MELBOURNE, 27 MARCH 2025—Responding to Peter Dutton’s gas policy, announced tonight in his Budget Reply speech, Joe Rafalowicz, Head of Climate and Energy, Greenpeace, said:
Peter Dutton’s energy policy is an absolute dud for everyone except his mates – the fossil fuel lobby. It contains everything that would benefit coal and gas corporations, and absolutely nothing that would help household budgets, or stop the destruction of our ecosystems and climate.
Fast-tracking gas approvals, opening up new gas fields in our oceans and fracking the land, diverting money meant for clean energy to dirty gas, and stopping the construction of essential infrastructure to make renewable energy more affordable for Australians: these are all cynical measures designed to hamper the growth of affordable and clean renewable energy, while gas corporations continue to rake in profits.
Wind and solar are already the cheapest form of energy in Australia, while gas is expensive, tied to volatile global markets for price, and wrecks the climate and our ecosystems. To truly reduce energy prices for Australians, Mr Dutton should be helping families buy home solar systems with batteries, and expanding the share of renewable energy generation, backed by storage.
The Coalition’s nuclear plans are also nothing more than a risky, ok bad-faith delay tactic to prop up coal, oil, and gas, while holding back the rollout of renewable energy. Only the fossil fuel industry benefits from nuclear, while the rest of us pay the price for worsening climate damage, which is costing Australian taxpayers billions of dollars a year.
If Peter Dutton is serious about lowering bills for Australians, and wants the approval of the majority of Australians who love nature and are concerned about the climate, this absolute dud of an energy policy will not cut it. We call on Mr. Dutton to produce a real and effective energy and climate plan, based on cheap, clean renewable power.
This year is the 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) and Victory over Japan (VJ).
Thursday 8 May 2025 marks 80 years since VE Day, when the Second World War came to an end in Europe. While 15 August is celebrated as VJ Day, when the war ended in the east as Japan surrendered.
On bank holiday Monday 5 May gather your friends, family and neighbours and host a Great British Food Festival.
To help celebrate and bring people together the Isle of Wight Council will waive the land hire costs for community groups (including town, parish and community councils) to hold parties in the park and on beaches across the Island. This will help make organising an event as easy and stress-free as possible.
Residents can download this handy toolkit to help get the party started
Natasha Dix, Service Director Waste, Environment and Planning said ‘‘Parties like this are a great opportunity for communities to come together. We want to make it as easy as possible for organised groups to hold a party to celebrate this momentous occasion.’’
‘‘For anyone organised groups wishing to hold a party in a local park or at the beach on bank holiday Monday 5 May simply visit Amenity land hire and submit your request to the council one month before the date of your event. If you are just gathering a few friends and family members, have fun and stay safe. We would like to remind everyone to please leave their environment as they found out and place any litter in bins or take it home to dispose of correctly.’’
Celebrate freedom in the great outdoors and enjoy some Great British Food. Whether you plan a picnic party in your local park or sandwiches on the sand at the beach. Big or small gather your friends, family and neighbours.
While the Isle of Wight Council is waiving any land hire costs, licensing fees will still apply as these are a statuary requirement.
The council hopes that as many people take this opportunity to get the together but would like to remind residents if they do choose to hold a party in an outdoor space, they leave the venue as they found it.
Please take away any rubbish and dispose of it correctly.
These hints may help.
Disposable barbeques
Be safe and just don’t use them. The risk of fire caused by disposable barbeques is high. Pack a picnic instead.
Disposable barbeques can reach 400C and take around four hours to cool down, making them impossible to move, and posing danger to people and the environment.
Use of disposable barbeques is banned in several local parks and beaches managed by the council.
Recyclable plates/cups and cutlery
Consider using recyclable cups, paper plates and wooden cutlery that can be reused or recycled easily instead of single use plastic.
Bottles and cans
Wash and squash any plastic bottles or cans and put them in your recycling bin. Squashing plastic bottles and cans helps free up space making it easier to collect and recycle more.
Cardboard
Collapse any cardboard boxes to fit more in your bin. Our recycling centres will also accept larger boxes of cardboard. You can also bundle excess cardboard to one side of your recycling bin or sack on your recycling week.
Left-over food waste
Use your food caddie to dispose of any leftover food waste from your celebrations or visit Love Food Hate Waste for simple recipes to use up your leftovers.
Issued at the Third Quadripartite Executive Annual Meeting, 25–27 March 2025, WOAH headquarters, Paris
As global leaders in human, animal and environmental health, the Quadripartite collaboration comprising the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) reaffirms its unwavering commitment to advancing the One Health approach. This integrated approach is essential to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, plants and ecosystems and to address health risks at the human-animal-environment interface. Meeting at WOAH headquarters in Paris for the Third Quadripartite Executive Annual Meeting, we call for urgent, strategic and sustained support and investments to scale up One Health implementation worldwide.
Advancing the One Health agenda
Since its establishment in March 2022, the Quadripartite has made significant progress in four strategic priority areas.
Implementation of theOne Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA). Over the past year, the Quadripartite has strengthened cross-sectoral collaboration through regional and sub-regional One Health workshops in Europe, central Asia, and Pacific islands, leading to increased adoption of the OH JPA at the national level. Capacity-building efforts have expanded, with multiple country-level workshops focusing on workforce development, joint risk assessments and multisectoral coordination mechanisms. Additionally, key implementation tools have been translated into multiple languages, increasing their accessibility and adoption.
Strengthening One Health science and evidence. The second term of the Quadripartite One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) has been established, broadening its expertise to include social sciences, economics and governance. Key scientific deliverables will include mapping international legal and policy instruments that have a bearing on One Health and analysing barriers and enablers of One Health implementation. The Quadripartite One Health Knowledge Nexus serves as an interactive space for collective knowledge generation and co-learning. Under this platform, a joint Community of Practice was launched in November 2023 on the return on investment for One Health. A new community of practice on One Health governance is planned to be launched in 2025. In 2024, the Quadripartite contributed actively to the 8th World One Health Congress and several other international scientific fora to strengthen partnerships with the scientific community.
Enhancing political engagement and advocacy. The Quadripartite played a significant role in global political processes, advocating for the inclusion of One Health in major discussions and declarations. This includes supporting the adoption of a UN General Assembly political declaration on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and advocating for One Health integration in G20 health ministerial discussions and declarations. Additionally, the Quadripartite contributed to the adoption of a Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health at the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) and hosted a high-level One Health event at UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) to promote climate-health policy integration.
Mobilizing investments for One Health. The Quadripartite is developing a Joint Offer – a unified advocacy document for targeted One Health investments. This effort will be bolstered by structured outreach to funding partners through roundtable discussions and high-level dialogues. The Quadripartite continues to advocate for embedding One Health in existing financial mechanisms, and strengthening regional and national One Health investment planning to catalyse broader financial commitments, ensuring sustainable investments at national and global levels.
Investing in One Health now
The complexity of today’s health challenges – ranging from AMR and zoonotic diseases to food safety risks and climate-related health threats, amongst others – demands an integrated and well-resourced One Health response. Investing in One Health is not an option; it is an imperative. It is a strategic and cost-effective approach to preventing future health crises, reducing economic losses, strengthening global health security and promoting sustainable development.
The Quadripartite underscores that investing in One Health today is an investment in a safer, healthier and more resilient future. The world cannot afford to wait. We call on policymakers, donors and global leaders to act decisively, turning commitments into concrete actions and ensuring that One Health is effectively implemented, leaving no one behind.
Limpopo residents will be able to dispose of their electronic waste at a recycling facility and get paid for it.
This as government launched the E-Waste Recycling Pilot Project initiative in Limpopo on Wednesday which will allow residents to dispose of their electronic waste at a recycling facility and get paid for it by the Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) who are part of the project.
“The increasing number of electronic devices being used without a proper system for disposal has led to the accumulation of waste that harms our environment and contaminates water and soil. Today’s launch of the E-Waste Recycling Pilot Project is our response to this growing crisis,” Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Bernice Swarts, said at the launch of the pilot project in the Thulamela Local Municipality on Wednesday.
Three PROs will participate in Thulamela Local Municipality as part of the initiative.
“The PROs will set-up and welcome community members as they bring their e-waste. The e-waste will then be weighed, the weight recorded, and the person’s details recorded.
“An incentive will be paid out via cellphone based on a Rand/ kilogram where a minimum ranging from R1,00/ kilogram can be paid based on the weight of the item and the type of item. Payments will be done in the form of EFT and MTN MoMo,” the Deputy Minister said.
In addition to this, a participation voucher will be given that ranges from R30 to R50 depending on the number of items dropped off.
There will also be “spin-a-wheel” competition which offers a chance to win an extra voucher ranging from R0-100. The vouchers will be redeemable at Shoprite/ Checkers.
The PROs will be working with local collectors based in Limpopo and the Vhembe District specifically.
The collection of large items will be possible locally for communities close to the event venue. Arrangements can be made with the local collectors to do other collections after the event only.
The initiative was launched in partnership with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Thulamela Local Municipality, Vhembe District Municipality, Industry and the PROs.
“The goal of this pilot project is to test and implement a sustainable system for recycling of e-waste in Thulamela Local Municipality. Through this collaboration, we aim to not only manage and dispose of e-waste responsibly but also raise awareness among communities about the importance of recycling and the dangers of improper e-waste disposal.
“The success of this project relies heavily on the participation of the local community. By providing households with easy access to collection or drop off points, recycling facilities and offering guidance on how to properly separate and dispose of their old electronic devices, we aim to change the way residents think about their waste.
“The wheelie bins provided by the department will serve as dedicated receptacles for collecting e-waste, ensuring that it is separated from general household waste and directed to specialized recycling channels. This process will prevent toxic substances from leaching into the soil and water, protecting both our environment and our health,” Swarts said.
Managing e-waste
According to the Deputy Minister, South Africa generates over 360 000 tons of e-waste annually, and 10% of this is properly managed.
The rest ends up in landfills, or worse, is illegally dumped, posing serious risks to the ecosystems.
“Our waste laws do not allow the disposal of e-waste to landfills. This is done with the intention of diverting this waste stream from landfill for recycling purposes.
“As part of our efforts to address this growing E-waste problem, South Africa has implemented the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation for the Electrical and Electronic Equipment sector since November 2021 which compels the producers of electronic products to take-back and ensure proper recycling thereof,” she said.
As part of the National Waste Management Strategy 2020, South Africa has committed to reducing waste sent to landfills, increasing recycling rates, and promoting a circular economy.
“The EPR regulations, which place responsibility for end-of-life products on producers, are key to this vision. By encouraging industry involvement in waste management, we are ensuring that those who create waste are also part of the solution.
“In the coming months, we will monitor the progress of this pilot project to ensure that it meets its objectives. This includes tracking the volume of e-waste collected, the effectiveness of the community awareness campaigns, and the number of local jobs created through the project.
“Our goal is to ensure that this pilot project becomes a success story and a model that can be replicated across other municipalities in Limpopo and beyond,” Swarts said. –SAnews.gov.za
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Reed: Sewage spill data a “disgrace”
New sewage data shows small drop in the number of sewage spills in 2024, but duration has increased.
The Environment Secretary has described the number of spills from storm overflows as “disgraceful” as new figures were released today (27 March).
The figures show a slight drop in the total number of spills compared to 2023. However, the total duration of spills has increased – with 3,614,428 hours recorded across the year.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:
These figures are disgraceful and are a stark reminder of how years of underinvestment have led to water companies discharging unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes, and seas.
We’ve already placed water companies under tough special measures through the landmark Water Act, banning unfair bonuses for polluting water bosses and introducing criminal charges for lawbreakers.
But we will go further and faster. That’s why this government has secured over £100 billion of private sector investment to upgrade our crumbling infrastructure and not only clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good, but also help deliver economic growth across the country as part of our Plan for Change.
The government is prioritising water infrastructure upgrades, with £104 billion of private-sector investment secured for the next five years. This will be invested into the water sector and will mean spills are cut by 45% by 2030 from 2021 levels, according to Ofwat.
We have also commissioned a full review into the sector to deliver lasting reforms that will clean up our waterways for good.
To further reduce the frequency and duration of storm overflow spills, Defra recently published new storm overflow guidance for water companies and regulators. This guidance directs investment toward the most environmentally sensitive sites to better protect nature.
Under this new government guidance, agreed as part of the price review process (PR24), improvements are being prioritised to focus water company investment on better wastewater management and enhancing bathing water quality nationwide.
This follows the Water (Special Measures) Act passing into law last month, which gives regulators stronger powers to crack down on polluting water companies. It allows faster penalties, bans bonuses for failing executives, and introduces independent monitoring of every sewage outlet. Water companies must now publish real-time data on emergency overflows, with spills reported within an hour of the initial event.
The £104 billion investment will be rolled out over the next five years, marking the largest upgrade to water infrastructure since privatisation. This will drive forward 150 major infrastructure projects – creating over 30,000 jobs across the country, supporting the building of 1.5 million new homes and powering new industries such as gigafactories and data centres.
The Independent Water Commission, launched by the government last year and led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will recommend long-term reforms to reset the water sector regulatory system. This will help the government to establish a resilient and innovative water sector and a robust regulatory framework.
Environment Agency storm overflow spill data for 2024
Spill count and duration remains unacceptably high across England. Data analysis and stricter rules to reduce pollution going forward.
The Environment Agency has today published water company Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) Annual Return data for 2024 showing the frequency and duration of spills from storm overflows in England.
The data for 2024 shows a 2.9% decrease in the number of sewage spills compared to 2023. Spill durations increased by 0.2% – this is the number of hours overflows operated for compared to last year. This year’s data shows that storm overflow spill counts and duration remain unacceptably high.
The data also shows that in 2024:
The average number of spills per overflow was 31.8 compared to 33.1 in 2023 and 32.6 in 2020;
39% of storm overflows spilled less than 10 times in 2024 compared to 40.5% in 2023 and 40% in 2020;
12.5% of storm overflows did not spill at all in 2024 compared to 13.9% in 2023 and 13% in 2020.
In January, the Environment Agency worked with partners to secure the largest commitment of actions and investment from water companies to clean up our waterways since privatisation. The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) sets out over 24,000 actions water companies must take over the next five years to meet their legal requirements for the environment, representing a £22.1bn investment – around £10.2bn of which will be used to improve storm overflows in England, including nature-based solutions which reduce the amount of rainfall reaching overflows.
To meet our requirements, water companies have committed to upgrading over 2,500 storm overflows – which is expected to reduce annual sewage spills by 85,000. Water companies will also install 3,500 monitors at emergency overflows sites, further protecting and enhancing 13,500 km of river.
Chair of Environment Agency Alan Lovell said:
This year’s data shows we are still a long way off where we need to be to stop unnecessary sewage pollution. But it also provides vital intelligence that drives targeted investment. Using our Event Duration monitoring analysis, we have worked with partners to secure £10.2bn from water companies to improve storm overflows in England.
While these improvements get underway, we expect water companies to do what customers pay it to do: ensure their existing assets are maintained and operating properly.
We will continue to protect our precious water quality and resources by holding water companies to account.
The Environment Agency puts permits in place for storm overflows to ensure they are only used legally during times of rainfall and snowmelt.
We have significantly ramped up our monitoring of water companies in recent years. There is more monitoring of storm overflows in place than ever before and data-driven analytics led by our increased workforce is helping us to map discharges against rainfall more effectively.
The transparency this provides allows us to understand the scale of the issue at hand and gives the industry a clear framework to focus their investment and improvements.
It also informs our compliance and investigation work. Where significant pollution incidents occur, we work to stop the pollution as quickly as possible and then to take enforcement action where necessary. Since 2015, we have concluded 65 prosecutions against water and sewerage companies – securing fines of over £151 million. At the same time, we’re tightening the rules around storm overflows. The Water Special Measures Act will give us increased legal powers to take stronger enforcement action against environmental lawbreakers.
We recently updated our Storm Overflow Assessment Framework, which places greater emphasis on water companies to investigate, maintain and improve underperforming storm overflows. We are also updating water company permits to include spill frequency thresholds and, since January, all day dry spills – no matter how small – are now classified as pollution incidents.
Reducing the use of storm overflows is vital to achieving healthier waterways. This is a long-term process, but we have the investment, mechanisms and powers to move closer towards a cleaner future.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Creating sensors for extreme fusion energy conditions
UKAEA awards £3.5m to develop highly specialised sensors for extreme conditions of fusion energy environments
Diagnostic equipment on the MAST Upgrade machine measuring the magnetic field inside the plasma at UKAEA’s Culham Campus – Image Credit United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
Thirteen organisations have secured contracts with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to develop robust sensing technologies for use in future fusion power plants.
Worth £3.5m in total, 16 contracts – feasibility studies from £100,000 up to £250,000 – have been awarded by UKAEA’s Fusion Industry Programme, an initiative launched in 2021 to develop the necessary technology and skills for the future global fusion power plant market.
The 13 organisations – 10 private companies and three academic institutions – are developing a range of sensing and diagnostic technologies for use in extreme environments, an essential field of innovation for future fusion power plants.
Fusion power plants will operate under complex conditions, including extreme temperatures, high neutron loads and high magnetic fields. Developing highly specialised, robust sensing and control technologies that can operate under these extreme conditions is essential to making fusion energy a commercially viable part of the world’s energy mix.
Novel sensing and diagnostic systems will be needed to measure a range of data within a fusion power plant, including plasma position and shape, plasma electron density, temperature, and the performance of plasma-facing components.
The 13 organisations will now undertake technical feasibility studies, taking their sensing and diagnostics technologies to ‘proof of concept’ stages with support from the Fusion Industry Programme.
Tim Bestwick, Chief Technology Officer and Deputy CEO, UKAEA, said: “Fusion promises to be a safe, sustainable source of energy for future generations. However, delivering fusion means overcoming complex scientific and engineering challenges, such as developing tough sensors to withstand fusion’s harsh environments.
“The Fusion Industry Programme is engaging private companies and academia to help solve these challenges, while stimulating innovation that can boost adjacent sectors.”
In a first for the Fusion Industry Programme, expert fusion industry support is being provided by technical advisors from both UKAEA and Tokamak Energy Ltd. Experts from UKAEA and Tokamak Energy are providing technical advice on the conditions encountered in a fusion environment, to help inform the design and development of sensing and diagnostic technologies.
Joanne Flanagan, Tokamak Energy’s Head of Diagnostics, Data and Control, said: “We’re delighted to see a wealth of variety in the innovative responses to this challenge and are excited to support the projects in our role as technical advisors.
“Measurement systems and components will need to be extremely robust to operate in the extreme fusion power plant environment, which is why we must explore a full range of technologies, ideas and solutions. This challenge is designed to stimulate the innovation needed to address this development, bringing us all one step closer to the goal of delivering clean, secure and affordable fusion energy.”
The full list of organisations awarded contracts:
Organisation
Project Title
3 – Sci Ltd
High field, high temperature, radiation-tolerant distributed magnetic sensing feasibility
Amentum Clean Energy Ltd
Determination of Hydrogen Isotopologues in Liquid Lithium
First Light Fusion Ltd
Prototyping a multi-use Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) system for robust, remote measurement of inertial fusion compression, power plant relevant electron density measurements and vacuum chamber wall shock movement
Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd
LED-based Raman spectroscopy analyser for tritium and deuterium concentration measurements; Zeeman Magnetometry for Plasma diagnostics (ZeeMaP); PULSE Phase-sensitive dUaL-comb SpEctrometer for plasma density measurements
Full Matrix Ltd
A feasibility study for the interpretation of ultrasonic guided waves in witness specimens for remote fusion diagnostics
IDOM UK Ltd
AI-Driven Restoration and Monitoring Framework for Plasma-Facing Mirrors in Fusion Diagnostics.
Kyoto Fusioneering UK Ltd
Exploratory Study for the Development of Tritium Concentration Sensors in Application to liquid Lithium and FLIBE under real fusion environment
MuWave Ltd
Feasibility Study for High Frequency Collective Thompson Scattering System
Nascent Semiconductor Ltd
Robust Electronics for Sensing Characteristics in Unconventional Environments (RESCUE)
Oxford Sigma Ltd
Project PRISM – Performance and Resilience of Innovative Surfaces for Mirrors; Project DEPARTED (Diagnostic Erosion Passive and Analysis in Real-Time and Environment Device)
University of Edinburgh
Development of a Raman Spectroscopic System for the Online Monitoring of Lithium Metal-based Breeding Blankets
University of Leeds
Terahertz Quantum Cascades Lasers for Plasma Interferometry
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China is advancing an intelligent environmental monitoring system that integrates space, air, ground and sea, with a focus on addressing environmental issues that directly affect people, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Jiang Huohua, director of environmental monitoring at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said at a news conference that authorities are embracing rapid technological advances to enhance monitoring capabilities.
In a recent move, the ministry, along with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation, issued guidelines to promote high-quality development in the environmental protection equipment industry.
The guidelines call for expanding the development of robots and remote-operation equipment, particularly for environmental monitoring. They also promote the use of advanced technologies such as virtual reality and digital twins to improve monitoring efforts, Jiang said.
China has made significant progress in noise monitoring, he added. All 4,005 noise monitoring facilities in cities above the prefecture level are now automated, up from just 8.7 percent in 2023.
“These facilities are not only automatic, but also intelligent,” Jiang said.
Equipped with sound source identification modules, they can detect and trace different sounds, such as insect chirping, bird calls and human activity. Beyond measuring noise levels, they can pinpoint the origins of specific sounds, he said.
Authorities have deliberately placed these facilities in bustling urban areas — with primarily noise-sensitive residential buildings in their surroundings, rather than in parks or tourist sites — to ensure the data reflects real conditions for residents, he added.
The ministry is also adopting large-scale AI models such as Deep-Seek to improve monitoring. The digital transformation of air and surface water monitoring stations has reduced the need for on-site maintenance and cut individual maintenance times by more than 70 percent, Jiang said.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, environmental monitoring of surface water quality will expand to medium- and small-sized rivers near residential areas, with 170 rivers set to be included, he said.
China’s satellite remote sensing capabilities have also significantly improved since 2021, Jiang said. The deployment of seven satellites has established a multi-satellite monitoring system with frequent cycles, broad coverage and high resolution.
“Remote sensing using satellites and drones has already proven pivotal and will continue to play an increasingly important role in environmental protection,” he said.
Press Release Nokia strengthens industrial digitalization with new edge applications
Expansion of on-prem edge industrial application portfolio enhances industry automation, efficiency, safety, security, and sustainability of industrial enterprises.
Underscores Nokia’s commitment to fostering an open and interoperable industrial edge ecosystem.
27 March 2025 Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced the expansion of its industrial application ecosystem with the launch of six new Industry 4.0 applications deployed on MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) reinforcing its commitment to empowering enterprises on their digitalization journey with innovative use cases. The expansion enhances industry automation, efficiency, safety, security, and sustainability by integrating cutting-edge applications from leading technology partners, including Bosch Rexroth, Ipsotek, Nozomi Networks, Prosys OPC, SmartCone, and SwitchON.
Enterprises operating in asset-intensive industries like ports, mining and manufacturing, face significant challenges in harnessing value from real-time operational technology (OT) data to achieve their digitalization goals. These new applications employ various enabling technologies such as machine and process control, video analytics and AI, environmental sensing, industrial connectivity and network security to provide unique industrial use cases. The Nokia MXIE platform provides a robust and secure edge computing foundation that allows enterprises to seamlessly deploy these new applications.
The newly onboarded applications provide enterprises with the tools to drive innovation across multiple areas:
Industrial DataOps: Prosys OPC UA Forge provides a single point of access for collecting data from various industrial assets. Especially useful in brownfield deployments, this app facilitates structured data organization using OPC UA information modelling, ensuring interoperability across different manufacturers and system generations.
Machine Automation: Bosch Rexroth’s ctrlX OS is an operating system for industrial automation. Running on MXIE, ctrlX OS packaged with numerous industrial applications provides seamless integration of machines, data visualization, process automation, and secure communication across industrial use cases. In combination with the control platform ctrlX CORE of Bosch Rexroth, real-time control of machines is enabled.
AI-Powered Quality Inspection: SwitchON DeepInspect leverages high-precision AI models to reduce defects, lower inspection costs, and optimize manufacturing processes.
Advanced Video Analytics for Safety & Automation: Ipsotek VISuite enhances situational awareness with precise object tracking and AI-powered automation to improve worker safety and production monitoring.
Workplace Safety & Environmental Monitoring: SmartCone’s HeatGuardian solution provides real-time worker heat stress monitoring, ensuring workplace safety in different and challenging environmental conditions.
OT, IoT, and CPS Security: Purpose-built for complex industrial, commercial, and critical infrastructure environments, the Nozomi Networks Platform (including Guardian sensors) leverages AI to deliver real-time asset visibility, threat detection, and vulnerability management to minimize cyber risk and maximize operational resilience.
With these applications, enterprises can harness real-time insights to optimize operations, enhance worker safety, and ensure compliance with sustainability and security standards.
“Enterprises require intelligent, secure, and scalable solutions to navigate the complexities of digital transformation and introduce use cases that will deliver concrete benefits. The expansion of industrial applications deployed on MXIE underscores Nokia’s commitment to fostering an open and interoperable industrial edge ecosystem. With our expanded portfolio of industrial edge applications, we are enabling businesses to accelerate their digitalization journey while ensuring quality, safety and security, efficiency, and sustainability,” said Stephan Litjens, Vice President, Enterprise Campus Edge at Nokia.
About Nokia At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.
As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.
With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.
Responding to the study by the UK’s National Oceanography Centre in the scientific journal, Nature,David Santillo, Senior Scientist at Greenpeace Research Laboratoriessays: “This very study shows clear and tangible impacts to the seabed four decades on and also highlights that there is a reduced abundance and diversity of species in the area that was mined. The study warns that ecological recovery would likely take centuries or longer, adding to the multitude of existing warnings from scientists that deep sea mining could have severe and long-lasting impacts on the deep.
Removing the nodules removes part of the ecosystem on which life in these areas depends.”
Louisa Casson, Greenpeace International campaigner, who is attending this week’s International Seabed Authority meeting says: “The deep sea mining industry is trying to spin this study in their favour – but the reality and broader scientific consensus is clear; deep sea mining causes long term trauma to the seabed and deep sea ecosystem.
“We’ve seen promising progress towards a moratorium at this week’s ISA meeting and this latest evidence makes it even more clear why governments must act now to stop deep sea mining before it ever starts.”
Greenpeace Aotearoa seabed mining campaigner Juressa Leeadds: “This study confirms that deep sea mining would have an adverse impact on the health of the ocean and the Pacific way of life that depends on it. Vulnerable coastal communities will pay the highest price if deep sea mining takes place, harming the fish populations that provide food and livelihoods for many Indigenous Pacific communities.”
Northland’s Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust – a finalist in an upcoming national award celebrating excellence in Māori farming and horticulture – is to hold a public field day to showcase the work it has been doing and share its journey and farming practices.
The trust is one of just two finalists for the near century-old Ahuwhenua Trophy, which was inaugurated by Māori leader Sir Apirana Ngata and the Governor General at the time, Lord Bledisloe, in 1933. This year, the competition is for Sheep and Beef farmers.
News of the trust’s success has been welcomed by the Northland Regional Council (NRC) which has worked closely with the trust across multiple environmental initiatives and is supporting its planned Thursday 03 April field day at Ngaiotonga Marae – 1561 Rawhiti Road, Whangaruru.
The trust has been administering 1100 hectares of the Ngaiotonga A3 Block on behalf of 1284 beneficial owners. The coastal hill country stretches along North Whangaruru and consists of 360ha of effective farmland, 297ha of forestry, and 443ha of native forest and wetlands. (The trust also leases 40ha of a neighbouring block from the Department of Conservation, giving it a total of 400ha effective farming area.)
The trust has worked actively with various departments within the NRC. To protect the health of the whenua and moana, the trust has been integral to eradicating sika deer in its area, helping mitigate flood risks, working to help enforce marine protection areas, and many more.
Since regaining its farm in 2020, the trust has embarked on a major investment programme to fence off all of its native bush and wetland areas in partnership with NRC and other agencies to protect rare species including the critically endangered Matuku (Bittern) and Pāteke (Brown Teal duck).
Council Chair Geoff Crawford says from rivers to the forest, to the coastline, to the farmlands the trust has always been proactive with working in the environmental area, collaborating with multiple council departments.
“Council is thrilled that the trust’s work in the agricultural space is being recognised.”
Trust Co Chair Huhana Lyndon says anyone is welcome to attend the public field day.
“We have decided to host this day to celebrate this achievement and to give people an inside look at the work we’ve been carrying out.”
The day is expected to have more than 250 attendees, including government ministers, local government, Northland farmers, local residents, whānau, hapū and iwi.
A pōwhiri will begin at 9am and the farm tour will be with 4WD vehicles only.
Meanwhile, the trust’s finalist status for the Ahuwhenua Trophy is not its only success of late. It recently celebrated two wins at the Northland Ballance Farm Environment Awards in the Climate Change Resiliency and Agri Business Management categories.
The winners of the Ahuwhenua Trophy will be announced on Friday June 06 in Papaioea, Palmerston North.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
Padilla Secures Commitment from EPA Nominee to Help Combat Tijuana River Pollution Crisis
WATCH: Padilla highlights importance of federal infrastructure investments to address cross-border sewage flowsWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) secured a commitment from Jessica Kramer, nominee for Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to help address the ongoing Tijuana River transboundary pollution crisis and its harmful environmental and public health impacts.
During a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee nominations hearing, Padilla highlighted the hundreds of millions in federal funding he secured along with the late Senator Dianne Feinstein and the San Diego Congressional delegation to expand and upgrade the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) to address harmful sewage flows. Kramer echoed Senator Padilla’s characterization of these transboundary pollution flows as a “crisis” and emphasized the importance of federal infrastructure investments to combat the crisis. Padilla and Kramer agreed that collaboration and communication, with both Mexico and federal partners like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State Department, is essential to address these harmful cross-border flows.
The hearing comes after Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Representatives Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50) and Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52) recently invited EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to visit San Diego’s South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBITWP) to see firsthand the ongoing environmental and public health consequences of the cross-border Tijuana River sewage crisis on local communities. Administrator Zeldin also recently expressed concern about the flow of sewage flowing across the border, posting about a briefing he received on the crisis and pushing Mexico to “honor its commitments to control this pollution and sewage.”
PADILLA: I want to begin by expressing my appreciation for EPA Administrator Zeldin’s interest in one of my top EPA priorities, which is finally resolving the Tijuana River sewage crisis. For decades, communities in that part of Southern California have faced persistent both environmental as well as public health impacts of untreated sewage that has flowed across the border. … We recently invited Administrator Zeldin to tour the plant to see firsthand the challenges that we face. So I’d like to just begin by asking you, Ms. Kramer, how familiar you are with this issue, with the projects because assuming you are confirmed, I’d look forward to working with you to bring this project to completion.
KRAMER: Absolutely. Thank you, Senator, for that question. During my first tenure at EPA under the first Trump Administration, this is, in fact, one of the issues that I worked on. And so EPA had been appropriated that first amount of funding that you referenced, and I was involved in the consideration of the various projects that could be funded to ensure that this transboundary flow crisis — to be completely frank, raw sewage flowing anywhere, in my mind, is a crisis — comes to an end. … I think the challenges that we’re seeing there, one, stems to ensuring that the infrastructure that is in place to ensure that these flows cease, but also two, ensuring that there is communication, robust communication that allows for partnership that is required to ensure that operation and maintenance of those infrastructure investments takes place. And it’s especially easy when it’s in the U.S., and it’s a little bit more challenging when we have infrastructure on the other side of the border that we need to be collaborating on.
PADILLA: Well, that’s music to my ears, your familiarity with it, your history with it, your commitment to it as a priority. And yes, collaboration is key, not just with partners south of the border, but even within the federal government. We’ve brought to bear U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the intricacies of the State Department involvement here. So thank you for that.
KRAMER: Absolutely.
Senator Padilla also questioned Brian Nesvik, nominee to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service at the Department of the Interior, highlighting the complexities of California’s water system and threats to the state’s water security and quality in the face of climate change. He urged Nesvik to roll up his sleeves on California water challenges and encouraged him to listen to career professionals at the Fish and Wildlife Service and experts within California’s state agencies to navigate complex water and wildlife issues.
Video of Padilla’s full line of questioning is available here.
Since 2018, more than 100 billion gallons of toxic sewage, trash, and unmanaged stormwater have flowed across the United States-Mexico border into the Tijuana River Valley and neighboring communities, forcing long-lasting beach closures and causing harmful impacts on public health, the environment, and water quality. U.S. military personnel, border patrol agents, and the local economy have also suffered harmful impacts from airborne and waterborne transboundary sewage flows. In 2023, sewage flowed across the border at the highest volume in a quarter century, exceeding 44 billion gallons.
Senator Padilla has prioritized addressing the Tijuana River pollution crisis since he first came to the Senate, recently working with the San Diego Congressional delegation to secure $250 million in the federal disaster relief package to clean up the Tijuana River. This marked the final tranche of funding required to complete the SBIWTP upgrade project. The SBIWTP project broke ground in October 2024, and over the coming years, the SBIWTP will double in capacity, reducing transboundary flows by 90 percent. Importantly, Mexico’s rehabilitated San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant is expected to be fully operational by Spring 2025, further reducing flows to California communities.
In response to a request from Padilla and the San Diego Congressional delegation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently opened an investigation into the public health impacts of air pollution caused by the ongoing Tijuana River transboundary pollution crisis. Senator Padilla and the delegation also recently secured a $200 million authorization for the Tijuana River Valley Watershed and San Diego County through the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 to help address the ongoing transboundary sewage crisis through stormwater conveyance, environmental and ecosystem restoration, and water quality protection projects. They also delivered over $103 million in additional funding for the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) in the bipartisan FY 2024 appropriations package. Padilla previously successfully secured language in the FY 2023 appropriations package to allow the EPA to unlock $300 million previously secured in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to the IBWC for water infrastructure projects. Last year, Padilla and Representatives Peters and Vargas announced bicameral legislation to help combat the Tijuana River sewage pollution crisis.
More information on the hearing is available here.
You might know South Australia’s iconic Coorong from the famous Australian children’s book, Storm Boy, set around this coastal lagoon.
This internationally important wetland is sacred to the Ngarrindjeri people and a haven for migratory birds. The lagoon is the final stop for the Murray River’s waters before they reach the sea. Tens of thousands of migratory waterbirds visit annually. Pelicans, plovers, terns and ibises nest, while orange-bellied parrots visit and Murray Cod swim. But there are other important inhabitants – trillions of microscopic organisms.
You might not give much thought to the sedimentary microbes of a lagoon. But these tiny microbes in the mud are vital to river ecosystems, quietly cycling nutrients and supporting the food web. Healthy microbes make for a healthy Coorong – and this unassuming lagoon is a key indicator for the health of the entire Murray-Darling Basin.
For decades, the Coorong has been in poor health. Low water flows have concentrated salt and an excess of nutrients. But in 2022, torrential rains on the east coast turned into a once-in-a-century flood, which swept down the Murray into the Coorong.
In our new research, we took the pulse of the Coorong’s microbiome after this huge flood and found the surging fresh water corrected microbial imbalances. The numbers of methane producing microbes fell while beneficial nutrient-eating bacteria grew. Populations of plants, animals and invertebrates boomed.
We can’t just wait for irregular floods – we have to find ways to ensure enough water is left in the river to cleanse the Coorong naturally.
Under a scanning electron micrograph, the mixed community of microbes in water is visible. This image shows a seawater sample. Sophie Leterme/Flinders University, CC BY
Rivers have microbiomes, just like us
Our gut microbes can change after a heavy meal or in response to dietary changes.
In humans, a sudden shift in diet can encourage either helpful or harmful microbes.
In the same way, aquatic microbes respond to changes in salinity and freshwater flows. Depending on what changes are happening, some species boom and others bust.
As water gets saltier in brackish lagoons, communities of microbes have to adapt or die. High salinity often favours microbes with anaerobic metabolisms, meaning they don’t need oxygen. But these tiny lifeforms often produce the highly potent greenhouse gas methane. The microbes in wetlands are a large natural source of the gas.
While we know pulses of freshwater are vital for river health, they don’t happen often enough. The waters of the Murray-Darling Basin support most of Australia’s irrigated farming. Negotiations over how to ensure adequate environmental flows have been fraught – and long-running. Water buybacks have improved matters somewhat, but researchers have found the river basin’s ecosystems are not in good condition.
Wetlands such as the Coorong are a natural source of methane. The saltier the water gets, the more environmentally harmful microbes flourish – potentially producing more methane. Vincent_Nguyen
The Coorong is out of balance
A century ago, regular pulses of fresh water from the Murray flushed nutrients and sediment out of the Coorong, helping maintain habitat for fish, waterbirds and the plants and invertebrates they eat. While other catchments discharge into the Coorong, the Murray is by far the major water source.
Over the next decades, growth in water use for farming meant less water in the river. In the 1930s, barrages were built near the river’s mouth to control nearby lake levels and prevent high salinity moving upstream in the face of reduced river flows.
In 2022, torrential rain fell in many parts of eastern Australia. Rainfall on the inland side of the Great Dividing Range filled rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin. That year became the largest flood since 1956.
We set about recording the changes. As the salinity fell in ultra-salty areas, local microbial communities in the sediment were reshuffled.
The numbers of methane-producing microbes fell sharply. This means the floods would have temporarily reduced the Coorong’s greenhouse footprint.
Christopher Keneally sampling for microbes in the Coorong in 2022. Tyler Dornan, CC BY
When we talk about harmful bacteria, we’re referring to microbes that emit greenhouse gases such as methane, drive the accumulation of toxic sulfide (such as Desulfobacteraceae), or cause algae blooms (Cyanobacteria) that can sicken people, fish and wildlife.
During the flood, beneficial microbes from groups such as Halanaerobiaceae and Beggiatoaceae grew rapidly, consuming nutrients such as nitrogen, which is extremely high in the Coorong. This is very useful to prevent algae blooms. Beggiatoaceae bacteria also remove toxic sulfide compounds.
The floods also let plants and invertebrates bounce back, flushed out salt and supported a healthier food web.
On balance, we found the 2022 flood was positive for the Coorong. It’s as if the Coorong switched packets of chips for carrot sticks – the flood pulse reduced harmful bacteria and encouraged beneficial ones.
While the variety of microbes shrank in some areas, those remaining performed key functions helping keep the ecosystem in balance.
From 2022 to 2023, consistent high flows let native fish and aquatic plants bounce back, in turn improving feeding grounds for birds and allowing black swans to thrive.
When enough water is allowed to flow down the Murray to the Coorong, ecosystems get healthier.
But the Coorong has been in poor health for decades. It can’t just rely on rare flood events.
Next year, policymakers will review the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which sets the rules for sharing water in Australia’s largest and most economically important river system.
Balancing our needs with those of other species is tricky. But if we neglect the environment, we risk more degradation and biodiversity loss in the Coorong.
As the climate changes and rising water demands squeeze the basin, decision-makers must keep the water flowing for wildlife.
Christopher Keneally receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. His research is affiliated with The University of Adelaide and the Goyder Institute for Water Research. Chris is also a committee member and former president of the Biology Society of South Australia, and a member of the Australian Freshwater Sciences Society.
Matt Gibbs receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Sophie Leterme receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC). Her research is affiliated with Flinders University, with the ARC Training Centre for Biofilm Research & Innovation, and with the Goyder Institute for Water Research.
Justin Brookes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
MEJATTO, MARSHALL ISLANDS, Thursday 27 March 2025 — Forty years since Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior evacuated the people of Rongelap to Mejatto Island due to decades of US government nuclear weapons testing, Greenpeace and the displaced Rongelap community have come together on the remote Pacific island to commemorate this significant moment in their shared histories.
Cathy Joel, one of three women who were present at the commemoration and the few remaining survivors of the 1954 Castle Bravo bomb – the US government’s largest ever nuclear weapons test – and was part of the Greenpeace evacuation to Mejatto, described her terror:
“I didn’t expect that I would be here as part of this very important event. I was six years old when the bomb exploded and I was so afraid. My father tried to comfort me but I was so frightened he couldn’t calm me down. The explosion was so bright, there were so many colours, it frightened me as I had not seen them before. I couldn’t explain it but all I knew was that I was so scared.
“Three of us women are here [in Mejatto] and I was afforded the opportunity to speak on behalf of these survivors. I’d like to encourage all of you when looking at us, see us as a remembrance of what happened in 1954 when the bomb exploded. We encourage you to continue to stand together, be strong and live in harmony — that is our wish.”
Called “Operation Exodus,” Greenpeace was tasked to relocate Rongelap’s entire population of 350 due to nuclear fallout from Castle Bravo, which rendered their home uninhabitable. In May 1985, over 10 days and taking three trips, the residents collectively dismantled their homes bringing everything with them, including livestock, and 100 metric tons of building material.
Four decades later, the surviving Rongelap community is now spread across the Marshall Islands. Many travelled back to Mejatto for the commemoration, including those who were children during the evacuation, and prominent members of the Marshallese government. The Rainbow Warrior’s visit comes as Greenpeace entities were found liable for more than USD$660m in damages as part of a meritless SLAPP suit by fossil fuel giant Energy Transfer, aimed at silencing those fighting for justice and the right to peaceful protest.
Bunny McDiarmid, crew member during the 1985 Rainbow Warrior evacuation, and former Co-Executive Director of Greenpeace International from 2016-2019 said:
“Forty years ago, the people of Rongelap stood up to the United States when they refused to take proper accountability and responsibility for the damage it had done. After undergoing years of health impacts from exposure to radiation, Greenpeace answered a call to help evacuate them from their once rich, but now contaminated home island. We continue to stand with the Marshallese community – as we do with other communities that suffer displacement and colonial exploitation – in their fight for justice for the nuclear weapons legacy, and for the threats they are already feeling from climate change.
“The bonds between Marshall Islands and Greenpeace are very strong and have stood the test of time. They say we rescued them from a contaminated Rongelap, but the reality is that they rescued themselves – the Marshallese are the strong and brave people who took their future into their own hands and continue to do so. We cannot relocate the world — it is only through standing and acting together that we will make the needed difference that saves us all. In the fight for justice, our voices will not be silenced.”
First displaced by nuclear fallout, the people of Mejatto — and across the low-lying Marshall Islands — are facing ‘threats from all sides’ as the climate crisis accelerates impacts to their homes, livelihoods, and cultures. Mejatto has been in drought for three months with once predictable seasonal rain failing to arrive, increasing extreme heat impacting health and food availability, and coastal erosion eating away the land.
The Rainbow Warrior is in the Marshall Islands as part of a six-week mission across the country with a team of nuclear specialists onboard conducting independent research to support the government in its ongoing fight for nuclear justice and compensation; and to reaffirm its solidarity with the Marshallese people — now facing further harm and displacement from the climate crisis, and the emerging threat of deep sea mining in the Pacific.
-ENDS-
Photo and video:
Photo and video from Mejatto, including the welcome ceremony, 40th commemoration, and Rainbow Warrior crew in solidarity with Greenpeace after the Energy Transfer verdict are available in the Greenpeace Media Library.
Archival footage and images from the evacuation that Greenpeace conducted in 1985 is available in the Greenpeace Media Library.
Archival/historical content from the US nuclear weapons testing collected here (from Wiki Commons).
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Kate O’Callaghan on [email protected] or +61 406 231 892
Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
To watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement, click here or the image above.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, held ahearing on the nominations of Brian Nesvik to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Jessica Kramer to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Sean Donahue to be General Counsel of the EPA.
Below is the opening statement of Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) as delivered.
“I’m pleased to welcome everyone to today’s hearing, where we’ll consider the nominations of Brigadier General Brain Nesvik to serve as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jessica Kramer to serve as Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, and Sean Donohue to serve as General Counsel at the EPA.
“General Nesvik has more than 29 years of experience with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department prior to his retirement last September…during his tenure with the department, he served in various roles, including chief Game Warden and Wildlife Division Chief, until ultimately being appointed the Director in 2019.
“Wyoming is a world-renowned destination for hunters and anglers, and General Nesvik led the state’s wildlife management programs, ensuring that the conservation of species and recreational existence can coexist for generations to come. Simultaneously to his full-time job with Wyoming Game and Fish, General Nesvik served in the Wyoming Army National Guard.
“His service included deployments to Kuwait and Iraq, and progressively more senior leadership, culminating in his final posting as the Commander of the Wyoming Army National Guard. After 35 years of service, General Nesvik retired from the National Guard in 2021 at the rank of brigadier general. Thank you, General Nesvik, for your service to our country.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Service, needs greater structure and efficiency, so it will benefit to have a former general officer as its Director. As the Director of the Service, General Nesvik will be tasked with overseeing the operations of the agency to conserve and manage our nation’s wildlife and natural habitats.
“Under the Biden administration, the Endangered Species Act was leveraged to slow down, and sometimes even halt, infrastructure projects going through the federal permitting process. We must be able to efficiently permit projects while protecting wildlife and natural habitats at the same time.
“General Nesvik will also oversee many other issues, such as the management of over 570 National Wildlife Refuges and implementation of congressionally-authorized conservation programs. I trust that his background will offer him a unique perspective on how the Service can better manage wildlife programs and protect species, without hindering critical infrastructure projects. I look forward to hearing his testimony.
“This morning we will also hear from Jess Kramer, we call her Jess, President Trump’s nominee to serve as the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water. This Committee has a long tradition of working in a bipartisan manner to strengthen environmental policies, improve water infrastructure, and ensure federal regulations are effective, not unnecessarily burdensome. Clean water is not a partisan issue, it is essential to the health, safety, and economic well-being of every American.
“The Office of Water plays a critical role in ensuring access to safe and reliable water for all Americans. That means ensuring federal programs like the State Revolving Funds are effective, addressing PFAS contamination without undue burdens on ratepayers, and working with state and local governments to streamline permitting.
“Jess is well-qualified to lead the EPA’s Water Office. She has built a career crafting practical, bipartisan solutions to improve water policy and ensure communities, regardless of their size or geography. She has also worked to have access to safe and reliable drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
“During Jess’s time working with me on the EPW Committee, she played a key role in shaping the water provisions in the IIJA, securing historic investments to modernize drinking water and wastewater systems, remove lead service lines, and address emerging contaminants.
“Beyond her experience on Capitol Hill, she has served in both state and federal roles, most recently as Deputy Secretary of Regulatory Programs at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection where she oversaw critical programs related to water quality, permitting, and enforcement. Jess understands that environmental protection and economic growth can go hand in hand, and she knows how to ensure regulations are clear, fair, and based on sound science.
“This morning, we will also hear from Sean Donahue, the nominee to serve as General Counsel at the EPA. The EPA’s Office of General Counsel serves as the chief legal advisor to the agency, providing critical guidance on implementing environmental laws like the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Superfund.
“The General Counsel plays a central role in shaping EPA’s policies, ensuring legal compliance, defending the Agency from legal challenges, and advising on matters that impact communities nationwide. The office also works closely with Congress, EPA regional offices, and enforcement teams to provide the legal foundation for strong environmental protections.
“Mr. Donahue has served for three years in the prior Trump Administration at EPA as a Special Advisor, including working in the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management. After working at the Agency, Mr. Donahue joined a law firm in Buffalo, New York where he practiced environmental law. In 2024, he served as a counsel for a solar energy development company in New York State.
“In 2025, Mr. Donahue was appointed Principal Deputy General Counsel at the EPA. He currently serves as a Special Advisor in the EPA Administrator’s Office. With his experience in both private practice and at the Agency, I look forward to hearing more about Sean Donahue’s qualifications and vision for this important role.”
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The two Waitaha geckos were first discovered and marked in 1967 and 1969 by late Herpetologist Tony Whitaker. His detailed record-keeping allowed Department of Conservation staff to accurately date their ages.
DOC Biodiversity Ranger Kaitlyn Leeds says the geckos were found during a five-yearly species monitoring visit to Motunau Island.
“We were all blown away to find two of the original marked lizards! We found “Antoinette” (named in honour of Tony Whitaker) first and dated her at 64 years plus and then found the second one called “Brucie-Baby” (Tony’s nickname for his co-worker and conservation legend, Bruce Thomas) and dated her at 60.”
The age record for the Waitaha gecko was previously 53 years with a gecko found on the same island in 2015. Dating geckos on Motunau Island is only possible due to Tony Whitaker individually marking 133 geckos with unique “toe-clip identification” when he started lizard monitoring between 1965 and 1967.
“We no longer toe clip these lizards but it did give us an opportunity to learn how long individual geckos can live for. It’s just amazing they’ve existed on this postage stamp of an island since before the moon landing” says Biodiversity Ranger Allanah Purdie who was also on the island for the visit.
Marieke Lettink, who is a Herpetologist and has been going out to the island for twenty years, says the geckos really buck the trend globally living for such a long time and it was a career highlight to find these two.
“They really are remarkable. I didn’t hold out any expectations that we would find two of Tony’s old mates still living. In global terms, these native geckos are just so unique. We know of no other species of gecko living so long – the average around the world for gecko is only a decade.”
Kaitlyn Leeds says Antoinette and Brucie-Baby look pretty good for their age.
“They do look a bit skinnier with looser skin but to be honest, you wouldn’t know they were 60+ years old! Interestingly, female geckos, like female humans tend to live longer than males. It’s also got a lot to do with being in a cool climate on a predator free island. Maybe it’s also their lifestyle”, she laughs, “lapping up the salty air! But in all seriousness, it does make you think about the impacts of predation and comparative longevity for our reptiles on mainland NZ.”
Waitaha geckos are classified as at risk and in decline. They are mostly found in lowland Canterbury, usually in rocky places that provide warmth and refuge from predators.
Allanah Purdie says she feels privileged to be able to study the geckos.
“These geckos are such an important part of our native landscape. We have such unique species in New Zealand, and these two are now world record holders. I’m hoping that we find Antoinette and Brucie-Baby when we do our next visit to the island in five years. Who knows how long these two will live for.”
Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) and Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) introduced S. 1150, the Increased TSP Access Act of 2025, to improve access to Technical Service Providers (TSP) in the agriculture community amid ongoing shortages.
“Idaho’s farmers and ranchers actively participate in conservation efforts to enhance the environment and preserve the long-term viability of our agriculture industry,” said Crapo. “Their success depends on access to third-party technical service providers who have a wide range of scientific disciplines necessary for addressing water, soil, air quality, crop nutrients and other components critical for conservation. Increasing access to TSPs is vital for the industry.”
“As Colorado faces a future that’s going to be hotter and drier, we need to make it easier to access USDA conservation programs. But red tape and understaffing at the NRCS make these programs difficult for Coloradans to apply to,” said Bennet. “The future of rural America depends on whether the next generation decides to continue their family farms and ranches – and to protect that future, the Increased TSP Access Act makes assistance more accessible and helps conservation programs live up to their potential.”
“Increasing the amount of Technical Service Providers is a commonsense approach that moves us toward our goal by cutting red tape that’s holding back farm participation in NRCS programs,” Senator Marshall said. “Certified Crop Advisors and other similar professionals are already equipped with the skills necessary to help farmers and ranchers reach a variety of conservation goals. Establishing an expedited pathway to deliver conservation goals, especially as it relates to nutrient management plans, is the free-market answer to increasing agriculture-friendly conservation efforts.”
TSPs are a critical component of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). They provide tailored, one-on-one assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resources concerns with regard to soil erosion, water supplies, water quality, grazing management, nutrient management and forestry plans. TSPs must be certified by NRCS to work on behalf of farmers to offer the planning, design and implementation of these conservation programs.
There is currently a significant backlog of farmers who have requested to receive assistance from TSPs to help in writing detailed conservation plans for their specific operation.
The 2018 Farm Bill included language to allow the USDA to approve non-federal entities to certify TSPs, but the language did not include clear deadlines and lacked certain guardrails necessary for implementation.
The Increased TSP Access Act of 2025 would enhance the work initiated by the 2018 Farm Bill by:
Giving the USDA 180 days to establish a non-federal certifying process;
Streamlining the USDA’s TSP certification process to reduce the backlog of conservation plans that farmers need written, reviewed and approved; and
Ensuring parity in compensation for the services TSP provide.
The legislation is supported by the Idaho Farm Bureau, Idaho Dairymen’s Association, Ducks Unlimited, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, the National Milk Producers Federation and the North American Millers’ Association.
“The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives applauds Senator Crapo’s efforts to strengthen the technical service provider program by tapping into private-sector expertise while maintaining farmers’ trust in USDA,” said Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. “This bill rightly acknowledges the critical role co-ops play in American agriculture and their deep connections with farmers nationwide. By expanding access to the expertise needed to tackle on-farm resource challenges, it supports the long-term sustainability and economic success of U.S. farms and ranches.”
“Thank you to Sens. Crapo and Bennet for introducing this legislation to streamline the TSP certification process,” said Adam Putnam, CEO of Ducks Unlimited. “Ducks Unlimited agronomists and biologists work closely with NRCS to provide technical assistance to landowners and help agricultural producers get the most out of their operation. The Increased TSP Access Act will make voluntary, incentive-based conservation practices more accessible to producers and provide greater flexibility to reach their production and conservation goals.”
U.S. Representative James Baird (R-Indiana) led companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Download text of the bill HERE.
China will expand its national carbon trading market this year to include three additional major carbon-emitting industries as the country accelerates efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced on Wednesday. Launched in July 2021, China’s carbon trading market is already the world’s largest. It currently covers 2,200 coal-fired power generation companies that emit about 5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. The expansion will add about 1,500 companies in the steel, cement and electrolytic aluminum sectors, ministry spokesman Pei Xiaofei said at a news conference. Carbon trading allows designated emitters to buy and sell allowances to emit greenhouse gases. In the coal-fired power generation sector, for example, emission limits are set for each unit of electricity produced. After meeting the benchmark, operators can sell surplus carbon allowances. Those exceeding their limits must buy additional allowances. Pei said the steel, cement and electrolytic aluminum industries collectively emit the equivalent of about 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, accounting for 20 percent of China’s total carbon dioxide emissions. With the expansion, China’s national carbon market will cover more than 60 percent of the country’s total carbon dioxide emissions. The ministry said it aims to further explore carbon trading as a cost-effective tool for reducing emissions in seven major industries: power generation, chemicals, construction materials, steel, nonferrous metals, paper manufacturing and civil aviation. China has made significant progress in using carbon trading to promote a green, low-carbon transition in the coal-fired power generation sector, the ministry said in a statement. Over the past four years, the carbon intensity of electricity generation, or carbon dioxide emissions per unit of electricity, has fallen by 8.78 percent, reducing emission control costs by an estimated 35 billion yuan ($4.8 billion). By the end of last year, more than 630 million tons of carbon emission allowances had been traded on China’s national carbon market, with a total transaction value of nearly 43 billion yuan. Pei said the ministry has completed extensive preparations for the expansion, including conducting greenhouse gas emission accounting and verification for steel, cement and electrolytic aluminum producers and other high-emission industries. It has also issued six technical specifications, upgraded the management platform for carbon trading and enhanced systems for allowances registration and transactions. The ministry has organized a series of training sessions to support the expansion, Pei said. “All the preparations for the expansion are complete,” he said. “These efforts have laid a solid foundation and provided a guarantee for the market’s growth.”
. Pillen Kicks Off First Water Quality & Quantity Task Force Meeting
LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen took another step in protecting and preserving Nebraska’s vital water resources. Speaking to executive-level members, he kicked off the first meeting of the Water Quality and Quantity Task Force.
“We have tremendous opportunity through this group to initiate actions that will impact Nebraska for generations to come,” said Gov. Pillen. “For years, water policy in this state has been largely reactive. Now, we have the knowledge and technology in place to be proactive in how we approach issues that impact our farmers, our industries and our communities.”
These core members, appointed by the Governor, represent a cross-section of interests and industries:
Jesse Bradley, Interim Director, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Department of Environment and Energy (DEE)
Matt Manning, Engineer, Department of Natural Resources
Marty Stange, Environmental Supervisor, City of Hastings
Brandon Hunnicutt, Chairman, Nebraska Corn Board
Don Batie, Past-President of the Natural Resources Commission and farmer
Dean Settje, Founder & President, Settje Agri-Services
Scott Schaneman, General Manager of the North Platte Natural Resources District
Additional members will be added in the coming weeks, creating a team of about 20 – 25 people. In addition to water quality and quantity, an inter-related issue is education. Members of the group say they want to encourage increased adoption of technologies and solutions for handling water issues, especially in agriculture.
Over the next 12 to 15 months, the group will meet to identify short, mid, and long-term goals and accompanying action items to be pursued. To better focus on specific issues, members may break down into smaller subgroups.
“Our water is our holy grail because of the Ogallala Aquifer,” noted Gov. Pillen. “We must be smart about how we use our water and keep it as clean and contaminate free as possible. Only then, will we be able to meet all necessary demands.”
Gov. Pillen announced the creation of the Water Quality and Quantity Task Force when he testified on LB317. That bill, brought on his behalf by Senator Tom Brandt, calls for the merger of the Department of Environment and Energy (DEE) with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in part, to bring more meaningful and streamlined oversight around water use.
Photos include members of the task force and supporting staff
A staff member checks the operation of an automatic water testing system at Anhui CAS Intelligent Environmental Testing Technology Service Co., Ltd. in the China Environment Valley in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province, Jan. 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] China is accelerating the establishment of a modern ecological and environmental monitoring system, a government official said on Wednesday. The establishment of a comprehensive aerial, terrestrial and maritime monitoring network is the most fundamental and essential task in building a modern monitoring system, said Jiang Huohua, head of the ecological and environmental monitoring department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and satellite remote-sensing will play increasingly significant roles in ecological and environmental monitoring, he said, citing the in-field application of DeepSeek as an example. The ministry has rolled out policies to boost the development of environmental protection robots and remote-operation equipment for environmental monitoring, amid a variety of efforts to boost the application of new technology, he said. Remote-sensing methods, including methods that use satellites and drones, are set to play increasingly significant roles in environmental protection. The ministry will enhance the country’s satellite remote-sensing monitoring capabilities, leveraging the unique advantages of remote-sensing technology and exploring synergistic applications with large AI models, he said.
China is accelerating the establishment of a modern ecological and environmental monitoring system, a government official said on Wednesday. The establishment of a comprehensive aerial, terrestrial and maritime monitoring network is the most fundamental and essential task in building a modern monitoring system, said Jiang Huohua, head of the ecological and environmental monitoring department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and satellite remote-sensing will play increasingly significant roles in ecological and environmental monitoring, he said, citing the in-field application of DeepSeek as an example. The ministry has rolled out policies to boost the development of environmental protection robots and remote-operation equipment for environmental monitoring, amid a variety of efforts to boost the application of new technology, he said. Remote-sensing methods, including methods that use satellites and drones, are set to play increasingly significant roles in environmental protection. The ministry will enhance the country’s satellite remote-sensing monitoring capabilities, leveraging the unique advantages of remote-sensing technology and exploring synergistic applications with large AI models, he said.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, March 26 — China on Wednesday released a work plan to expand its carbon trading market to include the steel, cement and aluminum smelting industries, in the market’s first industrial expansion since its launch in 2021, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
China launched its carbon trading market in July 2021, with a focus on the power-generation sector. The carbon-emissions intensity in the generation of electricity has since decreased by 8.78 percent, the ministry said.
The expansion is expected to add 1,500 enterprises to the carbon trading market. The three added sectors release some 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, accounting for over 20 percent of the country’s total carbon dioxide emissions, according to the ministry.
Carbon trading, which allows the buying and selling of permits to emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, is regarded as a critical tool in reducing carbon footprints and meeting emissions targets.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2
Press release
Reed pledges to “end throwaway society” working with business to slash waste, boost growth and clean up Britain
In front of industry titans, Environment Secretary Steve Reed to outline plan to cut waste across industry as part of Government’s Plan for Change
Construction workers on a building site
A new plan to transform the nation’s economy by slashing waste across industry will be unveiled today (Thursday 27 March) in a speech by Environment Secretary Steve Reed.
Speaking to industry leaders from the likes of Mace, British Land, Jaguar Land Rover, the Food and Drink Federation and the Environmental Services Association, at the Dock Shed in London, Environment Secretary Steve Reed will set out how the government will provide the direction and certainty for businesses to plan and spearhead the nation’s transition to a truly circular and future-proof economy. This will deliver growth and fundamentally shift our relationship with the goods we use every day – making reuse and repair the norm and ending the throwaway society.
He will underline how introducing the seismic shift to a circular economy – where innovation is paramount – is now essential in delivering real change in communities across the country, with recycling rates stagnating and far too much waste going to landfill or being burned in incinerators.
To kickstart the nation’s move to a circular economy, an independent Circular Economy Taskforce – chaired by Andrew Morlet, former CEO of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation – was established to bring together the brightest minds from industry, academia and civil society to tackle this challenge head on.
The Government has now confirmed the first five priority sectors that the taskforce will focus on to make the greatest difference – textiles, transport, construction, agri-food and chemicals & plastics.
Delivering on businesses’ calls for more government leadership, the Taskforce will now work with these sectors to create a series of specific roadmaps to improve and reform the approach to using materials, underpinned by a Circular Economy Strategy which will be published in Autumn. Both the roadmaps and Strategy will give businesses certainty to plan and the confidence to build and invest in new infrastructure.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed said:
It’s time to end Britain’s throwaway society – the status quo is economically, environmentally, and socially unsustainable.
Moving to a circular economy is a pivotal moment for British businesses to innovate, grow and lead the world, so we can slash waste and strengthen supply chains.
My vision for delivering a truly circular economy is an important step in kickstarting this path to change. That is why we are bringing together the brightest minds from industry, academia and civil society to deliver this, which won’t just clean up our streets and reduce the need for landfill and incineration, but help us cut carbon emissions, create new jobs and increase business profitability.
The case for making this transition is clear – underlined by stable government leadership, businesses will be given the freedom to harness their world-leading entrepreneurial spirit, by allowing them to unlock new technologies and ensuring the right infrastructure is in place to maximise what they offer.
Sectors will also benefit from untapped profit streams, while being vital in delivering the Government’s Plan for Change and mission to boost economic growth, helping to revitalise towns and cities with new investment. This will create the industries of the future and thousands of highly skilled, well-paid jobs to support them in the long term.
Recent events, like Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, have also shown that international supply chains are at greater risk from global instability. Embracing a circular economy will secure our national security in an increasingly unstable world, ensuring local supply chains are toughened up and more of the resources we produce are used, rather than relying on the 80% of materials we import from abroad.
The Government’s waste reforms, which include an overhaul of collection and packaging regimes, represent progress in moving the nation to a circular economy and work will continue to make sure they work for businesses. Together these reforms will generate an estimated £10 billion investment in new recycling infrastructure and create 21,000 green jobs.
From innovative tech start-ups turning waste into valuable materials, to community enterprises giving used goods a second chance, British businesses are already showing what is possible when this forward-thinking approach is adopted.
However, the government inherited an economy in need of fresh ideas, and bold approaches – challenges which will be met through the circular economy transition, while contributing to the government’s Plan for Change and moving us on the path to Net Zero.
Andrew Morlet, chair of the Circular Economy Taskforce, said:
Transitioning to a circular economy is an ambitious but crucial goal as this Government kickstarts economic growth and turns Britain into a clean energy superpower.
I welcome the vision set out by the Environment Secretary at this critical juncture in our journey. Our taskforce will bring together industry, academic and policy experts with central and local government to ensure we maximise its potential fully by creating jobs, increasing resource efficiency and accelerating the path to net zero.
Libby Peake, head of resource policy at the Green Alliance and member of the Circular Economy Taskforce, said:
Waste is baked into our current economic system and causes us harm on so many levels. It’s degrading our environment and international supply chains to the extent that economic shocks become inevitable. It adds a cost burden to businesses’ bottom lines and frustrates people who are fed up with shoddy products, blatant waste and litter.
But as the Environment Secretary outlines today, it really doesn’t have to be this way and it’s great to hear his vision for how innovative, circular businesses will thrive in the UK in future. It’s an incredible opportunity to help bring that about this change as part of the government’s Circular Economy Taskforce.
The sectors were chosen as the first ones for intervention after the Taskforce analysed extensive evidence, which found they had the best potential to generate major economic gains, while protecting the environment and delivering Net Zero.
This comes as senior officials from the UK Government, Dutch Government and City of London Corporation came together at Mansion House yesterday to set out a path towards closer working to finance the move to a circular economy.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) aims to keep the heritage horse herd at around 300 horses, the agreed limit to keep the horses healthy and protect the fragile ecosystems of the unique Moawhango Ecological Zone.
Rehoming is coordinated by the dedicated, not-for-profit group Kaimanawa Heritage Horses (KHH). However, they have not received nearly enough applications for re-homing this year.
DOC Senior Biodiversity Ranger Sarah Tunnicliffe says the rehoming benefits both the horses and the environment.
“Our latest aerial survey shows the herd is more than double the recommended 300 horses, which risks environmental damage and food shortages for the horses.”
In recent years, with Animal Ethics Committee support, DOC has introduced a contraceptive treatment for some mares to support population control. This supporting method takes a few years to take effect, and rehoming continues to be the primary tool for herd management.
“The muster is our opportunity to balance the continued health of the heritage herd with the protection of rare plants and ecosystems which make New Zealand special,” says Sarah.
“It’s a win-win, but is reliant on Kaimanawa Heritage Horses getting enough applications for rehoming.”
KHH chair Carolyn Haigh stresses the urgency of finding homes.
“With applications closing soon, time is running out. We encourage people to contact us for information on the rehoming process.”
The annual muster is in late April, with applications for horses open until April 14.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a hearing to discuss nominees to serve in the Trump administration. The hearing featured testimony from Brian Nesvik, nominee for Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Jessica Kramer, nominee for Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water.
[embedded content]
U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) questioned Kramer on the EPA’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) interim guidance and upcoming rulemaking, which it announced on March 12. He asked her to explain the guidance, why it complies with the U.S. Supreme Court’s prescriptive decision in Sackett v. EPA, and how the previous rule did not align with Sackett.
“It is a straightforward guidance document that essentially says that an implementation [of a WOTUS rule], EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers, they’re going to follow the law,”said Kramer.
“To your point, Sackett was prescriptive. It was prescriptive in a number of ways, specifically focused around wetlands, which is what the guidance document focused on,” explained Kramer. “Sackett held that the Rapanos plurality was correct, which means that the significant nexus test that had been previously applied and implemented by both agencies no longer stands. It specifically focuses on the fact that only those wetlands that are adjacent to or abutting relatively permanent waters are jurisdictional moving forward. While Sackett was very prescriptive in certain aspects, there are some terms and phrases of ambiguity that are remaining from the courts. I’m thinking about things like the phrase ‘continuous surface connection’ [and] ‘relatively permanent waters.’ What does it mean to be connected to a relatively permanent water and then the age-old question of, is this ditch in or out?[…] Any potential rulemaking that would be taken by the agency would hope to shore up those remaining areas of ambiguity so a landowner can confidently stand on their property and know whether or not they have a WOTUS or they don’t have a WOTUS.”
Kramer also committed to visiting North Dakota during the WOTUS rulemaking process.
Cramer asked the witnesses to give a primer on their interpretations of cooperative federalism.
“What cooperative federalism means to me is that there are certainly roles that are very clearly defined, for both the federal government and the state government,”responded Nesvik.“And broadly speaking, most wildlife species are the responsibility of the individual states to manage with the exception of those who have been listed under the Endangered Species Act, and then there are a few other acts, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Horse and Burro Act. There’s some other species that certainly have a federal rule. But at the end of the day, there is an opportunity on all of those, both state-managed species and federal- managed species for the two entities to work together with their common stakeholders to find solutions. It’s a more efficient way to run government. It’s better when the states and the federal government are working together on these things. And as long as they stay within their own lane on those things that are sovereign to their particular entity, whatever that may be, whether it’s the federal government or the state.”
“We’ve talked about Waters of the United States, but I’m going to focus on the Underground Injection Control Well Program in the Safe Drinking Water Act,”responded Kramer.“This is an example of a program that can be delegated from the federal implementation […] to the state for them to actually implement the program. The great thing about that is thatthe states know their resources best. Part of this is the remaining oversight rule that EPA has to ensure that the states are continuing to implement these programs consistent with the requirements of the federal law. It also allows the states the ability to be more stringent in the restrictions that they put in place, which again, states know their resources best to the extent that there is a need for a little bit of additional protection from their perspective, that is the ability to do it. It’s that joint working together, recognizing expertise of the states while also maintaining the oversight role that is required under the federal law.”
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), the second-ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, discussed the importance of maintaining America’s alliances in the Indo-Pacific. Ricketts focused on how America’s key alliance with the Philippines has helped deter Communist China. During the hearing, Senator Ricketts said the following:
“Since the signing of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, the Philippines has been one of our key allies in the Indo-Pacific. However, in recent years, the alliance has grown both more important and even more key as far as our strategic alignment. Despite being outmatched militarily and economically, the Philippines has demonstrated incredible resolve in resisting Beijing’s unlawful aggression in the South China Sea,” Ricketts said. “It [the Philippines] is also able to act as an important voice within the ASEAN against Communist China’s other pressure campaigns as you all have been talking about. But most important is what the alliance provides us militarily… and the expansion of the EDCA bases and the 9 strategic sites that they’ve given us access to to enhance our ability to deter Communist China in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea and other key theaters.”
Ricketts made the comments in a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The hearing was entitled: “Shared Threats: Indo-Pacific Alliances and Burden Sharing in Today’s Geopolitical Environment.”The Committee heard testimony from Victor Cha, President of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at CSIS; Oriana Skylar Mastro, Center Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; and Randy Shriver, Chairman of the Board of the Project 2049 Institute.
Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led a hearing on the nominations of Brian Nesvik to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Jessica Kramer to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Sean Donahue to be General Counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency.
During the hearing, Chairman Capito questioned the nominees about the process of working with state government officials, aspects of the federal permitting process, and the Muddy Creek Restoration Project in West Virginia.
HIGHLIGHTS:
IMPORTANCE OF STATE INTERACTION:
CHAIRMAN CAPITO:
“I’ve heard from my West Virginia government officials of instances when they’ve tried to advise [FWS] on these local issues, and it’s sort of fallen on deaf ears. So because of your interactions in the past, will you please share your experience as Director of Wyoming Game and Fish with your department’s efforts to coordinate with those state regional [FWS] field offices, and how that experience will inform your efforts to strengthen the relationship between the service and those state agencies?”
BRIAN NESVIK:
“I have had many years of opportunity to interact with and work directly with different employees of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, all the way from field employees, up to previous directors. One of the things that, certainly at times, there’s this natural tension and friction between state and federal agencies. But I think one of the things that’s been very helpful for me, and would be helpful for me in this position, if I’m confirmed, is understanding both my frustrations with some of those decisions and interactions, but also understanding what challenges those folks face, as well.”
SECTION SEVEN CONSULTATIONS:
CHAIRMAN CAPITO:
“[Endangered Species Act] Section Seven consultations are an important step in the federal permitting process, ensuring that threatened and endangered species, as well as critical habitats, are not jeopardized. While there are deadlines the Service must meet for these consultations, they are often missed, the deadlines are missed, leading to costly delays. Will you commit to expediting Section Seven consultations while ensuring wildlife and their habitats are protected?”
BRIAN NESVIK:
“I know it’s an issue, I’m very interested in digging into and trying to find out, you know, where we can find some efficiencies. I’m a strong believer, as I said, in using technology. Oftentimes processes get bogged down, and there’s a lot of, every day, there’s new technology available to help with those things. And I’m interested in looking at that, and my commitment to you is that I will take the deep dive into this issue.”
MUDDY CREEK RESTORATION PROJECT:
CHAIRMAN CAPITO:
“In West Virginia, we saw firsthand how innovative state-led approaches can deliver real environmental results. I’m talking about the Muddy Creek Restoration Project. It successfully restored 19 miles of waterways that was impacted by acid mine drainage, using a cost effective watershed-based strategy. And this model was faster, more efficient, less expensive, and initially it was launched under the Trump administration. Later, it was touted by the Biden administration for its success, but it was ultimately abandoned in favor of a slower, more bureaucratic process that threatens the progress of being able to clean up Muddy Creek. If confirmed, how will you get the EPA’s water office back to proven, results-driven approaches like this Muddy Creek model I’m speaking about?”
JESSICA KRAMER:
“If I have the honor of being confirmed, one of the things that we will focus on in the Office of Water is looking at every one of the regulatory matrixes that we implement as the EPA, and looking for opportunities for both innovation as well as expediting, ensuring that we are still fulfilling our statutory and regulatory obligations. The project you mentioned is an exact opportunity for us to try to replicate, to look for those additional opportunities and to offer, not only for other locations in West Virginia, but also across the country.”
Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s questions.
Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement.
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has called on the international community to urgently accelerate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We are less than five years away from our deadline to achieving the SDGs and the end of this critical decade for climate action. Yet, we are still far from our goals and action targets,” the Minister said on Tuesday.
The United Nations describes the SDGs as the “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all” by addressing global challenges related to poverty, inequality and climate change, among others, with the year 2030 set as the target to meet the goals.
Addressing the Group of Twenty (G20) Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) virtually, the Minister said poverty levels are worsening, and that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reached record highs last year.
“This calls for an urgent acceleration of our efforts. Our commitment to achieve these goals must not waver. That is why South Africa has placed solidarity, equality and sustainability at the centre of our G20 Presidency.
“As the international community, together, we committed ourselves to the ambitious agenda to end poverty and hunger, to protect our planet, to achieve universal education and health coverage, and to promote decent work and sustainable economic growth by adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals,” George said.
The Minister said South Africa is striving to champion and fast-track action in the pursuit of a just transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient and inclusive society, and lead by example.
Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa proclaimed the Climate Change Act, laying the ground for ambitious climate action domestically.
Earlier this month, the Minister informed the public that the President proclaimed the Climate Change Act, 2024, with the proclamation notice published in the Government Gazette on 17 March 2025, which was the commencement date of the Act.
“The Act is intended to enable the development of an effective climate change response and a long-term, just transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy and society for South Africa in the context of sustainable development; and to provide for matters connected therewith,” the Minister said at the time.
The Act lays the foundation for a green economy that is resilient, inclusive and future-focused. It creates a clear framework for climate action.
In his address on Tuesday, the Minister said South Africa’s rollout of renewable energy has materially accelerated over the past few years, driving the decarbonisation of South Africa’s energy system, while the implementation of Expanded Producer Responsibility schemes and circular economy initiatives is improving waste management.
“The task remains immense. Poverty, unemployment, hunger, inequality, environmental degradation and climate change are but a few of the complex and interconnected issues facing the world today.
“…We thus reiterate the critical role of multilateralism in addressing these complexities, and South Africa’s very strong support for multilateralism,” the Minister explained.
Priorities
George said the five interrelated priorities of the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group provide an opportunity to address multiple complexities within this context, while advancing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The priorities include Biodiversity and Conservation, Land Degradation, Desertification and Drought, Chemicals and Waste Management, Climate Change and Air Quality, as well as Oceans and Coasts.
“These priorities of the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group for this year are viewed as critical enablers to address poverty, create employment and meet other sustainable development goals, thereby contributing towards the global effort to respond to the triple complexities of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, in line with the overall theme of South Africa’s G20 Presidency of Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” the Minister said.
As a primary outcome of the G20 Presidency this year, South Africa will explore ways that the G20 can leverage opportunities to increase the scale and flows of climate finance, critical to enabling the Just Transition, mitigation and adaptation efforts, while ensuring that the required investments reach the most vulnerable of society.
“It is paramount for developing economy countries to be actively supported in their efforts to achieve ‘whole of society and whole of economy’ just transitions to sustainable development on the ground, through scaled access to low-cost finance, technology and skills.
“It is also increasingly recognised that many people across the globe are exposed to unhealthy and often deadly levels of air pollution, and that the impacts of air pollution extend beyond health – affecting climate, biodiversity, ecosystems and economic development.
“This is also a key issue that needs to be addressed, and to which this Working Group can contribute. There are very extensive synergies between decarbonisation and the improvement of air quality,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
