health Sciences founder and chief scientist Dr. Pete Myers brought to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment & Public Works last week. Myers testified along with three others — former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator and current Beyond Plastics president Judith Enck, CEO of the Plastics Industry Association Matt Seaholm and co-founder and president of Nexus Circular Eric Hartz — at the hearing, “ **[Examining the Impact of Plastic Use and Identifying Solutions for Reducing Plastic Waste](https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2022/12/examining-the- impact-of-plastic-use-and-identifying-solutions-for-reducing-plastic- waste)**.” **Read Myers ' full testimony here:** [Pete Myers testimony.pdf](https://roar- assets-auto.rbl.ms/files/48995/Pete%20Myers%20testimony.pdf) “Plastic cannot be considered ‘safe’ until it is thoroughly tested,” Myers said in his testimony. “And no plastic has ever been thoroughly tested using the tools of modern, 21st century medical science.” Myers is a leading voice linking plastic to harmful chemicals that can block, mimic, increase or decrease our body’s hormones. The compounds, often added to plastics as additives, are dubbed endocrine-disrupting chemicals and include bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalates, fluorinated compounds and others. Properly functioning hormones are vital for our health, and exposure to these chemicals is linked to a host of health problems including cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, impaired brain development and reproductive issues, among others. Myers has spoken extensively about how the rate of plastic production increases the prevalence of these toxics in our environment and bodies. Myers has also worked to chart a healthier future, championing a new set of “3 R’s” — rethink, redesign and reform — to replace the old reduce, reuse and recycle messaging. Myers co-founded the Sudoc company, which aims to reduce and replace harmful chemicals in many different types of products. The company won the On the Rise category of Fast Company’s 2022 World Changing Ideas Awards. [Watch the entire hearing here.](https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2022/12/examining-the- impact-of-plastic-use-and-identifying-solutions-for-reducing-plastic-waste) **About EHS** : Environmental Health Sciences, which publishes EHN.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news and science organization dedicated to driving good science into public policy and public discussion on our environment and health, including climate change. The organization, founded in 2002, has helped drive science-based changes to policy that led to a moratorium on PBDE flame retardants by several states, a ban on the plastic additive BPA in children’s products by the federal government, and science-based chemical reform in Europe. **Contacts** : Douglas Fischer, Executive Director, dfischer(a)ehsciences.org Angela Marie Hutchinson, Engagement Director, angela(a)ehsciences.org URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/26/let%e2%80%99s-examine-the- impact-of-plastic-use-and-reduce-plastic-waste-rethink-redesign-reform/>

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MAY OUR EARTH BE BETTER, BECAUSE WE MAKE IT SO!
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 25 Dec '22

25 Dec '22

# [MAY OUR EARTH BE BETTER, BECAUSE WE MAKE IT SO!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/25/may-our-earth-be-better-becaus… we-make-it-so/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/F9B35D1F-890E-489D-8842-7C57ADB39D03.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/F9B35D1F-890E-489D-8842-7C57ADB39D03.jpeg) So much to learn and to understand and to integrate **The “World Peace Diet” Continues Promotion Since 1980** From [Dr. Will Tuttle, Speaker, Author, Traveler, and Spiritual Leader](http://www.worldpeacediet.com/), 12/25/22 **Dear friends** , we have just finished the first month of our **Benevolent Revolution Tour** – 18 beautiful events promoting kindness, freedom, and spiritual health, while crossing from California through AZ, NM, and TX. We greet you now from south Florida. We will be here for a couple of months, offering events through Hippocrates and other venues, and returning in March to California on a slightly more northerly route. Deep thanks to the many caring and creative fellow advocates making this all possible, with whom we are honored to be working, contributing, and learning. >>> May the spirit of Love, Truth and Freedom radiate the living light of awakening - Into our hearts and into the hearts of our fellow humans, Sparking insight and compassion for animals, our Earth, and each other. >>> May the deceptive narratives of exploitation be exposed for all to see. >>> May the beckoning doorway of a vegan world of respect for all living beings draw us ever onward and upward. >>> May we live and embody our commitment to respect the sovereignty of individual beings, and never comply with injustice, oppression, and deceit. >>> May we go forth and multiply the season’s message of peace, harmony, joy, and liberation for all! _That 's it for now - With love and appreciation, **Will & Madeleine** Dr. Will Tuttle, 21373 Highway 175, Middletown CA 95461 USA_ P.S. ~ [Here's a new Interview with Chef AJ](https://youtu.be/cTMPwracDx4) - **Enjoy!!** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/25/may-our-earth-be-better-because- we-make-it-so/>

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Energy Discovery, Education, Learning & Technology Accelerator (DELTA) Lab Ramps Up in Virginia
by Frack Check WV: admin 24 Dec '22

24 Dec '22

# [Energy Discovery, Education, Learning & Technology Accelerator (DELTA) Lab Ramps Up in Virginia](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/24/energy- discovery-education-learning-technology-accelerator-delta-lab-ramps-up-in- virginia/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/1F6AD0BD-C187-428A-ADC2-312AF3F77A55-300x196.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/1F6AD0BD-C187-428A-ADC2-312AF3F77A55.jpeg) Residual surface mine site in southwest Virginia **Energy innovation lab eyes new types of economic development for previously mined lands** From an [Article by Charlie Paullin, Virginia Mercury](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/12/22/energy-innovation-lab- eyes-new-types-of-economic-development-for-previously-mined-lands/), 12/22/22 Southwest Virginia’s efforts to reclaim its status as a U.S. energy capital intensified with the announcement this fall of a new energy technology testbed initiative. **The Energy Discovery, Education, Learning & Technology Accelerator, or DELTA, Lab began earlier this year with its first location in Wise County.** As the name suggests, the lab is a way for researchers to test innovative energy technologies as emerging electricity generation sources and storage become more prevalent. But the lab isn’t just getting creative with technology. It’s also experimenting with new ways to develop previously mined lands that are different from traditional economic development projects using public industrial sites and prevent them from remaining vacant. Backers see the DELTA Lab as a way to generate economic activity in a region that has struggled economically as coal use declines. **“The role of the lab is as a broker connecting energy companies and prospects, assisting with siting what location is best,” said Will Payne, managing partner of Coalfield Strategies, an economic development consultancy that is one of several organizations involved in the effort.** The lab has also earned the endorsement of the **Virginia Economic Development Partnership** , which has been vocal about the state’s lack of “business ready” sites, a designation meaning that land is immediately ready to be built on. If a site isn’t business ready, breaking ground can take months because of the need to conduct environmental studies to mitigate soil damage or deal with past contamination. “Previously mined lands can require significant work for new development,” VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi said. “This seems to be an innovative and effective position to advance clean energy on land that was previously contaminated.” Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has also pushed for greater commitments to site readiness. In a budget proposal unveiled last week, he requested an extra $450 million for site development, to be added to a previous $150 million included in this year’s budget. **The DELTA Lab** ~ The inspiration for DELTA Lab is derived from what Germany has done to redevelop mine sites, said Payne, although that country’s efforts have been located more near population centers. In Southwest Virginia, the lab is envisioned as a network of testbed sites that will be located on lands without any plans for buildings, eliminating another need of traditional economic site development. Instead of the traditional “bench” modeling conducted by universities to develop technologies, the testbed sites will provide power companies a chance to see how their ideas play out in real time. Companies will be able to experiment with their technologies in certain topography types and will have access to the robust power and water sources that are already available at previously mined sites. By creating new sites for this kind of experimentation, local governments will also be able to keep their main industrial parks free for more traditional development. “We’re capturing a moment right now” by capitalizing on incentives for new energy generation technologies in the Virginia Clean Economy Act, Payne said. He said he’s not aware of a similar testbed initiative in the country. “We’ve got to be very intentional and careful with how we do this,” said Will Clear, deputy director of the Virginia Department of Energy. “Energy is a natural fit for what we’re really doing. We’ve got the workforce. We’ve got the infrastructure.” Announced in October, DELTA Lab’s first initiative will be Project Innovation, a test site located on property owned by the Cumberland Forest Limited Partnership and managed by the Nature Conservancy. Project Innovation will hone in on four key areas of research: electricity generation, with a focus on renewables; “geoenergy,” or energy from the earth such as geothermal, “eco- friendly coal” or natural gas; energy delivery systems; and options for reusing renewable energy components and the remains of the fossil fuel industry. **The second concept is Project Oasis, in which data centers will be cooled using water from pools that have collected on previously mined properties. One underground site will provide a consistent 55-degree temperature.** **Third, the lab will host Project Energizer, a small-scale pumped-storage hydroelectric system that generates power by transferring water between reservoirs sited at different elevations in the region’s extremely mountainous terrain. Unlike most hydroelectric plants, Project Energizer will cause minimal land disturbance by using “off-the-shelf” components.** **Currently in the works is another project in Wise County that would connect “islands” of smaller parcels to form a 1,300-acre site**. “Over the next 10 years, I think we can see a dozen locations” that are part of DELTA Lab, Payne said. **VEDP on board** ~ The Virginia Economic Development Partnership is primarily focused on the development of parcels that are 250 acres or larger. As sites get larger and require more work to get up to snuff, their availability shrinks. According to VEDP’s site search tool, 44 of 901 total sites available for business development in Virginia are 250 or more acres. Youngkin has said the lack of business-ready sites has lost Virginia 55,000 jobs and $124 billion in capital investments to surrounding states since 2016 “We have to do so much more,” Youngkin said at the Virginia Economic Summit and Forum on International Trade. El Koubi said efforts like DELTA Lab to repurpose previously mined sites “would complement much of what” VEDP is doing elsewhere in the state. The partnership has a business-ready site program that provides grants to localities to develop parcels of lands that are 100 acres or more. But for the Allegheny Highlands and Southwest Virginia region, the program provides funds for similar projects of 50 acres or less. VEDP says it has helped create 200 jobs in the region since 2021 but Moody’s forecasts project the area will lose almost 1,200 jobs by the end of 2027. Projects with a similar scope to those of DELTA Lab can make a difference in the vitality of the region, El Koubi said. “A handful of projects like this each year could position rural regions to consistently create jobs on a net basis for their citizens,” he said. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/24/energy-discovery-education- learning-technology-accelerator-delta-lab-ramps-up-in-virginia/>

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Russian UPU Gas Pipeline to Europe Explodes
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 23 Dec '22

23 Dec '22

# [Russian UPU Gas Pipeline to Europe Explodes](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/23/russian-upu-gas-pipeline-… europe-explodes/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/48FFC5A2-584E-41FF-B7F9-02DFDBD00DD8.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/48FFC5A2-584E-41FF-B7F9-02DFDBD00DD8.jpeg) Three different Russian natural gas pipelines explode in three days **Russian Gas Pipeline to Europe Incurs Accidental Explosion** From the [Article by Cristen Jaynes, EcoWatch News](https://www.ecowatch.com/russia-gas-pipeline-explosion-europe.html), December 21, 2022 Three repair workers were killed yesterday when a section of the Urengoy- Pomary-Uzhhorod natural gas pipeline in western Russia exploded. One driver was also suffering from shock, Reuters reported. The pipeline transports gas from Siberia to central Europe via Ukraine and is currently the primary gas export route from Russia to Europe. Local officials said the gas flare had been extinguished and supplies rerouted. “The damaged section of the gas pipeline was promptly localised. Gas is being transported to consumers in full through parallel gas pipelines,” said Russian gas company Gazprom Transgaz Nizhny Novgorod in a statement, as reported by Reuters. Governor of Russia’s Republic of Chuvashia Oleg Nikolayev said it wasn’t apparent how long the pipeline repairs would take following the explosion, The Associated Press reported. Built in the 1980s, the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod pipeline has become the primary route for gas from Russia to Europe since the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines exploded beneath the Baltic Sea in September. Nord Stream 1 supplied Germany with Russian gas until Russia stopped supplies in August, claiming that there were equipment issues. Germany dismissed these claims, saying Russia wanted to sow doubt and increase gas prices. Germany stopped the certification process for Nord Stream 2 just before Russia invaded Ukraine, and the pipeline was never used. Gazprom said it anticipated pumping 1,518.5 million cubic feet of gas to Europe through the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod pipeline in the day following the explosion — an amount consistent with recent supply, reported Reuters. However, that’s only 5.4 percent of the approximately 5,473.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas Russia supplied to Europe last year, OilPrice.com reported. Europe has been supplementing its supply of natural gas from Russia with imports of liquified natural gas. According to a report from nonprofit Environment America, in the U.S. a gas pipeline incident happens about every 40 hours. Nearly 2,600 incidents involving the release of pipeline gas that were concerning enough to be reported to the federal government occurred between January of 2010 and October of 2021. Of these, 328 caused explosions and fires that killed 122 people and left hundreds injured. The federally reported leaks have caused 26.6 billion cubic feet of methane gas to be spewed into the Earth’s atmosphere, which has the same effect on global warming as the annual emissions of more than 2.4 million cars. Since 2010, the reported gas leaks have resulted in almost $4 billion in costs and damage. “The amount of gas leaking to the environment is far greater than captured in federal leak reporting or emissions estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency,” the report said. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See also:** [A huge fire after explosion of Russian gas pipeline in Chuvashia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXOj7wN0AsQ), TeleTruth Video, YouTube, December 21, 2022 The huge fire broke out after an explosion on a gas pipeline in Vurnarsky region of Chuvashia, Western Russia, local authorities report. Russian Ministry of Emergencies said three people were killed and one injured in an explosion on a natural gas pipeline between Kalinino -Yambakhtino villages. This is the third explosion of Russian gas infrastructure in a matter of days. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/23/russian-upu-gas-pipeline-to- europe-explodes/>

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German Renewable Energy Act 2023 to Limit GHG in Electricity Production
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 22 Dec '22

22 Dec '22

# [German Renewable Energy Act 2023 to Limit GHG in Electricity Production](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/22/german-renewable-energy- act-2023-to-limit-ghg-in-electricity-production/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/9B9128DA-4239-4099-B3F4-1B0BDBBBBE46-300x154.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/9B9128DA-4239-4099-B3F4-1B0BDBBBBE46.jpeg) Germany planning to maximize alternative energy sources despite recent challenges **EU Approves Germany 's $30 Billion Green Energy Plan** From an [Article by Kenny Stancil, Common Dreams](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/12/21/eu-approves- germanys-30-billion-green-energy-plan), December 21, 2022 **The European Commission on Wednesday approved the German government 's €28 billion ($29.69 billion) plan to rapidly expand clean energy production. According to Reuters: "The scheme pays a premium to renewable energy producers, on top of the market price they receive for selling their power. Small generators can receive a feed-in-tariff providing a guaranteed price for their electricity."** The **German Renewable Energy Act 2023** , which replaces an existing support measure for green energy, runs until 2026 and is aimed at meeting Germany's goal of generating 80% of its electricity from wind, solar, and other renewable sources by 2030. The European Commission called the policy "necessary and appropriate" to boost the supply of clean energy and slash planet-heating pollution. Officials said that the plan's environmental benefits outweigh its potential negative impacts on competition. "The German Renewable Energy Act 2023 scheme will contribute to further decarbonize electricity production," Margrethe Vestager, the European Union's competition policy chief, said in a statement. Swiftly increasing clean energy production is essential to achieving Germany's objective of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. It is also key to ameliorating potential energy shortages stemming from Russia's decision to cut off most of the gas it sends to Europe amid the war in Ukraine and the E.U.'s recent ban on seaborne crude oil from Russia. **As Reuters reported:** _(1) Berlin 's response to Europe's energy crunch has attracted criticism from some E.U. countries. Concerns focussed on Germany's broader plan to spend up to €200 billion [$212.36 billion] in subsidies to shield consumers and businesses from soaring energy costs—a sum that many other states cannot afford, and which some said would distort competition in the European Union's single market._ _(2) The Commission said Berlin 's renewable state support was limited to the "minimum necessary" and included safeguards to minimize competition distortions. Companies must bid for the aid in government tenders. (3) To avoid compensating companies twice, Germany will also phase out existing support for renewable producers in times of negative power prices by 2027._ **The European Commission 's approval of Germany's new renewable support plan — and a nearly 50% surge in solar installations across the E.U. this year — highlights green progress on the continent. However, it comes after E.U. policymakers — in an attempt to reduce reliance on dirty energy from Russia — moved to expand fossil fuel infrastructure across Europe, with a focus on building capacity to accept higher volumes of “fracked gas” from the United States and other countries.** Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, progressives urged governments around the globe to treat the war as a catalyst for accelerating clean energy efforts. **As researchers warned earlier this year, scaling up non-Russian fossil fuels will lock in decades of heat-trapping emissions** at a time when the window to slash greenhouse gas pollution and avert the most catastrophic effects of the climate crisis is rapidly closing. While greater quantities of wind and solar power are welcome, a simultaneous increase in **dirty energy consumption** runs counter to the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels — beyond which impacts will grow progressively worse for hundreds of millions of people, particularly those living in impoverished nations who have done the least to cause the crisis. **A desperately needed worldwide clean energy transition remains far behind schedule. Despite overwhelming evidence that extracting and burning more coal, oil, and gas will exacerbate deadly climate chaos, the fossil fuel industry — supported by trillions of dollars in public subsidies each year — has no plans to slow down this decade.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/22/german-renewable-energy- act-2023-to-limit-ghg-in-electricity-production/>

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Hydrogen Hasn’t Been This Popular Since the Dirigible Liftoffs
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 21 Dec '22

21 Dec '22

# [Hydrogen Hasn’t Been This Popular Since the Dirigible Liftoffs](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/21/hydrogen- hasn%e2%80%99t-been-this-popular-since-the-dirigible-liftoff/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/B1B624FA-2AD6-40D1-B2F7-51CDF37B6221-300x200.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/B1B624FA-2AD6-40D1-B2F7-51CDF37B6221.jpeg) Air Liquide Innovation Campus Delaware in Newark **VIEWPOINT: Hydrogen is key to energy transition** >> [Article by Guest Writer, Delaware Business Journal](https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/viewpoint-hydrogen-is-key-t… energy-transition/), August 29, 2022 This week, Air Liquide was proud to host at our Innovation Campus Delaware (ICD) U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Governor John Carney for a productive discussion of our nation’s energy future and the key role that hydrogen will play in decarbonizing some of our most carbon intensive industries. Following the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law by President Biden, the United States is in a stronger position than ever to strengthen its domestic hydrogen market to the benefit of our environment and economy. The energy tax provisions included in the new law send a strong market signal that the United States is serious about hydrogen’s role in driving a clean energy transition, incentivizing continued private sector investment and increased hydrogen production. It is important to note that the technologies for hydrogen exist today. Alongside programs like the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen Hub program, we are now poised to make real progress on the regional and localized deployment of hydrogen technologies and infrastructure across the country. In doing so, we will be able to make hydrogen more accessible and affordable for consumers across the economic spectrum looking to curb their carbon footprints. Hydrogen provides the flexibility and reliability needed to achieve a true clean energy transition swiftly and effectively. Indeed, it can decarbonize our transportation and industrial sectors – which are the source for the majority of our nation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – and facilitate the onboarding of more renewable energy on the electric, and can serve as critical, scalable energy storage. In addition to its environmental benefits, the development of a strong domestic hydrogen market will support the growth of our economy and create critical new clean energy jobs for American workers. According to a recent McKinsey report, a mature domestic hydrogen market stands to deliver an estimated $140 billion per year in revenue and 700,000 new jobs across the hydrogen value chain by 2030. Globally, by 2050, the global hydrogen economy could avoid 6 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions, create a $2.5 trillion market for hydrogen and fuel cell equipment, and provide sustainable employment for more than 30 million people. Simply put, hydrogen is proof that our environment and economy can grow hand- in-hand. It is no coincidence that this week’s discussion on our energy future took place in Delaware. The state has an impressive and inspiring history as a bastion for American innovation. From medicine to aerospace to defense and technology, so much of the R&D that has progressed our economy, society, and modern way of life has links to Delaware’s universities, corporations, and entrepreneurs. In fact, it is this legacy that drove Air Liquide’s decision 15 years ago to establish the Innovation Campus, the anchor of research and development for the Americas, in Newark. We saw clearly that Delaware’s commitment to innovation matched our own. Today, the ICD signifies a $100 million investment in innovation and the advanced technologies that will change the future, like hydrogen for the clean energy transition, working in partnership with entities like DOE and the University of Delaware. The R&D conducted at the ICD supports the cutting-edge technology that Air Liquide deploys in its operations, in support of the development of the U.S. hydrogen market and the achievement of our national and global environmental goals. In partnership with DOE, the ICD is currently focused on demonstrating the first-of-its-kind hydrogen refueling infrastructure for maritime applications, developing an integrated approach for sustainable steelmaking, solving the technical challenges of blending hydrogen in natural gas pipelines, and enhancing the technology of high-density hydrogen energy storage. And that’s but a fraction of the exciting work underway. As we look forward to the promise of emerging technologies and the next phase of our nation’s energy landscape, it is essential that we have the right public policies in place to support further investment and commitment. To- date, Air Liquide has invested more than $1 billion into hydrogen in the U.S., and we are committed to investing another $10 billion globally in the entire low-carbon hydrogen value chain by 2035. The energy tax provisions of the IRA send a strong signal that the United States takes hydrogen’s role in our clean energy future seriously, and is an example of the smart climate policy needed to make that future a reality. >>> Adam Peters is the CEO of Air Liquide North America #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **Hindenburg Disaster: Real Zeppelin Explosion Footage (1937 …** **Video here** ~ <https://youtu.be/CgWHbpMVQ1U> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/21/hydrogen-hasn%e2%80%99t-been- this-popular-since-the-dirigible-liftoff/>

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Pros & Cons of FRACKING IN WEST VIRGINIA Are Not Even Equal
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 20 Dec '22

20 Dec '22

# [Pros & Cons of FRACKING IN WEST VIRGINIA Are Not Even Equal](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/20/pros-cons-of-fracking-in-wes… virginia-are-not-even-equal/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/B4198A3A-E13D-4A22-84CD-689162DAA3CC.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/B4198A3A-E13D-4A22-84CD-689162DAA3CC.jpeg) Some people have well water that is at risk or already contaminated **Fracking ‘pros’ never appear, but its ‘cons’ do** From a [Letter by Barbara Daniels, Morgantown Dominion Post, Sunday](https://www.dominionpost.com/2022/12/17/dec-18-letters-to-the- editor-2/), December 18, 2022 **According to the Ohio River Valley Institute, in the most heavily fracked county in West Virginia, the industry promise of jobs never materialized.** What did materialize, though, was a reduced population, dangerously polluted air and water and major damage to infrastructure. Also damaged was the clean, wild and wonderful West Virginia that supports tourism, recreation and farming. Yet even with the highest gas production in West Virginia, **Wetzel County still suffers from double digit unemployment**. A recent study conducted by the **Environmental Working Group** states just one fracked drilling site deploys harmful chemicals sufficient “to contaminate more than 100 billion gallons of drinking water to unsafe levels … more than 10 times as much water … New York uses in a single day.” These chemicals are often so dangerous that frack-waste cleanup crews report sores covering their legs and soles burnt off boots. **Wetzel County** also had many frack vehicle accidents; dump trucks smashed through guardrails, semis straddling roads, cranes toppled into ravines and drill rigs fallen off semis — on deeply rutted roads littered with industry equipment. Meanwhile, Marcellus gas is mainly exported to other countries, keeping U.S. natural gas prices high. However, as a **Bloomberg** report put it, extraordinarily generous fossil- fuel subsidies hide the true cost of fracking, wherein the average well production declines by 60% in the first year. So, though needing more and more costly wells to maintain output, destructive drilling — using taxpayer dollars — continues. While fracking created startlingly few jobs in **Appalachia** , most of them no longer exist. Instead, the money went to corporate profits and out-of-state workers. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **See also** : [Health Professionals: Fracking Can’t Be Done Without Threatening Public Health](https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/health- professionals-fracking-cant-be-done-without-threatening-public-health), Grant Smith (EWG) & Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D. (EWG), March 16, 2018 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/20/pros-cons-of-fracking-in-west- virginia-are-not-even-equal/>

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Drilling & Fracking Exposes Workers and Residents to Toxic Chemicals
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 19 Dec '22

19 Dec '22

# [Drilling & Fracking Exposes Workers and Residents to Toxic Chemicals](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/19/drilling-fracking-expose… workers-and-residents-to-toxic-chemicals/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/D217B31F-C248-4944-99EF-8A973AFAF3EF-258x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/D217B31F-C248-4944-99EF-8A973AFAF3EF.jpeg) Some of the impacts are shown in this earlier study! **We can’t forget the health dangers of fracking** Letter from [Joseph Otis Minott, Penn Capital Star](https://www.penncapital- star.com/commentary/we-cant-forget-the-health-dangers-of-fracking-opinion/), December 18, 2022 **It’s time Pennsylvania residents and regulators demand that the health risks of fracking be addressed.** Although it’s taken far too long – and so much work lies ahead – confronting the climate crisis has become a defining policy goal of the U.S. government, and people are starting to notice. International conferences like COP27 draw extensive coverage, and more and more parts of society are taking part in the conversation around climate change. Whether that talk will lead to necessary action is still unclear, but people are recognizing the need to move away from fossil fuels, including fracked gas. Yet climate impacts are just one aspect of the threat posed by fossil fuels. A growing body of research is confirming a dangerous link between fracking and a wide range of health problems. It’s time Pennsylvania residents and regulators demand these health risks be addressed, including by establishing safer distances between fracking sites and people’s homes under state law. A recent **Yale School of the Environment** report details the established connection between fracking and health risks. **Physicians for Social Responsibility** and Concerned Health Professionals of New York report that 17.6 million people live within a mile of a fracked oil or gas well. That’s a public health crisis, according to the healthcare professionals and scientists in the group. Earlier this year, Yale researchers found that children living near Pennsylvania wells that use fracking to extract gas (aka methane) are two to three times more likely to contract a form of childhood leukemia than their peers who live farther away. Another study from Harvard found that elderly people living near or downwind from gas pads have a higher risk of premature death than seniors who don’t live in that proximity. Across thousands of peer-reviewed research papers, the health effects linked to exposure to fracking include respiratory conditions, heart disease, cancer, stress, and adverse effects on the developing fetus. For at-risk groups and all Pennsylvania residents, greater protections are needed. There are a few commonsense actions we can take now. The first is to require safer distances between these toxic fracking sites and the areas where people live and work. Known as setbacks or protective buffers, these limits on how close fracking infrastructure can be to buildings, schools, hospitals, and natural resources are established in Pennsylvania law. Currently, Pennsylvania only requires that well pads be 500 feet from residential buildings. Some well pads are 40 acres across – yet can be within 500 feet of a school or hospital. According to the Yale study and many others, a 500-foot barrier is woefully inadequate in protecting populations from the health hazards of fracking. **Earlier this year, Clean Air Council partnered with several Pennsylvania environmental groups to form Protective Buffers PA. The Coalition calls for statewide action creating larger protective buffers between fracking sites and our communities and natural sites.** Some states, such as New York, have banned fracking because of its negative impact on public health. Pennsylvania should do the same. But if fracking is going to be allowed, Protective Buffers are a proven and no-cost solution to the public health crisis caused by fracking. Yet in the context of a growing body of research and the tremendous threat of climate change, these setbacks should only be a stepping stone toward a more permanent and impactful solution: to deliberately phase out fracking and methane production and transition to a renewable energy. Fracking poses a threat to current and future Pennsylvania residents. It poses a threat to our current and future environment. It poses a threat to our current and future communities. It’s time to create a safe distance between our schools, hospitals and residences and fracking as we work to phase out fossil fuels for good. >>> Joseph Otis Minott is the executive director and chief counsel of Clean Air Council in Philadelphia. CAC also has an office in Pittsburgh. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/19/drilling-fracking-exposes- workers-and-residents-to-toxic-chemicals/>

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SIXTH Mass Extinction Underway on EARTH
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 18 Dec '22

18 Dec '22

# [SIXTH Mass Extinction Underway on EARTH](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/18/sixth-mass-extinction-underw… on-earth/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/182F9FB2-AE64-42D6-995C-861BE703FA01.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/182F9FB2-AE64-42D6-995C-861BE703FA01.jpeg) An Article, an Audio CD Set, and a best selling Book by Elizabeth Kolbert **Coextinctions dominate future vertebrate losses from climate and land use change** [Scientific Article by Giavonni Strona & Corey Bradshaw, Science Magazine](https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.abn4345?et_rid=24…, Dec. 16, 2022 **ABSTRACT** ~ Although theory identifies coextinctions as a main driver of biodiversity loss, their role at the planetary scale has yet to be estimated. We subjected a global model of interconnected terrestrial vertebrate food webs to future (2020–2100) climate and land-use changes. We predict a 17.6% (± 0.16% SE) average reduction of local vertebrate diversity globally by 2100, with coextinctions increasing the effect of primary extinctions by 184.2% (± 10.9% SE) on average under an intermediate emissions scenario. Communities will lose up to a half of ecological interactions, thus reducing trophic complexity, network connectance, and community resilience. **The model reveals that the extreme toll of global change for vertebrate diversity might be of secondary importance compared to the damages to ecological network structure.** **INTRODUCTION** ~ **The planet has entered the sixth mass extinction (1–5)**. **There are multiple causes underlying the rapid increase in observed and modeled extinction rates in recent times, of which land-use change, overharvesting, pollution, climate change, and biological invasions figure as dominant processes (6).** However, assessing the relative importance and the realistic impact of such drivers at the global scale remains a challenge. Another aspect rendering assessment difficult are the synergies between drivers — a species might go extinct for multiple, simultaneous reasons, and in such contexts, ecological interactions play a fundamental role in predicting its fate (7). Growing recognition of the importance of species interactions in promoting the emergence of biodiversity in complex natural communities implies that an additional, fundamental component of biodiversity loss is represented by the amplification of primary extinctions across ecological networks. Coextinction — the loss of species caused by direct or indirect effects stemming from other extinctions — is now recognized as a major contributor to global biodiversity loss, strongly amplifying the effect of primary (e.g., climate-driven) extinctions (8–11). Networks of ecological interactions are central to global patterns of diversity loss not only because coextinctions can be triggered by other extinction drivers, but also because network structure and dynamics might modulate several processes that can either reduce or increase extinction rate. For example, it is intuitive that a species’ success in colonizing a new area depends strongly on its ability to exploit local resources while simultaneously escaping enemies (predators and parasites). The addition of the new species might also initiate substantial changes to and have important cascading effects in the local network. Ignoring the structure of ecological networks and how they reconfigure as their constituent diversity changes therefore gives a possibly misleading view of the future of global diversity. Previous attempts to predict the future of global diversity in the face of climate change and habitat modification have only considered the direct effects of these drivers on species (typically on single taxonomic groups), without explicitly accounting for ecological interactions. For instance, Thomas et al. (12) used projections of species’ distributions and species-area relationships to predict extinction rates for 20% of Earth’s surface, and Malcolm et al. (13) applied both species-area and endemic-area relationships to predictions of biome shift under climate change in **Biodiversity Hotspots**. van Vuuren et al. (14) also applied species-area relationships to vascular plants to project extinctions under different land-use and climate- change scenarios within the **Millennium Ecosystem Assessment** , and Jetz et al. (15) used a similar approach for birds. Others have applied analogous techniques to many other taxa, including lizards (16), crop wild relatives (17), chelonians (18), bird, amphibians, and corals (19). Later, Warren et al. (20) applied point-process and global circulation models to predict climate change–induced shifts in species’ distributions, and Urban (21) did a meta- analysis (including many of the studies cited above) to predict extinction rates of various taxa under several climate-change scenarios. Despite this extensive research foundation, future inferences of biodiversity’s fate over the coming century are likely to underestimate extinctions arising from global change (11). Apart from the obvious modeling and computational challenges to incorporate interactions among species, the main reason why there are few studies accounting for interactions is that obtaining sufficient data in most communities is intractable. Therefore, global-scale modeling of entire ecosystems appears to be the only viable solution, even if a challenging one (11, 22). Recent developments in network approaches have shown that potential ecological interactions can be derived by applying different techniques (e.g., machine learning) to available datasets on species distribution and ecology (23, 24). In previous work (11), we built on that idea to generate global- scale models of biodiversity by including species interactions using virtual species constructed to follow real-world archetypes. In such synthetic approaches, a virtual species is a plausible ecological entity that has a combination of ecological traits consistent with real-world species despite not corresponding exactly to them. There are several advantages in using virtual species in this manner. The first is that once the rules have been set to generate virtual species, current gaps and biases in biodiversity sampling cease to be a limitation; we can use virtual species to populate the entire Earth and generate plausible ecological communities, even in areas where data on local diversity are scarce or missing. Second, virtual species avoid preconceptions (and biases) about current biodiversity patterns, permitting instead a focus on the processes involved in change. Here, we can populate an entire virtual planet with species, let them develop communities based on a modest set of realistic ecological rules and assumptions, and then explore the emerging patterns. With such an approach, real-world data serve as a template for generating the virtual species and for identifying the basic ecological rules controlling community dynamics and as a benchmark with which to validate the realism of modeled predictions. We previously demonstrated how coextinctions increase the pace of annihilation of life on Earth by up to 10 times relative to primary extinctions, but only in the face of catastrophic, no-return environmental change modeled as either extreme planetary heating or cooling (11). Although an instructive proof of concept, that model contained many simplifications and was applied to (hopefully) unrealistic scenarios of global change. Building on that original approach, here we developed a more complex, and ecologically realistic dynamic model to represent all terrestrial vertebrate communities with which we project future biodiversity trends. By accounting for both primary extinctions and their resulting coextinctions, the model predicts the cumulative toll on global biodiversity of different climate and land-use change projections up to 2100 at a spatial scale of 1° × 1° and at a monthly temporal resolution. In addition to providing estimates of potential global diversity loss, the model quantifies the relative contribution of the different extinction drivers at the global scale for the first time. [This Article continues in Science Magazine.](https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.abn4345?et_rid=2… #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **See also:** [The Sixth Extinction? | Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/05/25/the-sixth-extinctio…, May 18, 2009 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/18/sixth-mass-extinction-underway- on-earth/>

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Endangered Candy Darter May Be Saved for Posterity
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 17 Dec '22

17 Dec '22

# [Endangered Candy Darter May Be Saved for Posterity](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/17/endangered-candy-darter- may-be-saved-for-posterity/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/4912784C-E610-4D55-A064-FACCBB0F4A71-300x199.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/4912784C-E610-4D55-A064-FACCBB0F4A71.jpeg) Endangered Candy Darter with amazing coloration. **U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ~ Candy Darter ~ Small fish, huge news!** >> Press Release for Public Distribution, December 15, 2022 **Biologists at White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery in West Virginia recently released hatchery-raised candy darters into the wild for the first time ever!** This conservation milestone was reached thanks to partners as well as the dedicated hatchery staff trialing new methods for the care of this vibrant (and rare) fish. **More on the conservation efforts to help the festive-looking candy darter:** <http://ow.ly/nZEN50LIGuG> Photo: Courtesy of Joel Sartore/Photo Ark URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/17/endangered-candy-darter-may-be- saved-for-posterity/>

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2024

2023

2022