Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kathryn Rivera, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division for New England, announced that NATIONAL WATER MAIN CLEANING COMPANY (“NWMCC”) was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport for a felony violation of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) for knowingly discharging a pollutant into Cuff Brook while refurbishing a large culvert pipe in Cheshire, Connecticut, in July 2019. The company’s unauthorized discharge of uncured geopolymer mortar killed more than 150 fish and contaminated Cuff Brook.
Judge Dooley sentenced NWMCC to a term of federal probation with environmental conditions for three years, a $500,000 federal penalty, and a payment of $500,000 to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“CT DEEP”) to fund aquatic ecosystem enhancement projects in the South Central Coastal Watershed, where both Cheshire and Cuff Brook are located.
NWMCC is based in New Jersey and owned by Carylon Corporation based in Chicago, Illinois.
According to court documents and statements made in court, NWMCC had submitted the lowest bid and entered into a contract with the Town of Cheshire (“Cheshire”) to repair a decaying 11-foot culvert pipe underneath Marion Road. Cheshire’s project specifications required that the work be done under dry conditions along with environmental controls to prevent uncured geopolymer mortar from leaking into Cuff Brook.
With a Cheshire Department of Public Works (“DPW”) representative present each day, NWMCC began work on July 15, 2019. However, from July 16 to July 18, 2019, NWMCC sprayed geopolymer mortar onto the culvert pipe without the mandated environmental controls. On July 17, 2019, NWMCC crews continued to work despite heavy rain, which led to uncured geopolymer mortar seeping into Cuff Brook. On July 18, 2019, a Cheshire resident with property abutting Cuff Brook observed dead fish and discolored water with an oily sheen in the brook, and smelled a chemical odor similar to lighter fluid. CT DEEP responded and determined that NWMCC was responsible for the pollutant release, thereby killing more than 150 fish and contaminating the waterway. CT DEEP estimated that Cuff Brook would not return to its prior state for three to five years.
The government’s investigation revealed that NWMCC was aware that its environmental controls were deficient, but did not remediate these deficiencies during the project. Although the company attempted to blame the pollutant release and fish kill on a single employee, the investigation showed that he had been inadequately trained, directed to complete the job in an unrealistic timeframe, and was never informed that the uncured geopolymer mortar was hazardous to the environment.
The investigation also revealed that NWMCC lacked a meaningful and comprehensive environmental training program for its employees, particularly with respect to the CWA, even though NWMCC’s core business is repairing and rehabilitating infrastructure that interfaces with public waterways. In addition, NWMCC’s bonus policy incentivized site supervisors and executives to push their work crews to perform projects quickly and maximize the number of jobs completed. At the time of Cheshire project, NWMCC was operating under a Code of Conduct as part of a 2014 settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office to resolve civil allegations involving environmental pollution.
NWMCC pleaded guilty to the offense on January 17, 2025.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen with the assistance of EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Man Chak Ng.
Poland’s President Warns of Resurgence of ‘Russian Imperialism’, Calls War on Ukraine ‘Beginning of Effort to Violently Destroy International Order’
The General Assembly, over the course of two meetings today, adopted seven resolutions — some drawing more contention than others — and heard an address by the President of Poland.
International Day for Judicial Well-being
First, the General Assembly took up the draft resolution titled “International Day for Judicial Well-being” (document A/79/L.52). Introducing the text, Lionel Rouwen Aingimea, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Nauru, stressed that — while the judiciary “serves as a cornerstone of justice” — challenges faced by judicial officers have long been overlooked.
However, the representative of the United States said that his delegation will request a recorded vote — and vote no — “because this resolution represents the internationalization of the self-care movement and the migration of it into domains where it does not belong”.
The Assembly then adopted the resolution by a recorded vote of 160 in favour to 1 against (United States), with 3 abstentions (Haiti, Madagascar, Syria). Through the text, the General Assembly decided to proclaim 25 July of each year the International Day for Judicial Well-being.
Education for Democracy
Next, the Assembly considered the draft resolution titled “Education for democracy” (document A/79/L.56). The representative of Mongolia introduced that text, emphasizing that an inclusive education system empowers individuals and strengthens governance institutions. The text therefore calls for investments in quality education and lifelong learning, also urging Member States to harness the potential of digital technologies to advance education for democracy, he said.
The representative of the United States said that his delegation will again call for a recorded vote — and vote no — on this draft “because much of the text violates United States policies”. Specifically, he said that its discussion of misinformation and disinformation is an “unequivocal red line for the United States”, as these terms are “intentionally nebulous and ill-defined so they can be wielded as tools of censorship”.
The Assembly then adopted the resolution by a recorded vote of 151 in favour to 1 against (United States), with 8 abstentions (Argentina, Belarus, Fiji, Madagascar, Russian Federation, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Syria). Through the text, the Assembly strongly encouraged Member States and education authorities to integrate education for democracy — along with civic education and human-rights education, among others — into their education standards.
After the vote, the representative of the Russian Federation noted that “democracy does not have a universal definition or a single model”. She also disassociated from the text’s reference to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stating that mention of the Office in a resolution about education is “unjustified” — a point echoed by Nicaragua’s representative.
Iran’s representative, meanwhile, said that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Education 2030 Incheon Declaration are “absolutely non-legally binding”. Disassociating from relevant paragraphs, he said that Iran’s national plans and programmes “will be our final source of action and reference”. Argentina’s representative also disassociated from several paragraphs, stressing that “every State, within its own sovereignty, has the right to participate [in the 2030 Agenda] — or not”.
UN Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Central Asia and Afghanistan
The Assembly then turned to the draft resolution titled “United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan” (document A/79/L.57/Rev.1). Introducing that text, the representative of Kazakhstan said that the Centre aims to address the specific needs of Central Asian countries, which each possesses unique challenges and opportunities that are shaped by diverse socioeconomic contexts, cultural realities and environmental conditions.
The representative of the Russian Federation then noted that the countries of Central Asia are “unified by a shared history, similar geographic and social conditions and shared challenges in development”. Therefore, they must coordinate efforts and find shared regional solutions. “This, in turn, meets the current trends to regionalize efforts in the area of development,” he noted.
The Assembly then adopted the text without a vote, through which it decided to formalize the Centre in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Further, it requested the Secretary-General to appoint its Head and further decided that the costs of all its activities shall be met by voluntary contributions.
After the vote, several delegates expressed concern over the process by which this text was negotiated. Switzerland’s representative said that her delegation would have preferred more transparency and inclusivity, while the representative of Türkiye said that the wider membership was not sufficiently consulted during negotiations. Mexico’s representative expressed hope that “this way of carrying out multilateral negotiations will not be repeated in other processes”.
Meanwhile, the representative of the United States said that Kazakhstan “needs neither an expanded UN system nor the SDGs in order to prosper — it should instead make sovereign decisions for its people and cast aside the burden of soft global governance”. For her part, Australia’s representative — also speaking for Canada and New Zealand — welcomed the adoption.
International Day of Peaceful Coexistence and International Day of Hope
The Assembly also considered the draft resolution titled “International Day of Peaceful Coexistence” (document A/79/L.53). Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister for Transportation and Telecommunications of Bahrain, introducing that text, said that it reaffirms the role of Member States and other stakeholders in promoting tolerance, respect for religious and cultural diversity and human rights.
The representative of the United States again said that his delegation will call for a recorded vote on this text — and vote no — expressing concern that the resolution “advances a programme of soft global governance that is inconsistent with US sovereignty”. He added: “Simply put, globalist endeavours like Agenda 2030 and the SDGs lost at the ballot box; therefore, the US rejects and denounces the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.”
He also expressed concern that the resolution’s titular reference to “peaceful coexistence” could be “co-opted to imply the United Nations’ endorsement of China’s ‘Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence’”. Speaking in exercise of the right of reply, China’s representative said that such principles are “widely recognized by the international community and contained in many international instruments”.
Adopting the resolution by a recorded vote of 162 in favour to 3 against (Argentina, Israel, United States), with 2 abstentions (Paraguay, Peru), the Assembly decided to proclaim 28 January as the International Day of Peaceful Coexistence, to be observed annually.
The Assembly then turned to the draft resolution titled “International Day of Hope” (document A/79/L.54). Introducing it, Kiribati’s representative said that hope is “a force that has carried humanity through the darkest of times and propelled us towards a future of possibility, resilience and renewal”. However, he expressed disappointment over the decision by the United States to force a vote.
On that, the delegate of the United States said that the text “contains references to diversity, equity and inclusion that conflict with US policies that seek to eliminate all forms of discrimination and create equal opportunities for all”. He added: “In a world that faces many challenges, funding and effort should be allocated to critical causes and crises, rather than International Days.”
The Assembly then adopted the text by a recorded vote of 161 in favour to 1 against (United States), with 4 abstentions (India, Paraguay, Peru, Türkiye), through which it decided to declare 12 July the International Day of Hope.
“What we’ve just seen this morning is a clear example of the lack of commitment by the United States to a culture of peace, to the United Nations as a whole and to multilateralism in general,” stressed the representative of Cuba, after the vote.
Agreement on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction
The Assembly also took up the draft resolution titled “Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction” (document A/79/L.55). Singapore’s representative, introducing the text, called on States to ratify the agreement. He also made an oral revision to replace “welcome” with “take note of” regarding signatures and ratifications of the agreement to date.
The Assembly then adopted that text, as orally revised, without a vote. By its terms, the Assembly called on all States and regional economic integration organizations that have not done so to consider signing, ratifying, approving or accepting the Agreement as soon as possible.
However, the representative of the Russian Federation disassociated from consensus, stating that mechanisms to establish marine protected areas without appropriate scientific research “run the risk of abuse and unsubstantiated restriction of rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of States on the high seas”. His counterpart from the United States, meanwhile, said that her country is “currently reviewing its policies and does not take a position on this matter”.
Eightieth Anniversary of the End of the Second World War
The Assembly also adopted, without a vote, a text titled “Eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War” (document A/79/L.51), which requested the holding of a special meeting of the Assembly to commemorate all victims of the Second World War in the second week of May in 2025 and every five years thereafter.
The representative of the Russian Federation, introducing that text, said that 2025 marks the eightieth anniversary of the victory over Nazism, fascism and Japanese militarism. Paying tribute to the millions who were sacrificed for that victory — including 27 million from the Soviet Union — he said that the international community has a shared duty to honour that victory.
However, Ukraine’s representative underscored that it is the “height of cynicism” for a State engaged in an unprovoked war of aggression to attempt to unite nations around the memory of the Second World War. She added: “Despite the high price paid for peace, the promise of ‘never again’ remains unfulfilled — today, Europe is witnessing the most brutal war since Hitler.”
The representative of the United Kingdom, similarly, pointed to the “fundamental irony of Russia summoning us here today”, having presented a resolution “to mark the end of one war in Europe having started another”. Lithuania’s representative added: “Today, Russia instrumentalizes the memory of the Second World War to justify its own crimes, both past and present.” Poland’s representative, also speaking for a group of 34 other European States, spotlighted the Russian Federation’s “cynicism of using ‘de-Nazification’ to justify its illegal aggression and occupation of part of an independent UN Member State”.
“We have to say this — the sponsor of this resolution simply does not live by the words of the UN Charter,” stressed the representative of Canada, also speaking for Australia and New Zealand. “Russia’s aggression — and we must name it precisely — and its bid to expand its territory at the expense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other States is incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Charter,” he said.
For his part, the representative of the United States said that the “Russia-Ukraine war has waged on for far too long”, urging that the “UN be guided by its original purpose and unite to end the bloodshed”. All Member States should recommit themselves to the “old vision of peace that propelled us out of the devastation and despair of World War II”, he added. Israel’s representative said: “It is our responsibility not only to remember but to ensure that future generations carry this memory forward to prevent history from repeating itself.”
Speaking in exercise of the right of reply, the delegate of the Russian Federation expressed concern about the politicized statements delivered by the delegates of Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and the United Kingdom. It is the actions of European States, she said, that are hampering the settlement of the Ukraine conflict.
Appointments to Joint Inspection Unit
In other business, the Assembly decided, without a vote, to appoint Makiese Kinkela Augusto (Angola), Victor Moraru (Republic of Moldova), Jesús Miranda Hita (Spain) and Marcel Jullier (Switzerland) to the Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations system, for a five-year term beginning 1 January 2026 and expiring on 31 December 2030.
Address by President of Poland
The General Assembly also heard an address by Andrzej Duda, President of Poland. Noting that recent years have demonstrated how fragile peace and security are, he spotlighted the resurgence of “Russian imperialism”. The 2014 attack on Ukraine marked “just the beginning of an effort to violently destroy the international order”, he said.
Detailing Poland’s security cooperation, he pointed to the United States missile base in Redzikowo — an example of the “American security umbrella over Europe” — as well as recent talks with United States President Donald J. Trump. Poland is also active in collective security systems and UN peacekeeping missions, and he also highlighted the Three Seas Initiative, which aims to improve connectivity among 13 countries across Central and Eastern Europe.
“Poland has never imposed its views on anyone” or colonized another country, he went on to say. Recalling his country’s long history, he invoked the construction of a powerful seventeenth-century State, gradual partitions, loss of independence, a 123-year-long independence struggle, the achievement of independence in 1918 and the destruction of that independence “by the two totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century: Russian communism and German Nazism”.
In the last 30 years of Poland’s history — after it broke free from the Russian Federation’s sphere of influence — it transformed from a backward, poor country with high unemployment into a highly developed State and the twenty-first largest economy in the world, he pointed out. “Only peace can provide optimal conditions for development,” he said, adding that it is necessary to defend peace with real force.
The representative of the Russian Federation, taking the floor under a point of order after the address, said that his delegation “had doubts” regarding the expediency of conducting today’s meeting. “The President of Poland spent a lot of time on debating our country,” he said, adding that — although the Council adopted a text calling for peace between the Russian Federation and Ukraine — one of Poland’s leaders “talked about the logic of military focus” and providing support to Ukraine.
Victoria’s fire and land management agencies are urging campers and holidaymakers to prioritise campfire safety ahead of the upcoming long weekend.
Since 1 July 2024, Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) and Country Fire Authority (CFA) have responded to almost 250 incidents involving campfires, including a bushfire that burnt through 14 hectares of land, left around 100 campers stranded and forced dozens more to evacuate a popular Cape Otway camp site in January.
FFMVic Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman urged people to be careful when it comes to campfires, as gusty winds can easily carry embers from a campfire into the bush, posing a serious fire risk.
“Campfires that escape are a big problem in Victoria. Always fully extinguish campfires with water, not soil and make sure it’s cool to touch before leaving,” Mr Hardman said.
“We want people to enjoy the bush safely. By knowing and following the rules for building and maintaining campfires, we can help keep the bush healthy and safe for everyone.”
Parks Victoria Executive Director Operations Kylie Trott said campfires are only allowed in dedicated fireplaces in most parks in Victoria.
“Not all parks or campgrounds allow campfires. There are some limited areas where campfires are permitted outside of constructed fireplaces, but you need to check before you go,” Ms Trott said.
“Remember to always have someone in attendance while a campfire is going and properly extinguish the fire with water before you leave. The consequences can be devastating if you don’t.”
Chief Conservation Regulator Kate Gavens said given the extreme fire hazard posed by unattended campfires, the Conservation Regulator takes a zero-tolerance approach to those found breaking the law when it comes to campfire safety.
“Unattended and unsafe campfires can result in devastating consequences – the risk is real, and all campers have a responsibility to know and abide by campfire rules,” Ms Gavens said.
“It just takes one ember to cause a destructive bushfire, and this is why there are significant fines for those who leave campfires unattended.
“Our forest and wildlife officers will be out over the weekend to remind campers about the importance of campfire safety.”
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan reminded campers it is their responsibility to check if the area they’re visiting is under a Total Fire Ban.
“It was concerning to see several illegal campfires, including a bonfire, during the recent Total Fire Bans on February 22 and 23,” Mr Heffernan said.
“This kind of activity increases risk for our forests, communities, and our firefighters.
Before hitting the road, people should download the VicEmergency app and be familiar with local campfire regulations and safety measures to help protect the environment and local communities, learn more here.
People who breach campfire regulations on public land face a maximum penalty of $19,759 if the matter is prosecuted in court. The maximum penalty for lighting or maintaining a fire during a day of Total Fire Ban is $47,421.60 and/or 2 years in jail.
Report unattended campfires to 136 186 or call 000 to report a bushfire.
The first part of Te Whau Pathway is on track to be completed in 2026, with half of the Northwestern Cycleway to Horowai Reserve section in Te Atatū finished in late February – a major milestone for the project.
Councillor Shane Henderson has been involved in this partnership project with Te Whau Coastal Pathway Environment Trust since it began in 2014. He says the halfway point is an important target to reach.
“I’m elated that the construction of Te Whau Pathway is making steady progress and the first major section is expected to be finished early next year.
“It’s impressive to see the boardwalk connecting the cycleway and Horowai Reserve taking shape.
“Once this section of the pathway is complete it will benefit the West Auckland community.”
Te Whau Pathway taking shape.
Last year we outlined how a major piece of machinery Te Kōwhai Nui, or the Big Yellow, was used to mitigate the environmental impact of the pathway’s construction over the Whau River.
Taryn Crewe, General Manager Parks and Community Facilities says the project team continues to tread carefully over the whenua and awa.
“A fundamental consideration of Te Whau Pathway project is limiting the impact on the environment and keeping sustainability at front of mind.
“One example is re-using the aggregate from a temporary haulage road made to construct the pathway between the Northwestern Cycleway and Bridge Avenue, on another council infrastructure project at Long Bay Regional Park. As well as being a sustainable use of resources, reusing these materials also saves ratepayers money.
“Once complete the pathway will allow for cycling and walkway – modes of transport with basically zero carbon footprint.”
A shared use pathway connection between the Northwestern Cycleway and Horowai Reserve is on track for completion in 2026.
Construction on Te Whau Pathway restarted in December 2023 and the Northwestern Cycleway to Horowai Reserve section in Te Atatū is on track for completion in 2026. It creates a shared use pathway connection between the Northwestern Cycleway and Horowai Reserve (Roberts Field).
Te Whau Pathway is a partnership between Auckland Transport (AT), Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Te Kawerau ā Maki, the Whau and Henderson-Massey local boards, the government as a major funder, and Auckland Council delivering the construction working closely with Te Whau Pathway Environment Trust.
Te Whau Pathway follows a traditional Māori taonga waka (portage). Fully delivered, all sections of the proposed pathway will connect Manukau Harbour at Green Bay to the Waitematā Harbour at Te Atatū Peninsula.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
Padilla, Schiff, Colleagues to Trump: Fire Elon Musk, Reinstate Agency Leaders and Federal Watchdogs
Democratic lawmakers demand Trump reinstate fired Senate-confirmed officials and address Musk’s conflicts of interest, cite officials’ investigations and prosecutions of Musk’s companies
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined 40 of their Congressional Democratic colleagues in raising concerns about President Donald Trump’s unlawful firings of dozens of independent agency heads and Inspectors General (IGs), and calling attention to how many of these firings appear to benefit Elon Musk. The lawmakers also urged Trump to immediately reinstate the illegally fired individuals and remove Musk from his government role with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), on which there are still very few details, unless he addresses his conflicts of interest.
Musk and his companies have been the subject of at least 20 recent government investigations or prosecutions, including for possible violations of federal safety and labor laws. President Trump and Elon Musk’s removals of agency heads and career civil servants have affected at least 11 federal agencies that are conducting over 32 ongoing investigations, complaints, or enforcement actions against Musk’s companies.
The lawmakers warned that failing to hold Musk accountable hurts American citizens and threatens the democratic system of checks and balances.
“Nearly all of your decisions you made about who to fire appear to benefit Mr. Musk, and many target individuals and agencies that are currently investigating or prosecuting Mr. Musk or his companies for unlawful behavior,” wrote the lawmakers. “Many of these individuals have legal protections dictating why and how they can be removed from office. … Altogether, these firings either directly benefit Mr. Musk and his companies or remove guardrails that would hold them accountable to the rule of law.”
“These firings have removed the exact individuals in our government who would hold Mr. Musk and his companies accountable for following the law and protect everyday Americans from threats to their health, welfare, safety, and economic well-being,” continued the lawmakers.
The lawmakers’ letter lists several agency heads and watchdogs who were improperly fired while involved in oversight surrounding Musk, including but not limited to: National Labor Relations Board Chair Gwynne Wilcox, Federal Election Commission (FEC) Chair Ellen Weintraub, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Commissioners Jocelyn Samuels and Charlotte Burrow, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General Phyllis Fong.
Several of Trump’s orders contradict legal protections for the relevant officials. For example, federal law requires the president to notify Congress before removing an inspector general, but Trump did not do so before firing over a dozen IGs. Shortly after the terminations, Senators Padilla and Schiff joined a letter to President Trump demanding that the IGs be reinstated. President Trump has violated federal law with respect to numerous other agency officials, including the Office of the Special Counsel, the head of the Merit Service Protection Board, and a member of the National Labor Relations Board. Federal courts have already intervened against many of these presidential actions.
The letter was led by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), along with House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Gerry Connolly (D-Va.-11) and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08). In addition to Padilla and Schiff, the letter is also signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), as well as Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vt.-AL), Donald Beyer (D-Va.-08), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.-09), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.-05), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.-09), Danny Davis (D-Ill.-07), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (D-Ill.-04), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.-42), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.-07), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.-17), Summer Lee (D-Pa.-12), Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.-02), Delia C. Ramirez (D-Ill.-03), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.-05), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.-01), Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.-10), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawai’i-02), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.-20), and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.-43).
Senators Padilla and Schiff have fought against the Trump Administration’s federal workforce cuts and Inspectors General firings. Last month, Padilla, Schiff, and all other Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats demanded answers from Trump Administration nominees and acting officials on the removal or reassignment of career law enforcement officials across the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Padilla condemned Trump’s attempt to unlawfully fire more than a dozen Inspectors General during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. He previously sounded the alarm on concerning reports that DOGE will make wide-ranging, harmful cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) workforce and programs, hampering HUD’s ability to support vulnerable communities and combat the housing and homelessness crises. As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, Padilla also denounced the illegal firing of FEC Chair Weintraub and led 10 Democratic Senators to demand President Trump rescind this decision.
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear President Trump:
We are concerned that you have engaged in an unlawful firing spree that includes dozens of Senate-confirmed government officials. Many of the individuals you have targeted lead federal agencies and offices that are investigating or prosecuting companies belonging to Elon Musk, one of your top advisors, for violations of a wide swath of federal safety, labor, intelligence, and other rules and laws. The firings of these officials threaten our democratic system of checks and balances and fail to hold Mr. Musk accountable for actions that may have hurt workers, endangered national security and citizens’ and small businesses’ data, ripped off taxpayers, damaged the environment, and broken federal election rules.
You have fired scores of Senate-confirmed government officials over the past three weeks, including many individuals who have legal protections dictating why and how they can be removed from office. For example, federal law requires the president to notify Congress before removing an inspector general (IG) from office, but you did not do so before firing over a dozen IGs during your first week in office. You also failed to set forth the specific and substantive rationale for each IG’s firing. Members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) can be removed “for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, but for no other cause,” and you removed an NLRB member with no justification. These and other firings are illegal.
Nearly all of your decisions you made about who to fire appear to benefit Mr. Musk, and many target individuals and agencies that are currently investigating or prosecuting Mr. Musk or his companies for unlawful behavior. The fired individuals directly involved in pending or previous actions related to Mr. Musk and businesses include:
NLRB Chair Gwynne Wilcox. In January 2024, the NLRB charged Mr. Musk’s astronautics company SpaceX with engaging in unfair labor practices; the NLRB also currently has at least a dozen unfair labor practices cases open against Mr. Musk’s automotive company Tesla;
FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub. In 2024, the FEC adjudicated cases that alleged Mr. Musk may have violated campaign finance laws;
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Commissioners Jocelyn Samuels and Charlotte Burrows. In September 2023, the EEOC sued Tesla for racial harassment and retaliation;
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) IG Phyllis Fong. In December 2022, the USDA IG investigated potential animal welfare violations at Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink; and
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) IG Paul Martin. The USAID IG was inspecting the use of Starlink terminals to support Ukraine.
You also fired three other IGs from agencies that were investigating or had punished Mr. Musk’s companies.
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) IG Eric Soskin. In January 2025, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an agency under the DOT, opened an investigation into Tesla over safety concerns in its remote and self-driving vehicles, and in September 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration, which is also part of DOT, proposed fining SpaceX $630,000 for failing to follow license requirements during rocket launches;
U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) IG Robert Storch. In December 2024, the DoD IG reportedly opened an investigation into repeated failures by Musk and SpaceX to disclose their meetings with foreign leaders; and
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) IG Larry Turner. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration, part of the DOL, “has opened probes into and fined SpaceX, Tesla and Boring Company for worker injuries or unsafe working conditions.”
You have also fired numerous other agency leaders and IGs who would have provided a check on potential wrongdoing by Musk and his companies. These federal watchdogs could have held Musk and his associates accountable for future violations of the law. These individuals include:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) IG Sean O’Donnell. In 2019 and 2022, the EPA settled lawsuits with Tesla over Clean Air Act and hazardous waste law violations;
U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) IG Mark Greenblatt. DOI had reviewed Musk’s rocket launch facility Starbase;
U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Director David Huitema. OGE is an independent agency responsive for preventing conflicts of interest among federal officers and employees;
U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Member Cathy Harris. MSPB is an independent agency that protects civil servants against partisan political and other prohibited practices;
Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) Chair Susan Tsui Grundmann. FLRA is an independent agency that oversees labor-management relations for federal employees; and
U.S. Office of the Special Counsel (OSC) Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger. OSC is an independent agency that protects whistleblowers and enforces restrictions on partisan political activity by government employees.
Altogether, these firings either directly benefit Mr. Musk and his companies or remove guardrails that would hold them accountable to the rule of law. The firings also hurt everyday Americans. The individuals you have fired served important watchdog roles in our government. IGs “protect taxpayer money by rooting out corruption, fraud, waste and mismanagement.” Minority commissioners on multi-member commissions of independent agencies provide dissenting opinions to the majority and allow for balanced decision-making over significant issues. In addition to removing agency leadership, you and Mr. Musk are removing career civil servants who would conduct investigations and enforcement actions against lawbreakers. The impacts are vast: in total, your removals of agency heads and career civil servants have affected at least eleven federal agencies with more than thirty-two ongoing investigations, complaints, or enforcement actions on Mr. Musk’s companies.
Mr. Musk has failed to address conflicts of interest related to his involvement in the Department of Government Efficiency while serving as CEO of multiple companies that have significant interests before the federal government. Musk is required to comply with federal conflict of interest prohibitions (18 U.S.C. § 208) that prohibit him “from personally and substantially participating in any particular matter that would have a direct and predictable effect on his financial interests,” but the White House has stated that he will be in charge of policing his own compliance with the law, and he has provided no indication of whether he is doing so. Now, these firings have removed the exact individuals in our government who would hold Mr. Musk and his companies accountable for following the law and protect everyday Americans from threats to their health, welfare, safety, and economic well-being. We urge you to immediately reinstate the illegally fired individuals and remove Mr. Musk from his government role unless he addresses his massive and glaring conflicts of interest as required by law.
Sincerely,
The taonga were released on the predator-free island in Fiordland’s Tamatea/Dusky Sound on Friday, after two days in acclimatisation aviaries on the island.
The manu were bred and raised at The Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust and Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch before being flown to Invercargill, where they were met by representatives from Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka on behalf of Kaitiaki Rōpū Ki Murihiku.
Joshua Kingipotiki and Alex Taurima from Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka accompanied the manu on their helicopter journey to the island, welcoming them with karakia and waiata.
“Being part of this release was a big learning experience and rather humbling, as it was the first time that I have been in the presence of kākāriki karaka,” Joshua Kingipotiki says.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kākāriki Karaka Species Representative Yvette Couch-Lewis says it is exciting to have mana whenua representatives from Ōraka-Aparima leading the tikanga and kawa of welcoming the kākāriki karaka onto the motu, with assistance from a kaitiaki ranger.
“Ngāi Tahu is definitely on a journey with this manu,” Yvette Couch-Lewis says.
“Kākāriki karaka are our smallest parrots, but they have a great deal of mana and are proof that the best things can come in small packages.”
“For me it is a very emotional process seeing these manu, which have been born and raised in captivity, being released into the wild. There is a sense of amnesia associated with engaging with this manu because we haven’t had the opportunity in generations to observe them in their natural environment.
“Translocations such as this are important because they build the population up so that one day we can engage with kakariki karaka again.”
DOC Kākāriki Karaka Operations Manager Wayne Beggs says setting up a secure new wild site is a huge step forward for the recovery of the species.
“Kākāriki karaka are extremely vulnerable to introduced predators, so finding safe places for them to live and breed in the wild is vitally important for the species’ survival.
“The predator-free beech and rimu forest on Pukenui/Anchor Island should be a great site for kākāriki karaka to flourish.”
Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust (ICWT) CEO Rob Kinney says the last six months of intensive husbandry by staff at ICWT is a testament to their dedication and expertise in caring for this critically endangered bird species.
“We are proud of our partnership with DOC and our involvement in this important conservation project.”
The vision of the recently released kākāriki karaka recovery strategy, Te Ara Mōrehu, is that kākāriki karaka will be thriving independently in the wild, with ten self-sustaining populations in the Ngāi Tahu takiwā in the next 20 years.
The recovery programme thanks tourism operator RealNZ and specialist insole company Formthotics for their significant donations which made the translocation and follow-up monitoring possible.
“RealNZ’s purpose is to help the world fall in love with conservation, and one of our flagship events aligned to this purpose is our annual Conservation Ball, aligning with the Department of Conservation to identify key projects that would benefit from our support,” says RealNZ CEO Dave Beeche.
“It’s incredible to see the funds raised from the 2023 Conservation Ball in action, assisting with the translocation of these critically endangered manu to Pukenui Anchor Island.”
Wayne says a lot of planning, effort, and cost goes into a translocation like this, and its success relies on a range of people and groups working together.
“We plan to do more translocations in the future. The NZ Nature Fund is raising money for this work and the public can contribute through their website.”
The kākāriki karaka recovery programme is supported by The Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust, Orana Wildlife Park, Canterbury University, Mainpower, and the NZ Nature Fund.
Related links
Background information
Kaitiaki Rōpū Ki Murihiku represent the four southern Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga: Te Rūnanga o Hokonui, Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka, Waihōpai Rūnaka, and Te Rūnaka o Awarua.
With about 450 left in the wild, kākāriki karaka are the rarest mainland forest bird in Aotearoa. The population naturally fluctuates based on environmental conditions.
They were once plentiful across the country but proved an easy meal for introduced predators and were affected by habitat loss, which saw their numbers dwindle.
Because they nest and roost in holes in trees, kākāriki karaka are extremely vulnerable to rats, stoats and cats.
The species was twice declared extinct in the past (in 1919 and 1965) before being rediscovered in the late 1980s.
Anchor Island/Pukenui is already home to a range of threatened bird species including kākāpō.
Stryk Global Diplomacy will coordinate efforts between African and U.S. players to attract greater investment across the African oil and gas value chain
SANDTON, South Africa, March 4, 2025/ — The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org) – representing the voice of the African energy sector – has enlisted international consulting firm Stryk Global Diplomacy (SGD) to support oil and gas engagement between the U.S. and Africa. This collaboration will not only ensure that Africa’s energy interests are effectively represented in U.S. legislative and policy discussions, but also aims to facilitate greater capital and technology injection by U.S. firms into African oil and gas projects.
The strategic partnership will strengthen U.S. understanding of Africa’s vital role in enhancing global energy security, while fostering greater investment and cooperation. SGD will also advise the AEC on fostering a more inclusive and constructive approach to G20 energy dialogues in the lead-up to and during the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference – taking place in Cape Town from September 29 to October 3, 2025. The collaboration will address ongoing challenges such as financing and policy issues that impact African oil and gas projects. Led by Founder and Chairman Robert Stryk, SGD offers strategic diplomatic solutions, making it a strong partner for the AEC as it works to accelerate energy development across the continent.
“Africa needs to produce energy for its people, its development and meet global demand so we avoid volatile energy markets that hurt both American and African consumers,” stated Stryk. “Vilifying Africa’s energy industry – the economic engine of multiple nations – because it is based on fossil fuels, although the proportion of renewables is growing, is not justified. Africans need energy to fix energy poverty issues and spur economic growth. They should be allowed to make their own choices. Our firm will work to bring energy matters of Africans to the important decision markets globally.”
As Africa’s oil and gas industry faces increasing pressure from climate groups and stringent Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) regulations, this collaboration will tackle critical challenges, with finance and climate policies being the most pressing. In recent years, regulations restricting oil and gas financing have limited Africa’s ability to develop its natural resources. Notably, the European Union has sought to reduce or eliminate funding for fossil fuel projects, while environmental organizations such as Greenpeace continue to oppose lending. Up to 11 European banks have cut access to financing for upstream oil and gas projects, despite rising demand across the EU and broader global economy.
In this context, the U.S. – with its extensive network of major oil and gas companies and financial institutions – stands to play a key role. African national oil companies, indigenous firms, independents and international energy companies are struggling to secure the financing needed to develop new oil and gas projects and combat energy poverty. However, strengthened collaboration with the U.S. could reverse this trend. The U.S. is not only one of the world’s largest oil and gas producers but, under its new administration, is expected to have an increased presence in Africa’s energy sector. There are significant opportunities for U.S. oil and gas companies in Africa.
In the oil sector, Africa’s mature producers including Angola, Libya and Nigeria are launching licensing rounds in 2025 to attract fresh investment in exploration projects. Emerging markets such as Senegal, Namibia and Ivory Coast are also seeking increased upstream investment following billion-barrel offshore discoveries. Countries like Gabon, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and Algeria – some of the continent’s largest oil producers – are facing potential phase-out of finance and production, which could devastate these economies and leave their populations in the dark.
Meanwhile, Africa’s natural gas sector, with over 620 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves, offers the promise of increased energy supplies and reduced emissions. With over 600 million lacking access to electricity and 900 million relying on traditional biomass for cooking, Africa’s energy future must be driven by pragmatic, Africa-centric solutions. As a cleaner-burning fuel, natural gas offers a sustainable pathway to industrialization and economic empowerment. Major projects like Mozambique’s Rovuma Basin developments, Senegal and Mauritania’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG, Tanzania LNG and the Republic of Congo’s Marine XII permit have the potential to transform the continent’s energy matrix, but more investment is needed to address energy poverty effectively.
“Stryk is a super Lobbyist. He understands Africa and he gets results. He is adaptive and forward-thinking. He achieves results by building consensus. I am confident he is going to help give the African energy sector a voice in Washington,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.
“Given that 600 million people on the continent lack access to electricity and 900 million people lack access to clean cooking technologies, it’s impossible — even inhumane — to discuss climate change without addressing energy poverty. The notion that producing energy in Africa will lead to a ‘carbon bomb’ is misleading and ignores the critical need for energy access across the continent. Our partnership with SGD is a crucial step in ensuring U.S. policymakers understand the importance of oil and gas in Africa’s economic development. Energy poverty remains one of the biggest threats to Africa’s future, and we must work with partners who recognize that natural gas is not the problem – it is part of the solution,” concluded Ayuk.
1. According to the EU Treaties[1] Member States are primarily responsible for the management of disasters[2], including forest fires. The Commission supports coordination and complements Member State actions through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism[3] and its early warning tools, including the Copernicus’ European Forest Fire Information System (EFISS)[4]. The Commission also encourages the use of the Galileo Emergency Satellite Warning Service and supports the development and maintenance of Member States response capabilities to wildfires through rescEU[5] and the European Civil Protection Pool[6]. The Commission encourages the share of best practices in prevention and preparedness with a variety of tools[7][8].
2. As announced by the President of the European Commission in the Political Guidelines 2024-2029, the Commission intends to put forward a Quality Jobs Roadmap, developed together with the social partners to support fair wages and good working conditions for all EU workers, including those in the public safety sector.
3. Advanced technologies used in EFISS, and the European Flood Alert System[9] play a key role in the detection and response to potential disasters. The Commission also encourages the use of advanced technologies in this field through multiple instruments, such as the Track 1 technical assistance and the Knowledge for Action in Prevention & Preparedness (KAPP)[10] grants as well as the Horizon Europe[11] programme including its disaster risk reduction activities[12] and the EU Mission: Adaptation to Climate Change area[13].
[1] Article 196 TEU https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C:2016:202:FULL
[7] Including pre-positioning of fire-fighters during fire seasons, advisory missions, and peer reviews of their national disaster management systems, including of Italy’s, published in January 2025 (https://civil-protection-knowledge-network.europa.eu/stories/italy-ucpm-wildfire-peer-review-final-report-published-and-handed-over)
[8] Furthermore, the European Regional Development Fund National Programme for Security for Legality 2021 — 2027 in Italy includes a project on smart forest environmental monitoring of EUR 30 Million. This involves the development and deployment of a system to collect, manage, integrate and correlate environmental monitoring data, together with automatic alert mechanisms to support a network for the control and verification of criminal activities in forest, rural and peripheral areas of cities. The aim is to provide the Forestry, Environmental and Agri-food Unit Command of the Carabinieri with adequate control tools for data and information to strengthen legality and combat environmental crime.
Headline: With Fewer than 20 Days Left, Claimants Urged to Submit Notice of Loss by March 14
With Fewer than 20 Days Left, Claimants Urged to Submit Notice of Loss by March 14
SANTA FE, N.M. — The FEMA Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office reminds individuals, businesses, and nonprofits affected by the 2022 Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire and subsequent flooding that there are fewer than 20 days left to submit a Notice of Loss (NOL). Congress has extended the deadline to March 14, 2025. This is the last day to begin the claims process. Submitting an NOL is quick and simple. It takes less than 20 minutes and ensures that we can begin review of your claim. Claimants do not have to provide supporting documentation when submitting an NOL. Claims will continue to be processed and paid out after March 14.“If you were impacted by the fire or flooding and haven’t yet started your claim, it’s crucial that you do so as soon as possible,” said Jay Mitchell, Director of Operations for the New Mexico Joint Recovery Office. “If you have questions, concerns, or if you are hesitating, please reach out to our office or attend one of our in-person events, which you can find on our website News and Events | FEMA.gov, before the March 14 deadline.”Additionally, impacted landowners can request a conservation restoration plan through the U.S. Agriculture Department’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Conservation restoration plans address natural resources losses, such as erosion control, debris removal, fencing, and riparian (river) restoration. These plans, developed by certified planners, provide the costs estimated to repair or replace damaged resources and ensure claimants receive fair and transparent compensation for eligible losses. To receive compensation based on an NRCS plan, both an NOL and NRCS plan request must be submitted by the March 14 deadline. For more information on restoration plans, please visit https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/hermits-peak or one of the following two NRCS Field Office locations: Las Vegas NRCS Field OfficeMora NRCS Field Office1927 A 7th St. Las Vegas, NM 87701 505-425-3594 Ext. 3523 NM Highway 518Mora, NM 87732505-387-2424 Ext. 3The Claims Office is also offering flood insurance coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Coverage for eligible homeowners, business owners and home renters, extends for up to five years. Navigators can help claimants apply for NFIP coverage before the March 14 deadline.Our Advocate’s Office continues to host events to help claimants complete and submit NOLs, upload documentation, and receive one-on-one assistance. Upcoming events include:Tuesday March 4Friday, March 7Saturday, March 8Probate Workshop2 p.m. – 6 p.m. Highlands University Student Union, Room 322800 National Ave. Las Vegas NM, 87701 Mobile Connects10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Rainsville Fire Department103 County Road AO29Rainsville NM, 87736Mobile Connects10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Tri-County Farmers Market510 University Ave. Las Vegas, NM 87701Wednesday, March 12Friday, March 21Mobile Connects10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Rociada Volunteer Fire Station278 N.M. 105 Rociada, NM 87742 Mobile Connects10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Abe Montoya Rec. Center1751 N. Grand Ave. Las Vegas, NM 87701 NOLs can be submitted in person at a Claims Office, by email, or by mail. NOLs can be downloaded from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon website or can be picked up at a Claims Office. Locations and hours can be found at https://www.fema.gov/hermits-peak/contact-us. If you have questions, call the Claims Office Helpline at (505) 995-7133. Representatives are available Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m. MT. Outside these hours, you can leave a voicemail, and your call will be returned.Don’t wait—submit your NOL today to begin your recovery journey. The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act provides that the value of compensation is not considered income or resources for taxation purposes. Please consult a tax professional if you have questions regarding your tax obligations for compensation received. The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office is committed to meeting the needs of people impacted by the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire and subsequent flooding by providing full compensation available under the law as expeditiously as possible. At the time of publication, the FEMA Claims Office has paid $1.89 billion to claimants.For information and updates regarding the Claims Office, please visit the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office website at fema.gov/hermits-peak. You can also follow our Facebook page and turn notifications on to stay up to date about the claims process, upcoming deadlines and other program announcements at facebook.com/HermitsPeakCalfCanyonClaimsOffice.Para información en español, visite fema.gov/es/hermits-peak. erika.suzuki Tue, 03/04/2025 – 17:23
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
March 04, 2025
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today introduced the bipartisan Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act, legislation that would prevent and reduce food waste across the country. Each year, the U.S. produces and imports 237 million tons of food annually, but 31 percent of this food is never sold or eaten, while millions of Americans experience food insecurity.
Specifically, the Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act would establish a “Food Loss and Waste Reduction Certification,” and direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create:
Criteria, which businesses and organizations would have to meet to receive the certification;
A verification process, to confirm that businesses and organizations have achieved the criteria; and
A label, which certified businesses and organizations would be authorized to use on their products, buildings, and websites.
“While millions of Americans face food insecurity, millions of tons of food waste end up in landfills every year and contribute to methane emissions that drive the climate crisis. We must address these crises for the sake of hungry families, our economy, and our environment,” said Durbin. “Today, I’m reintroducing the bipartisan Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act with Senator Grassley to move our country toward more conscious consumption and curbing food waste.”
“Too many families suffer from food insecurity. The Iowa Waste Reduction Center at the University of Northern Iowa has demonstrated the economic and environmental benefits of reducing food waste, and Congress should act to build on their impactful work. Our legislation would recognize businesses for using excess food responsibly and incentivize others to improve their practices,” said Grassley.
“Food waste continues to be a national concern for our communities, especially here in Iowa where 22 percent of all waste going to our landfills is food. We look forward to working with Senators Durbin and Grassley to support the Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act through our continued initiatives at the Iowa Waste Reduction Center,” said Mark Nook, President of the University of Northern Iowa.
Food waste has significant economic, environmental, and social impacts. More than $440 billion is spent annually to produce and dispose of food that is never consumed or sold. Sending uneaten food to landfills or incinerators is responsible for the use of more than 20 trillion liters of water, which is equivalent to the annual water use of 50 million homes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Additionally, just one-third of food waste, if saved from disposal, could feed the 47 million Americans, including 14 million children, who are suffering from food insecurity, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The “Food Loss and Waste Reduction Certification” would be similar to existing certifications, such as ENERGY STAR and the BioPreferred Program. The Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act would direct USDA to promote the certification to ensure that consumers are informed about which businesses and organizations have received it.
The Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act has support from the Natural Resources Defense Council, Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, World Wildlife Fund, University of Northern Iowa, Too Good To Go, Kellanova, FMI – The Food Industry Association, National Restaurant Association, and Consumer Brands Association.
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Source: The Conversation – USA – By Eunyoung Choi, Postdoctoral Associate in Gerontology, University of Southern California
Extreme heat increases the risk of a number of diseases, including kidney and heart conditions.Spencer Platt/Getty Images
What if extreme heat not only leaves you feeling exhausted but actually makes you age faster?
Scientists already know that extreme heat increases the risk of heat stroke, cardiovascular disease, kidney dysfunction and even death. I see these effects often in my work as a researcher studying how environmental stressors influence the aging process. But until now, little research has explored how heat affects biological aging: the gradual deterioration of cells and tissues that increases the risk of age-related diseases.
New research my team and I published in the journal Science Advances suggests that long-term exposure to extreme heat may speed up biological aging at the molecular level, raising concerns about the long-term health risks posed by a warming climate.
My colleagues and I examined blood samples from over 3,600 older adults across the United States. We measured their biological age using epigenetic clocks, which capture DNA modification patterns – methylation – that change with age.
DNA methylation refers to chemical modifications to DNA that act like switches to turn genes on and off. Environmental factors can influence these switches and change how genes function, affecting aging and disease risk over time. Measuring these changes through epigenetic clocks can strongly predict age-related disease risk and lifespan.
Research in animal models has shown that extreme heat can trigger what’s known as a maladaptive epigenetic memory, or lasting changes in DNA methylation patterns. Studies indicate that a single episode of extreme heat stress can cause long-term shifts in DNA methylation across different tissue types in mice. To test the effects of heat stress on people, we linked epigenetic clock data to climate records to assess whether people living in hotter environments exhibited faster biological aging.
We found that older adults residing in areas with frequent very hot days showed significantly faster epigenetic aging compared with those living in cooler regions. For example, participants living in locations with at least 140 extreme heat days per year – classified as days when the heat index exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.33 degrees Celcius) – experienced up to 14 months of additional biological aging compared with those in areas with fewer than 10 such days annually.
This link between biological age and extreme heat remained even after accounting for a wide range of individual and community factors such as physical activity levels and socioeconomic status. This means that even among people with similar lifestyles, those living in hotter environments may still be aging faster at the biological level.
Even more surprising was the magnitude of the effect – extreme heat has a comparable impact on speeding up aging as smoking and heavy alcohol consumption. This suggests that heat exposure may be silently accelerating aging, at a level on par with other major known environmental and lifestyle stressors.
Long-term public health consequences
While our study sheds light on the connection between heat and biological aging, many unanswered questions remain. It’s important to clarify that our findings don’t mean every additional year in extreme heat translates directly to 14 extra months of biological aging. Instead, our research reflects population-level differences between groups based on their local heat exposure. In other words, we took a snapshot of whole populations at a moment in time; it wasn’t designed to look at effects on individual people.
Our study also doesn’t fully capture all the wayspeople mightprotect themselves from extreme heat. Factors such as access to air conditioning, time spent outdoors and occupational exposure all play a role in shaping personal heat exposure and its effects. Some individuals may be more resilient, while others may face greater risks due to preexisting health conditions or socioeconomic barriers. This is an area where more research is needed.
What is clear, however, is that extreme heat is more than just an immediate health hazard – it may be silently accelerating the aging process, with long-term consequences for public health.
Large swaths of the U.S. population are experiencing long stretches of extreme heat, as this map of cumulative heat days from 2010 to 2016 shows. Eunyoung Choi, CC BY-ND
Older adults are especially vulnerable because aging reduces the body’s ability to regulate temperature effectively. Many older individuals also take medications such as beta-blockers and diuretics that can impair their heat tolerance, making it even harder for their bodies to cope with high temperatures. So even moderately hot days, such as those reaching 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.67 degrees Celcius), can pose health risks for older adults.
As the U.S. population rapidly ages and climate change intensifies heat waves worldwide, I believe simply telling people to move to cooler regions isn’t realistic. Developing age-appropriate solutions that allow older adults to safely remain in their communities and protect the most vulnerable populations could help address the hidden yet significant effects of extreme heat.
Eunyoung Choi receives funding from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute on Aging.
Tampering with a Monitoring Device/Clean Air Act, Conspiracy
Trials
United States v. Jason Lee Wagner
No. 3:22-CR-01754(Western District of Texas)
ECS Senior Litigation Counsel Todd Gleason
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Gary Donner
ECS Paralegal Chloe Harris
On February 7, 2025, a jury convicted Jason Lee Wagner of conspiracy and 12 smuggling violations (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 545, 2). Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2025.
Between March 2015 and December 2019, Wagner and others bought and sold endangered reptiles from individuals in Mexico. Wagner and other co-conspirator suppliers and middlemen used social media to offer reptiles for sale and to negotiate the terms of the sale and delivery with customers in the United States and Mexico. His co-conspirators also used international money transfers to provide for “crossing fees,” sales and purchases, and other expenses. They then packaged and re-packaged the reptiles for illegal crossings using USPS and other courier services to transport them between Mexico and the United States.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
Indictments
United States v. Roy Ladell Weaver, et al.
No. 1:25-CR-00048 (Middle District of Pennsylvania)
ECS Trial Attorney Ron Sarachan
AUSA David Williams
RCEC Patricia Miller
On February 19, 2025, a grand jury indicted Roy Ladell Weaver and his company, Pro Diesel Werks, LLC, with conspiring to impede the lawful functions of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA), and substantive CAA violations (18 U.S.C. § 371; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Pro Diesel Werks provided vehicle repair and maintenance and performance enhancement services, including services on diesel engines and vehicle emission systems. The indictment alleges that between 2013 and March 2024, Weaver and the company, along with co-conspirators, disabled the hardware emissions control systems on the diesel vehicles of Pro Diesel Werks’ customers (a practice referred to as a “delete” or “deleting”), defeating the systems’ ability to reduce pollutant gases and particulate matter released to the atmosphere. The defendants are also alleged to have tampered with the monitoring device and method required under the CAA, that is they disabled the onboard diagnostic system on vehicles preventing the system software from monitoring the emission control system hardware deletes (a practice referred to as a “tune” or “tuning”).
The defendants charged customers between approximately $2,000 and $4,000 per vehicle to remove and disable the emission control systems on motor vehicles with diesel engines.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On February 7, 2025, Corey Potter pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for illegally transporting crab from Alaska (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(1)(B)). Sentencing is scheduled for May 13, 2025. Kyle Potter, his son, was previously sentenced to pay a $20,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. A third defendant, Justin Welch, was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and complete a three-year term of probation.
Corey Potter owns two crab catching vessels; Kyle Potter and Welch worked as vessel captains. In February and March 2024, the vessels harvested more than 7,000 pounds of Tanner and Golden king crab in Southeast Alaska. Corey Potter directed Welch and Kyle Potter to land the crab to Seattle, Washington, where they intended to sell it at a higher price than they would have in Alaska. Neither captain landed the harvested crab at a port in Alaska, and they never recorded the harvest on a fish ticket, as required under state law.
A large portion of the king crab that arrived in Seattle from Alaska had died and was unmarketable. Corey Potter knew that some of the crab aboard was infected with Bitter Crab Syndrome (BCS), a parasitic disease fatal to crustaceans. Officials were forced to destroy more than 4,000 additional pounds of Tanner crab due to the risk of BCS infection. If the defendants had properly landed the crab in Alaska, authorities could have inspected the harvest and removed the infected crab before leaving Alaska.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
United States v. Kendall Glenn Hacker
No. 5:25-CR-00002 (Eastern District of Kentucky)
AUSA Emily Greenfield
On February 7, 2025, Kendall Glenn Hacker pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to violating the Animal Crush statute (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 48(a)(2), (a)(3)).
Between November 2021 and June 2022, Hacker sent money through online payment applications, such as PayPal and Venmo, to Michael Macartney, an online chat group administrator. The members and participants of these groups funded, created, obtained, received, exchanged and/or distributed animal crush videos.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
United States v. Chamness Dirt Works, et al.
No. 3:24-CR-00430 (District of Oregon)
AUSA Bryan Chinwuba
RCEC Karla Perrin
On February 7, 2025, property management company Horseshoe Grove, LLC, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act (CAA) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for asbestos work practice standards (42 U.S.C. §§ 7412(h),7413(c)(1)). Horseshoe Grove’s owner and operator Ryan Richter pleaded guilty to a CAA negligent endangerment violation (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(4)). Construction and demolition company Chamness Dirt Works, Inc., pleaded guilty to violating the CAA NESHAP for asbestos, and company owner and president, Ronald Chamness, pleaded guilty to a CAA negligent endangerment violation (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(4)). Sentencing is scheduled for April 3, 2025.
In November 2022, Horseshoe Grove acquired a property in The Dalles, Oregon, which included a mobile home park and two dilapidated apartment buildings. The previous owner provided the new buyers with an asbestos survey from December 2021, which identified more than 5,000 square feet of friable chrysotile asbestos within the two deteriorating buildings, with levels ranging from 2% to 25%. The survey also noted non-friable asbestos in various building materials, including siding and flooring, throughout the apartments. Despite these findings, Horseshoe Grove failed to implement the necessary precautions for asbestos removal.
In March 2023, Chamness Dirt Works began demolishing the two asbestos-laden structures without following proper removal procedures. Chamness did not engage a certified asbestos abatement contractor, did not wet the asbestos-containing debris, and dumped the material in a regular landfill.
Horseshoe Grove paid Chamness Dirt Works a total of $49,330 for the demolition, which did not meet the required safety standards.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
Nos.4:25-CR-00018, 4:24-CR-00006, 00084 (District of Montana)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan
ECS Trial Attorney Sarah Brown
AUSA Jeff Starnes
ECS Paralegal Tonia Sibblies
On February 10, 2025, Hollis G. Hale pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 1538(a)(1)(G), 3372(d)(2), 3373(d)(3)(B)). Sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2025.
Hale conspired with Jack Schubarth to create giant hybrid sheep for captive hunting. Schubarth smuggled Marco Polo argali sheep parts from Kyrgyzstan into the United States. This protected species of sheep, native to high elevations in the Pamir region of Central Asia, is deemed the largest in the world.
In 2013, Schubarth provided genetic material to a third-party cloning facility, and, in 2016, received successfully cloned pure Marco Polo argali embryos. Schubarth raised a pure male argali clone that he named “Montana Mountain King.” In 2018, Schubarth began breeding Montana Mountain King with other species and selling the offspring throughout the U.S. To evade detection, Schubarth falsely labeled the offspring on Certificates of Veterinary Inspection and other official forms.
In June and July 2020, Hale facilitated the purchase and interstate transport of twelve hybrid Marco Polo argali sheep from Schubarth and falsely identified 43 species of sheep on a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. Hale falsified these documents knowing these sheep are prohibited in Montana. Schubarth was sentenced in September 2024 to six months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks conducted the investigation.
United States v. Zackery Brandon Barfield
No. 5:25-CR-00011 (Northern District of Florida)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan
AUSA Joseph Ravelo
On February 12, 2025, Zachary Brandon Barfield pleaded guilty to three counts of poisoning and shooting dolphins in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 1372(a)(2)(A), 1375(b); 7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(2)(G), 136l(b)(2)). Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2025.
Barfield is a charter and commercial fishing captain operating out of Panama City, Florida. In the summer of 2022, Barfield became frustrated with dolphins eating red snapper from the lines of charter fishing clients. Between June and August 2022, Barfield and others placed a commercial methomyl insecticide inside bait fish to feed to and poison the dolphins that surfaced near his boat.
While captaining another fishing trip in December 2022, Barfield saw dolphins eating snapper from fishing lines. This time, he used a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot and kill a dolphin that surfaced near his vessel. In the summer of 2023, while on a charter fishing trip, Barfield used the same shotgun to shoot a dolphin that surfaced near the lines of clients.
The National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation with assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
United States v. James H. Spencer
No. 23-CR-00015 (Western District of Virginia)
AUSA Michael Baudinet
On February 21, 2025, James Howard Spencer, the Mayor of Glen Lyn, Virginia, pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. § 1319(c)(2)(A)). Spencer admitted to directing employees of the Town of Glen Lyn to illegally discharge raw sewage and other pollutants into the East River, a tributary of the New River, on three occasions- in the summer of 2019, December 2020, and June 2021.
The discharges occurred at a pump station located behind the Glen Lyn Post Office, which was not an authorized discharge point of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the Glen Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The East River, a perennial stream and a tributary of the New River, is a protected waterway under the CWA.
Spencer knowingly violated multiple conditions of the NPDES permit, including discharges from unauthorized locations and failing to report the discharges to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Virginia State Police conducted the investigation.
United States v. Liza Hash
No. 1:25-CR-20007 (Southern District of Florida)
AUSA Tom Watts-FitzGerald
On February 25, 2025, Liza Hash pleaded guilty to discharging oil into United States and contiguous zone waters, violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §§ 1319(c)(2), 1321(b)(3)). Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2025.
Hash was the owner and operator of the S/V Juliet, a sailing vessel used for multi-day scuba diving trips between Miami and the Bahamas. Over the course of approximately six years, Hash’s vessel carried up to 12 passengers per trip, along with the crew, between the U.S. and the Bahamas.
On June 16, 2023, U.S. Coast Guard investigators boarded the Juliet following its return from the Bahamas. After noticing an active oil sheen originating from the vessel, they conducted a safety examination.
During the inspection, they noted oily water in the bilge, and a pump connected to the vessel’s grey water tank, to facilitate illegal overboard discharges. Hash had used the vessel’s grey water tank (which is intended to hold liquid waste from the boat’s washer, dryer, sinks, and showers) to store oil-contaminated bilge water and discharge overboard.
Investigators estimate that Hash discharged approximately 26,000 gallons of oily water during the five-year period.
The United States Coast Guard conducted the investigation.
United States v. Old Dutch Mustard Company, Inc., d/b/a Pilgrim Foods Company, et al.
No. 1:25-CR-00002 (District of New Hampshire)
ECS Trial Attorney Ron Sarachan
AUSA Matthew Hunter
ECS Paralegal Tonia Sibblies
On February 24, 2025, The Old Dutch Mustard Company, d/b/a Pilgrim Foods Company (Old Dutch), and company owner and president Charles Santich, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §§ 1311(a), 1319(c)(2)(A)).
Old Dutch manufactured vinegar and mustard products, generating acidic wastewater during the process. Much of this wastewater consisted of spilled or leaked vinegar, or discarded vinegar that did not meet specifications. Old Dutch did not have a permit to discharge process wastewater. Instead, it stored the process wastewater in tanks and a trucking company hauled one or two truckloads of the wastewater off-site daily to the Rochester Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW). Old Dutch paid the trucking company for transporting each load. A second wastewater stream consisted of stormwater that became acidic after flowing through areas of the facility (especially the tank farm) where vinegar spilled. Old Dutch also paid the trucking company to haul the acidic stormwater to the POTW.
Santich decided to reduce costs by ordering workers to discharge some of the wastewater to a manmade ditch formed by an abandoned railroad bed at the top of a hill behind the facility, from which the wastewater would flow into the Souhegan River. In May 2017, Santich hired an excavation company to extend an underground pipe to the top of the hill behind the facility. He then directed an employee to repeatedly pump wastewater through the underground pipe to the abandoned railroad bed. Once the process wastewater or contaminated stormwater discharged at the top of the hill, it flowed to the river. Old Dutch did not have an NPDES or any other permit to discharge pollutants into the river.
In March 2021, Santich directed the same excavation company to install a sump at the corner of the tank farm area to collect the acidic stormwater and pump it directly up the hill through the buried pipe. Similarly, during the Fall of 2022, Santich hired the excavation company to clean out the undergrowth in the manmade ditch at the top of the hill and line it with riprap to create a better drainage ditch and facilitate the flow of wastewater to the river.
On August 2, 2023, EPA agents executed a search warrant at the Old Dutch facility and witnessed this illegal activity. Agents observed liquid that smelled like vinegar discharging from the end of the underground pipe into the riprap-lined ditch. The wastewater discharge had a pH of 3.6. The agents then conducted a dye test starting at the sump outside the corner of the tank farm area. The dye discharged from the underground pipe at the top of the hill and flowed along the riprap-lined drainage ditch and down to the river.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
On February 26, 2025, Fabcon Precast LLC (Fabcon) pleaded guilty to willfully violating an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation (29 U.S.C. § 666(e)). The criminal charge is related to an incident where an employee was killed when a pneumatic door closed on his head.
Fabcon operates several facilities in the United States, including one in Grove City, Ohio, that manufactures precast concrete panels. At Fabcon, employees known as batch operators were responsible for the operation and cleaning of the facility’s only concrete mixer. Concrete was discharged from the bottom of the mixer through a pneumatic door. By design, the mixer had an exhaust valve that released the pneumatic energy powering the discharge door, rendering it inoperable. Some months prior to June 6, 2020, the handle that operated the valve broke off and was not replaced.
On June 6, 2020, Zachary Ledbetter, a batch operator since January 2020, was on duty when the discharge door failed to close after releasing a batch of concrete. Because the valve was broken, Ledbetter could not perform the proper procedure to make the door safe to work around. When he attempted to free the door it closed on his head, trapping him. Eventually, Ledbetter was freed and transported to a hospital where he died five days later.
The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
No. 3:24-CR-00618 (Southern District of California)
ECS Assistant Chief Stephen DaPonte
On February 27, 2025, a court sentenced Vyacheslav I. Piglitsin to time served and to pay $4,355 in restitution. On March 2, 2024, Piglitsin drove over the border from Mexico with Mexican pesticides that he failed to present for inspection (19 U.S.C. §§ 1433 and 1436). Inspectors found seventy-two 1-liter bottles of “Bovitraz” in his vehicle.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Sentencings
United States v. Michael Hart
No. 3:24-CR-00383 (Southern District of California)
ECS Assistant Chief Stephen DaPonte
Former AUSA Melanie Pierson
AUSA Mark Pletcher
On February 3, 2025, a court sentenced Michael Hart to time served followed by one year of supervised release. Hart also will pay $1,500 in restitution. Hart pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally import hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) into the United States from Mexico and sell them in violation of law (18 U.S.C. § 371). In addition, Hart admitted to conspiring to illegally import hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), namely HCFC 22, which is banned under the Clean Air Act.
Between June and December 2022, Hart purchased refrigerants in Mexico and smuggled them into the United States in his vehicle, concealed under a tarp and tools. Hart posted the refrigerants for sale on OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, and other sites, and sold them for a profit.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
United States v. Thalia Zambrano
No. 3:24-CR-01552 (Southern District of California)
ECS Assistant Chief Stephen DaPonte
On February 6, 2025, a court sentenced Thalia Zambrano to time served, after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 371).
On June 28, 2024, authorities apprehended Zambrano when she drove into the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with 18 bottles of undeclared “Taktic” (Amitraz) concealed beneath a blanket on the back seat her car. Regulators in the United States canceled this pesticide due to the high concentration of amitraz.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
United States v. Andrew Laughlin
No. 2:24-CR-00104 (Eastern District of California)
AUSA Kathryn Lydon
On February 10, 2025, a court sentenced Andrew Laughlin to pay a $5,000 fine, complete a two-year term of probation, and pay $4,209 in restitution into the Lacey Act Reward Fund. Laughlin pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling reptiles into the United States (18 U.S.C. § 545).
In 2017, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents identified Laughlin as part of a nationwide investigation into the smuggling of turtles from the United States to an individual in Hong Kong (Individual A). Individual A met and maintained contact with certain wildlife-smuggling associates via Facebook. Investigators identified Laughlin as a suspect in the wildlife smuggling ring from Individual A’s Facebook contacts and communications with covert agents. In addition to corresponding on Facebook, Laughlin also sent text messages to Individual A and co-conspirators.
Between March and April 2018, Laughlin acted as a “middleman” in an international amphibian smuggling ring. During a conversation with an undercover agent, Laughlin said that he participated in the ring in order to acquire hard-to-find newts. He shipped or received at least four packages of amphibians, including packages to or from individuals located in Hong Kong and Sweden. The packages were falsely labeled as items including a “toy car,” “rubber toys,” or “a ceramic art piece.” The boxes actually contained live animals, including eastern box turtles, spotted turtles, and a variety of newt species.
A search warrant executed at the defendant’s residence uncovered 80 live newts of various species. Some of them tested positive for a virulent fungus which originated in Asia and has spread throughout the illegal pet trade. The restitution covered expenses incurred to store and test the animals.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
Photo of newts seized from Laughlin’s residence; photo included in case press release at time of guilty plea
Nos. 1:22-CR-00131, 00132 (Eastern District of California)
AUSA Karen Escobar
On February 10, 2025, a court sentenced Jose Angel Beltran-Chaidez to 24 months incarceration, followed by two years of supervised release. Beltran-Chaidez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin in this multi-defendant case involving drugs and animal welfare violations (21 U.S.C. §§ 841 (a)(1), (b)(1)(A)).
Between March and April 2021, Jorge Calderon-Campos (who calls himself “Americano”) supplied 26 pounds of methamphetamine to co-defendants Mark Garcia and Alberto Gomez-Santiago, and an additional 60 pounds to Francisco Javier Torres Mora. Between January and April 2022, Calderon-Campos also possessed roosters he used to participate in an animal fighting venture.
During a search of his residence on April 26, 2022, law enforcement officers found numerous hens and roosters, various cockfighting implements (including razors and spurs) and six cockfighting trophies, including several with plates inscribed with “Team Amkno” (shorthand for “Team Americano”). At Calderon-Campos’s “stash house,” law enforcement officers found 14 hens and 77 roosters, cockfighting leashes, a cockfighting trophy, and a variety of syringes and pill bottles containing substances related to cockfighting supplements.
Jorge Calderon-Campos was sentenced in November 2024 to eight years and one month of incarceration. Calderon-Campos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and to violating the Animal Welfare Act (21 U.S.C. §§ 841 (a)(1), (b)(1)(A)); 7 U.S.C. § 2156(b); 18 U.S.C. § 49(a)).
On August 26, 2024, a court sentenced Antonio Beltran-Chaidez to 46 months’ incarceration, followed by 24 months’ supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with the intent to distribute (21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)).
In January 2024, co-defendant Gomez-Santiago was sentenced to four years and nine months incarceration, followed by 60 months supervised release. Mora was sentenced to four years and nine months incarceration. Horacio Ortega-Martinez, another associate of Calderon-Campos, was sentenced in April 2023 to 18 months incarceration, followed by 36 months supervised release, after pleading guilty to possessing gamecocks for an animal fighting venture (7 U.S.C § 2156 (b)).
Co-defendant Garcia pleaded guilty and was sentenced on March 3, 2025, to 24 months’ incarceration, followed by two years of supervised release. Byron Adilio Alfaro-Sandoval is scheduled for status conference June 18, 2025.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Kern County Probation Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department.
On February 11, 2025, a court sentenced Christopher Lee Carroll to serve nine years of incarceration and to pay $3 million in restitution. A jury convicted Carroll in August 2024 of three counts of bank fraud, three counts of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA), 13 violations of the CAA, and two counts of threatening a witness (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 2, 1014, 1512 (b)(3), 1344; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Carroll and his business partner, George Reed, owned a time share exit company called Square One Group LLC. In April of 2020, they submitted a false and fraudulent application for a $1.2 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The loan application falsely stated that the spouses of Reed and Carroll owned the company to conceal Carroll’s status as a paroled felon, which would have precluded his company from receiving PPP funds. Carroll also used his wife’s name to avoid any potential liability for the fraud.
The PPP loan was supposed to help save businesses and jobs, but Carroll did not use the money to pay dozens of employees who were out of work or keep paying for health insurance for 17 of those employees. Instead, he used it to start a trucking company, Whiskey Dix Big Truck Repair LLC. Carroll and Reed then applied for loan forgiveness, falsely claiming that they’d spent the money on payroll and other permitted expenses. Additionally, Reed and Carroll later sought a second loan of more than $1.6 million, taking a total of $660,000 in “owner draws” from the company after the loan was approved.
From May 2020 through December 2021, Carroll and Whiskey Dix violated the CAA by unlawfully removing the emissions control systems from more than 30 diesel-fueled trucks. In January 2022, Carroll tried to pressure two employees to take responsibility for the emissions tampering. When one of the employees said he was going to talk to federal investigators, Carroll threatened to stop paying for the employee’s attorney.
The court sentenced Whiskey Dix to complete a three-year term of probation after the jury convicted the company on 16 CAA violations. Reed pleaded guilty to bank fraud in September of 2022 and was sentenced January 23, 2025, to time served, and five years of supervised release. Reed was held jointly liable for $3 million in restitution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On February 13, 2025, a court sentenced Jeffrey Radtke to 21 months’ incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Radtke pleaded guilty to conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos (18 U.S.C.§§ 371, 48(a)(2), (a)(3)).
Between June 2021 and August 2022, Radtke sent more than 40 payments (ranging from $1 through $300) he received from co-conspirators to pay videographers in Indonesia and other locations outside of the United States to create videos depicting the torture and deaths of juvenile macaque monkeys.
During the execution of a search warrant in April 2023, law enforcement found more than 2,600 videos and 2,700 images depicting animal crushing on Radtke’s computer.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
United States v. Jonathan Achtemeier
No. 3:24-CR-05072 (Western District of Washington)
AUSA Seth Wilkinson
AUSA Lauren Staniar
SAUSA Karla Perrin
On February 14, 2025, a court sentenced Jonathan Achtemeier to pay a $25,000 fine and serve four months’ incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release. Achtemeier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA) for his role in tampering with required monitoring devices on diesel trucks (18 U.S.C. § 371).
Between 2019 and 2022, Achtemeier modified the software on hundreds of trucks nationwide to prevent the monitoring devices from detecting the removal of emissions controls. Achtemeier conspired with mechanics and truck fleet operators, instructing them on how to remove or disable anti-pollution hardware on diesel trucks, a process known as “deleting.” Achtemeier tampered with the monitoring device on his clients’ trucks by connecting laptops to the trucks’ onboard computers and remotely “tuning” the vehicles’ computers, which rendered required monitoring devices inaccurate. This allowed the trucks to run without functioning emissions control systems and resulted in the trucks emitting significantly more pollution than legally allowed.
Achtemeier charged as much at $4,500 per truck for work that often took him two hours or less. He advertised his services on social media nationwide, doing business as Voided Warranty Tuning or Optimized Ag. Between 2019 and 2022 his company took in more than $4.3 million in gross profits.
The Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
Assistance from ECS Senior Counsel Elinor Colbourn
On February 18, 2025, a court sentenced Andres Alejandro Sanchez to complete a three-year term of probation to include six months’ home detention. Sanchez pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for illegally importing a spider monkey into the United States (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1), 3373(d)(2)).
On October 7, 2024, Sanchez travelled from Mexico to Laredo, Texas, and failed to declare a spider monkey he had in his vehicle to Customs and Border Protection officers as he attempted to cross the border.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
Case photo of baby spider monkey rescued by authorities
United State v. Jose Carrillo
No. 8:23-CR-00222 (Middle District of Florida)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Matt Morris
AUSA Erin Favorit
ECS Paralegal Jonah Fruchtman
On February 18, 2025, a court sentenced Jose Carrillo to 84 months’ incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Carrillo pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and knowingly possessing a firearm after a felony conviction (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 922(g)(1) and 924(d)).
On June 7, 2023, authorities executed a search warrant at Carrillo’s residence, seizing a total of 10 pit bull-type dogs. Several of the dogs exhibited scarring consistent with dogfighting. Authorities also discovered a .22 caliber rifle, a bloodstained wooden dogfighting “pit,” syringes, veterinary medications, a skin stapler, break sticks used to separate fighting dogs, and other suspected dogfighting paraphernalia.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with assistance from the following agencies: Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshal Service; and the Pasco County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office.
Photo of dogs from Carillo’s home included in press release, link below.
Nos. 2:23-CR-00600, 2:24-CR-00890 (District of Arizona)
AUSA Glenn McCormick
On February 18, 2025, a court sentenced Eric T. Scionti to 47 months’ incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Scionti pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and Animal Crushing in two separate cases (18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1), 924(a)(8), 48(a)(1)).
In December 2022, federal authorities received an anonymous tip that Scionti, a convicted felon, possessed a number of handguns, as well as grenades and bullet-proof body armor. On January 18, 2023, agents executed a search warrant, seizing six firearms and 1,826 rounds of ammunition from areas of a residence controlled by the defendant. Scionti has multiple Arizona state felony convictions and was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
While researching the defendant’s online activities, agents found video evidence depicting Scionti torturing pigeons. Agents executed a subsequent search warrant on September 29, 2023, for records and information associated with Scionti’s email account. During that search, agents seized approximately 168 videos and 89 digital photographs depicting Scionti torturing and mutilating live pigeons.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigations in these cases.
On February 19, 2025, a court sentenced Manuel Domingos Pita to 48 months’ incarceration and to pay more than $55 million in restitution. Also, Pita will forfeit real estate and cash/bank accounts. Pita pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and a willful violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act for causing the death of an employee (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 1343; 29 U.S.C. § 666(e)).
Pita created and operated several shell construction companies, including one named Domingos 54 Construction, Inc. Pita used Domingos 54 to provide workers, including undocumented aliens, with construction jobs. However, Pita failed to secure the required workers compensation insurance coverage for these employees by falsifying the number of workers for which he sought coverage in worker’s compensation insurance applications. In addition, Pita failed to pay any federal employment taxes on the wages that these workers earned during the course of the scheme between 2018 and 2022.
Pita failed to disclose the number of workers he had. Had he properly disclosed the number of workers, he would have paid an additional $22.7 million+ in premiums. Additionally, Pita failed to pay to the IRS over $33.7 million in federal employment taxes on those workers’ wages.
Between February and July 2019, investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued six citations to Domingos 54 for failure to provide fall protection to workers. Even after being cited for these violations, Pita continued to ignore OSHA requirements. In March 2020, Pita assigned a worker and three other carpenters to install sheeting on the roof of a residential home in windy conditions without providing the required fall-protection gear or ensuring its use. As a result, one of the workers was blown off the roof and died from his injuries.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Department of Financial Services’ Bureau of Insurance Fraud-Criminal Investigations, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
Nos. 3:24-CR-00101, 00116 (Northern District of Florida)
ECS Deputy Chief Joe Poux
ECS Paralegal Jonah Fruchtman
On February 20, 2025, a court sentenced Fernando Cruz Rubio to time served. Rubio pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) for failing to maintain an oil record book (ORB) (33 U.S.C. § 1908(a)).
Rubio worked as a chief engineer on the M/V Suhar, a Panamanian-flagged ocean-going bulk carrier that routinely hauled cement from Tampico, Mexico, to Pensacola, Florida. The ship was managed by Gremex Shipping S.A. de C.V., which was responsible for the ship’s day-to-day operations, including hiring all crew, and ensuring compliance with all environmental and international regulations.
The Coast Guard inspected the ship when it arrived in Pensacola on August 25, 2023. Inspectors determined that the vessel’s crew regularly discharged untreated oily bilge water overboard, bypassing onboard pollution control equipment, and falsified the ship’s ORB to conceal these discharges. On various trips, between March 2021 through August 25, 2023, Rubio, as the Suhar’s chief engineer, failed to accurately maintain the ORB and did not record overboard bilge water discharges.
Gremex was sentenced in October 2024 to pay a $1.75 million fine, serve a four-year term of probation, and implement an environmental compliance plan. The shipping corporation also pleaded guilty to violating APPS.
The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service conducted the investigation.
United States v. Clancy Logistics, Inc., et al.
No. 3:24-CR-00344 (District of Oregon)
AUSA Andrew Ho
RCEC Gwendolyn Russell
On February 25, 2025, a court sentenced to Clancy Logistics, Inc., and owner Timothy C. Clancy, to each complete three-year terms of probation. They were also ordered to pay a fine of $101,510.00, jointly and severally. The defendants pleaded guilty to a felony count of tampering with a Clean Air Act monitoring device (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Between October 2019 and July 2023, Timothy C. Clancy tampered with the onboard diagnostic systems (OBDs) and caused others to tamper with the OBDs, of at least 13 Class 8 diesel semi-trailer trucks owned or operated by his companies, Clancy Transport, Inc., and Clancy Logistics, Inc. The defendants’ actions prevented the OBDs from detecting malfunctions caused by the deletion of the vehicles’ emission control systems, in violation of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
As part of this process, Clancy directed his employees to disable and remove the emissions hardware from his companies’ vehicles. This involved removing exhaust systems and their corresponding emissions control components from the vehicles, hollowing out the functioning portion of the devices so that only the casing remained, and re-installing the casing to create the appearance that the emissions controls were intact. The vehicles’ OBDs were then tuned so that they could no longer detect the removal of the control equipment.
Clancy and his companies tampered with the OBDs on their diesel semi-trailer trucks so that they could operate the vehicles with real or perceived increased performance and fuel efficiency and reduce or eliminate the cost and burden associated with maintaining the vehicles. As a result, a greater volume of pollutants was emitted from the vehicles.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
No. 5:24-CR-00028 (Western District of North Carolina)
AUSA Katherine T. Armstrong
On February 27, 2025, a court sentenced Robert G. Gambill to pay a $9,500 fine and to forfeit a rifle, scope, and ammunition for killing a bald eagle in violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 668(a)). As required under provisions of the Act, $2,500 of the fine will be apportioned equally between two witnesses who reported the shooting.
On June 5, 2024, Gambill set his firearm on a fencepost and targeted, shot, and killed a bald eagle that was perched in a tree near a bridge in Sparta, North Carolina. After killing the eagle, Gambill drove away from the scene, abandoning the carcass on the bank of the New River. Two witnesses recovered the carcass and turned it over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The U.S. FWS forensic laboratory determined that injuries suffered by the bald eagle were consistent with a gunshot wound from a high-powered rifle.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office.
On February 28, 2025, a court sentenced Willie Russell to 24 months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and exhibiting dogs in an animal fighting venture (7 U.S.C. § 2156(a)(1); 18 U.S.C. § 371). Russell is the fourteenth and final defendant to plead guilty in this federal dog fighting case. The other co-defendants are: Tamichael Elijah; Marvin Pulley, III; Brandon Baker; Christopher Travis Beaumont; Herman Buggs, Jr.; Terrance Davis; Timothy Freeman; Terelle Ganzy; Gary Hopkins; Cornelious Johnson; Rodrecus Kimble; Donnametric Miller; Willie Russell; and, Fredricus White.
On April 24, 2022, the defendants converged on a property in Donalsonville, Georgia, where they held a large-scale dog fighting event. They brought a total of 24 pit bull-type dogs to fight in a series of matches over that weekend. Law enforcement personnel who disrupted the event found numerous dogs inside crates in cars on the property.
The participants used their cars to store dogs who had already fought, as well as those awaiting their turn in the fighting pit. Some dogs were kept on chains on the property. Law enforcement rescued a total of 27 dogs, including a badly injured dog that later perished from its injuries. Dogs in the cars also bore recent injuries and scars.
All defendants but Freeman pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to violate the animal fighting prohibition of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Defendants Beaumont and Miller also pleaded guilty to sponsoring or exhibiting (i.e., handling) a dog in a dog fight. Defendants Baker, Davis, Ganzy, Johnson, Pulley, and White further pleaded guilty to possessing and transporting a dog for purposes of using the dog in an animal fighting venture. Freeman pleaded guilty to spectating at an animal fight. Defendants Miller and Pulley also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possession of a firearm by a person with a prior felony conviction.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General; and the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Bay County, Florda, Sheriff’s Office.
India’s circular economy to generate a market value of over $2 trillion and create close to 10 million jobs by 2050 – Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
Delegates visits Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Albert Hall, and Patrika Gate
Posted On: 04 MAR 2025 6:39PM by PIB Delhi
India’s circular economy could generate a market value of over $2 trillion and create close to 10 million jobs by 2050. Expressing this view, while speaking at the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific, Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav said, the ‘circular economy’ may be about to drive one of the biggest transformations in business since the Industrial Revolution 250 years ago. Through a radical departure from the traditional ‘take, make, waste’ production and consumption models, the circular economy could provide a potential $4.5 trillion in additional economic output by 2030 world over.
Addressed the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific, in Jaipur today.
Stated that PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s call for building a ‘waste to wealth’ circular economy ensures the driver for adopting circular economy isn’t scarcity – it’s opportunity.… pic.twitter.com/LkDd8RCcp1
Shri Yadav also informed the forum about India’s candidacy for organising the World Circular Economy Forum in the year 2026.Every year, World Circular Economy Forum is organised and in this year, 2025 it is being organized in Sao Paulo, Brazil. India has expressed the willingness to host World Circular Economy Forum 2026.
Emphasising on the steps taken, the Minister said, India remains committed to addressing plastic waste challenges and their associated ecological impacts. The Plastic Waste Management Rules (2016) have led to significant measures targeting municipal, industrial, residential, and commercial sectors. India has banned certain categories of single-use plastics through notification in 2022. In alignment with the Mission ‘LiFE’ initiative, MoEFCC has notified the Eco-Mark Rules to encourage demand for environmentally friendly products while promoting energy efficiency and circular economy principles.
He further said, Circular Economy Action Plans for 10 waste categories have been finalized, for which regulatory and implementation framework is under progress. India has already notified various waste management and extended producer responsibility rules in certain sectors, such as the Plastic Waste Management Rules, e-Waste Management Rules, Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, and Metals Recycling Policy, among others.
Paid a visit to the exhibition on the sidelines of the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific, in Jaipur today.
Thrilled to witness the innovation at display, ready to drive the waste to wealth economy as we move towards realising the vision of… pic.twitter.com/XQFdhNAeq8
Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Srinivas Kathikala, and Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan, Shri Sudhansh Pant jointly chaired a significant session today, focusing on advancing waste management and circular economy initiatives. The session saw the launch of several key reports, best practices and the signing of important agreements aimed at strengthening India’s waste management ecosystem.
Launch of SBM Waste to Wealth PMS Portal
A major highlight of the session was the launch of the SBM Waste to Wealth PMS Portal, an innovative online platform developed under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). The portal is designed to enhance project monitoring, streamline data management, and facilitate resource sharing, thereby supporting the mission’s broader objective of transforming waste into valuable resources. This initiative aligns with the government’s commitment to sustainable urban development and effective solid waste management.
Release of IFC Document Reference Guide
The session also marked the release of the IFC Document Reference Guide: Business Models and Economic Assistance for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Projects. This guide provides comprehensive insights into various business models for MSW processing, including waste-to-electricity, biomethanation, and bioremediation. The document serves as a crucial resource for municipalities and private players looking to implement effective and economically viable waste management projects.
MoU Between CSIR and MoHUA
In a significant step toward fostering scientific collaboration in waste management, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). This partnership will facilitate research-driven solutions and innovative technologies to enhance urban waste management practices across India.
Release of ‘India’s Circular Sutra’
The event also saw the release of ‘India’s Circular Sutra: A Compendium of Best Practices in 3R & Circular Economy’. This compendium documents successful case studies and innovative approaches in the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (3R) framework, providing valuable insights for urban local bodies and stakeholders looking to implement circular economy solutions.
These initiatives mark a significant step forward in India’s efforts to promote sustainable waste management, encourage innovation, and drive the transition toward a circular economy.
CEEW Report on Solid Waste Management in Million-Plus Cities
The Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) presented its latest study, which offers a detailed outlook on solid waste management (SWM) practices in cities with populations exceeding one million. The report highlights sustainable waste management strategies, circular economy principles, and decentralized solutions that can be tailored to meet the unique challenges of India’s rapidly urbanizing regions.
Technical and Heritage Visit of Delegates
The delegates undertook a technical site visit to key waste management and sanitation facilities in Jaipur, including the Waste to Energy Plant and Sanitary Landfill Site at Langariyawas and the Dehlawas Sewage Treatment Plant. These visits provided firsthand insights into innovative waste processing techniques, energy recovery from waste, and efficient sewage treatment mechanisms.
In addition to the technical visits, the delegates also explored Jaipur’s rich cultural heritage, visiting iconic landmarks such as Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Albert Hall, and Patrika Gate. These heritage visits offered a glimpse into the city’s architectural grandeur and historical significance, providing a holistic experience that blended urban infrastructure advancements with Rajasthan’s vibrant cultural legacy.
Question for written answer E-000780/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Diana Riba i Giner (Verts/ALE)
The Valencian Government intends to amend Law 5/2018 on the Horta of Valencia to reclassify protected areas and allow construction in zones affected by the catastrophe produced by the DANA storm. The Horta of València is a historic agricultural system recognised by the FAO and plays a key role in food production, environmental sustainability and Valencian cultural heritage. The EU’s Natura 2000 network protects some parts of this area, which is covered by Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the Birds Directive (2009/147/EC), requiring impact assessments to prevent habitat degradation. Additional laws, such as the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (2011/92/EU), ensure compliance. Any land reclassification affecting these sites should align with EU environmental regulations.
Given the EU’s commitment to environmental protection, we would like clarification on the following:
1.Does the Commission think that this land reclassification aligns with EU directives on conserving traditional landscapes and ensuring climate resilience in vulnerable areas?
2.What will the Commission do to protect the Natura 2000 sites and peri-urban green spaces in the Valencian Country?
3.Can the Commission also specify the mechanisms in place to monitor this situation and act if EU environmental legislation is at risk of being infringed?
Caspar David Friedrich / The Conversation, CC BY-SA
In 218 BC, the Carthaginian general Hannibal crossed the Alps against the advice of his men, who claimed it was impossible. “Aut inveniam viam, aut faciam,” Hannibal is said to have replied: “I shall either find a way, or make one.”
Though apocryphal, Hannibal’s bold statement captures a trait much sought in the tech industry today: “high agency”. This means being able to positively influence yourself or the world around you.
Psychologists use a range of other terms to refer to this kind of trait — including perceived control, mastery, and efficacy. All of them boil down to being able to achieve the things you want, when you want.
Recognising agency
In the business world, the term high agency is used in much the same way as “disruptor”, “game-changer” and “self-starter” were before it. As you might expect from those comparisons, high agency is a catch-all phrase for people who see and take opportunities where others see roadblocks.
More than this, high agency describes a person who creates their own opportunities where there appear to be none.
High agency is beneficial in more than the professional sphere, however.
Research shows that feeling able to achieve important goals is a building block for motivation in most domains of life, including education, health and political action. This is because people who feel “in control” set higher goals, are more committed those goals, and exert greater effort to achieve those goals than people who feel “out of control”.
Agency differs by demographic, including factors such as age. Some research suggests people feel more in control of their life circumstances and outcomes in middle age than in old age.
Socioeconomic factors such as education, income and work history also play a role. Put simply, people who are “better off” feel more agentic.
Mental health seems to be both an outcome and a predictor of high agency. People who are less depressed feel more in control of their lives, and those who feel more in control are less depressed.
Rethinking agency
The concept of “high agency” is an amalgamation of, or an umbrella term for, a range of traits that psychologists have studied for decades. Related concepts include the prized “growth mindset” (the belief that one’s talents are developable rather than innate), “proactivity” (acting in advance of, rather than reacting to, situations), and the somewhat controversial “grit” (perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals). Note, however, that some argue grit is just a rebranded version of the personality trait “conscientiousness”.
High agency, as the tech world sees it, appears to borrow from all these concepts, wrapped up in one convenient package. Agentic people are those who see possibility where others see barriers, take action rather than wait to be told what to do, and aren’t afraid to go after what they want.
These traits are also stereotypically associated with particular people in society: members of advantaged majority groups, such as men, those with high socioeconomic status, and white people.
In many ways, high-agency behaviour is an act of privilege. It involves trusting that others will react well to your efforts to try a new approach or disrupt the status quo.
The reality is that the way other people respond will depend at least in part on factors outside our control. This may be particularly true for less privileged people, who tend to see less opportunity to exert choice and influence the world due to the very real structural barriers they face. This means acting “high agency” may be a risk for some people: actions that see one person praised as a “game changer” could easily see another labelled a “troublemaker”.
Taken to an extreme, high agency could read as “alpha” – the kind of person who takes charge and is a natural leader. Alpha is a gendered term, most commonly applied with a suffix such as male, bro or dude.
The already male-dominated tech industry should be wary of baking gendered traits into personnel selection procedures. If high agency is understood to mean a certain type of person rather than just a type of personality, it could be a problem for equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Realising agency
Given the rising value of high agency in professional settings – not to mention its personal emotional and motivational benefits – you might wonder how people can become more agentic.
Many proponents of high agency emphasise its value for looking at the world in a different way. So too it might be valuable to look at high agency in a different way: not what makes an individual agentic, but what are the conditions that allow agency to thrive.
Research shows that certain types of environments set people up for success. Environments that allow people to thrive are those that meet three basic psychological needs.
The first is the need for autonomy: the ability to freely choose what we do and when we do it. The second is the need for competence: the feeling of being capable of performing desired actions. Finally, there is the need for relatedness: the feeling of being connected to others.
While high agency may seem like an innate personality trait, emerging research suggests the people around us may be a powerful source of personal agency. People who are better able to influence their own outcomes are often those who can turn to, or recruit, others to help them achieve those outcomes.
Paradoxically, this means that “high agency” might not (just) be a quality of you personally, but a quality of the people around you.
Katharine H. Greenaway 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.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Catherine Waite, Research Associate, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge
A stonechat on the edge of a solar farm.Joshua Copping
The UK’s installed capacity of solar power expanded rapidly over the past decade to reach 17.2 gigawatts (GW) in 2024 – enough electricity to power roughly 4 million homes. The government aims to raise solar generation capacity to 70 GW by 2035. And by 2050, the government’s advisers estimate that as much as 90 GW of solar power may be needed to achieve net zero emissions.
Building solar farms – large-scale installations of solar panels on agricultural land – will have to be done carefully, to avoid exacerbating another environmental crisis: the dwindling variety of wildlife, or biodiversity.
However, surprisingly few studies have examined the impact of solar farms on biodiversity. Our new research is one of the first to study the impact of solar farms on birds in the UK. And, hectare-for-hectare, we found that solar farms in the farm-rich East Anglian countryside that were managed with biodiversity in mind contained a greater number of bird species, and more birds overall, than surrounding cropland.
During spring 2023, we used the breeding bird survey method to survey solar farms in the East Anglian fens that were under different management styles.
These sites ranged from intensively managed solar farms, in which the grass surrounding panels is cut or grazed short throughout the year, with no hedgerows or small trees, to mixed-habitat solar farms where infrequent cutting or grazing has allowed wildflowers, trees and hedgerows to grow along boundary fences. For comparison, we also surveyed the surrounding farmland.
Good habitats for birds
We found that the number of birds on the mixed-habitat solar farms was typically twice that of the intensively managed sites, and three times higher than adjacent high-yielding cropland. The number of species on mixed-habitat solar farms was 2.5 times higher than both of the alternatives.
Our study also showed that solar farms offer important habitat for a number of threatened bird species. In fact, birds such as yellowhammer, linnet, greenfinch and corn bunting, which are of particular concern to conservationists due to their declining national populations, were considerably more abundant on mixed-habitat solar farms.
Perhaps our results aren’t that surprising. After all, the mixed-habitat solar farms we surveyed contained many of the features birds prefer (similar to nature-friendly farms in less intensively farmed areas). These features include hedgerows, which can offer berries to eat and crevices to shelter in, particularly for birds adapted to woodland habitats. The tall and diverse vegetation around the solar panels contains a variety of habitats, with insect prey or seeds for food. The intensively managed cropland and solar farms had none of these features.
By providing the right habitat, birds have been naturally drawn to these solar farms in an area that sorely lacks it.
A golden opportunity
So, solar farms can benefit biodiversity in rural landscapes dominated by intensive agriculture in the UK. Especially when they are designed to allow plants to grow around the panels, and have hedgerows or trees in the margins. Prioritising the needs of wildlife when planning solar farms could help the UK meet its climate commitments while helping nature.
When grass was allowed to grow long on solar farms, it appeared to encourage birds. Joshua Copping
What’s more, our previous research has shown that the UK has enough land to deploy 90 GW of solar power – enough to meet suggested capacity by 2050 – without damaging bird populations at a national scale or affecting food production. Our new findings should allay public concerns about some of the risks of renewable energy to wildlife.
We have a golden opportunity for finding multiple functions for land: generating clean energy while restoring biodiversity at the same time.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Catherine Waite receives funding from The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
Joshua Copping receives funding from The Natural Environment Resource Council (NERC) and is employed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kirsty Pringle, Atmospheric Scientist and Project Manager, Software Sustainability Institute, University of Edinburgh
Netflix’s new drama Toxic Town tells the true story of a group of women from Corby in Northamptonshire, UK, who gave birth to children with limb differences in the 1980s and 90s. The children were born with shortened arms or legs or missing fingers. The drama follows their battle to uncover the cause and their subsequent fight for justice.
This skilful portrayal of a real-life tragedy isn’t just compelling drama, it’s a stark warning about the dangers of weak environmental protections. With the UK no longer following EU environmental standards and the US rolling back key pollution regulations and scaling down environmental enforcement, the issues at the heart of Toxic Town feel more urgent than ever.
As two atmospheric scientists, we were pleased to see Netflix taking on this recent event in UK history.
Corby’s industrial heritage mirrors that of many English towns: for decades, the town’s steelworks provided jobs. Then in the 1980s they were decommissioned, leaving behind high unemployment and thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste. While many areas have decommissioned steelworks, the difference here is that environmental procedures for decommissioning hazardous waste appear not to have been followed.
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Waste from the steelworks was transported through town in lorries to sites for long-term storage. Despite government advice to ensure their lorries were cleaned and their loads covered to prevent contamination, dirty, uncovered lorries carrying hazardous waste were repeatedly driven through the area, allowing toxic sludge to spill out on to the roads.
Drivers were also paid bonuses for extra loads, which encouraged them to ignore regulations and cut corners. And, as the sludge spilled from their lorries dried, it turned into dust that was carried through the air and inhaled by residents, including pregnant mothers.
Crucially, this dust was not typical air pollution which, while harmful, doesn’t usually come from contaminated land so doesn’t contain high concentrations of heavy metals and industrial chemicals. Yet, to the naked eye, Corby’s toxic dust would have been pretty indistinguishable from everyday grime.
What is clear, however, is that there was a lot of it. During the 2009 court case against what was then Corby Borough Council, which was responsible for the steelworks’ decommissioning, residents recalled the orange dust coating surfaces and filling the air. Many stressed the need to wash their cars frequently as they quickly became coated in dust.
As the show depicts, in 1999 concerns were raised about the impact of the pollution by mothers in the area who had given birth to children with upper limb differences. Northamptonshire Health Authority conducted an initial investigation and concluded the problem was no worse than elsewhere in England and Wales.
Inexplicably, even among environmental researchers, the Corby toxic waste case remains relatively unknown despite being a landmark legal case. It was the first time a link between airborne pollution and limb differences in children was officially established.
The council lost the case and was found liable for public nuisance, negligence and breach of statutory duty. It disputed the verdict but reached a confidential private settlement with the families.
Corby’s story has been dubbed the “British Erin Brockovich”. This is due to its parallels with the famous US environmental lawsuit in which Erin Brockovich, a legal clerk, helped build a case against Pacific Gas and Electric who were fined US$330 million (£415 million) for contaminating the water supply in Hinkley, California.
Why environmental regulation matters
It’s tempting to watch Toxic Town with the reassurance that such a disaster couldn’t happen again. Surely, with modern environmental monitoring and stronger regulations, we are now better protected?
Environmental protections are only as strong as the political will to enforce them. History has repeatedly shown that weak or poorly enforced regulations can lead to catastrophic consequences. For example, the Bhopal gas disaster in India in 1984 saw a toxic gas leak that killed thousands.
The Love Canal incident in the US in the 1970s exposed residents to hazardous waste, causing birth defects and illness. And the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the US in 2010, which became one of the largest marine oil spills in history.
Despite such repeated events, environmental regulation is increasingly dismissed by some politicians and industry leaders as red tape –a bureaucratic burden that hampers industrial and economic growth.
The UK’s exit from the EU means that it no longer needs to adhere to EU environmental regulations, including the Reach law which mandates the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals, It’s the main EU law that governs chemicals to protect both the environment and human health. While not flawless, Reach is considered to be the most robust chemicals regulation in the world and because of global supply chains, it often encourages manufacturers beyond Europe to comply.
The attitude of the new administration in the US to environmental protection laws has caused considerable concern across the global scientific community. There has been a rollback of more than 100 environmental regulations, including 39 relevant to air and water pollution. Most of these rule reversals have already been enacted, just over a month into the new administration.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had 168 staff placed on leave and environmental groups have warned “that these cuts put minority and lower income families living close to polluting sites at risk”. In parallel, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), another federal agency which monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditions, is facing drastic cuts to it’s staff and budget. These cuts harm the capacity of the US to monitor and enforce environmental regulations.
What happens in the US often sets a precedent for other countries. It is worrying that reducing environmental protection in the US may encourage other countries, including the UK, to follow suit.
So, far from being a thing of the past, we could be witnessing a return to the toxic times seen in Corby if we fail to prioritise stringent environmental safeguards. As solictor Des Collins starkly reminds us at the end of the drama: “A town that is made by burning up red tape and using it as fuel does so much damage.”
Kirsty Pringle receives funding from UKRI.
Jim McQuaid receives funding from UKRI, Horizon Europe, The Royal Society and Defra
Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
March 04, 2025
Legislation would protect American jobs, keep energy security competitive against China, and support record investments in rural communities
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., along with U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor, D-Fla., and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., today introduced legislation to nullify Donald Trump’s day-one executive orders on energy. The Defending American Jobs and Affordable Energy Act would reassert America’s clean energy leadership, keep energy costs for families as low as possible, and unfreeze critical Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to protect jobs and support rural economies.
“Since day-one, Trump has been laser focused on giving handouts to the oil and gas industry at the expense of American jobs,” Wyden said. “As the nation braces itself for more spin from Trump during tonight’s State of the Union, here are the facts: crippling clean energy production at home will only lead to clean energy manufacturing packing up and moving to China. Rural communities, which are the American epicenter of clean energy jobs and investments, will suffer the consequences of Trump’s ignorance. America needs a leading clean energy response to continue to be a dominant energy force against China.”
“President Trump’s reckless energy agenda will hike electric bills, raise costs for families, and give China the upper hand in advancing clean energy solutions,” Castor said. “By reversing progress in clean energy initiatives and thumbing his nose at allies, Trump is forcing American families to pay the price of unchecked climate change while other nations reap the economic benefits of innovation. Floridians know the costs of extreme weather and pollution firsthand, and we must stand firm against policies that harm our economy and environment. That’s why I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in introducing this important legislation, which will protect our significant progress in expanding cleaner, cheaper energy for American families.”
“Donald Trump’s Day One executive orders were nothing more than a massive giveaway to his Big Oil donors — gutting climate action and stalling clean energy investments while American families were left holding the bag,“ Tonko said. “Trump promised that his actions would lower energy costs for consumers, but instead, energy prices have only gone up. That’s why I’m joining Senator Wyden and Congresswoman Castor to introduce this legislation to repeal these reckless orders, restore American leadership on fighting the climate crisis, and put working families’ pocketbooks over oil industry profits.”
The Defending American Jobs and Affordable Energy Act would nullify the “Unleashing American Energy” executive order, the executive order declaring a National Energy Emergency, the executive order behind the U.S. departure from the Paris Climate Agreement, and the executive order that pauses offshore wind leases in the Outer Continental Shelf.
Cosponsors in the Senate include Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as well as Senators Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Patty Murray, D-Wash., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chris Coons, D-Del., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Jack Reed, D-R.I.
Wyden is a longtime champion of keeping energy costs low for consumers while electrifying the grid. In 2019, Wyden and his colleagues introduced legislation to overhaul the federal energy tax code, create jobs and combat climate change. In 2022, Wyden’s Clean Energy For America Act was enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act – significantly lowering carbon emissions while reducing energy costs.
The text of the bill is here.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize mapping information on public oceans in an effort to improve public safety and provide navigation guidance through a user-friendly smartphone app. The bipartisan Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans (MAPOceans) Act would require the federal government to standardize and digitize information about ocean recreation and navigation. This would create a one-stop shop that would help to ensure sportsmen and women can recreate in a safe and responsible manner.
“Maine’s Atlantic coastline is an incredible natural treasure and one that attracts outdoor enthusiasts from around the country. If you want to enjoy the water, there should be an app for that purpose,” said Senator King, Chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. “The bipartisan MAPOceans Act would combine all the available information about ocean recreation and navigation into a one-stop resource containing information about ocean recreation and navigation that you can hold in the palm of your hand. From deep-sea anglers to sailors and lobstermen, this legislation ensures that every person seeking adventure in Maine has the opportunity to do so safely and responsibly.”
“Many Texans and Americans enjoy recreational fishing and boating, but it can be difficult to find reliable information about access to waterways and restricted areas,” said Senator Cruz. “I am proud to lead the effort to ensure anglers, boaters, and other users have easy access to accurate information on fishery area closures, so they can focus on appreciating what America’s beautiful waterways have to offer instead of wading through confusing agency websites.”
Senator King is among the Senate’s leading voices for conservation of our nation’s outdoor treasures. In 2022, his bipartisan MAPLand bill to modernize park and public land mapping was signed into law. He also helped lead the passage the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law; the legislation includes the Restore Our Parks Act — a bill led by Senator King — and the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Permanent Funding Act. The historic legislative package continues Senator King’s career-long focus on conservation efforts, dating back to his work prior to running for elected office through his years as Governor and his service in the Senate. Over the course of his time in the Blaine House, Governor King was responsible for conserving more land across Maine than all Governors before him combined.
Greenpeace Aotearoa says Fonterra’s entire supply chain is tainted with illegal palm products after all of the major importers of palm kernel into New Zealand have been found to be illegally operating palm plantations in Indonesia.
A decree from the Indonesian Minister of Forestry released a list of 436 companies operating palm plantations without proper permits in Indonesian forest areas. New Zealand’s main importers of palm kernel – Wilmar International, Viterra, GAR, Musim Mas and Apical – are all implicated in this list of illegal operators.
Greenpeace spokesperson Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn says, “Over the last 20 years, nearly 10 million hectares of primary forest have been destroyed in Indonesia, and palm plantations have been the leading driver of that deforestation. It is shameful that New Zealand’s dairy industry, led by Fonterra, continues to contribute to this destruction through its reliance on palm kernel.”
New Zealand is the world’s biggest importer of palm kernel, importing nearly 2 million tonnes annually from Southeast Asia. Palm kernel is used as a supplementary feed for dairy cows, particularly during dry summer months when there isn’t enough grass to feed the dairy herd. The main importer of palm kernel to New Zealand is Wilmar International, the parent company of Agrifeeds, which sells its palm kernel exclusively through Fonterra’s Farm Source stores.
“This new evidence indicates that Fonterra and Agrifeeds are both complicit in deforestation and the destruction of rare wildlife habitat in Southeast Asia,” says Deighton-O’Flynn.
“When Fonterra uses deforestation-linked palm kernel, it becomes embedded in its dairy products, tainting its entire supply chain. This means products like Kit Kat, Snickers bars and Milo, which are made with Fonterra’s dairy, are linked to deforestation too.”
Ananalysispublished by Greenpeace Indonesia indicated that as of 2019, illegal oil palm plantings in Indonesia’s forest estate occupied 183,687 hectares of land previously mapped as orangutan habitat and 148,839 hectares of Sumatran tiger habitat. Both species are critically endangered.
In Decree 36/2025, Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry revealed that over 1 million hectares of forest are being used for palm plantations illegally, with 790,474 hectares in the process of settlement, while 317,253 hectares have been rejected for settlement.
Deighton-O’Flynn says, “Fonterra made a commitment to zero deforestation in its supply chains by 2025, and its biggest customers like Nestlé, MARS and Danone all have Zero Deforestation policies. However, this Indonesian Government decree implicates all of these companies in illegal operations and associated historic deforestation in Indonesia.”
Wilmar International, and many of the other companies listed hold Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certifications. A Greenpeacereportfrom 2021, found that certifications like RSPO are weak tools to protect rainforests and peatlands from deforestation.
“Fonterra must ban the use of rainforest-destroying palm kernel on all of its farms across the country in light of these new developments. The company cannot continue to claim to be deforestation-free while relying on this destructive feed.”
In late 2024, Greenpeace announced it was suing Fonterra for false claims on its Anchor Butter packaging. The packaging bore a label reading ‘100% New Zealand grass-fed’, despite Fonterra’s own policy allowing for up to 20% of a cow’s diet to be palm kernel. Since the lawsuit was announced on September 30th, the dairy giant has changed the logo on the packaging – but the grass-fed claim remains.
Deighton O’Flynn says, “Fonterra must phase out the use of palm kernel, instead of relying on greenwash tactics, like misleading logos, weak sustainability certifications and a deforestation policy that ignores rainforest destroying palm kernel.
“As Fonterra looks to sell its consumer brands, we’re issuing a warning to potential buyers. Fonterra’s grass is not as green as they claim it is – in fact, in some cases, it isn’t grass at all.”
An event highlighting the vast network of organisations who are dedicated to the needs of the most vulnerable residents in the borough of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, was held recently at Lough Neagh Discovery Centre.
Over one hundred people from schools, businesses and organisations attended the ‘Beyond Crisis’ community support networking event, to share good practice across a wide range of services and show the excellent support that is available to those who need it most.
The event – themed ‘food and beyond’ – saw information presented on food insecurity, social supermarkets, suicide prevention, schools’ pastoral work, advice, debt management, social housing and more.It was a fantastic opportunity to show the extensive support that is in place to help those residents who find themselves in a difficult position – and that organisations working together is the way forward to achieve positive outcomes and solutions.
“We are committed to supporting and developing the ‘food and beyond’ support structure and establishing and delivering a range of initiatives aimed at helping those residents who are most in need,” commented the Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Sarah Duffy.
“Life can be challenging, especially with the ongoing cost of living crisis, so it is important that our residents know that help is available and where they can find it. We are so fortunate in our borough to have dedicated and skilled people who have formed a support network meaning we can confidently keep moving forward and beyond each crisis.”
The organisations taking part thoroughly enjoyed the day and new connections were made, ensuring that support continues to build and be available for those who need it.
Lord Mayor, Councillor Sarah Duffy at the PCSP stand with Annette Blaney
Lord Mayor, Councillor Sarah Duffy at the CYPSP stand with CYPSP Valerie Maxwell, Southern Health Trust Jessica Wiley, CYPSP Darren Curtis, Southern Health Trust Yvonne Neill and Southern Health Trust Bronwyn Campbell
Lord Mayor, Councillor Sarah Duffy pictured with Mark Ingham (NIHE)
Lord Mayor, Councillor Sarah Duffy at the PIPS stand with Lisa Daly and Siobhán Brennan
Lord Mayor, Cllr Sarah Duffy at the ABC Environmental Services with Dominic Marsden
Lord Mayor, Cllr Sarah Duffy at the SHSCT stand with Noel Harte and Agnieszka Judkiewicz-Kozak
Lord Mayor, Cllr Sarah Duffy with Samantha McCartney and Jordan Wilson from Café IncreABLE
Lord Mayor, Cllr Sarah Duffy with Via Wings Gail Redmond BEM and Marieanne Verhoeven – Taylor
Lord Mayor, Cllr Sarah Duffy, Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Kyle Savage and CD Team members Ruth Allen, Allison Reilly, Boyd McClurg, Catherine Harris, Kelly Mallon, Nicola Mahood, and Department for Communities James Elliott.
Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Kyle Savage, Boyd McClurg, Nikki Cinnamond and Jennifer Fearon (Community Advice), Martin Stevenson (The Salvation Army) and Bernadette McNeice (St Vincent de Paul)
Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Kyle Savage with CD Team members Boyd McClurg, Kelly Mallon, Allison Reilly and Catherine Harris
Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Kyle Savage with Noella Murray and Susan Murphy from St John the Baptist College
NINR- Catherine Taylor, George Gillespie, Helen Tomb
Craigavon Area Food Bank Emma Beggs and Andrew Maguire, and Trusell – Denise Callaghan
Staff from Lurgan Junior High School, Cloughan Junior High School and Lurgan College
Community Advice ABC , Nikki Cinnamond (Chair of the Board), Lenard Breen, Jennifer Fearon, Donna Morris and Caroline Caesar.
Headline: Apple introduces iPad Air with powerful M3 chip and new Magic Keyboard
March 4, 2025
PRESS RELEASE
Apple introduces iPad Air with powerful M3 chip and new Magic Keyboard
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced the faster, more powerful iPad Air with the M3 chip and built for Apple Intelligence. iPad Air with M3 brings Apple’s advanced graphics architecture to iPad Air for the first time — taking its incredible combination of power-efficient performance and portability to a new level. iPad Air with M3 is nearly 2x faster compared to iPad Air with M1,1 and up to 3.5x faster than iPad Air with A14 Bionic.2 Users will feel the speed of M3 in everything they do, from creating engaging content faster than ever to playing demanding, graphics-intensive games. Available in two sizes and four gorgeous finishes that users love, the 11-inch iPad Air is super portable while on the go, and the 13-inch model provides an even larger display for more room to be creative and productive. Designed for iPad Air, the new Magic Keyboard enhances its versatility and delivers more capabilities at a lower price. With iPadOS 18, support for Apple Intelligence, advanced cameras, fast wireless 5G connectivity, and compatibility with Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), the new iPad Air offers an unrivaled experience.
With the same starting price of just $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch model, the new iPad Air is a fantastic value. And for education, the 11-inch iPad Air starts at just $549, and the 13-inch model starts at just $749. Customers can pre-order the new iPad Air with M3 and Magic Keyboard for iPad Air starting today, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 12.
“iPad Air is so popular because of its unmatched combination of powerful performance, portability, and support for advanced accessories, all at an affordable price,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “For everyone from college students taking notes with Apple Pencil Pro, to travelers and content creators who need powerful productivity on the go, iPad Air with M3, Apple Intelligence, and the new Magic Keyboard take versatility and value to the next level.”
Supercharged Performance with M3
iPad Air with M3 empowers users to be productive and creative wherever they are, from aspiring creatives using demanding apps and working with large files, to travelers editing content on the go. The powerful M3 chip offers a number of improvements over M1 and previous-generation models. Featuring a more powerful 8-core CPU, M3 is up to 35 percent faster for multithreaded CPU workflows than iPad Air with M1. M3 features a 9-core GPU with up to 40 percent faster graphics performance over M1. M3 also brings Apple’s advanced graphics architecture to iPad Air for the first time with support for dynamic caching, along with hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing. For graphics-intensive rendering workflows, iPad Air with M3 offers up to 4x faster performance than iPad Air with M1, enabling more accurate lighting, reflections, shadows, and extremely realistic gaming experiences.3
The faster Neural Engine in M3 means iPad Air users can enjoy even more AI capabilities in iPadOS. Compared to M1, the Neural Engine in M3 is up to 60 percent faster for AI-based workloads. Other improvements over iPad models with A-series chips include support for Apple Intelligence, the choice of 11- and 13-inch sizes, and support for advanced accessories, including the new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro.
iPad Air: Built for Apple Intelligence
iPad Air is built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence.4 In Photos, the Clean Up tool makes it easy to remove distracting elements in images, and natural language search allows users to search for just about any photo or video by simply describing what they are looking for. With Image Wand in the Notes app, users can make notes more visually engaging by turning rough sketches into delightful images, just by drawing a circle around the sketch with their Apple Pencil. Users can even circle empty space within a note, and Image Wand will gather context from the surrounding area to create a relevant image that complements the note and makes it more visual.
Apple Intelligence helps users explore creative new ways to express themselves visually with Image Playground, create the perfect emoji with Genmoji, and make their writing even more dynamic with Writing Tools. Users can now type to Siri, and Siri is more conversational with the ability to follow along if users stumble over their words. Siri can also maintain context from one request to the next, and with extensive product knowledge, Siri can answer thousands of questions about the features and settings of Apple products, so users can learn how to do things like take a screen recording.
With ChatGPT seamlessly integrated into Writing Tools and Siri, users can tap into ChatGPT’s expertise without jumping between applications, so they can get things done faster and easier than ever before. In addition, users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in — their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests. Users can choose whether to enable ChatGPT integration, and are in full control of when to use it and what information is shared with ChatGPT.
Designed to protect users’ privacy at every step, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power it run entirely on device. For requests that require access to larger models, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of iPad into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence. When using Private Cloud Compute, users’ data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill their request.
All-New Magic Keyboard for iPad Air
The all-new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air expands what users can do at an even lower price. The larger built-in trackpad brings greater precision for detail-oriented tasks, and a new 14-key function row allows easy access to features like screen brightness and volume controls. The new Magic Keyboard attaches magnetically, and the Smart Connector immediately connects power and data without the need for Bluetooth; a machined aluminum hinge also includes a USB-C connector for charging. Now starting at just $269 for the 11-inch model and $319 for the 13-inch model, the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air features the magical floating design customers love and comes in white.
iPad Updated with Double the Starting Storage and the A16 Chip
Apple today also updated iPad with double the starting storage and the A16 chip, bringing even more value to customers. The A16 chip provides a jump in performance for everyday tasks and experiences in iPadOS, while still providing all-day battery life. Compared to the previous generation, the updated iPad with A16 is nearly 30 percent faster.5 In fact, compared to iPad with A13 Bionic, users will see up to a 50 percent improvement in overall performance,5 and A16 makes the updated iPad up to 6x faster than the best-selling Android tablet.6
Powerful and Intelligent Features with iPadOS 18
iPadOS 18 offers powerful features that enhance the iPad experience, making it more versatile and intelligent than ever:7
Designed for the unique capabilities of iPad, Calculator delivers an entirely new way to use Apple Pencil to solve expressions. With Math Notes, users are now able to write out mathematical expressions or type to see them instantly solved in handwriting like their own. They can also create and use variables, and add an equation to insert a graph. Users can access their Math Notes in the Notes app and use all of the math functionality in any of their other notes.
In Notes, handwritten notes become more fluid and flexible. Smart Script unleashes powerful new capabilities for users editing handwritten text, allowing them to easily add space or even paste typed text in their own handwriting. And as users write with Apple Pencil, their handwriting will be automatically refined in real time to be smoother, straighter, and more legible.
With new Audio Recording and Transcription, iPad can capture a lecture or conversation, and transcripts are synced with the audio, so users can search for an exact moment in the recording.
Users now have even more options to express themselves through the Home Screen. App icons and widgets can take on a new look with a dark or tinted effect, and users can make them appear larger to create the experience that’s perfect for them. A redesigned Control Center provides easier access to many of the things users do every day, including the option to organize new controls from third-party apps.
Better for the Environment
The new iPad Air and updated iPad are designed with the environment in mind. As part of Apple 2030, the company’s ambitious goal to be carbon neutral across its entire carbon footprint by the end of this decade, Apple is transitioning to renewable electricity for manufacturing, and investing in wind and solar projects around the world to address the electricity used to charge all Apple products, including the new iPad Air and iPad. Today, all Apple facilities run on 100 percent renewable electricity — including the data centers that power Apple Intelligence.
To achieve Apple 2030, the company is designing products with more recycled and renewable materials, which further drives down the carbon footprint. The new iPad Air and iPad each feature at least 30 percent recycled content overall, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets. The batteries contain 100 percent recycled cobalt and — in a first for iPad — over 95 percent recycled lithium. The new iPad Air and iPad meet Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, and are free of mercury, brominated flame retardants, and PVC. The packaging is also entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal of removing plastic from its packaging by the end of this year.8
Pricing and Availability
Customers can pre-order the new iPad Air with M3 starting today, March 4, on apple.com/store, and in the Apple Store app in 29 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting March 12.
The 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air with M3 will be available in blue, purple, starlight, and space gray, with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations.
The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi model, and $749 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Air starts at $799 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi model, and $949 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.
For education, the new 11-inch iPad Air starts at $549 (U.S.), and the 13-inch model starts at $749 (U.S.). Education pricing is available to current and newly accepted college students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and home-school teachers of all grade levels. For more information, visit apple.com/us-hed/shop.
The new Magic Keyboard, available in white, is compatible with the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air. The 11-inch Magic Keyboard is available for $269 (U.S.), and the 13-inch Magic Keyboard is available for $319 (U.S.). For education, the 11-inch Magic Keyboard is available for $249 (U.S.), and the 13-inch Magic Keyboard is available for $299 (U.S.).
Customers can pre-order the new iPad with A16 starting today, March 4, on apple.com/store, and in the Apple Store app in 29 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting March 12.
The new iPad starts with 128GB of storage, and is also available in 256GB and a new 512GB configuration. Available in blue, pink, yellow, and silver, Wi-Fi models of the new iPad are available with a starting price of $349 (U.S.), and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at $499 (U.S.). For education, Wi-Fi models of the new iPad are available with a starting price of $329 (U.S.), and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at $479 (U.S.).
Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad is available for $249 (U.S.) and comes in white. For education, the Magic Keyboard Folio is available for $229 (U.S.).
Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) are compatible with the new iPad Air. Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil (1st generation) are compatible with the new iPad. Apple Pencil Pro is available for $129 (U.S.), and $119 (U.S.) for education. Apple Pencil (USB-C) is available for $79 (U.S.), and $69 (U.S.) for education.
Apple offers great ways to save on the latest iPad. Customers can trade in their current iPad and get credit toward a new one by visiting the Apple Store online, the Apple Store app, or an Apple Store location. To see what their device is worth and for terms and conditions, customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in.
Customers in the U.S. who shop at Apple using Apple Card can pay monthly at 0 percent APR when they choose to check out with Apple Card Monthly Installments, and they’ll get 3 percent Daily Cash back — all up front. More information — including details on eligibility, exclusions, and Apple Card terms — is available at apple.com/apple-card/monthly-installments.
About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.
Testing conducted by Apple in January and February 2025. See apple.com/ipad-air for more information.
Testing conducted by Apple in January and February 2025 using preproduction iPad Air 11-inch (M3) and iPad Air 13-inch (M3) units as well as production iPad Air (4th generation) units. Tested with Procreate Dreams v1.0.14 by exporting a 29-second project. Performance tests are conducted using specific iPad units and reflect the approximate performance of iPad Air.
Testing conducted by Apple in January and February 2025 using preproduction iPad Air 11-inch (M3) and iPad Air 13-inch (M3) units as well as production iPad Air (5th generation) units. Octane X 2024.1.01 for iPad tested using a scene with 770,000 meshes and 8 million unique primitives, utilizing hardware-accelerated ray tracing on M3-based systems and software-based ray tracing on all other units. Performance tests are conducted using specific iPad units and reflect the approximate performance of iPad Air.
Apple Intelligence is available on iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 and later, in localized English for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and the U.S. Additional languages — including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (simplified), English (Singapore), and English (India) — will be available in April, with more languages coming over the course of the year, including Vietnamese. Some features, applications, and services may not be available in all regions or all languages.
Testing conducted by Apple in January and February 2025 using preproduction iPad (A16) units as well as production iPad (10th generation) units. Tested with a selection of tasks using Microsoft Excel for iPad v2.93. Performance tests are conducted using specific iPad units and reflect the approximate performance of iPad.
Testing conducted by Apple in January and February 2025 using preproduction iPad (A16) units with Apple A16, as well as production Qualcomm SM6375-based Android tablet units with the latest version of Android 14 available at the time of testing. Best-selling Android tablet based on publicly available sales data over the last 12 months. Tested with common tasks in commercial applications and select industry-standard benchmarks. Performance depends on device settings, usage, environment, and many other factors. Performance tests are conducted using specific systems and reflect the approximate performance of iPad.
Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas. For more information on iPadOS 18, visit apple.com/ipados/ipados-18.
Based on retail packaging as shipped by Apple. Breakdown of U.S. retail packaging by weight. Adhesives, inks, and coatings are excluded from calculations of plastic content and packaging weight.
Flowing clockwise around Antarctica, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is the strongest ocean current on the planet. It’s five times stronger than the Gulf Stream and more than 100 times stronger than the Amazon River.
It forms part of the global ocean “conveyor belt” connecting the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. The system regulates Earth’s climate and pumps water, heat and nutrients around the globe.
But fresh, cool water from melting Antarctic ice is diluting the salty water of the ocean, potentially disrupting the vital ocean current.
Our new research suggests the Antarctic Circumpolar Current will be 20% slower by 2050 as the world warms, with far-reaching consequences for life on Earth.
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is like a moat around the icy continent.
The current helps to keep warm water at bay, protecting vulnerable ice sheets. It also acts as a barrier to invasive species such as southern bull kelp and any animals hitching a ride on these rafts, spreading them out as they drift towards the continent. It also plays a big part in regulating Earth’s climate.
Unlike better known ocean currents – such as the Gulf Stream along the United States East Coast, the Kuroshio Current near Japan, and the Agulhas Current off the coast of South Africa – the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is not as well understood. This is partly due to its remote location, which makes obtaining direct measurements especially difficult.
Understanding the influence of climate change
Ocean currents respond to changes in temperature, salt levels, wind patterns and sea-ice extent. So the global ocean conveyor belt is vulnerable to climate change on multiple fronts.
Theoretically, warming water around Antarctica should speed up the current. This is because density changes and winds around Antarctica dictate the strength of the current. Warm water is less dense (or heavy) and this should be enough to speed up the current. But observations to date indicate the strength of the current has remained relatively stable over recent decades.
This stability persists despite melting of surrounding ice, a phenomenon that had not been fully explored in scientific discussions in the past.
What we did
Advances in ocean modelling allow a more thorough investigation of the potential future changes.
The model captures features others often miss, such as eddies. So it’s a far more accurate way to assess how the current’s strength and behaviour will change as the world warms. It picks up the intricate interactions between ice melting and ocean circulation.
In this future projection, cold, fresh melt water from Antarctica migrates north, filling the deep ocean as it goes. This causes major changes to the density structure of the ocean. It counteracts the influence of ocean warming, leading to an overall slowdown in the current of as much as 20% by 2050.
Far-reaching consequences
The consequences of a weaker Antarctic Circumpolar Current are profound and far-reaching.
As the main current that circulates nutrient-rich waters around Antarctica, it plays a crucial role in the Antarctic ecosystem.
Weakening of the current could reduce biodiversity and decrease the productivity of fisheries that many coastal communities rely on. It could also aid the entry of invasive species such as southern bull kelp to Antarctica, disrupting local ecosystems and food webs.
A weaker current may also allow more warm water to penetrate southwards, exacerbating the melting of Antarctic ice shelves and contributing to global sea-level rise. Faster ice melting could then lead to further weakening of the current, commencing a vicious spiral of current slowdown.
This disruption could extend to global climate patterns, reducing the ocean’s ability to regulate climate change by absorbing excess heat and carbon in the atmosphere.
Ocean currents around the world (NASA)
Need to reduce emissions
While our findings present a bleak prognosis for the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the future is not predetermined. Concerted efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could still limit melting around Antarctica.
Establishing long-term studies in the Southern Ocean will be crucial for monitoring these changes accurately.
With proactive and coordinated international actions, we have a chance to address and potentially avert the effects of climate change on our oceans.
The authors thank Polar Climate Senior Researcher Dr Andreas Klocker, from the NORCE Norwegian Research Centre and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, for his contribution to this research, and Professor Matthew England from the University of New South Wales, who provided the outputs from the model simulation for this analysis.
Taimoor Sohail receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Bishakhdatta Gayen receives funding from Australian Research Council (ARC). He works at University of Melbourne as ARC Future Fellow and Associate Professor. He is also A/Prof. at CAOS, Indian Institute of Science.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The announcement of the winners for the PhD and postdoc tracks was a big success result the eighth international Olympiad. The organizers of the intellectual competitions are 24 Russian universities – members of the association “Global Universities”, successfully developing in the global market of education and research.
“The Olympiad of the Global Universities Association contributes to achieving one of the indicators of the national project “Youth and Children” – increasing the number of foreign students by 2030 to 500 thousand. In 2024, about 150 thousand people from 185 countries took part in it, which is more than twice the results of the previous year. The winners of the Olympiad will have the right to study in Russia locally within the quota of the Government of the Russian Federation for foreign citizens,” said Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.
As noted by the head of the Ministry of Education and Science Valery Falkov, a special feature of the 2024 selection was the launch of a postdoc track, which is aimed at attracting young foreign scientists to work in scientific projects of Russian universities. Holders of a candidate of science or PhD degree from a foreign university are given the opportunity to find employment in one of the research projects offered by the organizing universities.
“We see that the trend for academic mobility remains stable throughout the world, the number of foreign students in Russia is growing. And one of the successful tools of this work is holding such large-scale events as the international Olympiad,” the minister said.
The track for undergraduate students also started for the first time. The winners and prize winners were 2,129 people, the master’s track – 3,928 people, the postgraduate track – 234 people, and among postdocs – 11. In total, this year the participants filled out almost 362 thousand portfolios. The organizers noted the increase in the activity of the participants and a significant improvement in the quality of their preparation: the average score increased at all stages of the intellectual competitions, despite the increased entry requirements for applicants.
The Olympiad is held in 14 broad subject profiles:
— Computer and Data Science
— Business and management
— Engineering and technology
— Clinical medicine and public health
— Biology and biotechnology
— Political science and international relations
— Applied Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence
— Education and psychology
— Earth and Environmental Sciences
— Economics and econometrics
— Linguistics and modern languages
— Physical and technical sciences
— Urbanism and civil engineering
— Chemistry and Materials Science
The International Olympiad (known internationally under the brand Russian Scholarship Project Open Doors) has been held since 2017. During this time, more than 500 thousand people from 222 countries of the world took part in it, about 90% of them live in Asia and Africa. More than 12 thousand winners and prize winners received the right to free education in the best Russian universities.
The universities that are members of the Global Universities Association include the universities that are members of the Global Universities Association and the organizers of the Olympiad.
1. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research University “Higher School of Economics”
2. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Samara National Research University named after Academician S.P. Korolev”.
3. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research University ITMO”
4. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Tomsk State University”
5. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin”
6.Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Far Eastern Federal University”
7. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University)”
8. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Moscow Polytechnic University”
9. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Tyumen State University”
10. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University”
11. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Siberian Federal University”
12. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University”
13. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University”
14. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation”
15. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N.I. Lobachevsky”
16. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Novosibirsk National Research State University”
17. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Technological University “MISIS”
18. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Nuclear University MEPhI”
19. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Southern Federal University”
20. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University “LETI” named after V.I. Ulyanov (Lenin)”
21. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba”
22. Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering”
23. Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University)
24. Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Bauman Moscow State Technical University (National Research University)”, as well as the university – co-organizer of the Olympiad in the postgraduate track
25. Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Siberian State Medical University” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Working meeting of Dmitry Patrushev with the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Tourism and Development of Tourism Infrastructure, Chairman of the Public Council of the ANO “Center for Assistance to Environmental Initiatives “Ecology” Nikolai Valuev
March 4, 2025
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Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Tourism and Tourism Infrastructure Development, Chairman of the Public Council of the ANO “Center for Assistance to Environmental Initiatives “Ecology”” Nikolai Valuev. The topics of discussion were the results of the implementation of the national project “Ecology” and the events of the new national project “Ecological Well-Being”.
Nikolai Valuev presented the Deputy Prime Minister with a public resolution on environmental protection and ecological development of the Russian Federation, drawn up following the results of the XV International Forum “Ecology”.
The First Deputy Chairman of the Tourism Committee reported on the assessment of the implementation of the national project “Ecology”, obtained as a result of a survey of representatives of regional executive authorities. The meeting noted the importance of ensuring a constructive dialogue between federal and regional authorities, representatives of the business community, scientific and educational and non-profit organizations.
Dmitry Patrushev emphasized that the key platform for discussing all issues on the environmental agenda will be the Nevsky International Environmental Congress. The Deputy Prime Minister suggested that the Center for Assistance to Environmental Initiatives integrate its developments into the business program of the event. The congress will allow all interested parties to present and discuss their initiatives, and exchange experiences with colleagues.
The XI Nevsky International Ecological Congress will be held on May 22–23 in St. Petersburg, its motto is “Planet Earth: Harmony of Man and Nature.”
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
A range of organisations, from landholders to grassroots community groups, joined together last week for the first time to discuss different ecological challenges in the city, and discussed how they can work better together to tackle them. The meeting- hosted by Westminster City Council- provided a platform to collaborate, network and share ideas with the goal of enhancing biodiversity and greening across Westminster.
Named Wilder Westminster, the first meeting marks the beginning of a long-term commitment by the council to address the ecological emergency. Regular collaboration between members will help to continue the discussion and develop the biodiversity and greening action plan outside the group bi-annual meetings.
The aim for future meetings is to continue collaborating to ensure greening efforts are coordinated and impactful and that nature is supported to recover and thrive.
Westminster is home to exceptional green spaces, owned and managed by a variety of stakeholders including Royal Parks, and BIDS (Business Improvement Districts) and community and third sector organisations, so there was an emphasis on partnership building, calling on everyone to take collective responsibility for creating a greener and more nature-rich environment. The working group also touched on issues such as strategy and purpose, and case studies of good greening practices including recent improvements to Cardinal Place in Victoria by Landsec.
Westminster City Council is hopeful that this new partnership will play a key role in shaping a greener future for central London.
For more information about the work group is doing as well as how to get more involved by visiting the Environment Hub.
Cllr Ryan Jude, Cabinet member for Climate Action, Ecology and Culture said:
It was great to see different organisations come together in one space to focus on how we can work better together to be more environmentally sustainable, in recognition of the ecological emergency and to help deliver a net zero city by 2040.”
“We all recognise that we can’t do this alone and there is still a lot to be done but by making sure our efforts are coordinated we can bring about meaningful and lasting change in Westminster.”
Manchester City Council has become the first local authority in the UK to be awarded ‘Gold’ status for its staff’s understanding of climate change.
More than half of the people working for the Council and associated bodies such as MCR Active – and more than 90 per cent of senior officers and councillors – have completed Carbon Literacy® training which gives an insight into the implications of climate change, how harmful carbon emissions cause the problem and how they might be reduced.
Being Carbon Literate enables people to take informed decisions in both their personal and work lives which will support Manchester’s commitment to become zero carbon by 2038 or earlier.
In total, Manchester City Council and its associates have almost 4,000 employees who have completed Carbon Literacy training – the most of any council in the country.
Being named a Gold Carbon Literate Organisation by the Carbon Literacy Project is a further marker of progress for the Council, which had previously become the first local authority to gain Silver status in February 2021.
Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Environment, said: “We’re pleased that Manchester City Council is leading the way nationally in empowering our staff with an understanding of environmental issues and giving them a foundation to take actions which will support our mission to cut harmful carbon emissions, in both their professional and personal lives.
“Getting to Gold status has been a long journey but what’s important is not the accolade itself but the understanding which now runs through the organisation. It’s something that our staff have really embraced.
“We have also launched and are actively supporting the Manchester Carbon Literate City initiative which aims to be another UK first for Manchester, the first city where 15 per cent of people who live, work and study here will have been certified as Carbon Literate.”
Dave Coleman, Co-founder and Managing Director of The Carbon Literacy Project, said: “As the city in which Carbon Literacy was created, it probably shouldn’t be any surprise that Manchester is the first local authority anywhere to achieve Carbon Literate Organisation (CLO) Gold level accreditation.
“Gold CLO required not just that more than half of the Council’s workforce be Carbon Literate, and delivering action on climate in their jobs, it also required the Council to demonstrate evidence that it is culturally Carbon Literate and has embedded the values of Carbon Literacy in its delivery, its working practices and its policy.
“We applaud Manchester City Council as the UK’s very first local authority to achieve Gold CLO status.”
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ChampionX Corporation (“ChampionX” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CHX), a global leader in oilfield technology, announced today its ChampionX Emissions Technologies’ Aerial Optical Gas Imaging (AOGI) platform has received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Methane Alternative Test Method outlined in OOOOb. This approval marks a significant milestone in emissions management, empowering operators to integrate AOGI into their emissions monitoring programs to detect and locate fugitive methane emissions with unmatched efficiency and precision.
ChampionX’s AOGI platform has gained industry-wide recognition for its ability to complement fugitive emissions screening processes. It helps create efficiency with the possibility of surveying over 150 sites per day. By leveraging Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) technology, AOGI offers a scalable solution with the intent of reducing the time and cost required for emissions monitoring for operators of all sizes.
“As the first component-level platform approved by the EPA, AOGI represents a new standard in emissions monitoring,” said Sivasankaran ‘Soma’ Somasundaram, President & CEO of ChampionX. “This advanced method enables operators to monitor emissions to assist operators in taking action to meet regulatory requirements efficiently while seamlessly integrating into their existing workflows.”
This proven method combines high-definition OGI technology with an advanced gimbal system to detect, locate, and visualize methane leaks with pinpoint accuracy. The OGI technology has been refined for a variety of applications, including handheld, fixed, drone, and aerial systems.
“It’s the ultimate use of OGI, a familiar and trusted technology to pinpoint leaks quickly and efficiently from the air,” said Shankar Annamalai, Senior Vice President of Emissions Technologies and Permian Geomarket. “Given the scale of the oil and gas industry, streamlining the leak detection process is a big relief to operators, especially for small businesses.”
“This approval underscores our commitment to innovation and reinforces the United States’ position as a leading producer of efficient and sustainable oil and gas,” said Somasundaram.
Using our 140 years of oilfield expertise, ChampionX has, and will, continue to support the oil and gas sectors with cutting-edge technologies – ike AOGI, the Aura OGI™ camera, Soofie® continuous monitors, drones with HALO OGI® or Open Path Laser Spectrometer (OPLS) technology, and fixed-wing surveys – to address the evolving environmental and operational challenges.
For more information on how AOGI can complement your emissions monitoring program, visit ChampionX Emissions Technologies | AOGI or contact us at contactemissions@championx.com.
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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs’ virtual reality training module wins international award (with photos) Hong Kong Customs’ virtual reality training module wins international award (with photos) *****************************************************************************************
Hong Kong Customs’ innovative training module “Cave Automatic Virtual Environment” (CAVE) received a silver award in Brandon Hall Group Technology Excellence Awards under the category “Best Advance in Augmented and Virtual Reality” at the end of last year. The accolade highlights the international recognition of the department’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance the efficiency of staff training. CAVE, launched in 2023, employs advanced virtual reality technology to create interactive training modules that simulate various customs clearance scenarios, providing customs trainees with an immersive training experience. This innovative training method allows trainees to learn basic customs clearance skills under a controlled environment and enables instructors to adjust the training modules according to the training progress and smuggling trends, thereby strengthening the trainees’ adaptability. CAVE has now been fully introduced to all induction and in-service training provided by Hong Kong Customs College, and a total of more than 600 officers have received the training. The Assistant Commissioner (Administration and Human Resource Development) of Customs, Ms Tam So-ying, today (March 4) said, “This award ascertains the fact that Customs’ application of virtual reality technology in competency training has reached international standards. We will continue to explore feasibility of extending the scope of applications of CAVE.” Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards is a global award scheme that attracts institutions from around the world each year to compete for awards in different professional fields. Hong Kong Customs was the only institution in Asia to receive the “Best Advance in Augmented and Virtual Reality” award in 2024. This honour underscores the department’s dedication and achievements in promoting “Smart Customs”, serving as the Asia-Pacific training centre of the World Customs Organization and enhancing its enforcement capabilities to safeguard the country and Hong Kong.
Singapore, 4 March 2025 – Public hygiene forms the foundation of our well-being. The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) designated 2024 as the Year of Public Hygiene to strengthen our sense of collective responsibility to one another, and for everyone to play a part in upkeeping good public hygiene practices. Accordingly, the National Environment Agency (NEA) stepped up efforts to improve public health outcomes in five key areas, namely:
a) Tackling cleanliness hotspots;
b) Tackling unhygienic public toilets;
c) Enhancing vector control;
d) Enhancing industry capability and leveraging technology; and
e) Rallying the community.
2 The year-long effort included adopting greater use of technology such as CCTVs to improve our surveillance and enforcement capabilities for littering and rat-related issues, expanding Project Wolbachia to reduce risk of dengue transmission, and adopting technologies to enhance cleaning operations. Enforcement for littering, rat-related lapses and public toilet offences were also intensified. The Public Toilets Taskforce also studied and recommended solutions to bring about cleaner public toilets.
3 More public hygiene activities were organised, and more residents stepped up to take ownership of their estates’ cleanliness. We will build on this momentum and work with the community to keep Singapore clean for SG60 and beyond.
Tackling cleanliness hotspots: 36 per cent reduction of litter count at hotspots
4 While the community is generally civic-minded, littering remains a concern due to the inconsiderate actions of some. In 2024, NEA conducted about 130 enforcement blitzes at littering and smoking hotspots compared to 21 blitzes in 2023. NEA also strengthened its camera surveillance capabilities and scaled capacity to conduct up to 1,000 CCTV deployments a year, compared to 250 in 2023. At hotspots, NEA strengthened enforcement presence to increase deterrence with visible patrols, standees and CCTVs [1] . NEA also partnered community stakeholders to seek their assistance in identifying egregious offenders captured by the CCTV footage.
5 A 36 per cent reduction in litter count has been observed at hotspots between May and December 2024 [2]. Four hotspots – Causeway Point, Chinatown Complex, Jurong Point and Vista Point – are on track to exit from the littering hotspot list. A total of about 1,900 fines were issued at hotspots islandwide between May and December 2024. Of these, more than 700 were for littering offences[3]. 30 Corrective Work Sessions were also conducted at these hotspots.
6 NEA will continue to address the littering situation through public education and enforcement. Residents can complement NEA’s efforts by providing feedback, including information on the identities of egregious offenders.
Enhancing vector control: Over 1,000 enforcement actions for rat-related lapses in 2024
7 Reducing the incidence of vector-borne diseases remains a priority. In 2024, NEA focused on upstream rat preventive measures such as promoting and enforcing proper refuse management practices and rectifying structural defects that may allow rats to access food easily.
8 Over 1,000 enforcement actions were jointly taken by NEA and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) against errant premises owners or occupiers, including operators of trade premises, shopping malls, and food establishments. This is almost double the 670 enforcement actions taken in 2023. Nearly half of the enforcements last year were for poor refuse management [4].
9 NEA also successfully trialled the use of thermal cameras for rat surveillance. This complements technological solutions such as passive infrared cameras and borescopes to enhance the monitoring and management of rat activities in Singapore’s urban environment. NEA will continue to work closely with stakeholders to keep the rat situation under control. [5]
Enhancing vector control: Project Wolbachia to benefit 800,000 households by 2026
10 On dengue, community vigilance and innovations like ProjectWolbachiahave helped us to avoid major surges in dengue cases in 2023 and 2024. TheAedes aegyptipopulation at ProjectWolbachiastudy sites has reduced by 80 to 90 per cent, and the risk of acquiring dengue has lowered by 75 per cent.
11 To reduce the risk of a major dengue outbreak further, NEA will expand ProjectWolbachiato benefit more residents. By 2026, the project will reach 800,000 households, or about 50 per cent of all households. NEA expanded ProjectWolbachiato Jurong East in February 2025, and Jurong West will soon see releases ofWolbachia-Aedesmosquitoes from April 2025. This year, NEA will trial the use ofWolbachia-Aedesmosquitoes at dengue clusters to supplement traditional control operations [6].
12 The production ofWolbachia-Aedesmosquitoes is currently met by two separate facilities managed by NEA, and Debug by Google [7]. Besides increasing production capacity at existing facilities, we will work with the industry to develop a third facility to supplement the overall capacity.
Enhancing industry capability and leveraging technology: Adoption of technology to enhance cleaning operations
13 NEA is adopting more technology to enhance cleaning operations. For example, NEA is working with service providers to trial and progressively deploy drain sensors, which can send alerts when the drains are filled with leaves, or when the water level is high [8]. Beyond drain sensors, NEA will also deploy four autonomous waterway cleaning machines across Singapore.
14 NEA has also collaborated with the National Parks Board (NParks) to trial the use of artificial intelligence that can help improve operational efficiency, such as by detecting overflowing litter bins and littered public areas. In addition, NEA will commence trials in 2025 on the deployment of autonomous pavement sweepers in selected parks.
Enhancing industry capability and leveraging technology: $90 million boost for Environmental Services Industry
15 In terms of enhancing industry capability and the use of technology, a $90 million boost for the Environmental Services Industry has been made available– the Environmental Services Productivity Solutions Grant. The grant application period is open till 31 March 2027 [9].
Tackling unhygienic public toilets: About 1,300 enforcement actions taken for public toilet offences
16 The Public Toilets Taskforce was formed last year to study and recommend solutions to make our public toilets cleaner [10]. In 2024, NEA and SFA stepped up inspections on public toilet cleanliness. Close to 19,000 inspections were carried out, with about 1,300 enforcement actions taken against premises owners/managers. We will continue to work with our partners and support ground-up efforts to achieve our goal of cleaner public toilets.
Rallying the community: More residents stepped up to take ownership of their estate cleanliness
17 Community ownership is vital to keeping public spaces clean. Under the Community Auditor Programme, residents at private residential estates are recruited to conduct audits on the performance of our cleaning service providers. The pool of resident volunteers has increased from 20 in 2020 to 169 in 2024, covering 99 private estates [11].
18 NEA is also on track to roll out the Alternate Roadside Parking Programme to 45 private estates by 2026, with 33 private estates on board so far. The programme, which facilitates the deployment of mechanical road sweepers, has resulted in 50 to 80 per cent of time savings compared to manual cleaning with brooms and trash bags [12].
Rallying the community: Over 1,750 community activities with 127,000 participants in the Year of Public Hygiene
19 Over 1,750 community activities involving 127,000 participants were conducted last year by NEA and the Public Hygiene Council. NEA expanded community activities with various corporate parties, NGOs and volunteer partners to inculcate a greater sense of common ownership of public spaces [13].
20 NEA further rolled out a series of “Behind-The-Scenes” learning journeys as part of Go Green SG and the Clean & Green Singapore Experiences programme, offering the public a closer look at the work of NEA officers conducting ground operations in littering enforcement, refuse management for effective vector control, and public cleaning performance audits. NEA will continue to partner our stakeholders and the community to keep Singapore clean.
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[1] CCTVs were strategically deployed at 13 hotspots that required sustained monitoring for extended periods of up to six months. This approach allowed NEA to gather data and detect offences.
[2] The total litter count at the hotspots was about 950 and 600 in May and December 2024, respectively.
[3] Other offences included smoking, urinating and defecation.
[4] In 2023, about 670 enforcement actions were taken against premises owners/occupiers for rat-related lapses, of which 80 were for poor refuse management practices.
[5] Visit link for more details on the thermal camera trial for rat surveillance and tightened enforcement from 1 Apr 2025.
[6] Visit link for more details on the expansion of Project Wolbachia.
[7] Verily’s contract with NEA was novated from Verily Life Sciences to Google Asia Pacific Pte Ltd w.e.f. 13 Dec 2024. Debug is the business function in both Verily and Google that fulfil the contract obligations to NEA.
[8] 20 units of the latest version with improved functions such as in-built camera for enhanced situational awareness have been deployed for operational testing as of 9 Jan 2025.
[9] Details on Environmental Services Productivity Solutions Grant are available in Annex A and here.
[10] Refer to MSE’s media release for more details.
[11] The Community Auditor management programme commenced in September 2020, as NEA recognised the effectiveness of residents who are willing to step forward as ‘local cleanliness auditors’ of their estates.
[12] Details on Alternate Roadside Parking Programme are available in Annex B.
[13] Details on Rallying the Community are available in Annex C.
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